Caring Enough To Contend Series

Caring Enough to Contend

Series: Building Better RELATIONSHIPS

October 10, 2021

Intro

My added welcome... to each of you here and connecting online.

I’m so glad that your joining in this time of growing together.

And today we are continuing our Fall focus on building better relationships.

As I’ve described over the weeks... this series is about how we can become more connected in all our relationships.

It’s about realizing that we were created for connection... and how to develop more meaningful connection.

Referring again to the Biblical word that is guiding us...we read...

Ephesians 5:1-2 (MSG)

Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents. ...Observe how Christ loved us. ... Love like that.

And today... It’s about caring enough to contend. As we look at the life and love of Jesus... we see how he cared enough to contend for the good of others.... to speak truth when needed.

As Les Parrott expresses in his book Love Like That,

“If you want to love like Jesus, you can’t shy away from what you know is right and true. You can’t remain silent just to go unnoticed. Loving like Jesus is not for the chickenhearted. It requires a fierce commitment to being authentic. It requires a bold commitment to being a truth-teller. He corrected his disciples. He spoke his mind. He didn’t dance around what needed to be said—he said it. He made others feel uncomfortable, if necessary.” - Les Parrott [1]

Jesus challenges our false understanding of what love involves. Jesus challenges us to break free of associating love with being soft and safe in some sort of passive manner.

Love is not passive. Love will act. Love will affirm the potential in every life... and the truth that can protect every life.

Love will contend.

Developing real genuine connection is not easy for us for most of us.

Most relationships maintain a level of connection that is safe... but safe has a way of becoming defined as much by what we avoid as by what we share.

We will have friendships that will stay in a level of connection that’s comfortable... and that is fine... BUT we all need relationships that care enough to embrace what may be uncomfortable... that care enough to contend....and do it well. [2]

I recall many years ago... I was living in a community house of students...and a fellow student had come over for dinner...and she asked to have a moment aside... and she shared how something I had said had done had been hurtful. And midst being confronted... I recall that there was a manner in her...that brought a real sense of being valued...and even respected. I sensed her choice to have risked being vulnerable....how she how she came to me directly. Needless to say... she later became a part of this church... I would officiate at her wedding...before she moved.

She cared enough to contend... to contend for speaking the truth.

We need to challenge ourselves … and be very honest.

Most of us avoid speaking up ... we tend to want to just appease people... keep the peace.

Others may tend to speak up for the wrong reasons... and in the wrong way. We may use our version of truth like a weapon.

Both of these patterns can be self-serving... a way of protecting ourselves.

What we see in Jesus is that he was living out of a relationship to something greater.

Jesus understood...that there is something else besides just himself or the other person.

There is truth and goodness...and we cannot actually love someone without valuing what is true and good.

Jesus contended for the good and against the bad... he was bold in protecting those being condemned and equally bold in challenging those who needed to be challenged with what they were thinking or doing.

Lets take a quick swing through some examples of Jesus contending with truth and love. It could be seen as a quick look at some tough uncomfortable moments.... but they are part of the greatest love ever experienced.

ON SCREEN LIST:

Examples of Jesus contending with truth and love...

• Mary - his mother

• Nicodemus – a religious leader

• Martha – his close friend and supporter

• Peter – his disciple and entrusted friend

Perhaps no relationship is more telling than how Jesus loved his mother. [3]

In Luke’s Biblical Gospel account, he includes the incident during Christ’s youth at the age of 12...when Jesus’ parents discover he is not with them as the journey home from a major trip to Jerusalem. They go back to Jerusalem...and after three days they find him in Temple courtyard engaged in public dialogue with the religious leaders. His parents were astonished...but then we hear how Mary his mother, said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” (Luke 1:48)