The Abundent Life Series

1. The Starting Point is Relationship with God

The Abundant Life Series

How would you like to:

1. Hear when God is speaking to you

2. Be able to identify what God is doing in and around you

3. Have an ever growing relationship and knowledge of God as He works in and through you

I. There are 2 kinds of knowledge

• Knowing about something gained through books or instruction

• Knowing about something because of experience (refer to the illustration of the apple)

• God desires that we know Him, not because of what we have read or told, but through personal experience as He works in and around our lives.

II. In the Old Testament someone’s name reflected that person’s character. That is why through out the Old Testament we see new names for God as people experienced Him working in and around their lives.

• God Almighty (El Ahaddai) Gen 17:1

• The God of all Comfort 2 Cor 1:3

III. What the Lord desires - He wants you to experience a unique intimate love relationship with Him that is real and very personal.

V. Things that may hinder that relationship:

• One must be born again

• One must not be holding onto unconfused sin or bitterness

• Their understanding of who God is … Most of us develop their concept of God based on their relationship with their physical father

• Lack of complete – absolute surrender to God

2 Understanding God’s Nature

The Abundant Life Series

Most of us view God based on our relation ship with our physical father. However good that relationship was and how wonderful your father was, God far surpasses that relationship.

We need to take off that which hinders us from seeing Him for who He really is.

I. God is Holy Isaiah 6:1-3, Rev 4:8

• Holiness is the most dominant characteristic aspect of His nature

• What is Holiness? – set apart, dedicated, consecrated, to be different, to be pure

• There are 3 aspects to a Christian’s holiness

o Imputed holiness – 2 Cor 5:21

• Implications:

o His ways and will are always best and right

o His intensions are always pure

II. God is Love 1 John 4:8,16

• The Greek word used for Love – agape

• The Lord’s command are for our good – 1 John 5:3 The commandments and us are like the relationship between a train and the train tracks.

• Implications:

o His will is always best.

o His will for you will never be expressed outside of His Love.

o View the commandments of God as a source of protection and a means of giving you freedom.

o When you are absolutely convinced of His love for you, then yieldedness, trust and obedience will be a natural result.

o You can trust Him, even when He leads you to do something beyond your comfort zone.

o Never view your circumstances outside of the context of God’s love for you and the cross – His love for you never ever changes.

III. God in All-Knowing – Rom 11:33

• God created time so He is not subject to times limitations. He knows the past present and future as though they are the present.

• Implications:

o When God gives you an assignment, He has considered every factor.

o Even when His directions do not seem to make sense, He sees the big picture and knows what is best and right. (story of airport)

o When He gives an assignment and has not revealed everything He has in mind, do not assume what He wants and trust in your own understanding to carry out the assignment. Wait on the Lord and allow Him to further reveal what He wants.

IV. God is All-Powerful – Matt 19:26; Phil 4:13

• He is all-powerful; He created the universe out of nothing. He is able to accomplish He purposes through us.

• Implications:

o Even when He asks you to do something that you feel totally incapable of doing, He will give you the ability to carry our His will as He works through you.

o He will never have you do something that He cannot accomplish through you.

o He will equipe you to do everything He asks you to do.

o Your knowledge of Him will grow as He works through you doing those things that only He can do.

3 Understanding and doing God’s will Ephesians 5:15-18

The Abundant Life Series

I. The Will of God for my Life

• Most have a me centered perspective of God’s will – it needs to be God centered not me centered

• God’s will has more to do with character than actions Eph 5: 17-18

o Be filled – supper saturated with the Holy Spirit