Love is Action, Love One Another

 Loving your church family

Jesus gave us the 11th Commandment.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." John 13:34

We read this in 1 John

"If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen." 1 John 4:20

Paul tells us that we need to?

"Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Romans 12:10

I love that. Paul said that we should "Outdo one another in showing honor." It kind of reminds me of some sort of comedy skit. "I love you, have a cupcake." "No, no, no. I love you more. Have a cupcake." No, no, no. I love you more. Have two cupcakes." You get the point.

I truly believe that if you fully understand who the church IS, this should be an easy, easy command to follow. I shared this with you before. I was in Columbus Ohio, spending some time with a pastor over there named Rod Parsely. I was standing in the World Harvest Bible College lobby, when I heard, as clear as day, "My people are a family." My response? "Yeah, yeah, I got it. Now I'm trying to pay attention here." I heard it again. "My people are a family." "Yeah, I know. I get it. I understand. Now let me get back to this." One more time, "My people are a family." That was it. "OK, I'm listening. What are you trying to tell me? I mean really God. I got it. I understand that if we are all children of yours, then we are all in your family." What am I missing here?

Turns out I was missing a lot. Starting with the fact many may or may not like. We are NOT all God's children. We ARE all God's creation. However, there is only one way to become a child of God. That is Jesus. That is the Spirit of Adoption. The Holy Spirit. If you are not adopted into the family of God, you are NOT His child.

Look at this in Romans 8

"For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”" Romans 8:13

Once you become adopted into the family, you then receive many more brothers, sisters, mothers, and fathers. You are adopted into a very large family. The Family of God. Look what Jesus says here.

"Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”" Mark 10:28–31

We read this story in Luke. Jesus was teaching and there were so many people there that no one else could get in.

"Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”" Luke 8:19-21

We are a family. Let's look at a family. You sleep with, wake with, talk with, and spend time with, your family. You share your day's events and seek to help those in need of comfort, encouragement, or celebration together. Is God's family really one hour a week, maybe, if you feel like going to Church?

Think about this. If you have a need, you have a challenge in your life, you can always turn to your family. Your mom or dad can help you. Your older siblings may have already been through what you are facing. They can help you. When you are sad, they try to comfort you. When they are sad, you comfort them. If you are the oldest, YOU may be the one that others look up to. Again, God's family? One hour a week, maybe, if you feel like going to Church?

First, a building is a building. The church is the people. You can have a church service in the middle of a field. You can have a church service in the middle of the street. The church, that the Word talks about is always the people. A family.

Just like your earthly family, in God's family, you have babies. Those that just heard the truth and have allowed the truth to set them free. They know next to nothing and are in need of being fed, taught, ETC. You have teenagers. Those that are more knowledgeable, yet, are not yet ready to go out on their own. They can certainly help in the raising of the young. Then you have the moms and dads. Those that have grown up, put away childish things and are in a position to teach, encourage, love, and guide in the way both the children and teenagers should go. These are the elders of the church. Of course, you have the earthly father, who is the head of the church. The Pastor. The one that should be guiding the rest of the family. The one that is responsible for communicating whatsoever God himself tells him.

Look at what Jesus instructed John and Mary while on the cross.

"but standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home."

John and Mary had no relationship prior to Jesus. John was a fisherman, and Mary was a teenage mother married to a Carpenter. Now many wonders whatever happened to Joseph, Jesus's "earthly father" which he really never was. The last we see him mentioned in the Bible is when Jesus was 12. The general consensus is simply that he died sometime between Jesus being 12 and the start of his ministry at age 30. This makes sense since Jesus appointed John to take care of His mother Mary and it would have also been Joseph's responsibility to take Jesus's body after the crucifixion. However, since the Bible does not tell us for certain that he died, or how or when, we can not really know for certain.

We should be looking at our church family, even more so, as important as our earthly family. Jesus even tells us that some of our own earthly families will betray us and some may even kill us. Look here.

"Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two, and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”" Luke 12: 51-53

Many people fail to hear God's Word. Many people become offended by God's Word. Just like in the rest of the world, once you accept God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, and you begin to learn and grow in your faith, some in your own family may become offended and turn out to actually hate you. Look what Jesus tells us here. I know this is a hard lesson. Hard to hear. Look here.

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:26

What does Jesus mean that we must “hate” our father and mother? Jesus relates a metaphor about a man who builds a house without first counting the cost Luke 14:28–30. The man finds that he cannot follow through with what he set out to do. He leaves the house unfinished because he cannot pay what is required. Jesus is illustrating that we must be willing to go so far as to hate our mother, father, family, and or even our own lives, namely, we must count the cost of being a disciple. There is a cost, and that is the point of the passage. If you accept Jesus and someone in your family starts to hate you or reject you. in essence, tells you you must choose between them and Jesus, you better be willing to choose Jesus. That is the point.

However, the good news is this. Your church family is far larger than your earthly family. I can honestly say I was surprised at the words that came out of my mouth once when someone asked if I was actually related to someone. I said, without hesitation, "Not by blood, but by love."

Our church family IS by love and blood. The blood of Jesus. We need to love one another as He loved us. We must rely on one another and love one another. Support one another and always see our church family as the family we are.

Always keep in mind though, that there is another aspect to this. It is probably the hardest one to actually understand and or accept.

3- Love your enemies.

This is what we will be discussing next time. Do you know Jesus as your Savior? Have you been adopted into the Family of God? If not, say this Prayer. Right now. Wherever you may be. Say it in your own words, and do not doubt in your heart. God will hear you. He will send the Spirit of Life to you. Let us Pray.

"Oh heavenly Father, Lord God. I am a sinner. I know this. I know there is nothing I can do to change that. But I know you can. I accept Jesus's sacrifice for me. I believed He rose from the dead. I repent my sins. Please send the Spirit of Adoption into my life. Help me to get to know the real you. Save me. Please. In the name of Jesus, Amen!"

That's it. It really is that simple. Now go tell someone what you have just done. "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, You shall be saved." Romans 10:9. You need to find a Church that God leads you to and be Baptized the way Jesus said to be. You are now a Child of God. A New Creature. You "have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him."Colossians 3:10

If you want to tell me, comment, question, give testimonials, or just say "Hi," the Email is opntalk@gmail.com

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13

Until next time, be blessed, be a blessing, and Jesus is Lord!!