Strengthening God’s Family
Dan’s sad senior year last mile race (i thought i could win districts, and my teammates just laughed. Sometimes that is the feeling we have about those who are supposed to love us.
Read text. Dallas Willard’s acronym “VIM” today is on "M:" Means
Observation
Thesis: Our Christian Family Is to Strengthen one another’s Spiritual Heart (commitment)
1. we have a Responsibility to each other.
Our Responsibility for One Another is born in the Love of Christ for us.
Sacrificial love. While we were sinners. Looked out for our God Redeem not condemn.
We do not want a severed Body--we want to build each other up
“As firmness of footing is a condition of walking and secure movement, so assurance of others being for us is the condition of stable, healthy living.” (Dallas Willard, Renovation, p. 179)
Willard relates how a child that is accepted and received by family and significant others will have a rootedness that will enable it to thrive in relationship, long after it has grown. Conversely, a child that is rejected, ridiculed, ignored by its family will have a much harder time giving and accepting love later in life.
It just seems natural to be wanted and valued by others. What that means is that “others” must actively pursue a commitment to one another.
He further states that sin has resulted in a brokenness in our social relationships, and boils down the two fundamental evils present: assault (attack) and withdrawal (distancing). It is “hard to imagine life without them.”
If Spiritual Formation in Christ is to succeed, the power of these two forms of evil in our life—within 0urself—absolutely must be broken.
We have the love of the Father in us that enables us to love others. Only his love can truly give us what we need to do that—is our community marked by love? His love? Do we have an active concern for each other. For all?
Some say we are not called to love all people equally. Perhaps it IS hard to do so. But as the Parable of the Samaritan shows—the Samaritan showed sacrificial and tender love to one he was supposed to hate—all people are to be actively loved by us.
That means there is no room for factions, cliques, or closed door snickering about one another. Snickering and sarcasm is fun, isn’t it? Have you ever been on the receiving end of it?
Some right claim: “but it is only in fun.” Is it? What does sarcasm about others tend to reinforce? It reinforces a dismissive, negative portrayal of that person.
Even “concerned discussions” about another person are destructive forces of unity within the body. It usually is merely a reflection of
Our frustration
Our lack of desire of effort to work things out with another brother or sister
Or simply, our lack of real love for another.
We even need to be careful in how we portray others when nursing our own hurt.
1 John says “he who does not love abides in death.” Notice, says Willard, it does not say “he who hates” but simply “he who does not love.” The mere absence of love is deadly. It is withdrawal.
Do you love your brother or sister? Do you honor them before your children? If all your words and actions toward another were to be summed up by your spouse, your friends or even, your children, what would they say? How might they feel toward that person? Would they love and cherish them, or look at them suspiciously or with reserve?
Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, p. 160 The illustration of charging new members: (don’t gossip, go TO the person involved)
Dallas Willard proposes two elements that need to be present for us to be able to have loving social relationships to carry out our responsibility (and opportunity!) to one another:
First, we must see ourselves as WHOLE in Christ. Our lives are “hid with Christ in God” (Col 3:3). God has a plan for us, sees us as complete in Christ, and our focus on that will begin to overcome any feelings and memories of brokenness that may have happened to us.
Second, we need to abandon all defensiveness. “This of course could occur only in a social context where Christ dwells!” (p. 195) This abandonment of defensiveness includes a willingness to be known in our most intimate relationships for who we really area. It would include abandonment of all practices of self-justification, evasiveness, and deceit, as well as manipulation. That is not to say we should impose all the facts about ourselves upon those close to us, much less on others at large. . . But it does mean that we do not hide and we do not follow strategies for “looking good.”
Our family House community is to be marked by love. Carried out in the daily encouragement of others?
Why? Exhorting
Encouragement 1 thess read Hebrew 23 v. 13? (Hebrews 13? Dan note while adding written notes to this outline. Don’t know my reference. I wrote 23.)
Dallas Willard. Element 3, p. 195 (Renovation of the Heart?) All pretense gone replaced by love
Element 4 Widening opening up our circle of redemptive influence. Not about defending ourselves anymore.
Encouragement may be:
You can do it (Atlanta Olympics)
Specific scripture
Showing the error and pointing (encouragingly toward the goal)
Verses that give hope
Verses that set straight
Encouragement we are on the right track—like Kris did on my teaching ability on Wednesday night.
Cutting out the bad stuff:
o Should not be bad mouthing each other in front of our children
o Or in front of each other. Factions and cliques and misunderstandings
Sitting around each others table with Bibles opened
Phone call “just because” peppered with some real, heartfelt encouragement:
o I appreciate your zeal for God! (Christopher . . .)
o The way you stay faithful through all is inspiring to me
o I appreciate your transparency and desire to admit your shortcomings/sin
o Your children are evidence of your love of our Lord and commitment to him
o God’s Spirit is in you—do all you can to make him welcome in your heart
o Isn’t it amazing that Christ knows our weaknesses and we can approach God with confidence because of him?
o This life will be over before we know it!! Let’s focus on what matters
o We have such a great cloud of witness all around us that have been faithful—you can too! Let’s throw off the sin that entangles
Follow up with:
o Is there anything I can pray for you for?
o How has your steadfastness been?
o Do you ever struggle with your faith
The Bible says he was faithful to the point of death on the crow At every temptation he chose what was the will of the Father. Trusteing God’s way.
When the Father Spoke: he listened (Today . . . . if you hear . . . .)
a. God’s People Help Us Stick To Our Decision to take Hold of God’s Heart
Communal responsibility that will help us achieve our task. Duty of Every Christan, not just leaders.
i. Love effort
Rom 12:9
Not easy, blended families rarely are a piece of cake.
ii. Daily effort
It not just something we do on accsion.
Mission
Israelites fate may have been different of the practiced encouraging on antoher. Instead of this poster:
Anti\0uccesories:
Idiocy—never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groupls
iii. Practical effort
Andrea Yates, post traumatics stress syndrome. CNN.
Jack Welch: from his book Jack: Staright from the Gut. He felt cheated. Submitted by Del Jones, preachingToday
John Belushi: in preachingtoday, submitted by Daniel Hans. Died of overdose. USNWR said “it can do you no harm, drive you insane, ; status/wreck carreer, etc. elixir for high living, etc.
1. Make Today the Day We Take Hold of God’s Rest
a. The Promise of God’s Rest
i. Rooted in Creation (work-rest)
ii. Reinforced in the Sabbath
iii. Reached for in the Promised Land
iv. Realized in Christ
1. now
2. not yet
b. The Process to Enter God’s Rest
v. Stand Firm in our Decision
vi. Stand Firm on the Promise
vii. Stand Firm in Christ
Daniel Meyer, oak Brook IL on his sermon love among the ruins. About being a teen confronted by a man who said: “there are things about you that you can never change . . . you can’t see them . . . you are USING THEM to see. Preaching today.com
Closed with Jess Owens being encouraged by Luz Long. In preachingtoday. Submitted by Ken Sutterfield. The power of an encouraging word (that is his book . . .?)
