How To Enjoy The People In Your Life



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Sermon Title: “How To Enjoy The People In Your Life”

Date: Sunday, January 21, 2018

Church Calendar: Third Sunday After Epiphany

Our Theme Today: People

Our Question:

People.

They can be the blessing or bane of our existence.



How can we make certain they are the former rather than the latter?

We’ll talk about that, and more, during our sermon time today!


Scripture (For Reader): Philippians 1:3-11 (New International Version)
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always praywith joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me.God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

1
Anybody ever hear of a fellow by the name of Peter Drucker?

(Who is Peter Drucker?)
Yeah, Peter Drucker is an author

who is considered “the Father of American Management.”


Much of what we do in managing people & resources here in America

we can trace right back to the management principles of Peter Drucker.


And with regards to leadership,

Peter Drucker has said something I find quite interesting.


He has said,
The #1 characteristic of successful CEOs, successful leaders, is this:

they ENJOY…people.


It’s NOT that they have good administrative skills;

it’s NOT that they have a degree from the “right” school

it’s NOT the usual things that we would typically suspect;
it’s that they ENJOY…people.
Which begs the question:

what about us?

What about you?

What about me?


Do we ENJOY people?
The rather sad reality is

that we often reach a stage in our relationships

where we are more focused on ENDURING our relationships

rather than ENJOYING them.


We often do it with our spouses or significant others,

our co-workers

our neighbors - - even CHURCH folk.

2
I’ve even seen this in relationship with our view of the next generation.


And so I ask you:

For those of you who are parents, or grandparents or teachers or neighbors,

are you still finding ways to ENJOY young people?
(e.g. of when Deb was pregnant with our lst:

Survey of parents of adults who had grown up to revere their parents.

WHY? Multiplicity of answers; but one common denominator:

“I ENJOY my kids.”


Resolved that if I were to communicate any one thin to my kids, it would be:

“I ENJOY you. You are not excess baggage.

I WANT you to be around.”)
Well,

if enjoying people is as important as it appears to be,

then the next logical question is this:

HOW?


What ARE the keys to enjoying those around us?
It seems to me that our Scripture passage today

points to at least 4 keys.


THE 1ST KEY TO ENJOYING THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU?
Gratitude: Being Brateful For The Good People Do Display
Philippians 1:3
“I thank my God every time I remember you.”
What Paul is modeling here

is his DECISION to focus on the good in a situation - -

because (quite frankly)

Paul had not had the best time in Philippi.


3
Acts 16 tells us the background to it all - -

that when Paul went to Philippi, he was:

- arrested illegally

- whipped

- humiliated

- thrown in prison.


Ultimately, he was asked to leave town.
You don’t exactly file that under,

“a good time was had by all.”


But what Paul chose to do was to focus on the positive.
And while he very well could have chosen to focus on the negative;

he chose to focus on the positive.


And you might say,

“Like what?”

Like their LOYALTY.
Philippians 1:5
“You have helped me from the very first day until now.”
And the obvious question it begs is:

When YOU remember people,

When YOU think of people,

what do you CHOOSE to focus on?


Because if you want to ENJOY people,

you’ll need to FOCUS on the good in them.


(And believe me,

I know with some folks,

it’s going to take a little creativity.

Just don’t turn to the person next to you and say,

“With you, it’s going to take some creativity!”)
The lst step to enjoying people? Gratitude. Gratitude for the good people DO exhibit.

4
But there’s a 2nd key to enjoying people.


THE 2ND KEY TO ENJOYING THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU?
PRAY FOR THEM!

(It is hard to stay mad or indifferent to someone you’re praying for.)


Philippians 1:4
“In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy.”
What Paul is talking about here is not just praying;

but POSITIVE praying.


THE QUICKEST WAY TO IMPROVE A RELATIONSHIP

IS TO PRAY FOR A PERSON.


Praying for people has the capability to do 2 very significant things:
1) it can transform the person(s) we’re praying for; or

2) it can transform US (because prayer goes both outward AND inward).


Now you might be saying,

“Well, what kinds of things can I be praying about?”


And again,

Paul serves as a models for what we can do in this regard.


In our passage today,

Paul prays for at least 3 things for the Philippians.


Verse 7: That they would grow in love

(“that your love would abound”)

Verse 8 That they would make wise choices

(“to discern what is best”)

Verse 9 That they would do the right thing

(“be pure and blameless.’)


That is a prayer that ANY of us can pray for another person - - or for ourselves, for that matter.

Praying (& praying positively) is the second key to enjoying people.

5
But there is a 3rd key to enjoying people.
THE 3RD KEY TO ENJOYING THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU?
BEING PATIENT WITH THEM!

Being patient with their progress!


Philippians 1:6
“Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you

will carry it ON to completion.”
People aren’t always “complete” at any given moment.
To enjoy people,

we need to allow for growth & development.


I believe I shared with you in an earlier sermon

that I used to have a lapel pin that I’d wear from time to time.


It read: PBPGINFWMY

(which stood for “Please Be Patient; God Is Not Finished With Me Yet).


If you and I are going to enjoy people,

we need to be patient with their progress.


We need to enjoy people IN the process - -

while they are growing.
One of the reasons Paul could enjoy the Philippians was his confidence

that the good work that was BEGUN



would move toward COMPLETION.
Translation?

He believed in those people (& believed in the power of God

to work THROUGH those people.)

And when someone knows that you truly believe in them,

they are much more apt to live up to those expectations.
Being Patient is the 3rd key to enjoying people.
6
THE 4TH KEY TO ENJOYING THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU?
INVITING GOD’S PRESENCE INTO THE ENDEAVOR (3rd key is God’s involvement!)
Philippians 1:8
“God can testify that I long for all or you with

the affection of Christ.”
Let’s face it.

Sometimes it isn’t EASY to enjoy folks.


Sometimes we can’t do it in and of ourselves.

Sometimes we need to tie in to the Presence of God.


That’s why the Apostle Paul didn’t just say,

“I can do all things!”


What he said was this:

“I can do all things THROUGH CHRIST who strengthens…ME.”


How ‘bout you?
You think about that!
Let’s pray.
“O God,

as we say goodbye to 2017 and move on to 2018,

we ask that You will be with us in the process

the process of loving those in our midst - -

the easy ones

AND the tough ones.

Empower us to do just that

THROUGH Christ, who strengthens US.

Amen.”
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