Week 4
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August 31st: It’s a Team Thing - One of the most beautiful things in sports is to see an unselfish team play together. When the 2008 Olympic basketball “Redeem” team won the gold medal, the most talented players in the world put aside their personal agendas and sacrificed for bigger purpose. This sacrifice resulted in everyone getting the prize. Just imagine if we unified as Christians and sacrificed our personal agendas for the bigger prize of God (Philippians 3:14). Has God’s will become bigger than your personal agenda?

Assignment: Ask God what your role is on His “Redeem” team. Then commit to that role, knowing that what you sacrifice will never be greater than God’s prize for you.

August 30th: Conversion and Seeking God’s Face Part 3 - God’s face is synonymous with God’s presence. When you seek God through obedience, the “air” of God will envelope you. An illustration of His presence is the cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that led His people as they went to the Promised Land (Exodus 13:21). There is power in God’s presence that will defeat your enemies (Psalm 9:3) and bring you joy (Psalm 16:11). Don’t miss the benefits of seeking God’s face. Can anything that you are seeking bring the benefits of God’s presence?

Assignment: Evaluate what you are seeking in life and how productive your efforts actually are.

August 29th: Conversion and Seeking God’s Face Part 2 - Seeking God’s face also has to do with seeking His will. We are to come to God to see what He wants, to find out what we can do for Him. This is a significant milestone in the maturity of a believer. There is a time when each believer should develop the mindset of giving back to God. Is your relationship with God just about receiving?

Assignment: Take inventory of how you give back to God. Do you give what you want or give what God wants?

August 28th: Conversion and Seeking God’s Face – Part 1 - One of the most important beliefs Christians need to ingest is to seek the face of God. There is a church saying that we are to seek God’s face and not His hand. This means that we are to come to God for who He is, not for what He can do for us. When we relate to God on this basis, our relationship with Him improves, which has a positive effect on our human relationships. When relate to God, how often is it because you need or want something from Him?

Assignment: Spend quiet time with God, just thanking, praising and blessing His name because of what His word says and what He has been to you.

August 27th: Conversion and Humility - Humility is the opposite of pride. Pride is the manifestation of an independent spirit that desires to live apart from God. Humility, however, requires dependence on God and submission to God. Christians need humility to come together and stay together for the sake of God’s kingdom. Are you willing to forsake pride and embrace humility?

Assignment: Meditate on how living independently of God has affected your life. Does this point to the need for humility?

August 26th: Conversion and the Double Standard - Another worldly mindset we must convert from is the double standard. This mindset is alive when we apply standards to some people that we don’t apply to ourselves or people that we favor. This mindset facilitates the formation of cliques, which ultimately undermines the purpose of the church. There is no room in the church for the double standard mindset. Do you still employ double standards or are you learning to love your neighbor as yourself?

Assignment: Pray for the humility to admit any double standards in your life.

August 25th: Conversion and the Church – Part 2 - Do you look at the church as an organization or an organism? The organization idea portrays the church as a social group you can take or leave. But the Biblical mindset of the church is that of an organism – a spiritual body that lives to manifest the character and work of Jesus on earth. These are two totally different concepts that will affect your commitment level to the church. Do you realize that you are spiritually connected with other believers?

Assignment: Pray to know your role in the spiritual body of Christ.

August 24th: Conversion and the Church – Part 1 - One belief Christians need to be converted from is expecting perfection in the church. The church has godly ideals to live up to but we must show each other love, forgiveness, grace and mercy as we all try to meet those ideals through Jesus. Also, by looking for perfection in the church, we set ourselves up for disappointment. Do you look at Reid Temple as a “Utopia?”

Assignment: Ask the Lord to reveal your attitudes about church life and commit to replacing those ideas with the word of God.

August 23rd: The Need to Be Converted - To “convert” means to “bring from one belief to another.” Being converted to Christ is just the first stage in a life long conversion process. There are many attitudes and opinions that we bring to the church that need to be converted to the mind of Christ. As we submit to the conversion process, we will increase in our capacity to relate to others in a godly manner. Do you accept the idea that you need further conversion?

Assignment: Embrace the concept of conversion, knowing that accepting this process will improve your relations with others.

August 22nd: You Can’t Shout Over It - Some Christians believe their public worship of God (service, singing, shouting, etc.) precludes them from treating others with love. If they shout long enough, they won’t have to reconcile with their Christian brother or sister. Although worship in Reid Temple is glorious, Reid will never go to the heights God intends until it grows in obedience, particularly in the scope of relating to others. We must realize that committing to obeying God is also a part of worship. Are you open to worship in all its forms?

Assignment: Incorporate relating to others in a godly manner as a part of your worship.

Week 3
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August 21st: Egalitarianism or Elitism Part 2 - Do your accomplishments make you an elitist? Sometimes our personal credentials can get in the way of maintaining and restoring relationships with fellow Christians. We surmise that based on our exaggerated self perception, some relationships don’t really matter. When others don’t meet a certain worldly standard, those individuals are usually dismissed as insignificant. This mindset ignores the premise that all are accepted if they accept Jesus. Do you draw your value as a person from what you accomplish or from your relationship with God?

Assignment: Monitor how you treat people who aren’t like you. Jesus says in His word, what you do to the least of these you do to Me.

August 20th: Egalitarianism or Elitism Part 1 - A minister made the comparison of two world views: egalitarianism and elitism. Egalitarianism means “all are equal.” Elitism means “some rank higher than others.” He stated that in the world system there is egalitarianism in terms of ideas (the Bible is no better than a person’s opinion) but there is elitism with people (some are better than others). In the church, the ideal we live for is that there is egalitarianism with people but there is elitism with ideas (the ideas from Bible are superior to human opinion). Think about these two world views. The one you choose to follow will affect how you treat God and other people. Do you think more in line with the world or with Jesus?

Assignment: Pray to God about the Biblical ideas you may need to embrace to treat God’s people with equity (such as all who accept Christ are your brothers and sisters).

August 19th: Forgiveness is Meant to Be Shared - Forgiveness is a human need. Because we all sin and come short of God’s glory, we all will at some point offend someone. How easily we forget, though, that forgiveness is a gift from God. When we forget this important truth, we withhold this gift instead of sharing it with those who offended us. Since the forgiveness of Jesus is something we all have in common, let’s remember that it is a gift to be received and given to others. Are there people who you think are not worthy of forgiveness? Are these people that different from us? Does God see them as different from us?

Assignment: Meditate on the idea of “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). We owe God a debt from our sin, so we should be will to forgive the people that owe us from sinning against us.

August 18th: Agree to Disagree - Agreeing to disagree is hardly a strategy unique to the church. Secular organizations apply the same principle to resolve disputes so that the purpose of the organization can go forward. However, through Christ, disagreement doesn’t have to fester and re-surface later on. With the Word of God as the standard and the power of the Holy Spirit, believers can not only move to agreement, but also to oneness. Do you believe that the Holy Spirit will teach you (John 14:26) concerning your disagreements and guide you into all truth (John 16:13)?

Assignment: Pray for a spirit of humility that will enable you to be teachable and accepting of truth that the Holy Spirit imparts.

August 17th: Irreconcilable Differences - The church has to deal with those members who don’t admit their wrong or are not open to forgive. If forgiveness is not present, then healing is not present. Persons who continue in behavior that makes reconciliation impossible must be confronted and disciplined. Otherwise, the church will be viewed as dysfunctional and will cause other believers to leave or prevent new ones from joining. Separating an individual from the church is conceivable because of irreconcilable differences. In Matthew 18, the word of God states to treat unrepentant believers as a pagan or a tax collector. Does that seem unreasonable?

Assignment: If you disagree with the judgment on unrepentant Christians, pray to the Holy Spirit for understanding and discernment about such serious issues.

August 16th: If They Aren’t Responsible - What if the person really did intentionally offend you but they will not own up to their actions? This can happen because sometimes believers can be self righteous. Two signs of a self righteous person are they never admit they are wrong or they are critical of others. If this happens to you, humble yourself and seek to resolve the problem for Jesus’ sake. Try the one on one, two on one or the full court press approach. God will honor your obedience. How do you normally respond to a self righteous person?

Assignment: Form a tentative strategy for a self righteous person based on prayer and the word of God.

August 15th: Don’t Be a Victim – Part 2 - Offenses are not always what they seem to be. If you are offended unintentionally or the offense was imagined, you may react based on a misconception, which could cause you to spread accusations about others. If you spread false accusations, you will have misrepresented your brother or sister. At this point, you have essentially become a false witness and the name and reputation of the other person has been damaged. Your errant reaction can cause a ripple effect that can give a place for the devil and cause broken relationships or prevent relationships from forming. Do you have the habit of speaking hastily? What kind of damage have you done in the past to others from this behavior?

Assignment: The word “accusation” means “to devour little by little.” Meditate on this idea as you repent from accusing others irresponsibly.

Week 2
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August 14th: Don’t Be a Victim – Part 1 - A natural reaction to being offended is to play the victim. This mindset will almost certainly lead a person to spread the offense to others, likely causing division in a congregation. One reason to rebuke this mindset is that sometimes you are offended and the other person doesn’t know they committed an offense. Taking responsibility by giving the person the benefit of the doubt or going to the person are sure fire ways of avoiding the victim role. Is blaming others your way of dealing with an offense?

Assignment: If playing the victim is your personal tendency, prayerfully repent, know nothing of God can come from this attitude.

August 13th: Personal Responsibility - Going to someone who has offended you enables you to take responsibility for yourself – especially your emotions and feelings. If you stay in the church long enough, you will experience difficulties. When that happens, you’ll have to learn to respond properly. This is crucial because it is every believer’s responsibility to preserve the unity of the church. Have you thought about how you will react when someone offends you?

Assignment: Review Matthew 18:15-20 again. Begin to pray to the Lord to teach you how to “respond” so you won’t “react.”

August 12th: The Kingdom or My Personality - A major obstacle to reconciliation is personality. It is easy to regress to the mode of “that’s just not me” or “they don’t know who they are dealing with” when it comes to being offended and forgiveness. We have to put aside the personality of our flesh and obey God, knowing that reconciliation is needed if the kingdom is to go forward. Recognize that the things of the old life, including our personalities, can stop what God is doing in you, with you and for you. What natural tendencies might keep you from advancing in God’s kingdom?

Assignment: Ask God to reveal the natural traits you need to surrender to Him for His kingdom’s sake.

August 11th: Power in Agreement - Matthew 18:19, 20 describes how important agreement among believers is to God. Jesus said if any two “of you” agrees and then makes a petition, it will be done. The “you” in that verse refers to believers. Therefore, if believers exercise the power of agreement that is rightfully theirs through Jesus, there is no limit to what can be done for the kingdom of God. Have you ever taken advantage of the power of agreement?

Assignment: If you do not have an agreement prayer partner, ask God to provide one. Take issues to this partner and through the Holy Spirit, work to resolve those issues.

August 10th: “Loosing” and Relationships - Jesus has also given believers the authority to “loose” or permit kingdom activity on earth. We can pray in the name of Jesus for Holy Spirit to loose the things of God like faith, hope and love in your home, church, workplace or wherever it is necessary for the power of God to reign. Then, as you see the power of God move, give Him praise and glory and commit to cooperating with what the Holy Spirit’s “looses” in your environment. Are you discouraged that you don’t have the power to repair broken relationships or maintain existing ones?

Assignment: Regularly pray (in Jesus’ name) about the things of God that should be loosed in your relationships.

August 9th: “Binding” and Relationships - A spiritual truth that all believers should be mindful of is that “the spiritual precedes the physical.” When God created the earth, He spoke in the spiritual realm and His words then manifested in the physical realm (Genesis 1). Prayer has power in the spiritual realm, which then consequently impacts the physical realm. In relationships that exist in the physical realm, we must continually pray for ourselves and others to gain power from the spiritual realm to preserve those connections. One way we can exercise power is by binding. Binding refers to “what is not permitted” (Nelson Study Bible). We can limit the devil and his spirits by not permitting them to freely operate through Jesus’ authority. Limiting the devil’s role in broken relationships will significantly increase the chances of having lasting unions on earth. Are there relationships in your life that are broken or susceptible to being broken?

Assignment: Begin to use the authority of Jesus and pray over broken or tenuous relationships. Pray that the works of the devil are bound.

August 8th: Prayer and Relationship Restoration - Matthew 18:18 speaks of prayer in terms of “binding” and “loosing.” What does this mean and how does it apply to relationships? First, binding and loosing relate to the authority that we have as believers. The authority of Jesus’ name is transferred to us as believers and can be used on earth for advancing God’s kingdom purposes. So if we exercise this authority on earth, whatever we pray is “co-signed” in heaven. A part of God’s purpose is maintaining and building relationships, especially in the body of Christ. We should not neglect to use this power as we attempt to advance God’s purposes. Do you utilize prayer in maintaining and building relationships?

Assignment: Ask God to show you how to use this authority in your relationships.

Week 1
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August 7th: Ejection - Ejection occurs in a basketball game when a player loses sight of purpose and begins to behave in a way that interrupts the game and other players as well as bring disgrace to the game.

In Matthew 18:17, scripture states that a rebellious believer should be treated as a heathen or a tax collector. In the context of this verse, the idea of ejection comes to mind. A believer that refuses to embrace the Christ like qualities of love, obedience, forgiveness, grace and mercy does not belong in the fellowship. This believer has lost sight of purpose – that God is allowing you the opportunity to partner with Him in the redemption of the world. When a person is in the church for any other reason, they take on the character of a heathen or a tax collector.

Do you take your place in the body of Christ for granted?

Assignment: Pray to acquire the spirit that considers being in the body of Christ a privilege.

August 6th: Full Court Press - A full court press is employed when a team is doing all it can to get the opponent to give up the basketball. It is essentially a no-holds barred, last resort strategy.

When a believer refuses to reconcile, the church does its version of the full court press. That obstinate member of the body is brought before the entire church (Matthew 18:17) to repair the breach that could spread throughout the congregation. In James 3:5, 6 it states that a little fire can be destructive. Therefore we must take seriously any potential danger that an unresolved dispute can lead to.

Do you have any “deal breakers” with God, where you would refuse to back off your stance, even if it means dividing the church?

Assignment: Pray to know the difference between conforming for the sake of fitting in with some believers and genuinely repenting to preserve what God is trying to accomplish in the church.

August 5th: Two on One - Two on one is a drill where two offensive players attempt to score a goal against a lone defender. This drill helps to hone decision-making as well as various offensive skills. All things being equal, two offensive players should regularly score against one defensive player.

There are times when two believers will have to address another Christian about the importance of repairing a relationship in the church. It is written in Matthew 18:16 that if the other party does not want to hear you one on one, then enlist the help of another believer to reach some resolution. When the two approach the one, the goal should be to score for Jesus and not to win an argument.

When you pick a second person to accompany you, are you choosing someone who agrees with you or someone interested in keeping Christ’s body together?

Assignment: Search your heart with the help of the Holy Spirit to make sure that confronting others is about doing right by God and not trying to prove you are right.

August 4th: One on One - In basketball, one on one can be the most fun as well as the most challenging game. It forces you to use all your skills and abilities to win the game.

In Matthew 18:15, the word states that if a believer sins against you, go and talk to that person about the offense – one on one. Share with this person what you believe their fault is in the matter. You may have to use everything you have to do this but by handling this personal matter privately, you position yourself to win your brother or sister back. If you are successful in doing this, not only do you and your fellow believer win, but even more importantly the body of Christ wins. Obeying the “one on one” approach makes you part of the solution in the church and not part of the problem.

Does facing someone who sinned against you intimidate you? Or are you afraid what you may do if you confront them?

Assignment: Pray that God shows you your heart so that you may guard against making the situation worse when you go one on one. Ask God to teach you how to let the Holy Spirit lead you through a possible maze of emotions.

August 3rd: Reconciliation - Until believers learn to bear fruit consistently, relationships in the body of Christ will be broken at times. We have to be willing to do what it takes to repair those relationships. Matthew 18:15-20 provides some guidelines in relationship reparations.

Are we committed to doing our part in God’s plan (being one, maintaining the Spirit’s unity and willing to repair relationships)?

Assignment: If you are not willing to repair relationships the Holy Spirit brings to your attention, open your heart to God’s will in this area. Pray according to Philippians 2:13, that God gives you the will to repair relationships for His glory [His good pleasure].

August 2nd: The Unity of the Spirit - Being one also means to strive to maintain the unity of the Spirit of God (Ephesians 4:3). The Holy Spirit has brought a body of Christians together for a particular purpose and that purpose is bigger than what each person individually wants. We have to be willing to sacrifice our comfort to join others to bring God’s will to fruition on earth.

Are we sensitive enough to the Holy Spirit to recognize the presence of His unity in Reid Temple? Do we realize when our behavior threatens that unity?

Assignment: Review the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, 23. Identify the characteristic(s) you are not displaying and ask God to show you how to depend on Him or how the submit to Him to bear that fruit.

August 1st: The Big Picture - John 17:11 states that the “big picture” Jesus has in mind for all believers is to “be one as We [Father, Son and Holy Spirit] are one.” A part of being one is the willingness to connect with every believer.

Are there certain believers that you want nothing to do with?

Assignment: Pray for insight into why you do not relate to certain believers. Be willing to accept the reality that sometimes the problem is not the other person.

Previous Sermon Series
Keep On Thanking HIM  |  Keep The Faith Anyhow  |   Remember To Face Your Future  |  Write This Down!  |  How To Face Your Giant   |  Shake the Dust Off Your Feet!  |  Repairing Broken Relationships  |  The Struggle to Forgive  |  Prepare For Spiritual Change  |  The Key To It All  |  Time to Move On and Up

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