Let's learn how to build a relationship with God and with each other.
Even though I know that God is Spirit and is everywhere present, I think of it as a vertical relationship with God and a horizontal relationship with fellow believers. And it doesn’t matter if you're in a home bible fellowship, your big church, or you're just trying to figure things out with your spiritual life. We can have a relationship with God, who is Spirit, and a fellowship with each other, our fellow believers.
When I first learned about this ministry (this non-denominational, biblical research, teaching, and fellowship ministry), I learned the importance of putting God first in my life. And the world in which we live is filled with so many types of distractions, putting God first can be a challenge.
The world has so many things available for us to go to first instead of God. If I have a need, I could go to my friends, go to my wallet, go to YouTube, go to my job, go to influencers, go to the streets, go to Chat GBT. There’s a whole world of resources I could go to… to meet my needs, right? I can see how people can get tossed around by the world in this way, as Ephesians 4:14 says. Let’s read, “That we henceforth are no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”
I have learned, that as we go to God and keep God first in our lives, we will have more than what we need, our needs will be met and fulfilled, and as a result, we’ll be able to give to others, who have needs. This is a truth in my life. I can prove it to you. My wife and I are living examples of people who, initially didn’t go to fellowship at all, but once we learned and applied the Word, we went from being tossed around by the world, to living a more than abundant life, filled with love, joy, peace, prosperity, and success. Turn to Matthew 6.
Let’s learn how (1) we can go to God first. And (2) how we can give to others.
The Bible invites us to go to God first. We’re in Matthew 6. Let’s read Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
So, we seek God first. Using my awesome “blue letter bible” app to do a little research on the word “seek,” we find that “seek” means to search in order to find out by thinking, meditating, reasoning, and inquiring. Early in the morning, I often wake up, and I think, and I thank. I think and thank. I thank God for a whole list of things in the early morning. I meditate upon these things. But I also reason things out, and I ask questions. Who has Psalms 63:1? “O God, thou art my God. Early will I seek thee. My soul thirsts for thee.” Turn to Hebrews 11.
When a challenge in life comes up, we can go to God first. With believing. We can immediately cast all our care and concerns upon God. Because God cares for us. Who has 1 Peter 5:7? “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
We’re in Hebrews 11. Let’s read Hebrews 11:6. It says, “But without faith, it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
So, we diligently seek God first, with believing, and he will reward us by meeting all of our needs. I work to remind myself of this spiritual truth: to go to God first. It’s a habit that I work on, building and practicing every day. When I am challenged, pressured, or tired about something, mentally or physically, I remind myself to tap into powerful spiritual resources instead of other things in this world.
Why would I do that?
Because we have an adversary. And it will do whatever it takes to keep us from going to God first. Who has 1 Peter 5:8? “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
Turn to Psalms 33.
So, the Bible says to go to God first. And we can do that in three ways: We can go to God (1) by God’s Word, (2) go to God by prayer, and (3) go to God by fellowshipping with believers. So, first, we can go to God by way of God’s Word. The Word reveals God’s heart and will for us. We’re in Psalms 33. Let’s read Psalms 33:11: “The counsel of the LORD standeth forever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.”
God’s heart is written for us and for all generations. It provides counsel that stands the test of time. We can learn the Word of God. Why? Why do we learn the Word? Because learning the Word of God is profitable. Who has 2 Timothy 3:16-17? “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
Turn to Acts 17.
Learning the Word is profitable for our lives, so that we can believe it, and be fully equipped to live a more than abundant life. And every day, we can prove to ourselves that the Word works, that the Word is true. We’re in Acts 17. Let’s read Acts 17:11: “These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”
Those believers searched the scriptures daily, and proved to themselves and others, those things that were true in their lives.
So, (1) we can go to God by learning the Word. And (2) we can go to God by praying. Turn to Mark 1.
Jesus Christ is the greatest example of a man who went to God first and prayed, which helped him handle many situations in his life. We’re in Mark 1. Let’s read Mark 1:35: “And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.”
So, Jesus Christ was no slacker! He had a ton of things to do and accomplish. But he started his mornings by praying. We can follow his example and open our hearts to God, praying for wisdom and guidance in everything we do. Finding things out by thinking, meditating, reasoning, and inquiring.
When we pray, we speak to God from our hearts. We share our deepest thoughts. We ask questions, and we expect answers. We get quiet and speak, just like a child speaks to her dad. Praying helps get our thoughts straight. It also helps us unwind and release what's going on in our heads. Praying helps us remember that our needs are met. It can bring to mind what has been given to us and to be thankful.
Turn to Philippians 4.
When we go to God first, we don’t have to be worried about anything. We’re in Philippians 4. Let’s read Philippians 4:6. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” Using my blue letter bible app, I see that the word “careful” means “anxious.” And the word “everything” is “each, every, any, all.” That is very particular and encompassing. So, instead of letting our minds be anxious or worried or fearful, we are to pray, for each and every particular thing, with thanksgiving, and confidence, and believing and confessing that God will take care of us, in any situation. Remember last week, I shared about “confession of belief yields receipt of confession.” Prayer is very powerful.
Turn to Philippians 2.
So, (1) we can go to God by learning the Word. (2) we can go to God by praying. And (3) we can go to God by fellowshipping with believers.
The household, our fellowship, and the hundreds of other fellowships around the world in this ministry are made of men and women who believe. And God works in us to see wonderful things come to pass.
We’re in Philippians 2. Let’s read Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” When fellow believers (who have God in Christ in them) speak the Word, their counsel can help other believers make good decisions.
Many times, when I need to make a good decision, I turn to my wife, and we pray about it. I know that after I seek the help of a fellow believer, I’m probably moving in the right direction. If I seek first the counsel of TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook, I’m probably moving in the wrong direction. Why is that? Because most of what comes from the world isn’t based upon truth. It’s based on opinions. From total strangers. The word is truth. It’s a standard by which I can build an abundant life. But the world is not stable. In the world, I can find evidence that supports both sides of any argument, for example. But the Word is a standard, a set of truths, that have spanned all time, and all cultures, because when applied, it produces evidence, real results, that are manifested with a powerful impact.
Turn to Proverbs 27.
Sharing the Word with fellow believers keeps us sharp, vigilant, and mindful, just as Proverbs 27:17 says. We’re in Proverbs 27. Let’s read Proverbs 27:17: “Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.”
Last verse. Turn to 2 Peter 1.
God says that when we seek God first, (1) by way of the Word, (2) by prayer, and (3) by fellowshipping with other believers, unlimited resources, power, and wisdom are available to apply in every situation in life, and this completely and thoroughly equips us, to help others in their time of need.
We’re in 2 Peter 1. Let’s read 2 Peter 1:3: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue.”
By reading the Word, we understand what Jesus Christ accomplished in his life, so that we can have the gift of holy spirit, the divine power, that has given unto us, all things that pertain to life and godliness. And with God in Christ in me (vertical), I can give to others (horizontal). We can give to each other. Spiritually, we are complete in Christ. Being complete, we lack nothing, and are able to freely give to others, as we walk out in life with love, joy, peace, abundance, and success.
Summary
So, we learned that the Word invites us to go to God first. We don’t want to be tossed to and fro. So, (1) we can go to God by learning the Word. (2) we can go to God by praying. And (3) we can go to God by fellowshipping with believers. And we can meet the needs of others too. And that’s what I wanted to share - about our relationship with God and our fellowship with each other.
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