SERMON NOTES
KEY SCRIPTURE
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV)
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
PRAYER
Loving God,
Thank you that I was created to be in relationship with others, even though at times I may not be as present as I could be with the people I hold dear. In all my relationships, I ask for your love to shine through me. In all my interactions, may your wisdom guide my words and every decision that I make.
Amen.
___
SERMON NOTES
The one thing that every great movie, television show, or play has in common… is a powerful villain. The bad guy. The person who must be stopped.
When it comes to Disney movies, there is no question of who the villain is. They all have a look of evil. But that is not how real life works.
The difference between good and bad, the hero and the villain, can be hard to recognize. It would be funny if every time we did something evil, our image started to reflect that and turn us evil-looking.
One of the biggest issues facing relationships is we seem to really like labeling those around us as villains. And instead of working through that dispute or finding common ground, we quickly label them as being wrong. That immediately starts to morph our view. We start to see the others as the bad guys, the villains, while at the same time making ourselves out to be the right or the “heroes” in our own stories.
Or in some cases, we see ourselves as the victim, the mistreated, or even the one being oppressed.
Let's take a look at general conversations in life.
These conversations can then escalate to confrontations or major disputes starting with 'I'm right and you're wrong.' Instead of coming to a conversational compromise, they just end with anger, or one just dismisses the other person entirely.
You can really see this in the realm of politics, basically, any discussion between a Republican and a Democrat. Immediate division, immediate hate, and immediate damage to any relationship.
This division can be found in our place of work.
The evil boss is just out to get me. He is mean, dumb, and clueless.
Unfortunately, it creeps into marriages as well.
When we let pettiness, spite, and resentment take hold, it becomes easy to blame the spouse. Terrible labels are created. You are no longer on the same team.
Finally, it has overtaken the Church too. If we do not like something, then we are quick to get mad.
Maybe it is a sermon, or maybe the staff didn’t do something exactly to your liking. You weren’t prayed for properly. Worship tried something different.
This often leads to people moving on to a different church or just leaving the church altogether.
Here is the problem, when we hold these perspectives, it can have a major impact on our soul. We are called to love God and love others. (Matthew 22: 36-40)
All other issues go away if we can become good at loving others. But how are we going to show others love if we vilify them? When we make people out to be the villain, then how can we show them the love of Jesus?
In the story of Joseph, there is a dad named Jacob who has a bunch of sons. (Genesis 50:15-21)
But his favorite seemed to be Joseph. This angered his brothers, so they planned to kill him and instead sell him into slavery.
Let's stop right here; this is pretty evil. The brothers are clearly the villains in this story.
Once a slave, Joseph eventually ends up in prison. He remains faithful to the Lord and gains the favor of the Pharaoh due to his ability to interpret dreams. Eventually becomes second in command over all of Egypt saving them during a time of famine.
Joseph saves his brothers and family from starving as well. His brothers who did terrible things to him, and yet they were saved.
So how can we tie this story back into our topic on relationships?
By most standards, Joseph had the right to brand his brothers as evil. Yet he takes a different approach. He let God lead his actions.
This says a lot about how we should view relationships with one another.
We live in a broken world that is full of dysfunction. We must come to grips with the idea that we all contribute to that dysfunction.
We are not the heroes of the story. We are not always right. We are not the center of attention. The story does not revolve around us.
I am not saying that we are the villains either. But we are all broken and in desperate need of a savior.
We are called to go and make disciples. To go and build relationships with others that point them to Jesus. That is why we call it “sharing” the good news.
God intended us to be in relationship with one another. Not just so that everything could run more smoothly. No, he wanted us in relationship because of the hard times.
We are wired to be in relationships with others, and when we are not, it can lead to some major issues.
This is why loneliness, the absence of other souls in your life, hurts you . It hurts you mentally, emotionally, and physically.
This is why we need church community to bring healing and health to our whole self.
We can start to be that church today! This is why we push community so strongly
And we want to be a house of prayer
___
SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION
Q: What other instances in the Bible do we see stories of villains? Discuss how we know they are the villains and are there times where they become a victim or hero instead?
Q: Why do we feel like we are the hero in our own movie? Or have you ever felt like you were the villain instead?
Q: How does who we surround ourselves with affect our mental, emotional and physical health? What circumstances have you been in that were good and bad?
Q: Has there ever been a time in your life when someone's wrong doing toward you ended up having a positive impact on your life?
Q: God calls us to love everyone, but not necessarily like everyone. What is the difference?
Q: What are steps we can take to build relationships through differing opinions?
Q: When do you know a relationship is toxic? What does God say about such relationships? How should we as Christians deal with toxic relationships?
___
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES
Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV)
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Genesis 50:15-21
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Genesis 50:20
20 You planned this for evil, but God planned it for good, to save many lives
Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Ephesians 4:1-6 (NIV)
1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
PRAYER
Loving God,
Thank you that I was created to be in relationship with others, even though at times I may not be as present as I could be with the people I hold dear. In all my relationships, I ask for your love to shine through me. In all my interactions, may your wisdom guide my words and every decision that I make.
Amen.
___
SERMON NOTES
The one thing that every great movie, television show, or play has in common… is a powerful villain. The bad guy. The person who must be stopped.
When it comes to Disney movies, there is no question of who the villain is. They all have a look of evil. But that is not how real life works.
The difference between good and bad, the hero and the villain, can be hard to recognize. It would be funny if every time we did something evil, our image started to reflect that and turn us evil-looking.
One of the biggest issues facing relationships is we seem to really like labeling those around us as villains. And instead of working through that dispute or finding common ground, we quickly label them as being wrong. That immediately starts to morph our view. We start to see the others as the bad guys, the villains, while at the same time making ourselves out to be the right or the “heroes” in our own stories.
Or in some cases, we see ourselves as the victim, the mistreated, or even the one being oppressed.
Let's take a look at general conversations in life.
These conversations can then escalate to confrontations or major disputes starting with 'I'm right and you're wrong.' Instead of coming to a conversational compromise, they just end with anger, or one just dismisses the other person entirely.
You can really see this in the realm of politics, basically, any discussion between a Republican and a Democrat. Immediate division, immediate hate, and immediate damage to any relationship.
This division can be found in our place of work.
The evil boss is just out to get me. He is mean, dumb, and clueless.
Unfortunately, it creeps into marriages as well.
When we let pettiness, spite, and resentment take hold, it becomes easy to blame the spouse. Terrible labels are created. You are no longer on the same team.
Finally, it has overtaken the Church too. If we do not like something, then we are quick to get mad.
Maybe it is a sermon, or maybe the staff didn’t do something exactly to your liking. You weren’t prayed for properly. Worship tried something different.
This often leads to people moving on to a different church or just leaving the church altogether.
Here is the problem, when we hold these perspectives, it can have a major impact on our soul. We are called to love God and love others. (Matthew 22: 36-40)
All other issues go away if we can become good at loving others. But how are we going to show others love if we vilify them? When we make people out to be the villain, then how can we show them the love of Jesus?
In the story of Joseph, there is a dad named Jacob who has a bunch of sons. (Genesis 50:15-21)
But his favorite seemed to be Joseph. This angered his brothers, so they planned to kill him and instead sell him into slavery.
Let's stop right here; this is pretty evil. The brothers are clearly the villains in this story.
Once a slave, Joseph eventually ends up in prison. He remains faithful to the Lord and gains the favor of the Pharaoh due to his ability to interpret dreams. Eventually becomes second in command over all of Egypt saving them during a time of famine.
Joseph saves his brothers and family from starving as well. His brothers who did terrible things to him, and yet they were saved.
So how can we tie this story back into our topic on relationships?
By most standards, Joseph had the right to brand his brothers as evil. Yet he takes a different approach. He let God lead his actions.
This says a lot about how we should view relationships with one another.
We live in a broken world that is full of dysfunction. We must come to grips with the idea that we all contribute to that dysfunction.
We are not the heroes of the story. We are not always right. We are not the center of attention. The story does not revolve around us.
I am not saying that we are the villains either. But we are all broken and in desperate need of a savior.
We are called to go and make disciples. To go and build relationships with others that point them to Jesus. That is why we call it “sharing” the good news.
God intended us to be in relationship with one another. Not just so that everything could run more smoothly. No, he wanted us in relationship because of the hard times.
We are wired to be in relationships with others, and when we are not, it can lead to some major issues.
This is why loneliness, the absence of other souls in your life, hurts you . It hurts you mentally, emotionally, and physically.
This is why we need church community to bring healing and health to our whole self.
We can start to be that church today! This is why we push community so strongly
- Small groups
- Youth groups
- Kid groups
- Womens and mens groups
- Community groups
- Volunteering
- Missions
- Celebrate Recovery
And we want to be a house of prayer
___
SMALL GROUP QUESTIONS/DISCUSSION
Q: What other instances in the Bible do we see stories of villains? Discuss how we know they are the villains and are there times where they become a victim or hero instead?
Q: Why do we feel like we are the hero in our own movie? Or have you ever felt like you were the villain instead?
Q: How does who we surround ourselves with affect our mental, emotional and physical health? What circumstances have you been in that were good and bad?
Q: Has there ever been a time in your life when someone's wrong doing toward you ended up having a positive impact on your life?
Q: God calls us to love everyone, but not necessarily like everyone. What is the difference?
Q: What are steps we can take to build relationships through differing opinions?
Q: When do you know a relationship is toxic? What does God say about such relationships? How should we as Christians deal with toxic relationships?
___
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES
Matthew 22:36-40 (NIV)
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Genesis 50:15-21
15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.
Genesis 50:20
20 You planned this for evil, but God planned it for good, to save many lives
Matthew 28:18-20 (NIV)
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”