Uncomplicated Friendships

Intro

Can you tell people about God’s love and not talk about God’s wrath?

What do you look for in a good friend?

Are there any deep good relationship with no drama or problems?

Learn one thing from someone else

“Walking into 2019 like…Roy Purdy”

“No one truly likes relationships filled with drama and problems. We should display a godly love toward others, so our relationship are a picture of God’s love for us.

1 Thes was written to encourage the people who were going through struggles and hard times.

Also to assure the church that Jesus would come back for his people

Also to tell them how to have mature relationships.

Paul wanted their relationships to be marked by one thing, CHRISTIAN LOVE

Child Relationships

Mature relationships

Self-Centered

What the other person can do for us

We want our friends to change into who WE want them to be

And when they aren’t who we want them to be, we look for new friends

Sometimes we think, wouldn’t it be nice to be like children again?

Paul give us help in having uncomplicated relationships

PART1

1 Thessalonians 4:3–5 CSB

For this is God’s will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality, that each of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passions, like the Gentiles, who don’t know God.

Sexual relationships

The World has redefined sexual immorality as CONSENT

God is very clear

God’s will is tied to our sanctification

We aren’t living for God’s Glory, but for our own when we pursue our desires

People say that God’s law restricts their freedom.

They are imprisoned by their own harmful desires.

True freedom and enjoyment can only come through following God

Two things for purity in relationships

—Keep away from sexual immorality: temptation

—Know how to control our bodies:

Remove sexual sin completely from our lives. If we know that sexual sin is the thing that will take us to Hell, we should stay far from it.

Fill your life and thinking with what is Godly, not sinful.

What are some traps teens sometimes fall into that lead to sin in relationships?

Where do you see a connection between you being holy(set apart) and sexual sin?

Part2

1 Thessalonians 4:6–8 CSB

This means one must not transgress against and take advantage of a brother or sister in this manner, because the Lord is an avenger of all these offenses, as we also previously told and warned you. For God has not called us to impurity but to live in holiness. Consequently, anyone who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.

Paul gives two commands in the first verse. What are they?

Don’t Transgress against another person: Don’t do something that would offend them or offend God.

Don’t take advantage of another person: Don’t use other people to get what we want out of them. Don’t manipulate or be dishonest to get what you want.

This passage is teaching us that if we do something against another person, we are doing it against God. How serious is that!

This passage also teaches us that if we are seeking to please God, we will not to things to harm others.

This goes for close dating relationships, but also friendships ass well. Honoring Christ means we should be pure in how we relate to others. Not being selfish.

Paul gives three strong reasons not to harm others: What are they?

—you will be judged by God.

—you are not living for holiness

—rejects God

3. Why does God take purity so seriously?

4: NOT YET BUT SOONWhen have you had an opportunity to stand for holiness in the face of immorality?

5: Why do you think God places such a high standard on holiness?

PART3

1 Thessalonians 4:9–12 CSB

About brotherly love: You don’t need me to write you because you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. In fact, you are doing this toward all the brothers and sisters in the entire region of Macedonia. But we encourage you, brothers and sisters, to do this even more, to seek to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, so that you may behave properly in the presence of outsiders and not be dependent on anyone.

Move from: what not to do —> what to do

What are the four commands he gave us?

1: Love one another

What if all of your relationships were known for love.

2: Seek to lead a quite life

What do you think he means by quite? Should we all whisper?

3: Mind your own business:

We should want to help others in their christian life, but we don’t need to have our noses in everything they do

4: Work with your own hands

We are called to do whatever God gives us to do well. With the right attitude. W

What things has God called you to do?

6: What does it mean to lead a quiet life?

7: What does a failure to mind your own business cause problems?

8: Where do you currently have opportunities to show God’s love to others?

Jesus said how we treat others is how we are treating him.

Think about that next time you act unkindly to someone!

11: make a list of your friends. Ask yourself “why are we friends?

12: Are you friends because they want something from you? or you want something from them?

13: How will you surround yourself with friends who encourage your walk with Christ this week?

Many people thing Christians should only be friends with Christians. Is that true or false?

Who was Jesus friends with?

14:Who do you have to share the gospel with through your friendships?

15:How can you be a true friend to them without letting their worldly values hurt your relationship with God?