Main point: The secret place with Jesus ensures we have a personal relationship with God that will make our Christian Journey full of joy, peace and purpose.

Foundation Scripture: Matthew 23:1-12.

The religious leaders checked off the boxes of religion but they did not know God. They knew of God.

The religious leaders were teaching the works of sacrifice but not love and mercy of God.

If the religious leaders had a secret place with God (God and them alone), they would have served and loved people not demand that they follow their rules

They were to busy checking the boxes of religion they did not have time to know God in the secret place

Pastor’s Thoughts:

Do not get to busy with life or even doing things that seem good so others can see how good you are.

Besides salvation in Jesus Christ, there is nothing more important in your Christian journey than to know God personally in the secret place.

God desires that your heart is passionate about knowing him

God is looking for hearts that know Him:

2 Chronicles 16:9.

Show himself strong. This means that God will show up in your life: (His glory, miracles, answered prayer etc…)

For those whose heart are perfect

Perfect means a heart that desires more of God and is willing to be transformed by God).

Perfect does not mean sinless. A perfect heart is not a perfect person it is a person willing to be perfected through transformation.

For those whose hearts are willing to be perfected, they will have wars (or struggles in life with no power, no hope)

Lamentations 3:25. The Lord is good to men that wait for him (patience). To men that seek Him (intentional seeking from the heart-the secret place).

Pastor’s Thoughts:

Sadducees and Pharisees were checking the boxes of religion but they did not know God.

Jesus himself said not everyone that says Lord, Lord will enter into the Kingdom of God.

How do you ensure you are not just checking the boxes of religion and that what you have in your relationship with God is real, empowered, life transforming? The secret place.

When you have ‘the secret place’ in your life you will not be like the religious leaders: checking the box of religion. You will know God and God will show himself strong through you.

The secret place with Jesus ensures we have a personal relationship with God that will make our Christian Journey full of joy, peace and purpose.