Vision 2013 Part5 the nuts and bolts of 13/30

Part 5 Love each other

This message was preached at Word of Grace church  on the 24th of Feb 2013 by Colin D Cruz. You can listen of download the mp3 by clicking here.

A vision with no nuts and bolts is like all the beautiful pieces of a car not having been put together so as to function as a car . It will just be pieces that go no where.

This is not rocket science, not is this  some hi fi strategy for church growth, but its the most powerful and the greatest of all.  How do you know a sermon is good?. Its good when it has an impact and changes people. After the Sunday meeting , later in the evening,  several people put this word into practice in different ways. The message is simple, but powerful and life transforming. Read on...

What is better than raising the dead? Last week we went through the first 4 biblical values we hold dear viz. Private worship, Public worship, giving and small groups.

At first I thought I would do the balance 4 today, then I felt maybe 2 but then I felt the Holy Spirit prompt me to do just one. So we will look at the 5^th one today.

 Love one another. 

1 Cor.13 says love is the highest and the grates of all. We are nothing and gain nothing if we do not have love. 1Jn 4:4 says that God is love. Why is this important? It’s not God loves us but God IS love. It is his very nature.

Matt 22:36-39 “Love the Lord your God” is then closely follow by “love one another”

Jn 13:34-35  the test and proof that you are truly a disciple is that you love one another. Your gifts don’t mark you as a disciple of Jesus, your love does.

1Jn 3:11, 1 Jn 4:20 you cannot love God and hate your brother. Love is important because God is love and it’s a proof that we are his disciples.

God loves us not because we are good but because He is love. We find some people difficult to love because they have faults, just like you and me. People let you down, people sometimes only take and do not give.

What does God do?

Jn 5:12 Love each other as I have loved you. How did Jesus love you?

Rom 5:8 gives us the standard of Jesus love – He laid down His life for us. We need to love people in spite of their weaknesses.

How do we demonstrate unconditional love?

 Word of Grace is good at loving people. But let us remind ourselves of a few ways we can express love. Here are some ways.

1.    Greet warmly- we need to love and lay down our lives. We need to take the initiative in greeting people. Greet warmly in culturally appropriate ways.

2.    Showing love – “smile, it improves your face value!”the no.1 disease in the world today is loneliness. We need to demonstrate love by having open homes.

3.    Eating together- hospitality is a great way of demonstrating love.

4.    Sick- visit the sick lay hands on them and pray for them. It’s a great way to express love.

5.    Remembering birthdays and anniversaries. Wish them and pray for them.

6.    Serving people in whatever way possible. See where there is a need- don’t wait to be asked.

7.    Partnering in God’s work – working together to reach the lost.

8.    Having fun times – Living life together. WE need to engage with the Church and the world in fun things. We are supposed to have life to the full.

9.    Love is being gentle with one another – we respect and give honour where it is due. Teach our children to greet people.

10.Loves also means correction- but this should be done in gentleness  “Teach, admonish one another” this can happen when the relationships matures.

11.Teaching the word of God.

12.We express that we miss someone. Find out why someone has not come to church and express concern and love.

13.Affirm and appreciate one another. Every morning there is a team that works hard at set up- lets appreciate them. Think of whom you can affirm.

Part of our vision is that each one grows in loving one another. Will you be a more loving person? Rom 5:5 is how this happens.

As we worshiped his love has been poured out into our hearts- lets take it and give it to the hungry and thirsty world out there ! Amen!