Level 3 Lesson 4 The Power of Godly Relationships

Level: 3, Lesson: 4
The Power of Godly Relationships
OUTLINE

Relationships can either be destructive or empower us to serve and love God.

Jesus in you is not enough to make it in this life as a Christian. The Jesus in other people, with their giftings, insights, and anointing of God, will help you finish strong.

I Corinthians 12:12-31: "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. 14For the body is not one member, but many. 15If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 17If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20But now are they many members, yet but one body. 21And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. 22Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: 23And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. 24For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: 25That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. 27Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 28And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles? 30Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret? 31But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet show I unto you a more excellent way."

For the body of Christ to function, all the members have to be in their places and understand each other's value. They are, in a sense, dependent on each other. Examples of people who are in unhealthy relationships are as follows:

1. People who are constantly critical of others;

2. People who remind you of your past or try to pull you away from the things of God;

3. Someone who tries to get you to compromise your convictions to live a godly life;

4. Someone who is so insecure that he demands inordinate loyalty from you at the expense of other relationships;

5. People who control or manipulate.

II Timothy 2:22: "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

To make it in life, you need to connect yourself with others who love God and are pursuing faith, righteousness and peace.

Proverbs 27:17: "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend."

When you get around others who have a heart for God, they provoke you to love and have a heart for God.

Proverbs 18:1: "Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom."

I Corinthians 15:33: "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners."

Not putting an importance on having godly relationships brings destruction in your life. If we give ourselves to people who love God, and develop those relationships, it helps us maintain godly character. God has placed people in your life - someone to be a friend to you, to help you navigate through the storms of life and keep Jesus Lord. Begin to take a risk by investing yourself and your love in someone else's life.

THE POWER OF GODLY RELATIONSHIPS

(Detailed Teacher's Guide)

I want to talk to you today about the power of relationships - Godly relationships. You know the scriptures are very clear about the importance of our relationships - how we relate to one another. There are relationships that we can have that are unhealthy or destructive. We can also have relationships that empower us to serve God and to love God.

You know, really, the importance of relationships is addressed all through the scriptures, especially in the Apostle Paul's writings (his letters). Many times he talked about the importance of relationships. He talked about destructive relationships and how we are to respond to those, and he talked about positive, healthy relationships and how to develop and maintain those.

I remember a time when the Holy Spirit really made it clear to me that just Jesus in me was not enough for me to make it in this life as a Christian, and finish my course strong. It was going to take Jesus in me and the Jesus in other people, with their giftings, insights and the anointing and life of God in them. Collectively, we can make it and finish our course strong. Then I began to see in the scriptures that this is how the body of Christ is made to function.

First Corinthians Chapter 12 talks about the different members of the body. Paul clearly and emphatically states that one member isn't more important than another member. In stating this, he's basically saying that for the body to function, all the members have to be in their places and understand each other's value.

There are many scriptures that command us to abandon abusive relationships. Let me give you an example of what an unhealthy relationship is because perhaps a lot of people don't really know how to identify one. Here are some characteristics of unhealthy relationship. If you're around people who are constantly critical of others, that's an unhealthy relationship. If you're around someone who is trying to get you to compromise the convictions in your heart to live a godly life, that's an unhealthy relationship. If there is any kind of control or manipulation taking place, that's an unhealthy relationship. If people are trying to get you to embrace things that aren't true, that aren't in the scriptures, or they're twisting scriptures, that's an unhealthy relationship. We are commanded to abandon those relationships and not even try to rescue those individuals, but try to guard our own hearts.

Then we are encouraged and exhorted to establish and maintain healthy relationships. There are many scriptures that talk about the importance of godly relationships. I want to mention one found in II Timothy 2:2. Paul told Timothy this: "Flee youthful lusts, but pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

If we give ourselves to people who love God and we develop those relationships and those friendships, then they serve as a margin in our lives. They help us live within a place of integrity. They help us maintain character. They help us make sure that our perceptions are still lining up with the scriptures. Really, the body of Christ is created to work that way. We really do need one another and we really can't afford to be a lone ranger in our relationship with God.

THE POWER OF GODLY RELATIONSHIPS

By Mike Fehlauer

(Additional Information)

Now, let's give you a little background. Timothy was pastoring a very large church in Ephesus, but they were going through some difficult times. Nero was still in control at this time. Rome had burnt down. Nero blamed the Christians for this. There was already a tremendous amount of persecution toward the church and toward Christian believers. That persecution intensified after Rome burnt down. Nero just about lost his mind. He was demon possessed. In other words, the smell of blood was in the air. He was looking for Christians to persecute and destroy. Therefore, there was a tremendous amount of fear that attacked the church. The fear was so great that even Timothy's closest friends and some of the leaders in the church in Ephesus, began to flee for their lives. Many were probably even denying the faith, denying that they even knew Jesus, just to save their physical lives and not be martyred.

The spirit of fear was so great that it began to grip Timothy's heart as well. Paul was trying to encourage Timothy, and one of the things he said was, "Flee youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace . . ." Notice what he says next: " . . . with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart" (II Timothy 2:22). Basically Paul is telling Timothy that he wasn't going to make it through this difficult time alone. He needed to find others who were pursuing the same things that he was pursuing. He needed to surround himself with other men who loved God and were pursuing faith, righteousness and peace. He needed to connect with them because he could not accomplish this goal (pursuit of faith, righteousness and peace) alone.

There are so many other scriptures that talk about the importance of godly relationships. Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpeneth iron. . ." In other words, what the writer is saying is that when you get around somebody who is hungry, full of zeal and has a heart for God, he will provoke you to have zeal, and a heart for God.

Proverbs 18:1 says, "A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire, and rages against wise counsel." In other words, a person who doesn't understand the dynamics of godly relationships isolates himself and he begins to live after his own desires. He eventually begins to live a life of perversity. He's in error, but doesn't realize he's in error because he has cut off his connection with anybody who could help him see his error or anything destructive in his life.

I Corinthians 15:33 says, "Evil communications corrupt good manners." Bad relationships corrupt good behavior.

Then we see in the scriptures that if we give ourselves to people who love God and we develop those relationships, then they serve as a margin in our lives. They help us live within a place of integrity. They help us maintain character. They help us make sure that our perceptions are still lining up with the scriptures. Really, the body of Christ is created to work that way. We really do need one another and can't afford to be a lone ranger in our relationship with God.

I really believe that God has placed certain people in your life for a reason. I believe there have been some divine connections, and maybe you've not really pursued those relationships as you should. I want to encourage you to do so. There are people who God has placed in your life - not only to teach you and be a mentor, but there are people who God has placed in your life to be a friend. These people can help you navigate through the storms of life, keep your heart pure and keep Jesus the Lord of your life.

I want to encourage you to go out there and develop healthy relationships. How do you do that? Well, Proverbs 18:24 says, "A man that hath friends must show himself friendly . . ." Take a risk. Be vulnerable. Begin to invest yourself, your life and your love, in somebody else's life. You'll see God begin to develop relationships. Some of those relationships will last the rest of your life. You'll end up being the wealthiest man, and the wealthiest woman in the world because you have the richness and the prosperity of good, godly, healthy friends.

Here are some questions to think about for this lesson

Level 3 Lesson 4 Questions
The Power of Godly Relationships

What does I Corinthians 15:33 teach us about relationships?
What does I Corinthians 12:12 show us about our Christian life?
What can we learn about godly relationships from Hebrews 10:24?
What can we learn from Hebrews 10:25 about relationships?
Why must we guard our hearts from ungodly relationships?
We are to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace with whom?
Who are we to remember and pattern our lives after?

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