Sins of Relationships pt1

Relationships with the World and the Church READ - I Corinthians 13; we’ll be in Matthew. I. Relationships where someone got hurt. 1. You’ve hurt someone. a. Matthew 5:23-24 b. A message for the saint, not the lost. c. First be reconciled. Amends must be made; forgiveness granted. d. Is there a rift in your life that is quenching the work of God? 2. Someone has hurt you. How do you respond? a. You refuse to forgive them. This comes back to the sin of an improper attitude, and the sin of un-forgiveness. Matthew 6:14-15 b. This is part of the revival process; forgiving one another. c. We all want it but do we give it? 3. Secret Bitterness. a. A secret bitterness against someone is not a secret to God. b. Matthew 18:35 c. Do unto other as you would have the Father do unto you. These sins of bitterness and un-forgivingness are quenching the working of the Holy Spirit in your life. How can God use you to glorify Himself if you are un-forgiving or are harboring bitterness in your heart? He cannot and He will not, at least not in a way that blesses you. (He has been known to use the enemy). II. Your relationship with God. 1. Has God ever hurt you? I mean has HE hurt your feelings? Has God disappointed you? a. Are you hurt because God didn’t live up to your expectations? I wonder how that looks from the other side. 2. Are you unwilling to forgive Him? a. Has God allowed something to take place in your life that you are struggling to accept? b. Has God answered a prayer in a way that was or is hard for you to accept? By that I’m suggesting HE answered no to an urgent prayer or yours. c. If God has hurt your feelings and you are unable to forgive HIM for it then your relationship with HIM will never be what HE wants it to be. 3. If you are bitter against GOD how can you ever truly and fully trust HIM? You can’t; perhaps you know this and you don’t trust Him. a. My prayer for you: May God bless you and help you. Reflection: The act of forgiving is not for the one who offended, it’s for you; it’s to set you free, not the offending person. That’s whether it’s another person or even if it’s God. God’s done nothing wrong and He doesn’t need your forgiveness, that’s for you. Who is it you’re not forgiving?

III. Improper Relationships.

1. Speaking to married men and women.

a. Ladies you cannot have a man for your best friend: Men you cannot have a women for your best friend. Now I’m speaking of someone other than your spouse. If you need a best friend let it be Jesus first, your spouse second and then someone of the same gender as you after that but never someone of the opposite gender.

b. Now I’m not saying you cannot be friends with someone of the opposite gender. How friendly is the question. You all know what improper relationships are and you know if you are having one.

2. Improper relationships:

a. Adultery – fornication – emotionally attached to someone to young or to old.

3. Who are you confiding in?

a. You must decide for yourself if this relationship is improper or not, but give thought to who it is that you take your problems to.

Improper relationships are the soil from which adultery and fornication grow. They must be stop immediately. Be honest with God and with yourself.

IV. Fellowshipping with others.

1. How is your relationship with your church? Sadly it is this part of the message that is best suited for those who are not here or won’t be back tonight. READ Hebrews 10:25 (Forsake not the fellowship)

a. This is what we are going to do! We are going to come together as an assembly of GOD’s people and exhort one another. We are going to seek conviction and forgiveness together, with love “and so much the more.”

2. How is your relationship with the people in this church? And there you have it; we have come full circle; back to people and God. Where do you stand?

Heads are bowed – eyes are closed.

Are you harboring bitterness towards anyone? If you are, you need to come and take it to the LORD.

Are you harboring bitterness towards God? If you are, you need to come and take it to the LORD.

If there is any relationship in your life that you know is not what it should be or is even inappropriate, you need to come and take it to the LORD.

We cannot afford as a body of Christ to have improper relationship, (bitter, unforgiving or otherwise), within the church body and expect GOD to bless us and to revive us. You pray about it.