A New Command Part 8 (Last)

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 that we have had victory over this past week? What has been a victory this week? How are your relationships and thoughts you have as you return to work? Is there a unique dynamic at work?

Announcements:-

The covid gopher saw his shadow this week here in NC so we have three more weeks of Covid-19 Phase 2, so we will continue to meet in this format just a little while longer!

The hospitality house will not be open this next week as we will be out of town for a few days for a little r&r, but we will be back open next Friday.

We are still inviting you to gather at All American Chapel 1100 on Sunday. -

This Tuesday men’s group will not meet at the Hospitality House, but depending upon the timing we may look to help one of our families to move. Speaking of a moving this turned into is a big weekend with opportunities to serve one another. Dave and Jean Bobbey - are still moving into a new home, this turned out to be a bigger deal than we expected they only have their daughters helping this weekend. Also the Hammes family is moving as well.

Childcare, as we have shared we have implementation of some policies for the protection and welfare of our children. We want to thank you for your prayers and patience as we continue to rollout a few new things in the neat future.

Intro

For the past month we have been looking at how we love one another as Jesus commanded in John 13:34-35.

“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.”

I have been reading a couple of books recently and I came across and account that I would like to share.

The take away I think is that because of sin we are like the amputees we are incomplete, but because of Christ we are made whole and are given a community that we can climb the ups and downs of life together with a smile or at the very least with the upmost joy and confidence that these trials are just that, they are temporary and the testing will produce something better in the end.

Last week we took a look at Galatians 6:1-5 and we discussed the restoration of one another and part of this restoration from sin leads to carrying one another’s burdens, but with the warning that we guard ourselves from the sins that we are helping others restore from.

I want to transition from Galatians 6 to Colossians 3:12-17, but I think Galatians has a reminder that I we need to hear. Galatians 6:9-10 states:

“Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith.”

I wish to encourage each of us to continue to keep going as we are able to draw strength from Christ first and then from one another.

Colossians 3:12-17

“Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, in word or in deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

There are four “one another” in this passage and we can see that they are paired together. Bearing and forgiving, teaching and admonishing!

We touched on bearing a bit last week, when we discussed bearing one another’s burdens especially as we restore forgiveness comes as a part of restoration. Here it takes it one step further that we bear with one another and forgive especially because we have been forgiven just a Christ as forgiven us.

I am reminded of the parable of the unforgiving servant. (Matthew 18)

Paul reminds us then that as we forgive we must put on love, and that this love is what is able to bond us in unity. As we do this then Christ peace with rest with us and and we are able to to be unified following Jesus’ command that we love one another.

We are then to admonish and teach one another, letting the word of God guide us in our love for one another.

What is the implied task that is involved in teaching and admonishing?… we are all to be in the word of God. I would want to temper this, we are to do this as we have seen in gentle and humble spirits that we are not to be pedantic or to quibble with God’s word.

Maintain a spirit of thankfulness.

Above all that we do we are to do this in the name of Jesus.

We do all this because we are in a real sense “members of one another” (Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:25).

Questions:

Despite the Challenges of our present time, for the past 2 months we have been looking at how the word helps to teach us to better understand and live out the command of Jesus in John 13:34-35, that we love one another.

What have you learned that has convicted or encouraged you to better love others in your home/ barracks, community, church?

What is the most challenging part of loving one another? What is the most rewarding part of loving one another?