INVINICIBLE CHURCH 7-7-24

Relationship pt 2 – Habakkuk 3:17-19
When most people think about Relationships. They Think about LOVE! But, it is impossible to maintain any TRUE relationship without TRUST!
"With that being said, even though others are going to fail us sometimes." we’re NOT always going to be TRUSTWORTHY ourselves. We should still TRUST people to VARYING DEGREES!
But, The ONLY WAY we CAN REALLY TRUST each OTHER is by “FIRST and FOREMOST” relying on the fact that we CAN FULLY TRUST GOD. Because HE WILL NEVER “FAIL US” in ANY WAY! HE WILL be WITH us EVEN when OTHER people BETRAY us! Which means our ultimate “SECURITY” is IN HIM~
So, our trust IN HIM is what gives us “The FREEDOM” to TRUST others and EXPERIENCE The JOY IT brings when everything is GOING WELL in our relationships OR helps us ENDURE “The HARDSHIP” when TIMES are “BAD”! Now, “FULLY TRUSTING” and “UNCONDITIONALLY LOVING” OTHERS is INSEPARABLE!
It is WHY: TRUE – VALID – GOD HONORING RELATIONSHIPS can ONLY be FULLY REALIZED through HONESTY – LOVE - and TRUST! We must remember JESUS said, we are going to have TROUBLES in this WORLD! Sometimes The TROUBLES are WITH an INDIVIDUAL or it could be something that is “SHARED”!
Either way, it requires tremendous “TRUST in GOD” to KEEP “LIVING OUT” The PROCESS of Following Jesus and make it through the “HARD TIMES” of TRIALS – PROBLEMS – TROUBLES – FAILURES – DECEPTION - BAD DECISIONS – or WHATEVER else HAPPENS in our relationships! The BIBLE says in
Galatians 6:2 NIV – 2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Hebrews 10:24 NIV – 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds,
It will ALWAYS take “UNCONDITIONAL LOVE” and “ABSOLUTE TRUST” to “ADMIT and CONFESS” our “BAD DECISIONS and, SINS” to each OTHER! Sometimes it is even MORE DIFFICULT to “BRING UP” our “EMOTIONAL NEEDS” with each other. Especially for MEN, because it is PERCEIVED as WEAKNESS!
James 5:16 NIV – 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Also in
James 5:14 NIV – 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. Then in
Romans 12:15 NIV – 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
So, TRUST is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY in our relationship with GOD. Which “CARRIES OVER” into the relationships with other people that GOD has PUT in our LIVES for The PURPOSE of SERVING HIM! TRUST is also an important part of The FOUNDATION for any CHURCH to “OPERATE PROPERLY” as the family of JESUS CHRIST!
The MOST POWERFUL – MEANINGFUL – and LOVING relationships we could EVER have are WHEN we CAN DEVELOP The “SINCERE ATTITUDE” of "You hurt me but, I want to … and I am gonna’ help you!” It is the example GOD set for US when HE sent JESUS to SAVE us from our SINS! The ONLY WAY we are ever able to do this is by learning to “VIEW” the people that hurt us, the way that GOD “VIEWS” them!
The method that GOD has GIVEN us for doing this is “PROCESSING our PAIN thru PRAYER”! A BIG PART of The “PRAYER PROCESS” is WORSHIPPING GOD by TRULY being THANKFUL for EVERYTHING! WORSHIPPING GOD by FAITH and trusting HIM to “WORK OUT” all of our PROBLEMS IN HIS PERFECT TIMING”. FOR HIS GLORY which WORKS to our “GOOD”!
An Old Testament Scripture that speaks to this is in
Habakkuk 3:17-19 NIV - 17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.
Today it would be something like, even though there is not any food in the house, no money in my account, no cure for my cancer, and no type of reconciliation with my spouse, family, or friends. This makes it seem as though there is no hope for the future. But, I am going praise JESUS and worship GOD with a “GLAD and THANKFUL” heart! This may sound unrealistic because it is easy to worship GOD when everything is going well in life. But, it gets hard to worship GOD when relationships, circumstances, and situations are going bad too!! It is why we have to learn how to worship GOD through our FAITH IN JESUS and TRUST HIM to TAKE CARE of ALL PROBLEMS! Which, the hardest part is almost always going to be WAITING for HIS PERFECT TIMING!
The OPPOSITE of WORSHIPPING GOD is “IDOLATRY”! It is The FOCAL POINT of the first two commandments of The TEN COMMANDMENTS and it is a BIG THEME in The BIBLE. Because EVERYBODY has COMMITTED IDOLATRY at SOME LEVEL. Either INTENTIONALLY – INADVERTENTLY – or by DEFAULT! The REALITY is...
There is ONLY ONE: TRUE – ALMIGHTY – SOVEREIGN – HOLY GOD … He has COMMANDED us to ONLY WORSHIP HIM NOT IDOLS of ANY SHAPE – FORM – or FASHION! So, “IDOLATRY” EXTREMELY DAMAGES our relationship with GOD! It is so important that we understand THIS! GOD emphasized it by having the apostle John end one of the books he wrote with the verse in.
1 John 5:21 NIV - 21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.
IDOLATRY is ANYTHING we PRIORITIZE more than GOD! “The THING” that we might be “IDOLIZING” could be a “GOOD THING” but, if we give more TIME – EFFORT – ENERGY – and RESOURCES to anything other than GOD then we have made an idol out of whatever the good thing happens to be.
One of the most common examples of this is idolizing our kids! People who do this will say I would never put my kids ahead of God. But, observing the decisions they make and how they live their life is exactly what they are doing.
IDOLATRY can also be trying to use GOD to get what we want! The ultimate “GOAL in LIFE” for all True Followers of Jesus is to bring Glory to GOD by making decisions through discernment. Which honors HIM and living our life in obedience to JESUS. Which shows the world we LOVE HIM! So, if our motive for worshipping GOD and seeking HIM first is just to get something we want whether it is HEALING –FINANCIAL RELIEF – RELATIONSHIP RECONCILIATION – DELIVERY from ADDICTION, or WHATEVER else WE MAY WANT. We have made an idol out of ourselves! Then when things don't work out like we want we get aggravated and frustrated that our worship is not working.
That is not how GOD works! GOD does not tempt us with idols! We make our own idols and then we worship them instead of HIM! As a true follower of Jesus, true worship only happens for us when we CONNECT WITH– EXPERIENCE – ENCOUNTER - and become more like GOD through our relationship with JESUS!
We should be able to truly worship GOD in our relationship with JESUS whether we are “HEALTHY or SICK” – “RICH or POOR” – “HAPPY or SAD” - “FULL of LIFE” - or “CLOSE to DEATH” Because, even though life changes, the GOODNESS – GRACE – and MERCY of GOD never changes!
Knowing that truth gives us the ability to focus all of our SPIRITUAL – PHYSICAL – and EMOTIONAL “BEING” on LOVING JESUS so much that we want to and are going to obey his commands and instructions. Which allows us to truly worship GOD and bring glory to HIS name!
It is the only way for us to stay “SPIRITUALLY HEALTHY” and be able to process the problems and pains of life as a True Follower of Jesus!
When CHANGE – CRISIS - CHAOS STARTS affecting our preferred routing. We have a real opportunity to grow in our relationship with GOD by choosing to worship HIM through the situation and praise JESUS, no matter what!!
How do we do it? We seek GOD’s presence through prayer! Keep learning from God's word! Intentionally look for opportunities to SPEAK the TRUTH about JESUS to OTHERS! GO to CHURCH! Be with GOD’s PEOPLE! Worship GOD in “FAITH” knowing that he HEARS US – LOVES US – and he will never “LEAVE US” or “FORSAKE US”. Even if everything is being taken away from us right now!!
Now let's look at The BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE of TRUSTING others! KING DAVID spoke from experience on this because he had been betrayed a whole lot of times by a whole lot of people that whom he had close relationships. It is why he said in the following verses.
Psalm 118:8-9 NIV - 8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
Psalm 41:9 NIV - 9 Even my close friend, someone I trusted, one who shared my bread, has turned against me.
Instead of becoming bitter or declaring all people "untrustworthy" and not worth his time. He learned and taught a simple biblical truth, sinful people are going to fail us but, we can always TRUST IN GOD!
David's son, King Solomon learned the same lesson as well, and he even enhanced the instructions for it by saying it is better to trust GOD than to trust our minds! We see this in
Proverbs 3:5-6 NIV - 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
If we want to have valid relationships. We have to work hard to be trustworthy! JESUS made it very clear that his followers should: keep their word, be discreet, and resist gossiping! At the same time, he instructed his followers to speak up when necessary to call out and help bring about RESTORATION from the sin!! Look at
Matthew 18:15-17 NIV – 15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector. Paul also tells us in
Galatians 6:1 NIV - 6 Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.
True followers of Jesus are supposed to speak the truth and speak it with love so that it will be heard! JESUS also expects us to take care of any practical needs in our relationship with others! The bottom line is following the instructions from JESUS is the best way for us to become trustworthy!
We want to be somebody who other people can trust! For a true follower of Jesus, trustworthiness is empowered in us when we "CALL ON” The HOLY SPIRIT to maintain our HONESTY– INTEGRITY – and UNCONDITIONAL LOVE for others when we are being tempted to get “IMPATIENT and ANGRY”!
The BIBLE also says it is not always natural or easy to trust others! So, it is wise to take time to get to know somebody and not give them our absolute trust right away! JESUS did this when he would step away from the crowds at different times and he he knew their hearts!
John 2:23-25 NIV - 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
For a lot of people, it is hard to tell the difference between being wise about trust or being overly self-protective from a past hurt or fear! Being hesitant to trust somebody again is a sign for a person to ask GOD to heal their heart and emotions so they can be productive!
The BIBLE says trusting GOD is the first and most important step toward trusting others after being hurt! When we truly believe that no matter what men do to us GOD will ALWAYS be FAITHFUL – TRUE - and PRESENT. We can have the peace that surpasses all understanding! The second step toward trusting others after being hurt is forgiveness! JESUS told PETER in
Matthew 18:21-22 NIV - 21 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”22 Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
The point is not as much about how many times to forgive but, that we should be someone who continually seeks to forgive others! If a person betrays our trust over and over. We do not have to keep hanging out with them. But, we also don't need to be so bitter about that person that we let it affect our relationship with other people! Look at
Hebrews 12:14-15 NIV - 14 Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.
If the person is truly repentant, even when it involves betrayal and broken trust. We are supposed to fully forgive and even pursue trying to restore and rebuild trust over time. Because we have been forgiven a much greater debt by GOD than anything other people could ever owe us!!
While we are working and learning to trust others, we should also keep working hard to be trustworthy ourselves! The BIBLE says it is the “GOOD and GODLY” thing to do! We should be trusted by brothers or sisters in Christ for the lost people that we are trying to lead to JESUS!
Proverbs 3:29 NIV – 29 Do not plot harm against your neighbor, who lives trustfully near you.
Proverbs 11:13 NIV - 13 A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy person keeps a secret.
We should be known for our honesty and willingness to suffer with a friend! Because everybody goes through hard times and we all need our trusted friendships even more when things are not working out for whatever reason!
Proverbs 12:22 NIV – 22 The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.
Proverbs 17:17 NIV – 17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for a time of adversity.
We should always be trying to do what Paul tells us in
Ephesians 4:1-2 NIV - As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
GOD is a person, therefore our relationship with him requires connection! This only happens through The HOLY SPIRIT when we are in a salvation relationship with JESUS! But, we can also learn a lot from the Old Testament Prophet Habakkuk! By all accounts, he was a man who walked with GOD as a TRUE BELIEVER!
His PRAYER LIFE - SCRIPTURE STUDY - and WORSHIP of GOD in The Old Covenant version of the Church was INTENTIONAL – FREQUENT - and FAITHFUL! So, whenever a crisis started up in his life, he was able to go to a deeper level of faith in his relationship with GOD! The reality is most people do not use bad times to press into a deeper relationship with GOD! Instead, they try to make GOD somebody he is not! They create a version of him that is not biblical! By trying to come up with a solution to their problem that won't work. Because it is not from GOD!
Others run from GOD instead of to HIM! They will even use their suffering as an excuse to justify their SIN and in the worst-case scenario, some people just deny that GOD exists! We need to take a lesson from Habakkuk and run to GOD as “HARD and FAST” as we can because relationships are hard. The foundation is “LOVE and TRUST” but, there is so much more HONESTY - LOYALTY – COMMITMENT – PATIENCE – SUBMISSION – HUMILITY – SACRIFICE – SERVICE – WORK – GRATITUDE - OBEDIENCE – and LONG SUFFERING! But, true followers of Jesus in America have become spoiled and it dishonors GOD! If we could just get the “UNCONDITIONAL LOVE” and “ABSOLUTE TRUST” parts right in our relationship with JESUS all of the other characteristics would start to fall into line! But, a lot of times our expectations for our relationships here on earth are SELFISH – UNREALISTIC – and OUT of ALIGNMENT with GOD’s WORD!
We don’t view lost people or people who need discipleship or wayward believers the same way as GOD does! A lot of times, believers who are in relationships with people like this don't even pray for them the right way!
A lot of believers pray for GOD to fix the person they are in conflict with so that the person is not such a burden to be in a relationship with! But, instead of praying that the self-centered prayer for GOD to fix or reprimand other people a true follower of Jesus should be praying for God to use them and show them how to help the WAYWARD – HURTING – or LOST PERSON “OVERCOME” whatever is causing them to DISHONOR GOD! JESUS wants our gratitude in all things to be greater than our expectation for anything! When we get that right, we will be blessed!!
It is okay for us to ask GOD to resolve our problems but, he is more interested in our relationship with him! He is also more concerned about us being ready to be invited into his presence. So, we can experience and encounter him! Which was the case with Habbakuk.
I will close with
6- Indicators we are honoring God in our relationship with Him and others
1. We can: Bring Up – Discuss – and Learn from our “Bad Decisions” that led to hard times!
2. We take full responsibility for our own - Struggles – Faults – and Fears!
3. We Can Talk about Hard Times in - Honest – Humble - and Healthy Ways!
4. We are seriously Seeking God First to Work through our Hard Times … While Helping others Along The Way!
5. We have Grown in our - Love for God - Faith in Jesus - and Trust in The Holy Spirit!
6. We are able to Worship God with a “Glad Heart” … No matter what our circumstances happen to be!