As usual, I love to use illustrations in my sermons and today I will focus on one of my personal relationships. I have a friend; we have a few 1,2,3... things we share in common. We love each other but there is something wrong with our relationship. First, we don't not communicate effectively. Second, mostly we do not agree. Of course, it is normal and natural not to agree on everything because we have different interests, preferences and personalities but at least I believe that there should be common goal and vision that we can agree on especially, so as to enhance our relationship and make it healthy and beneficial to each other.
One of the reasons my friend and I fail to agree is because, 1. We don't have mutual communion/fellowship. 2. We do not have concord. 3. We lack a common goal and vision. 4. We always fall out on the way and that leaves us feeling angry/bitter, frustrated, stressed and wasted. What follows next, we bitterly accuse each other but the sad thing is that we rarely addresses the issues. We rarely sit down to talk about the real issues that are making our friendship dysfunctional, we wait for time to pass, overlook the issues and assume nothing happened, in other words we bottle it up. After sometime we reach out to each other with 'sweet somethings' like 'hey, missed you. How yo' doing?" And move on as if nothing had happened. When another hiccup rocks our relationship, I end up opening the canned issues but still it gets us nowhere but only leaves both of us feeling angry and frustrated.
So where am I getting at with this "been on this Mount Kadesh Barnea for too long?" What is the problem with our relationship? Story for another day but let me explain something at this point.
Amos 3:3, two cannot walk to together unless they meet together, and appoint time and place, when and where they shall set out, what road they will take, and whither they will go; without such consultation and agreement, it cannot be thought they should walk together; and not amicably, unless united in friendship, and are of the same affection to each other, and of the same sentiments one with another; or it is much if they do not fall out by the way. The design of these words is to show, that without friendship there is no fellowship, and without concord no communion; as this is the case between man and man, so between God and man; and we should not expect that God should walk with us, and show Himself friendly to us, and continue His favors with us, when we walk contrary to Him; when we are so disagreeable to Him in our sentiments of faith, worship, and in the whole of our conduct and behavior. In our spiritual walk with God and communion with Him, agreement is requisite. God and man were originally chief friends, but sin set them at variance; a reconciliation became necessary to their walking together again; which was set on foot, not by man; but by the Lord, the offended party. Through Jesus' sacrifice and satisfaction, the agreement is made on the part of God, His justice is satisfied; but still it is necessary man should be agreed too. When the soul is reconciled to God's way of salvation, and loves the Lord, and delights in Him; and both being thus agreed,they walk comfortably together by faith, and in His fear, in the ways and ordinances of the Lord.
Oh God, help to always agree with you and walk with you in faith and faithfully.
Thank you,
Nzaku Nashipae Kachel
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