Walking with God

(S1)Christ was raised from the dead to give us life

Who thinks that means… go to heaven and live forever?

What if I told you it’s more than that…

(S1A)

Colossians 1:18–23 (NIV)

In His resurrection Christ made a way. Firstborn assumes more to come.

18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

He made a way to peace with God

19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

With Christ’s physical sacrifice God took away our failures

21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—

(S2) A ministry of reconciliation, what’s that?

He came to fix what was broken

What was broken?

What was it like before it was broken?

Adam and Eve lived with each other and with God. Innocent in His sight. They had purpose, peace, and love. They were whole. But more than all that, they walked with God.

(S3)

Remember when God said if you eat from the tree you will die. Then what happened? They couldn’t walk with God anymore. They were too ashamed.

(S4) Walking with God - is the life we receive through the resurrection of Jesus

That’s the reconciliation. The book of Isaiah tells us that God designed the world to be filled with people He loves and who love Him.

Life in Christ is walking with God, that relationship restored

(S4A)

John 17:1–5 (NIV)

1 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. 2 For you granted him authority over all people...

why?

that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him.

So our hearts keep beating? No...

3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you,

It’s not know about, hear about, see over there, serve, glorify - those are all good things but life is knowing/walking with...

the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

Application

(S5) What are you doing here today?

If we’re going to walk with God I need 3 things:

I need to know who He is: He is Jesus

Colossians 1:19 (NIV)

19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

I need to know where He wants to go: to the world

I need to know what He wants to do: The will of the father which was to bridge the gap between us and Him with love

(S6) Example: Peter leaving the boat to be with Jesus

Matthew 14:22–33 (NIV)

22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

Action

(S7)

Walking with God does not have to begin when you get to heaven.

You don’t have to wait, you can walk with Him today

(S7A)

2 Corinthians 5:17–19 (NIV)

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

(S8)

Where does God want to go?

18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.

So what do I do to walk with God?

Know Jesus

Go into the world

Restore the broken

What is the life in available to you in Christ’s resurrection?

(S9) Gospel

So then, do you know Jesus? Do you know the man who left all glory in heaven to reach down into the pits of human despair so that you might walk again with your God? Do you know the Son of Man who, for the joy set before Him, took your sins to the cross so that you could have peace with God?

Do you know that He wants to go to the ends of the earth, to every nation and tribe? That He wants to go to your family and friends?

Do you know that He desires that all people would walk with Him? That same ministry of reconciliation He was on is the one you are called to.

That’s what it means to be alive. You are invited to walk with God.

We are going to have people up front after service to pray with you. If you need healing, freedom from addiction, if you want to walk with God come up after service and we’ll introduce you to the one who can restore you.