Relational Living

February 12, 2017

Stetson Memorial UMC

Sermon Series:

 “Becoming You…”

“Relational/Right Relationships”

Adapted from Marcia McPhee’

“Who Are You?” Sermon Series

Psalm 119:1-10

Matthew 18:15-17

Ecclesiastes 5:9-12 MSG

Matthew 5:22-24 MSG

“Who are you” by The Who

“Relational Living…”

Prayer that God’s Word is heard through me or in-spite of me…

Please stand for the reading of the Gospel St. Matthew, chapter 18, verses 15 through 17. Listen to the Word of God, His Love Letter to His beloved, you and I…Read Matthew from the Message Bible.

“Who are you” theme song…

Who here like to be all alone? Who just can’t stand be around others so much that they would rather be on an island by themselves? Ok...there are some days that this sounds like a truly happy life…but how long would we really be able to live without social media…even if we want to be alone… It can be hard to have a relationship with others who are just as broken as we are…that whole brokenness gets in the way...

What was God thinking anyway? Expecting us to be all relational and stuff with each other…never mind being relational with Him outside of these four walls and time we share with Him while we are here. Shocking…! Beloved…one point to think about is this… God doesn’t need us…but wants us to be in relationship so much with Him…He gave His one and only begotten Son to die for us so that He can…13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13 NIV)

We have been talking about how God’s promises and truths, can be very hard to understand if we don’t realize who we are in Christ Jesus. Who are we really…how does God equip us…what are we supposed to do…? We have begun to look at who we are in Christ…we have begun a deep journey into these questions and more. I continue to truly believe that we all want to become the “you” God wants us to be. Let’s see what transformation happens as we become who God says we are and not who the world thinks we are. 

On our journey, we have discovered one fact…you and I are God’s beloved. You and I are cherished, favored, and loved by God. Even in this world of rejection and exclusiveness, there is One who never reject us…flaws and all…no matter how far we may fall. We have gone to the river with Jesus and remembered our baptism and the promise found there. We are striving to live that life of acceptance and grace so that we can extend that same grace to others.

We talked about the different names that we go by, how we are identified.

We are the beloved of God…if we choose to accept and believe… We also are honored by bearing Jesus Christ’s name when we call ourselves “Christ”ians…what a thought that is… God has called us to an extraordinary purpose that only you or I can fulfill. As we find our niche…we become an example for those who are looking for a better way…

We know that when we act with nobility…with integrity we honor God and embody the life we are called to live…one of trustworthiness and honesty. We need to be that type of Christian as we try to have relational living with those around us…living out and in the family of God. But why is it that when it comes to relating to and caring for our fellow man, we can tend to come up a little short? Why do we get lonely when we try to live our lives on our own? What does God say about living in communion…relationally…with those whom He also created? 17 Friends love through all kinds of weather, and families stick together in all kinds of trouble. (Proverbs 17:17 MSG)

From the beginning of time…all the way back to the Garden of Eden…we were created to be in relation with one another…It is not good for man to be alone. Let us create a helper him…and with God…The God came and walked in the garden in the cool of the evening...Unfortunately because of humankinds fall from grace, selfishness, greed and jealousy…just to name a few…came into play. We were created for relational living with our fellow creatures and with God.

The scripture from Matthew 18 this morning, speaks about how we are to act towards one another with our community of faith. I think it works for those who are not of the faith…it just may bring them to the redemption and faith in Jesus Christ. We are to act in love…even if the other person doesn’t…even if they won’t admit they are wrong. We are to still offer God’s love and mercy. There have been many church’s…too many church’s…that have closed their doors because they reuse to show God’s love. There have been those who have just died because they choose not to show God’s love to those within their own body and others who are not of that body…who are in need of a Savior…decide that they don’t need Christ because they treat others better than those who are His ambassadors… We were created for relational living with our fellow creatures and with God.

It is hard to always offer God’s love to others…especially if they are not like we are…especially if they have acted in not so Christ-like ways towards us. It is hard to offer God’s love to someone who may think they don’t need it in their lives. But what will become of this world if we…if you and I…decide that we just won’t live with our brothers and sisters…decide that we have offered God’s love one too many times and now we are done? Start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God’s forgiving love.

Matthew 5:22-24 states:

I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder. Carelessly call a brother ‘idiot!’ and you just might find yourself hauled into court. Thoughtlessly yell ‘stupid!’ at a sister and you are on the brink of hellfire. The simple moral fact is that words kill.

23-24 “This is how I want you to conduct yourself in these matters. If you enter your place of worship and, about to make an offering, you suddenly remember a grudge a friend has against you, abandon your offering, leave immediately, go to this friend and make things right. Then and only then, come back and work things out with God. (MSG Bible)

It doesn’t say to just pretend that there is no issue. It doesn’t say to hold a grudge. It doesn’t even say if you are right you don’t have to do anything. It does say to go and fix the relationship. There is nothing more difficult than worshipping with someone you are angry with. You can’t concentrate and give God your attention. All that is going through your mind is the issue between you and your brother or sister. We were created for relational living with our fellow creatures and with God.

The example we are to copy is that of Jesus. When Jesus knew His time was growing near, He had this conversation with His Disciples. The conversation is found in John’s Gospel in the 15^th Chapter verses 11-15:

11-15 “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature. This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I’m no longer calling you servants because servants don’t understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I’ve named you friends because I’ve let you in on everything I’ve heard from the Father.

Love one another as “I” have loved you…no longer servants but His friends. Beloved Jesus calls us friend. Now He died for us but still calls us friends…we have sinned and sinned again but He still calls us friends…how can we not forgive those who offend us in such minute ways? How can we not give them grace…show God’s love He has shown to us? Jesus wanted, and still wants, not a servant master relationship but a friend relationship.

I believe that the most visual imagery of how we should be with one another is found in Ecclesiastes 5:9-12. Speak from the Spirit about the rope… Listen to how it describes relational living. I believe that this is what God intended all along. I love how the Message Bible Translation puts it:

9-10 It’s better to have a partner than go it alone.

Share the work, share the wealth.

And if one falls down, the other helps,

But if there’s no one to help, tough!

11 Two in a bed warm each other.

Alone, you shiver all night.

12 By yourself you’re unprotected.

With a friend you can face the worst.

Can you round up a third?

A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

Three-fold relationship…You, others, and God. That is something that will never be able to be broken. With God within the mi we truly can live that relational life He intended us to have…

Who are you? Are you and I living a relational or a “Lone Ranger” type of life? Are you and I loving other not as we love ourselves but how Jesus loved and still loves us…? Are you and I offering the hand of grace or the backhand of the word? We are called to be the mirror image of our Risen Lord, Jesus Christ. How are we doing with that? Are you and I acting in ways that honor God or ourselves? Who are you and I this relational way of living, worldly or godly? Are we stuck living in a me un-relationality or is there so much more than that as we model the imagery of relationally living our three-fold life?

“Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25 MSG)

Amen