Can’t Live Without You

We have been in a series of messages called Better Together and in our first message, Trekking Together and we learned that …

We is better than Me.

Last week we looked at giftedness and realized that God had called us to love each other by using our gift to build up and bless the body of Christ called the church. Because …

What you have is what we need!

This morning we're going to do something totally different. If you think about it is tough being together. Yes, we are Better Together.

Slide We are different people, and all us can (at times) be difficult people.

But the reason that we are Better Together is because Jesus has come to dwell in our hearts and is transforming us and our relationships so that the world can see that truly he has the power to redeem, rescue, resuscitate, resurrect, and even restore humanity.

In the New Testament “One another” is two words in English, but it’s only one word in Greek: ἀλλήλων (ah-LAY-loan). It’s used 100 times in 94 New Testament verses.

The truth is that as difficult as it is to get along with people we need each other because it is in the crucible of our relationships that our Christlikeness is developed. You see Jesus ministered among people where relationships are messy, people are imperfect so Jesus showed us in the midst of an imperfect humanity and a messy humanity how to love people, how to have unity with the father and the spirit and with your brothers and sisters who share a common love for God. He modeled for us faith, humility, compassion, concern, generosity, prayer, encouragement, purpose and more.

The New Testament basically shows us that not only are we Better Together but that together we actually are conformed and transformed into the image of Christ. After all, life would be so much easier if we didn't have to mess with difficult people it's easy to love people who are lovable, it's easy to forgive people who you like and who you care deeply about, it's harder though to forgive someone who does not like you and does not love you who we might consider our enemy.

The first week, it was … We is better than Me. Last week it was, What you have is what we need!

This morning the big idea the one big point is …

Slide One another requires another one!

The one another’s in scripture generally fall into four categories:

· Love

· Unity

· Humility

· Encouragement

Love. One third of them instruct Christians to love one another.

Unity. One third of the one-another commands deal with the unity of the church.

Humility. About 15% stress an attitude of humility and deference among believers.

Encouragement and edification. The remaining one another commands serve to build up and edify us as Christians.

Slide We are called to love one another … even when we are not very lovable.

Let’s be honest, it is easy to love people you like, people who look, think, act like you or the people who are popular, prestigious and powerful. But, what about those who are thorny, annoying, odd, angry, opinionated, rough around the edges. Open your bibles to John 13: 34 … Jesus says …

Slide A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34–35

Three times Jesus says, love one another. This one another command requires another one. Paul, gave a benediction, a blessing of sorts in his letter to the church in Thessalonica …

Slide and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 1 Thessalonians 3:12

How important is love? Paul gives us a glimpse into the answer in Romans 13:8,

Slide Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8

In other words, if you love someone, then you don’t cheat them, lie to them, covet what they have, you will keep the 10 commandments. Three of the 10 are about your relationship with God and the last 7 are about your relationship with one another.

· Honor your father and your mother.

· You shall not kill.

· You shall not commit adultery.

· You shall not steal.

· You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

· You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife.

· You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods.

The apostle John writes …

Slide Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 1 John 4:7

Those who are loved … can and should love.

OK, I think I'm getting it, love is a big deal and we are called to love one another but what does that look like? How do we love one another? Well there are other passages that really give us some ideas about what it looks like to love one another let's take a look at them.

Slide Through love, we serve one another.

Slide For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. Galatians 5:13

Slide In love, we put up with one another.

Slide … with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, Ephesians 4:2

Anechomai– or bearing, literally means to endure something unpleasant or difficult whether on one’s own behalf or on behalf of someone else.

to regard w. tolerance, endure, bear with, put up with;[1]

[1]Arndt, W., Danker, F. W., Bauer, W., & Gingrich, F. W. (2000). In A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature(3rd ed., p. 78). University of Chicago Press.

Slide Because of love, we are devoted to one another.

Devotion is about expressing our commitment, our affection, appreciation for another, it’s about our holding someone in high regard.

Kissing someone on the cheek is customary in many countries. In the US we give handshakes, hugs, and high fives … or in recent years the a Fist bump!

Paul writes …

Slide Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:10

Affection here is the word – Philadelphia - the affection naturally befitting the relationship between siblings; especially as the affection of those who are now siblings in God’s family.

Slide We love by seeking to do good to one another.

Slide See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:15

So when it comes to the one another's, love is really key but there's another way that we express and need one another because you need another one if you're going to have unity.

Slide We are called to unity with one another not uniformity.

Once again let’s totally honest. If you're all by yourself then who cares about unity.

Me, myself and I are always in agreement. It not then you have a bigger problem. But add one person into the mix and you always have the chance for division. When you are with others and you want to get anything done or anything accomplished or you want to have peace you've got to have unity. But unity is not uniformity. We are all different and so how do people who are gifted differently who have different experiences, different backgrounds, maybe different countries, and customs, how do we work for unity? well about 1/3 of the one another commands are related to unity.

When you look at these verses, a few more common themes show up.

Slide We work on unity by being at peace with one another.

Jesus says in Mark 9

Slide Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” Mark 9:50

Peace is one of the words that is used in the bible as a blessing, to wish peace upon a person, a family, a town or city, a people, a nation. Jesus says peace I give you, not as the world gives peace for He has removed the barrier between God and man.

It is also, a word that carries with it the meaning, the ways things are meant to be. When your marriage is filled with love, patience, communication, kindness, mutuality, then there is peace. It is functioning the way it was designed. Husbands laying down their lives for their wives and families marked by service, sacrifice and selflessness. Wives show respect, admiration, support and encouragement to their husbands and children. Serving, sacrificing and selflessness.

We also work on unity by living in harmony.

Slide We work on unity by living in harmony with one another.

When music harmonizes, when I was in the military, one of the things I did a lot of was sing. I was in the 82ndacapella chorus, I also sang in a barbershop quartet and acted in community theater. Harmony is not overpowering, it listens to the other parts, gives way when the time is appropriate. It doesn’t make it all about me, overpowering all the others.

Paul wrote in Romans …

Slide Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Romans 12:16

Unity also happens when …

Slide We work on unity by welcoming one another.

Welcome someone into one’s presence or home. Paul writes in Romans 15:7

Slide Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God. Romans 15:7

Slide We work on unity by patiently waiting for others.

Patience– we all need it, now! Long suffering!

Slide So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another … 1 Corinthians 11:33

Here is a negative one another … a don’t do this to one another.

Slide We work on unity by not biting, devouring, and consuming one another!

Slide But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Galatians 5:15

Bite - to hurt, conceived of as gripping, cutting off, or tearing with the teeth.

Devour - to cause extensive destruction or ruin utterly, conceived of as consuming something.

Consuming- to be destroyed, conceived of as being used up or consumed.

You want to hurt someone with your words with no regard for their wellbeing. That kind of treatment will eat at you and your relationships.

Slide We work on unity by not boastfully challenging or envying one another.

Unity is maintained with humility. Paul says

Slide Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Galatians 5:26

Slide We work on unity by not lying to one another.

Slide Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices. Colossians 3:9

Lying is a practice not consistent with Christian character, conduct or community. Unity is maintained through trust and truth.

Slide We work on unity by being kind, tender-hearted, and forgiving to one another.

Slide Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

Slide bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Colossians 3:13

We love on another, we seek unity with one another, we walk humbly with one another. You might say we are to …

Then there is humility –

Slide We are called to live with an attitude of humility and deference for one another.

Slide Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 1 Peter 5:5

This is an a garment. Just as your clothes cover you, they are also what people see at first glance. What you are wearing … Peter says, put on humility. Let that be what others see and let that be what all your actions and attitudes be clothed in.

So what does humility look like?

Slide A humble person values one another.

Humility sees the value in others. And it is willing to step aside and address the needs and concerns of others as more important than even their own.

Slide Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Philippians 2:3

Significant - to be or become of greater quality or value.

Slide A humble person is willing to follow one another.

Follow first and lead second. Folleadership.

Slide … submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. Ephesians 5:21

The last section comes under encouragement.

Slide We are called to encourage one another toward love, unity and humility.

This is one I hear often because people are feeling like they are being singled out.

Slide Do not judge one another!

Slide Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. Romans 14:13

There are two sides – I can judge the person or I can take responsibility for my actions. I can encourage rather than discourage which can look like prayer, conversation, connected to in spite of disagreement.

Slide Bear one another’s burdens.

Slide Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Remember ….

Anechomai– literally means to endure something unpleasant or difficult whether on one’s own behalf or on behalf of someone else.

Burden - an onerous or difficult concern.

Slide Encourage one another.

Slide Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:18

Slide Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Slide Stir up one another to love and good deeds.

Slide And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, Hebrews 10:24

This is about inviting, encouraging, challenging by our words and actions. Presenting a problem and saying what would God have us do for this person.

Slide Pray for one another.

Slide Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16

Slide Be hospitable to one another.

Slide Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 1 Peter 4:9

Hospitality- disposed to treat guests and strangers with cordiality and generosity.

Put the one another’s into practice in your life and you will discover that we are indeed better together!

Slide Thank God for the “one another’s” in your life.

Slide Commit to living in love, unity, humility and encouragement with one another.

In our flesh we are not able, but in the Spirit, by the grace of Christ, we can live into the one another’s and the world can see that Christ is enough.

Song –

Benediction- Go now into the world, inspired by the extravagant love of God. Live generously, with open hands, loving one another as if your lives depended on it. Be good stewards of the gifts you have received, so that God may be glorified in all that you say and do. And may the abundant love of God surround you, may the extravagant grace of Jesus Christ sustain you, and may the constant presence of the Holy Spirit inspire and encourage you in every good deed and word. So that we may practice the one another’s of love, unity, humility and encouragement. Amen.