People Are Precious
Chanctonbury Values • Sermon • Submitted
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Introduction
Introduction
Last week, James and Lou introduced our core values and spoke on the value, “Revival Starts with Me.”
Today I want to build on that with our next value, “People are Precious.” This is about living out the value that revival start with me. It’s how we protect the move of God among us, it’s about how we sustain revival. When we read about past revivals, we see that it is often the broken relationships based on misunderstanding and hurt, based on the jusdgement of other believers, that usually leads to a dimming or dwindling of a move of God.
We are a highly apostolic church here in Chanctonbury which means that we have a strong focus on the Kingdom of God among us and how that impacts and transforms the prevailing culture.
It’s exciting, but we do need to be aware of the people in the midst of all this. Something the Lord has placed on my heart is that the next move of God will be marked by a coming together of the apostolic and the pastoral as the Father calls passionate revivalists into a deeper exerience of relational maturity and wholeness. Later in the year, we will explore this in greater depth but for now, let’s unpack this value.
What do we mean when we affirm that People Are Precious.
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 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. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
So what does this look like?
1. Family Oriented
1. Family Oriented
We are adopted
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
All of us are His children
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
We are a family with a perfect Father and that is how we need to behave.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
People are precious.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
The Greek word for “world” here (kosmon) signifies “humanity in general, all of humanity as the object of God’s love.”
2. Dignity-Preserving
2. Dignity-Preserving
Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
Once we become believers, because Jesus mkes us his home, the trait of honour is “switched on” in our lives and we do not have permission to “switch it off”
Because people are precious and we honour everyone, we seek a culture of “psychological safety.” In this, people are free to be real. When they are open and honest with us, we treat what them and what they have shared, with dignity and respect.
WE ALWAYS HONOUR.
3. Best-Assuming
3. Best-Assuming
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
Always assume the best of intentions. Typically, we judge others by their actions but we judge ourselves by our intentions. This is unbalanced and can only lead to broken relationships.
Because people are precious, we always assume the best of intentons.
4. Love-Overlaying
4. Love-Overlaying
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 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. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
We put on love like a barbour jacket. A Barbour protects us from the wet and the wind. It stops our bodies from being exposed to the elements. Similarly, love protects us from the firey darts of the enemy. When love is our foundation, the enemies schemes which seek to divide and destroy can’t land on us.
People are Precious. This means that we seek to be family oriented, dignigty preserving, best assuming, and love overlaying.
Let’s pray.