Obstacles to Community

August 16th and 17th, 2003

Ephesians 6 TLB

10 A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. 11 Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. 12 For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms.

13 Use every piece of God’s armor to resist the enemy in the time of evil, so that after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the sturdy belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. 15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News, so that you will be fully prepared.* 16 In every battle you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.* 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.

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Review

2 weeks ago-Obstacles to Intimacy with God. (The world, the flesh, and the devil)

You could call that things that keep us from growing up.

Last week-Obstacles to Outreach-things that keep us from reaching and impacting the people out there.

You could call that things that keep us from growing out.

Today we are looking at the last of these three things; Obstacles to Community. You could call this things that keep us from growing together.

-If you’ve been around long you know the vision/purpose of this church is to grow. That means to grow up, grow together, and grow out.

-It is easy to skip this last one because it doesn’t seem as necessary as the other two.

-The truth is; they are all three like legs on a three-legged stool. Without any one of them you eventually fall over.

-As we look at these three areas I challenge you to examine your life and see where you need the most help.

Ephesians 4 TLB

14/ Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like the truth. 15 Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. 16 Under his direction, the whole body is fitted together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.[2]/

Acts 2 TLB

43 A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. 44 And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had. 45 They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need. 46 They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—47 all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.

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Acts 2 Message

Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.

They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.

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-Rick Warren gives some reasons why we need a church family in his book “Purpose Driven Life”;

· A church family identifies you as a genuine believer

· A church family moves you out of self-centered isolation

· A church family helps you develop spiritual muscle

· The Body of Christ needs you

· You will share Christ’s mission in the world

· A church family will help keep you from backsliding

-I love that term; “wonderful harmony”.

-That is what we want to have in the church and in our homes and in our businesses.

-How do we get wonderful harmony?

Matthew 18 Amplified

19. “Again I tell you, if two of you on earth agree (harmonize together, make a symphony together) about whatever [anything and everything] they may ask, it will come to pass and be done for them by my Father in heaven.”

Message – next verse

/And when two or three of you are together because of me, you can be sure that I’ll be there.”[5]/

-In the book of Acts when the Holy Spirit was poured out they were all in one accord…they were in one heart and mind.

-That is important for God’s blessing.

Psalm 133 Message

How wonderful, how beautiful,

when brothers and sisters get along!

It’s like costly anointing oil

flowing down head and beard,

Flowing down Aaron’s beard,

flowing down the collar of his priestly robes.

It’s like the dew on Mount Hermon

flowing down the slopes of Zion.

Yes, that’s where God commands the blessing,

ordains eternal life.

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-How do you get “wonderful harmony”?

1. RECOGNIZE YOUR NEED FOR OTHER PEOPLE

-Pat Robertson was asked if it was a sin to not want children and he said no but when you are 60 you are going to be very lonely.

Psalm 68

6 God sets the lonely in families, b

he leads forth the prisoners with singing;

but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

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-People bring out the worst and best in you.

“You can acquire everything in solitude except character.”

READ EXCERPTS FROM DR. ORNISH’S BOOK

Hebrews 2 CEV

22 “Jesus and the people he makes holy all belong to the same family. That is why he isn’t ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.”

-Jesus isn’t ashamed of even one of us. We shouldn’t be either.

2. ACCEPT THAT PEOPLE ARE IMPERFECT

Romans 14 Message

Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.

For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume all Christians should be vegetarians and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.

Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.

What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.

So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse.

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1 Corinthians 13 Message

“No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.”

-Conflict is coming to every relationship.

-Everyone wakes up at one time in their lives in their marriages and like Jacob with Leah say, “whoops wrong girl.”

-Accept others weaknesses because you have them.

-Be honest but you can address behavior without attacking their character.

-Be merciful or else God will disregard mercy when it comes to you.

-I have an appointment with God and He is giving me the choice to show up at that appointment with mercy or without depending on how I treat others.

-Isn’t this the summary of the law? Love God. Love people.

3. GET A PLAN IN ADVANCE FOR PROBLEMS

· Conflict and problems are coming.

-Somebody is going to do or say something to offend you. Jesus said offenses were coming.

-You may not be appreciated.

-Until you really get to know someone you don’t know what is in them.

-Sometimes you sit down with someone and you are amazed at the depth in them.

-There is someone who is a PHD in education who attends church here and I appreciate that after getting a Masters.

-We all have the good, bad, and ugly in us.

· BE HONEST ABOUT WHO YOU ARE

-We want to get the you God created, not the you that you created.

-Get secure enough to let your guard down.

-Guard your heart but don’t build a wall around it.

· BE HONEST WITH OTHERS

Proverbs 28:23 TLB

“In the end, people appreciate frankness more than flattery.”

2 Corinthians 5 Message

/Because of this decision we don’t evaluate people by what they have or how they look. We looked at the Messiah that way once and got it all wrong, as you know. We certainly don’t look at him that way anymore. Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it! All this comes from the God who settled the relationship between us and him, and then called us to settle our relationships with each other. [9]/

-Rick Warren gives a great plan in his book for restoring relationships.

· TALK TO GOD BEFORE TALKING TO THE PERSON

· ALWAYS TAKE THE INITIATIVE

· SYMPATHIZE WITH THEIR FEELINGS

· CONFESS YOUR PART OF THE CONFLICT

· ATTACK THE PROBLEM, NOT THE PERSON

· COOPERATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

· EMPHASIZE RECONCILIATION, NOT RESOLUTION

-I NEED YOU. WE NEED EACH OTHER.

-Make a commitment to God and to each other.

Romans 12 TEV

“Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody.”

-We have talked about obstacles to intimacy, obstacles to outreach and finally obstacles to community.

prayer

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*

Ephesians 6:15

Or For shoes, put on the readiness to preach the Good News of peace with God.

*

Ephesians 6:16

Greek by the evil one.

[1]Holy Bible : New Living Translation., Eph 6:9-18. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1997.

[2]Holy Bible : New Living Translation., Eph 4:13-16. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1997.

[3]Holy Bible : New Living Translation., Ac 2:42-47. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1997.

[4]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, Ac 2:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.

[5]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, Mt 18:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.

[6]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, Ps 133:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.

b Or the desolate in a homeland

[7]The Holy Bible : New International Version, Ps 68:6. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984.

[8]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, Ro 14:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.

[9]Peterson, Eugene H. The Message : New Testament With Psalms and Proverbs, 2 Co 5:1. Colorado Springs, Colo.: NavPress, 1995.