Moving Closer To The Lord In 2006 -

Moving Closer To The Lord In 2006 -

Part 5: God Wants Us Closer Through Our Relationships With Others

INTRO: Four weeks ago I started a series. Moving Closer To The Lord In 2006. If we ever need to move closer to the Lord it is today. We need to have a closer walk with the Lord. Can anyone say this is not so? This is what God wants for us and He expects us to seek a better closer walk with Him. Will He make us, force us, twist our arms, or even worse to "make" us serve Him better? No, I think not. But He will speak to us through His Spirit. He will speak to us through His Word. He will speak to us through other's lives and godly example. The choice is yours this day.

In the first message of this series I dealt with the fact God wants us closer through His Word. It is God's Word that can become alive in our lives. It is His Word that can lead us down the paths we need to follow. It is God's Word that can enhance us and prepare us for the life to come. Then I dealt with our need to be closer through worshipping Him. Then we looked at how He wants us to get closer is by moving away from the sin that causes us to be far from Him. Last week, we looked at our need to simply walk in His ways so we can be closer to Him. It is not just about getting rid of sin in our lives. It is not just about cleaning up so we look good. It is not just about keeping all the rules. It is about walking close to Him. Walking where He wants us to walk. It is about walking close to Him. May God help us to walk close to Him at all times.

Today, I want to look at our relationships with each other. Do you know that how we get along with each other affects how we get along with God. Lets look at what God's Word tells us this day.

Once again I have much scripture for you. I know that a great amount of scripture reading can be tiresome, but I want you to have these. The handout will save you some time and also help you keep them handy for more study latter on.

First before I get into the message, let me deal with the statement I just made, " How we get along with each other affects how we get along with God."

Let us look at God's Word…

Matthew 7:1 - 14 ¹Judge not, that ye be not judged. ²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. ³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? ⁴Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? ⁵Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye. ⁶Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. ⁷Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: ⁸For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ⁹Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? ¹¹If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? ¹²Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. ¹³Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: ¹⁴Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

So, If we do not have a good relationship with God, it is more difficult to have a good one with people.

Have you ever heard these statements about friendship?

CAN YOU RELATE TO THESE?

A friend in need is a friend in deed.
A dog is a man's best friend.
He or she is my best friend.
A friend is for a lifetime.
Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
A friend since grade school.
A friend since high school.
My best friend as long as I can remember.
A good friend is hard to find.

Don't these ring a bell? I know all of them don't deal with relationships as we might think, but they do more than we care to admit. After all, how many of us are so cantankerous that only our dog likes us? Come to think of it, some times the dog runs and hides too!

But, I would say that I have left out one important thing…

My spouse is my best friend.

When my wife and I repeated our 25^th wedding vows, we played a song by Michael W Smith that contained the following words:

"Friends are friends forever, if the Lord is the Lord of them

And a friend will not say never, cause the welcome will not end

Though it's hard to let you go

In the Father's hands I know

That a lifetime's not too long... to live as friends."

Let me get into the message today.

First, I want to deal with three truths about relationships…Number one…
Our relationships with people are reflected in our relationship with God.

Closeness to the creator will tend to cause closeness to His creation and creatures.

An obedient, caring servant of the Lord will strive to share and show the love of Christ.

A second truth…
Our responsibility to people is reflected in our responsibility to God.

God calls to all "men" everywhere.

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,

God uses His servants to "speak" to "men."
What image do they see in you?

Kind, comforting, encouraging, forgiving, etc.

Harsh, hateful, hurtful, humiliating, etc.

1 Thes. 3:11- 13 ¹¹Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you. ¹²And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: ¹³To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

God's example of love is open for all to see through His Son, Jesus Christ.

God's example of His changing power is open for all to see in our lives and actions.

2 Corinthians 5:16 - 21 ¹⁶Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. ¹⁷Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. ¹⁸And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. ²¹For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

A third truth…
Our reward received concerning people is reflected by our reward received from God.

God blesses or rewards our initial effort - Matt. 7:7 tells us to ASK.

God blesses or rewards are found die to effort.

Good relationships are forged due to effort.

God's blessings received are often through continued effort - Matt. 7:7 tells us to SEEK.

Better relationships usually happen with a continued emphasis on closeness.

Proverbs 17:17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

God's blessings or rewards in life are reaped with His continued help and our acceptance or holding onto Him. - Matt. 7:7 tells us to KNOCK.

Great relationships are reaped when we give our all because we want to AND our love is returned.

I think it is safe to say, when it comes to relationships we need to A.S.K.

I would like to answer three questions before I close…
1. How do we hinder friendships in our lives?

Be a braggart.

Be untruthful or a liar.

Be a complainer.

Be self-centered.

Be selfish.

Be demanding.

Be condescending.

Be a loner.

2. How valuable are friends?
Carole King wrote an unbelievable song that captures what friendship is about. Let me share some of it with you…

When you're down and troubled and you need some lovin' care

and nothin', nothin' is going right.

Close your eyes and think of me and soon I will be there

to brighten up even your darkest night.

You just call out my name, and you know wherever I am

I'll come running to see you again.

Winter, spring, summer, or fall, all you have to do is call

and I'll be there...

You've got a friend.

If the sky above you grows dark and full of clouds,

and that old north wind begins to blow.

Keep your head together and call my name out loud

Soon you'll hear me knocking at your door.

You just call out my name and you know wherever I am

I'll come running, running, yeah, to see you again.

Winter, spring, summer or fall all you have to do is call

and I'll be there, yes I will.

Now, ain't it good to know that you've got a friend,

when people can be so cold.

They'll hurt you, yes, and desert you, and take your soul if you let them.

Oh, but don't you let them.

You just call out my name and you know wherever I am

I'll come running, running, yeah, to see you again.

Winter spring summer or fall, all you've got to do is call,

and I'll be there, yes I will...

You've got a friend.

You've got a friend.

Ain't it good to know you've got a friend.

Ain't it good to know...

Ain't it good to know...

Ain't it good to know...

You've got a friend.

Oh, yeah, you've got a friend.

Yeah, Baby, you've got a friend.

Oh, yeah, you've got a friend.

Friends love us.

Proverbs 17:17 friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity

Friends are faithful.

Proverbs 27:6 Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

Friends help us.

Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Friends give their all.

John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

Friends hold us up.

Sirach 6:14 from the Apocrypha tells us: A faithful friend is a strong defence: and he that hath found such an one hath found a treasure.

Friends make a difference.

Ecclesiastes 4:8 - 10 ⁸There is one alone, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail. ⁹Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. ¹⁰For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

3. How do we have better relationships in this life?

Be more friendly.

Proverbs 18:24 A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Be close to God.

Look for the friend (Jesus) that is closer than a brother.
What a friend we have in Jesus

All our griefs and sins to bear;

What a privilege to carry

Everything to him in prayer
Be more ready.

Be more helpful.

Be more honest.

Be more open.

Be more compassionate.

Be more giving or sacrificial.

Be protective of your friendships..

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Keep your friendships in repair."

And last…
Beseech God for friendship.

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

Lead your friends to Christ.

Remember…

Friendships are not easy, are not cheap, are not automatic, but they are worth it.

" Faithful friends are beyond price: No amount can balance their worth." - Sirach 6:15

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, "The only way to have a friend is to be one."

"Fate chooses your relations, you choose your friends."

- Jacques Delille (1738 - 1813) French poet.

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION….

Have you accepted Jesus as your friend?

Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 020506am