Last night we continued our study of how the Lordship of Christ and the message of the Gospel affects all our our life. Here’s the outline notes:
God is Lord of All Relationships
Before the Beginning, there was Relationship…
1. Companionship (Jn 1:1);
2. Planning, Communication, Commission (Jn 17:4);
3. Love (Jn 17:24);
4. Will (Rev 4:11);
5. Sacrifice (1 Peter 1:20)
Gen 1:26-28 – Our Individuality images God, and so does our plurality. Our relationships are part of how we fulfill God’s purpose to our lives.
Gen 2 Marriage is the first human relationship
Gen 4 After the fall, our relationships are broken. Murder, War, Fights, Marriage Breakdown, oppression, poverty, racism, social drama.
The Gospel Brings Healing to All Relationships
Ephesians 1:7-10; 2:11-18 Christ has taken and put to death sin—the thing that fractured our relationships. Christ has brought the great Reconciliation, which is being worked out in the world
Implications:
- On the cross, Christ dealt with the thing that breaks down our relationships
- In Christ, we have the reason (past), and the power (presently), and the destiny (future) to overcome all sinful relational brokenness.
- Christ desires us to both be in church, and speak to others about Him. Both require relationships.
- Therefore, relationships are central both to being human, and to being Christian.
- For the believer, the Lordship of Christ in the gospel defines all relationships.
w/Unbelievers: They are lost, and in rebellion against the Lord. We interact with them, aiming to promote their desire to know Christ as Lord and receive the benefits of His reign. This goes for family, friends, and at work.
w/Believers: They are fellow children of God through Christ’s blood. Christ our Lord directs us to love them as ourselves.
Some Practical Application
Towards Unbelievers:
1 Cor 10:31-33 – Aim at their reception of the Gospel first, giving up the right to offend
Phil 2:14-15 – no complaining or fighting, different than the crooked, light in darkness. Complaining says we don’t (won’t) have our needs met in Christ. Fighting says we haven’t found reconciliation and wholeness.
1 Thess 4:9-12 – at work: being diligent to work to provide your own needs
1 Peter 2:11-17 – honor…
1 Peter 3:13-16 – meekness, readiness to suffer
1 Peter 4:4 – they think it strange
Col 4:5-6 – Wisdom (see 1:9-10), redeeming the time, speech motivated by grace and flavored with God