ME WE US 1 (Relationships)

Introduction

One of the worst punishments that has ever been inflicted on the human being is exile or isolation. Some moms may disagree, but It is something that has been done for thousands of years. In prison one of the worst punishments is to put someone in solitude. Centuries ago they would exile people for punishment and strand them on an island.

What happens to the human mind and the body when it is completely isolated. Sure it may be ok for some for a little while, but eventually it gets a bit tortuous. Some, like myself would begin to panic immediately. It took Tom Hanks weeks before he mad a friend out of a volleyball. I would be having dinner with coconuts, crabs, leaves, and logs before the sun set the first day.

We are not made to be without community and without partnership and relationships. Im not talking about just marriage. So dont hear me say that singleness is not a good thing, we will talk on singleness next week. i am talking about survival with other humans day in and day out. A support system. Like minded thinkers and people to cry laugh with and love.

Lets look at the beginning of Scripture

Genesis 1:1-5 “1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.”

This is the very first account of the beginning of time. As someone who writes sermons each week and writes a dozen letters to attorneys each week. I can tell you the hardest most important part is the opening and the beginning. It sets the tone for the rest of the story. It sets a precedent.

God is starting the the very beginning of all of creation. It is a crucial moment and one that must be done to perfection. We know it was done to perfection because God can do nothing other than anything perfect.

Everything He does is good right? Each day He creates and then looks at it and says it is good.

That Hebrew word for good is the word TOV and it means more than just good like pizza is good, or my favorite show is good or youre a good boy. It means it is complete and perfect.

But then after God has said everything is good we have the first account where God looks at something and says it is NOT Good

Genesis 2:18 NASB95

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

So people may analyze this and say, “how can God make something that isnt “good”. That would be a misinterpretation. What in fact the language is saying, is that God made man, and he, outside of God, was alone with the animals and God saiid IT IS NOT COMPLETE.

From the very beginning you and I were made to be in partnership with another. Now Adam was made in the image of God and at this point there was no sin. There was nothing that Adam could not do that God had created him to do. Technicaly you could say he was the only person ever created that trully did not NEED anyone. He had perfect creation. He had God wandering the Garden, what else did he need? Butt God knew and I would suggest Adam knew, it was not good.

YOU AND I WERE MADE FOR PARTNERSHIP

It seems like an obvious thing but it is important to know this truth before we dive into the different types of relationships in our life. Whether your single, dating, or married, you were designed to live in partnership. The most miserable people in life are the ones who have isolated themselves or been isolated by others.

At MACS elderly people........

Partnership is a gift from God and one that each of us should partake in.

God could have displayed himself in anyway he pleased but he did so by the name Elohim. The Word Elohim is a plural noun. Now of course we are not polytheists and we believe in one God in three persons. Now people will disect this word Elohim and say God was displaying His trinity. I do not know if that is exactly true. I believe it is more to show His power. Butttttt… we are going through John and what did the first verse of John tell us. John 1:1 “1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Jesus was there in the beginning. He was present. From the very beginning God displayed himself in plural and in community.

If God Himself revealed himself in Community and in partnership, even if it was with himself, then how important is it for us to understand our existence within partnership and relationships.

So are we on the same page here? Do we understand this concept that I am driving home? I know we have heard it said no man is an island. I know we have heard all the analogies of teamwork and Michael Jordan needed Scottie Pippen. But it is intrigal to understanding how we build, maintain, and cultivate healthy relationships. ITS NOT JUST A HUMAN DESIRE. IT WAS CREATED DESIGN BY GOD.

Like anything in life though, there is a right way to cultivate, create, and maintain partnership and relationships and there is a wrong way. If you cant do this correctly you will never find happiness joy or God’s purpose in singleness, in dating, or in marriage.

Unfortunately for the human race, as long as relationships and partnerships have been built they have had their issues.

The very first partnership, which was marriage between Adam and Eve, had issues.

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 3

field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ”

4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!

5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.

RELATIONSHIPS FROM GOD NEVER SEPARATE YOU FROM GOD

Eve is faced with a relationship or partnership opportunity. The devil was going through the Garden and she was faced with a decision. She could rely on the relatioships that God has supplied with himself and her helpmate Adam. If she would have stayed planted in those two then it would not have mattered what the devil said. Rather she made a poor relational decision and found herself ashamed, cursed, and separated from God.

If you have been alive long enough, you have found yourself in a similar situation. You have had people you have welcomed into your life and they have nothing but negative impacts on your life. They have taken you away from God, they have made you the person that you know that you arent. They have caused you to doubt everything that you know to be true.

I am ashamed to admit that I have not only had that in my life but I can remember a time in my life where I was that person.

Assessing relationships is important. Doing an evaluation of what is bringing you closer to God or further

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 4

2 Again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of flocks, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 So it came about in the course of time that Cain brought an offering to the LORD of the fruit of the ground.

4 Abel, on his part also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and for his offering;

5 but for Cain and for his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his countenance fell.

6 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?

7 “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.”

8 Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.

9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Cain was more concerned with how abel pleased the Lord rather than focused on him pleasing the Lord

Hwe could have been happy for Abel and learned from Him rather he turned to hate

Mans relationships had gotten so bad that God regretted making them

The tower of babel

abram and lot

Jacob and Esau

Now we have talked about the negative aspects of relationships and partnerships. I want to end today and go to a portion of scripture that we covered when we went through acts

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 2

41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand asouls.

42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and ato prayer.

43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles.

44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common;

45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.

46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart,

47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

GODLY RELATIONSHIPS ARE A BLESSING FROM GOD, DESIGNED TO GIVE GLORY TO GOD, AND BRING OTHERS TO GOD

Guys this is the framework for every relationship. Whether its singleness, dating, friends, or marriage.