Where Are You In Your Relationship With The Lord?

Subject – “WHERE ARE YOU IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD?”

Text – Galatians 1:1 (read vv. 1-5)

Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by a man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— ² and all the brothers and sisters with me, To the churches in Galatia: ³ Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”                   Galatians 1:1-5 (NIV)

INTRODUCTION

For me, there are only two positions from which to answer this question . . . either you have a relationship or you don’t! If you have a don’t have a relationship with the LORD, then that can pose any number of possibilities and questions; questions such as . . .

A. Is the LORD a total stranger to you?

B. Do you believe in the LORD?

C. Have you rejected the LORD?

D. Have you simply just not received Him as your Savior?

However, if you believe that you do have a relationship with the LORD, what kind of relationship is it?

A. Is He the Lord and Savior of your life?

B. Is the relationship just in your mind or because someone told you that you have a relationship with the LORD?

“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought . . .” Romans 12:3 (NIV)

There are too many people walking around with the misconception that because they believe that they are working in the way and will of the LORD, they really are. These people have no spiritual or Holy Bible confirmation that they have any relationship with the LORD at all except that they are a sinner that needs to saved, and Jesus loves them so much that He wants them to receive Him as their Savior.

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” ⁴ “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. ⁶ Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit[b] gives birth to spirit.”  John 3:3-6 (NIV)

I often feel sorry for these people who are walking around believing that they have a solid relationship with the LORD. Many of them are the very ones that Jesus has commissioned and commanded His Believers to go out and teach. There are so many people in the world that are victims of false teachings, and incorrect teachings (expound).

It is our intention today to challenge those who are unsure about their position with the LORD by posing this question: “WHERE ARE YOU IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD?”

POINTS  

• “Paul, an apostle . . .” (v.1) – Paul identifies himself as an Ambassador of the gospel of Christ (expound). 
• “Sent not from men nor by a man . . .” (v. 1) – Paul made it perfectly clear that no organization (Sanhedrin, Pharisees, etc.) or no man (Pilate, Pharaoh, etc.) (Expound).
• “But by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2 and all the brothers and sisters with me.” (v.1) – Paul reassured them that it was GOD the Father and GOD the Son who sent him to proclaim the gospel; and not just him, but everyone who was with him (expound).

CONCLUSION

Paul had no question about his relationship with the LORD, and he had no qualms about letting others know. Paul had not always walked in the ways of the Lord. By the grace of GOD, Paul was anointed by God to be an Apostle His gospel. Paul was endowed with much God-given power, and Paul spent a lot of time in the presence of the Lord. Yet still Paul was humble, and confident enough of his relationship with the LORD to let others know where he stood in his relationship with the Lord:

“Who gave himself [JESUS] for OUR sins to rescue US from the present evil age.”

A story comes to mind of a man who was on a ship looking out into the vast ocean. Through his binoculars he saw a whale way out in the distance; the whale seemed small to him as he continued going towards it. As he got closer to the whale, the whale began to get larger and larger. The closer the man got to the whale, the larger the whale got. The man got close as he could, and it was then that he realized that the closer he got to the whale, he realized how great it was and how small he was next to it.

Beloved, even though we may get close to GOD . . .