God Views Week 4 fearing God’s rejection

Two weeks ago, we had the opportunity to hear a powerful story about how God changed a person’s view of Him and how that difference made an impact on her life. Beverly’s view of God was marred by her family history. But at her invitation, God rewrote her past.

Today, we will continue to explore the amazing notion that God wants to spend time with us, and we will examine another potential stumbling block to our acceptance of His invitation to “dance” – our own awareness of our faults and flaws. Fear of God’s rejection.

Worksheet 2-A My Relationship With God Take a moment to think about how you would describe your present relationship with God. Use the information provided in worksheet 2-A to help you organize your thoughts.

Worksheet 2-B My Strengths and Weaknesses Take a few minutes to jot down in the columns what you believe God considers to be your primary strengths and weaknesses. These do not have to be in regard to your relationship with Him. Simply list 5 things about yourself you think He likes and then 5 aspects of yourself you believe He would like to “tweak.”

Video clip “bony shoulders ” by Curt Cloninger

 Why did Curt avoid being around Susie McClatchy in the years that followed?  What did he miss by assuming that she could not see beyond his “fault”?

Video clip “bony shoulders ” by Curt Cloninger  Do you truly believe that God desires to be with you, warts and all? Not so fast if you said “Yes.” Do you believe it with your heart? And do you act as if it’s true?

Do you know … that God longs to spend time with you? that God longs to spend time with you? that God designed you in such a way that you’ll never feel completely satisfied unless you are enjoying a loving relationship with Him? that God designed you in such a way that you’ll never feel completely satisfied unless you are enjoying a loving relationship with Him?

God, who exists as Trinity (a community of love and fellowship), created you to join in – forever.

You Can Understand the Bible by Its Uniting Themes by Nelson B. Baker Nelson believes there are only 4 primary themes in all of Scripture – and 3 of them are about how God longs to be in relationship with you.

The Bible’s Uniting Themes (1) God longs to spend time with you. (2) God has prepared a rich inheritance for you to enjoy. (3) We often reject both the relationship and the inheritance. (4) God continues to pursue you with His offer of love.

God longs to be with His children. We see this in Eden. God walked with Adam and Eve in the midst of the Garden (Genesis 3:8-9).

God longs to be with His children. Even though things change dramatically because of man’s sin – this theme does not. God’s desire to be with His people soon takes the form of the Ark of the Covenant – a symbol of His presence.

God longs to be with His children. Keep turning pages in Scripture, and you will bump into Solomon’s Temple. At its center is the Holy of Holies – the place for God’s presence in the midst of His people.

God longs to be with His children. Later, this theme reaches full crescendo. God becomes incarnate. He empties Himself of divine glory and humbly steps into human flesh. Why? To be with us for a while so we can be with Him forever.

God longs to be with His children. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, God sends His Spirit to reside inside each of His children – if we invite Him in. Forever.

God has prepared a rich inheritance for you to enjoy. The second theme is also a refection of how much we are loved by our heavenly Father. God loves you so much that He has prepared a rich inheritance for you to enjoy. Again, we see this first in Eden, which means “pleasure.”

God has prepared a rich inheritance for you to enjoy. The fall of man did not stop God from continuing to offer His rich gifts. Eden becomes the Promised Land, and ultimately the abundant life of entering into the kingdom of heaven.

We often reject both the relationship and the inheritance. Adam and Eve, the Hebrew nations, and the majority of those who heard Christ teach said no to God’s offer of abundant life. They picked the same tree as Adam and Eve – to be like God instead of to live in love with Him. They chose isolation over living in community with God.

God continues to pursue you with His offer of love. God’s offers are still on the table. And through fellowship with Christ, we have the means to enter in. As Jesus prayed just before His death, “May they all be one: as thou, Father art in me and I in thee, so may they also be one in us.” (John 17:21, KJV).

Song “Daddy’s Song” by Dennis Jernigan