*Eph 6:5-9- ESV
5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters[b] with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. 9 Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master[c] and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him. *
*Just because we have done it this way doesn’t mean we should continue in them or that our past ways were right. *
2 Components to Relationships
1- Value.
a. We all have value. You are all God’s favorite.
2- Authority.
a. Different authority in the spirit. Different roles, different responsibilities.
1 Corinthians 1:27 NLT
Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful.
*God is not afraid of our messes- The Gospel has come to transcend racial lines, political lines, social opinions, and economic lines. The cross of Jesus has come to connect our difference.
*
*Tension is healthy, is natural and is supposed to cause us to trust. When we avoid healthy tension, we entertain strife. Strife is not from God and strife leads to separation. *
Strife;
- Angry or bitter disagreement over fundamental issues; conflict.
- A conflict at the core of who you are.
- When you are wrestling with something from the inside.
Prov 20:3 NIV
It is to one’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel
The 3 demands of dealing with strife.
- Strife demands an action to intervene.
Time does not heal all wounds.
Unchecked unforgiveness, bitterness will lead to more bitterness.
The action that God calls us into is obedience.
Obedience is not one size fits all, but can look different with every situation.
Sometimes obedience…
Gives in>submits>stands up>speaks truth>resist>compromises-
What is God saying to you NOW?
- An attitude of obedience must accompany your actions.
*a. A “Fear and Trembling”. *
*1 Corinthians 2:3-4
And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, 4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men[c] but in the power of God.
*
Phil 2:12 ESV
Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
Phil 2:13 ESV
for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
*b. An attitude that has a singleness of mind and heart for God. *
HE is talking about not having divided loyalties.
We are put on this earth, not to please one another, but the Lord.
1- Eye Service- only working or walking in what you believe when others are watching.
2- Men pleasing- Acting in a way to get gratitude and respect.
3. An awareness to the bigger picture that keeps our relationships from degenerating.
*Psalm 46:10 esv
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”*