Tag: love one another

NO ONE DESERVES TO BE ALONE

No one, and I mean no one should be alone in this life. Some people think being alone is what is good for them. The Bible disputes that. Two are always better than one. As we look at this, I do not mean living alone in a house, but I mean always being alone and never getting out to build relationships. People need relationships. People need companionship. If the church is done the BIBLICAL way, people will have a right place to build these relationships and companionship. As we continue the series on Bring Them Back, we are going to look at being alone. Some intentionally separate from others. Even these people need to be brought home.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10   Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.10  For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

  • We need others to help in time of need.
  • We all have time on need.
  • We will all fall from time to time.

I Thessalonians 5: 8-11  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.9  For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,10  Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.11   Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do

  • We are to find comfort in relationships.
  • We are to build up one another.
  • We are to work together to glorify Christ.

Ephesians 4:29-32 – Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.30  And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

  • We are to be forgiving regardless of the offense.
  • We are to speak words of encouragement, not words of condemnation.
  • To live a life of unforgiveness is to grieve the Holy Spirit.
  • We are to minister grace to others.

Galatians 6:1-2 –  Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.2  Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

  • We are to help carry the burden of others.
  • We are to restore, not kill the wounded.
  • We are to display a spirit of meekness (kindness) to others.Failure to follow God’s plan will set you up for a hard fall

Romans 14:1  Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

  • Not everyone is strong.
  • We must reach out to those whose faith has been shattered.
  • We have to learn to help without judging.

Loving thy Neighbor

Matthew 22:37-40
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.38  This is the first and great commandment.39  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.40  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The Lord Jesus stated that loving our neighbor is compared to our love for God. Look at it. Love God will all our heart, and soul and mind and the second is like unto the first – Love they neighbor as thyself. As I have been reading through Proverbs the past couple of weeks, a passage has stuck with me.   I can not get it out of my mind.

Proverbs 3:27-35 (NKJV) Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, When it is in the power of your hand to do so. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, “Go, and come back, And tomorrow I will give it,” When you have it with you. 29 Do not devise evil against your neighbor,  For he dwells by you for safety’s sake. 30 Do not strive with a man without cause, If he has done you no harm.

31 Do not envy the oppressor, And choose none of his ways; 32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord, But His secret counsel is with the upright. 33 The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, But He blesses the home of the just. 34 Surely He scorns the scornful, But gives grace to the humble. 35 The wise shall inherit glory,

  • Withholding is not a good thing.
  • Do not delay helping when it is within your power to do so.
  • Reaching out to those in need is an act of wisdom.
Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
For example:
  • I have $2.00 to buy me a diet coke and as I am approaching the check out, there is a mom who is buying baby formula but is $2.00 short. All I have is $2.00. Do I have the ability to help?
  • I am home watching my favorite tv show. I got a phone call and someone needs me to take them to the doctor. Do I have the time?
  • A young girl finds herself expecting and needs a place to stay. I have three rooms that I am using as storage. Do I have room to keep her?
  • A boy has no father in his life and needs someone to teach him to play baseball but I have to the golf course, Do I have time?
  • The church needs cleaning but I want to clean my oven even though I just cleaned it two days ago, do I have time to help clean the church?
  • My neighbor’s car broke down and needs to get to the store. My car runs fine but I have driven all day and just do not want to drive anymore. Do I have the ability to drive them to the store?
  • The widow lady’s washer is broken down and I am a repair man. Do I have the ability to fix it?

Luke 10:29-37 -But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.

Three men all on the same path in life.
One a religious priest – religious.
One a Levite – religious.
One a Samaritan – despised by religious crowd.
Only one became a neighbor.
God is not looking for religious people.
God is looking for committed people.

Question of the day: Are you religious or are you committed?

Being a good neighbor will:
  1. Cost you.
  2. Inconvenience you.
  3. Take you out of your comfort zone.
  4. Possibly change eternity for someone.
  5. Is it worth your time?

Jonah, part 4 The Unredeemed Showed More Grace than the Redeemed

Jonah 1:10-17

10  Then were the men exceedingly afraid, and said unto him, Why hast thou done this? For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.11  Then said they unto him, What shall we do unto thee, that the sea may be calm unto us? for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous.12  And he said unto them, Take me up, and cast me forth into the sea; so shall the sea be calm unto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is upon you. 13  Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them.14  Wherefore they cried unto the LORD, and said, We beseech thee, O LORD, we beseech thee, let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not upon us innocent blood: for thou, O LORD, hast done as it pleased thee.15  So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.16  Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.17  Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

When faced with the truth, Jonah finally owned up

  • Jonah had to admit he was the reason for the storm
  • God needs us to quit blaming everyone else and face up to our responsibility in the storm
  • Is it possible that an unholy church has brought God’s judgment upon this nation?
  • Is it possible that the church has forsaken her first love? –
Revelation 2:1-5

Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them  which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5  Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent

  • Works apart from obedience is useless
  • We are admonished to follow our first love – Jesus
  • God will remove the light of His church if it continues to run from her responsibility
  • Do people still need to hear the uncompromising gospel of Jesus Christ?
  • Will we arise and go or stay asleep
Romans 13:11-14

And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let ustherefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13  Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

Ephesians 5:13-16

  But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light.14  Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.15  See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as  fools, but as wise,16  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

  1. A sleeping church is a dead church
  2. The evil today is just as evil as it was in the day  of  Jonah
  3. WE ARE THE LIGHT!!!!!
  4. NOTE THE QUESTION: Why hast thou done this?

The world showed compassion

Jonah 1:13  Nevertheless the men rowed hard to bring it to the land; but they could not: for the sea wrought, and was tempestuous against them

The world today is rowing hard to solve the problems of this age in which we live

  1. They try hard to be good
  2. They rely on their own effort to satisfy God
  3. They sometime have more compassion then the church
Luke 6:35-40

your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 37   Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: 38  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. 39  And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch? 40  The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

Christ’s command to believers

1. LOVE

2. Forgive them

3. Give to them

4. Do not judge them or condemn them

John 3:17-19

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18  He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

5. Show mercy

Love is how the world knows we are real

  1. It is hard to love them if we do not love one another
  2. It is hard to be a light when we do not come to the  source of light

   

The result of NOT BEING the light

  1. We are thrown into the stormy water
  2. We become shipwrecked
  3.  We sink to the bottom
  4.  We get swallowed up by the burdens of this life