For a CD of over 100 of sermons by Darrell Stetler II (most complete with handouts), please e-mail darrellstetler2@sbcglobal.net.
How can we help each other? A couple weeks ago, I talked about why you need a church family. Today, I want to talk to you about why your church family needs you.
My basic premise here is that we can help each other the most by following the “one anothers” of the Bible.
Over 81 times, the phrase “one another” or “each other” is used in the New Testament. If you want to know how you can help your church family, follow the “one anothers” of the Bible. . .
1. Someone needs your love.
“Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us.” (Romans 15:7, NAS)
Isn’t this a beautiful verse? I tell you why I think it’s so beautiful. . . because I need it. I’m an imperfect person, and if you are looking for a perfect pastor, I’ll let you down! If you’re looking for a perfect church, you’re never going to find it.
Instead of trying to find a church that’s perfect, why don’t we just obey this command? Why don’t we accept one another, and begin to love each other, and watch the improvement that happens when we truly love each other?
Guess what? We’re all imperfect people. We need to learn to accept that. We will always have our differences. Someone will always rub you the wrong way. There’s always something that you will not care for.
But I tell you the truth. Someone here needs your love. They don’t need your condemnation – they need you to do what Jesus does. Love us like we are, and help us walk the road toward being what we need to be.
2. Someone needs your help.
“For you have been called to live in freedom – not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13, NLT)
When we serve one another, we put their interests before our own. Jesus showed us how when he washed the feet of the disciples.
THAT’S the way the church is made – by no one standing alone. Reaching out to each other in ways that serve them.
Alone, there are many things we cannot do. Together, there is nothing we cannot make it through.
3. Someone needs your advice.
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another.” Colossians 3:16, NAS)
We’ve all heard that two heads are better than one. We know that
Did you know that some people here have the gift of wisdom? God has given them special ability to give wise, sound, Bible-based advice. So work on that gift, and use it here in the church.
Notice that the Bible told us how to develop our ability to give good advice: “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you”. . . you need to know the Word before you can share it in advice.
4. Someone needs your encouragement.
“So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” (Romans 14:19, NAS)
“Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT)
Life gets busy. Life is hard. But if you have a church family, they can help. When the church is functioning like it should, there is someone to talk to when it all goes south!
It’s entirely possible that someone needs to hear you remind them that we are on our way to heaven, and we can’t stop now. There probably is someone being tempted that you need to encourage to keep on. There is most likely someone that is discouraged that you need to lift up.
There is a spiritual gift called “Encouragement” and some of you have it. You may not know it yet, but you’ve got the ability to lift and make others believe that they can make it through! If you truly connect yourself to this church, you have the opportunity to make a difference in other’s lives by encouraging them when they need it most.
5. Someone needs your rebuke.
“So put away all falsehood and ‘tell your neighbor the truth’ because we belong to each other.” (Ephesians 4:25, NLT)
It is not an easy thing to do this. . . but sometimes, someone needs to hear in a loving, caring fashion that they need to turn from an area of sin in their lives.
But too often, we’re scared to tell the truth. We think love means pretending that problems aren’t there, and never confronting. Like so many other times in the Bible, there are two truths that are in tension. “Accept one another” and “Tell the truth”. . . here’s the solution. If we truly are going to love and accept one another, there are times where we’ll have to say something to someone because we love them so much we can’t stand by and watch them hurt themselves.
You parents, I’m sure you accept your children. But you don’t allow them to walk in the road or do drugs without saying something – because you love and accept them SO much!
This principle of rebuke is not just for something you don’t like. It’s for something harmful to the other person. If they are sinning in an area, they may need to hear privately that you’re concerned. Deliver the truth in a loving way – and though it may sting at first, it will be the right thing to do.
6. Someone needs your friendliness.
“Greet each other in Christian love.” (1 Corinthians 16:20, NLT)
I’ve got to stop here and hand out some flowers. Most churches THINK they are friendly, and they are – to their OWN PEOPLE. But this church is different, and I want to say ‘Great job, keep it up!” I have here a stack of visitor cards. . . I want to read you what the people who have been guests here have said they liked best about our church. (some of these are YOURS, when you were here for the first time).
READ CARDS
Of the people who have filled out a card, 94% mentioned friendliness as what they noticed first, or liked best about our church.
You’re awesome. I encourage you to take it to the next level. Don’t let that atmosphere slide – do it even better.
Someone you talk to on a Sunday morning may have had a rotten week. They may need to know someone cares.
If you believe what the Bible says about the afterlife, people who don’t know Jesus Christ are headed for hell. Someone who walks through those doors for the first time needs to know that we care about them as a person, and we’re glad they’re here. If they don’t sense that, they may not return. Then they’ll never have the chance to know what Jesus Christ can do in their life!
Friendliness could mean the difference between a person becoming a Christ-follower or not!
7. Someone needs your forgiveness.
“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:1-2, NAS)
Forgiveness is the testing ground of love. What if someone’s blown it? What if they’ve let us down?
If you’re like me, then there are times where you don’t need justice. You need mercy.
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you.” (Col. 3:12-13, NAS)
8. The whole world needs to see you live this way.
"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
(John 13:34-35, NLT)
A song back a few years ago said, “Shine/make them wonder what you’ve got.”
The thing that will make the world wonder what we’ve got, that will entrance them more than anything else is when the church lives like this!
A love that can’t be stopped. A love that will not stop encouraging, lifting, forgiving. . .
Do you need to:
- Join the church
- Join a small group
- Call someone with a prayer request
- Invite someone over
- Join the family of God as a Christ-follower for the first time?
Do you need to build that love? Make your decision to do it right now. Write down on your card one practical step you will take this week to begin showing these characteristics.
_____________________
HANDOUT
_____________________
Life Together
How can we help each other?
Two weeks ago, I talked about why you need a church family. Today, I want to talk to you about why your church family needs you.
Over _______ times, the phrase “one another” or “each other” is used in the New Testament. If you want to know how you can help your church family, follow the “one anothers” of the Bible. . .
1. Someone needs your ___________.
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12, NKJV)
“Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us.” (Romans 15:7, NAS)
2. Someone needs your _________.
“For you have been called to live in freedom – not freedom to satisfy your sinful nature, but freedom to serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13, NLT)
3. Someone needs your ______________.
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another.” Colossians 3:16, NAS)
4. Someone needs your __________________.
“So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.” (Romans 14:19, NAS)
“Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NLT)
5. Someone needs your ____________.
“So put away all falsehood and ‘tell your neighbor the truth’ because we belong to each other.” (Ephesians 4:25, NLT)
6. Someone needs your __________________.
“Greet each other in Christian love.” (1 Corinthians 16:20, NLT)
7. Someone needs your __________________.
“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:1-2, NAS)
Forgiveness is the ______________ ground of love.
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you.” (Col. 3:12-13, NAS)
8. The whole ___________ needs to see you live this way.
"So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
(John 13:34-35, NLT)
