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Church of the Nazarene – Harrisonburg

The Relationship Keys: Selflessness

The model of Jesus is the laid down life.

Having the right keys is important, isn’t it?

Just talk to someone who has been locked out of their house or who locked their keys in their car.

Throughout the month of February is a focus for us on relationships.

What is the key to healthy, life-giving, God honoring relationships?

We’re not talking about car keys or house keys, but rather, “relationship keys”.

Today’s focus is selflessness.

Some foundational truths:

1. Relationships matter – in fact, you wouldn’t be wrong to say relationships are everything!

2. Relationships are hard – there seem to be fewer examples in our lives of healthy relationships.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭37‬-‭39

‬‬Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

This is the heart of God: your relationships matter!

The way you love the people around you matters.

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35

‬‬“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”‭‭

John‬ ‭15‬:‭10‬-‭13

‬‬If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.‭‭

Philippians‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬-‭8

‬‬Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

1. Selfless love means it’s not about me.

-We tend to want what we want, and we expect others to care about our needs and wants.

-In Godly relationships we choose to take the focus off ourselves and look to those we love.

-Imagine what a relationship would be like if both people in the relationship cared about the other’s needs over their own?

Important Disclaimer:

This does not mean that we are to be doormats, allowing someone to hurt us. Some of us have been a part of unhealthy, co-dependent relationships. We are grateful for the important work of counselors and mental health professionals that help us walk through the healing from destructive relationships. At COTN, the ministry of Celebrate Recovery also helps us find handles in creating healthy boundaries in our relationships. More information is available at cotnaz.org/celebraterecovery.

2. Selfless love means sacrifice which means selfless loves take courage.

-It is easy to be selfish, it is always much harder to demonstrate selfless love.-Love is not the same in all our relationships. We don’t love our spouses in the same way we love our children. We don’t love our co-workers in the same way we love our in-laws. But we love nonetheless. And love is sacrifice which means it always take courage.

-The selfless love of Jesus takes courage.

The bottom line:

The model of Jesus is the laid down life.

Scriptures for Further Study/Reflection:

1 Corinthians 13

Proverbs 18:24

Romans 12:10

Romans 12:16

Romans 14:19

1 Corinthians 12:25

Galatians 5:13

Galatians 6:2

Ephesians 4:2, 32

Ephesians 5:21

Colossians 3:13

Colossians 3:16

1 Thessalonians 4:18

Hebrews 10:24

Giving at COTN

If you ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@abeaconofhope_pbz6m2Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

Giving

Church of the Nazarene – East Rock

The Relationship Keys: Empathy

Empathy acts on an attitude of selflessness and sacrifice

What if today one of the greatest stands we could take against the enemy in our lives was to cultivate God honoring relationships? That’s exactly what our new teaching series is all about.

It’s focused on God honoring relationships that are an offensive attack against the enemy of our souls.

I want to welcome you back to our teaching series Relationship Keys

Through this series we are committed to seeing God’s emphasis on the importance of our relationships- with family, members of the church, our community and friends

As we continue today, we are taking the next step or the next key in our relationships. That key is Empathy.

Empathy is the relationship key that acts on an attitude of selflessness and sacrifice

Part of growing God honoring relationships is to feel what others are feeling, too walk in their shoes, and respond in compassion.‭‭

Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭14

‬‬Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Paul’s first relationship key- “clothe yourself with compassion.”

Compassion there is a unique word- it’s very close to what Jesus felt in Matthew 9Some translations have “sympathetic”, “Heartfelt compassion” or I like the old KJV “Bowels of Mercy.”

What these translations are pointing to, is not just a kind response, it’s not a smile and nod until they leave you alone, but a compassionate response of love from deep within our being.

Empathy is a sacred space

Empathy fuels connection- sympathy drives dis-connection.

Sympathy keeps a safe and comfortable distance, but Empathy has the courage to get close.

‭‭Luke‬ ‭10‬:‭30‬-‭37

‬‬In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

To show what God honoring love looked like- Jesus told a story about empathy and compassion.

The empathy we’re talking about – the compassion Jesus calls for – crosses any boundary you can think of.

Through empathy we can open the door of God’s compassion and grace. We can drive connection.

Will you commit to seeing that happen in your relationships?

Our response this week is simple- a simple prayer- Lord, give me the courage (and conviction) to love the people in my life with your selfless love.

Giving at COTN

If you have ever have questions or need help with online giving, please let us know: finance@abeaconofhope_pbz6m2Thank you for your partnership in the Kingdom of Christ!

Giving

February 5: Harrisonburg Campus

Three chairs

Generations- the amount of time to have a grandfather and grandmother, to have a son or daughter to then have a grandson or granddaughter.

God speaks through generations

God may want to speak to us today about the kind of generation we are

The place of chairs in our lives

But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.””‭‭Joshua‬ ‭24‬:‭15‬“After that generation died, another generation grew up who did not acknowledge the Lord or remember the mighty things he had done for Israel.”‭‭Judges‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭Chairs define our lives

Three chairs- represents three types of people

The kingdom of Heaven is like these three chairs

1. Commitment – You love God with your whole heart he becomes your everything.

2. Compromise- You know the word but there are other things in your life that are more important than God

3. Conflict – You’re at odds with God

What chair are you sitting in?

Wherever we are seated the next generation usually sits one seat down not the other way around.

No matter what seat you are in today you can change seats“

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”‭‭

John‬ ‭10‬:‭10

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.”‭‭

Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭21

‬ ‭“My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”‭‭

Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20

‬ ‭“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6‬:‭33

‬ ‭“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭1‬ ‭

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭3‬:‭5‬-‭6‬ ‭

“Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.

”‭‭Mark‬ ‭8‬:‭34‬-‭35‬

‭No life is more secure than a life that is surrendered into Gods hands

There is a chair for everybody

There is an unlimited supply of commitment chairs.