Relationships: Love, Trust, Respect and Understanding Part 2

Last week

Trust

In reference to Norman Wright’s book, Relationships that work, he talks specifically about trust within a marital relationship. While we must have trust for our spouse within the marriage, trust is essential to have with other relationships.

God

Proverbs 3:5 KJV 1900Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding.

Proverbs 3:5 KJV 1900

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; And lean not unto thine own understanding.

Family

Church

Respect

Matthew 7:12 KJV 1900Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.

Matt 7:12 If you want others to treat you like a lesser person, treat everybody in the like manner. Respect is very important when it comes to relationships.Many of you will say, “Well Brother Berry. Respect is earned.”Yes, it is, but if you never give anyone else respect. How do you expect them to give you respect? You can’t. We must respect: - God

Hebrews 12:28 KJV 1900

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

- Heb 12:28

Here we see Paul discussing grace in conjunction with holiness. Holiness is what allows us to serve God acceptably and with reverence.

Holiness is a form of showing reverence to God; without holiness, you will never even make it to his thrown room.

Let us go one step deeper into what Paul is saying. In particular, he is talking about uprooting the springs of bitterness within one’s heart:

The New Revised Standard Version Warnings against Rejecting God’s Grace

15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled.

Heb 12:15

God has called us to maintain holy hearts in a dirty and defiled world.

- Family

Exodus 20:12 KJV 1900Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

This was in reference to Deut 6:4-7 - requires that the family is doing their part.

King James Version Chapter 67 And kthou shalt †teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.

Deut 6:7 - Church

Philippians 2:3 KJV 1900Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Can we just be honest, this is hard pill to swallow!Don’t do things in spite of people…remain humble!

Leadership

King James Version Chapter 132 Whosoever therefore resisteth bthe power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves dddamnation. 3 For rulers are not a terror to egood works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and fthou shalt have praise of the same: 4 For he is gthe minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is gthe minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

Rom 13:2-5

Understanding

- God

Comes from reading his word

Theodicy - the ways of God. Additionally, deals with how God could allow bad things to happen to good people

Job, Proverbs, Eccl

Wisdom Literature - combats retribution principle - expound FamilyParents with kidsKids with parents

Have understanding - empathy and sympathy - EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE

- Church

Have understanding for people who are in need

Compassion - Jesus too was stirred with compassion for those who had need

The 5000 fed in Mt 14:14 - Jesus stirred with compassion for the people

Use wisdom, but don’t be greedy with God’s blessings “We don’t give to receive. Is it truly giving if you only give to receive something back?

Family & The Church

Family relationships are the foundation of the church.

- If we can’t maintain and build healthy relationships within our families, how can we expect to do it in God’s house?

Understanding how to deal with Conflict in Relationships

Blessed is the peacemaker

Notice it did not say blessed is the peace-breaker, peace-faker, or even the one who shoots with a peacemaker. God is talking about the one who makes peace within the family or Body of Christ.

Only by being a peacemaker are you called a child of God

Are your children learning to be peace breakers or peace fakers from you?

Aggravating situations (aggressor) or retreating from them (retreater)

Luke 12:13–15 KJV 1900

And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me. And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you? And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

Lk 12:13-15

This Scripture points out the human pattern: when faced w/ conflict, we desperately work to point out the flaws of others. Jesus calls us to examine what is going on in our own hearts!

The heart is the wellspring for action

What comes out of your mouth and is produced from your actions should draw you to self evaluation

Conflict arises from desire

James 4:1–3 KJV 1900

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

James 4:1-3

Desires can become demands

Read the examples from your notes

Each one of these thoughts are valid

It’s okay to want a new PC

It’s okay to want peace and quite when you get home

It’s okay to want to save

But...

The more we want something, the more we think it something we need or deserve. The result is that a desire can become a demand and a demand an idol.

A desire will lead you to break God’s commandments

Men love your wives

Woman submit to your husbands

Children obey your parents

How many times do we allow our desires to pull us away from God?

Conclusion

Wrap it all up.