Love One Another

Well, well, well, we are starting a new message series today.

It's called One Another.

I just felt called for us to look at what this means as a church.

How we relate to one another, how we should treat one another, all of that stuff.

And today, I'm well, I'm just gonna start us off with a nice, easy one.

We've all got this one sorted.

You're all good at this one.

Um, I'm gonna look at love one another.

Let me read to you a couple of scriptures here.

Uh 1 John 4, 7.

Dear friends, let us love one another.

For love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Romans 12, 10.

Be devoted to one another in love.

1 Peter 4, verse 8, above all, love each other deeply.

1 Peter 4:8

Because love covers a multitude of sins.

Right, this one straight from the mouth of Jesus.

Here we go.

You ready?

John 13, 34.

A new command I give you.

Love one another.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

That's pretty straightforward, isn't it?

Shall we go on?

I mean it's basic stuff.

But basic doesn't mean easy, does it?

It's a basic concept for us to get our heads around that we should love one another.

But that doesn't make it easy.

Quick show of hands, anyone perfected, loving one another?

Anyone?

Anyone got this one sorted?

No?

Just Judith then.

You you love me perfectly, darling.

I don't know.

You might think today's word isn't particularly meaty or deep, but I believe it's vital to us as a community.

So please don't switch off, don't zone out.

In fact, ask God to speak to your heart.

I wondered if you'd close your eyes for a moment.

I don't know how good you are at imagining things, but I want you to imagine a perfect community of love.

Where the people genuinely love one another.

What does that look like?

What can what's the sort of things that you can see happening?

What does it look like on a Sunday?

In the car park?

Out in the fire?

What does a perfect community of love look like?

In the canteen, even in the toilets.

As we take our seats on a Sunday, as we pray for one another, in our groups.

A perfect community that loves one another.

Imagine the unity in that church.

Imagine the friendships.

Imagine the times of worship.

Imagine the meals shared, the prayers prayed, and the blessings poured out.

Does it sound good?

Sounds good to me.

See, I I had a little dream this week of what that might look like for us if we, all of us, committed to loving one another wholeheartedly, digging deep, loving one another.

And I came up with a few things.

You've probably already come up with a few things.

But for me, in this community of love, people don't just get along.

They put the effort to go deeper than that.

They put the effort in to go deeper than how was he weak?

You okay?

Yeah, good.

It's got to go deeper than that, hasn't it?

See, I get it, you're not necessarily gonna be best pals with everyone.

Don't completely understand that.

In fact, that's normal.

But if that if there are among us moments of do you know what I'm talking about?

We've got to work on it, guys.

We've got to step into that.

See, avoiding people that we don't get on with, or just smiling at them across the fire.

We're called to more than that.

I believe we've got to make the make the the effort to find the gold in everyone.

That's really hard sometimes, isn't it?

Okay?

Especially with me as you pastor.

I'm glad you laughed.

Because that was a bit risky, that one.

You could have just gone, mm-hmm.

But let's read from Proverbs 27.

It you like I said, nothing new.

We've heard this before.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

The truth is, I believe, we we are called to this, we are sent to one another.

And people, look around, we are sent to sharpen one another.

So I wonder if we can embrace it, if we can allow it, if we can put the effort into allowing it to grow us.

In the world that I imagined, where we'd got it perfectly right, the relationships extend beyond Sunday.

And for many of us they do, and it's beautiful.

I love our community.

But if you don't see anyone more than just Sundays, I would argue that you're not fully engaging with the Church of Jesus Christ.

Sorry, we love you, but there's more.

Okay?

So if Sunday is as far as it goes for you, there's more.

You can step into more than that.

Now, you have likely got reasons why you don't, and we want to help you overcome that, and we want to encourage you to.

So you don't have to do that journey alone, but there is more.

And it's exciting that you get to step into that.

Acts 2.46 says every day they continue to meet together in the temple courts, they broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

See, it's got to extend further than Sundays, it's got to be more often than just once a week.

You're missing out.

Don't talk about not feeling part of community and then refuse to engage outside of Sunday.

See, I love Alan.

What a guy.

I'm getting to know Alan, okay?

Um, and I love that he's gotten stuck in this summer, and I believe that we're gonna see the fruit of that in his life, and he's gonna kill me for saying all of this.

But Alan has been at stuff, whereas maybe Alan didn't used to be at stuff, he he's at stuff now, and I think that's amazing.

Um we want to help you on that journey, okay?

If that's you.

In this church of perfect love, the welcome is awesome.

Now that's a little bit cliche to say, isn't it?

The welcome is awesome.

I believe we've got an awesome welcome, but the welcome isn't forced in this place because we've sorted a host team to do a really good job, right?

And you know, they've got the t-shirts and the banners and the signs.

It's more than that.

Everyone is welcoming to everyone.

People don't always sit with their favourite pals and talk to the same people.

Now, have your tribe.

Please have your tribe, and groups is our way of facilitating that, okay?

Have your group that you're tight with, but it's got to be welcoming, okay?

It's not turn our backs on each other.

All types of people are welcome, genuinely welcome.

See, I can't wait for the moment where our community is totally disrupted by a bunch of alcoholics, prostitutes, like all sorts of people are welcome.

Uh, there's gonna be times where you're gonna regret leaving your coat and your bag under your chair, because all types of people feel welcome and come in and experience God's presence.

You know, we're gonna have to start locking doors.

Like I said, not leaving your bag under your seat because everyone is welcome.

I remember when I first moved to Bedford to train to be a teacher, and uh, and I really struggled to find a church, okay?

Um I I must have tried three or four churches, there's loads of churches in Bedford where I was living, and um, and I just really struggled to connect into into a community.

I I was a young guy, so I didn't really know how to do it, but at the same time, I really struggled to find a community, and uh and I and I I thought I'm gonna try this.

So I've tried them all, I felt like I'd tried them all, and I went to this last church, and um, and I got out of my car and I closed the door and I walked there was meeting in this little school, and I walked towards the door, and before I'd got to the door, I was invited to lunch that day.

Unreal.

And by the end of the service, I was invited to do the pub quiz with the young people.

I went back that Sunday and the Sunday after, and the Sunday after because I felt genuinely welcomed.

It was amazing.

In this place of perfect love, disagreements are handled really, really well.

Difficult conversations are managed with grace and love.

Remember that sharpening of one another.

See, we need the friction, we're not always gonna get along, but we take it on, almost head on.

We don't let things fester.

I think as Christians, we're really good at letting things fester, aren't we?

Just letting it build up.

Oh, I'll oh I've got to love them, so I just I won't say what I need to say, or you know, but Hebrews 12, 15 says, See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and no bit of root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

I think that's dangerous ground if we're not dealing with our disagreements well.

In love and grace, in kindness.

But they've gotta, we've gotta deal with this stuff if it comes up, and it will.

Okay.

Ephesians 4 says, in your anger, do not sin.

We're gonna get angry at each other, guys.

I promise you that.

Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.

Don't give the devil a foothold.

We've gotta not let things fester just because we're a little bit afraid of having a tricky conversation.

Can I say this?

Gossip doesn't exist because it's overridden by love.

Holding up someone's future instead of chatting and talking about their past is so much easier when you love them.

And like I said, we're gonna hopefully, before too long, have all sorts of different people come through our doors.

We've got to hold up their future.

The love we have for each other should outweigh the temporary thrill of chatting about that person and what they get up to and the decision they made, and they did that now.

Because it is a temporary thrill, isn't it, when we gossip, when we when we say things about our brothers and sisters, and by the way, tag in, I'm only telling you so you can pray on the end, doesn't make it not gossip.

And listening to gossip without speaking up.

Hang on a minute, mate.

I don't want to hear that.

That's just as bad as instigating it.

Do you hate me yet?

Um in this community, people let their guards down.

See, I believe where you feel truly loved, your guard is let down.

You can be yourself, you can be honest.

We're really good sometimes, Christians.

Not here, in other churches.

We're really good at putting our Sunday face on.

Really good at putting our Sunday face on.

You're missing out if that's what you do.

Maybe we need to get more real with each other.

Groups are a wonderful place to do that.

You cannot don't let your guard down with everyone in trust and in love.

Find your tribe, find your people that you can trust.

But, you know, in a few weeks, Judith's going to talk about confession.

Confess your sins to one another.

And I believe that we need to maybe let down our guard a little bit as well.

I love this, and this is nothing new either, but there is no unmet need.

A house that loves each other, there'll be no unmet need.

Acts 4 32.

All the believers with one heart and one mind.

No one claimed any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.

Verse 34 says, excuse me, that there were no needy persons among them.

For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

Now I'm not saying you should go and sell your house.

Although if you feel called, don't, don't, don't hold back.

Don't sell your house or your land.

But I wonder, rather than just saying, Oh, I'll pray for you, if there's something practically that you can do when one of us is in need, will you dig deep?

Will you go for it?

When the call goes out to put yourself, maybe you're putting yourself out, taking up some of your time, but if someone in community needs you, are you going to dig deep?

One of the simple things we do, um, you know, and and we've done it a few times since I've been in our in this church, we we offer just to support people with meals.

So, you know, um, if there's a new baby or something like that, like that is a blessing that we've experienced.

Meals cooked.

Um, will you say, yeah, count me in?

Or will you just hope that someone else does it?

Because this is a community of love that we're building.

Um, will you meet a need out of love, or will you just hope that the need goes away?

How can we really truly dig deep and meet each other's needs?

Um, I love this.

I love this idea, this next one.

People are attracted, they're drawn to Jesus because of the love that we share.

Let me read to you.

We've read this one already, in fact, John 13.

A new command I give you love one another.

As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

Man, that's a challenge right there.

As Jesus loves us, we've got to love one another.

But it goes on to say, by this everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.

Man, our love for one another is an identifying mark that defines us as followers of the one true God to the people around us.

What a responsibility that that is.

Having your friends and family experience this community might be key in their salvation story.

It was for me.

I used to go to um a very small church in Stockton on Tees, and my friend got saved and invited me to his church, and I went to the Alpha Course, and there was young people because it wasn't in my church at the time, without that invitation, without experiencing a different kind of church that loved one another and loved me, I wouldn't have stepped into because I knew it all from going to church, but that was a defining moment for me when I experienced love in community, and I think there's a level of stewardship to this.

Bear with me on this one.

I wonder will God send us people if we don't love each other?

Will God send people to this community who don't know him if we can't get the love for one another right?

Would he trust you with a new believer?

When was the last time he did?

I believe there's a reason why.

Because we'd certainly don't want non-believers experience a community that doesn't love one another.

We've got to get it right for their sake.

Amen?

Right?

Okay.

I love our church.

I love you guys.

I just think there's a little bit more for us.

That's my heart.

I hope you hear it.

But it sounds great, all that stuff, doesn't it?

Knowing met needs, dealing with conflict well, sharpening one another, all of that stuff.

People being welcome.

It's great stuff.

But that's the fruit.

That's the fruit of our love for one another.

Um, I'm a music teacher in a school, and um and I always talk about in September we do blues in year seven.

We talk, Willie Nixon said, the blues is the roots, the rest is the fruits.

You know, without blues music, you don't get pop music.

Okay?

And it's the same.

Without our love for one another, we don't get all the stuff that you've imagined and I've imagined.

I think I've got to up my love game.

I don't know about you.

How do we therefore grow in our love for one another so that we can see the fruit?

Is the question, is it not?

How do we motivate ourselves to love more?

How do we choose love when that person keeps annoying you?

When that person thinks differently to you, when their kid keeps winding up your kid, when someone has let you down and it's gonna happen, when someone who keeps saying things so harshly to you, or let's face it, when someone sins against you, how do we learn to love more?

Can I give you some practical advice this morning?

Number one, dead simple, nothing deep, but we've got to pray, we've got to ask God.

We're gonna in a minute, but um the apostle Paul did this.

Let's read uh 1 Thessalonians 3 verse 12.

1 Thessalonians 3:12

May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for one another and for everyone else, just as ours does for you.

Philippians 1 9.

And this is my prayer that love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight.

Come on, let's do it, Lord.

Father, we come to you now and we say, Lord, will you bind us together in love?

Lord, where there are hard conversations to be had, Lord, will you guide us?

Holy Spirit, will you empower us to show grace and to love one another, to for forgiveness, Lord, where it's needed, Lord.

We pray this community will love one another deeply, that it will go deeper than just surface level Sunday stuff.

Lord, will you help us, God?

Build it in us, Lord.

We we we we lay our hearts out to you now, God, and we say we want to look.

Each other more.

Lord, we want to love the new person.

We want to love the person who's been around forever.

We want to love the person who annoys us.

Help us, Holy Spirit.

I pray in Jesus' name.

Number two, let's deepen our understanding of God's love.

See, one John says, We love because He first loved us.

Someone said to me a couple of weeks ago, Oh, how are we going to love each other if you can't even love yourself first?

There's a bit of truth in that.

But actually, I think loving God is key.

And us loving God, it starts with us understanding, stopping for a moment and thinking and meditating on how much God loves us is going to be key to this.

Ephesians 3, 16 to 19 says, I pray that out of his glorious riches, he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being.

Sounds great, Lord.

Come on.

So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

And I pray that you being rooted and established in love may have the power, together with all of the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide, how long, how high, and how deep is the love of Christ.

And to know this love that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

Guys, you can't.

It's so wide, it's so deep.

He loves you incredibly.

When we grasp that fully, and it's the Holy Spirit that reveals that, so we've got to pray for it.

When we grasp it, we cannot not love each other.

If you could truly see yourself and others as God sees you and them, then this loving one another stuff would truly be easy.

Come on, let's be people who grasp it and know it.

Not just know about it or feel it, but know it in our hearts.

Number three, let's yield to the spirit.

Love is not purely an effort of human willpower, it is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit working in believers.

Romans 5, 5.

And hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Galatians 5, 22 to 23.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love.

Joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, and faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Against such things there is no law.

Love is first, the first and most important fruit of being yielded to the spirit.

Not in your own strength will you love me with all my problems and warts and how annoying I can be.

Not in your strength, but by the strength of the Holy Spirit within you.

So will you yield to it this morning?

Will you have a soft heart to be molded and shaped by the potter's hands?

Lastly, number four, we're gonna get practical.

Sometimes it's not just in my head or in my heart, but I've got to do something if I want to change.

If you struggle to love the people around you, you've got to do something differently sometimes.

John 1 3 18 says, one John, dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth.

The proof is in the pudding.

Our actions will speak louder than our words.

So here's some practical things you can do this week.

And this list gets starts off pretty easy, and it's gonna get harder.

So strap yourself in.

We say it every week.

Stick around for a cupper if you don't already.

Talk to someone new, or someone you don't know after the service.

Join a group.

Arrange to hang out with someone instead of just going home.

Dedicate some time to it this week, next week.

Put it in the diary.

Say yes if someone invites you to something.

Join a group.

Make space for a new friend.

Invite someone round for dinner.

Two or three people.

Some of you need to open your home.

Be vulnerable with someone.

Do that carefully.

Okay.

Join a group.

Maybe this week there's a need that you can meet.

Maybe you need to learn to be flexible.

See, someone might invite you to something when you're normally on your own, or you like your own time, or maybe that's when you do your shopping, or that's when you see your family or your friends, or you have a rigid schedule that isn't flexible.

Maybe you need to be.

Maybe you need to introduce some flexibility.

Refuse to gossip.

Maybe we need to repent from that.

I don't know.

I'll let you work that out.

Lastly, maybe we need to do some reconciliation.

Today, now, after the service.

Confess sin.

Forgive one another.

It's not good enough just to get along with someone.

We have to fight for love sometimes.

You're gonna do some it?

I think that's a list that can encompass something we can all do.

Practically, close your eyes again.

Let's imagine what this community can be like if we all took a step closer to truly loving one another.

Don't get me wrong, I love this house.

I love you guys.

I love this community, but there's more.

Lord, I pray, God, you'll you'll lay it on our hearts, Lord, even now.

Lay it on our hearts, Lord, how we can act differently to one another, what we can do, the things we need to say, Lord.

If we've been challenged this morning, I pray that that will not fall on bad ground, but it'll fall on fertile soil.

Lord, I pray that we will grow and develop deeper roots of love.

Lord, I pray that you will reveal your love to each one of us.

Fresh revelation, God, of how deep and wide and high and how big your love is for us, Lord.

Will you reveal it to us?

Let us be people who share in that love and let it change us from the inside out, God.

We pray in Jesus' name, amen.