Deep Relationships

Introduction

Good morning, We are glad that you are here. We exist here at Horizon to Glorify God by Growing others in Christ

Pat yourself on the back — we honestly do have a choice weekly to chose which is our god — the world or Christ.

I am appreciative that you chose Him today.

Last week we opened up a short series called INVITE. We started with the action of Inviting People and overcoming the schemes of Satan.

We discussed the NEED and the Command to INVITE people

We introduced our beautiful invite cards

We discussed Loving Jesus so much that you HAVE to TALK about Him

I encouraged you to have a phrase that encouraging conversation

For example - I will say “ my main job is a Pastor”

and i challenged you to “GO” to one person and invite them to church

Today are are going to move past the invite to the next step building a deep relationship.

Deep Relationships:

When someone trusts that you are for them and see the good in them, they can stop hiding and let you see their wounds and shame.

I love sitting with people and simply asking, “Will you tell me your story?

Will you tell me about your life?”

This is all about embodying the name of Immanuel—God with us.

As we get to know others and they trust us with their story, we start to see their behaviors as part of their struggle.

We won’t be tempted to judge or condemn them.

You want to get beneath the surface to discover why they are choosing to live as they do.

When that happens, people feel like they’ve been seen and known by an ambassador of the true, holy God.

This is part of what Christ was talking about in our message today.

Turn you Bibles to a very familiar section of Scripture

John 15:12-17 “12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

As you were reading along or listening to those verses

What words did you hear?

command --- a ten hut --- i need to pay attention

First it is in RED in my Bible, so this is directly from Christ

Second - my Lord is giving me a command

Love one another

Lay down my life

Friend of Christ

Go and bear fruit

and a repetitive — love one another

Love One Another

Listen to the full phrase

John 15:12 ESV

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Our Lord is giving us a command

- no room for misinterpretation in the opening of our verse today.

Jesus owns it and delivers it.

that you love one another as i have loved you

I ask you this — how has Christ loved you?

Unconditionally

like His bride

like his family

Forgave us - past and future

Our first love must be GOD — by loving Christ we love God for Christ is God

Genuine love for God, ensures genuine love for Christ

Genuine love for Christ ensures Obedience to Him

John 14:15 “15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

and here we have one of the commands --- to love one another

The key to a deep love is opening a Relationship

Forming Relationship

Be Looking

our eyes and ears should be looking for opportunity to get to know people

My wife has said “that i have never met a stranger”

look around - head on a swivel

Be out - go to places, engage

Learn tools

That is awesome that you are praying with your family

I love seeing you read your Bible

Instill small things in your life that generate conversation

a cross

a bumper sticker

a phrase — post Bible verses — does your FB display your identity? is it God Glorifying

Col 3:17 “17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

a greeting or a good bye --- May the Lord bless you

What is your? Where are you comfortable?

Be Living an attractive life

Illustration --- Losing my cool with my horse and then apologizing to the others

I was very wrong and i owned it.

Guidelines:

Do the things that Christians Do!

Practice the Fruit of the Spirit and watch God work

Let your love flow out of your mouth from your heart

Care for others comes from love of others

Say no to outside things — Sunday is Church - Time to gather with family and worship Him

Show up

Be intentional - invite them for coffee/tea

Make a list — Jamie touch base list

Stay in touch - treat it with priority

Listen and seek to learn them

Pray with them

Followup

Put them first

People want to talk about themselves, so you learn to ask questions and listen

Relate to them with out hijacking conversation

If tough situation - show them GRACE and LOVE - Be Patient

Align with God’s Heartbeat for Others

This is part of laying down you life for another

Put aside YOU, and allow others to witness you making it about them

Take a Risk

You are Christ’s Follower - so be an IMITATOR of Him

Speak of who you have become in Him

Be Real

Love others

This is the second part of Laying down your life

it is NOT about YOU - For YOU are His

The verses right after these are hard to read

the world will hate you, persecute you

they hate Jesus and i doubt when you engage with your Christian Walk that you will not meet resistants

TAKE A RISK

WHY? Because Jesus has your back

Look again at this verse

John 15:15 ESV

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Brothers and Sisters is this AMAZING or What??

God calls you his friend

we are aligned and joined to the Creator of the Universe

The author and perfecter of our faith

the alpha and the Omega

we are loved and called friend by GOD

We know that LOVE because Jesus laid down His Life for us, so that we can have the assurance, the promise of Eternal life with HIM.

we are the Sheep and he is OUR SHEPHERD

and as the first part of this chapter of John states… Jesus is the vine and we are the branches

We must bear fruit or we are cut off

That is the point of these verses

We must love others so much that we want to spend eternity with them with God.

Bear Fruit, Reap Rewards

John 15:16-17 “16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

This words are from Christ ---

He chose you

He appointed you

You must bear fruit --- that is Glorifying God

When we obey we open the channels of God’s love into our life.

In the end it is a SIMPLE Command

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

Let’s Pray === today i ask you to turn to the person aside of you. Ask them for one specific prayer and then pray out loud for them.

Next week we are going to discuss praying for others — See you next week.

Lets close in Song.