Psalm 42:1-2
As the deer pants for flowing streams, so my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
What is the real desire of my heart? That is what the Psalmist is taking about in this psalm. His soul, the real him, desires God just as a deer who has been running and exerting himself desires to drink water from a flowing stream. The question you and I have to answer is: To what extent to I really want to know God?
There are two different words translated know in the New Testament. One word means to know something or someone from a theorical viewpoint. I know something because I read about in a book or studied a manual or I know about a person because I have read about them. The other word means I know something or someone because I have experienced it or them. It is knowledge that comes through experience.
Jesus wants us to know Him because we have experienced Him in our lives.
In the book of Acts, we see examples of people wanting Jesus for selfish motives and examples of people really wanting to know Jesus.
First are the examples of people wanting Jesus for selfish reasons.
In Acts 5 we meet Ananias and Sapphira who were part of the church in Jerusalem. They wanted to know Jesus enough to receive recognition and praise by looking as if they had made a bigger sacrifice than they really had. They gave part of a sum they received for selling some land and claimed they gave all of it. They wanted Jesus for personal honor.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is wanting Jesus for His honor and glory.
In Acts 8 we meet Simon. He wanted Jesus for personal power. Simon gave his life to Jesus and was baptized. One day Simon observed Peter laying hands on some people and they received the Holy Spirit. Simon offered money to Peter to get the power to give the Holy Spirit to others. Peter tells Simon what he can do with his money. Simon wanted power and he saw Jesus as a means to that power so he could use it for himself and his desires.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is being filled with the Holy Spirit to be empowered to accomplish the will and desire of Jesus, not our own will or desire.
Then there are the examples of people really wanting Jesus.
Also, in Acts 8 we meet an unnamed Ethiopian eunuch. He has been to Jerusalem to worship God. This man was a real seeker. On the man’s return trip home, he encounters Philip. Philp shares with him about Jesus and the man wants to experience the reality of Jesus so much that he believes, gives himself to Jesus and even stops and has Philip baptize him.
Rise the Roof and Remove the Walls is wanting Jesus so much that nothing will stand in your way.
Then in Acts 10 we meet Cornelius. He was a Roman centurion. He wants Jesus so much that he sends people to ask Peter to come and share about Jesus with him and his family and his friends. Cornelius and his family and friends are saved, baptized, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Cornelius wanted Jesus so much that he went to extraordinary efforts to hear the gospel and get his family and friends to hear it also.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is wanting Jesus so much that you want those that you care about to experience Him also.
The difference between those four examples is that the first two were motivated by pride and selfishness and the second two were motivated by a soul-deep desire to really experience the reality of Jesus in their lives.
I have to be careful that I want Jesus to really experience Him because of what He has done for me and not so my church will grow or that others will think I am a great guy or that I am perceived as great spiritual leader or great pastor.
Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is wanting Jesus for Jesus, not for myself.
Experiencing Jesus By Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,
Joe
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