Relationships

Introduction

• A relationship with Jesus should impact EVERY area and aspect of one’s life as we are allowing ourselves to be transformed into the image of Jesus, more and more each moment.

• I fear that somewhere along the line some of us may have gotten the mistaken impression that Jesus is simply another item to add to our checklist of life.

• With the pace of life and all of the distractions of life these days, it is easy to forget that Jesus is not something we do, but Jesus is who we are.

• We are called to be Christ-like, this requires more than adding Jesus to a checklist.

Mr. Ali talking to me about his mom.

There is much more than just us coming to service, reading, singing, preaching as we see just now

Consider One Another

Hebrews 10:24 ESV

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,

• I love the way the CSB translates verse 24, And let us watch out for one another

• Many translations say it this way, “LET US CONSIDER…”

• Consider is not the main point, the original text has the flavor of CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER!

• We are called to consider one another with the purpose of trying to help provoke one another to love Jesus and to perform good works in our lives.

• This passage is the only place in the book of Hebrews in which the phrase ONE ANOTHER is used.

• So how does this impact our relationships? Understanding what a relationship is gives us a good context from which to start.

• A relationship is defined as follows- the way in which two or more concepts, objects, or people are connected, or the state of being connected.

• By definition, a relationship demands a connection of some type.

• Therefore, those with whom I am in a relationship means that I have a connection with them.

• Within the church context, our relationship tie is Jesus.

• The way Jesus should impact our relationship with one another is the fact that we are called not to be in our own little selfish or closed off world.

• As a follower of Jesus, I can no longer be selfish, caring for only my own interests.

• One area of impact concerning my relationships is the fact that my relationships are no longer about me and what I can get out of the deal, my relationships have to be about you!

• In the context of the church, there is mutual activity expected of those who are a part God’s family.

• We MUST consider one another.

• To be able to CONSIDER ONE ANOTHER, it is incumbent upon me to carefully take into account the circumstances and weakness of others so that I can apprehend what type of support you need to be able to be strong in Christ.

• For my relationships with folks outside of Jesus, those relationships are no longer simply about friendship or fun, I have to take the initiative to know them well enough to be able to prayerfully figure out how to bring them to Jesus.

• The days of knocking on someone’s door and leading them to Christ is rare, to help lead someone we have to know them on a personal level to the point we know what makes the tick, we know which doors to try to lead them to Jesus.

• Jesus forces the dynamics of all of my relationships to change.

• For those who we are in a relationship in Christ, our focus is encouragement, for those outside of Christ, our focus should be on showing them the light of Jesus, to help bring them into the family of God.

• By the way, considering one another is a key to solid relationships, it is the key to a solid marriage.

• When we get selfish in our relationships is when the relationships start to deteriorate.

• In your relationships, the relationship should be about the other person, not just yourself.

• If we do not pay attention to one another, we will never know one another well enough to consider one another.

Illustration

Rock Girl

Application

Life Application Bible Commentary, Hebrews Living by Faith / 10:19–39

(1) Love: not an emotion but a choice to act regardless of our feelings. We are to act lovingly toward other believers. (2) Good deeds: works done for the good of others, and which attract others to Christ

we meet week to week and rarely do we consider those around us

Rarely do we even think of those in the community

Rarely do we even watch the shoes of the person next to us

We can be so busy worshipping that we lose focus on the main thing

Sometimes we should stop looking upwards and start looking at the side

stop closing our eyes and start opening it

Encourage One Another

Hebrews 10:25 ESV

not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

• We are to consider one another so that we know what type of encouragement one needs to do what God is calling them to do!

• Christians must encourage one another.

• These words reveal that Christians are responsible for each other

• Christians cannot be concerned just for their own spiritual well-being; they must also encourage others to keep fervent in their love and active in their service to God.

• We all need to be encouraged to love God and others.

• It is not always easy to love, we are also called to encourage others to perform good deeds.

• These deeds are not an attempt to earn salvation, but rather, our deeds should be a reflection of the salvation we have in Christ as well as a reflection of our relationship with Jesus!

Life Application Bible Commentary, Hebrews Living by Faith / 10:19–39

Christians are to encourage one another. A word of encouragement offered at the right moment can be the difference between staying strong in the faith or collapsing along the way. Believers ought to be sensitive to one another’s needs for encouragement, ready to offer supportive words or actions

Illustration

Journalist Robert Maynard related the following story from his childhood in The New York Daily News: As a young boy Maynard was walking to school one day when he came upon an irresistible temptation. In front of him was a fresh piece of gray cement—a piece that had replaced a broken piece of sidewalk. He immediately stopped and began to scratch his name in it. Suddenly he became aware that standing over him with a garbage can lid was the biggest stone mason he had ever seen!

Maynard tried to run, but the big man grabbed him and shouted, "Why are you trying to spoil my work?" Maynard remembers babbling something about just wanting to put his name on the ground. A remarkable thing happened just then. The mason released the boy's arms, his voice softened, and his eyes lost their fire. Instead there was now a touch of warmth about the man. "What's your name, son?"

"Robert Maynard."

"Well, Robert Maynard, the sidewalk is no place for your name. If you want your name on something, you go into that school. You work hard and you become a lawyer and you hang your shingle out for all the world to see."

Tears came to Maynard's eyes, but the mason was not finished yet. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" "A writer, I think."

Now the mason's voice burst forth in tones that could be heard all over the schoolyard. "A writer! A writer! Be a writer. Be a real writer! Have your name on books, not on this sidewalk."

Robert Maynard continued to cross the street, paused, and looked back. The mason was on his knees repairing the damage that Maynard's scratching had done. He looked up and saw the young boy watching and repeated, "Be a writer." Preaching the Word - Preaching the Word – Hebrews, Volume II: An Anchor for the Soul.

Application

When we hear about a need, not only should we pray but also encourage that person

If you see someone sick encourage them to take some shark oil

Sometimes to encourage someone may mean taking money out of your pocket.

People need more than words

Worship with One Another

• In the church at the time of the writing of this letter, folks were already starting to drift from assembling together for various reasons, one reason was the fear of persecution.

• We are called to worship together, because our time together is an opportunity to encourage one another.

• The word NEGLECT of FORSAKE means to abandon, to leave behind or to desert.

• Folks were starting to break ranks from the body of Christ.

• Why would we neglect assembling together? Given the opportunity, many of us would not miss the ballgame or the race.

• Why? Because it is important to us, we get something out of those things, we get entertained.

• Why do people neglect coming together?

• I would venture to say that if the church could tell you that if you are here every week except for let’s say 4 for vacation and sickness, and if you attend 48 weeks out of the year, we would give you $10 million dollars, I bet we would fill the building every week.

• Why?

• I think one of the reasons we see folks neglect the assembling together is they are at a point in their life where they feel like it is not important enough to give one’s time to be here.

• This happens when we come to church with the attitude that we are here to get.

• When our focus is on WHAT DO I GET, our attendance will become more and more sporadic because we think we are not getting anything.

• Now, my prayer is that when you come here, that you always get something for being here.

• But the real focus of our attendance should be on encouraging others.

• Our focus should not be on what we get, but rather, what can I contribute to the assembly as we consider how to spur others to love and good deeds.

• We are here to help each other.

• Folks who constantly complain about anything and everything probably do not have their focus in the right place.

• Folks who are always need things to be their way probably have their focus in the wrong place.

• Sometimes just your presence encourages others.

Illustration

I never used to come to church

Life Application Bible Commentary, Hebrews Living by Faith / 10:19–39

There is nothing more unchristian than a solitary Christian.

John Wesley

Application

Life Application Bible Commentary, Hebrews Living by Faith / 10:19–39

To neglect Christian meetings is to give up the encouragement and help of other Christians. We gather together to share our faith and to strengthen one another in the Lord.

They are not to be discouraging meetings, they are to be encouraging meetings. They are to be meetings where you can hear again the tremendous, radical principles of Christian faith and to see again in human lives the mighty power of the One whom we worship and serve

If our services were more like this, we would not have trouble in getting people to come out. Too often church services are the kind pictured in the story of the father who was showing his son through a church building. They came to a plaque on the wall and the little boy asked, "Daddy, what's that for?" His father said, "Oh, that's a memorial to those who died in the service." The little boy said, "Which service, Daddy, the morning service or the evening service?" But meetings of Christians are to be essentially encouraging things, and this is one way we stir up one another to love and good works.

I believe this is the kind of meeting we have each week right here

It is an encouraging meeting.

When Alvin plays the drums it is an encouragment

When Danny preaches, Neisha sings, When you come out.

This meeting is an encouragment to this community right here.

Conclusion

Jesus considered us

He wanted us to be in relationship with him

As he loved us so we ought to love other people

We do all these things in response to what Jesus has done for us

PRAY

VISIT

DIGGING INTO OUR POCKET - SISTER HANNIPHA

Our relationship with Jesus should lead us to consider one another, to encourage one another to love and good deeds, and to come together to worship together!

They shall know that we are Christians by our love

If you not in a relationship with Jesus

He loves you