Blessing and Curse of Affiliation

Connections -Conexiones

Consider the connections you have in life...

Your Mom

Your Dad

Brothers and Sisters

Church Family

Work Family or Associates

Your Boss

Your Friends

Your Classmates

Your Neighbors

Those you see everyday in passing

There are many connections we make over our lifetime.

Facebook does a great job of keeping track of those relationships.

It even reminds you of them, suggests others to you, and attempts to increase your connections.

God made us to not be alone, so we need connections in our life.

I NEED YOU IN MY LIFE - AND YOU NEED ME IN YOUR LIFE.

But have you ever considered how close those connections are?

What Happens when You are serving God, and they are serving God, and you are spending time with them?

Look at the blue line. IT GOES UP. Iron sharpening Iron. Both are benefited.

God is glorified and you both are edified.

What happens if you are both living a worldly (or self-filled) life?

Look at the orange line. They are constantly going down.

Away from blessings, and toward curses.

Okay now - What happens when You are doing your best to life for God, and the person (or thing) are spending the most time with is worldly.

It drags you down!! LOOK AT THE BLUE LINE.

I will explain more as we go, but they drag you down.

The opposite happens when you are living for your own desires and you spend time with others who are doing their best to live right before God. The orange line shows how you drag down them as well.

Let’s look at some scripture regarding these four areas:

Your Righteousness

Your Sinfulness

Your connection with others

Other’s connection with you

Romans 12:1–2 NKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:1–2 RVR60

1 Así que, hermanos, os ruego por las misericordias de Dios, que presentéis vuestros cuerpos en sacrificio vivo, santo, agradable a Dios, que es vuestro culto racional. 2 No os conforméis a este siglo, sino transformaos por medio de la renovación de vuestro entendimiento, para que comprobéis cuál sea la buena voluntad de Dios, agradable y perfecta.

Romans 3:23 NKJV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 3:23 RVR60

23 por cuanto todos pecaron, y están destituidos de la gloria de Dios,

Psalm 1:1–3 NKJV

1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

Psalm 1:1–3 RVR60

1 Bienaventurado el varón que no anduvo en consejo de malos, Ni estuvo en camino de pecadores, Ni en silla de escarnecedores se ha sentado; 2 Sino que en la ley de Jehová está su delicia, Y en su ley medita de día y de noche. 3 Será como árbol plantado junto a corrientes de aguas, Que da su fruto en su tiempo, Y su hoja no cae; Y todo lo que hace, prosperará.

2 Corinthians 6:14–18 NKJV

14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people.” 17 Therefore “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” 18 “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.”

2 Corinthians 6:14–18 RVR60

14 No os unáis en yugo desigual con los incrédulos; porque ¿qué compañerismo tiene la justicia con la injusticia? ¿Y qué comunión la luz con las tinieblas? 15 ¿Y qué concordia Cristo con Belial? ¿O qué parte el creyente con el incrédulo? 16 ¿Y qué acuerdo hay entre el templo de Dios y los ídolos? Porque vosotros sois el templo del Dios viviente, como Dios dijo: Habitaré y andaré entre ellos, Y seré su Dios, Y ellos serán mi pueblo. 17 Por lo cual, Salid de en medio de ellos, y apartaos, dice el Señor, Y no toquéis lo inmundo; Y yo os recibiré, 18 Y seré para vosotros por Padre, Y vosotros me seréis hijos e hijas, dice el Señor Todopoderoso.

DANGER!!!

---There is a deception in both the righteous and the wicked when they are unequally yoked.

The worldly feel less cursed but it is temporary.

The righteous experience blessing and may not realize they are being dragged down (slow fade)

Considerations:

Seek God for yourself and live righteous

Connect yourself with others who also seek God

Walk away from relationships that pull you away from God

Pray for them

Be careful who you “yoke” with.

1 Corinthians 15:33 NKJV

33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”

1 Corinthians 15:33 RVR60

33 No erréis; las malas conversaciones corrompen las buenas costumbres.

Mark 8:34–36 NKJV

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

Mark 8:34–36 RVR60

34 Y llamando a la gente y a sus discípulos, les dijo: Si alguno quiere venir en pos de mí, niéguese a sí mismo, y tome su cruz, y sígame. 35 Porque todo el que quiera salvar su vida, la perderá; y todo el que pierda su vida por causa de mí y del evangelio, la salvará. 36 Porque ¿qué aprovechará al hombre si ganare todo el mundo, y perdiere su alma?