Relational Health Series

SERMON OUTLINE:

(1). A relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ.

(2). A relationships with other people through the power of the Holy Spirit

(3). A relationships with other people requires awareness through the Word of God

• (3a). Be aware of your priorities.

• (3b). Be aware of problems.

• (3c). Be willing to willing to put to rights broken relationships.

SERMON BODY:

Ill:

• A little boy fell out of the bed in his sleep.

• His father picked him up and put him back in bed.

• He asked him, "Son, what happened?"

• The little boy responded, "I fell asleep too close to where I got in."

• TRANSITION:

• Sadly that describes too many Christians today;

• They have fallen asleep too close to where they got in.

• They are not in danger of falling out of salvation;

• But they have made no spiritual progress since they were saved.

• That is one reason why we are doing this series called ‘TRANSFORMED’

• Some of us need waking up and moving on in our faith,

• And hopefully these talks and the House Group follow on discussions;

• Will help us do just that!

This morning our topic is ‘Relational Health’:

• If you had to boil the Christian life down into one word what would that word be?

• At the risk of being too simplistic,

• I would suggest that the word would be “Relationships”.

Ill:

• On one occasion Jesus was asked a question;

• “What is the most important commandment”,

• To the surprise of his listeners;

• Jesus did not quote one of Moses ‘top 10 commandments’,

• Instead he quotes from two other Old Testament books;

• Deuteronomy chapter 6 verse 5 and Leviticus chapter 19 verse 18.

• What he does is summaries the ten commandments.

• First: “Love God with everything”

• Second: “Love your neighbour as yourself”:

• “Love God with everything”

• That summarises the first 4 commandments (upward – us & or dealings with God).

• “Love your neighbour as yourself”:

• That summarizes the other 6 commandments (outward – us & our dealings with others).

• First: A relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ.

• Second: Healthy relationships with other people.

(1). A relationship with God the Father through Jesus Christ.

Ill:

• In Berlin art gallery is a painting by German painter Adolf Menzel (1815-1905).

• Only partially finished.

• The artist intended to show Fredrick the Great speaking with some of his generals.

• Menzel painted generals and background, left king until last.

• He put the outline of Fredrick in charcoal, but died prior to finishing.

• TRANSITION: Too many Christians come to end of life;

• Without ever having put Christ into his proper place, i.e. centre stage.

• Yet, it need not be that way today!

Note:

• Remember God made it a priority to rescue a rebellious world;

• I guess John chapter 3 verse 16 illustrates that;

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

It has been called the greatest verse in the Bible and it is not hard to see why!

• “God” - The greatest Lover.

• “So loved” - The greatest degree.

• “The world” - The greatest number.

• “That He gave” - The greatest act.

• “His one and only Son” - The greatest gift.

• “That whosoever” - The greatest invitation.

• “Believes” - The greatest simplicity.

• “In Him” - The greatest Person.

• “Should not perish” - The greatest deliverance.

• “But” - The greatest difference.

• “Have” - The greatest certainty.

• “Everlasting Life” - The greatest possession.

Ill:

• A group of college students toured the slums of a city,

• One of the students pointed out a little girl playing in the dirt,

• And he asked the guide, “Why doesn’t her mother clean her up?”

• The guide replied;

• “That girl’s mother probably loves her, but she doesn’t hate dirt.

• You hate dirt, but you don’t love her enough to go down there and clean her up.

• Until hate for dirt and love for that child are in the same person,

• That little girl is likely to remain as she is.”

• TRANSITION: God hated our sin and the judgement we were due to face;

• He loved us, the sinners and he and only he was able and prepared to act!

• God became a human being and lived among us.

• Through his death on the cross;