Lighthouse Baptist Church
and Christian Academy

Practice accepting unpopular people

ACCORDING TO THE VERSES BELOW ANSWER THE APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

• Is it ok to be popular at school or work?
• Do I have to be friends with everyone?
• Is it ok to make fun of people who are different?
• Why should I be friends with the people that no one else likes?

John said to Jesus, "Teacher, we saw a man using your name to cast out demons, but we told him to stop because he isn't one of our group."

Mark 9:38 (NLT)

Jesus said to his disciples: Don't stop him! No one who works miracles in my name will soon turn and say something bad about me.

Mark 9:39 (CEV)

Later, as Jesus and his disciples were eating dinner [at Matthew's house], there were many notorious swindlers there as guests!

Matthew 9:10 (Living)

Evangelism (Mission) - Your mission is a continuation of Jesus' mission on earth. As his followers, we are to continue what Jesus started. Jesus calls us not only to come to him, but to go for him. Your mission is so significant that Jesus repeated it five times, in five different ways, in five different books of the bible.

Practice guarding your tongue

Have you ever wished you could eat your words? Family conflicts can lead to ugly quarrels. You can say things you later wish you had not. When you have a problem with someone in your family, be careful what you say. Try to work things out without fighting.

She (Sara) turned upon Abraham and demanded, "Get rid of that slave girl and her son. He is not going to share your property with my son. I won't have it."

Genesis 21:10 (Living)

• How could Sara have expressed her feelings more respectfully?
• How could you communicate more respect in family conflict?

It is harder to win back the friendship of an offended brother than to capture a fortified city. His anger shuts you out like iron bars.

Proverbs 18:19 (Living)

• Whose friendship has been harder to win back due to you not guarding your tongue?
• How do you respond when someone shuts you out?
• How do you respect someone who has shut you out?

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you?

James 4:1 (NIV)

• Do you normally defend yourself or do you accept the constructive criticism of others?
• How does your response to criticism enhance or diminish your respect of others?

Discipleship (Maturity) - Conflicts and disputes among believers are always harmful. James explains that these quarrels result from evil desires battling within us - we want more possessions, more money, higher status, more recognition. When we want badly enough to fulfill these desires, we fight in order to do so. Instead of aggressively grabbing what we want, we should submit ourselves to God, ask God to help us get rid of our selfish desires, and trust him to give us what we really need.

Practice yielding your rights and serve

But you must do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak evil against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.

1 Peter 3:16 (NLT)

• How do you respect those who speak evil against you?

Show respect for everyone. Love Christians everywhere. Fear God and honor the government.

1 Peter 2:17 (Living)

• How do you respect everyone and maintain your Christian principles?

So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less?

2 Corinthians 12:15 (NIV)

How have you actively engaged in ministry with your church family?

Ministry (Service) - Real servants pay attention to needs. They are always on the lookout for how they can help others. When they see a need, they seize the moment and do what is needed. Real servants do every task with equal dedication. For their service is to the Lord and not unto man. Jesus said "whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Practice respecting God

The Lord has said: "These people praise me with their words, but they never really think about me. They worship me by repeating rules made up by humans.

Isaiah 29:13 (CEV)

• According to this verse, what is the people's attitude toward worship?
• How can you keep from making worship a chore?

If my own people will humbly pray and turn back to me and stop sinning, then I will answer them from heaven. I will forgive them and make their land fertile once again.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (CEV)

• What must you do to restore delight in worship, when worship becomes a chore?

I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord."

Psalm 122:1 (NLT)

• What attitude should you have about going to church?

Worship (Magnification) - Going to God's house can be a chore or a delight. For the psalmist, it was a delight. As a pilgrim attending one of the three great religious festivals, he rejoiced to worship with God's people in God's house. We may find worship a chore if we have unconfessed sin or if our love for God has cooled. But if we are close to God and enjoy his presence, we will be eager to worship and praise him. Our attitude toward God will determine our view of worship.

Practice respecting his family

His unchanging plan has always been to adopt us into his own family by sending Jesus Christ to die for us. And he did this because he wanted to!

Ephesians 1:5 (Living)

• Do you respect other believers as if they were members of your own family?
• List the top three believers you disrespect and why?
• What steps do you need to take to heal this division?

and you are my friends if you obey me. [15] I no longer call you slaves, for a master doesn't confide in his slaves; now you are my friends, proved by the fact that I have told you everything the Father told me.

John 15:14-15 (Living)

• What is the significance of being a friend of Jesus?
• Do your actions show that Jesus matters to you?
• Do your actions show that your church family matters to you?

Fellowship (Membership) - Learning to love unselfishly is not an easy task. It runs counter to our self-centered nature. That's why God has given us a life time to learn it. Of course God wants us to love everyone, but He is particularly concerned that we learn to love others in the family of God.

Personal Application and Commitment

Everybody wants to know they are loved and their lives count. Prayerfully consider three people to whom you can reach out and show that you respect them and they have real value to you. Paul said in Colossians 4:3 (NLT) "Don't forget to pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to preach about his secret plan." Now pray that God will give you the opportunity to reach these three people this week.