Rating Your Relationship with God
Rate yourself from a 5 being the high (on fire for God, walking in His ways), Jesus
said we are to do the things which He did and greater works (John 14:12); to a 1
being the low (saved but doing your own thing. Remember Jesus gave His all for
you, and you are commanded to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like to it, you should love your neighbor as yourself. On these
two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). The
Bible does say “if you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:21)
“Jesus answered and said to him, if a man love Me, he will keep My words, and My
Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him”. So
you see that God wants a relationship with us.
Our relationship to God is our most important relationship. God and Moses talked
face to face in the Tent of Meeting, just as friends do. It was because God chose
Moses, and Moses in turn relied wholeheartedly on God’s wisdom and direction.
Friendship with God was a true privilege for Moses, out of reach for the other
Hebrews, (not be God, but because they refused to hear Him). It is not out of reach
for us today, Jesus called His disciples and by extension, all of His followers, His
friends (John 15:15), He has called you to be His friend. Will you trust Him as
Moses did?
Our relationship to God is made possible through Jesus. Jesus is talking about a
new relationship between the believer and God. Previously, people approached
God through priests. After Jesus’ resurrection, any believer could approach God
directly. A new day has dawned and now al believers are priest, talking with God
personally and directly (Hebrews 10:19-23) “having therefore, brethren, boldness to
enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. By a new and living way, which He has
consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say His flesh. And having a high
priest over the house of God. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies
washed with pure water”. We approach God, not because of our own merit, but
because Jesus, our great high priest, has made us acceptable to God.
The Bible tell us that “friendship with the world is an enemy of God, whosoever,
therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). Real
friendship involves loyalty. What kind of friend are you? There is a vast difference
between knowing someone well and being a true friend. Friends, indicates a close
acquaintance. The Bible calls us to “draw near to God (James 4:8).
In Revelation chapter 2 and 3 reveals the letters written to the 7 churches and
reflects their relationship with the Lord. To the church of Ephesus, He tells of their
good works and then tells them “you have left your first love, remember therefore
from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come to
you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of its place, except you repent” (2:
4-5). To the church of Pergamos, He tells to “repent, or else I will come to you
quickly, and I will fight against them with the sword of My mouth” (2:16). To the
church of Philadelphia, He says in Revelation 3:8 “I know your works behold, I have
set before you an open door, and no man can shut it, for you have a little strength
and have kept My word, and have not denied My name”. And to the church of
Laodice, He says in Revelation 3:15-16 “I know your works, that you are neither
cold nor hot; I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and
neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth”.
Our relationship with God is formed the same way as any relationship. You have to
spend time together. Our relationship between God is based on our effort. The
Bible tells us many times to “seek the Lord with all your heart”. It also tells us “and
you shall seek Me and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart”.
Jesus warns us in Matthew 25:33-46, He separates the sheep from the goats, and
He speaks to the sheep “verily I say to you, inasmuch as you have done it (feed the
hungry, cloth the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned) to one of the least of these
My brethren, you have done it to Me”; and they were blesses and entered the
kingdom. And He speaks to the goats “verily I say to you, inasmuch as you did it
not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me, and these shall go away into
everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal”. God resists the proud,
and gives grace to the humble (I Peter 5:5).
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 18, 2008
Rate yourself from a 5 being the high (on fire for God, walking in His ways), Jesus
said we are to do the things which He did and greater works (John 14:12); to a 1
being the low (saved but doing your own thing. Remember Jesus gave His all for
you, and you are commanded to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.
And the second is like to it, you should love your neighbor as yourself. On these
two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40). The
Bible does say “if you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:21)
“Jesus answered and said to him, if a man love Me, he will keep My words, and My
Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him”. So
you see that God wants a relationship with us.
Our relationship to God is our most important relationship. God and Moses talked
face to face in the Tent of Meeting, just as friends do. It was because God chose
Moses, and Moses in turn relied wholeheartedly on God’s wisdom and direction.
Friendship with God was a true privilege for Moses, out of reach for the other
Hebrews, (not be God, but because they refused to hear Him). It is not out of reach
for us today, Jesus called His disciples and by extension, all of His followers, His
friends (John 15:15), He has called you to be His friend. Will you trust Him as
Moses did?
Our relationship to God is made possible through Jesus. Jesus is talking about a
new relationship between the believer and God. Previously, people approached
God through priests. After Jesus’ resurrection, any believer could approach God
directly. A new day has dawned and now al believers are priest, talking with God
personally and directly (Hebrews 10:19-23) “having therefore, brethren, boldness to
enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. By a new and living way, which He has
consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say His flesh. And having a high
priest over the house of God. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies
washed with pure water”. We approach God, not because of our own merit, but
because Jesus, our great high priest, has made us acceptable to God.
The Bible tell us that “friendship with the world is an enemy of God, whosoever,
therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4). Real
friendship involves loyalty. What kind of friend are you? There is a vast difference
between knowing someone well and being a true friend. Friends, indicates a close
acquaintance. The Bible calls us to “draw near to God (James 4:8).
In Revelation chapter 2 and 3 reveals the letters written to the 7 churches and
reflects their relationship with the Lord. To the church of Ephesus, He tells of their
good works and then tells them “you have left your first love, remember therefore
from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come to
you quickly, and will remove your candlestick out of its place, except you repent” (2:
4-5). To the church of Pergamos, He tells to “repent, or else I will come to you
quickly, and I will fight against them with the sword of My mouth” (2:16). To the
church of Philadelphia, He says in Revelation 3:8 “I know your works behold, I have
set before you an open door, and no man can shut it, for you have a little strength
and have kept My word, and have not denied My name”. And to the church of
Laodice, He says in Revelation 3:15-16 “I know your works, that you are neither
cold nor hot; I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and
neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of My mouth”.
Our relationship with God is formed the same way as any relationship. You have to
spend time together. Our relationship between God is based on our effort. The
Bible tells us many times to “seek the Lord with all your heart”. It also tells us “and
you shall seek Me and find Me, when you shall search for Me with all your heart”.
Jesus warns us in Matthew 25:33-46, He separates the sheep from the goats, and
He speaks to the sheep “verily I say to you, inasmuch as you have done it (feed the
hungry, cloth the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned) to one of the least of these
My brethren, you have done it to Me”; and they were blesses and entered the
kingdom. And He speaks to the goats “verily I say to you, inasmuch as you did it
not to one of the least of these, you did it not to Me, and these shall go away into
everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal”. God resists the proud,
and gives grace to the humble (I Peter 5:5).
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 18, 2008
