Following After God’s heart The heart smitten by love will do whatever is necessary to win the object of its passion. No distance is too far, and no investment is too significant. Helen of Troy, according to Greek Mythology, had a face with such extraordinary beauty that it launched a great armada of ships in the war of the Greeks and the Trojans. When she was abducted by Paris of Troy the Trojan war became Menelaus, king of Sparta’s quest to bring her back home from Troy. Instead of just giving up and conceding that Troy was too far and the expenses too great, the King chose to follow His own heart and spare no expense to get her back. The level of one’s love will be shown in the level of determined pursuit committed to in the quest to acquire. In God’s love for each precious member of His created people, He demonstrated a passion that launched His own Son from the pleasures of heaven to the darkness of this earth. While many of us are far from an outward countenance that could launch even one ship, He saw each one as worth the most significant investment ever made. It’s this heart of the Father to save and win even His opposition that drives everything else we can discover in Him. To have a heart after Him is to take on this same willingness to go wherever in the world and commit whatever time and resources necessary to save and restore all to relationship with the Father. Notes A Heart After - follows Acts 13:22 (NLT) 22 But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’ His Heart - going Matthew 16:24 (NLT) 24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. Love – Leaves / Goes / Gives / Acquires John 3:16-17 (NLT) 16 “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. Everyone is a candidate – when sent tell Romans 10:13-15 (NLT) 13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved.” 14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” Godly inheritance - nations Psalms 2:8 (NLT) 8 Only ask, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the whole earth as your possession. The promise of Abraham – nations Romans 4:17-18 (NLT) 17 That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing. 18 Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” The promise begun is perfected in us Hebrews 11:39-40 (NLT) 39 All these people earned a good reputation because of their faith, yet none of them received all that God had promised. 40 For God had something better in mind for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us. Unity in Going John 17:18-21 (NLT) 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. 19 And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. 20 “I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. 21 I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. Our mission – to those outside church walls Romans 10:20 (NLT) 20 And later Isaiah spoke boldly for God, saying, “I was found by people who were not looking for me. I showed myself to those who were not asking for me.” Everywhere – waiting on privileged to go Romans 1:5 (NLT) 5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. The Spirit’s Purpose – witnesses on mission Acts 1:8 (NLT) 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Overview: Going after God’s own heart is leaving the comfortable to do whatever it takes to go and fulfill His passion. To follow Christ is to follow Him in love – Leaving / Going / Giving / Acquiring As He was sent, so we’re sent to be after the Father’s heart which is the nations. Our inheritance in Him begins with nations which includes the whole earth as a possession. We’re included in perfecting Abraham’s promise as we follow God’s heart for the nations. There is unity with the Father only found when responding to His sending. The Spirit’s purpose is to empower those who a going. Mission is beyond the walls to the local community, state, nation, and the world. Believing for personal promises is empowered when going after God’s heart in Abraham’s promise. Prayer: You are so amazing, Father, in Your love that has enabled salvation in the sending of Jesus for me. I’m so grateful that He left heaven and showed me how to be after Your heart and its passion for the nations. As I follow Jesus now, empower me by the Spirit to go in confidence, knowing all Your promises are mine as I go. Declarations: My faith in Christ and the new life that is mine has come as a result of someone who was after the heart of God in sharing the Gospel. I’m passionate about following Christ in responding to the heart of the Father, taking up my cross and going with His love to the world. As I am after God’s heart, I ask for my promised inheritance of the nations with the whole earth as my possession to enable it.