RELATIONSHIPS MATTER

     THE ENTIRE BIBLE IS ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS.  GOD’S TO THE WORLD.  GOD’S TO MAN.  ADAM TO EVE.  CAIN TO ABEL.  NOAH TO HIS COMMUNITY.  SAMSON’S TO HIS FIRST WIFE, HIS PARENTS AND DELILAH.  DAVID TO SAUL, JONATHAN, ABNER AND THE PROPHET NATHAN.  JOSEPH’S TO MARY, MARY’S TO ELIZABETH, JOHN’S TO JESUS.  JESUS’ TO HIS FATHER AND ON AND ON AND ON........

     RELATIONSHIPS SHAPE, MOLD AND MAKE US INTO WHO WE ARE.  EVERY TIME THAT A MADMAN KILLS A BUNCH OF PEOPLE OR A POLITICIAN CHEATS OR A PREACHER LASHES OUT, YOU  CAN HEAR PEOPLE TALKING IN THE NEWSROOMS, IN THE DOCTOR’S OFFICES AND AROUND THE KITCHEN TABLES ABOUT WHAT HIS RELATIONSHIPS WERE LIKE.  DID HIS FATHER ABUSE HIM, DID HER MOTHER LEAVE HER, HOW WERE THEY RAISED AND WHO WERE THIER INFLUENCES?  RELATIONSHIPS MATTER!  

     HERE IS MY POINT TODAY, CHRIST GAVE US SOME PHENOMENAL INSIGHT IN LUKE CHAPTER 10 ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS ARE TO OUTREACH MINISTRY....LET’S LOOK AT IT.

     LET’S TAKE EACH OF THE PLAYERS IN THESE VERSES AND SEE WHAT THEIR REACTION OR ATTITUDE WAS TO THE STIMULUS THAT JESUS INTERJECTED INTO THIER LIVES.  IN THIS CASE THE STIMULUS BEING “A PERSON IN NEED”.  

To the expert in religious law- the wounded man was a subject to discuss, theorize and use as a pawn in a conversation to try to trap another teacher with

To the thieves- the wounded man was some one to abuse and exploit

To the preachers- the wounded man was a problem to be avoided

To the business man (innkeeper)- the wounded man was a customer worth serving if it meant making a profit

To the samaritan- the wounded man was a human being likened unto himself that was worthy of being cared for and loved...

To Jesus, our narrator of this story- the wounded man was worth dying for.

NOW IT IS UP TO YOU TO GO BACK AND SEE WHERE ALL YOU FIT IN THIS PARABLE!!!

     WHEN IT COMES TO THE TWO MAIN POOLS OF PEOPLE THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GROW OUR CHURCHES FROM, THE COMMUNITY AND OUR CHILDREN, RELATIONSHIPS IS WHERE WE ARE FAILING MOST.  AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE OF OUR HYPOCRISIES.  WHEN PEOPLE DECIDE THAT WE ARE HYPOCRITES THEN THEY QUIT FOLLOWING OUR EXAMPLES.  

     YOU MAY BE THE BEST PREACHER THAT THERE IS.  DEEP, FULL OF CHARISMA AND CHARACTER.  BUT IF PEOPLE FIND OUT, AND THEY EVENTUALLY WILL, THAT YOU TREAT YOUR WIFE LIKE DIRT?  THEY ARE GOING TO STOP FOLLOWING YOU.

     YOU MAY BE HELD UP AS THIS GODLY AND SPIRITUAL WOMAN.  GREAT TEACHER TO THE OTHER LADIES AND THE CHILDREN.  BUT IF PEOPLE FIND OUT, AND THEY EVENTUALLY WILL, THAT YOU WEAR THE PANTS IN YOUR FAMILY.  THEY ARE GOING TO STOP FOLLOWING YOU.

     YOU MAY BE THE HOTTEST NAME IN AN EVANGELIST OUT THERE TODAY.  OR THE MOST ENDURING NAME IN A PASTOR OR CAMP MEETING PREACHER.  BUT IF PEOPLE FIND OUT THAT YOU CAN LOOK A MAN RIGHT IN THE EYE AND TELL HIM ALL KINDS OF WONDERFUL THINGS THAT YOU THINK ABOUT HIM AND THEN GO RIGHT DOWN THE STREET TO TACO BELL AND GOSSIP ABOUT HIM AND STAB HIM IN THE BACK AND THROW HIM UNDER THE BUS.....WHEN THE PEOPLE FIND OUT, THEY ARE GOING TO STOP FOLLOWING YOU.  

     YOU SEE IT’S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT WHY CAN’T WE GET ANY CONVERTS.  MOST HAVE HAD PLENTY OF CONVERTS.  THEY JUST COULDN’T KEEP THEM.  WE ALL HAVE SAID THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH FOLLOW UP AND DISCIPLESHIP AND IT DOES.  THAT IS OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THEM BUT OUR RELATIONSHIP TO THEM IS NOT THE ONLY RELATIONSHIP THAT OUR CONVERTS ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO IT IS OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERYONE ELSE THAT MATTER AS WELL.

This entire post is an excerpt from one of my sermons.

Rev. D. Todd Sloggett