Christianity 10th Power: Part VI – Concentric Circles of Peace
Christianity to the tenth power is a series of sermons that teach us how to establish relationships both vertical and horizontal. I we way we love God and have not love for other people we decieve ourselves. Every human being is made in God's image.
This particular sermon explains "how to" be at peace with God, those in positions of authority over us, other Christians, unchurched people, and youself.
Always look at life as an opportunity to grow spiritually. The environment primarily does not dictate to us "who we are", "what we are", or "how we conduct our lives.
God wants us to have a relationship with him. He has provided that by Jesus Christ and the The Holy Spirit. God also wants us to have peaceful relationships with people. He wants us to build relationship deep and wide; not just a vertical relationship with God. Christians who are always referring other people to, “Our Church” we attend… or Our Pastor, Our programs, or Our “show” are not fulfilling their call to make disciples.
God wants us to follow the example of Jesus and have relationships that are deep and wide. He wants us to
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
Go ye therefore into all the world and build relationships with people. Think of it like a pyramid type relationship. Relationships need to be as deep as they are wide. He want us to grow, personally,the same way.
King David refers to this type relationship like this:
(Psa 42:7) Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.
The word in the Hebrew means “a surging mass of spiritual torrential water” in God’s Spiritual world, calling out to man’s inner spiritual deep dwelling springs of water in the into most being of our spiritual being.
St. John refers to this depth of spiritual inner power and writes,
(3 John 1:2) Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.
For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
Deep and Wide… the Width being described by John as: Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; He further refers to the “Wide relationships in verse 6,” “bringing them forward on their journey after a godly sort,”
Basic social conflicts in relationship always have root problems. Most people just try to deal with the symptoms of the conflicts and the prejudice. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches in his conversation with the Samaritan Women at the well about a “drink of water that He can give us that will forever quench this “deep spiritual thirstiness in our souls”.
It is clear that the Samaritan women had problems in her relationships. She had been married five times and was living with a person without making a commitment even at the time she was talking to Jesus.
Let's look at the conversation between Jesus and this lady.
"There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans."
Clearly, she was going to allow "racial prejudice" to dominate the relationship between herself and Jesus. Jesus ignores the question, the obstacle, the racial comment and gets to the root reason He had decided to go through Samaria.
"Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?
Clearly, she continues to bring up His limitations. Basically, this is a critical statement on her part. Then, she further challenges him with the next statement. "Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? Do you see the mistakes she is making in the conversation?
Jesus again ignores the obstacle that she presents in creating a peaceful relationship with her. "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
Finally, she gets it. "The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
Now, that Jesus has invited her into the relationship and she has responded properly, Jesus gives her his first "test". The first test in every relationship is honesty. Jesus wants to see if she is in a state of denial. "Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither. The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly. The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.
Oops! She is about to present another barrier and reason not to accept his love and build a relationship.
She brings up the subject of "Religion". "Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
Notice how precise and clearly Jesus explains the truth to her. His words were "inclusive", without condemnation, and straight forward.
She responded with the typical idea that most people use today. "Someday" in the "future" I believe truth will be revealed. However, Jesus took this idea and tossed it out the window of her mind. He closes the conversation with bringing her into the present.
The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.
Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
Now, in the story we see another obstacle that often comes up as a hinderance to building relationships with others. This obstacle is one more hinderance that is present today in our relationships with unchurched people. The typical church going "faithful" always want to know "why" we want to build relationships with "outsiders", those not "in the club".
Listen to what the disciples say. "And upon this came his disciples, and marvelled that he talked with the woman: yet no man said, What seekest thou? or, Why talkest thou with her? But, they thought it. However, the situation was such a controversial, racial, prejudice, uncomfortable, apparantly "immoral" issue they were too uncomfortable to even verbalize their astonishment. Thank God, they did not interfer with His work of including her in his ministry.
Because, immediately, she believed His words and responded to the good news.
"The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men,(those who she personally knew and had relationships with) Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?"
This deepest part of her was filled. And, all she left was her “empty waterpot sitting in the sand, which was her primary occupation: she now knew "who she was" and was filled in the deepest part of her soul. Immediately, she begins to expand her “wide” relationships.
