God sent the rain!

...and it happens when we get right with God and with His people! Matthew 5 is full of ideas on how God wants us to treat people, even those that persecute us. Here is a snippet: 

43 “You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven.

Yesterday at United was one of those days that you didn't want to miss. God came. God blessed. God forgave and gave joy and peace to many people. Testimonies of joy were very obvious everywhere. God really wants to do this in EVERY church EVERY time they meet together.
My words to the congregation were this: "This is better than sitting around complaining about how bad things are in the world!"

"Let us not say: Look what this world has come to. Let us say: Look WHO has come to the world!"

The theme of our sermon series is LOST: We need each other! We are studying the TV series from the past 6 years called LOST and how 48 people survived and now need to make new relationships with each other to survive.

I really think that revival and renewal is totally impossible unless one gets right with God and with others.
Here are some ways that we can Build Healthy Relationships with Others:

Work on ADDING VALUE to People

-We already have enough “basement people” or “cellar dwellers” in our lives, don’t we?  These are the people who are always tearing you down, talking about you behind your back and trying to pull you down.  That’s why we need to add value to each other.

1 Thessalonians 5:11  So encourage each other to build each other up, just as you are already doing.  (LB)  

 Learn To Have FUN AND SMILE

  

Matthew 11:19 …the Son of Man came, enjoying life…

ILLUST: I read an article recently that talked about energy management.  Did you know that by smiling more often you could manage your energy better.  It takes 42 muscles in your face to frown, but only 6 to smile.  That’s energy management.

*****Some of you just need to stand in front of the mirror and practice smiling.  Your face has been frowning for so long you just need to practice having a happy face.  Maybe you’re happy inside, but you just need to notify your face!

Proverbs 15:13a  A happy heart makes the face cheerful…  (NIV)

 Don’t be a CHRONIC COMPLAINER

-Somebody who is always gripping, always complaining, always has an ache or pain, always sees something’s wrong with everything, and always has a glass that is half empty – isn’t going to have many friends because nobody likes to be around a complainer.

Philippians 2:14-15  Do everything without complaining or arguing. 15Then you will be innocent and without any wrong….  But you are living with crooked and mean people all around you, among whom you shine like stars in the dark world. 

There are plenty of complainers in this world, so if you want to be different and shine like a star in the darkness don’t be a chronic complainer.

Be a Good LISTENER

James 1:19  My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. 

-One of the reasons why so many marriages are struggling today is because of poor communication skills. 

-Couples are either afraid to say what they need or too busy to listen.  So, be a good listener.

ACCEPT PEOPLE Unconditionally

Healthy relationships don’t try to change each other, they accept one another.

Romans 15:7  Therefore, accept each other in the same way that Christ accepted you. 

• You don’t have to approve of a person’s lifestyle, but you do have to accept them. 

-The strange thing about this is that if you try to change someone, they always resist. 

-But if you accept the person unconditionally, they oftentimes will attempt to change themselves for you.

Proverbs 17:9  Love forgets mistakes; nagging about them parts the best of friends.  (LB)

The Bible says we are supposed to love one another even when we’re being jerks. 

-Love isn’t blind to a person’s faults, it’s just that you choose to overlook them.  

-So, when someone makes a mistake, forget-about-it! 

-Because in order to have a healthy relationship you have to be a good forgetter.

Keep CONFIDENCES

-You need to have at least one or two people who you can trust, so that when you tell them something about yourself, they won’t tell everyone about it.

Proverbs 11:13 “A gossip goes around revealing secrets, but those who are trustworthy can keep a confidence”

 "A man went to a rabbi and confessed his sin of gossip and said – what can I do?  The rabbi said, “I want you to take a feather pillow and walk up to the mountaintop, rip open the pillow and let all the feathers fly everywhere – then I want you to come back.  So the man did as the Rabbi said and he came back.  The man asks the Rabbi, “Is that all I have to do?   The Rabbi says, “No, now I want you to go and pick up every feather.”

***That’s what gossip is like.  Once it’s out, it flies like the wind and you can never completely take it back. 

-Gossip is talking about something to someone when neither you or they are a part of the problem or the solution.

-Gossip can destroy a relationship.  So, if you want to build healthy relationships, keep confidences.  And lastly, if you want to build healthy relationships...

So, as we get right with God and others, we can expect revival and renewal to take place in our lives and splash over into the lives of others! 

Send the rain Lord! Send the rain!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCLEwvyXIMU