Godly Friendships

We have been talking about Friendships – Godly friendships – this is under our value Stand. We want to line our lives up with the way God does things – His order of things so we can stand rightly how He intended us too. Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times is our main verse – the things we have been learning is how that love plays out.

Influence:

Mark 9:42 But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.

Whoever uses their influence and causes another to stumble is accountable for that.

We are accountable for being a good example.

We want to walk the walk and talk the talk like Jesus did.

HOW :   

An INFLUENCER leads change. They change first then stand firm as an example.
An INFLUENCER replaces bad behaviors with powerful new skills. They overcome their weaknesses and learn how to do things differently in a positive and loving way.
An INFLUENCER makes things happen. They start movements and with small changes cause major shifts in the atmosphere around them.

Honesty:

In Act 5:1-11 Ananias and Sapphira – lied to the Holy Spirit and Died.

Honesty is a huge part of accountability – you can not be a person who is honored as one who is accountable without honesty.

HOW:

Be Honest with GOD – In Titus 1 it tells us that God cannot lie. So He can be trusted always.

Be Honest with Yourself – John 8:32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. Never lie to yourself .

Be Honest with Others – Colossians 3:9-10 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Honesty in these three areas will cause you to grow and mature. One who can be trusted to be accountable. The truth hurts but it doesn’t kill. A lie pleases but it never heals.

Accountability:

Accountability means to be answerable to or responsible

Examples: I answer to Pastor Lynn, Children to parents, Team leader over team, and Boss over employee, ME to GOD.

We are ALL accountable to someone and we are all accountable to GOD.

How do we know this?

Do you know what having a conscience means?

People usually use that term when they encounter something that goes against the value system, when we are faced with things we know are sin. Having a conscience means we have this internal right and wrong system (an accountability system) that God build right into us. God said in Heb 8:10 He would write His laws on our hearts. Then in Rom. 2:15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.

WE KNOW when we are doing wrong.

When we choose to be accountable we decide to have a willing heart to obey and submit to God. We have to choice . WHY? We have free will. We get to choose. What we will or will not do? To sin or not to sin. The issue with this is when we ignore that internal red flag system we have and do what we know is wrong we slowly deaden our hearts to God. God has order in this world He created. When we choose to be out of order it is like putting an engine together in the wrong order –just throw it together however I feel like it and go calling it good…it wont work and I get now where.

Same things happens to me when I am out of order. It becomes hard to live, deal with people and I get all stressed out and I live with a heavy heart and most likely I am angry or depressed. Life sucks for me.

God gave us This system so we would know that He is just and we are not. So we would know that we need a Savior and would call on Jesus and He would make us JUST through His Son. JUST -Righteous

Now Satan knows you are a powerful person, with position, and purpose. Satan loves to hijack this internal accounting system in two ways. Distracting us from what Christ did on the cross, the Grace He gave us. He does this to Either to get you so focused on your sin that you start to believe that God would never love or want you. So you turn away from GOD. Or he gets you so focused on your good deeds and your “not sinning” that you begin to feel like you have some great moral accomplishment. Get all prideful and God turns away from you. He doesn’t leave you He just turns.

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God;And your sins have hidden His face from you,
So that He will not hear.

Ever lie to someone and get caught and they turn their face from you and don’t want to hear what you have to say anymore.

When we are in God’s order and living accountable – we become powerful, purposeful, people with position.

Accountability is important because accountability means that we choose to be responsible people who are honest and we influence our world through being like Jesus.

We choose to do good because to not do good is sin. God gave us a group of people He called the Body of Christ – all the people who know and have accepted Him as their savior. He gave us a purpose Heb 10:24-25 tells us that we are too stir each other up to good works ( influence each other for good) and encourage each other. True Friendships have accountability laced in them.

Keeping a pure heart with in through this pathway of grace keeps us on the road of accountability. It’s the same pathway within friendships.

HOW:

James 5:16 Pray for each other – Confess our sins so we can be healed.

Gal 6:1-2 When we see each other falling into sin and going back to old bad habits to gently correct each other in love. Use Honesty and compassion to speak truth – call each other back to remember who you belong too and who loves you.

Accountability is about community. Living and Loving together. Doing life together Gods way.

Lots of people love to say – Its none of your business! And while that is true to some extant. Within certain relationships that is not possible. Its always Pastor Lynns business what we do here at youth group. It’s always my husband’s business what is going on with me. It is always Parents business what is going on with their kids.  Whenever you choose Gods order for your life – something amazing happens. He runs in to bless you because you honor His way of doing things. Thankfulness will always bloom in the garden of accountability.

Where do you stand in accountability ?

 

PHOTOS FROM #5hrFest – 5 hours of Fun, Food, Message on Accountability