Sunday March 15, 2009
All Things “One Another”
1 John 1:5-7
I. Introduction
For the last few months I have been talking about what it means to be the church.
We are the church and we are to:
- Worship God with passion
- Intentionally reach out
- Joyfully serve
- Work towards loving one another
- Experience transformation together – both personal, family, work, and community transformation
Today, I want to focus again on what it means to be a loving fellowship.
A big part of remaining a part of any community (marriage, family, church, etc.) is forgiveness and in light of that I would like to share the following story.
Forgiving Your Spouse
During a children's sermon one Sunday morning, I held up an ugly-looking summer shirt that I wore occasionally around
the house. I explained to the children that someone said the shirt was ugly and should be thrown away.
"This really hurt me," I explained. "I'm having trouble forgiving the person who said those mean things. Do you think I should forgive that person?" I asked the children. Immediately, my six-year-old daughter, Alicia, raised her hand. "Yes,
you should," she said without hesitation. "But why? The person hurt my feelings," I responded.
To which Alicia wisely answered, "Because you're married to her."
—Glenn E. Schaeffer, Christian Reader ("Kids of the Kingdom;" September/October 1997)
“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at
all. 6 If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. 7 But
if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7, NIV)
If we look at our passage for today we find the phrase we have fellowship with one another . What does it mean to
have fellowship with one another? Or what promotes and encourages true fellowship?
These are the two questions I would like to look at today.
In this passage it says, “ if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another .”
So, if we walk in the light then we will enjoy fellowship with one another. I guess the question remains, “What does it
mean to walk in the light?”
Today we are going to work together as a community to discover what the word of God has to say about what a loving community looks like. We are looking at passages that all include the phrase “one another” (in the NIV).
Multiple
“Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God's people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.” (Romans 12:9-13, NLT)
“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other,
just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:29-32, NIV)
“Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all
together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:12-14, NIV)
“Negative” Commands
“Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.” (Leviticus 19:11, NIV)
“So let's stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another
believer to stumble and fall. 14 I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in
and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. 15 And if
another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don't let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died…19 So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other
up.” (Romans 14:13-19, NLT)
“Don't speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God's law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. 12 God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11-12, NLT)
Love One Another
“So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” (John 13:34-35, NLT)
“Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will
fulfill the requirements of God's law. 9 For the commandments say, ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.' These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.' 10 Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law.” (Romans 13:8-10, NLT)
“You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each
other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart.” (1 Peter 1:22, NLT)
“This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like
Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don't be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don't have eternal life within them.” (1 John 3:11-15, NLT)
“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive from him
anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23 And this is his command: to
believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” (1 John 3:21-24, NIV)
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for c our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:7, NIV)
“It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. 6 And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” (2 John 4-6, NIV)
Holy Kiss
“Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.” (Romans 16:16, NIV)
See also 1 Corinthians 16:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:26 ; and 1 Peter 5:14
Live in Harmony/Unity
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” (Romans 12:16, NIV)
“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with
each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose.”
(1 Corinthians 1:10-11, NLT)
“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:1-6, NIV)
“Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don't repay evil for evil. Don't retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will bless you for it.” (1 Peter 3:8-10, NLT)
Accept One Another
“Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (Romans 15:7, NIV)
Serve One Another
“For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don't use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love. 14 For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another.” (Galatians 5:13-15, NLT)
Submit to One Another
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21, NIV)
“Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, ‘God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'” (1 Peter 5:5, NIV)
Encourage One Another
“Be very careful, then, how you live — not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. 18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. 19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, 20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:15-20, NIV)
“Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God. 13 You must warn each other every day, while it is still ‘today,' so that none of you will be deceived by sin and hardened against God.” (Hebrews 3:12-14, NLT)
Be Hospitable to One Another
“The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay. 10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another. 11 Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though
God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then everything you do will bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” (1 Peter 4:7-11, NLT)
II. Application
I would like to ask that you take just one of these phrases, words, ideas and ask God to work this into our community.
Perhaps you were convicted by something you read. Ask God to forgive you and help you to be more loving,
forgiving, hospitable, etc.
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