Relationships…at the Centre of the Target
(Turn to Matthew 23)
Christianity is a dynamic religion, the relationship a disciple develops with God & with each other can transform us so that we become more & more like his Son, God has the goal of uniting man to Him & through that relationship freeing us up to help our fellow man to know Him too.
In the 1st century there was rapid growth in the church, where people became disciples, became close to each other & went about the business of making more disciples
Then it was a very simple faith – you were introduced to Jesus by one of his disciples & then naturally stayed close to Him & to them, & together introduced others to Jesus
Over time though things became more complicated – with that growth came issues like the meetings of the disciples, what form should these meetings take…what things should be done in them
As people with differing circumstances were brought to the church so the issue of how these circumstances interfaced with Christianity arose…
As we know the greatest issue in the early church was the Jew/Gentile controversy – what practices should the ‘original people of God’ bring with them into this ‘new’ faith, and what should they expect Gentile converts to practice from Judaism
There were differing opinions about how to deal with these issues, & that resulted in the division we see today, and so now there are over 20,000 denominations, many with good hearts & intentions, all arising from attempts to placate many these issues.
Jesus saw this problem too
When faced with this type of issue he made something very clear
You see most people see anything relating to God as important as anything else relating to God
Issues like whether we play instruments at church, or at what point in a worship service should we take communion & what form should it take, had become as important as whether to should show justice & mercy.
Such an approach leads to endless controversies over smaller details and important things do not get the right focus
We are in danger of this too – forgetting the central purpose of our faith – what did Jesus say to people that were caught in this cycle…?
Matthew 23:23-24 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!
You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should havepracticed the latter, without neglecting the former. 24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
You see these Pharisees saw every issue as you would see a set of Dominoes in a row – the amount does not matter – what is important to realize that every issue was seen as important as every other
What Jesus is asking us to do here is to see Christianity very differently
You see the Pharisees religiously gave a tenth of all they had, as the law expected, but as a result of obeying only those things that were measurable & easy t take account of they neglected other issues
See what Jesus says…
‘But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness’
He is saying that there are matters that are of more importance than giving their tithe – justice mercy & faithfulness…
Instead of seeing matters relating to God as of the same importance he wanted them to see Christianity as a target.
With something’s dead centre, or in the bulls eye, whilst others, though still within the will of God made up more peripheral rings on our target
Notice that while he says there are more important matters, he also says to them…
You should havepracticed the latter, without neglecting the former.
Giving tithes & issues like it still need our attention but when they prevent us fulfilling more important issues we are not bringing Glory to God
(Take this principle with you…
While this relates directly to this series it is also a principle that we as disciples should take with us…
Are we focussing on the right things, there are some spiritual issues more important than others)
When you think of a target you see the bulls-eye & rings emanating from it…
Interestingly, the scriptures do not tell us what should be in those 2nd & 3rd rings of our target…but they make very clear what things are at the centre of the target.
So with this principle in mind let’s look get into today’s lesson.
Let’s look at…The Centrality of Relationships
In this series we shall affirm that relationships & the form they should take between us do not fall in some peripheral area but are to be found at the very centre of the target – at the heart of what the God’s Kingdom is all about.
And that if we are serious about being faithful to God as disciples of his Son the nature of our relationships with other disciples must be our primary concern
As God’s Kingdom breaks into this present age & as His Will is done on earth as it is in heaven there will be a stark difference in Kingdom relationships and seeing to this must be the passion of every disciple
Pray
(Turn to Matt 22)
6 quick points…
- Relationships, Coupled with Loving God
Jesus outlines the simplicity of Christianity for us in:
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a]38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself.'[b]40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
Jesus here makes it clear – when asked what is the greatest commandment – what it is
Loving God with all your being – surely nothing is more important than this, he was asked this by an expert in the law, probably with a desire to quantify Christianity – he’s saying that nothing in all the law is more important than a love for God that affects every area of a man’s life
But he does not finish there, included in the answer to the question ‘what is the greatest commandment’ he says
39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbour as yourself
In the same breath he includes the command to love others, it is not separated but he says is like the 1st
He gives it almost equal importance by connecting it so closely with the 1st
For us what we must realize is that Jesus is saying that our relationships with each other is intricately linked with our relationship with God
He goes onto say –
40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
For his Jewish hearers the message could not be clearer – they believed that ‘the Law & the Prophets’ encompassed all of God’s will all of Gods will
The message bible says it like this
‘These 2 commands are like pegs; everything in God’s law& the Prophets hangs on them’
Jesus was laying the foundation for the vitality of our relationships in doing God’s Will
This lays a foundation for us but if this idea is new to you – see how Jesus underscores it in our next passage
Turn to John 13
2. Relationships, How we show we are disciples
John 13:34-35 A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Scripture no3 today Jesus here gives us an indication of the level of love we should show each other
‘As I have loved you’
A question for you, what do you think he meant by that? Q
Graciously, sacrificially, unconditionally, honestly, (did not hold back with telling the truth), humbly, (as a servant as only a few verses earlier he had washed the disciples’ feet)
Now he commands them to love each other as they have seen him love them.
If this were the only passage where we are given a description of how we should love each other we could certainly develop a deep understanding of what is required
As the series continues we shall see that many NT scriptures make this clear
What we need to understand from this passage is how crucial relationships are
35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Loving relationships are so near the centre of our target that this is the way others will know we belong to him!
Amazing
Whilst doctrine is important it is not what Jesus says will mark us out
Whilst inspirational services are important to strive for, they will not be what marks’ us out
Picture – we have seen this picture before
It is a depiction of what Isaiah saw 700 years before the coming of Christ
A vision of disputes being settled & the tools of division, weapons, would be beaten into tools of peace
Seeming impossible unity would be formed between the wolf & lamb, the leopard & goat or calf & lion
And all would be led by a little child!
As peoples of all races & all characteristics come into God’s Kingdom, a peace will descend that will be evidence to others that God’s Kingdom has come
The oppressors & the oppressed living happily, joyfully together
The vulnerable of society will find a friend as their Slave master puts his life in Jesus hands
Remember our scripture where Jesus reminds the Pharisee not the neglect the ‘more important matters?
Relationships between us are one of those ‘important matters’, because Jesus puts them there!
(Turn to Acts 2)
3. Relationships, Something to be devoted to as we come into Christ
Acts 2:42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread & to prayer
As we know this is a description of the 1st believers, after their baptism on the day of Pentecost…
As they devoted themselves to what the apostles taught them we find them living out their faith in fellowship with others that had decided to follow Jesus.
I suggest the teaching of Jesus only 6 weeks prior as recorded in John 13 is what they were taught. ‘By this all men will know we are Jesus’ disciples’
Perhaps this will have more meaning for us when we look at the word used to describe their relationships
‘koinonia’ – the Greek word that ‘fellowship’ was translated from
This does not describe the sort of fellowship that we may be familiar with – ‘hi’ & ‘bye’ fellowship – ‘see you next week’
The word ‘koinonia’ refers too much more – it refers to a partnership or deep involvement
The word when used outside the NT often meant the relationship between Husband &
Wife
New English Bible – ask – ‘sharing together in common life’
This is a clue to the meaning of the word – its root is ‘koinon’ meaning ‘common’ or ‘in common’
The 1st disciples of Acts 2 ‘common life’ – it was not a casual connection
Not a chess club or basketball club
But a family – in another sense though with a deeper than blood families
We are connected as relations – but our connection is deeper & longer lasting than blood
We are related because we have been baptized into the name of Jesus and born of the spirit so we share an identity
We share deep values & goals
The Apostles taught their new converts what was of 1st importance as they were taught by their Lord & from day 1 there was never a doubt that sharing this life together was at the centre of the target.
(Turn to Gal 6)
3. Relationships, How to fulfil the Principle of Christ
Galatians 6:1-2 Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.
This is the 1st reference to relationships we will take from the NT letters – in fact if you scan the letter for their content on relationships you will find that they speak on this topic more than any other.
This alone should be evidence to us of centrality of the teaching
But in this passage & in several others we see how central relationships are to new life in Christ.
As with all biblical study the watchwords should be ‘context, context, context!
The phrase in v2 ‘Carry each other's burdens’ should be seen in context before any applications are drawn from it.
The word ‘burdens’ here refers to ‘burdens produced by sin’
So the application here is that disciples are to be so involved in each other’s lives that they are aware of what sins they are struggling with.
Then they are to come alongside each other & carry these ‘burdens produced by sin’ with them to a place where they are dealt with
But it is the final phrase that I want us to focus on
‘In this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.’
This is an interesting phrase…
1st we should realize that in the NT the word ‘law’ does not always refer to a commandment or code but often to a principle
In this case this passage is telling us that knowing another’s sins & the burden produced by them, then coming alongside them & carrying these burdens is fulfilling a principle of Jesus
Isaiah says
Isaiah 53:4 ‘Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows’
And Peter says
Or 1 Peter 2:24 ‘He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree’
So this should come as no surprise
So relationships between believers are so central to true Christianity that because by them we are fulfilling a Christ-like principle
Not just being nice to people – or offering them lifts
But knowing them so well &…by implication…being known so well…that you know the very sins they we each are struggling with
(Turn to Phil 1)
5. Relationships, How we live a life worthy of the Gospel
Philippians 1:27, 2:1-4 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
The phrase…
‘A manner worthy of the gospel of Christ’
Can be thought of as meaning a number of things
Being pure, having integrity, attending church, reading the bible – these are all behaviours we think of when we think what befits the gospel of Christ
But before we jump to these conclusions we should again look at the context in which Paul uses the phrase.
The verses that follow show us that conducting ourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel is when we ‘stand firm in one spirit’ while having deep unity with each other & as v4 says, having involvement in each others interests
The conduct Paul says we should have is that we are deeply unified & that we have deep relationships
He makes the same point is made in Eph 4:1-3:
V1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received…
What is it that Paul expects of those he urges to live this life?
Relationships…
V2-3 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
It’s as though Paul is echoing the words of Jesus as recorded by John in ch13 of his gospel
‘Love one another…. By this all men will know that you are my disciples’
Relationships are at the centre of God’s will because this is the way you live a life worthy of the calling
Finally…
(Turn to 1 John)
6. Where walking in the Light Leads
1 John 1:7-9 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us...
v9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
In John’s 1st epistle he draws contrast between ‘living in the light’ & ‘living in the darkness’
But what does it mean to ‘walk in the light’ as he puts it?
He uses a similar idea in v9, but here he says ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness’
‘Confessing our sins’ & ‘walking in the light’ are very closely linked…having open, transparent relationships, where we confess our sins, is the same as walking in the light