A recent commercial on the connection of a superior brand of cell phone
service illustrates the importance of have a clear connection.
In one example a mother calls before coming home to ask, “how are the
kids.” When she arrives home
and finds the kids are all covered with flour.
The baby sitter heard that the mother told her to flour the kids. In another situation a fellow on the golf course calls home
to his expecting wife to see how things are going but he hears that everything
is fine when in reality she is in labor and having their baby in the hospital.
Establishing a clear connection with God is an important task, which we
must seek to accomplish. Have
you?
As a high tech hillbilly I know the joy of my new cell phone.
But, I have experienced some of the pit falls as well.
Just this week I was talking to my mother when I heard her say, “Are
you there, I can’t hear you. Then
I realized that I had encountered one of the many obstacles to a clear
connection.
After establishing a clear
connection between the Father and us, we can then begin to have relationship
with Him. The relationship
between people and God has to go deeper than the outside appearance.
We have to begin with a private relationship with the Father who sees
all, knows all, and loves all. He
longs to be loved and known by you as your Father that is in Heaven.
He is constantly calling your number.
He Our connection to God
is built on an intimate, personal, private relationship through prayer.
Are you connected to God? Only
you and the Father know for sure. But,
all will eventually see in the public what your private relationship is to
God. If you are personally connected to God then consider today if
you will begin to know the one who can be known as the Father that is in
heaven. How are you connected?
Your phone is ringing.
Scripture Text: Mat. 6:1 (KJS)
Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise
ye have no reward of your Father, which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest [thine] alms, do not sound
a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the
streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have
their reward. 3 But when thou
doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That
thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself
shall reward thee openly. 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the
hypocrites [are]: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in
the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto
you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy
closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in
secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7
But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they
think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye
therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need
of, before ye ask him.
A. What
are the obstacles to connecting with the Lord?
There are three that continue
to strive to keep you and I from making a clear connection to the Lord.
These are the mountains that we must overcome to make the connection.
The first is the world in
which we live. This world is
established and continues to operate on principles that are not of God.
Jesus ran into much opposition from the world because the principles of
God’s kingdom run into direct opposition with the ways of the world in which
we live.
The second is the human
nature and flesh that we all have as a result of the fall in the Garden of
Eden. Since the first sin, the
tendency of humankind is to go our own way and not go with the Lord.
We are stubborn and like to be self made people and not God made.
We tend to want to do things our way regardless of what others/God
wants.
The third is the activity
of Satan in the world. It is
certainly a fact that the devil, his angels, and followers are active in
seeking to bring down the work of the only true living God.
The deception of the great liar will lead you to doubt the Father.
He will keep you from knowing Him with all that he can do.
Don’t allow yourself to be deceived.
B. How
to overcome the obstacles?
1. Connect to God in the privacy of your heart and life on a
daily basis.
2. Strive to be pleasing to God in all you do and not to men or
yourself. This should be our
motive for giving, serving, working, helping, preaching, teaching, and all
that we do in our lives. Do all
for the glory of God.
3.
Seek the rewards of God, which are eternal in nature.
4.
Go to God in secret.
5.
Go to God in sincerity. You
can’t be perfect, but you can give yourself to God.
6.
Trust in God when you follow Him.
7.
Give yourself to Him and let Him take care of the connection.
8.
He has made it possible for you to connect to Him through His Son.
C.
If you are clearly connected with the Father, then…
1.
You are seeking to communicate the to the Father, which is in
heaven? John 1:12
2.
You do serve and follow God because you are connected to Him.
You want to be pleasing to Him so then you follow Him and serve Him in
the world.
3.
You don’t have to be recognized or rewarded for your good
deeds, because you are giving them to God, which sees all.
4.
You do pray in secret to the Father in heaven.
This is the real connection to God.
The prayer line is the line that brings us together with the Lord.
5.
Your prayer life will be meaningful and not full of meaningless
repetitions. As you converse with
your Father, you will be heard by Him in secret and rewarded in public.
6.
You know that the Father knows and he will hear and answer your
prayers. You have taken advantage of the possibility, because He has made it
possible
7.
You are in communication with Him and He with you.
Will you overcome the
obstacles to a clear connection with the Father? Get connected to Him today.