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This sermon is the third message in a series of messages that speak about the three main purposes or priorities of the church. Today's message continues discussing the "Inward Priority" of edifying, nurturing and caring for other members in the body of Christ, by using verses in the New Testament that speak about believers' behavior toward one another.
Written Excerpts:
Colossians
3:12-13 (NKJV) Therefore, as the
elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility,
meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and
forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as
Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Introduction:
For
the past two sermons I have been reviewing the main purposes that God has given
to the church.
There
are a number of things that churches do and ought to do, but all of them
probably can be identified with one of the three main purposes of the church.
· Bring praise and glory to God.
· Nurture and edify other believers.
· Spread His kingdom throughout the world.
In
the first sermon I tried to emphasize the importance of giving praise and glory
to God, and truly making that the very first priority of our lives and our
actions. When
the body of Christ gathers, we gather to corporately worship the Lord and
celebrate His goodness and His awesome grace.
Last
Sunday I spoke about the second purpose of nurturing and edifying fellow
believers in the church. We
talked about loving one another, and living in peace and unity with one
another.
Today,
we will be continuing to speak about our Christian responsibility to care for
other Christians.
When
we were talking about the responsibility we have for one another, I mentioned
that I had looked up most of the passages in the NT which included the words
“one another.” We
are going to continue looking at more of these Scriptures today to discover
what God has intended the church to do for its own members.
To
live out the second purpose or priority God has given us we need to…
IV. Edify One Another
1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NKJV) Therefore
comfort each other and edify one another,
just as you also are doing.
The word “edify” is a word that means to build up. There are a number of other NT passages that urge
Christians to build each other up by various means.
Here are some other words that the NT uses in
describing our responsibility towards one another and will work towards
building each other up in our faith and build us up in the Lord.
A. Exhort – παρακαλεω; lit. to call to one’s side, console,
comfort, etc. This is a word that is used in many different contexts.
Hebrews 3:13 (KJV) But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any
of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
Hebrews 10:25 (KJV) Not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the
more, as ye see the day approaching.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 (KJV) Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The word that is translated “comfort” here is the same
word in the Greek that is also translated “exhort” in other verses. When Christians exhort and comfort one another, they
are building each other up. They are helping that brother or sister keep faith
and purpose. They are inspiring them to keep on going.
B. Admonish
– νουθετεω; lit. to put in mind, to
warn, rebuke, or counsel, etc.
Romans 15:14 (KJV) And I myself also am
persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with
all knowledge, able also to admonish one
another.
Colossians 3:16 (KJV) Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
The body of Christ is supposed to be looking out for
one another and warning one another about the traps of the devil, and the ways
he works.
We are so independent today, we don’t want other
people warning us and correcting us. We don’t want other Christians admonishing
us about the ways we might be going astray. Because we generally are that independent as a whole,
then those who are concerned are afraid to speak to us for fear of losing
friendship or offending us. But the Bible tells us to submit to one another.
Ephesians 5:21 (KJV) Submitting yourselves one to
another in the fear of God.
Paul makes this general command right before he
applies it to the marriage relationship between husbands and wives. Christians, who all love the Lord and love one
another, should be able to admonish/warn each other and we should be able to accept
admonition without getting angry and suspicious of each other, because we are
submitting to each other in love and grace.
When Christians admonish, warn, counsel or rebuke each
other in the right spirit, they build each other up in the faith and spur each
other on to greater and better service to God.
C. Teach – to give instruction and impart knowledge with the
design and intent to inspire faith and advise conduct.
Colossians 3:16 (KJV) Let the
word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching
and admonishing one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the
Lord.
Colossians 1:28 (KJV) Whom we
preach, warning every man, and teaching every
man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ
Jesus:
When Christians teach one another the word of God and
instruct one another regarding the will of God, then they are building each
other up in the faith.
To live out the second purpose or priority God has
given us we need to…
V. Care for One Another
The New Testament also reminds us that part of our
responsibility to each other in the body of Christ is simply “care for one
another.”
1 Peter 4:9-10 (KJV) Use
hospitality one to another without
grudging. 10 As every man hath received the gift, even so
minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace
of God.
Peter urges believers to take care of each other; show
hospitality to each other. And, as we receive the gift (hospitality) so we
should minister (serve it) to each other. Every person in the church is different and made up
differently. It is our responsibility and duty to one another to care for each
other.
Romans 12:13 (NKJV) distributing to the needs of
the saints, given to hospitality.
This verse appears in a long list of instructions the
Apostle is giving to the believers in Rome.
Hospitality pertains to the daily needs of life –
food, clothing, shelter, etc.
Galatians 5:13 (KJV) For, brethren, ye have been
called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh,
but by love serve one another.
1 Corinthians 12:25 (KJV) That there
should be no schism in the body; but that
the members should have the same care one for
another.
Galatians 6:10 (KJV) As we have therefore
opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are
of the household of faith.
All of these passages stress the importance of caring
for the needs that others in the body of Christ struggle with daily.
To live out the second purpose or priority God has
given us we need to…
VI. Forgive One Another
Ephesians 4:32 (KJV) And be ye kind one to
another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
Colossians 3:13 (KJV) Forbearing
one another, and forgiving one another,
if any man have a quarrel against any: even as
Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Un-forgiveness may be the most damaging thing in
Christian relationships. We are instructed to forgive because Christ forgave
us. We are to forgive in the same manner as Christ forgave us. There is no way for me to know this for certain, but I
imagine that true revival would break out in the church if every Christian that
is harboring grudges and ill feelings toward another person would just forgive
and restore each other to mutual love.
Conclusion:
We’ve been talking about more ways that Christian
believers are to be engaged in nurturing and edifying each other in our faith
and the way we live the Christian life.
We have discussed:
· Love one another
· Live in peace and unity with one another
· Edify one another (Comfort, exhort, warn, instruct,
etc.)
· Care for one another (hospitality)
· Forgive one another
These things are all evident in some degree in our congregation,
but there is always room for improvement.
One of the primary ways that these responsibilities to
each other can be accomplished is through meetings in small groups. It’s not possible for everyone to feel loved, cared
for, and edified just in the Sunday morning worship service. We need times of
getting together in small groups where everyone can receive the kind of
attention that we all need in order to stay focused and remain encouraged.
The closing hymn I have selected for today reminds us
that we are God’s people and we have various responsibilities that will
demonstrate His Spirit in us and working through us.
Let us sing together We Are Called
to Be God’s People
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