Nothing Will Come Between Us – Friendship Myth #3 - Purity 1335

To see today's photo, go to mt4christ.org or follow me, M.t. Clark, on Facebook or Twitter. Actually, go to mt4christ.com because the transition hasn't been smooth and I'm waiting for a couple of days apparently for the new site to be— for the old domain mt4christ.org to be pointing to mt4christ.com. So there's that. Anyway, good morning. Today's photo of a park bench-lined walkway on the shores of Lake Ontario comes to us from Celestial Blue Photography's Rocco Saya, who shared this tranquil scene from his visit to what I am fairly certain is Oswego's Brightbeck Park on social media on or around May 17th, 2023. 2021. Well, it's Thursday, and I share this pathway photo, as is my habit on Thursdays, to encourage all who read, hear, or see this message to get on or to stay on the path of Christian discipleship, or as Eric Metaxas' latest book suggests, practicing religionless Christianity. Metaxas, of course, uses a term that Dietrich Bonhoeffer coined that describes the surrendered, authentic lifestyle of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Holding on to cheap grace, mental assenting to a set of theological beliefs, and going through the pantomime of religious traditions while you more or less remain unchanged in your mind, heart, and the way you live your life is to practice religion. Whereas a disciple of Jesus has a personal relationship with the Lord and who continuously and progressively seeks to surrender to the Lord's will, allowing God to change whatever he calls us to repent of and to assign on a life's purpose to our lives. My purpose in Christ is to bear testimony to the freedom that is to be found in Christ and to encourage others to discover the abundant life that comes from practicing religious— religionless Christianity. The cost of discipleship, however, can include the loss of friendships to those who choose not to follow Jesus, or even to those who claim to but who view our zealously following the Lord as unnecessary, too extreme, or even too religious. Ironic, huh? Anyway, that brings us to our current series on friendship myths, which was inspired by our recent prayer ministry session and Sarah Epstein's 2022 Psychology Today article on destructive beliefs about friends, um, or friendship, where she writes about our third friendship myth. Epstein's informed informs us that of the destructive belief that we hold concerning friendship, the next, I guess it's the next destructive belief that we hold concerning friendship is that, quote unquote, true friends, true friendship means nothing will come between us. Epstein's commentary to debunk this myth states, nope, conflict is healthy and normal in friendship. Just as it is in any relationship. Friendship is the interaction between complex human beings with complex changing needs. We can connect, we sometimes conflict. That is okay. It does not mean that friendship isn't a true friendship or that the friendship is not strong. In fact, friendships often gain strength if both members of the relationship can work through struggles open and honestly. Thank you. And that was Sarah Epstein's commentary debunking the, the myth that true friendship means nothing will come between us. Anyway, in today's cancel culture, uh, this is an important lesson to know and to share, as the latest trends seem to indicate that if I experience any offense from my friends or acquaintances, I am to condemn them and break relationships with them. Our current society seems to honor diversity, but the truth is that if you hold to a Christian worldview, you discover that your biblical principles and mores concerning marriage, gender equality, or human sexuality are now unacceptable to many and could result in the loss of otherwise previously harmonious friendships. It seems we can no longer agree to disagree and remain friends. However, God's Word would indicate that we should work to maintain friendship in spite of disagreements. Jesus said in Matthew 5:9, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. And he said in Matthew 5:23-24, Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. And the Apostle Paul advises us to— advises us in Romans 12:17-18, Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it depends on you, live peaceably with all men. And finally, in Ephesians 4:32, he says, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ Jesus forgave you. All this biblical wisdom shows us that we will have conflicts with one another, but instead of canceling our friendships and believing the lie that quote-unquote true friendship— see that extreme language— means that nothing— again, extreme terms— will come between us, You know, instead of believing that lie, announce the truth. As much as it depends on us, we will be peacemakers. As Christians, we will forgive others, ask for forgiveness when we do wrong, and try to remain friends with those we disagree with. After all, Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." Having open and honest discussions and settling disagreements with our friends can strengthen our friendships and could even be used by the Lord to bring people into his kingdom. So work to show the, the love of God in your relationships. However, if your friends don't follow the Lord or live sinful lives with the covering of cheap grace, don't forget Paul's advice in 1 Corinthians 15:33, where he warns us, do not be be deceived. Evil company corrupts good habits. Although Jesus was a friend of sinners, he told us not to be friends with sin in Matthew 5:29-30, where he said, if your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you, for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it, cast it from you. For it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. Jesus calls us to forgive, but he also calls us to repent of our sins. Although he loved everyone, he traveled with those who sought to obey him. So be wise and discerning regarding your friends. Some conflicts can be resolved, but if you are on the highway to heaven and they are on the highway to hell, It may be best to forgive them and let them go their way and pray that they follow you as you follow Christ. Today's Bible verses come to us from the Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling by John G. Crews. This morning's meditation verses come from the section on death and eternal life. And today's verses are from Revelation 21:1-4. And the Word of God says, now I saw a new heaven and a new earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be their— be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from every— from their eyes. There shall be no more death, no more sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away. Today's verses fall under the 17th point of our Counseling Reference Guide's resource section on death and eternal life. That 17th point is: there will be a new heaven and a new earth in which there will be no more suffering or sorrowing. Today's verses describe the culmination of ultimate reality, where God welcomes his children to life in a new heaven and a new earth where there is no pain, sorrow, crying, or death. This reality is for those who follow Jesus, and if we are in Christ, we should remember this and let go of the fear of death or the opinion of other non-believing men. They don't know who we know, and that— and, and they won't— and they will not go where we go. We have blessed assurance, and they have confusion. If left unchanged, their path leads to the lake of fire, and our path leads to eternal life in the presence of God. So let's rejoice over the fact of our salvation. Let's rejoice over the fact of our salvation and be faithful to share the good news with the hope that God will use us to help others find new life life, the new life that he has for them. As always, I invite all to go to mtforchrist.com, where I always share insights from prominent Christian theologians and counselors, uh, to assist my brothers and sisters in Christ with their walk. Um, today we continue sharing from According to Your Word: Morning and Evening Through the New Testament by Steven F. Alford. And today Alford suggests, well, prompts us to reach Acts chapter 6. And from Acts 6, he shares a portion of verse 2, which says, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables." And Steven Alford writes, it was not for lack of humility that the apostle said these words. It was rather that the teaching and preaching of the word of God should not be hindered. This was desirable, or that which was right or proper. Serving tables, though a duty important in itself, was decided to be committed into the hands of men who were spiritually qualified to perform it. The serving of tables consisted of the pecuniary transactions of the church, for they had all things in common, and this meant that there had to be those who should distribute equally to all the material needs of the church. The lesson in the above verse The truth, however, is that first it is desirable to hold the ministry of the word in the place of special importance, and yet not to neglect the secondary duties in connection with the work of God. Alford ends his message by praying, That preaching of your word and the ministry to your people are both important works. Help me to put them in proper priority. Amen. Yeah, there's lots of work to do in the kingdom, but sharing the gospel and, you know, knowing the Word of God is, you know, numero uno, I think. You know, as we are called to make disciples, not to do good work, you know, not to make disciples and not necessarily to make sure you clean things up or, you know, serve everyone their dinner. Those are important things too, but our priority is on bringing people into the kingdom and encouraging people in their faith. So that's what we should do, and that's what we try to do here at mt4christ.com. Um, basically right now we're just sharing, sharing our messages, but, um, you know, we do ministry for recovery ministry, freedom ministry, prayer ministry. To, to help those who've come into the kingdom to understand who they are in Christ and to live the abundant life. Otherwise, we'll, we'll live like people with cheap grace, not really understanding the gospel and not understanding that being a Christian should result in the fruit of a changed life. If you're relatively unchanged from the time you said the prayer that brought you into the kingdom You might be quenching the Spirit, or you might need to say that prayer again because, you know, look at the apostles. They dropped their nets and followed Jesus. They lived their entire lives with him. That's a disciple of Christ. And now where we don't necessarily, you know, we can't follow the physical Jesus, but he has different purposes for us and we're not flowing into something that serves the kingdom of God, we have to wonder if we're in the kingdom. And it's not about being approved, it's about living out your purpose in Christ. He didn't, you know, God didn't just save us so we could, you know, sit back, relax, and, you know, one day go to heaven. The injunction to make disciples is one of the last things he said to his disciples, and I think it is the last thing he said to his disciples in Matthew. And, you know, he basically says the same— the resurrected Christ says the same thing in Acts, you know, that we should go and spread the gospel, you know. So that's what we try to do here in our own little way. We do it for two reasons: because of ultimate reality I shudder to think of anyone being separated from God and going to hell. I know I thought that was going to be my final destination, and so that's big. But also, a life in Christ transforms your life now. It gives your life meaning and purpose, and it gives you joy when you follow the Lord. So I encourage people to do that. And today I have to follow the Lord into work. So before we, before we go, we're going to pray. Uh, Lord God, Heavenly Father, thank you for another day in your kingdom. Lord, we thank you so much for all that you've done for us. Thank you for saving us, and thank you for giving us the friends we have. Uh, Lord, help us to make new friends and usher new people into your kingdom. We pray to be used by you to do that. And Lord, we pray for anyone who's listening or reading today's message. We just pray for you to come alongside them, their prayer requests, their walk of faith, Lord. And, uh, we pray for you to go before us today, Lord. Open our eyes to the things you want us to see and lead us in the way we should go, because all I want to do is represent you in your kingdom and serve your— serve the body of Christ. Lord, I definitely need your help in doing that. So we are asking for your help today, Lord. We thank you, we praise you, we love you, and we pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.