WELCOME
Today we begin a new series called: One Another. As Christians, we all belong to one another in the Lord. The goal, with the articles of this series, is to help us focus on our responsibilities toward one another. This series' theme could have been called Love One Another, for surely we must love one another. Our focus for this series, though, will be on "one another.” In doing so, we will, hopefully, learn better to love one another. Someone may think, "I like so and so. She is fun to talk to on Sunday morning." Love is more than liking someone and saying "Hi" on Sunday morning. When a child is born, we do not just put the baby in the nursery and say, "Feed yourself, take care of yourself and survive.” We understand our responsibility to nurture an infant until he or she is grown. Likewise, when we acquire brethren in Christ, we cannot just say to them, "Feed yourself, take care of yourself and survive." We must understand our responsibility to nurture each other until we reach our heavenly home.
~Sandy
By Ruby Ramsey
"Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king." (I Peter 2:17)
When Jesus was asked by the Pharisees in Matthew 22:34-40 what the greatest commandment was, He answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
These few verses tell me that we should have love for God AND for ALL those He created-- all the people, all the brotherhood and those in authority. The love He is talking about is the Agape love -- love like God loves.
We are going to concentrate on loving the brotherhood, those in the family of God. In a general sense, we are all offspring of God because He created us. But because of sin, many have not entered into that safe environment that is in God's presence.
Those of us who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ (Galatians 3:27) and are part of God's family. We place our faith and trust in our Maker. He is our Father; and we are His children, which makes us brothers and sisters. As in our earthly families, we have love for one another in our church family. We are His spiritual family because of our obedience to baptism.
Jesus established the church (Matthew 16:18) for brothers and sisters in Christ to congregate, to worship the Father and to fellowship with one another. Jesus loves the church -- it is His Body, and He is the head. He wants those in His church to love one another like family.
Ephesians 3:8-19 -- "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ, to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the CHURCH to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height -- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
God loves us. Jesus loves us and expects us to love one another. There is no room in the church for those who do not love each other as Jesus wants. Listen to what John wrote in I John 4:20-21 -- " If someone says, 'I love God' but hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also."
We might have disagreements. We might have problems; but above all else, we love each other; and we work things out between us in a Christian manner. We do not want to be as the verse says -- "he who does not love his brother".... "how can he love God?" This is a command to love the brotherhood.
Questions
1 -- How do we "put on Christ?" Give Scripture
2 -- What is the greatest commandment? What is the second greatest?
3 -- What happens if you have a brother or sister in Christ who "grates on your nerves?" What should you do?
4 -- Does God make any provisions in His Word for conflicts between Christians? If so, give scripture.
5 -- Love is so important. How can we develop a more loving personality?
6 -- Jesus built the church. Did He believe we could all get along and love each other? (If we cannot get along here, how will we live together in heaven?)
7 -- Why do we have "cliques" in the church? Do you think they are pleasing to God or not? What would be the trouble with them?
8 -- Do you think separating the young adults from the older adults in Bible classes adds to or takes from the love and closeness of a congregation? Why?
9 -- Elders are to look out for our souls. Can they also help promote love in a congregation?
10 -- Have you ever visited a congregation that you felt was cold and indifferent to your being there?
11 -- Have you ever visited a congregation and just felt the love "ooze" out of all the members? Which of these two kinds of congregation would you prefer to be a member of?
All Scripture is taken from the NKJ Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson,Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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