How To Begin A Relationship With God Series

How do I begin a Relationship With God

BAPTIZING A DRUNK

A man was stumbling through the woods, totally drunk, when he came upon a preacher baptizing people in the river. He proceeded to walk into the water and bumped into the preacher. The preacher turned around and, though almost overcome by the smell of alcohol, asked the drunk,

"Are you ready to find Jesus?" The Drunk answered, "Yes, I am." So the preacher grabbed the drunk and dunked him in the water. Then he pulled him up and asked him, "Brother have you found Jesus?"

The drunk replied, "No, I haven’t found Jesus." The preacher, shocked at the answer, dunked him into the water again, for a little longer. Then again, he pulled him out and asked, "Have you found

Jesus my brother?" The drunk again answered, "No, I haven’t found Jesus." By this time the preacher was at his wits end so he submerged the

drunk once more, and held him down for about 30 seconds until he began kicking his arms and legs, whereupon he pulled him up.

The preacher again asked the drunk, "For the love of God have you found Jesus?"

The drunk wiped his eyes and caught his breath and finally said to the preacher,

"Are you sure this is where he fell in?"

There is a better way to find Jesus that I want to tell you about today.

I God Initiates

A. God enlightens every soul (Romans 1)

19For the truth about God is known to them instinctively. God has put this knowledge in their hearts. 20From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.

-makes us aware of our sin (conviction) Conscience & Holy Spirit

B. God draws you to him (No one comes to me except the Father draws him)

For people can’t come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me, and at the last day I will raise them from the dead. John 6:44

1. Gives us a hunger for him

2. Gives us a desire to find him.

C. God is searching for you (Lost Sheep)

And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost."

Luke 19:10

D. God made the relationship possible

1. A Holy God and a Sinful man can’t be in relationship

2. The Cross is God’s way back into a relationship

(While we were still sinners Christ died for us)

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Romans 5:8

E. God sends out the search party - US (Dad in search party for Bob Glass sister)

13For "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 14But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Romans 10:13

And then he told them, "Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone, everywhere. Mark 15:16

1. How shall they hear without a preacher,

2. We are on a search and rescue mission (like the TV series "Alias" where they went into other countries to find and rescue Sidney Bristow’s mother buried alive underground)

II WE RESPOND

a. By Faith

A. Believe What God’s Word says about us (We are a sinner, law breaker, hopeless)

For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Romans 3:23

B. Believe What God’s Word says we are headed (Hell without him)

The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Romans 6:23

C. Believe What God’s Word says about How God feels about us.

(God So LOVED.) John 3:16

D. Believe What God’s Word says about Jesus -

1 He is Divine

2. He left heaven for us

3. He lived a sinless life

4. He was crucified for our sins

5. He was buried and rose again

6. He is praying for us in heaven now

Gypsy Smith

Rodney “Gypsy” Smith trusted Christ in November, 1876. Reaffirmed his decision a few days later in a Methodist chapel. An old man asked if he had trusted Jesus and nothing else. The lad replied, “I cannot trust myself, for I am nothing. I cannot trust what I have, for I have nothing. I cannot trust what I know, for I know nothing.”