Love in Community

Community and back to Ephesians

Vision - Reaching out to people different than ourselves

When you’re doing that, how does community work?

Covid and Community in 2022 - COVID has taught us, if nothing else, that everyone sees the world a little differently. It makes everyone someone who potentially disagrees with us. Not only that, but when we are out in the world, we see or are forced to participate in a world gone a little crazy.

Moral injury - like PTSD, but it’s about a person’s moral standards… when you’re forced to do something that’s against what you believe

This is compounded by Cognitive distortions - catastrophizing, minimizing, polarizing, filtering

When you have cognitive distortions and you’re trying to come up with a moral standard, you can come up with wrong ones.

Speaking to unbelievers: this is talking about how believers treat one another and sometimes fail at treating one another, but hopefully it shows you what the Gospel is really about and why it truly provides hope to this world with it’s many differences.

How do you create community when you have different moral standards? How do you encourage love for one another when we are so different sometimes?

Acts 15 and Galatians, 1 Corinthians 8-10, Romans 14-15

Acts 15:19–21 ESV

19 Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues.”

Galatians - You can start preaching another Gospel if you insist on a certain morality

1 Corinthians - Knowledge puffs up, but how does love deal with specific situations; idols aren’t real, but idolatry is real

Romans - Trying to convince one another is not the way, welcome people and don’t shame them (but remember Romans 9) - authority for groups vs individuals

You can’t use a proof text approach for this.

Hawaii translators

Don’t despise or shame one another

Weak vs Strong

Don’t despise one another because it’s not actually about preferences…not ‘you should be “ok”’

Don’t shame someone into your own practice

This assumes you can sense when you are! It also assumes you can be differentiated enough to be ok having a different opinion from someone.

Reporter with CNN

“I don’t know how anyone could view this differently.”

“That’s crazy!”

Do welcome and please one another

This doesn’t mean going against your own conscience. It does mean delighting in their presence and seeking other ways to make them a part of your life. Slow it down....

Faith and quartet - my story

Share the forgiveness and love of God

For Christ did not please Himself...

With one voice glorify God

Cultivate a sacrificial love for unbelievers

You’re going to respond differently if you’re dealing with the University vs farmers in Slater

What does God want you to do? Introvert vs Extrovert… Spend time with people (youth group), get on the church app and get on the prayer group and pray for one another… prayer boost on Wed night via zoom… come to the soup dinner planned for the 5th Sunday

Listen without judging - reflective listening

Meditate on Romans 15:8-13

What can you do to encourage your brother who is different from you? International

What can you do together so that with one voice you can glorify God together?

Can we take responsibility together for our community?