Face to Face, Pt. 13: Covenant Relationships
Victory Life Durant, Midweek — Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Readings:
NT: Romans 12:9-21 (NLT)
Keeping the Frame
Humans as God’s Image: Representation and Rule in partnership
The whole biblical story is about God’s desire to take crooked people and the twisted world that we’ve created and to make everything right. Through Jesus, God invites us to become whole, new humans (2 Corinthians 5:16-17). Our new “in Christ” identity is the truth of who we are. Living in a “face to face” relationship with God means seeing ourselves as God sees us: loved equally as the Son is loved by the Father.
What’s true of Jesus becomes true of us.
“Both human and spiritual maturity are demonstrated in having feelings, desires, and emotions under the guidance and control of what is good. Persons who are not spiritually mature are under the guidance and control of feelings, desires, and emotions.” Jim Wilder
Six Negative Emotions — [ SADSAD ] — Sadness, Anxiety, Despair, Shame, Anger, Disgust
Key Vulnerable Times: Hungry, Angry, Lonely, Tired
Joy is the greatest fuel for the brain, and it is a relational byproduct; it’s the result of being connected with someone who is happy to be with you and share in the moment. Joy is the greatest fuel for life, work, purpose, and character transformation.
“God designed our brains to run on joy like a car runs on fuel… Joy does not exist outside of relationship.”
God designed humans to require relationship in order for His image to be seen.
We exercise face to face relationships by seeing the other person through the lens of Christ (“in Christ,” the new man) and not for their flawed human self (“in Adam,” the old man). You can deal with sin, not ignore it, if the environment is “in Christ.” We can deal with hard issues, challenge one another, work with one another, when we are both committed to the love of Christ.
Our Leadership Covenant
The bedrock and foundation of our church culture is our Leadership Covenant. Whatever is healthy and wholesome about our church, whatever is going right here, has its roots in our leadership covenant. The leadership of this family is committed to covenant relationships with each other and the church.
Honor — Unity — Trust
HONOR (Romans 12:10)
Romans 12:10 (NLT) Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other.
Romans 12:10 (ESV)…Outdo one another in showing honor.
In a healthy church, honor is a two-way street: not just honor toward leaders, but leaders also honoring those whom they have authority over. Honor is our culture.
- We agree to submit to and not undermine God-given, God-appointed authority.[ Hebrews 13:17 ]
- We commit to further the Kingdom of God and not build our own. [ Matthew 6:33 ]
Unity (Psalm 133:1-3)
Psalm 133:1-3 (ESV) Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes! It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forevermore.
- We will not participate in nor be a party to church splits. [ Ephesians 4:1-3 ]
- We bind together relationally in which divorce is no option. [ Mark 10:9 ]
Trust (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 (ESV) We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
- We will remain open to correction from those who love us. [ Luke 17:3-4 ]
- We will not receive accusations against one another. [ 1 Timothy 5:19 ]
- We commit to the “5 Day Rule” concerning offenses. [ Matthew 18:15 ]
Jim Wilder, Renovated: God, Dallas Willard & the Church that Transforms (NavPress and Tyndall House Publishers, 2020), pg. 50
Michel Hendricks and Jim Wilder, The Other Half of the Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2020), 54, 56