relationships

<@salti> we are about to begin our study on relationships, uniting and healing..
[21:17] <@salti> Bride would you lead us in prayer, sis?
[21:17] <@Bride> sure
[21:17] <@Bride> Let's bow our hearts before the Lord.....
[21:17] <@Bride> Father God, we come before you tonight thanking you for the awesome privilege to gather in your name .....
[21:18] <@Bride> what a joy it is to gather as a family and praise you as one .... and study your word.....
[21:18] <@Bride> We thank you for the mighty work you do here on CCNet ... for all the saved lives.... the encouraged hearts.... the healed emotions and spirits .....
[21:19] <@Bride> as we are allowed to minister here in this special way.
[21:19] <@Bride> Father I ask that you bless salti as she brings Your message to us ....
[21:19] <@Bride> open the eyes of our hearts that we may see what it is You have to say through this teaching
[21:20] <@Bride> but let it go further on .... and embed deep so that it may flow out in the act of service out of love for You.
[21:20] <@Bride> In Christ's name I pray....
[21:20] <@Bride> amen
[21:20] <@salti> Amen
[21:20] <@salti> thanks Bride
[21:21] <@salti> Tonight we are going to talk about relationships :)
[21:21] <@salti> Since we all have them..
[21:21] <@salti> Sometimes things harm our relationships and ministries and we need to learn how to restore them.
[21:21] <@salti> The Apostle Paul founded the church at Corinth on his first missionary journey and sometimes later, others came to that church and accused Paul of not being an apostle.
[21:21] <@salti> They made a concerted attempt to alienate the congregation from Paul.
[21:21] <@salti> The attempt succeeded somewhat as a number of Corinthian Christians followed the new teachers.
[21:22] <@salti> Paul took seriously this attack on his ministry.
[21:22] <@salti> More was at stake than his personal reputation and pride.
[21:22] <@salti> The entire church of Jesus Christ stands on the foundation of truth and unity
[21:22] <@salti> Consequently, Paul took several steps to deal with this rejection of his ministry.
[21:22] <@salti> Part of this is found in 2 Corinthians 7:2-14
[21:23] * @Bride <NASB>: 2 Corinitains 7:2 Make room for us in your hearts we wronged no one, we corrupted no one, we took advantage of no one.
[21:23] <@salti> Paul began his appeal for renewed relationships by humbly pleading with his friends at Corinth to open their hearts to him.
[21:23] <@salti> Paul treated them as equals, but at the same time, he insisted on his authority as an apostle of Christ.
[21:23] <@salti> He would not allow truth to be compromised.
[21:24] <@salti> Paul reminded the Corinthians that he had not wronged, corrupted, or exploited any of them.
[21:24] <@salti> Paul followed his this defense immediately with an assurance that he meant no condemnation of the Corinthians in that assertion
[21:24] * @Bride !nasb!: 2 Corinitains 7:3 I do not speak to condemn you, for I have said before that you are in our hearts to die together and to live together.
[21:25] <@salti> Paul did not see the matter at hand as one of winning or losing a battle with enemies.
[21:25] <@salti> Rather, he was reasoning with and appealing to deal friends
[21:25] <@salti> Paul reminded the believers that before he told them he was willing to live or die with them.
[21:25] <@salti> Paul then moved on to express his confidence and pride in the Corinthian believers.
[21:25] * @Bride †NASB†: 2 Corinitains 7:4 Great is my confidence in you; great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort; I am overflowing with joy in all our affliction.
[21:25] <@salti> Their recent conduct encouraged him and gave him joy.
[21:26] <@salti> Note the sensitivity and tact Paul employed in simultaneously defending himself, expressing concern for the Corinthians and applauding their sincerity and loyalty to him.
[21:26] <@salti> Evidently, Paul has a geniune affection for these believers which would draw them to him
[21:26] <@salti> In addition, Paul does not attack past wrongs, but rather seeks to restore relationships by humbly appealing to them.
[21:26] <@salti> We should always put forth the best possible interpretation of others motives, sincerity, and actions.
[21:27] <@salti> If we discover we are mistaken, we must assume the best possible interpretation of remaining assessments.
[21:27] <@salti> Paul knew how imortant unity and restoration of relationships were and humbly sought to do what was right.
[21:27] * @Bride @Nasb@: 2 Corinitains 7:5 For even when we came into Macedonia our flesh had no rest, but we were afflicted on every side: conflicts without, fears within.
[21:27] * @Bride @Nasb@: 2 Corinitains 7:6 But God, who comforts the depressed, comforted us by the coming of Titus;
[21:27] * @Bride @Nasb@: 2 Corinitains 7:7 and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted in you, as he reported to us your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me; so that I rejoiced even more.
[21:28] <@salti> Paul went on to speak of fatigue from labor of the hardships and fear he experienced in Macedonia while awaiting Titus's return from his mission to Corinth on Paul's behalf
[21:28] <@salti> God lifted Paul's spirits with Titus's return, and more specifically by the news titus brought about the believers at Corinth.
[21:28] <@salti> The Corinthians still held deep love for Paul and were deeply saddened by the rift in their relationship with him.
[21:28] <@salti> Again, Paul sought harder to restore the realtionship entirely.
[21:28] <@salti> Paul's prior rebuke had caused the believers sorrow, but it had led them to repentance.
[21:29] <@salti> That was Paul's purpose after all.. To hold them accountable and to direct them back to truth rather than to judge.
[21:29] * @Bride ^NASB^: 2 Corinitains 7:12 So although I wrote to you, it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but that your earnestness on our behalf might be made known to you in the sight of God.
[21:29] * @Bride ^NASB^: 2 Corinitains 7:13 For this reason we have been comforted. And besides our comfort, we rejoiced even much more for the joy of Titus, because his spirit has been refreshed by you all.
[21:29] * @Bride ^NASB^: 2 Corinitains 7:14 For if in anything I have boasted to him about you, I was not put to shame; but as we spoke all things to you in truth, so also our boasting before Titus proved to be the truth.
[21:30] <@salti> Paul went on to say that he was not writing to deal with the one who had led them astray, but rather to renew their devotion to God and to repair the relationship.
[21:30] <@salti> He then rejoiced with them in a renewed relationship
[21:30] <@salti> As brothers and sisters in Christ, we too must hold one another accountable and be willing to listen to others when they correct us when needed.
[21:31] <@salti> We must also learn how to approach one another to deal with an issue where we need correcting
[21:31] <@salti> We need to have open and honest relationships and be willing to search our hearts for fault and to renew any harm done.
[21:31] <@salti> I am so thankful for the many brothers and sisters who hold me accountable both in my walk with the Lord and in my relationships with others
[21:31] <@salti> I am also thankful that I can go to others if I feel they have wronged me and we can easily resolve it.
[21:31] <@salti> That is God's desire for His church.. That it be united and that Christ be reflected in it.
[21:32] <@salti> I encourage you to apply Paul's teaching to your own life.
[21:32] <@salti> Father, thank You for the hope that we have in Christ and for the relationships we have within Your church.
[21:33] <@salti> Take Your Word and apply it to our hearts and our lives. Teach us how to relate to one another and to edify the body of Christ.
[21:33] <@salti> Draw our hearts and our minds to the things that You desire. Teach us and strengthen us for Your glory.
[21:34] <@salti> Lead us as we minister here at CCNet and elsewhere, that others would so brightly see Your light in our lives that they would be compelled to run to You
[21:34] <@salti> In the precious and almighty name of Christ Amen
[21:34] <@Bride> amen!