Discipleship: It's a Relationship, Not a Religion!
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Scripture: John 15:4-8
FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY: What kind of relationship do we have with God?
Although God is not bound by time as we are, our relationships with Him can
be seen in a time line of sorts.
I. It's A Past Relationship … via our Old Nature!
In our old nature, our relationship with God was one of an adversarial role.
We were sinners and He was God- perfect in every way. He wanted us and
called out to us, but we wanted to live our lives our way.
II. It's A Present Relationship … via our New Nature!
As Christians, we see our relationship with God change from adversarial to
one of close friendship. We listened to His call and said "yes", and began
a
new walk with our heavenly Father.
III. It's A Prophetic Relationship … via our Promised Nature!
God promises us an eternity with Him that is higher than any expectation that
we can ever have in this world, bar none. Whatever our puny human minds can
conceive, God has something better in store for us and that's His promise to
us.
TRUTH CLAIM: Our relationship with God is not only in the shadow of today but
in the shadows of the yesterdays and tomorrows, as well.
Some who who are here today are participating in a Bible study on Wednesdays,
"Experiencing God". If you recall, the authors emphasized again and again how
a relationship requires two people; that is, we need a person on the other
side of a relationship, to make it one.
We have relationships with all sorts of people (e.g., family, friends,
co-workers, neighbors, etc.), but love relationships are few, as they rightly
ought to be.
Christianity is the only spiritual body that has or ever has claimed to have
a God who desires, let alone allows, a personal, love relationship with His
followers. But He does. In fact, it is said that we are in a marriage
relationship with our God.
A relationship like this is not a religion; religions have been created to
fill mans need for building a relationship that is "supernatural", but not
necessarily Spiritual in nature.
FOUNDATIONAL INQUIRY:
What kind of relationship do we have with God? How does your relationship
with God seem to be developing?
Not to dismiss the majesty and wonder of a love relationship with our
Creator, let me say that we have …
I. A Past Relationship … via our Old Nature!
A. As a Debtor! We are totally in debt to a being that tells us that we can
never pay back that debt to, no matter how hard we try.
Debt of any kind is a burden. God tells us to own no man anything; He
understands the nature of debt. All of us have been in debt at sometime; some
quite seriously. It's a heavy weight to bear … when the debt is finally
lifted, what a relief.
Because of this enormous debt, we are related to God through Grace!
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves,
it is the gift of God …" .[Ephesians 2:8]
What a gift!
"[For] God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still
sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His
blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." [Romans 5:8-9]
While we were still in debt, while we still sinned, God paid our debt. Can
you imagine Visa or Master Card doing that for you? Never in million years!
In fact, trying to pay off one of those cards can seem as vain as trying to
perform "works" in order to have your sins forgiven!
What a God! What a relationship! Remember, it was accounted to Abraham
because he believed! That is, God credited his account to pay his debt!
B. As a Dead-man!
We are related to God through death!
An acquaintance shared with me that he had a visit from an inexperienced and
very nervous salesman a while back. The young man was selling cemetery plots.
Being gracious, he allowed the sales pitch to be presented.
But when finished, he informed the young man that he and his wife had
previously purchased two burial plots at a competitors across town.
Awkwardly, the salesman excused himself and made his way to the door. As he
hurried down the sidewalk, he turned and said, "I hope you’ll both be very
happy there!"
Well, God has purchased us a burial plot, only we won't have to stay there
for long ... . [1 Thes. 4:16-18]
Read Romans 6:2-7, in its entirety.
We’re dead to sin! We’re free from the bonds of sin and death! We’re alive
to God in Christ!
C. As a New Man!
We are related to God through life; through our new nature!
Think about the freedom the butterfly must feel as it experiences its new
nature. Can you and I recall our joy when we shed our old nature and flew
with the eagles! We did! Our joy was every bit as full when we accepted
Christ as our Savior, we were new men and new women, no matter what our ages!
"… if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new." [2 Corinthians 5:17]
This segues us neatly into the present.
II. It's A Present Relationship … via our New Nature!
A. (our New Nature) As a Citizen!
We are related to God through citizenship!
We are aliens, strangers, and foreigners in this land!
Many of us remember the exchange students in our or our children's schools.
They came to the United States as aliens and non citizens of our country. No
amount of effort or prayer on our part could change the fact that they were
from another country. In our land they were and always would be aliens,
strangers, and foreigners.
So too are Christians on this The Third Rock from the Sun! Even though we are
residing on this planet, we truly are aliens here, just as much as were those
exchange students we all remember.
… conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay upon earth …
[1 Peter 1:17b]
We need to respect what God has done for us while we were still sinners.
That's what Peter is saying here, that we need to recall how special this
grace from God truly is, and not to take it for granted or to take advantage
of it.
Some might tell us- " What's the big deal? The law says it's OK to fornicate
or drink like fish..." But is that what our Captain has told us? We are
no
longer citizens of this planet, even though we are temporally living here.
"… our citizenship is in heaven …" [Philippians 3:20]
B. (our New Nature) As Stewards and Ambassadors!
We are related to God through the Gospel of the King!
"Let a man so consider us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the
mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards that one be found
faithful."
[1 Corinthians 4:1-2]
Can anyone consider you a servant of God by your actions? We see in this
passage that a requirement of a professing Christian is to be found faithful.
Is that what we do, or are we sometimes a little afraid to be seen as a
"card carrying Christian"?
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to
salvation for everyone who believes … For in it the righteousness of God is
revealed from faith to faith …" [Romans 1:16-17a]
"… we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel …"
[1 Thessalonians 2:4]
"… we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were entreating through us;
we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."
[2 Corinthians 5:20]
We are not to be afraid or timid in our relationship with God, after all, He
is our Father and Savior, why should we ever be afraid?
C. Also in our new nature... As a Family Member!
This is something that nearly all other religions are totally unable to
understand; we are family!
1.) We are related to God through our blood-line … we’re brothers and
sisters of the Father’s only begotten Son!
"I will be a father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, says the
Lord Almighty." [2 Corinthians 6:18]
A personal invitation by God Himself, yet the majority of the world refuses
to listen or believe that it's true, but it is.
2.) We are related to God through our blood-line … we’re children of God!
Each year, judges, social workers, and attorneys from all over California
gather in Los Angeles to do their annual "one-day" adoptions. Normally, it
can take years to process an adoption in Los Angeles County due to the
bureaucratic red-tape. But once a year these folks get together to speed it
up.
The Chief Justice of the State Supreme Court presided; over 200 foster kids
were processed through the system to new families.
Praise God we have been adopted by the Father through the Son. The Chief
Justice of Creations Supreme Court presided over our adoption.
What the Law could not accomplish in a lifetime of lifetimes, God
accomplished on the Cross in the twinkling of an eye.
"Beloved, now we are children of God …" [1 John 3:2a]
"The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of
God, and if children, then heirs- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,
if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together."
[Romans 8:16-17]
III. And finally, It's A Prophetic Relationship … via our Promised Nature!
As an Heir! We are related to God through hope and faith!
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His
abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away,
reserved in heaven for you,
who are protected by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be
revealed in the last time." [1 Peter 1:3-5]
APPLICATION: Brethren, there are so many other aspects of our relationship to
God that we could look at, but time and space prevent it here today.
God in His wisdom revealed, through His Son, our relationship with the Father
… past, present, and future!
Praise God we’re related to Him …
through grace … we’re no longer debtors!
through death … we’re no longer bound by it!
through life … we’ve received a new nature, the old has passed away!
through citizenship … our home is not of this world!
through the Gospel … we’re stewards of the Good News; we’re ambassadors for
the Prince of Peace and Reconciliation!
through the blood … we’re so glad to be a part of the family of God!
through hope and faith … we’re heirs of the King!
And our God has never, ever broken His Word!
CHALLENGE: Do you know this? Do you have a relationship with Him?
Is it a close one? Can you say that you are related in this way?
If not, why not? And why do you delay while the Father waits by the road for
His prodigals to return? It's Fathers Day everyday for God because He loves
us so very much. Shouldn't we return the favor?