We’re going to be looking at what Jesus has to say about living out God’s plan for your relationships. In our current message series, 40 Days with Jesus, we’re going through Jesus’ famous teaching in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. Relationships were invented by God. People were created so that we could have a relationship with God and with one another. Relationships bring much blessing into our lives, but also sometimes conflict and pain. How can your relationships be everything that God intends them to be? The answer is by understanding the principles of God’s Word and then applying them to your life with the help of the Holy Spirit.
It is the Holy Spirit that illuminates God’s Word and shows us how to practically apply it to our lives.
Matthew 5:19 (NIV) … whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
In order to teach God’s Word, you have to understand what it says. However, that’s not enough. God desires for each person to understand, teach and practice God’s Word. What did Jesus call those who understand and teach God’s Word, but don’t practice it? Hypocrites. We don’t want to be hypocrites but devoted followers of Jesus. Jesus goes on to say
Matthew 5:20 (NIV) For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
You see the religious teachers of the day appeared to have it all together. They thought they understood God’s Word and they taught it to others. Yet, Jesus says here that these teachers weren’t even saved. Why? Because, as we’ll see, their so-called righteousness was only in outward appearances. In their hearts they were not right with God, they were hypocrites. The teachers did not practice what they taught.
Managing outward appearances with no change of heart just doesn’t work. But isn’t there just a touch of the truth there? Don’t we sometimes say one thing, but think quite another in our hearts? What if the thoughts of our hearts came out, rather than the words we want others to hear? Let’s remember as we go through Jesus’ teaching that God wants our outward actions and words to reflect a pure and honest heart within.
In this section of Matthew 5, we will see Jesus teach on 6 aspects of relationships. In each aspect, Jesus begins by saying, “You have heard … And I say to you.” What people had heard had to do with outward actions. Jesus deals with heart attitudes.
Listen to my message “Jesus on Relationships.”
This is a very good website and I am passing it on to my friends. Thank you so much!!! It is a great help and blessing! ~Barb
I have been following Pastor Dan’s Blog for approximately two days now and I must say it gives me great comfort know that I am not the only one facing relationship problems in my life. I am currently battling a situation between two men. One who is an ex and the other is a new gentleman I have met. My ex and I decided to end things because we constantly argued and the situation was not healthy for us both. We are now working on a friendship causing the old flames to re-kindle. I have already placed this situation in the hands of the Lord and ask that he does whatever he sees fit for my ex and I. The other gentle man who I have previously mentioned, has hurt me terribly maybe because I did not give myself sufficient time to heal before I moved on or maybe because it is just in his nature. We shared an intimate moment and I am not to keen on the way he has treated me after it occurred. I am still very hurt and angry at him. Right now I am in a limbo, I do not know which of these men the Lord wants for me. But what I have decided to do is to surrender to him, I have placed every thing in his hands and I will allow him the space to do his will. Because I know in him there is peace and happiness. Although I have done this worry and doubt still sets in. I made an attempt to contact the gentleman and I did not like the response he gave me, he told me that he has been busy over the past few days and he was nervous to call me after what took place, I exploded and have not spoken to him since. It has been 4 days now. I pray about it tirelessly, yet still I can’t help but to feel worried and confused. Any advice? Please Share.
Leah, you should find a local DivorceCare group…13-weeks of great discussion, biblical teaching and room to heal. http://www.divorcecare.com
Leah often times we already know the answer to the questions we bring to God which is the mistake many people including myself make. We bring these extremely intimate questions to the Lord and we know the answer already in our hearts. Yet we hope that he will deliver to us what we want, instead of what he has already impressed in our hearts to know is right. Sometimes after it turns out apart from our own imagination, we blame God in not answering our prayers, but that is a fallacy. In the end your situation will turn out the way it was destined to, but I hope your heart is in the right place to accept its ending with a peace of mind. I have faith you will emerge a stronger and more faithful individual.
Perhaps by now the answer has come to fruition as i write this in 2012. Hope it all worked well for you :)!