Sermon for the Sullivan SDA Church
April 23, 2005
Loving Relations
Our mission - our sense of what God has called us to do
Under God’s guidance, we meet people where they are, and lead them
to experience a growing relationship in Christ with us.
Our vision - what our church will look like when we are accomplishing our mission
To be a growing church that transforms our community, models
singular devotion to Christ, and is prepared for His coming.
Our core values -
principles that define how we do ministry together as we pursue our mission
1 Empowering Leadership - Many people are leaders and don’t even know it; we lead in a variety of ways. (e.g. parent/child, father/family, teacher/student, Christian/unbeliever) Leadership is influencing people toward something better in their lives. Not that we are better, but we participate with God in directing them to the happiest life possible with Him. We “empower” leaders by apprenticing new leaders. We guide and equip them so that together we multiply our influence for good and accomplish God’s mission.
Ephesians 4:11,12; 2 Timothy 2:2; RH
8/24/86; 11/6/88; 9T 82
2
Gift-Oriented Ministry - We serve the Lord in our areas of giftedness
through appropriate ministries so the Body of Christ “grows and builds itself
up in love.”
Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 12:1,4-6; Ephesians 4:16;
1 Peter 4:10; Letter 19, 1901; 8T 186,7
3
Passionate Spirituality – We
believe continual spiritual growth should be normal for all Christians. Hence, we encourage Christians of all walks
and religious persuasions to become more devoted to Christ by taking delight in
the spiritual life. This includes daily
renewal through the personal disciplines of Bible study, prayer, and obedience.
Psalm 119:148; Mark 12:30; Romans 6:22; 13:11; 2
Corinthians 7:11; Philippians 4:6; Colossians 3:16; 2 Timothy 2:15
4
Functional Structures - Our church’s ministries, systems, programs
and policies work optimally through well-defined objectives which are regularly
evaluated to ensure functionality and excellence.
Exodus 18:14-22; Romans 12:4-8; Ephesians 4:16
5
Inspiring Worship - We gather for worship first and foremost for our
heavenly Father. We worship Him in
spirit and truth because of His beautiful holiness, creative power and loving
kindness. The blending of spirit and
truth reveals our commitment to authentic expressions of praise and adoration
that are biblical, decent and orderly.
Psalm 29:2; 96:6,9; 99:5,9;
138:2; John 4:23; 1 Corinthians 14:40; Revelation 4:11; 5:9,10; 14:7
6
Holistic Small Groups - We desire everyone to be involved in a small group that ministers to
their spiritual, mental, physical, and social needs. Since leadership is vital to this ministry, we equip them through
regular training, encourage them through monthly briefings, and evaluate them through
annual reviews. While these
discipleship groups vary, they are primarily focused on life transformation and
evangelism.
Matthew 18:20; Acts 2:46-47; Philemon 2; RH 5/30/71;
9/29/91; 7T 21-22, 195
7
Need-Oriented Evangelism –
People are at the heart of our existence as a church. We authentically and intentionally cultivate
friendships with pre-Christians to lead them to become fully devoted followers
of Jesus Christ. We use Jesus’ own
method of mingling with people desiring their good, showing sympathy,
ministering to them, winning their confidence, and inviting them to follow Him.
Matthew 25:34-40; 28:29,20; Luke 19:10; Revelation
14:6; MH 143
8
Loving Relationships –
People matter - they’re the only things going to heaven. We are known for our love for all people
without regard to gender, race, social or economic status. We accept people as they are and desire for
them the happiest, highest and holiest life possible with God. We hold special regard for those who are
destitute, without loved ones, and in need of our sympathy.
Jeremiah 9:23-24 Thus says the Lord:
“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24 But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord,
exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the Lord. [2]
I.
Loving Relationships - Very
High on God’s List of Values
1.
What do you Value?
i
Family
ii
Bank
Account
iii
Salvation
2.
Priority of Values
i
Money
vs. Family
ii
Salvation
vs. Family
3.
Values as exhibited in the Ten Commandments
i
You
will be my people and I will be your God.
4.
Relationships and Value
i
What
value do you put on your relationships?
ii
How
do you prioritize your relationships (what relationships are most valuable to
you?)
II.
So who are your relations?
1.
In-laws
2.
Shirt
tail relations
3.
Family
i
Mom
and Dad
ii
The
Kids
4.
Work
Group
5.
Physical
neighbors (those who live near you)
6.
Church
Family
7.
Casual
acquaintances
8.
Those
in need (the parable “Who is my neighbor.”
9.
GOD JESUS
III.
What kind of relationship do you have with each of these groups
1.
In-laws
2.
Shirt
tail relations
3.
Family
i
Mom
and Dad
ii
The
Kids
4.
Work
Group
5.
Physical
neighbors (those who live near you)
6.
Church
Family
7.
Casual
acquaintances
8.
GOD JESUS
IV.
Kinds of Loving Relationships
1.
Levels
of Relationships
i
Intimate
ii
Close
iii
Casual
iv
Acquaintance
v
Adversarial
2.
Greek
Love
i
Eros - Sexual Love
1 Some love is Gold; Some Love
is Rust, but the best love of all is Lust.
Ira
Fleming 1950s
ii
Philio
1
Philadelphia;
The city of brotherly love
iii
Agape
V.
So what sort of Loving Relationships do you have with
1.
In-laws Close, Casual, Acquaintance, Adversarial,
Philio
2.
Shirt
tail relations Casual,
Acquaintance, Adversarial, Philio
3.
Family
i
Husband
and Wife Intimate Erotic, Agape
ii
Mom
and Dad Intimate Close, Philio
iii
The
Kids Intimate, Adversarial, Philio Agape
4.
Work
Group Close, Casual, Acquaintance,
Adversarial, Philio
5.
Physical
neighbors (those who live near you) Close, Casual,
Acquaintance, Adversarial, Philio
6.
Church
Family Intimate Close,
Casual, Acquaintance, Adversarial,
Philio, Agape
7.
Casual
acquaintances Casual, Acquaintance, Philio
8.
GOD JESUS Intimate, Close, Casual, Acquaintance,
Adversarial, Philio, Agape
VI.
How to Establish a Relationship
A.
Introductions:
1.
My
Wife
i
Introduce
Millie
ii
Tell
people all about her
iii
The comments I make about Millie affect your initial relationship
with her.
1
Helen
2
Meaner
than a junk yard dog
3
Her
hair was gold, her looks were free, her skin as white a leprosy
4
Smart
as a whip
iv
I’ve
spent many years getting to know her, and there’s some hazy areas still left
2.
Abraham
Lincoln
i
Tell
all about him.
ii
He’s
Dead
iii
He’s
not here
iv
You cannot know him, you can only know about him.
v
I’ve
read a lot about him. I have several books. And, I’m presently reading Carl
Sandburg’s Lincoln.
3.
Jesus
Christ
i
Tell about Him.
ii
He’s
not Dead
iii
He’s
Here
iv
You
Can’t See Him
v
John 17:3 “And this is eternal life,
that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
[3]
B.
Getting to Know Someone
1.
Information
2.
Communication
3.
These
reinforce each other.
C.
What
happens when you meet a girl, (a boy)?
1.
Who’s
that guy
2.
Do
you know her
3.
Arrange
an introduction
i
Some
introduces you
ii
You
arrange an event where she/he must become aware of you
4.
The
big break through. You Start Taking
i
So what do you talk about?
D.
YOU START COMMUNICATING
1.
General
things at first
i
Shared
experiences
ii
Class,
friends,
iii
Body
Language
1
You
start displaying those subtle hints that what you’re doing right now is
pleasant.
2
You
start some sort of courting ritual.
a
Smile,
Laugh a lot, lean toward the person
b
Act
your very best.
iv
You
do some things with others
2.
After
a bit of time, (a few weeks) things get a bit more personal.
i
Talk
about your family
ii
Vision
of the future
iii
Hopes
and expectations
iv
Your
past
v
You
may have some group outings together
vi
Some
physical contact. A hand on the shoulder
3.
You
start seeing each other more often,
i
You
phone
ii
You
have dates, just the two of you.
iii
You
set and talk for extended periods of time
iv
You
bring each other into you group of friends
v
You
hold hands, You’ve kissed
4.
You
start introducing each other to your other relations
i
You
bring her home to MOM.
5.
You
talk more and more about deeper and deeper personal details.
6.
You
place responsibilities on each other.
i
Meet
me here, Meet me there.
ii
Give
up something that you’re doing so we can be together.
7.
You
develop a trust.
i
Loan
her/him you car
8.
Finally
you offer a permanent relationship in Marriage.
9.
You’ve
just begun to know someone. Now the real getting to know someone starts.
i
Closer
physical interactions
ii
Being
together when you’re not at your best.
iii
Facing
the reality of larger responsibilities together
1
Kids
2
Bills
3
A
thousand stresses
iv
Short
and long term goals as a couple, joined together permanently.
E.
Developing
a relationship with anyone is essentially the same; just the details are
different. The words get changed.
1.
There’s
much less physical contact,
2.
You
don’t get married
VII.
Developing
a relationship with Jesus
Proverbs
18:24
A man who has friends must himself be
friendly,
But
there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. [4]
2 Corinthians 3:18
But we
all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are
being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the
Spirit of the Lord. [5]
A.
The
same but with some differences:
1.
Information
i
Church
Titus
1:1-3 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to
the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with
godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before
time began,3 but
has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the
commandment of God our Savior;[6]
ii
Reading
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman
that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. [7]
iii
Working
with other Christians
2.
Communication
i
Prayer,
The telephone call
1
Thessalonians 5:16-22 Rejoice always,17
pray without ceasing,18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God
in Christ Jesus for you.19 Do not quench the Spirit.20 Do not despise
prophecies.21 Test all things; hold fast what is good.22 Abstain from every
form of evil. [8]
Prayer
is the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. The eye of faith will
discern God very near, and the supplicant may obtain precious evidence of the
divine love and care for him. Gospel Workers Page 36, 1st paragraph.
3.
These
reinforce each other.
Jeremiah 9:23-24
Thus says the Lord:
“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
24 But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord,
exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the Lord. [9]
[1]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
1982.
[2]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
1982.
[3]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
1982.
[4]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
1982.
[5]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
1982.
[6]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
1982.
[7]The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.
[8]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
1982.
[9]The Holy Bible, New King James Version, (Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
1982.