WHY ARE WE DOING WHAT WE ARE DOING? Why should I take on this discipleship thing? Why can’t I just sit back and simply cruise into heaven?
• We’re made to have fellowship with God. Adam and Eve walks in the Garden with Him.
RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS YOUR MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP
We need to do something because our REATIONSHIP WITH GOD is the most important relationship in life.
• Everything revolves around that. It is the relationship that anchors all other relationships. It is the relationship that affects all of life.
• It is the only relationship that will last FOREVER. All relationships – husband and wife, parent and child, owner and pets, all ceases when we reach heaven.
The only relationship left standing is the relationship that enables us to call Him ABBA FATHER - we as His children and He our Father. FOREVER that will stay.
• If this relationship anchors our lives and AFFECTS all our other relationships, then we need to pay more attention to GROWING this relationship.
• We are not throwing everything out – we have our daily affairs and commitments, and all our earthly relationships with people.
• We are PUSHING this relationship with God to the FOREFRONT. It affects everything else. It is the most significant relationship.
• We want to know Him, know His Word, know His will and know His purposes for our lives. That provides us perspective and purpose for life.
All relationships take time and effort to nurture and grow. Good relationships do not happen naturally or come by chance. We know that.
• That is why we need to INTERACT with God. We come to hear His Word every Sunday, we want to read His Word daily and understand Him.
• Will all these take time? Yes, of course. Will it take some efforts? Yes, of course. The same way any relationship takes time and lots of hard work.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE
Colossians 2:6-8
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
It is interesting to see how Paul uses metaphors in his writings.
• To grow strong in your relationship with Jesus, Paul says you need to be ROOTED – that going deep – and then BUILT UP – going up.
• To higher you want to grow, the deeper you need to go. To go up, you need to go down. The deeper your foundation, the higher you can climb.
We see this in the corporate world. Many climb too fast too soon, without the corresponding depth of character that is needed.
• They are easily tempted and fall, because they are unprepared for the challenges they are exposed to at the top – more power, more money, and more fame.
And Paul went on to say, you will then be “STRENGTHEN (established) in the faith as you were taught” - a description that refers more to what is happening on the INWARD.
• You are not easily discouraged, your faith is strong (established, not wavering), BECAUSE you have been TAUGHT.
• Your strength comes from your LEARNING – you were taught! About? The truth of God. The Word of God establishes you.
GO DEEP IS THE WAY TO GROW STRONG
Your strength comes because you FEED on this. You are healthy and fit because you have been FEEDING on this diet.
• And it results in this expression - OVERFLOWING WITH THANKFULNESS.
• The strengthening of the INSIDE brings about the abundance on the OUTSIDE.
• What we see above the ground depends on what is happening below the ground. What you see on the outside is a reflection of what is on the inside.
If you are happy with life. If you are thankful, and hopeful, and if you are filled with gladness and joy, then I know what is on the INSIDE. You have FAITH in God.
• And that strong faith comes from “being taught” the Word of God.
• No one can see the foundation, but we can see the building above it.
• When I look at the life that is being lived, I will be able to tell how deep the roots have gone.
Many are growing old, but not growing up. Their relationship with Christ has been placed on hold and their understanding of Him stalled.
• They are missing out on all there is in this relationship we have in Christ. We are made to this!
• The Shorter Catechism’s first question is: What is the chief end of man – to glorify God and enjoy Him forever!
• Remember, this is the relationship that anchors all other relationships. This is the relationship that affects all of life.
Get to know Him – His Word, His will and His purposes. You can only achieve this through the feeding on the Word of God.
• Listen to what Paul adds on – in verse 8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.”
• Man has been feeding on everything else but the very diet that matters to life!
Reminds me of what Christopher shared last week – the philosophies man lives by – hedonism (pleasure), materialism (things), narcissism (me, me, me).
• This is what man lives for. This is what the world can offer. This is what we crave for naturally… but we are not feeding our soul spiritually.
There is nothing wrong for us to pamper ourselves occasionally – to have fun, to enjoy ourselves, to splash ourselves with good stuff and good food.
• But always put these back in their right places. They are not all there is to life. They are not our reasons for living.
• I love ice cream, but I cannot be taking ice-cream for every meal. I need staple food. We cannot survive on ice-cream.
There is something more important, more significant, and more eternal, for us to focus on.
• Further down Paul says in Col 3:1-3 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
THERE IS NO SHORT CUT TO CULTIVATING A RELATIONSHIP
The Bible portrays the Christian life as a process of growth in which we advance from one stage to the next:
• From infancy to maturity (making you wise, 2 Tim 3:15); from milk to solid food; from being rooted in Christ to being strengthen (established) in the faith.
• The process never ends. It requires constant attention.
• We like it to be simple and short. We want to be grown up INSTANTLY, but we know that’s NOT going to happen. It takes a step at a time.
As in all relationships, there is no shortcut. Building relationships take time and investment.
I want to share with you a few things I’ve learnt over the years, about building a relationship with God.
• GIVE IT TIME. It is like a kid throwing a seed on the ground, water it and dig the ground every other day to see if it is growing. You’ll kill it!
• You just need to water it every day and wait. In order words, you need to be consistent and persevere.
• GROWTH IS IMPERCEPTIBLE in the short term. We have two mango trees right in front of our church. I see them grow up right from the start. If you ask me to look at them every day, I am not going to see GROWTH. Not even weekly. Maybe monthly. But surely after years, I can tell they are GROWING and very fruitful.
• You can’t tell it on a day to day basis. Growth is imperceptible in the short term.
Sometimes, we make the same mistake when we look at our own lives. We take up a course and expect to see immediate results. We attend a seminar and expect to see a change.
We start evaluating, after one week, two weeks. We want to find out if our lives have improved. After 13 weeks of GIC and we feel that we’ve arrived and we want to see fruits.
It’s not going to be 13 weeks. Maybe 13 months. Better still, 13 years! Then I can tell you, quite confidently, that you will be surprised at what you see in 13 years’ time. If you have taken the STEP today, to LEARN and to GROW, and PERSEVERERE in doing that for the next 13 years!
I am just using 13 years as an illustration. It’s not meant to be prophetic.
• You know what I mean. Work on your relationship with the Lord for the LONG HAUL. Stay the course and give it time.
• The roots grow deep and you’ll find yourself growing stronger over time. Don’t take a microscopic view of your growth.
SADLY, THE OPPOSITE IS EQUALLY TRUE.
• If you neglect this, you will see it in 13 years’ time. [Again I’m using 13 to illustrate]
• If you neglect your reading, studying, learning of the Word of God, you will not see the consequence in 13 days, 13 weeks or even 13 months. But you WILL SEE IT!
• Jesus says, when the rain comes, the stream rises, the winds blow (Matt 7:24-27), and the house will falls, because it has been built upon the sand and not the rock.
• You’ll regret it. You’ve lost time. You’ve lost all the opportunities that God has given you.
Think long term. THINK ETERNAL.
• Take the step to read, study and learn the Word of God. Start nurturing the relationship TODAY. And keep at it for the rest of your life.
