It’s Complicated Week 1 – David Nasser

Overview:

The image of a triune God is the image of a relationship. Tonight at Campus Community, we kicked off our series “It’s Complicated”. During the series, we will be covering the various family backgrounds and context and how they affect who we are. For the first installment of the series, Pastor David highlighted the most important relationship in our lives, our relationship with God. Our horizontal relationships are usually a reflection of the health of our vertical relationship with God. We often have misconceptions that would cause us to put unfair expectations on others that can only be fulfilled by God. While there are different kinds of love, they all come up short without the divine agape love God gives. Completeness cannot be obtained through behavior modification. True completeness can only be obtained through God himself. However, we can cheapen the cross when it makes it about change. God wants us to exchange who we are and become a new creation in Him. Pastor David closed out the message with a great illustration about being in a Hilton in Greenville but realizing he was in the wrong Greenville.  Sometimes it can appear that we are in the right place. Especially when it appears we are doing all of the right things. But when we take a closer look, are we truly where were are supposed to be. Are we sure we are right with God through Christ?

Verse:

2 Corinthians 13:5

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you.

2 Corinthians 5:17

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here

Quotes:
The image of a triune God is the image of a relationship.
“Holy Holy Holy- Lord God almighty. God in 3 persons, blessed trinity”

If you try to find intimacy with another person before achieving a sense of wholeness on your own, all your relationships become an attempt to complete yourself. (Dr. Les Parrott)

“Life is all about whose hands you are in.”

“Our Compulsion for completion can only be satisfied in God.”

There are 7.5 billion people in this world yet none of them have the power to complete you. If that’s true, then why let 1 of them ruin your life?

It is unfair and unhealthy to expect anyone to fulfill a void that can only be filled with God.
Only in the fullness of God are relationships fully healthy.

We cheapen the cross of Christ if we make it about change & not exchange.
The changed life is behavior modification
The exchanged life is an identity transformation.

Questions:
1) Why is it so tempting to look toward someone else to find completion for yourself?

2) Why is it unfair to expect someone else to complete you?

3) Why is it important to make sure our relationship with God is healthy before we can expect horizontal relationships to be healthy?

4) What is the difference between trying to change yourself for God and exchanging your sinfulness for Christ’s righteousness?

5) How is your relationship with God?  Are you sure that you have a relationship with God through Christ?  If so, what kind?  He is Lord?  Does He have all of you?