GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOU IS TO LOVE OTHERS
How can we do that in a world that is full of hate and isolation? When one becomes a Christian it is because he believes in Christ and leads a new life not under the bondage to sin and the devil. Now that one has become a part of God’s family it means that we belong to a family and need to have family relationships. To be in a family means that we care for one another. I like my wife; she baked a coffee cake this week for me. It made me feel special. We need that more and more in this day to make people feel special. So it in this church that you are loved and each time we meet we love each other more and more. This church is here to make people feel loved. 1 Tim. 3:14-15 “I am writing these things to you now so you will know how to live in the household of God. This is the church of the living God.” How to live is the key in this verse. Let us take time to read Rom. 12:9-16 to build on five ways that fellowship will help each of us to live with the family of God.
1. WE MUST KNOW THAT FELLOWSHIP IN WHICH WE ARE REAL. We could say to be authentic. It says right here in vs 9 “Love must be sincere.” We could say love must not be with hypocrisy. That means we do not wear a mask. In the theater world people wear masks to show a character that is not really them. In the next scene or next presentation they could play a different character from what they were by wearing a different mask. They call this being a hypocrite because they keep changing who they really are. What this verse is saying, “Love does not wear a mask.” If you are to really love you have to be yourself and not act as though you love when you really don’t. When you are in true fellowship you share your true feelings. Let us look at 1 JN 1:7, 8. We really do not fool others we are only fooling ourselves. This would mean that we can admit that we have weaknesses that we have sinned, that we make mistakes. When one walks in the darkness he tries to hide things and does not want others to see blunders or failures or blemishes. If we are truthful we do not hide in the darkness but are free to let others know the real us. If we are living in the light of God’s Word we will not want to hide our faults. If we want true healing we must reveal who we really are. The recovery ministries that are around put it out in this way so if you are involved you first must admit who you are and your need. So one can say, “This is who I am and this is where I am at in my life.” We can not hide from what God’s word says in HEB 4:12. To be real you it will not come through therapy, being sentimental, or revealing our life to a psychiatrist. It only comes as we let ourselves be touched by the living word of God. That is the reason this church is here. It is here you are exposed to the word of God and you have to do something because you can not hear the word of God and remain unchanged. You will either receive new light and walk in it or close your ears and be in the darkness. Our first way to fellowship is being real. ARE YOU BEING REAL OR IS THE REAL YOU HIDING BEHIND A MASK?
2. WE MUST KNOW THAT FELLOWSHIP IS BEING SENSITIVE TO NEEDS OF OTHERS. It says, “Be devoted to one another.” As a believer you are to have a love that is a family kind of love. This means that we show respect to others in our family even if we disagree. Listen to Tit. 3:2 “Believers shouldn’t curse anyone or be quarrelsome, but they should be gentle and show courtesy to everyone.” In all small groups there includes at least one difficult person. They are the ones who have characteristics that bug you a little bit. They are the ones we call ERG people which means Extra Grace Required. Now if you can not think of someone like that then it must be you. The problem most of us have is that we want to fix the problem in other people right away. So we have a quick answer to help these people. I have found they do not want a fix it answer but a listening ear. Men, including me, have a special problem with this when it comes to our wives. My wife will begin to tell me a problem she has and almost before she has time to even get the whole problem out I have an answer. I have learned that she does not want a quick fix answer but for me to just listen. I should say something like this, “That is a big problem. That is such a problem that I do not think I have a good answer for. I am sure as you think about it, it will come clear to you what should be done.” That would make her feel loved and accepted. That is what I should do. Here is the truth you need to follow up on from this point: If others tell you their problems do not jump in as mister fix it man. Take time to listen until they are done. I have found that some people I have taken time to listen to will solve their problem just by talking it out to a listening ear. Back up what that person is feeling and express concern. BE SENSITIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS AND YOU WILL HAVE FELLOWSHIP. 3. WE MUST KNOW THAT FELLOWSHIP IS GROWING TOGETHER. What would it take to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer? In family life we become stronger than when we are alone. We need the help of others to be all that God wants us to be. I would not be here if I had not had the help of many brothers and sisters in my 40 years of this walk with Christ. Ecc.4:10 “If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But people who are alone when they fall are in real trouble.” Together we are able to build each other up. Three ways to do this:
A. Encouragement: We need to give comfort to one another. Most people come to church beaten down by the boss they had to work for, the news they have heard that distresses them, with a problem with a family member or even a problem with themselves that they feel bad about. They do not need to hear something that would make them feel worse they need to hear the Good News. That is why Jesus was able to change many lives. His answer was not condemnation or putting people down but that there was hope. God loved them no matter who they were or what problems they were facing. That is what this church is here for. We are to give out the Good News and that good news is God loves and so do we. In here you can find comfort that this world will never give and you can feel safe here with us. There is a story I have just read by Robert Rogers that gives us a word about encouragement that we need to hear. “My wife and I were walking along the beach enjoying being together. We noticed someone far out beyond where swimmers should have been. He was in trouble. We knew we were watching a person who going to drown. A man near us plunged into the waves. A lifeguard had seen what was happening. He moved through the waves toward the swimmer. With skill and physical strength the rest of us lacked he brought the man to safety. We had seen someone literally pulled from the grip of death.” Thoughts from this event: “the drowning man did not need a book on swimming. He did not need a motivational speaker. He didn’t need a judge. He did not need to hear someone say from a boat, “You foolish man. This is your own fault.” He needed someone who would do for him what he could not possible do for himself. At the beginning of our journey with Christ, and at the end, we need a Savior. No matter how we may interpret holiness or sanctification; no matter what grade we may achieve or think we have achieved in spiritual matters… without a Savior, we have no hope. The good news is that we have Savior in Jesus Christ. Because we have Christ, the life of holiness becomes a joy-filled journey, not a continual time of fearful uncertainty.”
B. Admiration: “Take delight in each other.” Would that change your thinking if you thought every time you came face to face with each other? Here is an idea not to do doing worship time but soon after. Take time to write out “I have learned to appreciate ________ for this cause _______________________________” name When you are done then take time to thank God for that person. You would be bringing honor to that person and the smile of God on your life. As you think what you have written it will help you to enjoy being around that wonderful person and that is what family is for.
C. Responsibility: This means being accountable to others in the family. That you will take time to check on each other for spiritual growth. Being able to ask, “How are you doing spiritually?” and being honest as you answer. By encouraging each other this way you will grow in Christ in a lot faster way than if you try to be a lone in your spiritual walk. 4. WE MUST KNOW THAT FELLOWSHIP IS BEING BIGHEARTED. Rom. 12:13 “Share what you have with God’s people who are in need. Be bighearted.” Fellowship is a place of grace where we do not make mistakes a big thing but show mercy. Is there not one of us here who needs mercy to help us keep on tract. Without forgiveness we will not have fellowship. We could say that bitterness and resentment destroys fellowship in a big way. Any time you spend much time with another person you or the other person will say something that will cause hurt feelings. Col. 3:13 “You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.” Seeing that we are free moral agents when we are hurt by someone we can choose to use our emotions and energy for settling of scores or resolution. You will choose one or the other. Gal. 6:2 “Share each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ. GROWING WITH ONE ANOTHER HELPS US LOVE ONE ANOTHER. 5. WE MUST KNOW THAT FELLOWSHIP IS LIVING IN HARMONY. This part of the scripture tells us to “live in harmony with one another… be willing to associate with people of low position.” We can talk about two elements of unity here: 1. To have a unity of purpose. This does not mean that we all have like personalities. For God made each of us for a purpose and we need each others individuality. In the book of acts which is the book of church action it says: “They were of one accord,” “They were unified,” “They were all together,” “They were of one heart.” This was the church full of power because they were of one force. God does not need a new program, or a better building or more talented people but does need people who are in one heart directed by the Holy Spirit. Has it crossed your mind what God does in a church of His people when they have His purpose as their goal? It is a weak church that has many purposes because people want to have their own way or no way. The Bible says to “be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.” 2. We must be humble people. This enables us to say to each other “I need your help.” Perhaps the three most difficult words for us to utter are “I was wrong.” The two really hard WORDS to say are “Forgive me.” God’s word tells us why being humble is so important, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” JM 4:6 if we want God’s grace active in our lives we must be humble. How do we display being humble in life? We must accept our weaknesses and the weaknesses in other people. Then we can live in unity accepting each other for who we are.
We should put a big sign out in front of our church that says something like this, “If you desire to be a part of this church then being perfect will not help you. This is a place for those who admit they are sinners in need of God’s grace and need to grow in the likeness of Christ.” Everyone needs and wants to be loved. When people find a church where people genuinely love and care for each other, there will be a line of people wanting to get in. Can you see the lines coming to our church?
You are the one to make it happen.
