A New Command Part 4

Thank you for taking a few moments from your time gathering together to join us. It is great to see everybody. What has been a Challenge this past week? What has been a victory this week? What does your work schedule look like as things are changing? How are your relationships and thoughts you have as you return to work? Is there a unique dynamic at work?

Announcements:

-We are inviting you to join us for outdoor chapel at All American Chapel 1100 on Sunday.

-This Tuesday men’s group will meet at the Hospitality House this at 6pm.

-We will have sign ups for the quarry July 3rd. We are limited to 25 people for now.

-Movie start time will be moved back to 2pm. We will have start with Patton. We will grill dinner and then watch the Princess bride.

Recently, I heard a story about a Texas rancher who was bragging to his friend about how his mule and how it so obedient. The friend doubted the truthfulness of this as often we associate mules as being stubborn. The rancher would stand in front of the mule smack it on the head look it in the eyes and give the mule a command. The mule would then obey the command. After a few demonstrations that occured likewise. The friend of the rancher stated that they were impressed, but why does this require the smack on the head? The rancher replied that he indeed was an obedient mule, but that he needed to get the mule’s attention first.

I am not sure about you, but I know that I am like that mule from time to time. I can probably list about a half dozen such incidents off the top of my head, where God needed to do something to get my attention so that I would obey. I think with the events recently with 2020, the rapid deployments at the new year, COVID-19, and our recent civil unrest, maybe God is trying to get our attention? I don’t say this lightly because I am anticipating something better out of this. I know that initially with the restrictions that exist because of COVID and our inability to gather together, I was looking at why community or rather the universal church is so important. Out of that study I came across the passage of John 13:34-35 where we have been looking at how we are to love one another.

For the past few weeks we have been looking at the command that Christ has given us. Jesus is in the upper room giving loving his disciples and leaving some final teaching with them. We began by looking at this verse and that we can see the newness is not the command to love one another, but rather, WE are to love one anther as the way that Christ loved us. Jesus then reminds us that we testify to our discipleship by the way we love one another.

Who can tell us the the passage from John 13:34-35?

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 13

34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

We have been looking at then how we are to love one another. We looked at Romans 12 for a couple of weeks. We say that we first present ourselves as a sacrifice and renew our minds. We then see that as a community we all have gifts that contribute to the whole. This I think is so important particularly in my observation of culture in the American church that we understand that we all singularly have something to bring and that is a gift from God. We then saw that along with this how we are to live together in community. There is still more in these passages that I would love to dive into, but I hope that the discussions that are involved are helpful.

As we look at the passages that help us better understand how we are love one another the next passage that I would like to look is found in Ephesians 5:15 -21.

Christian Standard Bible Chapter 5

15 Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk—not as unwise people but as wise—16 making the most of the time,,e because the days are evil. 17 So don’t be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. 18 And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit: 19 speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making music with your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of Christ.

The “one another” passage that we are looking at here gives that we are to submit to one another in the fear some translations may have something different of Christ.

Jesus was our example of perfect submission.

Where do you need to be submissive?

What healthy (and intentional) boundaries need to be set to better help us be submitted to God and others?