DEVELOPING YOUR FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD
TEXT: PROVERBS 3:32 / JAMES 4:8
INTRO:
Gaya ng anomang uri ng relasyon, kailangang ito ay inaalagaan, dinidevelop ika nga. Hindi ito nangyayari ng aksidente. Kailangan ang pagnanasa, panahon at lakas. Kung nais mo ng mas malalim na pakikiparelasyon sa Dios meron kang kailangang gawin, ito ay ang nasahin na unahin ang maging matalik nyang kaibigan higit sa anu pa man.
I MUST CHOOSE TO BE HONEST WITH GOD.
The first building of a deeper friendship with God is complete honesty = about your faults and your feelings. He didn’t expect you to be perfect, but he does insist on complete honesty.
I MUST CHOOSE TO OBEY GOD IN FAITH.
Jesus made clear that obedience is a condition of intimacy with God. He said,” you are my friends if you do what I command.” John 15:14
We obey God, not out of duty or fear or compulsion, but because we love him and trust that he knows what is best for us. We want to follow Christ out of gratitude for all he has done for us, and the closer we follow him, the deeper our friendship becomes.
I MUST CHOOSE TO VALUE WHAT GOD VALUES.
This is what friends do – they care about what is important to the other person. The more you become God’s friend, the more you will care about the things he cares about, grieve over the things he grieves over, and rejoice over the things that bring pleasure to him.
I MUST DESIRE FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
David passionately desired to know God all else. He craved God.
Jacob wrestled in the dirt all night with God, saying I will not let you go unless you bless me. God isn’t offended when we wrestle with him, because wrestling requires personal contact and brings us close to him! It is also a passionate activity and God loves it when we are passionate with him.
YOUR MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP.
There is nothing more important than developing a friendship with God. It’s a relationship that will last forever.
