Qualities Of Low Conflict Christians Series

Qualities for Low Conflict Christians

John 15:12

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Intro…

This week I believe it would be profitable for us to begin where we left off last week. Last week we talked about seven things you need to know before you die. (God is love, Christ is alive, Sin is destructible, Grace is free, Time is short, Eternity is long, Relationships are very important)

So to begin where we left off I think we will start today by talking about this matter of how important relationships are.

☺ If you think your family has problems, consider the marriage mayhem created when 76-year-old Bill Baker of London recently married Edna Harvey. Edna Harvey happened to be his granddaughter’s, husband’s, mother. That’s where the confusion began, according to Baker’s granddaughter, Lynn.

Lyn said this of the situation…

"My mother-in-law is now my step-grandmother. My grandfather is now my stepfather-in-law. My mom is my sister-in-law and my brother is my nephew. But even crazier than that is that now I’m married to my uncle and my own children are my cousins."

It would take us a while to sit down and figure that out but if you want see the resource is…Campus Life, March, 1981, p. 31

Can I stress something right up front? Relationships are very important.

In order for us to have/ to be in/ low conflict relationships we as Christians, must have some qualities in our life that will help us to be people without conflict. So to get this (intellectually) based sermon under way lets start by saying if we are going to be people without conflict we must have the…

I. Grace of humor Exodus 3:1-4, 9-10 (FOUR QUESTIONS) 11, 13, 4:1, 10

Moses had some very legitimate concerns. 1st of all he was a shepherd, taking care of his father-in-laws sheep with little if any education. He was doing what he was capable of doing. He was tending sheep. He was a man that knew relationships were very important and he was taking care of his daddy-in-laws sheep. You do know that relationships are very important, don’t you? But really, it is humorous; God must have a sense of humor when He showed up in that burning bush in front of Moses. Moses was a man who had a major inferiority complex.

1…. v. 11 Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and lead these people out? He had little or no self confidence. If that would have been God talking to Mark Tucker he would have probably said, “God, when do you want me to take him out!” “You have called Lord, get me on the next bus!” But that is what is so humorous about this story God is talking to a man who has no confidence in himself

2…. v.13, his complex is further realized when he says, “Lord, how am I going to tell these people that I have authorization to do this?” You see, God has a sense of humor. He chooses people not because of ability, but availability.

3….4:1, Moses says, “suppose they will not believe me?” Boy, Moses does really struggle with his identity, does he not? He is really thinking that this whole process is up to him and he needs answers. God has a sense of humor.

4….4:10, “Lord, I am not eloquent, I can’t speak…” Guess what, Uncle Buddy couldn’t either, Charles Stalker couldn’t either, his momma told him he should rethink his call but when she found out he was serious, she supported. God has a sense of humor. And we need to have a sense of humor as well if we are going to live lives without conflict. Christians, this next statement will not be the most profound idea you have ever heard…but YOU NEED TO LEARN TO LAUGH AT YOURSELF. Don’t take yourself too seriously. You will find yourself in conflict if you don’t learn to laugh. (Tell story on yourself wishing Monte, Happy Birthday)

II. Grace of Humility Psalm 10:17 “Lord you have heard the desire of the humble, you will prepare their heart, you will cause your ear to hear.”

First of all I would like to say that this topic of humility is a difficult subject to address. Someone has said, “If you talk about and think you are humble, then it is a sure sign that you are proud to the core.” So humility is something we don’t talk about much. But I see two things happening in this psalm.

1. Those that are humble have an audience with God. David says here, “Lord, you have heard the desire of the humble.” Where do our desires originate? Where do they initially find their beginning? Our desires, those things we really need, those desires, come straight from the heart. God hears the desires of those who are humble.