What ever happened to Ice tea and Front Porches?
Part 2- When Community Hurts…
Colossians 3:12-17
Pastor Ryan Akers
Video- I belong- found on sermonspice
Me- Have you ever gotten into a fight with a next door neighbor? Story of Rambo. Mom and neighbor got into a fight about our trash being spread over his yard because some dogs had gotten into our trash. Started a bad rift between my family and his.
2 weeks ago started series/power in community. Without unity there is no community.
People living in isolation: Lose perspective on life, Fear of intimacy, Selfishness, Poor health
Randy Frazee says, “The development of meaningful relationships where every member carries a significant sense of belonging is central to what it means to be the church. This is a God-ordained gathering of people that is so strong that even “the gates of hell will not overcome it.”
We- Community is powerful. Being unified means having the ability to dream big and succeed together for God’s Kingdom. But what happens when community hurts? (we are still human)
There is an old saying, “Forgive and Forget.” There is another old saying, “easier said than done.”
We are naturally selfish and prideful. That is who we are. That doesn’t make it right. It means we have to learn to overcome it. Because the sad truth is people are going to hurt us and we are going to hurt people.
Someone is going to accidentally or on purpose hurt your feelings. It starts when we are young. Kids make fun of kids. Teenagers/adults form prejudgments of people. “Can you believe what she was wearing?” “Well I heard that he…” “I can’t believe they would come to church dressed like that.” “How can they live like that…?” “Oh let me tell you what they did. 5 years ago…” On and on.
You have to understand you will never get away from it. You can never escape it. But when you learn to become like Christ, to be holy as he is holy that is when you will overcome it.
God’s word clearly speaks to us about what character traits have to be adapted into our lives in order to bring unity back to a hurting community.
God- Colossians 3:12-17
Rules for holy living. Letter to church at Colosse.
Vs. 12- Any that accepts Christ as savior is one of God’s chosen and you are dearly loved. God is passionate about you. No matter how someone hurts you or treats you God wants you to know He is passionately in love with you.
Vs. 12b- Read vss. 5-8. Get rid of these and put on Christ character.
Compassion- consider what they are going through (mad driving)
Kindness- being kind=being helpful- Proverbs 25:21-23
Humility- don’t be too proud to admit when your wrong or when you need to help or when you don’t know or to admit you made a mistake. Don’t be a holier than thou person.
Gentleness- be sensitive to others
Patience- Don’t make snap judgements. Don’t have a short fuse. Get all the facts before jumping to conclusions.
This doesn’t mean be a doormat. It means be honest but gentle. Stern but kind. Christ could balance perfect truth and perfect love. Not hold grudges or stay angry. Not to talk behind people’s backs.
Almost all conflict will always be resolved with honest communication.
We know longer should put on the attitude of anger, malice, gossip because we are not like the world anymore. We are now set a part as a child of God. When we asked Christ into our hearts the old was washed away and now we are to live a holy and pleasing to life.
Vs. 13-14- Nobody here has a right to hold a grudge against anybody in their lives because none of us deserve the gift of eternal salvation. In light of eternity none of our problems really matter.
Love binds unity in community.
Read Luke 17:3-5
You- Scripture says, everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial. We have the freedom to hold a grudge. The only one making us hold that grudge is us. The only one not moving past is us and because of that we will never move forward. Don’t cause your brother to stumble. If your negative attitude causes your brother to stumble that is your sin.
Repent- Ask god to forgive you focusing on your grudge and your hurt feelings above living for him and loving him with all your heart soul and strength.
Ask for forgiveness from the person you hurt.
Go to the person who hurt you and confront them in love and openly forgive them.
We- A church that forgives is a church that will grow. A church focused on the love of God and the love of others is a church that will overcome hurt feelings and pride. A church that learns to forgive and becomes unified is a church that God is waiting for.
None of us deserve the forgiveness that God gives us each day. But over and over he forgives us. When you think about that then that little grudge we hold or have held against someone for so long now really just seems silly and petty.
Take This Home: Forgiveness is me giving up the right to hurt you for hurting me. (Anonymous quote)
Video- This Hand- found on sermonspice
Song- Amazing Grace
