Sermon:
Building Relationships – Series
Sermon 1 – Our Relationship with God – Displayed in our reactions to man
1 John 1:5-10

Each and every day of our lives, we have relationships with others that have been formed through the years. Some relationships are positive in nature, others are just acquaintances, and some quite frankly, are horrible relationships that have been destroyed by either our actions and words or the other person’s actions and words.

Over the next four weeks, we are going to embark on a journey discussing “Relationships”. The series is entitled “Building Relationships.” Today, we begin with the ultimate relationship in life, our relationship with God. We must remember that without a relationship with God, we have no hope. However, with a relationship with God, we have tremendous hope and outstanding guidance – if we will just listen and follow.

God’s word cites many passages that feature the importance of a relationship with God:
• Abraham and the offering of Issac (Genesis 22:1-14)
o God provided a lamb, due to the obedience of Abraham
• Joseph and God’s constant hand upon his life (Genesis 37-45)
• Joshua and his armies – “Being strong and courageous”
• David in all of his escapades!
• Daniel and his unending faith.
• And there are many, many more.

A relationship with God is started by trusting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This comes through repenting of your sins and confessing Christ to be the Lord of your life. At this point, a relationship with God begins, and a transformation in your relations with others should occur. This morning, we look in the NT at 1 John 1:5-10 – to help us begin the journey of building relationships.

TEXT

I. Characteristic of Jesus Christ
a. Light
i. Greek word – “foce”
1. To shine or to make manifest
2. John 8:12
a. I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
3. John 12:36
a. Believe in the light, that ye may be children of the light.
4. Paul speaks of the light of Christ to Agrippa in Acts
a. Acts 26:15-18
The light, or Christ, Is to be made manifest and shine throughout the believer’s life. In all actions, words, and deeds. The Scripture tells us that there is to be NO darkness present at all.

II. Characteristic of a Changed Life
a. No Darkness
i. 1 John 1:6
1. If we say we have fellowship and walk in the dark, we are liars.
a. The change will be shown in our daily walk
b. Instead of trusting the world and its manners to get us through, we will be trusting in God – following His light.
• “When I came to believe in Christ’s teaching, I ceased desiring what I had wished for before. The direction of my life, my desires, became different. What was good and bad had changed places.” – Leo Tolstoy
• “Darkness is my point of view, my right to myself. Light is God’s point of view” – Oswald Chambers
b. “Old things are gone”
i. Ephesians 4:17-32
1. Renewal of the spirit of the mind.
2. You will not want to do things of the past – you’ll desire more and more of God.
ii. Ephesians 5:8
1. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light.

The change comes through confessing our sins to a forgiving Savior, who is faithful and just and will forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

III. Characteristics of a Relationship