Sermon Title: Relationship Goals: Transparency

Sermon Text: Matthew 17:5-6 - 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.

Sermon Title: Relationship Goals: Transparency

1.  It’s okay to wonder what people think of you. Matthew 16: 13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”

2.  Don’t let people tell you who you are. Matthew 16: 22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord![e] This shall never happen to you.”

3.  Be yourself no matter what.  Vs. 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son,[a] with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

4.  Accept the fact that everybody is not with you. Matthew 10:4 Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

5.  Learn how to release people.  John 21:15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

Palm Sunday

Pericope: Matthew 21:1-11

Sermon Text: Matthew 21:8 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

Point 1. The Concentration Matthew 21:2, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. 5 “Say to the daughter of Zion, ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

Psalms 119:11 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Philippians 2:5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus

Meditate on his word day and night Joshua 1:8 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

Whatsoever is good and holy…think on these things Philippians 4:8 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Point 2. The Cloaks Matthew 21:8 8 Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.

Point 3. The Cry Matthew 21:16 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘Out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise.

Notice what Jesus did as he rode the colt into town.  Matthew 21:12-16 12 And Jesus entered the temple[a] and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 13 He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.” 14 And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” they were indignant, 16 and they said to him, “Do you hear what these are saying?” And Jesus said to them, “Yes; have you never read, “‘

Psalm 23:5 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

He already told you he would make your enemies your footstool Luke 20:43 43 until I make your enemies your footstool

He already told you when the enemy comes to eat of your flesh they will stumble and fall Psalm 27:2 2 When evildoers assail me    to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall

Point4: The Cross Hebrew 12:2 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfected of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Life Application

1. Fully embrace your destiny and purpose in life as Jesus did.

2. Don’t let applauds alter your journey.

3. Run to the cross with all your might.

#Relationship Goals - Unfriending

Sermon Text: Gen 4: 1-12,16 4 Adam[a] made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.[b] She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth[c] a man.” 2 Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.”[d] While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. 11 Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” 16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod,[a] east of Eden.

Sermon Title: #Relationship Goals Pt 5 - Unfriending

Point 1. They Are Petty Gen 4: 5  but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.

Point 2. They Project Their Problems Onto You Gen 4: 6 6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? 

Point 3. Deny You Your Purpose Gen 4: 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Vs. 10 The LORD said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.

Vs. 7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” 

Point 4. They Perpetually Live In A Virtual World Gen 4:1616 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden

Vs. 14 Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

Point 5. Place Them In The Hands Of God Gen 4:16 So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden 

Life Application

1. Filter Your Friends

2. Fulfill Your Purpose

3. Make A Friend

Life at the Speed of Relationships

Sermon Text: Genesis 37: 8 8 His brothers said to him, “Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?” And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

Sermon Title: #Relationship Goals Part 3: Life @ the speed of relationships

Point 1: Joseph and [goal] dream killers Genesis 37:5: 19-20 5 Joseph had a [goal] dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. 19 “Here comes that [goal setter] dreamer!” they said to each other. 20 “Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his [goals] dreams.”

That is at the heart of every relationship goal killer.  

1. First they hate your dream/goal

2. Second they plot against your dreams/goals.

3. Third, they attempt to murder your/dream.  

Point 2: Joseph and dream wanter 39: 10,20 - 10 And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. 20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined….

Point 3: Joseph and dream forgetters - Genesis 40: 8,16,23 8 “We both had dreams,” they answered, “but there is no one to interpret them.”16 When the chief baker saw that Joseph had given a favorable interpretation, he said to Joseph, “I too had a dream: On my head were three baskets of bread. 23 The chief cupbearer, however, did not remember Joseph; he forgot him.

Point 4: Joseph and the dream maker Genesis 41:1 41 When two full years had passed, Pharaoh had a dream: He was standing by the Nile,

Point 5: Joseph and the circular dream Genesis 19-20ESV But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people[a] should be kept alive, as they are today.

- Joseph dreams came true

- Joseph relationship goals became a reality

- He reigned over his bothers

- A famine in the land caused them to come to him

- Joseph says the defining words to the dreams…you meant it for evil God meant it for good

1. Godly relationships goals/dreams will prevail

2. They will be many ups and downs

3. Every relationship takes you closer to where God intends for you to go.

Life Application:

1. Connect someone to Christ…instead of them taking you on a journey connecting you to dreams that don’t relate to God what they mean for evil you connect them to God- fill a fish out.

2. You be the dream setter goal maker on your job

3. Write down five relationship goals – family, friends, your marriage, etc.

#RelationshipGoals Why I Stayed

Sermon Text: Ruth 1: 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

Sermon Title: #RelationshipGoals: Why I Stayed

16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.

17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 

Point 1:  Ruth saw something in Naomi’s life in hard times. Vs 5 both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.

There are four people you want to identify in hard times. 

1)  The person who left you in hard times. 

2)  The person who talked about you in hard times. 

3)  The person that stuck with you in hard times. 

4)  The person that helped out of hard times. 

Point 2:  Ruth saw Naomi’s God and wanted a relationship with her God. Vs. 17 …Your God will be my God

Point 3:  Ruth saw a future with her based on her past performance – Vs 17, 19 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.” 19 So the two women went on until they came to Bethlehem. When they arrived in Bethlehem, the whole town was stirred because of them, and the women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” 

Life Application:

1.  Make Jesus your first relationship goal

2.  Make sure you filter all relationships then staying is not an issue

3.  Assess your relationships are they adding value or devaluing you.