Religion vs. Relation
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You have heard it said many times, “It’s not about religion, it’s about a relationship with God through Christ.”
That is so unbelievably true, and so unbelievable unhelpful.
It is a bad as watching someone trying to fix something on their bike and standing there saying, “you’re doing that wrong.” and when they stop and ask well what should I do?” you telling them, “Do it right!” and then walking off.
What you said may be completely true, but is absolutely unhelpful.
This morning, I want to help flesh out what that means.
How do you have a relationship with Jesus, and if you have one, how to strengthen and deepen that relationship.
Why is it important?
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
22 “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’
23 “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’
Jesus is talking about religious people
Jesus is talking about religious people
Not only this, these are super Christians.
Prophesy
Cast out demons
perform miracles
I never knew you.
I never knew you.
Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity.
God is all knowing, so how can an all knowing God say that He doesn’t know you.
He wasn’t speaking about an ignorance but of intimacy.
The Will of the Father
The Will of the Father
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
32 A crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, “Behold, Your mother and Your brothers are outside looking for You.”
33 Answering them, He said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”
34 Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He said, “Behold My mother and My brothers!
35 “For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother.”
Blood is thicker than water.
You have heard that used to say that genetic family relationships at the ones that are the strongest.
But the original phrase is:
The Blood of the Covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.
So if you are keeping score....It looks like this:
Figure out the will of the Father and then do that and in return, God will reward you by allowing you into Heaven.
WRONG!
But isn’t that just like the approach of the Pharisees?
Like the rich young ruler who asked Jesus how to obtain eternal life.
Give me the list.......
That is the Law.....The list is impossible to complete if you are not saved...
And if you are saved, it is impossible to ignore.
27 “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me;
Jesus about Judgement Day:
Son of Man comes in His glory...
All nations will be gathered before Him. Separate the sheep and goats.
Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation fo the world.
35 ‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
Legitimate question: If they know Christ, then it would follow that you would know if you fed him or clothed him or visited him.
40 “The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
Have you ever dealt with someone that when they act completely within character. They do exactly what you expect for them to do....
That is just who they are....
16 “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 “So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 “A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
If you aren’t saved. You can’t do the will of the Father
and If you are saved, you can’t help but do the will of the Father.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
Do what God wants and then he will give you what you want....
What if He actually plants in you the desires that accomplish His will.
I believe it is God’s will that I stand before you and preach Christ crucified. That I preach the Gospel at this Church.
How I got her started with this deep desire to buy a motorcycle. Almost an obsession. Martye didn’t feel the same.
“Lord if it be Your will for me to have a motorcycle, change Martye’s heart, if it not, take the desire from me.”
I thought it was my desire for a motorcycle, and that God was giving my what I wanted.....
What if God was the one that placed that desire in my heart?
How much easier is that? How easy is the yoke of Christ if, you allow Him to change your heart and then follow the desires of that changed heart that He gave you?
Know you are a sinner and separated from God.
Believe that Christ died for your sins.
Believe that He rose on the third day.
Accept him as Lord of you life.
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Follow in believer’s baptism. That is part of that confession.
As you get to know God through His Word and prayer, take the desires of your heart and examine them through the lens of the bible and pray about them.
29 “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”