Announcement: Equip Marriage starts next week during the 9am service.

So a great start to the year 2025 would be to question where our relationship with God is. Are you BFF’s? Are you not talking? Or in Gen Z lingo…are you low-key ghosting God right now?

We all know that a relationship is a two way street. To have a relationship with somebody, it takes communication. So let’s self-reflect for just a moment. Where are you at right now with your Father?

Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, drive out demons in your name, and do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you lawbreakers!’

So I think it’s important to start 2025 off with asking where we are with the Father.

Many through the years have claimed to know God. Up until about 15 years ago, it was the culturally appropriate thing to say that you are a Christian. Have you made your relationship with the Father your own or is coming to church the only time you have with Him through the week?

God is there waiting for each of us to open that door, that line of communication with Him.

Revelation 3:20: “See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”

He’s waiting with open arms waiting to hear from us. But, church, we often stand around with our arms crossed not willing to take that step towards Him.

Is God trying to talk to you but nobody is there?

Is He talking to you but you refuse to listen? We often stand around waiting for God to work, but not recognizing that He is trying to work but we don’t listen. We choose not to listen to Him. We choose to try things our own way and not recognizing that God IS TRYING to work.

Has God thrown you the ball, but you just hold unto to it and don’t want to let it go? Many times when God is trying to work in our lives, we get the ball and think it’s the best thing ever and we don’t give it back to God. God wants to have an open line on communication here. When we receive, we give back. Then God will continue to bless and give it back to us. Have you gotten out of this relationship what you wanted out of it and now you are out? …Or is this an ongoing relationship with God? Do you want the back and forth of praying/listening and relying on Him in your life?

Colossians 4:2: “Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

But now many ask…how do I pray? The disciples had the same question in the book of Luke.

Luke 11:1-4: “He was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples.” He said to them, “Whenever you pray, say, Father, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us. And do not bring us into temptation.”

Recognize God for who He is. Recognize Him as holy and mighty.

Don’t be afraid to ask for needs. Just remember that our needs are not always the needs that the Spirit wants for us.

Ask for forgiveness. Repent before the throne.

Pray for future temptation to be driven away. God’s spirit is stronger than any demon trying to attach itself to your life.

Now, I know many are sitting here saying I know all this. But we still don’t pray as we should. I get it. I’m guilty of it too. But…why?

Lack of discipline. Our prayer life gets overtaken bye everything else in life.

Maybe we don’t see immediate results in life. God is not a genie. God works on His timing and not on ours. Do not doubt the power of God.

Also, don’t pray against the will of the Father.

Maybe we don’t feel His presence In our lives.

Psalm 22:1-5: My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?
“Why are you so far from my deliverance
and from my words of groaning?
My God, I cry by day, but you do not answer,
by night, yet I have no rest.
But you are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
Our ancestors trusted in you;
they trusted, and you rescued them.
They cried to you and were set free;
they trusted in you and were not disgraced.”

But I encourage and exhort you church…your prayers are heard.

Psalm 65:1-4:
“Praise is rightfully yours,
God, in Zion;
vows to you will be fulfilled.
All humanity will come to you,
the one who hears prayer.
Iniquities overwhelm me;
only you can atone for our rebellions.
How happy is the one you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We will be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple.”

How do we respond to the Spirit when he is speaking with us?
Meditate on His word
Study His word
In service to Him

When we are having the Lord transform our lives, we need to listen to His word and help others in the word. This means being in service to Him inside AND outside of the church.

But this is tough. We like our comfort bubbles. We like comfort. We like staying home at night in our pajamas and chilling by the fire…I get it. And these things aren’t bad. But we also ask ourselves how we can respond to Him.

As Christians, we are called to serve.

Galatians 5:13-14: “For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement: Love your neighbor as yourself. “

But not only that…we do this with joy in our hearts.

Psalm 100:2: “Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.”

There is a quote by John Newton, author of Amazing Grace, that I really enjoyed when talking about this.

"If two angels were to receive at the same moment a commission from God, one to go down and rule Earth’s grandest empire, the other to go and sweep the streets of it’s meanest village, it would be a matter of entire indifference to each which service fell to his lot, the post of ruler or the post of scavenger; for the joy of the angels lies only in obedience to God’s will”

We disobey God when we are not in service to Him. Does this mean you have to have the grandest empire? No. Does this mean you have to become a missionary or a pastor? No! Be of service to your next door neighbor. Help in the cafe. Become a MC leader. Open the doors for people as they come into the building.

We are all gifted in different capacities with gifts of the Spirit. We won’t get into these too much today, but know that God has gifted members of the church with different gifting that we are all supposed to use to have a healthy body.

1 Peter 4:10: “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God.”

We use these gifts to glorify who God is and to edify the church. Become a regular, ongoing servant to the Lord your Father.

Donald Whitney says in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life:

“Worship empowers serving; serving express worship. Godliness requires a disciplined balance between the two…we are expected to serve and gifted to serve, but are you willing to serve.”

When we become Christians, it is a process of continually becoming like Christ. This is the sanctification process. I know it is hard to drop comforts and become vulnerable.

Don’t do this out of obligation but out of a place of joy, gratitude, and obedience to God with humility and love.

Be like Isaiah in Isaiah 6:6-8: “Then one of the seraphim flew to me, and in his hand was a glowing coal that he had taken from the altar with tongs. He touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for. Then I heard the voice of the Lord asking: Who will I send?
Who will go for us? I said: Here I am. Send me.”

RESPONSE & COMMUNION
Question… What is your response to Jesus? It’s not an ambiguous question. You’ve heard the stories and sung the songs, but what do you believe about Jesus? Who is he to you? How is He telling you to serve others?