Praise the Lord. Hallelujah Word of life Welcome again, in the presence of the Lord, I believe you have been well from your homes and blessed of the Lord. Welcome again, and God bless you in the name of Jesus Christ.
Let's pray this morning as we start our session. Just tell God, Lord, I am ready to receive the word from you from the throne of Grace. Talk to me, minister to me Oh, God again this morning. Let the word come afresh and transform my life.
Lord, I need you more than anything else in the name of Jesus the Christ. The son of the living God, we have prayed and we say Amen and Amen. Glory be to God in high places.
Well, welcome again. We started since Monday, talking about Ruth Chapter 1, verse 14. And the Bible says.
And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. That is King James version.
It is normally cleaved depending on other versions.
I am in love with the spirit of Ruth. Remember, Ruth means friendship. Ruth is giving us powerful lessons that helps us understand that topic of relationship. I mean friendships.
I started it yesterday. Let me proceed today. I just want to show you the laws of friendship. I will just provide to you some of them because I don't have time to go deeper.
Relationships have levels. A relationship can grow from one level to another. A relationship can increase or it can decrease.
That's why when you read John Chapter 15, verse 15, Jesus says, Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
So we have two levels of relationship and the difference between the two is defined by the level of intimacy and secrecy.
So according to Jesus, when the relationship grows, there must be openness to the extent that the people who are in the relationship don't hide.
So there is openness and then there is also closeness. It's a law. You cannot be friends and you are afraid to open up. If such is the case, call him something else, not a friend.
When people are friends, nothing can come in between to separate them. That's why Jesus says, I don't call you servants, but I call you friends. Why? Because I told you whatever my father told me. Meaning, I opened up to you. I opened my heart to you.
In Genesis 18:17, God is asking himself the question, ”Should I hide from Abraham what I am about to do?”. I can't hide because Abraham is my friend. And God revealed to Abraham the thing he wanted to do before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. Why? Because Abraham was the friend of God as we find it written in Isaiah 41:8 and James 2:23.
So if we put all this together, it helps us understand that there are three laws of friendship : The first law is the law of closeness. The second law is the law of openness. And the third law is the law of oneness. But today, I want to focus only on closeness.
God will give us more opportunities to continue with the other aspects of this teaching.
Everyone cannot and should not be called a friend. If somebody is not close to you, don't call them a friend.
In Proverbs 18:24, the Bible says, “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother”.
A friend sticks. A friend remains close to you. Orpah left because she was not a friend. She was an acquaintance because there were some things in common between them. Look at Ruth 1:14, “And they lifyed up their voices and wept again and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law but Ruth clave unto her”
Someone who appears or disappears. Don't call him a friend. No.
A friend sticks close. Please don't forget when someone sticks close, that is a friend. Whether it rains or it does not rain, he sticks to you. Whether you are harsh or you are good, he sticks to you. Whether you are weird or you are noble, he sticks to you. Whether you are weak or you are strong, he sticks to you. That is a friend.
Those excuses that people give, “Well! You know? Things are not going on well there. I …”
My friend, just go. Those are excuses.
Ruth was that friend. She said, “No. Where you will go, I will go. Your God will be my God. Where they will bury you. I will be buried”.
That’s is the meaning of friend sticks close. That is a real friend.
I believe that when God says, “Let no man separate those God has joined together”, God was not talking only about marriage. He was talking about friendship.
Because I will tell you the truth. The Bible says, “A friend sticks…”. It means in other word that, if married people are friends, they will stick to one another.
The reason why we are having all kind of divorces here in town, it's because the people who are married, are not friends.
Because friends stick. But there is something I just want to draw your attention about. Closeness has two levels. We have the first level of closeness called proximity and the second level it is connectivity.
So when we talk about closeness, it can be physical closeness or it can be a heart-to-heart closeness, meaning closeness in the heart.
The physical closeness is what we call proximity. The heart to heart closeness is what we call connectivity.
You can be physically together with somebody, but your hearts are not connected. You are physically together, but the heart are not there.
In Matthew 15:8, Jesus says, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me”.
So, it is not about being physically together. You can be physically together, but spiritually apart. Or I can say heartily apart.
There is a beautiful scripture in Mark 5:27-29 that helps us understand the difference between those two concepts.
Mark 5:27-29 KJV
When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. [28] For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. [29] And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
In this text, the Bible s that there were people who were thronging on Christ. They were jumping on him coming from every corner and touching him everywhere.
Here comes a woman. This woman. I don't know her name. Her name is not mentioned, but the only thing we know is that she suffered and was bleeding for 12 years.
And when she came in the press, the Bible says that she touched Jesus and she got healed. And Jesus asked a question. And the question is, “Who touched me?”
Peter said, (I paraphrase), “What is wrong with you, Jesus. People are thronging on you and you are asking who touched you?”
But Jesus said, “No. Somebody has touched me from another level because I felt power coming out of me”.
So, this woman is giving me a couple of lessons that will help understand connectivity.
Many marriages are falling apart because the people who are there are not connected. They are together because of the papers. Not because of their heart. They sleep on the same bed, but they are not connected. They have children, but they are not connected.
It is also true for those who come in Church. They come in Church. but they are not connected.
The question is … What made the woman to tap into the anointing from Christ?
Number one, she connected from the heart. That is what makes connectivity powerful.
Mark Chapter 5, verse 28, she said in her heart, if I may touch, but his clothes, I will be whole.
Wow. Proximity is just physical, but connectivity is in the heart. That that is what we see in this woman.
Many people were touching Jesus, but they were not in touch with Jesus. That is why there are many people who come in Church, but they are not in touch.
If we can apply it in friendship, we can say that we have people who are participant, but they are not partakers. They are just there. That is not a friendship actually. It is only the heart. The connection of the heart.
In 2 Kings 2:7, it's amazing to see ...
“50 men of the sons of the Prophet went and stood to view afar off, and they two stood by Jordan.
There were people who were physically there. But they were watching from far. Elijah and Elisha were there. The heart of one, another was connected and see how the River Jordan was parting before them.
Sometimes you can ask yourself, but what is my problem? I'm coming in Church, but I'm not partaking to what is going on there. The question is not about the teaching, about the power of the pastor. The problem is your heart. You can be physically there. But you are there, but you are not connected at all.
How come the river Jordan parted before Elijah and Elisha? They passed. But the other fifty they were also there watching from far?
That is what I call the matters of the heart.
In the Bible, there was a man who wanted to connect to the anointing of the Holy Spirit that was flowing from the life of Peter.
But Peter told him as we can read in Acts 8 : 19-21,
When Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money saying, give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands he may receive the Holy Ghost.
But Peter said unto him, ”Thy money perish with thee, because thou has thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God”.
Let me tell you something, friends. When the heart is not right, nothing will be right.
So how do I know that's my heart is not right?
Fact 1 | Your heart is not right when it is divided
There are many things that can mention, but let me just give you one sign that your heart is not right. When you have a divided heart.
A divided heart is not right. When your heart is divided, you are not right. Your heart is not right.
I don't know if you are getting what I'm talking about.
In first chronicles Chapter 12, verse 38, let us read it together.
All these men of war that could keep rank. They came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David King over all Israel and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David King.
Some versions say, “They came with an undivided heart”. That is what makes friendship to be true.
And we have many people who have divided hearts physically. You see them appearing on Sunday and disappearing the following Sunday, appearing again and disappearing again.
They start doing something and then they withdraw themselves. It is the heart. You can lie to everybody, but not to your heart.
And God watches the heart.
Your heart is not right before God. You are not serving because according to you people are gossiping in Church. No. You are not serving because your heart is not right. You are not unfaithful because the other partner is unfaithful. No. Your heart is not right. Your heart is divided.
That's why God says, “You will love the Lord your God with all your heart”.
True friends are whole hearted.
Orpah left because her heart was not whole in that thing. She went back to her people and to her gods (Ruth 1:15).
Fact 2 | Your heart is not right when you are jealous
The people who came to David came with one heart. They came with a perfect heart to make David King. May God give you people who have a perfect heart to make you king. Meaning they are not jealous.
When your heart is not right, you will be jealous of others.
When your heart is right, you are not afraid to bless others. You are not afraid to release the grace. You are not afraid to help others to become the best version of themselves.
We have heart problem in our lives, in our relationship. That is why the problem in relationships are not relationship itself, but it is the heart.
Fact 3 | Your heart is not right when you have a plan B
Ruth did not have a Plan B. In case this does not work, I will escape to the other one. No. A man whose heart is right does not have a Plan B. Ruth did not have a Plan B.
That's why when Naomi was pushing Ruth to go, she was going nowhere, because she did not have a plan B.
May God give us people who come in our life and don't have any Plan B. They come with their whole heart in the relationship, in the work, in the ministry, in Church.
Stop lying to people. If you have left, just go. Don't lie to anybody.
Your heart was not right and you cannot be partaker of anything if your heart is not right.
You see? This woman came and said in her heart, “If I can touch, I will be healed”. That is the first thing to know about connectivity,
NUMBER 2 | Intentionality And purposefulness
She connected intentionally and purposefully. She knew why she was there,… if I may touch, but his clothes I shall be whole ...
That is the meaning of being intentional or intentionality.
Relationships work when the partners are intentional. Friendship works when the friends are intentional. Meaning they are purposeful in building the relationship.
Friends, no relationship works by itself. How can you believe that the relationship will just work by itself? How can a car move by itself. How?
Even the way we are doing ministry here, how can it work by itself?
Nothing works if no one works. Somebody must work things out for things to work. It means that relationship is work. Friendship is work. So when people are true friends, they will work for the relationship to work.
They will work because they're intentional and purposeful. That is friendship for you.
Ruth 1:16-18, “Entreat me not to leave you or to return from following after thee : for whither thou goest, I will go and where thou lodgest I will lodge : thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God. Where thou diest, will I die, and there I will be buried: the Lord do so to me and more also, if ought but death part thee and me. When she saw she was steadfastly minded, then she left speaking to her”.
You see? Steadfastly minded means that she was intentional to go with her.
Friendship is all about having things in common : common destiny, common purpose, etc. That is friendship.
If somebody does not have anything in common with you, don't call that person a friend.
You see? She said … My God your God. You lodge I lodge. You go I go. Where they bury you, they bury me. That is friendship : Common things.
So it helps me understand that friendship is a covenant .
We need to come to a place where God gives us covenant friends.
That is what we call covenant friends. We have convenient friends.
Do we have covenant friends like Ruth who can say, “Where you go, I will go. Where you die, I will die you. Your God will be my God”?
Oh, my God. May God give me such people. If in church I have only one Ruth, I am okay. I am settled.
For which purpose do we have for millions of people whose heart is not there?
Friends are intentional to build what?
They are intentional to build one another’os character not to destroy
Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend“
I suppose that Ruth told her mother-in-, “You know what, ma'am? Ma'am, you lost a husband. You lost two kids. You told two sons. I lost my husband. But let us go together. Let us build our future together. Let us trust God. God will restore us. Are you hearing me ma’oam? Our future is bright”
How you need such people who can build you up. We need friends who build one another up.
Oh, God., can you give us such people who come to build up and who can say, “You know what pastor? We will stay together. We will work together. We will build the Church together with the Lord. The church will move forward. The Ministry will move forward”.
Those are the people you need in your life. I pray God will give you such people in Jesus name !
They are intentional to tell one another the truth not to sugarcoat one another.
Proverbs 27:5, “Open rebuke is better than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy”.
You see? The kiss of Orpah. She kissed and left. She was sugarcoating. She was crying like she was genuine. Friends are true and tell one another the truth.
They are intentional to grow up together.
Act 3:1,,”Peter and John were going up together”
Friends grow up and go up together.
If we are friends, we must grow together. We must grow up together. We don't become friends to become worse.
So this far I told you that the bleeding woman first of all connected from the heart. Secondly, she connected intentionally and purposefully.
Now, thirdly, she connected with expectation of faith.
Those are the three things she did to connect to Christ. That's what made Christ to say who touched me.
We see Ruth connected to Naomi on the basis of faith. It’s like she was telling her mother-in-law, “I believe in your God. I'm not expecting anything from you. mother-in-law”. That is faith.
True friends are reliable. They have their eyes on God. They can hold their hand together when there is a problem and tell one another, “You know what my friend? God will visit you. God will restore you. God will bring back things that you have lost.”
So when Ruth was going. she knew she was going for Chapter 2. Hallelujah. She was going for the second round.
In chapter one, we lost husbands and everything. But there is a chapter 2. But I know, ma'am, we are going together. God will restore us. You may not have a husband, but I believe in your God.
I will have a husband. I will be settled. You will get back. whatever you lost.
How we need people in our life who can be building our faith, who come together with faith in the heart. People who can say, “Pastor. Don't worry. We are there with you”
Faith is what makes great friends. I will continue with Chapter 2 in the coming days. I hope you believe you understand the laws of great friendship.
PASTOR TD KASUKU
No comments:
Post a Comment