OUR RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE LORD

--Includes dedication,
devotion & loving & reverencing the Lord

1. We worship the
Lord by loving Him:

A. We are to love
the Lord with all our heart:

Deut.6:5 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine
heart, & with all thy soul, & with all thy might

Deut.10:12             What
doth the Lord require of thee, but...to love Him... with all thy heart &
with all thy soul

Mat.22:37,38          This
is the first & great commandment

(See
also Deut.30:6,20; Josh.22:5; 23:11.)

B. Our souls should
thirst for God:

Psa.42:1,2               As
the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after Thee, O God.
My soul thirsteth for God

Psa.63:1b               My
soul thirsteth for Thee...in a dry & thirsty land

(See
also Psa.143:6; Mat.5:6; Jn.4:10,14.)

C. We should
greatly desire Him:

Psa.27:4  One thing have I desired...that will I
seek after; that I may...behold the beauty of the Lord

Psa.16:8  I have set the Lord always before me...at
my right hand

Psa.63:8  My soul followeth hard after Thee

Psa.84:2  My soul longeth, even fainteth for courts
of the Lord

Isa.26:9a With my soul have I desired Thee in the night

D. We are to desire
Him above all else:

Psa.73:25                Whom
have I in Heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside
Thee

Isa.26:8b                The
desire of our soul is to Thy name

E. We are to
worship Jesus as we worship God:

Jn.5:23    All men should honour the Son
even as...the Father

Phi.2:9-11               At
the name of Jesus every knee should bow...every tongue should confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord

Col.1:18b                (He)
is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have
the preeminence

1Jn.5:1    Every one that loveth Him
(God) that begat loveth Him (Jesus) also that is begotten of Him

F. Why we love
& worship Jesus:

1Jn.3:16  Hereby perceive we the love of God,
because He (Jesus) laid down His life for us

1Jn.4:19  We love Him, because He first loved us

Rev.5:8-13              Worthy
is the Lamb that was slain to receive...honour, & glory, & blessing

(See
also 1Jn.2:23; 4:15.)

2. How we show our
love for the Lord:

A. By loving &
obeying His Word:

Jn.14:21  He that [keepeth] My commandments, he
it is that loveth Me

Deut.11:1               Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God, & keep His...statutes, & His judgments,
& His commandments, alway

Job
23:12                I
esteemed (God's) Words...more than my necessary food

Psa.119:20              My
soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto Thy judgements (Word) (See also
Psa.119:40)

Psa.119:131            I...panted:
for I longed for Thy commandments

1Jn.3:22  We keep His commandments, & do things
that are pleasing in His sight

1Jn.5:3    This is the love of
God...keep His commandments

2Jn.6       This is
love, that we walk after His commandments

(See
also Psa.119:47,48,97,113,127,140,159,163,167.)

B. By worshipping
Him in prayer:

Psa.18:1,3a             I
will love Thee, O Lord...I will call upon the Lord

Psa.63:1-4              Thou
art my God; early will I seek Thee...to see Thy power & Thy glory

Psa.91:14,15           Because
he hath set his love upon Me...he shall call upon Me, & I will answer him

Psa.116:1,2             I
love the Lord...therefore will I call upon Him

C. By loving one
another:

Mat.25:40               Inasmuch
as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it
unto Me

1Jn.4:20,21             Commandment...he
who loveth God love his brother also

D. By listening to
His voice:

1Sam.3:9,10            If
He call thee...say, "Speak, Lord; for Thy servant heareth"

Psa.143:8a              Cause
me to hear Thy lovingkindness

Isa.50:5   The Lord hath opened mine ear,
& I was not rebellious

E. By obeying,
following & serving Him:

Jn.10:27  My sheep hear My voice...& they follow
Me

Jn.12:26  Follow Me; where I am, there shall also
My servant be

Jn.15:10  If ye keep My commandments, ye shall
abide in My love

Deut.10:12,13        What
doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to... serve (Him)...keep the
commandments of the Lord

Josh.24:14              Fear
the Lord, & serve Him in sincerity & truth

1Sam.12:24             Fear
the Lord, & serve Him in truth with all your heart

Eph.6:7   Doing service, as to the Lord,
& not to men

Heb.12:28               Serve
God acceptably with reverence & godly fear

F. By
self-sacrifice & giving our lives in love:

Mat.10:38               He
that taketh not his cross, & followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me

Jn.10:17  My Father (doth) love me, because I lay
down My life

1Cor.15:31b           I
die daily (See also 2Cor.11:23-28)

Gal.2:20  I am crucified with Christ

Phi.3:7,8 I count all things but loss...that I may win
Christ

Rev.12:11               They
loved not their lives unto the death

G. By honouring
& obeying Him more than man:

Acts
5:29               We
ought to obey God rather than men

(See
also Acts 4:19)

H. By giving to Him
& supporting His work:

Pro.3:9    Honour the Lord with...the
firstfruits of all thine increase

(See
also Lev.27:30; 1Cor.9:6-11.)

3. We are to love
God above all else:

Mat.22:37               Love...God
with all thy heart...& soul...& mind

A. We are not to
love--or put--anything before Him:

Exo.20:3  Thou shalt have no other gods
before Me (See also Psa.96:4)

B. God is jealous
of your love for Him; don't provoke Him:

Exo.20:3,5               Thou
shalt not serve them (other gods): for I the Lord... am a jealous God

(See
also Exo.34:14; Deut.32:16; 32:21; Isa.42:8; 1Cor.10:22.)

C. We are not even
to love our loved ones more than God:

Gen.22:12               Now
I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only
son from Me

Mat.10:37               He
that loveth father or mother [or] son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of
Me (See Lk.14:26)

D. We are not even
to seek our physical needs above God:

Mat.4:4   Not live by bread alone, but by
every Word...of God

Mat.6:24 No man can serve two masters: for he will hate
one, & love the other...Ye cannot serve God & mammon

Mat.6:33 Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, &
His righteousness

(See
also Psa.84:10,11; Mat.6:25-32.)

E. Seek Heavenly
things, don't be overly attached to earthly things:

Mat.6:20,21            Lay
up for yourselves treasure in Heaven...for where your treasure is, there will
your heart be also

Lk.12:15  A man's life consisteth not in abundance
of things

Col.3:1    Seek those things which are above,
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God

Col.3:2    Set...affection on things
above, not things on earth

(See
also Heb.10:34)

F. Don't even put
God's service above loving God:

Lk.11:42  Ye tithe...[but] pass over judgment &
the love of God

Rev.2:3-5                For
My name's sake hast laboured...nevertheless...thou hast left thy first
love...thou art fallen

Lk.10:38-42            [The
story of Martha busy serving, Mary listening to Jesus]

4. We are to fear
& reverence the Lord:

A. Fearing God:

Deut.10:12             What
doth the Lord require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God

2Ki.17:35,36           The
Lord...Him shall ye fear, & Him shall ye worship

Eccl.12:13               Fear
God, & keep His commandments

Isa.8:12,13              Let
Him (God) be your fear, & let Him be your dread Lk.12:4,5 Be not afraid of
them (men)...I will forewarn you Whom ye shall fear: Fear Him (God)...yea, I
say, Fear Him

(See
also Mat.10:28)

B. Fearing
(reverencing) God is healthy:

Psa.19:9  The fear of the Lord is clean (Compare
with Pro.29:25)

C. The benefits of
fearing God:

Psa.111:10              The
fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (See also Pro.9:10)

Pro.1:7    The fear of the Lord is the
beginning of knowledge

Pro.14:26                In
the fear of the Lord is strong confidence

Pro.14:27                The
fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death

Pro.16:6b                By
the fear of the Lord men depart from evil

D. God's blessings
on us for fearing Him:

Psa.25:12                He
that feareth the Lord...shall He teach in the way

Psa.31:19                How
great is Thy goodness...for them that fear Thee

Psa.103:13              Lord
pitieth (has compassion on) them that fear Him

Psa.147:11              The
Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him

Lk.1:50    His mercy is on them that
fear Him

Acts
10:35             He
that feareth Him...is accepted with Him

5. Resting in the
Lord:

A. The Bible
instructs us to "rest in the Lord":

Psa.37:7  Rest in the Lord, & wait patiently
for Him

Heb.4:3a We which have believed do enter into rest

Heb.4:9   There remaineth therefore a rest to
the people of God

B. Take time to sit
at Jesus' feet:

Lk.10:38-42            Mary...sat
at Jesus' feet & heard His Word. But Martha was cumbered...serving. Mary
hath chosen good part

C. Cast your
burdens & worries on the Lord:

Psa.55:22                Cast
thy burden upon the Lord, & He shall sustain thee

Mat.11:28-30         Come
unto Me, all ye that labour & are heavy laden, & I will give you
rest...unto your souls

1Pet.5:7  Casting all your care upon Him; for He
careth for you

D. Quietly meditate
on God's power:

Gen.24:63               Isaac
went out to meditate in the field at eventide

Job
37:14                Stand
still, & consider the wondrous works of God

Psa.46:10                Be
still & know that I am God

1Thes.4:11             Study
to be quiet

E. Be humble before
Him:

1Ki.3:7    [King Solomon prayed to God:]
I am but a little child

Isa.57:15 The high & lofty One that inhabiteth
eternity...I dwell with him that is of a contrite & humble spirit

Mic.6:8   What doth the Lord require of thee,
but to...walk humbly with thy God

6. Drawing close
& resting in the "Secret Place":

Heb.4:11 Let us labour...to enter into that rest

Jam.4:8a Draw nigh to God & He will draw nigh to you

A. The "secret
place" of God's presence:

Psa.91:1  He that dwelleth in the secret place of
the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty

Psa.17:8  Hide me under the shadow of Thy
wings

Psa.31:19,20a         Thou
shalt hide them in the secret of Thy presence

Psa.61:4  I will trust in the covert (secret place)
of Thy wings

(See
also Psa.27:5; 32:7; 119:114.)

B. Rest in
"the shadow of His wings":

Deut.32:11,12        As an
eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young...so the Lord [watches
over His people]

Mat.23:37b            [Jesus
longs to gather us to Him] even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings
(See also Lk.13:34)

Psa.91:4  He shall cover thee with His feathers,
& under His wings shalt thou trust

Psa.57:1  My soul trusteth in Thee...in the shadow
of Thy wings

(See
also Psa.36:7b; 63:7b; Ruth 2:12)

7. The benefits of
taking quiet time with the Lord:

A. God heals &
restores our souls:

Psa.23:2,3a             He
leadeth me beside still waters...restoreth my soul

Mal.4:2   Unto you that fear My name shall
the Sun of righteousness [Jesus] arise with healing in His wings

2Cor.4:16                We
faint not; though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by
day (See also Eph.4:23)

B. He gives us joy:

Psa.5:11  Let all those that put their trust in
Thee rejoice...Let them that love Thy name be joyful in Thee

Psa.16:11                In
Thy presence is fulness of joy

Psa.40:16                Let
those that seek Thee rejoice & be glad in Thee

Psa.51:12                Restore
unto me the joy of Thy salvation

(See
also Neh. 8:10b; 1Pet.1:8.)

C. He gives us
spiritual strength:

Isa.40:29-31           They
that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with
wings...& not be weary

Isa.41:1   Keep silence before Me...renew
their strength

Isa.30:7   Their strength is to sit still

Isa.30:15 In quietness & in confid ence shall be your
strength

Dan.11:32b            The
people that do know their God shall be strong

Judg.5:31               Let
them that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might

Eph.3:16 That He would grant you...to be strengthened
with might by His Spirit in the inner man (See Psa.138:3)

Col.1:9,11               Strengthened
with all might, according to His...power

D. He gives us rest
in the Spirit:

Exo.33:14                My
presence shall go with thee, & I will give thee rest

1Ki.8:56  The Lord...hath given rest unto His
people

Mat.11:28-30         Come
unto Me...I will give you rest...unto your souls

E. When we take
time to love Him, He loves us:

Pro.8:17  I love them that love Me

Jn.14:21,23             He
that loveth Me (Jesus) shall be loved of My Father

Jn.16:27  The Father...loveth you, because ye have
loved Me

F. Other benefits
of loving the Lord:

Deut.30:16             Love
the Lord...walk in His ways...that thou mayest live ...& the Lord shall
bless thee

Psa.91:14                Because
he set his love upon Me, I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he
hath known My name

Psa.119:132            Be
merciful...unto those that love Thy name

Psa.145:20              The
Lord preserveth all them that love Him

Pro.8:21  I...cause those that love Me to inherit
substance

Eph.6:24 Grace be with them that love Jesus Christ in
sincerity 1Cor.8:3 If any man love God, the same is known of Him

Jam.1:12 The crown of life, which the Lord hath promised
to them that love Him (See also 2Tim.4:8)

(See
also Deut.11:13-15,22,23; Psa.36:10.)

8. Hindrances to
our relationship with the Lord:

A. Being "too
busy" to take time with Him:

Isa.28:12 This is the refreshing wherewith ye may cause
the weary to rest: yet they would not hear

Mat.23:37b            How
often would I have gathered [thee], as a hen gathereth her chickens under her
wings, & ye would not

Lk.10:39,40             Mary
sat at Jesus' feet, & heard His Word. But Martha was cumbered about with
much serving

Jn.5:40    Ye will not come to Me, that
ye might have life

B. Becoming caught
up with the world & its cares:

Mat.13:22               The
care of this world, & the deceitfulness of riches... choke the Word    (See also Lk.8:14)

2Tim.2:4 [To please God, don't become entangled with the
affairs of this life]

1Jn.2:15  If any man love the world, the love of
the Father is not in him

C. Cooling off
& losing our "first love":

Jer.2:2-5  The kindness of thy youth, the
love...when thou wentest after Me...[now] gone far from Me...become vain

Mat.24:12               The
love of many shall wax (grow) cold

Rev.2:4,5                I
have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love

D. Doubting the
Lord's love for you:

Mal.1:2   I have loved you, saith the Lord.
Yet ye say, Wherein hast Thou loved us?

E. Harbouring
unrepented sin in our hearts:

Psa.66:18                If
I regard iniquity in my heart, Lord will not hear me

Isa.59:2   Your iniquities have separated
between you & your God

F. Being too full
of our own thoughts:

Isa.65:2   I have spread out My hands all the
day unto a rebellious people, which walk...after their own thoughts

(See
also Psa.10:4; 119:113; Isa.55:7.)

9. Our special
relationship with the Lord:

A. Obedient
believers are a blessed & chosen people:

1Pet.2:9  Ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar (special) people

Exo.19:5  If ye will obey My voice...ye shall be a
peculiar treasure unto Me above all people

Deut.7:6 God hath chosen thee to be a special people
unto Himself, above all people...on the face of the earth

Deut.14:2               Thou
art an holy people...a peculiar people

Isa.43:4   Thou wast precious in My
sight...& I have loved thee

Mat.22:14               Many
are called, but few are chosen

Jn.15:16  I have chosen you, & ordained you

(See
also Eph.1:4b; Rev.17:14b.)

B. Jesus bought
us; we belong to Him:

1Cor.3:23                Ye
are Christ's

1Cor.6:20                Ye
are bought with a price...your body & your spirit...are God's
(See also 1Cor.7:23)

Rev.5:9   Thou wast slain, & hast redeemed
us...by Thy blood

1Pet.1:18,19           Ye
were...redeemed...with the precious blood of Christ

(See
also Mat.20:28; Lk.10:45; Gal.3:13; 1Tim.2:5b,6.)

C. Instead of
making us slaves, He adopted us as children & heirs:

Gal.4:5    To redeem (us)...that
we might re ceive the adoption of sons (See also Eph.1:5-7)

Rom.8:14-16           Ye
have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father

Mat.12:50               Whosoever
shall do the will of (God)...the same is My brother, & sister, & mother

Gal.4:6    Because ye are sons, God hath
sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father

Gal.4:7    Thou art no more a servant,
but a son; &...an heir

Rom.8:17                If
children...then heirs of God & joint-heirs with Christ

(See
also Jn.15:15; 2Cor.6:18; Heb.2:11; 1Jn.3:1)

D. We are
spiritually married to the Lord:

Isa.54:5   Thy Maker is thine husband; the
Lord of hosts

Isa.62:5   As the bridegroom rejoiceth over
the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee

Jer.3:14   Turn...saith the Lord; for I am
married unto you

Hos.2:19,20            I
will betroth thee unto Me for ever

Rom.7:4  Ye should be married to another, even to
Him (Jesus)

2Cor.11:2                I
have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to
Christ

Rev.19:7-9              The
marriage of the Lamb (Jesus) is come, & His wife (us,
the church) hath made herself ready

(See
also Ezk.16:8; Eph.5:28-32.)

E. We live &
abide in Him, & He lives in us:

Jn.14:23  We will come unto him, & make Our abode
with him

Jn.15:1-5 [We are to abide in Jesus as a branch joined to
a vine]

Jn.17:26  That the Love...may be in them,
& I in them

2Cor.5:17                If
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature

2Cor.6:16b             I
will dwell in them, & walk in them; &...be their God

1Jn.4:13  Hereby know we that we dwell in Him,
& He in us

1Jn.4:16  He that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God,
& God in him (See also Acts 17:28 )

F. We are Jesus' body:

Eph.1:22,23            (Jesus
is) the head over all things to the church, which is His body

Eph.5:30 We are members of His body, of His flesh...His
bones

Col.1:18a                He
is the head of the body, the church

(See
also 1Cor.12:12-27)

G. We are God's
temple:

1Cor.6:19                Your
body is temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you

2Cor.6:16                Ye
are the temple of the living God

Eph.2:19-22            An
holy temple...ye are builded together for an habitation of God

Heb.3:6   Christ...a Son over His Own house;
whose house are we

H. Jesus is our
shepherd, we are His sheep:

Jn.10:1-29               I
am the good shepherd (See also Heb.13:20a)

Psa.23:1-4              The
Lord is my shepherd...He leadeth me

Psa.95:7  He is our God; & we are...the sheep
of His hand

Psa.100:3                We
are His people, & the sheep of His pasture

(See
also Psa.78:52; 79:13; Isa.40:11; Mat.25:32,33; Jn.21:15-17.)

I. He loved &
rescued us when we were lost & gone astray:

1Pet.2:25                Ye
were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd...of your
souls

(See
also Isa.53:6; Ezk.34:1-12; Mat.9:36; Lk.15:3-7; Jn.10:11.)