Relationship with God- Subject to Change

Greeting, Prayer, Introduction

Good Morning Church

Continuing in our Basic Christianity Crash course from Paul- Last week Faith, this week we will explore what relationship with God Looks like!

Prayer- God would you meet us in this place, Spirit make us aware of your presence in us and in others, Father may my words be pleasing to you and may we be transformed by the living word that is Christ.

Question: Imagine if your relationship with someone was soley based on first impressions or experiences? Picture that!

In my life that would look vastly different depending on the person

Jessica- revolve around a conversation about piano and music, and thoughts like she is just too happy.

Another friend named Erin- it would be me making fun of her for not being able to name the first 3 books of the bible.

How many of you are married? Raise hand.

What was your first interaction with your spouse?

Ask two couples: in the course of your relationship has your spouse changed you?

Transition: it would be crazy for us to think that relationships don’t change or even change us, but so many of us don’t think that way when it comes to God.

How many of you when you read the sermon title - Subject to Change- thought it was a bad thing?

If you havent already, please turn in your bibles to Romans 5:1 as we explore what Paul teaches us about a relationship with God!

Scripture speaks to Us- Looking at a this passage through a different translation this morning because I believe it captures the points Paul is trying to make. (NLT)

Paul starts by saying we have been made right with God’s sight with God.

First, righteousness is not about doing the right thing all the time, but being in right relationship with God.

We receive this righteousness by faith- Does anyone remember what we said faith was last week? Profound Belief, Inner trust, and outward allegiance.

Our right relationship is a result of What God has done for us in Christ, not what we could ever do.

Paul transitions to talk about the blessings and fruits of our relationship with God.

Peace- not just a lack of hostility, like God isnt going to zap us, but a wholeness of relationship.

Undeserved Privilege- Romans 5:2- Slide- I love this word combination defining Grace. it meshes two concept- we did not deserve it and privilege is not just a title, but a position. In essesnce, we have been brought to an undeserved state. We sometimes miss this reality and its implications.

There was a young boy named Steve Blessing who was hired by Giant and Martins in 1979 as a bag boy. As a bag boy he had pretty straight forward responsibilities- Bag groceries. In 1987 He was promoted to Grocery manager. Steve did not just change titles. He didnt just continue bagging with a shiny new badge. He had new responsibilities. It is the same way with Grace, its not just a title, but a position we are to live in day by day!

Paul says that its not all rainbows in this new position, just like its probably not all rainbows every day as manager- right steve?

Yet, we can have joy even when we run into problems and trials because of Christ.

God is shaping us in those times, and those times produce endurance.

Endurance- is not a bad thing. You need it as a runner to run faster and longer. As a weight lifter you have to do things you dont really want to do, but it helps build muscle. Same thing with farming right?

Endurance produces Character- I love this, it doesnt say it produces bitterness or frustration or exhaustion? but Character. I think thats the difference in relationship with God

We have this confident hope that through all the mess God will come through!

Paul says we wont be disappointed because God loves us so much and we have been given the Spirit. The Spirit is assurance of God’s love. Comfort, Guidance, and Conviction.

In the next section Paul paints the true beauty of what Grace looks like or the beauty of that undeserved privilege we now have in Christ.

Lets list all of the things that paul says we were before Christ.

Utterly Helpless

Sinners (x2) - in case we forgot

Enemies of God- I tend to think that we are more hostile to God than God is to us- see that clearly on the cross.

God saw all this and revealed his love

Paul does some logic- most people would not die for a righteous man or someone they respect, some might die for a good man- someone they love?

Paul doesnt say this, directly but implies surely no one die for a filthy rotten enemy.

God showed his great love for us- by sending his Jesus.

N.T. Wright says this:

After all, it doesn’t make sense if I say to you, ‘I see you’re in a real mess! Now, I love you so much that I’m going to … to send someone else to help you out of it.’ If the death of the Messiah demonstrates how much God loves us, that can only be because the Messiah is the fully human being (how much more human can you get than being crucified?) in whom the living God is fully present.

That is the beauty of Grace. We were sinners, but now in Christ we are deeply loved, we are made right!, We are saved from our helpless state.

I love that the NLT says we are made friends with God, because it captures the transition from enemies to friends. Outside of Christ, has not here been many scenarios where enemies, true enemies have become friends? That is the beauty of Grace Church.

Transition: In Jesus, we are friends of God- we have this new relationship with him, but friends and friendships dont stay the same right? Friendships are not the same on day 1 as day 2697. That is how many days it has been since I met my best friend Dean!

Application/Questions

Here is a picture of Dean and I on the first day we met on Aug 30th 2013.

Dean often shares his first impression of me. I was nice, but he thought he would be closer to our other roomate Mike.

I did not share hobbies with him. Longboarding, Paint-balling, or other things. I was physically disabled so it wasnt likely I would do anything like that. Dean admits he was 18 and focused on hobbies instead of what actually made relationships.

This picture was taken on my wedding day. Dean was my best man. Our relationship changed so much from that first day. Although we never went paintballing, I did learn to long board two years into our friendship. Dean is my best friend and he has changed me so much and I have changed him. if a friendship like this has grown so much and been so impactful, how much more should our friendship with God do the same?

Today, we are going to sit down and talk about that as a Church. I sent out the following questions to your email:

1. How would you describe your relationship with God to someone who knows very little about Christianity or Jesus?

2. Describe a time or season (other than your conversion) where your relationship with Jesus grew significantly?

3. What is one practice, discipline, or mindset that has significantly impacted the development of your relationship with God? Or if someone came up to you and asked, “What can I do to grow in my faith?”, how would you respond?

We are going to take some time to share with each other to learn how to Grow in our relationship with God.