Relationships
Relationships
1/7/2004
RMAI Conference
Eureka, Missouri
(The Theme of the conference is “The Best is yet to Come”)
Matthew 24
/12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. [1]/
5594. ψύχω psuchō; a prim. vb.; to breathe, blow, to make cool:— grow cold(1).
[2]
6038 ψύχω (psychō), ψύχομαι (psychomai): vb.; ≡ Str 5594—LN 78.39 diminish greatly, formally, grow cold (Mt 24:12+)
[3]
-I just want to say you have to be crazy to not walk in love.
If you can start the day without caffeine or pep pills,
If you can be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining or boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when loved ones are too busy to give you time,
If you can overlook when people take things out on you when,
Through no fault of your own, something goes wrong,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment,
If you can face the world without lies or deceit,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
If you can do all these things,
THEN YOU ARE PROBABLY THE FAMILY DOG.
-For the rest of us there are COVENANT RELATIONSHIPS.
-I know we have all been musing probably over Brother Hagin’s passing and I thought it was interesting at the funeral that even though he was known for his teaching on faith and healing, almost everyone who shared talked about his love walk and how he treated people.
-They would say that if a conversation about someone started up he would just walk away.
-I found myself thinking; “I wish people could say that about me!”
-I remember at least a few where I didn’t walk away. Some of them I couldn’t because I was the one speaking.
-Pat Harrison was saying something about that recently. She said she would complain to her dad about people and he would say;
“God loves them as much as He loves you-He will bless them as much as they will allow Him to-He will bless you as much as you allow Him to.”
-That is part of the legacy brother Hagin left us. We need to lay hold on that.
Love is the foundation of all good relationships
-It isn’t justice. It is love and mercy.
-We love because He first loved us.
-If we are going to fulfill our destiny we must make a decision to walk in love.
-Noah built an ark for the saving of his family. The ark got really smelly after a while.
-That is the way it is sometimes in our churches. The vehicle of salvation can get smelly but it sure beats what is going on outside!
- Everything I am is the fruit first of all from my relationship with God but secondly because of my relationship with others.
-I have strengths that were once weaknesses because of my relationship with Becky. She has highlighted my strengths and uncovered weaknesses so I could change and be better. (And vice versa)
-That is true with every good relationship to some extent.
Proverbs 27
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so one man sharpens another. (NIV)
17 As iron sharpens iron,
so people can improve each other.” (NCV)
17 As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.(NLT)
-I always like to tell about my first year of marriage when Becky and I thought we were causing damage to each other but in truth we were just showing up what was already there.
-The blessing of God rests upon a group of people who are walking in covenant.
-People almost never leave the church because of doctrine. They don’t stay because of doctrine or they will get up in the middle of a service and walk out with their family if they disagree with something I’ve said.
-People have church problems because of selfisness and insecurity and relationship problems.
-The most difficult test to pass is the love test.
-I know some people I would just like to slap or at least make fun of them in front of people. That is because of my problems and insecurities.
-Walking in love has nothing to do with others. It is totally up to what is inside of you.
-People who treat others badly and are easily offended have internal problems.
1 Samuel 18
1 After David had finished talking with Saul, Jonathan became one in spirit with David, and he loved him as himself. 2 From that day Saul kept David with him and did not let him return to his father’s house. 3 And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. 4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
PRINCIPLES OF COVENANT RELATIONSHIPS
1- YOUR COVENANT WITH SOMEONE WILL NEVER RISE ABOVE YOUR COVENANT WITH GOD
-You can only walk in covenant with another to the degree you are walking it with God.
-I can only love because I know I am loved by God.
-I can only forgive as I know I am forgiven.
-You can only give the measure you have received.
-Jonathan saw God in David’s future because he knew God.
-Without this principle we are only practicing good techniques.
2-YOU CAN NEVER HAVE A PROPER RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE YOU ARE COMPETING WITH
-I wouldn’t be who I am without Becky and others.
Philippians 2
2 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature a God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature b of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
-Compare Absolom, David’s son, with Jonathan. Absolom thought that in order to be somebody he had to step on somebody.
3-THE THIRD PRINCIPLE OF COVENANT RELATIONSHIPS IN DEMONSTRATED BY JONATHAN –HONOR/IDENTITY/SECURITY
1 Samuel 18
4 Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt.
-Jonathan honored David with his own robe. He was a prince and he preferred David.
Romans 12
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
-Jonathan identified with David by giving him his belt. That was like exchanging rings.
-He wasn’t ashamed of him.
-He identified with his friend. We need to identify with our friends.
-Jonathan was secure with David. He gave him his weapons.
-What if I trust someone and they let me down? Love anyway. Trust anyway.
-In Michaelangelo’s painting of the last supper, Judas is knocking over the salt. A salt covenant was a O.T. type of covenant. In other words, Judas was breaking covenant.
(A covenant of salt was an indissoluable alliance between friends.)
4-ANOTHER PRINCIPLE OF COVENANT RELATIONSHIPS IS TO ACCEPT PEOPLE AS GOD ACCEPTS THEM.
Romans 14
14 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2 One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.
Chapter 15
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
-Accept one another as you want to be accepted.
-There are messy people that God sends us. Jesus died for them and you.
4- COVENANT RELATIONSHIPS COVER SIN BUT IT DOESN’T COVER IT UP
Proverbs 17
9 He who covers over an offense promotes love,
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.
-We shouldn’t expose one another’s weaknesses like Noah’s one son. Instead, like his other two sons, we should cover over sin.
-This doesn’t mean we don’t confront.
-This is a tough balance.
-If you love your children you will spank them. God disciplines us because He loves us.
-But, you discipline them in love and in private if possible.
-This has to be balanced with Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians where church discipline is to take place.
-If a Christian breaks the law they must face the consequences.
-I’ve reported people to the police. That is still covenant love.
-I’ve told people to stop sleeping around if they are a covenant partner. Etc. etc. That is still covenant love.
-The key to our future as a church is our ability to walk together in Covenant.
-You see the church in the book of Acts face real revival then things start to creep up.
-Ananias and Sapphira lie to the Holy Spirit.
-The widows aren’t getting fed and a murmuring sets in.
-Real life begins.
-Its like marriage. You show up at your wife’s doorstep and there she is. Both of you are spit shined. You eat at the best places and clean your car up.
-Then you get married and begin to show up at McDonalds in sweat clothes.
-You’re in covenant. You walk it out and live it out. That is what covenant is for.
-It keeps us drawn close in situations where we would be prone to pull apart.
-We have a vertical covenant with God but we also have a horizontal covenant with each other.
GOOSE EXAMPLE
-One of the real keys to walking in covenant is accepting who you are and who you are not.
-Insecurity will drive you to hurt others to make yourself look better.
-At Jesus’ baptism the Father affirmed Jesus. I know there was more to it than that but He did affirm Him.
-We all need that.
(Example of going overseas before being married-(Terry I love you.”)
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[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 . Zondervan: Grand Rapids
prim. primary, primitive
vb. verb
[2]Thomas, R. L. 1998, 1981. New American Standard Hebrew-Aramaic and Greek dictionaries : Updated edition . Foundation Publications, Inc.: Anaheim
vb. verb
Str Strong’s Lexicon
LN Louw-Nida Greek-English Lexicon
+ More references in GNT4
[3]Swanson, J. 1997. Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains : Greek (New Testament) (electronic ed.) . Logos Research Systems, Inc.: Oak Harbor
