How to be Rich in Relationships: Sermon Guide

How to be Rich in Relationships: Sermon Guide Hero Image How to be Rich in Relationships: Sermon Guide Hero Image

The following blog post contains notes and application questions from our June 24, 2018 message, How to be Rich in Relationships: Avoiding the Poverty of Isolation. This message is part of our "How to be Rich" series. See other messages in this series.

Summary

As we wrap up our series, “How to Be Rich,” Todd teaches us that who you run with is the number one determinant in how you will do in your walk with Jesus. It’s impossible to be truly rich in life and live your life alone.

Key Takeaways

  • It’s impossible to be truly rich in life and live your life alone. If you want your life to be rich you have to have successful relationships.
  • Who you run with is the number one determinant in how you will do in your walk with Jesus.
  • If you don’t know Christ, you are going to ruin every relationship you have to some level.
  • Every relationship is only as healthy as the least healthy person in it.
  • The very first casualty of the fall was relationships.
  • Sin always isolates us from one another.
  • Community isn’t something God does, community is something God is.
  • The idea that community is something that happens every other week on Sunday night is not what we are talking about when we say community.
  • We can’t help one another with financial stewardship if we aren’t completely transparent.
  • The number one rule for a successful marriage is you stay married. The number one rule for a successful community group is they stay together.
  • You shouldn’t be in community with people who aren’t resourced like you. Meaning, you should be in community with people who are resourced with the same Spirit, love of God and His Word, and commitment to living fully and radically for Christ.

7 reasons people aren’t experiencing a rich life in community the way God wants you to:

  1. They are willingly or unwillingly ignorant of the Scriptures
    • No one thrives in their spiritual life when they set out to do life alone
    • Wise men seek solitude, fools seek isolation
    • Hebrews 10:23-25
  2. They think they can discern their own heart and sort through their own issues without bias/rationalization or error
    • Deuteronomy 17:14-20; Proverbs 11:14, 15:22, 16:2, 24:6; Jeremiah 17:9, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
  3. They want to do what they want to do with as little accountability/conviction as possible
    • Proverbs 18:1
  4. They are ruled by fear and/or are unable to trust others
    • You will be in community with imperfect people and they will hurt you, but it is still worth it!
    • 1 John 4:18, Psalm 1:1-3
  5. They claim it takes too much time and effort to pull everyone together
    • Proverbs 14:4, 26:13
    • It is messier when you share your life with other people
  6. They think they are the compendium of all human wisdom
    • 1 Peter 5:5-8
  7. They confuse getting together periodically with sharing life with one another
    • Proverbs 27:5-6, 17
    • When you are in superficial community you will never be rich and you will never experience what God wants you to experiences

Questions for Reflection & Discussion

Read through the Membership Covenant at your next community group meeting. How are you doing at living it out? What’s one way between now and your next community group meeting you can do a better job of living it out?

Talk about the five things that are true when professed Christ followers fail to consistently and intentionally share life with others:

  1. It limits options available to those giving counsel once a crisis ‘hits’.
  2. It increases pain that others have to endure with them because of decisions made without counsel and shared wisdom.
  3. It allows non-believers to scoff when they see you suffering because of isolation and/or lack of applied wisdom.
  4. It is a lost opportunity for the individual to model and/or lead others down a path of humility and wisdom.

How is your community group doing at being completely transparent with stewardship of finances. What’s one way you can improve? Check out Moneywise—Watermark’s financial stewardship ministry.

What sin in your life are you most tempted to hide from your community and choose isolation? Share this with your community group and ask them to help you wage war instead of hide. Spend some time praying for one another and come up with one thing you will do in the next seven days to proactively fight for each other.

Suggested Scripture Study: Hebrews 10:23-25; Deuteronomy 17:14-20; Jeremiah 17:9; Ecclesiastes 4:9-10; 1 Peter 5:5-8; Proverbs 11:14, 14:4, 15:22, 16:2, 18:1, 24:6, 26:13, 27:5-6,17

Resource: Watermark Membership Covenant

Ministry: Moneywise

Message: Can You Relate to Community?

https://www.watermark.org/message/5224The Happiest Man Alive: Video and article

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