Sep5 10 from The Bridge Church on Vimeo.

Review last week-shift from peace with God to peace with others. God is still involved.

Notes

Do you believe that everything that you do is directly related to what you believe about God? (TV or movies you watch, way you spend money, the car that you have, where you send your kids to school, who you marry)

Especially how you respond to conflict.  How do you see conflict?  When I mention the word what comes to mind, what feelings are you experiencing? Why?  Most people know that conflict isn’t good yet very few people actually know what to do when conflict arises. Just look at my counseling appointments.

Conflict-is a difference in opinion or purpose that frustrates someone’s goals or desires.  There are four primary causes of conflict.

1. Misunderstandings resulting from poor communication
2. Differences and values, goals, gifts, calling, priorities, expectations, interest, or opinions (acts 15:39)
3. Competition over limited resources, such as time or money
4. By sinful attitudes and habits that lead to sinful words and actions (James 4:1-2)

Conflict provides opportunities

Three ways to look at conflict

1. As a hazard that threatens to sweep you off your feet and leave you bruised and hurting (fear)
2. As an obstacle that should be conquered quickly and firmly, regardless of the consequences (pride)
3. As an opportunity to solve common problems in a way that honors God and offers benefits to those involved (love, mercy , grace, forgiveness, patience) fruit of H.S.

Talk about graph-Peacemaking, Peacefaking, Peacebreaking.

Escape responses(peace faking)-many Christians believe that all conflict is wrong or dangerous.  They think that Christians should always agree, and fear that conflict will inevitably damage relationships.

Attack responses(peace breaking)-these responses are used by people who are more interested in winning a conflict than and preserving a relationship.  Conflict becomes a contest or a chance to assert their rights, to control others, or to take advantage of the situation.  These responses are directed at bringing as much pressure to bear on opponents as is necessary to eliminate their opposition.

Peace making responses-these responses are commanded by God, empowered by the gospel, and directed toward finding just and mutually agreeable solutions to conflict.

There are also some arresting contrasts between the various responses to conflict.  First, there is a difference in focus.  When I resort to escape responses, I am generally focusing on “me.” I’m looking for what is easy, convenient, or nonthreatening for myself.  When I use an attack response, I am generally focusing on “you,” blaming you and expecting you to give in and solve the problem.  When I use a peacemaking response, my focus is on “us.” I am aware of everyone’s interest in the dispute, especially God’s, and I am working toward mutual responsibility in solving a problem.

Conflict is inevitable especially in the church for God has given us a variety of gifts.  So in order to bring Glory to God we must learn how to navigate the waters of conflict.  The Bible teaches that we should see conflict neither as an inconvenience nor as an occasion to force our will on others, but rather as an opportunity to demonstrate the love and power of God in our lives

Romans 12:18-If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Aren’t you glad Paul put that middle part in the sentence?

4 G’s of Peacemaking

1. Glorify God (1 Cor. 10:31)
2. Get the Log Out of Your Own Eye (Matt 7:5)
3. Gently Restore (Gal. 6:1)
4. Go and Be Reconciled (Matt 5:24)

Glorify God-how can I please and honor God in this situation?

1 Corinthians 10:31-Biblical peacemaking is motivated and guided by a deep desire to bring honor to God by revealing the reconciling love and power of Jesus Christ.  As we draw on his grace, follow his example, and put his teachings into practice, we can find freedom from the impulsive, self centered decisions that make conflict worse, and bring praise to God by displaying the power of the gospel in our lives.

Part one-Glorify God

When someone mistreats or opposes you, what is your immediate reaction?(To justify ourselves and get our way.)  This selfish attitude usually leads to impulsive decisions that only make matters worse. The gospel of Jesus Christ provides the way out of this downward spiral.  When we remember what Jesus did for us on the cross, our blinding self absorption can be replaced with a liberating desire to draw attention to the goodness and power of God.  (Colossians 3:1-2) focusing on God is the key to resolving conflict constructively when we remember his mercy and draw on his strength, we invariably see things more clearly and respond to conflict more wisely.  In doing so, we can find far better solutions to our problems.  At the same time, we can show others that there really is a God and that he delights in helping us do things we could never do on our own.

Glorifying God-How does conflict always provides an opportunity to glorify God? Takes focus off of self. By giving him praise and honor by showing who he is, what he is like, and what he is doing.  The best way to glorify God in the midst of conflict is to depend on and draw attention to his grace, that is, the undeserved love, mercy, forgiveness, strength, and wisdom he gives to us through Jesus Christ.

Do you remember that I said earlier that everything you do is directly related to what you believe about God?

1. You can trust God (Proverbs 3:5-7)
2. You can obey God (Matthew 5:16; Mark 3:31-35) our obedience demonstrates that God is worthy of our deepest love and devotion
3. You can imitate Jesus (Ephesians 5:1-2) when we imitate Jesus in our lives by mirroring his humility, mercy, forgiveness, and loving correction, we surprise the world and give concrete evidence of the Lord’s presence and power in our lives.
4. You can acknowledge God (1 Peter 3:14-16).  Once you have done the first three and people want to talk with you about what has happened you then have the opportunity to give all the Glory to God.

The other benefit of a God-centered approach to conflict resolution is that it makes you less dependent on results (12:18).  Even if others refuse to respond positively to your efforts to make peace, you can find comfort in the knowledge that god is pleased with your obedience.  That knowledge can help you to persevere in difficult situations.

It is important to realize that if you do not glorify God when you are involved in a conflict, you will inevitably glorify someone or something else.  By your actions you will show either that you have a big God or that you have a big self and big problems.  If you do not focus on God, you will inevitably focus on yourself and your will, or on other people and the threat of their Wells.

Conflict also provides opportunities to encourage others to trust in Jesus Christ.  When you are involved in a conflict, your opponent and various bystanders will be observing you closely.  If you behave in a worldly way, you will give nonbelievers yet another excuse for mocking Christians and rejecting Christ.  On the other hand, if you display God’s love and respond with unnatural humility, wisdom, and self control, those who are watching you may wonder where you found the power to behave like that, which may open the door to introducing them to Christ.

Conflict also provides opportunity to become more like Jesus (Transformed heart; 1 Corinthians 11:1; Romans 8:28-29).  God’s highest purpose for you is not to make you comfortable, wealthy, or happy.  If you have put your faith in him, he has something far more wonderful and mind-he plans to conform you to the likeness of his son.  Conflict is one of the many tools that God will use to help you develop a more Christ like character.  Charles Swindoll says, “if you listen to the voices around you, you will search for a substitute-an escape route.  You’ll miss the fact that each one of those problems is a God appointed instructor ready to stretch you and challenge you and deepen your wall with him.  Growth and wisdom awake you at the solution of each one, the pain and mess not withstanding.” God uses Conflict-is stretching challenge you and carefully tailored ways.  This process is sometimes referred to as the “ABC of spiritual growth”: adversity builds character.  We should worry less about “going” through conflict and concentrate more on “growing” through conflict.

Do you think resolving conflict (peacemaking) should be important to us?

Do you think peace is important to God?

Why peace (peacemaking) is important

1. Peace is part of God’s character, for he is frequently referred to as “the God of peace”
2. Peace is one of the great blessings that god gives to those who follow him
3. God repeatedly commands his people to seek and pursue peace

Jesus reputation depends on unity-unity is more than a key to internal peace.  It is also an essential element of your Christian witness.  When peace and unity characterize your relationships with other people, you show that you are god’s child and he is present and working in your life.  The converse is also true: when your life is filled with unresolved conflict and broken relationships, you will have little success ensuring the good news about Jesus saving work on the cross.  This principle is talked repeatedly threw out the new testament.  One of the most emphatic statements on peace in unity in the bible is found in Jesus prayer shortly before he was arrested and taken away to be crucified (john 17:1-19).  During the final hours of Jesus’ life he focused on a single concept he knew to be of paramount importance for all those who would believe in him.  He did not pray that his followers would always be happy, that they would never suffer, or that their rights would always be defended.  Jesus prayed that his followers would get along with one another.  Jesus said in john 13:34-39 that people will know that we are his disciples if we love one another.  The theme of peace and unity occupied an important part of jesus’ sermon on the Mount.  He said in chapter five in verse nine “bless and are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of god.” And Matthew 5:21-24 shows us that peace and unity are so important that Jesus commands us to seek reconciliation with a brother even a hint of worship!

God has provided a powerful support system for peacemaking.  It is the church.  When we are unable to resolve conflict on our own, God commands the local church to step in and bring its wisdom, resources, and authority to bear on the problem (Matthew 18:16-17; Philippians 4:2-3; 1 Corinthians 6:1-8).

Many believers and their churches have not yet developed that commitment and ability to respond to conflict and a gospel centered and biblically faithful manner.  This is often because they have succumbed to the relentless pressure our secular culture and search on us to forsake the timeless truths of scripture and adopt though relativism of our postmodern age.  Although many Christians and their churches believe they have held onto god’s word as their standard for life, their responses to conflict, among other things, show that they have in fact surrendered much ground to the world.  Instead of resolving differences in a distinctively Biblical fashion, they often react to conflict with the same avoidance, manipulation, and control that characterize the world.  In effect, both individually and congregational eight, they have given into the world’s post modern standards, which is “what feels good, sounds true, and seems beneficial to me?”

Will you commit with me to be peacemakers?

How you can do that-Get in a small group or show up on Wed. nights.

Aug29 10 from The Bridge Church on Vimeo.

Aug22 10 from The Bridge Church on Vimeo.

Meet at the church at 8:00am. We will depart promptly at 8:30am. We plan to be back at the church by 4:00pm.

All are encouraged to bring water, comfortable shoes, friends and a backpack.

Parents must fill out a permission slip before youth under the age of 18 can go on the hike. Permission slips will be available from the youth leaders that morning at drop off.
Start Time: 0800
Date: 2010-08-21
End Time: 1600

Aug15 10 from The Bridge Church on Vimeo.

Notes

What is my hook?-LADDER-more scared going up or coming down (like a cat in a tree)

Jumping down-5 or 75. Conditioned by experience and society. The older you get the more fearful you are of jumping down.  You don’t want to break something.  You are also more aware of the risks and possibilities of what might break.  If something breaks then you can’t work, if you don’t work you can’t pay your mortgage or feed your family.

SO LET’S ADD IN A MUD PUDDLE TO SOFTEN THE LANDING! But even that presents problems because now we have removed the fear of breaking something and added in getting dirty. COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE

Romans 12:16-Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Don’t be conceited.

What do you think it means to be of the same mind toward one another?  Who are some people that we might have a hard time doing this toward?

• People who are different from us-color, age, shape, athletic ability, education level, political view, how they talk, white collar/blue collar, Xn/JW

Who is Paul talking about when he references people of low position?

• Drug addict, Homeless guy, Single mom, Mechanic as compared to doctor, Young person compared to an old one

It’s not so much about the other person as it is where you place yourself in relation to that person-above or on the same plane (even below).

Why is he telling us to do this?

• 1. We can become proud and think of ourselves as better
  2. We know that people of low position take a lot of time effort and energy

Why is this hard to do?

• Convenience and comfort (fear)
• Paul directly associates it with pride

The Gospel levels the playing field-Col. 3:11; Gal 3:26-29

Though it levels the playing field and says that we are all equal in God’s sight there is a certain people with whom God’s heart is drawn.

• God loves the broken and least of these-

• Isaiah 57:15
  For this is what the high and lofty One says— he who lives forever, whose name is holy: “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.
  ·  Ezekiel 21:26
  this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Take off the turban, remove the crown. It will not be as it was: The lowly will be exalted and the exalted will be brought low.

Though all men are equal the Gospel (Person and work of Jesus) compels you to place yourself lower than others and become their servant.

• Greatest is servant-Matt 20:20-28

How did Jesus emulate this?

• Phil 2:1-11

What is typically tried in the church today? Dip a toe rather than jump on in. (throwing money at missions)

TO reach down means you are trying to pull someone up to where you are but it also means that you most likely won’t associate with someone where they are currently at.  Jumping down means that we are getting down into their mess where they are.  Associating with them and showing them that there is not an air of superiority and that they don’t have to come up to my level and be where I am at before I will play ball with them.  We want to reach down and pull them up because this is where we are comfortable and it is more convenient.  But is this the example that his been set for us? Who are we to emulate? Jesus.

What did he do?  He jumped down and got right in out mess.  He went from heavenly glory with the Father to the birth canal, being born in a stinky barn, being raised as a child out of wedlock, learning a blue collar job, having calluses on his hands, having to sweat to make a living, became a rabbi, was persecuted by the religious leaders, ate and drank with sinners and tax collectors, had to lay his hands on many with leprosy(get a picture), had to smell stinky ole Lazarus, put up with hard headed disciples, watched all of his friends leave him when things got tough, got beat with a cat of nine tails, nailed to a cross for the sins of the world causing him to be separated from his Father for the first time since eternity.  And we can’t reach out to someone who society considers to be lower than us, or across the aisle to someone of a different age, or to our neighbor who is not very friendly, etc.  Look at the level to which he jumped down and the level that we are being asked to jump down.

How does this inspire people to become more like God and want to know him more?

• Were lives radically changed when Jesus jumped down and got dirty with people? Was your life radically changed when Christ met you in the muck and mire of your life?  So don’t you want to go and splash in some mud puddles and show and share the love of Christ allowing him the opportunity to clean up their lives so that they can spend eternity with him.
• Church as a change agent.

What does this mean to the non-Xn, new Xn, and old Xn?

• When you became a Christian this is what you signed up for.  And if you are thinking about becoming a Christian then this is what you are signing up for. This is part of the conversion process to Christ, community and mission

How can I actually do what you are telling me?

• Look around-Find some resources (Work at Food Bank, Crisis Pregnancy Center, Everett Gospel Mission, Battered Women’s and Children’s Shelter, Boys and Girls Club, Retirement Homes, Public Transit-buy a bus pass)
• Define success-It is not winning souls for Jesus. Being purposeful in building relationships and community.

In what situation will people have been burned where this text can be applied?

• I don’t doubt that if you’ve ever tried this you’ve been burned.  What did you expect?  Getting hurt does not get you out from under the biblical mandate to do so.

How can this text be misapplied?

• I’m a low person so I can’t help anyone.

How can I stir their affections?

• What if Christ never came?  What if God never decided to do anything about our sin?

Bring it full circle.

As we get older, either through societal influence or past experience we become conditioned to do things that are comfortable and convenient. This conditioning effects not only if we will jump down off the stage but also if we are willing to jump down from our place in life to a place that is uncomfortable and inconvenient.

Like being around people who aren’t like us-neighbor, alcoholic, homeless man, single mom in a shelter, someone from a different country.

Present the Gospel

Grab your teen and let them join in the fun.

The lock-in starts at 6:00pm Friday night and end at 9:00am Saturday morning!

Start Date: 2010-08-27
Start Time: 18:00
End Date: 2010-08-28
End Time: 09:00

Grab your teen and let them join in the fun.
Start Date: 2010-08-27
Start Time: 18:00
End Date: 2010-08-28
End Time: 09:00

6:30-8:00pm Wednesdays
Start Time: 18:30
Date: 2010-08-25
End Time: 20:00

Meet at the church at 8:00am. We will depart promptly at 8:30am.

We plan to be back at the church by 4:00pm.
Start Time: 08:00
Date: 2010-08-21
End Time: 16:00

Lots of food, fun, games, swimming, and fellow shipping with our church body.
Start Time: 12:30
Date: 2010-08-22
End Time: 18:00