I Will ... Have A Closer Relationship With God Series

Last week we talked about starting with a clean slate, forgetting about the shoulda, wouldas , and coudas and focusing on the I wills, I cans, and the I ams. Today I want us to look at one of the most important things that we can do in our lives and that is to have a closer relationship with God.

Read Text (Phil 3:8-9)

In the text today we see that after the Apostle Paul looked at his life and everything he accomplished, he decided that it was all worthless, everything was no more important than a pile of garbage compared to the greatness of knowing Christ. We should value our relationship with Christ as being more important than anything else in our life. Building a better relationship with Christ should be our ultimate goal. So today let’s look at some I will statements to get us there.

Now to build this closer walk with Christ may mean we have to make some major changes in our thinking and in our lifestyle. Are you willing to rearrange your schedule? Are you willing to change some plans and wants in your life in order to have just a closer walk with THEE? Whatever you give up is well worth the gain that comes from having a closer relationship with Christ.

So here’s the mantra I want to give you today, I will do whatever it takes!! Let’s say that together, I WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES.

So how do we begin to have this closer relationship with God?

Well the first thing we have to do is get our lives in order and get our heart in the right position, we must confess our sins and ask for forgiveness. I think confessing and receiving that forgiveness that God so freely gives us opens up avenues of communication that we couldn’t have with all that guilt hanging over us.

I used to spend a lot of time at my grandparents in the summer one time when I was about nine or ten I was out in the pea patch and heard a noise behind me. I turned around and there stood a big Rhode Island Red Rooster standing there just going gerrrrrrrrr then all of the sudden he started running toward me I turned around and took off. Ii could hear his footsteps gaining on me ..chok, chok, chok. I turned and he leaped up wings flappin, feet forward, his spurs looked like daggers. I thought I was about to be killed by a chicken. I swung the hoe I had been using like a Louisville Slugger baseball bat and connected. That old rooster hit the ground and didn’t move he just laid there going aggggg, gggggg. Well I went around the house to get a shovel, I just knew I was gonna get it for killin that rooster so I might as well hide the evidence. When I came back to see if he was dead lo and behold he was gone, I figured our dog Butch had got him since he was laying around some feathers and he would get the blame so I went back to hoeing peas. That night at supper we sat down to eat Mamaw had cooked a big pot of Crowder peas and a big ole pot of chicken and dumplins. Mamaw said Michael you’re awful quite is something wrong? I just said no ma’am and stared at my plate of chicken and dumplins, I felt so bad I couldn’t hardly bring myself to eat much less talk to my grandparents. I felt so bad about killing that rooster and not tellin no one what had happened. I couldn’t hold back any longer and told my ma maw that I was real sorry I killed her favorite rooster and was gonna let the dog take the blame. She said its ok Michael I saw what happened and went out and plucked that rooster and put him in the pot, as a matter of fact we needed something for supper tonight anyway.

Confession is good for the soul but it’s so hard to do. But when we do it makes everything so much easier. God already knows what we have done we just need to repent and clear the air so that we can get on with our relationship with Him. So the first thing to do is clear the air. The Bible tells us that when we confess our sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. I will confess my sins to God

The next thing we have to do is get into the Word of God and listen when God speaks. Now I know that most of us would like a big supernatural experience where the sky would open up and God would speak to us in a big booming voice, we all would like that. But the truth is God has already spoken. The Bible is the inspired word of God written down for us, so that we may understand what God would have us say & Do. 2nd Peter 1:19 tells us that until Jesus comes we have scripture and the Holy Spirit to guide us. Look at what we are told in 2nd Timothy 3:16 -17 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work. I will study the word of God.