Love Others
Opening Bible Study • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 2 viewsNotes
Transcript
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:
Introduction
Introduction
My Favorite Illustrations A Portrait of Brotherly Love
A Portrait of Brotherly Love
In 1949 the Southern Baptist Convention met in Oklahoma City. The president was the late Dr. R. G. Lee.
For the first time in the Convention’s history, a black man from outside the fellowship was invited to preach. He was Dr. E. W. Perry, for over a half century pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church, Oklahoma City.
When Dr. Lee presented him, he put his arm about Dr. Perry and said, “Brethren, you are looking at a portrait of black and white painted in red” (see Eph. 2:13). The messengers stood and cheered.
Loving another person is something that we say we do everyday. We tell people that we love them but the truth is that we can only know what love is through the work of Christ on the cross. God chose to love us and we love Him in return.
However, we cannot just stop after we show love back to God. We must continue following the commands of Christ and show love to one another. The phrase “one another” occurs 41 times in 37 verses in the New Testament. Mercy occurs 59 times in 53 verses in the New Testament. This shows the importance of this phrase, “one another”.
We are commanded to “love one another” 13 times in 12 verses in the New Testament. The Greek word used in everyone of these commands is the word “agape”. This shows the significance of the commands as they connect back to the love the God has for us whom He died for. Jesus began to command His disciples in the upper room to love one another. We find this command repeated throughout the epistles.
The second step in the discipleship process of Revival Baptist Church is to Love Others.
1. Loving Others Begins with Loving God
1. Loving Others Begins with Loving God
Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
When we love God, He changes us to be more like Him. Love changes things. When you love someone, you will do things for them. When you love someone, you want to please them. When you love someone, you listen to what they say.
But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
God sent His Son to die for us. The Love of God is shown most clearly in the manner that Christ came and died for us. His choice to come and die was something that we cannot ever comprehend. We should never get over the Love of God on Calvary.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Christ was willing to be the sacrifice for our sins. Willingness is something that cannot truly be faked. You cannot be willing but resistant. Even in the garden when He was praying, Christ was still willing to go to the cross and suffer and die for us.
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.
The entire reason that Christ came was for others. Christ wanted us to be with Him for all eternity. He had everything but He was willing to be born a man and die for the people that had rejected Him. What love we see in the choice of Christ!
For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
We ought to follow His example in our church. What is your definition of love? How would you describe love if you saw it? We ought to define our love through how it measures up to the Love of God. Christ laid down His life for us and that is where we can see the love of God.
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
2. Loving Others Continues with Discipleship
2. Loving Others Continues with Discipleship
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Discipleship is part of the final command of Christ. Discipleship is making disciples. Discipleship is teaching the people of the world what Christ has done for them and all of things that He has commanded us in His Word. Teaching is something that each and every Christian is called to be a part of.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
Discipleship is vital for our growth as Christians. When we were first saved, we did not truly understand all of the truth of what Christ had done for us. We did not realize how the Bible is setup or what our next steps in our Christian walk might be. That is why discipleship is so important for the Christian.
But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
Discipleship is found in learning about and from the Word of God. The Bible is our source of truth and doctrine. What we know about God has been revealed through the Bible. If we are not studying the Bible, we are missing out on the primary way that God will speak to us.
And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Discipleship is an occasion to develop spiritual disciplines in our daily lives. Are you faithful in your daily Bible reading? Are you praying each day for yourself and others? How is your giving? What are you doing in the area of outreach to the lost? These are covered in discipleship.
For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: But the wicked shall fall into mischief.
Discipleship is a part of the calling of the pastor of a church. As a pastor, one of the responsibilities is to teach the truths of the Bible to other people. This is to bring the Christian to a point of maturity, “perfecting of the saints”. The pastor’s job in equipping and training others is never finished.
And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
Discipleship is a part of the responsibility of every Christian. Just as the pastor is to be involved in teaching others, every Christian is commanded to have a part. We can do much to influence others in the way that they need to go. Sometimes by experience, sometimes by knowledge, but always by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Christian is able to carry out the Great Commission as he is involved in discipleship in the local church.
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
3. Loving Others Happens through Growth
3. Loving Others Happens through Growth
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
Growth: Going Righteously Onward With Thankful Harmony
Going - we are commanded to walk and run in the Christian life
Righteously - obedience and purity are the marks of a mature Christian
Onward - we are to leave the things of the old man behind and press toward the things of the new man
With - the Christian life is to be a lifelong journey that includes many elements we are to mature in
Thankful - grace is picture as thankfulness often in Scripture. In fact, grace is ill-deserved favour
Harmony - the Christian walk is a walk in relation with Jesus
What is the purpose of growth?
Growth leads us to follow Christ. Following Christ was something that He called His disciples to do. This was often one of the first things that He said to them when He met them along the way. It has been said that in order to be a good leader, we must be good followers. There is truth in that statement.
For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
What is the power of growth?
Growth moves us in a direction toward a goal. When we are moving forward, there must be some point at which we are aiming. The clearer this point is, the easier it will be to see where we are along the way to it. This allows us to judge the health of our Christian Walk.
Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
What is the product of growth?
Growth encourages others in their Christian life. When we see someone that is growing in Christ, we ought to rejoice and take note that they have been changed by Christ. It is so encouraging to know that Christ is never done with us. He still wants to use us and to teach us to become more and more like Him.
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
What is the price of growth?
Growth requires us to weekly spend time with other Christians. There is a cost that we must pay when we think about growth. The cost is the amount of time we choose to give to ourselves. If we want to become more like Christ, we need to be around other people who will help us to do that.
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
What is the path of growth?
Growth is found in the regular journey of fellowship with other Christians. Where is growth occuring, it is in the church. It is in the fellowship with other Christians. It is in the combined obedience of the Body of Christ. Are you in the path of growth?
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Conclusion
Conclusion
1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching Church, Love In
Church, Love in
There is a story about a man who was walking down the street. He passed a used-book store, and in the window he saw a book with the title How to Hug. He was taken by the title and, being of a somewhat romantic nature, went in to buy the book. To his chagrin, he discovered that it was the seventh volume of an encyclopedia and covered the subjects “How” to “Hug.”
Everyone knows that the church is a place where love ought to be manifested, and many people have come to church hoping to find a demonstration of love—only to discover an encyclopedia on theology.183
What are people going to say about Revival Baptist Church? Are we a church that love others? Are we a church that causes division and strife? Are we a church that is showing the Love of Christ to others?
Only you and I can show the people of King William County who Revival Baptist Church is. For some, they will only see the Love of Christ through us.
At Revival Baptist Church, the second step in our discipleship process is to Love Others.