Sermon Tone Analysis

SERVING THE LORD IN RELATIONSHIPS ()

INTRO

WE WERE CREATED TO BE IN RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE.

I DON’T KNOW OF ANYONE HERE THAT IS LIKE A MONK THAT KEEPS HIMSELF QUARANTINED FROM THE WORLD.

EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM HAS INTERACTIONS WITH OTHER PEOPLE EACH AND EVERY DAY.

WE SEE THAT IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN THAT ONE OF THE VERY FIRST THINGS THAT THE LORD SAID WAS THAT IT WAS NOT GOOD FOR MAN TO BE ALONE.

WE WERE CREATED WITH THE NEED OF COMPANIONSHIP.

IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE SOMEONE TO PICK YOU UP WHEN YOU FALL DOWN.

IT IS GOOD TO HAVE HELP WHEN WE ARE STRUGGLING THROUGH LIFE.

WE NEED OTHERS TO SHARE OUR VICTORIES AND OUR DEFEATS WITH.

WE NEED OTHERS TO HELP US TO STAY STRONG AND TO FIGHT THE BATTLES THAT WE FACE EACH AND EVERY DAY.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS ABOUT OUR INTERACTIONS WITH FRIENDS, COWORKERS, THOSE WHO WE’RE DATING, OR ANYONE ELSE CAN THAT CAN BE ENCOURAGING OR DISCOURAGING, HEARTBREAKING OR JOYFUL, GOOD OR DETRIMENTAL TO OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

KNOWING HOW VITAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS ARE, THE DEVIL HAS SO OFTEN USED THOSE WHO WE ARE SOMETIMES THE CLOSEST TO TO TRY TO GET US TO STUMBLE IN OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LORD.

HE USED PETER TO TRY TO THROW A STUMBLING BLOCK BEFORE OUR LORD BY HAVING PETER TELL THE LORD THAT HE COULD NOT GO TO JERUSALEM TO DIE.

WE NEED TO BE ON GUARD AND RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON BEING IN GODLY RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE, BECAUSE IF WE ARE NOT, IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT SATAN IS USING US JUST AS HE WAS USING PETER IN THE CASE W/ THE LORD.

WHEN IT COMES TO RELATIONSHIPS, ESPECIALLY AS YOUNG PEOPLE, ONE THING THAT YOU NEED TO REALIZE IS, THOSE WHO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME WITH CAN CHANGE YOU FOR GOOD OR FOR BAD AND CAN AFFECT THE LIVES OF OTHERS FOR GOOD OR FOR BAD FOR YEARS TO COME.

THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ASSOCIATE WITH CAN HAVE QUITE AN IMPACT ON WHAT KIND OF PERSON YOU BECOME IN THE FUTURE.

IN THIS LESSON, WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE GOALS AND SOME DANGERS OF OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS, AND LATER ON IN THE LESSON MAKE A MAIN APPLICATION TO DATING RELATIONSHIPS.

WHAT ARE THE GOALS OF OUR INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERS AS GOD’S PEOPLE?

1. GOALS OF FRIENDSHIPS WITH OTHERS

a. TO GLORIFY GOD

i. “WHATEVER YOU DO, DO ALL TO THE GLORY OF GOD.”

1. EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN OUR LIVES, ESPECIALLY IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS NEEDS TO BE DONE SO THE LORD WILL BE HONORED AND GLORIFIED.

2. WE NEED OUR FOCUS TO BE ON SERVING GOD IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS, NOT ON SERVING OURSELVES!

ii.

"LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE BEFORE MEN IN SUCH A WAY THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS, AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER WHO IS IN HEAVEN.

1. WE NEED THE THINGS WE DO TO BRING GLORY TO GOD, NOT TO US.

WE NEED TO REFLECT THE LIGHT OF CHRIST IN OUR FRIENDSHIPS WITH THOSE IN THE WORLD.

WE NEED TO HAVE THE FOCUS IN OUR FRIENDSHIPS WITH THOSE OF THE WORLD TO HELP THEM TO SEE THE LORD IN US AND THEIR NEED FOR THE LORD.

2. 11 BELOVED, I URGE YOU AS ALIENS AND STRANGERS TO ABSTAIN FROM FLESHLY LUSTS WHICH WAGE WAR AGAINST THE SOUL.

12 KEEP YOUR BEHAVIOR EXCELLENT AMONG THE GENTILES, SO THAT IN THE THING IN WHICH THEY SLANDER YOU AS EVILDOERS, THEY MAY BECAUSE OF YOUR GOOD DEEDS, AS THEY OBSERVE THEM, GLORIFY GOD IN THE DAY OF VISITATION.

b.

BE AN EXAMPLE

1. LET NO ONE LOOK DOWN ON YOUR YOUTHFULNESS, BUT RATHER IN SPEECH, CONDUCT, LOVE, FAITH AND PURITY, SHOW YOURSELF AN EXAMPLE OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE.

2. IT’S HARD SOMETIMES TO BE DIFFERENT FROM EVERYONE ELSE AROUND YOU.

WITH EVERYONE ELSE AROUND US LIVING LIVES THAT ARE SELFISH AND NOT FOCUSED ON THE LORD, IT MAY BECOME VERY TEMPTING TO BE MORE LIKE YOUR FRIENDS SO THAT YOU ARE ACCEPTED.

BUT IF WE ARE CHRISTIANS, WE NEED TO LIVE DIFFERENTLY FROM THE WORLD.

3. DOES THE WAY YOU LIVE SHOW OTHERS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST?

DOES BEING AROUND YOUR FRIENDS CAUSE YOU TO LIVE A DIFFERENT WAY THAN WHEN YOU ARE AROUND CHRISTIANS @ WORSHIP?

c. TO BE A SERVANT OF OTHERS

i. THIS SHOULD BE AN ATTITUDE THAT WE POSSESS IN EVERY RELATIONSHIP WE ARE IN.

ii.

DO WE DESIRE TO BE THE ONE WHO RECEIVES SOMETHING FROM OUR FRIENDS OR THE ONE WHO IS ALWAYS TRYING TO SERVE OTHERS?

iii.

AS A YOUNG PERSON, YOU NEED TO BEGIN NOW TO MOLD YOURSELF INTO A SERVANT.

WE NEED TO FOCUS OUR LIVES AS YOUNGER PEOPLE OF GOD TO BE LIKE OUR LORD WHO IS THE GREATEST OF SERVANTS.

THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP THOSE WHO AROUND YOU TO KNOW THE LORD AND HIS WORD.

iv.

IT IS OFTEN TIMES SO HARD TO BE A SERVANT; BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON THE WELFARE OF OTHERS INSTEAD OF OURSELVES.

WE AS CHRISTIANS FIGHT THE BATTLE EACH AND EVERY DAY TO MAKE GOD’S WILL OUR WILL AND TO PUT SERVICE TO HIM AND OTHERS BEFORE US.

1.

2.

d.

BE A JONATHAN

i. -3àAFTER DAVID DEFEATS GOLIATH AND DAVID HAS A CONVERSATION WITH SAUL…

ii.

HE WAS UNSELFISH.

HE WANTED THE BEST FOR DAVID, EVEN WHEN THAT MEANT THAT DAVID WOULD BE THE NEXT KING OF ISRAEL INSTEAD OF HIMSELF.

iii.

HE WAS COMMITTED TO HIS FRIEND.

HE DEFENDED DAVID EVEN WHEN IT COULD HAVE MEANT HARM TO HIMSELF () HE WAS TRUSTWORTHY.

HE COULD BE COUNTED ON TO ALWAYS BE THERE.

1. IS THAT THE KIND OF FRIEND THAT WE ARE? :24àTHERE IS A FRIEND WHO STICKS CLOSER THAN A BROTHER.

2. DANGERS IN FRIENDSHIPS

a. CORRUPTION OF MORALS

b.

DO NOT BE DECEIVED: "BAD COMPANY CORRUPTS GOOD MORALS."

i. SOMETIMES WE LIKE TO THINK THAT WE ARE THE EXCEPTION TO THIS RULE, THINKING THAT THERE IS NO WAY THAT IF WE SPEND TOO MUCH TIME WITH THIS PERSON THEY CAN CHANGE ME.

c. COMPROMISE

i. -16à BE IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF THE WORLD.

AS I HAVE ALREADY STATED, IT’S HARD WHEN WE ARE SURROUNDED BY THE WORLD TO NOT HAVE THE MINDSET THAT THE WORLD HAS.

WE WANT TO BE ACCEPTED.

WE WANT EVERYONE TO LIKE US.

BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IF WE ARE BEING FAITHFUL TO THE LORD THAT IS MORE THAN LIKELY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

WE NEED TO BE WILLING TO STAND FIRM IN THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL AND NOT COMPROMISE OUR BELIEFS IF IT WILL LEAD TO OUR BEING ACCEPTED BY THOSE WHO ARE AROUND US.

WE SHOULD NOT ALLOW OURSELVES TO BE CONFORMED TO THE WORLD, BUT TO TRANSFORM OUR MINDS TO DO DELIGHT IN GOD’S WILL, NO MATTER WHAT THE COST MAY BE TO US.

IF YOUR FAITH IN THE LORD CAUSES YOU TO LOSE FRIENDS IN THE WORLD, SO BE IT!

ii.

WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT WE DO NOT BELONG HERE! OUR CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN!

d.

CAUSING OTHERS TO STUMBLE

i. -48à CAUSING OTHERS AND OURSELVES TO STUMBLE

1. BY THE WAY THAT YOU ACT, THE THINGS THAT YOU SAY, THE THINGS THAT YOU WEAR

2. WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL, BECAUSE OUR ACTIONS CAN AFFECT OTHERS IN A NEGATIVE WAY.

HOW WOULD LIKE IT IF SOMETHING YOU DID TURNED SOMEBODY AWAY FROM WANTING TO KNOW THE LORD?

ii.

-14à PETER’S HYPOCRISY LED OTHERS AWAY

1. OUR EXAMPLE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR GOOD AND FOR BAD

3. IF OUR GOAL IS TO GET TO HEAVEN AND TO HELP OTHERS GET THERE, ARE WE VIEWING OUR FRIENDSHIPS AS A TOOL IN ACHIEVING THAT GOAL?

4. DATING?

AM I READY?

a. PREPARE YOURSELF

i. BE A REAL CHRISTIAN!

1. MAKE YOURSELF SOMEONE THAT CAN HELP OTHERS GET TO HEAVEN, ESPECIALLY ONE WHO YOU MAY DATE OR MAY EVEN MARRY.

2. EXAMINE SELF: ARE YOU ABLE AND WILLING TO FULFILL YOUR GOD GIVEN ROLES FOR THE MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP?

3. YOU NEED TO SHOW YOURSELF AS ONE WHO HAS DEVOTED THEMSELVES TO THE LORD.

a. THIS BEGINS BEFORE YOU DATE.

b. ”REMEMBER ALSO YOUR CREATOR IN THE DAYS OF YOUR YOUTH, BEFORE THE EVIL DAYS COME AND THE YEARS DRAW NEAR”

4. THE SCRIPTURES TELL US OF MANY PRINCIPLES THAT CAN MAKE A SUCCESSFUL MARRIAGE RELATIONSHIP AND FAMILY

a. SORROW FOR SIN AND A DETERMINATION TO REPENT!

i. WHAT KIND OF REACTIONS DO YOU HAVE WHEN YOU WRONG SOMEONE?

JUST IMAGINE THAT BEING THE ONE YOU ARE MARRIED TO.