Introduction: Jn. 15:13-14 (Jesus offers us the best kind of relationship we could hope to have, his friendship. He will have this relationship with us if we will obey his will. Let s study a little about the nature of the relationship God offers.)
I. God Is The Most Eager: Mic. 7:18-20 (God is most eager to build this relationship with you. He has clearly demonstrated this in his willingness to love and forgive. This passage shows in particular two things about God we need to remember as we consider his offer. What better one could we ask with whom to have a relationship than God?!)
1. God Is Eager To Forgive [His Love]: Ps. 103:8-14 (God knows us, he knows were are but dust of the earth. He realizes we are weak. He has pity on our plight and is eager to help us. He will forgive us above our measure to understand.)
2. God Keeps His Promises [His Faithfulness]: Ps. 89:33-34 (God is completely reliable. He always keeps his promises and never goes back on his word.)
II. Entering This Relationship, Our Response To His Love: I Jn. 2:4 (We must respond to God s eagerness to forgive by entering the relationship into which he invites us. We can make no honest claim to having a relationship with God if we do not respond to him in obedience.) Mt. 8:8 (The centurion realized he was unworthy to have Christ in his presence, however he invited Christ to help him. This is faith! Knowing we are not worthy, yet knowing that Christ can and will help us in spite of our unworthiness. This is the appropriate response to God s character.)
1. Hear: Jn. 6:44-45 (We must hear the good news of Christ so that we can come to God by him.)
2. Believe: Jn. 1:12 (When we believe on Jesus it gives us the opportunity to enter this relationship with him as God s children.)
3. Repent: Lk. 5:31-32 (Jesus invites sinners, terrible people like you and me, to repent and enter this relationship with him.) Acts 11:18 (Note here that repentance is a step toward life, toward this relationship with God.)
4. Confess: Mt. 10:32 (Absorb the significance of this promise. Christ promises to confess before God that you are his friend if you will confess him.)
5. Be Baptized: Gal. 3:27 (Baptism is the culminating step into this relationship with God. In this act we cloth ourselves with Christ.)
III. Living In This Relationship, Our Response To His Faithfulness: I Pet. 4:19 (We should respond to God s faithfulness by trusting the keeping of our souls to him. We do this by respecting, living in the relationship we have with him.) Rom. 8:5-8, Jas. 4:4 (Being in relationship with God obligates you to live as his friend. This can be summed up in the concept of being spiritual and not worldly.)
1. Communicating With God: Ps. 55:22, Eph. 6:18 (God invites us to communicate with him, to lay our burdens at his feet. Illustrate with how we beg our children to speak with us.)
2. Live What You Pray: I Tim. 2:8/Ps. 24:3-4 (God tells us to lift up holy hands when we pray, that is, pray from the perspective of a life dedicated to him. This obligates us to live what we pray. It challenges us to be true to our relationship with God. For this reason, our prayer life is an important gauge of our relationship with God.)
Conclusion: (God has proven his mercy and his faithfulness. We should respond to this by following him. Enjoy the blessings of the relationship Christ proposes to have with you.)
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