Sermon Tone Analysis

Relationship Matters

OPENING

In the beginning, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

The Triune nature of God reveals to us that God is One God, and that He is externally co-existent in the three distinct and divine persons of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The three persons of the Trinity are eternally in perfect relationship with one another.

So, the very essence and nature of God is relational, and this quality has been imprinted on us as human beings.

God created us to be relational beings.

We were made for relationship.

That’s why it is important for us to realize that, “Relationship Matters.”

As Christians, we have two main types of relationships: vertical and horizontal.

Our vertical relationship is with God.

We are designed for fellowship and relationship with Him.

And God desires to have fellowship and relationship with us.

Horizontal relationships are with others.

We are designed by God to have relationship with one another.

In fact, Jesus said that the most important part of our lives as believers is how we approach these two types of relationships.

Jesus said that you can sum up all of the Law and the Prophets.

All of the Old Testament.

All of God’s commandments in two very simple statements: Love God and Love People.

You see, it is all about relationship.

Relationship Matters!

Love God and Love People.

How we relate to God and how we relate to one another matters.

So we’re going to talk about some factors that affect relationships over the next few weeks.

We’re going to look at how we can make sure that we are living in right relationship with God and with others.

We’re also going to talk about what causes those relationships to go sour and, when they do, what that may reveal about our own hearts and what we can do to change it with the help of the Holy Spirit.

This morning, we’re going to begin with the subject “Developing the Right Heart Attitude,” which I’m calling: Heartitude.

What is the attitude of your heart?

Because the attitude of your heart will determine the quality of your relationships.

The attitude of our heart is who you truly are.

And what is in your heart will ultimately reveal itself in your relationships.

SCRIPTURE

MESSAGE

Your heart is a reflection of who you really are.

It is not your Facebook profile.

It is not who you are when you are around certain people or in certain situations.

Your heart is the center of your authentic self.

It is the comprehensive term used to describe who you are as a person: your feelings, your desires, your passions, your thoughts, your mind, and your will.

You can present an outward appearance that is not a true representation of who you really are.

And that may work for a while.

But eventually the true attitude of your heart is going to be revealed.

It can be revealed through your speech.

It can be revealed through your actions.

It can be revealed through your body language.

It can be revealed in how you treat other people.

Your authentic self cannot hide itself forever.

It will eventually come to the surface.

That’s why God does not judge us by our performance or outward appearance.

Because we can fake outward performance.

And we can deceive others into thinking we’re someone that we’re not.

And we can dress up to put on a show.

But God weighs and searches the heart of man.

God sees past the facade and sees directly into the very center of our hearts and who we really are.

You can fool other people, and you can fool me, but you can’t fool God.

And you won’t fool me and you won’t fool others for very long either, because eventually the true attitude of your heart is going to come to the surface.

Relationship Matters!

That’s why it is so important that we listen to the Word of God and allow it to penetrate our hearts and then yield to the working of the Holy Spirit in our lives and allow Him to correct us and change us.

This morning we’re going to talk about The Heart of Man, The Heart of God for Man, and finally Developing a Right Heart Attitude.

So, let’s look first this morning at The Heart of Man.

The Heart of Man

The heart of every person on the planet has been corrupted by sin.

There are no exceptions.

I don’t care how good of a person you think you are or how you were raised, at some point the effects of the Fall and sin are going to find their way into your heart.

You can try to convince yourself that your heart is okay, but look at what God’s Word says about the heart of man:

You must understand that you were born with a heart problem.

You have inherited a sinful nature that wants to dominate and control your life.

And when you allow it to do so, it will produce the fruit of sin in your relationships in the way you treat God and others.

Look at what Jesus says about the types of evil things that can come out of the heart of man:

What Jesus is saying here is that evil thoughts, hurtful words, and sinful actions are the result of a much deeper problem.

It is not about just changing the behavior.

It is about changing the heart.

Because as long as the root of sin is in your heart, it is eventually going to show up in your relationships.

Here is the bottom line on the heart of man.

You are either walking in your flesh, or you are walking in the Spirit.

Your heart is either being ruled by your flesh, or you are allowing it to be ruled by the Holy Spirit.

Paul gives us a detailed description of what the heart of man looks like when it is being ruled by the flesh:

These are some of the most sobering verses in all of the Bible.

Because if you will be honest with yourself, at some point, you’ve fallen into at least one of those categories.

Probably multiple categories.

Probably even this past week.

Maybe even this morning before you came to church.

Maybe even right now as you sit in church.

The sobering reality is this: if you allow your heart to be dominated and controlled by the sinful nature, and you allow your heart to be so hardened against God and the ways of God, such that your heart is full of the works of the flesh, you will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Let me put it plainer.

That means that you are not truly saved and you will not make it to heaven.

That’s the ultimate reason why Relationship Matters!

I know that is strong and probably difficult to swallow, but it is the truth.

But the good news is that is not God’s plan for your life.

That is not God’s heart for you.

And that is not your pastor’s heart for you.

God’s heart for you, and your pastor’s heart for you, is to see you saved, redeemed, transformed, and changed powerfully and completely by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

God wants better for you.

And so does your pastor.

So let’s take a look at The Heart of God for Man.

The Heart of God for Man

Did you know that God hates?

I know that sounds contradictory to hear, but the Bible says that are certain things that God hates.

And He hates those things because they are completely contrary to His nature and character.

And God’s heart for you is for you to have a pure heart that is a reflection of His own.

So what are the things that God hates?: