Building Godly relationships #4 By Pastor George Lehman What a big difference there is between giving advice and lending a hand.   We even give advice that we are not willing to follow. 1 John 3:18 (LB) - “Little children, let us stop just saying we love people, let us really love them and show it by our actions.” How many happy selfish people do you know? A psychiatrist, dr. Carl Menninger, was asked, “What advice would you give to a person to do if he felt a nervous breakdown coming on?”  He answered, “Not to consult a psychiatrist.  Lock up your house, go across the railroad, find someone in need and do something to help that person.” The best way to forget your troubles is to help others out of theirs. At the Seattle Special Olympics, 9 contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100-yard dash. At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a determination to run the race to the finish and win.  All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over a couple of times, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry.  They slowed down and looked back.  Then they all turned around and went back … every one of them.  One girl with Down’s Syndrome bent down and kissed him and said, “This will make it better.”  Then all nine linked arms and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, the cheering went on for several minutes.  People who were there are still retelling the story.  Why would this move the hearts of the people? Because deep down in all of us we know this one thing:  it’s the way God has wired us up. What matters in this life, what’s of greater worth and value more than just winning for ourselves.  What really matters in this life is helping others win, even if it means slowing down and changing our course.  “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.”   I want to talk about: The fellowship of the Mat Mark 2:1-5 (Amp) - And Jesus having returned to Capernaum, after some days it was rumored about that He was in the house [probably Peter’s]. 2And so many people gathered together there that there was no longer room [for them], not even around the door; and He was discussing the Word.  3Then they came, bringing a paralytic to Him, who had been picked up and was being carried by four men. 4And when they could not get him to a place in front of Jesus because of the throng, they dug through the roof above Him; and when they had scooped out an opening, they let down the [thickly padded] quilt or mat upon which the paralyzed man lay.  5And when Jesus saw their faith [their confidence in God through Him], He said to the paralyzed man, Son, your sins are forgiven [you] and put away [that is, the penalty is remitted, the sense of guilt removed, and you are made upright and in right standing with God]. One of the greatest stories in the bible about relationships, about real people having real relationships. We see a paralyzed man with friends who were willing to care.  People who took “Building Godly relationships” seriously. The person paralyzed was confined to a mat 2m x 1m most of his life. What did he have?  You know what he had – Godly relationship builders. This whole story takes place because of his friends.  Without his friends he never makes it to Jesus: Never gets healed Never gets forgiven The story possibly never gets told Yet, here are a few “Godly relationship builders” who refused to let any obstacle stop them. In the face of formidable obstacles, social and peer pressure, stigma, inconvenience, high cost of time and energy, they chose to put a High Value on their relationship. Here’s an important lesson to us all: You cannot microwave relationships. You cannot have relationships in a hurry. You can’t listen in a hurry – mourn or rejoice or build meaningful friendships in a hurry. We become so busy with our jobs, careers, making money, making a living – in our own little world. All about ME, that we neglect the one most valuable possession God placed in us – to build “Godly relationships”.  Boy, are we going to be accountable to God one day or WHAT?! The truth is in every one of our lives we all have a mat.   The mat stands for: Our human brokenness. - Our imperfections. - Our failures, our attitudes. It’s all the “what’s not NORMAL about me”. The things we desire to hide about ourselves Maybe your mat is your: Temper – you can’t control. Maybe it’s fear – fear of failure, Fear of the future, fear of past events in your life, fear of hurt. Maybe you are unable to trust people. Maybe it’s a personal secret of some awful habit or something you are still guilty about. The problem is – most people do “Mat Management”. They notice everyone else’s mat and act as though they don’t have a mat. It’s only IN relationships when we allow others to see our mat. If you’re not involved in a ministry, how will you cope with your mat.  When we give and receive help with each other, that’s when healing becomes possible. Wherever human beings love, accept, respect and serve each other, in the face of weakness, is where real “Godly Relationships” are built. If you want to “build Godly relationships” you can’t always be the strong one.  You will have to learn to let somebody else carry your mat. There has to be trust between friends.  Imagine this paralytic – how he had to trust his friends to lower him through a roof to get to Jesus. Jesus looks up and sees the faces of 4 men looking to him. Mark 2:5 (Amp) – When He saw their* faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son your sins are forgiven”. *Note – not the one on the mat’s faith their FAITH. Galatians 6:2 says carry one another’s burdens As a result of your obedience someone could be set free, think about that. Mark 2:11 (Amp) - I say to you, arise, pick up and carry your sleeping pad or mat, and be going on home. I believe Jesus saw “the building of Godly relationships” in action. There where unity is, a blessing is commanded, and deliverance and healing flows freely. God wants us to stand in the gap for one another. That’s relationship. The truth is, the more spiritually mature you grow, the more you’ll find your heart been drawn to…“Building Godly relationships” So many times, it’s the longer saved Christians who grumble complain and judge the most and do the least especially many times this happens with leaders “I mean I am the leader so respect me” Being there, standing in the gap, carrying one another’s mats will cost you something, but the reward of seeing someone set free is worth it. Close: 1 John 3:18 (LB) - “little children, let us stop just saying we love people, let us really love them (carry their mat) and show it by our actions.”