It’s the love of Christ, dying for us while we were still sinners, even enemies, rejecting and fighting against God. We must use this same eagerness to receive forgiveness and grace to show it and give it to others. In this, God changes us. Many believers feel drawn to practice the biblical imperative of loving those to whom they have no natural bond (Heb. We spend time on what we deem important.    O Lamb of God, I come! Because the full name of the Church is so important, I echo the revelations from the scriptures, the First Presidency’s instructions in letters of 1982 and 2001, and the words of other Apostles who have encouraged the members of the Church to uphold and teach the world that the Church is known by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.    Make me a channel of blessing, I pray; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with many other churches, organizations, and individuals, will continue to defend the sanctity of marriage between a man and a woman, because it is a compelling moral issue of profound importance to our religion and to the future of society. A church’s success is measured by the quality of its love, says Bloom. Dr. Hymers’ e-mail is rlhymersjr@sbcglobal.net. 2. He even washed their feet. Scripture Read Before the Sermon by Dr. Kreighton L. Chan: John 17:20-23. You don’t agree with the theology or doctrine of a church / the theology or doctrine has changed. A. Just as I am, without one plea, Here are ten reasons why we must love even unlovable church members. Christians loving each other in a local church is a powerful sign to the unbelieving world that we are the true followers of Jesus Christ! A Few Easy Guidelines for Choosing a Church 1. He was an essential part in the leadership of our church. These are the people who know Jesus and follow Him.”. The Old Testament pastor. And, so, Christ’s “new” commandment tells Christians in a local church to “love one another; as I have loved you.” The brothers and sisters in a local congregation are told by Christ to love each other in the same way He loved the Disciples. He explained the uselessness of gifts, knowledge, faith, benevolence, and sacrifices without the first fruit, which is love (Galatians 5:12).It is said that Paul in this chapter “rises on the wings of inspiration to the most sunlit heights of Christian eloquence.” Paul opens this chapter speaking about love as it relates to the integrity of his readers. You can read Dr. Hymers’ sermons each week on the Internet Let's not confuse Christian love with its modern counterfeits - lust, sentimentality, and gratification. YouTube feeds people to our website. “Perhaps there has never been a more important time for neighbors all around the world to stand together for the common good of one another,” he said. Do not let the trouble a Judas caused be a life-long hindrance to you becoming a Christian. They are opulent, beautiful, imposing—and dead. Sin can cause us to love a version of God that is not accurate. Love the people God has placed in your life, for He has given you a heart to love them. Needless to say, it didn't take me long to learn that even in the church are people who don't quite get there. not prevent the elect from coming to Christ, John 13:27, 30; When we look at our church on Sunday mornings, miraculous probably isn’t the first word that comes to our minds. We are to love each other. Redemption: Gospel. Distractions come in all shapes and sizes. Even casual comments could stir up needless controversy. Oasis is an innovative and racially diverse church, largely comprised of people in their 20’s & 30’s. Look at verse 35 of the text. In the last 50 years, the term diversity has taken on many meanings. The importance of true Christian fellowship is that it reinforces these things in our mind and helps us to focus on Christ and His desires and goals for us. In the early days of Christianity, a terrible [pestilence] broke out in Alexandria. Liz Kanoy is an editor for Crosswalk.com. “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ … Learn more in this article from Dr. Roger Barrier, How Do I Know When It’s Time to Leave a Church? A building is merely a shelter for their bodies, not a factor in their worship. Love serves. The head of the Episcopal Church gave an impassioned sermon at the wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. It is important to learn how to tie a ball into a mitt to make a good pocket, to run a lawn mower properly so as to not leave streaks in the grass and to position the firewood precisely so that you get a good hot and clean fire. When we consider the biblical teaching on the church, we realize the church is vitally important for growing in Christ. There is no other way to keep harmony and stay on mission. (1 Jn 4: 16) In God's Image, Men and Women Are Made for Love! In fact, the development of any religion was accompanied by the construction of various temples and special places where adepts could worship their deity or deities. It was a symbolic act which showed, like a picture, the meaning of our text. Take them on mission trips, they will be exposed to new cultures and won’t forget the adventure. In significant ways, unity is as important outside the Church as it is within. Then, when someone is brought into our church they will say, “These are Christ’s followers! II. Love Verses & Quotes for the Church & God’s Kingdom “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. Acts 8:23. By Ted Cunningham. The church is important because it reveals Christ, even as Christ reveals God in human flesh. “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me” (John 17:23). If you’re unsure about the denomination you’re attending, try out a few churches from different denominations that are Bible-centric and read over their belief sections. But when Christian people in “the local church” [his word] love each other so intensely that they become “an alternate society,” the lost will want to be part of that society – and they will sense the love and reality of God in and through the local church. ." As iron sharpens iron , in true Christian fellowship Christians sharpen one another’s faith and stir one another to exercise that faith in love and good works, all to God’s glory. And so, once again, in John 17:23, Christ goes back to unity and love in the local church, this time as a means of the lost world knowing the gospel for themselves. Everybody would treat everybody else with the love of God. The church is not grounded in God’s Word and does not defend it. The Church is this important to God, so it should be ever-important to us. He cared for them. We are all created in need of God’s saving grace regardless of the color of our skin. They were zealous to go and visit [and care for] each other, although they knew that they [would], in all probability, catch the [disease]; and amongst the carcasses outside the walls of Alexandria there was not found one single [unburied] corpse of a Christian…And the heathen said, ‘What is the meaning of this?’ And the answer went throughout Egypt, ‘This is the religion of Jesus of Nazareth, for these Christians love one another.’ No sermon can be so [well heard by] the world as a true manifestation of the love of Christ; and when God restores to His church genuine, hearty, and sincere love…then shall the world be more impressed by the gospel than it is at present” (ibid., pp. Dr. Stott said. Catholic Church view of the importance of marriage. How Do I Know When It’s Time to Leave a Church? Serving in the local church is a vehicle to discover how we are made and how the Lord can use us. proof to the unbelieving world that our faith is real, God didn't call us to gather and worship to burden us, but to bless us. 16062307. With this deep infatuation, they depreciated the importance of what they deemed to be every day, garden variety, plain vanilla love. Church is supposed to be a community where individuals are cared for, where gifts are used effectively, where people are challenged to grow beyond themselves. Spurgeon said, “Let me tell you a very remarkable instance of this. The church is the context that Jesus has given us to love one another in, to grow in, and to bring others to—“ a community of diverse, sin-polluted, defective individuals from all sorts of life-shaping pasts living life together in an impossible love,” says Bloom. The Fall of Man affects us all, and we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).The good news is Jesus died for every tribe, tongue and nation. LOVING people can be difficult. THE IMPORTANCE OF LOVE IN THE LOCAL CHURCH! That the church should be an alternate society, a visible sign of the kingdom (Dr. John R. W. Stott, Christianity Today, October 2006, pp. Isn’t it? It is God who gives us the strength to work together for His glory; it’s God who does miraculous things among difficult people. Why You Need to Love the People in Your Church, Romans 12, Ephesians 4-5, Galatians 5, 1 Peter 4, Colossians 3, Hebrews 10. - Kevin King, California - Do Not Sell My Personal Information. If you love Jesus, you will love the things that He loves, and there is no one a good man loves more than His bride. THE IMPORTANCE OF LOVE IN THE LOCAL CHURCH! And if the mission of the church is love, then we can’t do both…we can’t withhold forgiveness from someone and love them at the same time. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him. The primary purpose of this introductory lesson is to convince you that our study of the church is well worth your time and mine, your study and mine. What Are Advent Readings & Why Are They Important? We try with all our hearts to share ourselves with each other, to care for each other, to serve each other. Churches traditionally played an important role in the religious life of people. Bloom writes, “The very next generation of early Christians didn’t get to choose each other either. of Bible study: Love: Peace: Servants of God: Suffering: The Christian at work: Worry: Importance of Bible Study: A Christian's desire for the Truth, the Word of God, must be avid. He is the standard for anyone in leadership of a local church. unbelieving world that we are Christ’s disciples. Some people are really hard to love. 13:2, Rom. One of the most important aspects of becoming strong in your faith, is building healthy relationships with other believers who have a genuine & mature walk with God. III. We do this when we emphasize the love of God at the expense of his other attributes. Our messiness calls us to love others in humility and grace, realizing that we’re only worthy because God makes us worthy. Come to Christ quickly. But don’t take our word for it, just read any of the majority of the classics of the twentieth century that deal with the topic, or watch any of the classic films (or even the not so classic ones) etc. Question: "How can a church achieve a true, biblical unity?" Why Love Is Important: Because It Is The Greatest Feeling. Oasis is known for its local and global outreach to the impoverished; especially orphans and widows, and funding clean water projects. Pritchard relays, “Think carefully before you speak about your former congregation. He took a towel, filled a basin with water, and began to wash the Disciples’ feet. Unity flows from love and love unites the church in its mission. B. Lord’s Day Evening, August 2, 2009. A believer must give the highest priority in his life to learning Bible facts and principles. INTRO: Paul stated that love is greater that faith and hope. The same invisible God who once made himself visible in Jesus now makes himself visible in the Christian [church], if we love one another. First, Christian love in the local church is a sign to the The majority of churches with which I have familiarity have no process for church discipline, or they have a process in place in theory only. The Importance of Love. It’s hard to give grace when you feel like it’s undeserved or taken for granted. 4. You have seen them leave the church. (“Just As I Am” by Charlotte Elliott, 1789-1871). It was real. However, in reading the New Testament, there seems to be no such thing as a church without discipline. Too often our personality differences cause us to look at each other differently that God looks at us. They quickly figured out that Judas was simply an evil unbeliever in their midst. missionaries throughout the world, especially the Third World, where there are few if any This love must be focused on and received from Jesus Christ. 3. II. He says, “That they also may be one.” Who was He praying for? Let the Golden Rule guide all your comments public and private.”. It is rooted and grounded. Godly love does not change according to circumstances. After all, were not these 12 disciples the very heart of the first New Testament church? This negativity becomes pervasive in the congregation and destroys church unity. God himself is the author of marriage. I do not usually care for the writings of John R. W. Stott. God didn't call us to gather and worship to burden us, but to bless us. That is essentially what our Jewish friend, the Apostle Paul, is saying in 1 Timothy 3:14-16. Feel their love for God – and for you. This verse is misapplied today by many in the “ecumenical movement.” It is ridiculous to apply this to ecumenicism, and say that it means all the denominations, many of them full of heresies and unbelieving members, must come together. Churches known more for what they are against rather than what they are for. The Importance of Church “The Compass” is a small group material created by Cru. Of course they were! After he was gone, they went right back to loving each other, and bringing lost people into the warmth and loving fellowship of that local church. In John 13:35 Jesus said the world would know we are Christ’s disciples if we “have love one to another.” But here, in John 17:21, Christ goes deeper. When the [pestilence] broke out, the heathen in Alexandria [pushed] out of their houses every person who had the slightest sign of the disease upon him, and left him to starve, and would not even bury their bodies for fear of contagion. Make me a channel of blessing today, But the Christians visited one another when they were sick of the [pestilence], and no Christian was left to die [alone]. Second, Christian love and unity in the local church is a great proof He is an Anglican – but he certainly sounds like an old-fashioned Baptist on this – and I for one think he is exactly right! The importance of Christian love. You have seen people like Judas cause trouble. He washed and dried all their feet. We usually think of them as a band of brothers united around Jesus. “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 1. Engage them in the service projects of the church. (Romans 12, Ephesians 4-5, Galatians 5, 1 Peter 4, Colossians 3, Hebrews 10). Press into the kingdom without further delay. Drop down to John 13:30. God must have sent Jesus or these people would not be so loving!” And, after hearing me preach, and being in our love-filled church, they will at last say, “I know God sent Jesus. And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother.” 1 John 4:20-21. When you do something wrong, you want to be shown grace and given forgiveness. And all the verbal proclamation of the gospel is of little value unless it is made by a [church full of love]. Church discipline is quite possibly the most difficult form of love for the local church to practice. It’s so easy to focus on the failure of others instead of our own failures—where someone else falls short instead of where we fall short. May God help our church to be like the early Christians and the Christians in the Third World. If you love Jesus, you will love the things that He loves, and there is no one a good man loves more than His bride. But the importance of fellowship to the church does not rest solely upon the fact that it was the natural result of the coming of the Holy Spirit. The tendency is to want the others to change. A church is the main venue for using your … Does the church demonstrate love? A pastor is continuing to sin in a manner that is harmful to the church and has not been disciplined or removed.    Make me a channel of blessing today. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has members throughout the world. This love we have to each other is the greatest sign the world will ever see that we are the disciples and followers of Christ Jesus. Share on pinterest. 12:13, etc. God did not give up on us. In fact, according to the Bible, love is primarily an active interest in the well-being of another person. ), 10 Things Christians Should Know about Marijuana, 10 Family Movies about the True Meaning of Christmas, Just Drop the Blanket: The Moment You Never Noticed in. “And after the sop Satan entered into him. Love is a transitive reality—that is, it requires an object. unbelieving world that we are Christ’s disciples, John 13:35. Make sure you don’t hold back when you are asked to come to Christ. The Church is this important to God, so it should be ever-important to us. Make me a channel of blessing today, 5 Ways You Can Stop Wasting Time (and Enjoy Life! Among the “Related Verses,” Logos presents Jeremiah 3:15. He gave up His life for them. I have been blessed to be part of church body where love and good deeds has been lived out among the members. 4. Let us, therefore, do all we can to love each other, to be at one with each other – to pray for and help each other. 3 Challenges of Belonging to the Church. Make sure you are not like that. “Then Jesus gave his church an impossible mission: preach the gospel throughout the whole, God-rejecting, Christ-hating world (Luke 21:17; John 15:18), and plant impossible communities among every people where diverse, sin-polluted, defective individuals from all sorts of life-shaping pasts would live out Jesus’s impossible command to love one another (Matthew 28:19–20).”. Yet, as Bloom points out there are actual legitimate reasons for leaving a church home and seeking out another. A church filled with such people cannot help but have peace, unity, and harmony. And even if you leave, continue to pray for the church you left. Engage them in the service projects of the church. Thanks for reminding us and encouraging us to keep doing what we do! The Old Testament, in Leviticus 19:18, said, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” How is this, then, a new commandment? Hundreds of others watch the videos on YouTube, but they soon leave YouTube and come to our website. You have seen them betray Christ. Teens love to feel as though they are making a difference in someone’s life. Jesus chose those disciples and placed them together; how quickly did they get over their grudge of having a tax collector with them and a woman who used to be possessed by demons? I come! What did He mean? As Boom states, this is an impossible love, an impossible community, and an impossible mission… By human means alone, this plan will fail because humans sin. “That they [the Christians] may be made perfect [complete] in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them…” (John 17:23). 97-98). Then He said. The purpose of this website is to provide free sermon manuscripts and sermon videos to pastors and missionaries throughout the world, especially the Third World, where there are few if any theological seminaries or Bible schools. . We should embrace him as a brother. You get the drift. The local church will never be perfect on this side of glory, simply because disobedience and carnality are always in attendance with grace and love. You may feel burned out, taken advantage of, like no one is listening, like no one agrees with you, frustrated with the people who surround you, and ready to move on…to something more stable, more peaceful, and with less work involved. According to a Gallup report by Frank Newport "the most dramatic result (in religion) has been the exceedingly quick shift of religious services from in-person to online worship." I. These sermon manuscripts and videos now go out to about 1,500,000 computers in over 221 countries every year at www.sermonsfortheworld.com. Listen carefully again. We can preach doctrinal sermons, sermons that are perfectly orthodox and perfectly sound, and strongly evangelistic, but if those lost people who come into our services do not see a profound outpouring of Christian love in our church, they will not see in us anything unusual, they will not think that there is anything very important going on here. Download Files MP3 ← Dwelling Among The Canaanites. Even today, in the Third World, in China, Southeast Asia, India, Africa, and Latin America, we see this love of Christians for each other many times – in rather remarkable ways – often in very difficult circumstances. at www.realconversion.com. Share on print . Look at what it says about Judas. They may be trying to work on the exact reason that made you leave. One only has to review the words God uses to describe His church to get a glimpse of how important it is to Him: the bride of Christ, the household of God, the body of Christ, and God’s building. In the early 1960s, diversity most likely would have referred to the need for desegregation. “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, [art] in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me” (John 17:21). It can be cloudy, messy, and painful. The word “incarnate” comes from two Latin words meaning “in flesh.” Third, yet the absence of Christian love in a local church will Related article: I believe that evangelism is specially through the local church, through [its] community, rather than through the individual [alone]. The church today must live up to its true billing -- … 1 Corinthians 13: 1-13. Colossians 3:14 “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Without love there is no unity whatsoever. 1 Corinthians 13 is often known as the “love” chapter. Answer: The Bible underscores the importance of “unity” and “oneness.” Unity with others is “good” and “pleasant” (Psalm 133:1). Why Do Some People Claim That Christmas Is a Pagan Holiday? All religions have some idea of the importance of love. “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you” (John 13:15). Abuse of any kind, where the abuser is not removed or disciplined. Unity is absolutely essential because the church is the “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27), and a body cannot be in disunity or disharmony with itself. Likewise, many church members might find it easier invite friends to a small group who are unready to come to church. This is shown through honor, respect, hospitality, harmony, unity, including everyone, persevering together through difficult times or issues, bearing burdens, forgiveness, encouragement, fellowship, and meeting regularly. Because the mess is what draws out the one thing that advances the church’s mission more than anything else. Paul writes, If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. It is important that children grow up with values and the church is very strategically positioned to do that. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly” (John 13:27). And while they were certainly united in following Jesus, they may not have all liked each other at first. John Peter Lange, the great German commentator, pointed out that in the early days of Christianity, “The heathen [often] exclaimed with astonishment: ‘Behold how these Christians love one another, and how ready to die for one another.’” And Lucian [a heathen writer] sneeringly remarked, “Their law-giver [Christ] has persuaded them that they are all [brothers and sisters]” (Lange’s Commentary on the Holy Scriptures, John, p. 427). November 1, 2018 Share on facebook. Image: Shutterstock. Preaching on the Importance of Family. This is my command: Love each other.”. Love acts for the benefit of others. Love gives. If you have ever attended a congregational meeting where opposing sides were having a heated discussion over a thorny issue, you probably tried to leave early to avoid being tarred and feathered. God's plan for human love and sexuality is good news! God can meet with His people anywhere. God loves them. The church is the continuing incarnation of God incarnate. Stand and read it aloud. (“Make Me a Channel of Blessing” by Harper G. Smyth, 1873-1945). It is as important as the church is in God’s program for this world, and for the world to come. Comments are closed. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The intimate community of life and love which constitutes the married state has been established by the Creator and endowed by him with its own proper laws. Take your time before joining a new church. All rights reserved. Your tongue is like a hammer that can crush or build up a soul. And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee, They too were thrown together with others they likely wouldn’t have chosen: Palestinian and Hellenistic Jews, Jews and Gentiles, educated and uneducated, slaves and slave owners, impoverished and aristocrats, former zealots and former tax collectors, former prostitutes and former Pharisees.”. Whenever you write to Dr. Hymers always tell him what country you live in, or he cannot answer you. Jon Bloom, staff writer for desiringGod.org, shares, “But this is the way it’s supposed to be. Judas did that – and he is a bad example. seminaries or Bible schools. July 12, 2020 (The Truth in Love Radio) _The Truth in Love Radio Program. Brotherly Love. But we have a God who makes the impossible possible. Rather, its primary importance stems from the fact that: 2. Holding true to this mission, Christ looked at the needs of the people, provided it, and then begun to preach out the good deeds. And I want you to see how important it is that we love each other in the church and what that love looks like. A sermon preached at the Baptist Tabernacle of Los Angeles But Christ went even farther in verse 23. But Jesus paused before He instituted the Lord’s Supper. Christ said, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another.” What was new about His commandment? Now we know that we are commanded to love others as well, not just fellow believers but the focus in our text this morning is on our love for each other within the church. Fellowship is the indispensable means of accomplishing the God-given purpose of the church. When broken people love each other, we show the world the kind of love Jesus has for us. Love is both what God is and what he has done; God always acts in love. This is the basic definition of idolatry, a disordered love. You moved or found a church much closer to you. "The joy of love experienced by families is also the joy of the Church" (Amoris laetitia, 1). But small group meetings can be an important stepping stone to church worship. When we focus on the failures of others and how they aren’t living up to our expectations, then we aren’t focusing on love. We can preach until our faces turn blue. But doctrine alone does not save. Look around at these wonderful Christians in our church. I take these words literally: "For God loved the world in this way. Sometimes this feels easy, and other times (maybe even most of the time) this feels really hard…  Anything that involves other people has its hardships because people know how to get on each other’s nerves, they disagree on things, they place matters of importance in varying orders, they subconsciously do something annoying or rude, or they consciously do something mean or petty etc. They will not know that Christ “hast loved them.”. Now, I end this sermon with a warning to young people who have grown up in the church. Teens love to feel as though they are making a difference in someone’s life. I recently heard of a church personnel committee and a few church … Please stand and read that verse aloud. He was an essential part in the leadership of our church. And this should be true of us if we are growing in Christ likeness because the fruit of the Spirit is first of all love. “He [Judas] then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night” (John 13:30). Please click here to learn how you can make a monthly donation to help us in this great work of preaching the Gospel to the whole world. Before you leave a church, ask yourself what the real reasons for leaving are and make sure that the reason is not a self-seeking one. The local church is part of the body of Christ. Love seeks the highest good of the object to which it is directed. When you like a church it can be easy to want jump right in, but you want to make sure that you align with the values and mission of that church. “The church has a big aspect of nurturing development of children. The truly humble person sees his own faults in light of the perfections of Christ; he does not seek to see the faults of others, but when he does, he speaks the truth in love and desires their sanctification so they will be built up in the image of Christ. Pages. 4 3. His love for them was not just a passing emotion. Turn back to John 13:27. John 17:21, 23. Christian theology stresses the importance of love because God has revealed that he is love (1 John 4:8, 16).
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