5: ONE Family

Jackie Watts

1 BIG God • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

0 ratings

· 6 views

Notes

Transcript

Handout

Sermon Tone Analysis

Emotion

Language

Social

View more →

Christian Pick-Up Lines

The Word says, "Give drink to those who are thirsty, and feed the hungry." So..how about dinner?

Do you believe in Divine appointment? Cause I think YOU’RE Divine...and I’d like to schedule an appointment.

Is it a sin...that you stole my heart?

I was reading the book of Numbers and I noticed I didn't have yours.

The Bible says, “Greet each other with a holy kiss.” Let’s obey God.

_______________________________________________

Real Relationships consist of much more than funny one-liners or mere words.

Tonight we are going to talk about what it means to be 1FAMILY, to have real relationships.

Relationship with God = Relationship with God’s people. You can’t have relationship with one and NOT have relationship with the other.

1 John 1:7 (NLT) But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Jesus tells His followers to love each other as He loves us . He said this kind of love will demonstrate we are His disciples (Jn 13:34-35).

QUESTION: Does our love for one another look ANYTHING like that?

Sadly, most of the time our relationships with other believers are about thimble deep. I was reminded of this several years ago. A Christian friend and I had been getting together every week for about a year. He wanted to join me to exercise and talk.

I told my friend of my past sin habit of porn - I told him of my talk with my wife. He got real quiet. I wondered if he was ashamed of me somehow...and then he began to weep and confessed his current struggle with pornography. Further, hardly able to control himself. He told me of his life before meeting Jesus - his divorce, 2 other children that I didn’t know about, how he had cheated on his current wife ....and he is a pastor...It was like a floodgate had burst. I realized that in the year we had known each other...we really didn’t know that much about each other. It was like we had been wearing masks, that we chose to remove. He was ashamed, embarrassed - had not told anyone else of these things, except for his wife. Today he has moved to another town, but we have a real relationship, real fellowship, where we can speak truth into each other’s lives.

Do YOU have any relationships like that? Or do you wear a mask too?

PRAY Father, I pray that you would help us to seek out and establish Real Relationships as we become 1Family

Once again,

John shows us how our relationship to Jesus should impact our relationships with other Christians.

our relationships with our brotha from anotha motha...or our sista from anotha mista’

1 John 3:16–17 (NLT) We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

1 John 3:18, 23 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions... 23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.

How do we do love one another like THAT?

Tonight we are going to discover 4 responses of Real Relationships. If we really love each other the way Jesus loved His disciples then these responses should be true of our lives too.

Real Relationships Confront, Correct, Comfort, & Celebrate.

CONFRONT & CORRECT

Confrontation says, “What you are doing is wrong”;

Correction says, “I want to help you make it right.”

We have biblical examples of this:

Nathan confronts & corrects David for his sexual sin with a woman and killing her husband.

King David could have had him killed, but Nathan told him the truth. David received what Nathan said turned from his sin and was forgiven.

Jesus confronts & corrects His disciples for their desire to have prominent positions rather than be servant leaders.

Paul confronts & corrects Peter for treating some Christians like they were less valuable than others (Gal 2).

Real friends care enough to get in your face. They are more concerned about your purity than your pleasure. In other words, they care more about your long term good than your immediate gratification that will result in future frustration & pain.

Proverbs 27:6 (NLT) Wounds from a sincere friend are better than many kisses from an enemy.

Galatians 6:1–2 (NLT) Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.

Caring enough to confront and correct is the toughest part of being a real friend.

A few years ago (story of Josh Frasure) - he knows I loved him...I pray and trust that one day he will return...and look me up.

It won’t always turn out the way you want it to, but you can KNOW that you obeyed the Lord in it. Those who respond to confrontation & correction will be the ones who best understand Real Relationships.

3rd: Real Relationships:

COMFORT & CELEBRATE

COMFORT

Proverbs 17:17 (NLT) A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need.

Sometimes we have physical needs that we need help with (Pic of Tonya)

When we started going through cancer treatments - we needed financial help and a couple told us, “We’ve got you. Come live with us!" What a comfort they were to us!

Sometimes we have physical needs that we need help with; at other times have emotional needs - for example, we might need someone to remind us that we are forgiven.

JOKE: The Parrot and the “ugly” Lady

A lady was walking down the street to work and she saw a parrot on a perch in front of a pet store. The parrot said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly." The lady is furious! She stormed past the store to her work. On the way home she saw the same parrot and it said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly." She was incredibly ticked now. The next day the same parrot again said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly." The lady was so ticked that she went into the store and said that she would sue the store and get rid the bird. The store manager apologized profusely and promised he would make sure the parrot didn't say it again. When the lady walked past the store that day after work the parrot called to her, "Hey lady." She paused and said, "Yes?" The bird said, "You know."

Haven’t we all had this experience? We are strolling through life when suddenly, memories from our past are triggered, memories that continue remind us of how “ugly” we are. Times we have disobeyed God, lied to a loved one, cheated someone financially; we hurt our spouse, our children, a friend, a member of the opposite sex. When that memory is triggered we don’t have to hear the words, “You’re ugly” - we know...

Real Relationships COMFORT us and remind us that we’re not ugly...we’re forgiven.

Sometimes WE need to comfort those...who have sinned against us! (Context of 1 Cor 5 - They CONFRONTED and attempted to CORRECT him - but he would not respond...until 2 Cor. 2)

2 Corinthians 2:5–8 (NLT) I am not overstating it when I say that the man who caused all the trouble hurt all of you more than he hurt me. Most of you opposed him, and that was punishment enough [confronted & corrected - booted him out]. Now, however, it is time to forgive and comfort him. Otherwise he may be overcome by discouragement. So I urge you now to reaffirm your love for him.

Real Relationships:

Comfort &

CELEBRATE

1 Samuel 18:1–2 (NLT)

After David had finished talking with Saul, he met Jonathan, the king’s son. There was an immediate bond between them, for Jonathan loved David. From that day on Saul kept David with him and wouldn’t let him return home.

1 Samuel 18:3–4 And Jonathan made a solemn pact with David, because he loved him as he loved himself. Jonathan sealed the pact by taking off his robe and giving it to David, together with his tunic, sword, bow, and belt.

This was a Real Relationship. Later in the story God decides that Jonathan’s father Saul would no longer be king; David was God’s choice. Jonathan hid David from his own dad, he even put himself in danger to protect David. Further, if Saul stayed king...guess WHO was next in line? Jonathan didn’t view David with jealousy - he celebrated God’s choice of his friend David!

YOU should be the biggest cheerleader of your brothers & sisters.

Hang Out: Make consistent time for each other

Have Fun: PURE fun - do the right things together; enjoy being together! Try to OUT-SERVE each other!

Get Real: Develop Intimacy (into-me-see).

Grow Together : Your Christian friendships will spur you to influence our culture rather than allowing our culture to influence you.

A few years ago, at the Seattle Special Olympics, 9 contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry.

The other 8 heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back........ every one of them. One girl with Down's Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, "This will make it better." Then all 9 linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, and the cheering went on for several minutes.