Love One Another - How to Develop Authentic Relationships, Part 1

Do you feel lonely you isolated you go places and feel like you just don't fit in. Does that even happen to you in the church will today work in a learning doesn't have to stay that way any longer.

That's our topic today welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with your bigger trips or Bible teacher on this international discipleship program and I believe friendship series called love one another in this program chip explains there's a reason why the ships we long for come naturally even for Christians who are supposed to love everybody after the teaching shall share some more personal comments I were about.

Let's join him over his message, how to develop authentic relationships.

Romans 12 why are there so many people desperately hurting and in need of love and so many others who are so willing and wanting to give love yet so few who actually get so I think that's accurate. I think we have a pool of need in the body of Christ that is massive and I think we have a pool of resources and gifts and willingness and love that is overwhelming but I think there's a missing link. I think a lot of people with needs and you may be one of them don't really get loved or get loved at the level that you need it because somehow there's a missing link to what I want to talk about this morning is the missing link so that real love can occur yes Molina, what's the missing link.

I think the missing link is six words. At first you say what but but bear with me now.

Hang in there with Nancy.

See if you don't track with me the missing link is a little phrase right out of the Bible out of Romans chapter 12 verse five.

You are members of one another. That's the missing link. The link between huge need and incredible resources and willing hearts. Are you are members of one another.

Not intellectually, not as in all yet were the body of Christ. Oh yeah were all related to Christ. Therefore, yes, were related to one another in some sort of mystical union. The universal body of Christ and and and and and I'm talking about tangibly practically viscerally. We are members of one another. In fact, one translation says we belong to each other. So here's my thesis when I learned how to love one another. But here's the thesis to fulfill Jesus command to love one another as he loved us demands that we understand our membership and our function in his super natural community none to let you know why a call back when I say his supernatural community.

I mean the church but the word churches, when you say church you look at you and your mind comes in walls, buildings, names, pastors talk about when the word body of Christ comes to our minds. I think somehow very biblical good term, but somehow it it's grown into this fuzzy, yes, were the body of Christ. What I want you to know is that if you understand who you are in membership and you understand your function and if you realize if we realize were super natural community things we have in common lives life in community and a super natural community.

It will transform your life in this group.

She put another way, if we can say Jesus command to love one another. But if we don't know how it occurs and if we don't know where it occurs you with this whole series will be be like some little platitude. You know nice words love each other kind of spiritual religious mumbo-jumbo where we can warm our hearts alone but yeah let's try harder to be nicer. That's not what this is about this series I believe is designed by God the living Christ to move us from a theoretical concept of loving each other to practical, concrete empowered supernatural interaction with one another were on a daily basis in tangible ways we move into one another's life and give and receive love in such a way that we are in all things and I think the key I think the key.

The prerequisite is to grasp your membership and function in God supernatural community so turn the page. If you will, and I want to try and ask and answer couple questions.

The two questions I like to ask and answer is what makes it the church supernatural community and then the second. I'm going to ask and answer the later is what makes it authentic or how we function. The first one is doctrinal. The first one on the teaching acts 11 through eight on teach him to highlight just a second and read it give you an overview and deeply indebted to Felling Jim Detmer is one of the best messages of ever heard, but I want to highlight just the fact that we are in a super natural community. The doctrine what's true of us. Then I want to spend the majority of our time saying if that's true, how do we function so that those with willing hearts. And those people with desperate needs can be moved together by the power of the Holy Spirit in such a way that deep needs get met people who need love get love and people who give away love have something happen in them is one of the most wonderful things in the world God's hand on you being used, to transform other people's lives.

So let's let's look together just listen right now. I put the text in front. You can follow along. But I want you just to listen acts to is the real beginning of the church. It explodes on the scene, but acts chapter 1 verses one through eight is like the prologue.

It's where Luke and the author is going to tell his friend the obelisk. Now I'm writing this all down. I want you to understand the just I want you to get the skinny on what you get the behind the scenes so that when asked to like the superstructure explodes on the scene. You understand that it just didn't happen. It was planned so just listen. Luke writes in my former book, Theophilus, he speaking of the gospel of Luke. I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, so the gospel of Luke was written talking about Jesus and his physical body and his ministry there.

Now he goes on after giving instruction to the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen after his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs or miracles that he was alive. He appeared to them for over a period of 40 days, and he spoke about the kingdom of God. So basically what he sang so far is now Theophilus what you get the background and the last book was about Jesus on the earth this next book I'm writing.

It's it's done careful study. I'm a historian and Jesus after he resurrected was on the earth for 40 days and resurrection body and he taught about the kingdom of God. He hated miracles he gave clear instruction. He brought the disciples together the chosen and he gave them a game plan about what he wanted them to do. Just before he ascended, picking it up now in verse four. On one occasion while he was eating with them he gave them this command. Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my father promised, which you heard me speak about preparing they need to be equipped reason for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. So when they met together, they ask him.

Hearing this, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom of Israel. Is this a time when it's all that happened we can get our thrones take over the Roman government is is is this is it is it is it isn't that the idea he responds.

It is not for you to know the times of the dates but the father has set by his own authority.

But verse eight. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria and Samaria and to the ends of the earth. Now he's laying out he's given the outline of the book that's geographically how the book outlines. He said this is was Jesus game plan we came back and resurrected body. He taught about the kingdom of God, then what he did as the disciples wanted to know is this going to fulfill my dreams, my personal agenda and is going to teach them know I have a different agenda, God's final culmination of the ages is up to him.

You don't need to know that what you need to know is you will have power and you will be my witnesses or my ambassadors to reach the world for Christ. Start where you are Jerusalem move out from there. Samaria and Judea and the goal is that this message of the resurrected Christ fully God fully man who died is a sin, bearing atonement, the penalty for sin has been resurrected and the good news is forgiveness of sin is available to any human being on the planet who would receive and trust in his work on the cross and he proved it by his resurrection. Now that's the background. Here's what I wanted to give you three reasons why we live and not a human community but a super natural community.

Reason number one. It has a super natural origin were in a supernatural community because as a super natural origin want to give you four words the circle first little phrase giving instruction second phrase chosen third phrase convincing proofs and forth phrase. Of 40 days. I like to suggest that the church is a supernatural community because it began with the divine command gave instruction a group of guys didn't sit around and know drinking coffee at Café downtown Jerusalem. I think what he think Jesus is gone now. Rough deal. What he think what you want to go on a fish, you have sufficient why we start a church okay what the church I will make this cut was going to tell him the best stuff we can remember Jesus told us, and it is that's not how it happened, the church came about because there was a divine command by the resurrected Christ. The second reason makes it supernatural is by a chosen group these. It wasn't their idea, divine command, and he chose a special group a divine selection. The third thing is, it is authenticated by convincing proofs, divine, supernatural power is what got started I mean these guys were risking their lives to be identified with Christ. The resurrected Christ means you can get hung up by your thumbs by the Jews and maybe killed by the Romans.

He had to do many miracles in that 40 days so they would know. Amen. This is real forth. It's a period of 40 days. It was in space, time, history. This happened in real time. This is in a dream. This isn't some foggy idea. It happened right there in Jerusalem. If you can go back in a time machine, you would see the dusky would see the people you can see their eyes you could, reached in and touched Jesus hands you could put your hands in his side. This is not a spiritual kingdom.

This is about the risen resurrected Christ in space-time history who live who demonstrated convincingly for 40 days. The 500 witnesses. The church that you belong to is a super natural community because it had a super natural origin that you're involved another community that produces something similar. Probably the most important community for them. Most painful community you've ever been involved in is called your family is what makes you a member of your family.

We have a common origin see how I want you to get out of that. I want to get out of this fuzzy thinking for the body of Christ, and that cute I want you to realize that just as you have a common origin with your mother, father, or just mother or just father and just as you know in your heart of hearts that if your biological family, even despite all this trouble. Some of you been through that there is an obligation to honor them because they brought you into the world. I want you to know the person sitting next to you. If he is born again if he knows Christ if she knows Christ you have a common origin. We have a responsibility to another, not in some fuzzy cutaway but in a way that is actually thicker and deeper than blood relationships.

Second observation. It has a supernatural agenda.

Nobody talked about the kingdom of God.

The kingdom of God is the kingdom of God is very simply, this is when God's rulership reign is when God rules and his will is being accomplished. Put another way, it's when people are rightly related to God rightly related to one another and reaching out to people who are outside of kingdom blessing. That's what the kingdom of God is and Jesus said it would move forcefully.

He called you and he called me in faith to be rightly related to him for giving deposit with the Holy Spirit and then to be rightly related to one another and we together, put our arms around say God use us back to the kingdom of God we have a supernatural agenda. We have a mission now many of you have developed incredibly close bonds in a human community energy company never played on a team of any kind you been on a team right what happens on a T. It can be a jury. It can be a work team to be a softball team to be a team of women can be a team of men who can be in junior high. This sum of the closest deepest relationships I have on the earth are people I played college or high school or some sort of basketball or baseball with why you got common agenda. What we know from the NFL. These times steroid filled bodies 340 massive strengths. They separate their shoulder and what they say. I'm just going to tape put up when I'm getting it out there and play. Why is one a team together. I can't let the team down to see when you have an agenda or admission.

That's bigger than yourself and you buy into it from your heart. It produces incredible bond. Do you hear what we've got.

A mission is a lot bigger than when insuperable and we put our shoulders together. You know what guys play in games when they're hurt women playing games when they're tired it means that you put aside other things and you say we have a super natural agenda. We have a supernatural origin. We are a family.

We are a team and you function like a team you feel about team members and only show up for the games and never come to practice. If you only come to the games and never come to practice how much you usually get the plan again, not very much how part you feel of the team.

Not very much. Who has the worst attitudes on any team you've ever been on the people on the field or the people sitting on the bench. I spent my time on the bench. It's just hard to believe that a coach could be as naïve and moronic to evaluate and think that those other players were actually better I mean being on the bench was one of the hardest things my life. Have a good attitude.

As a Christian you are. Most problems come in churches people sitting on the bench the person understands people who have unconsciously a consumer mentality, feed me you don't have this my children all you've changed hours all this is can happen.

How can we don't have donuts with the coffee. It would be nice. We had nametags. It would really be wonderful if we could get was a little too hot that last weekend in that one song was a little too loud, but the next week will too soft, you know been there in churches all the time.

You know why they don't let this coaching talk. They don't got on purpose listening to part woodchips message how to develop relationships series love what you it's easy to hear truth, believe it even be moved by it, and then drift along to whatever comes next.

If you've been moved today to love the people around you a little better than you have been the series love one another provides biblical direction to help you pursue that goal. Love one another will give you insight into issues like how to love difficult people how to restore someone who's fallen into sin and how to lovingly hold one another accountable it's filled with practical truth to help you deepen relationships on every level to take a look at our resource options for love one another.

Check it out online at http://livingontheedge.org or Special offers only a for more information just give us a call at AAA 333-6003. Now here's trip with a quick thought. I'll be right back in just a minute with some practical application to today's message but as we went through this message.

It reminded me of a great quote by one of my mentors prop Howard Hendricks.

He would always say you cannot impart what you do not possess. No words if you're not experiencing God's love. God's forgiveness.

God's life. You can't impart that to someone else.

So let me ask you, just before we move on. In today's program who is God asking you to love right now that it feels impossible or to be maybe a little bit more honest.

You don't want to okay right we all get there. You let you know their name back to my might be married to them are there in your family or someone at work you know God wants you to love them and either you can't or you don't want to. Well, you have to receive God's love and God's power. How does that work will what we know is that obviously comes by the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit uses the raw material of God's word, and so being in God's word even when you don't feel like it is critical, but what I find is so many people don't read something in the Bible close the Bible and 20 minutes later they couldn't tell you, even what they read, let alone apply at one of the tools that has been most helpful for me and those that I know who walk closely with God is they have a journal that is open and as they read God's word they write in their journal. This is what God is saying to me from this passage. This is what I'm going to do today. I often put a little box next to mine so that when I do it I come back and check that box. Here's what I want you to know you can't impart what you don't possess. You need to experience God's love and I don't mean just emotional. I mean, you need to experience his truth going into your heart in your life renewing your mind. And as you interact with his word and as you get a pen out and actually write some things down what you can see is he's going to speak to you in ways that will empower you to than love others. We put together a tool.

It's a beautiful 200 page journal with some helps inside of it that will help you experience God's love in a deeper way. If you think that would be helpful. Let me encourage you to get that tried out was you can tell we're pretty excited about our new prayer journals. It's one thing to talk about how helpful journaling can be, but we wanted to make one available that it actually encourage you and enable you to do it inside ships given you a few of his journaling tips and while there are a few scriptures" here and there. There's plenty of room for you to write out passages or prayers, or just what's on your heart.

Between you and God become in a couple different colors with embossed gold or silver trimmings and the whole thing is dutifully finished and bound for a limited time, our brand-new prayer journals are discounted so we hope you'll check them out today.

You'll find all the details@livingontheedge.org app listeners will find them when you tap special offers and for more information just give us a call at AAA 83336003 as we wrap up today's program.

I do understand and I know it's it's a lot harder to be connected in the church in the body of Christ.

But I want you to really ponder and think carefully with me, it doesn't mean it's less important.

In fact I would argue we need one another. We need the church. The supernatural community. The functions of the body using our gifts of being connected to one another coming together to to serve others in the church serving people outside the church mean what change the world was the church coming together and loving each other radically and then pouring that out into the lives of the needs of hurting hurting people and we have more opportunity to do that than ever before. What I do know is that with all the social distancing with COBIT with all the things we've been through.

Sometimes we mistakenly think the form of the church and the church of the same thing. In other words, if we can't, on a Sunday morning were in some cases a Saturday night go into a building and someone's going to talk and there's gonna be some music and then we go hang out together or you go to a class. I mean there's certain forms that we've gotten used to that have vanished literally in many, many churches here and around the world and here's what I want to get you to think about the forms may change, but the functions never change. There are three things that have to happen in the life of the believer. In order for the church of Jesus Christ to move forward. In other words, Jesus said I came the might have life and you would have it abundantly. In John one it says in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.

All things came into being through him, and nothing came into being that has come to being apart from him.

In him was life and the life was the light of men. And I take that word life and little acronym I use called bio it means life BI0 what I can tell you is whether you meet in a large group, a warehouse or on video. You have to come before God yet to come before God in his word come before God in prayer. You must do that, individually, and you must do that corporately. The ion bio is you have to do life in community you may have to put on a mask. You may have to do social distancing. You may have to do it on zoom but you have to be committed to. I'm gonna stay connected and is it awkward and is it not as easy to be as vulnerable.

I get it I get it I get it, but we need it and we have to be innovative. The be in bio is coming before God. The eye is doing life in community and the O in bio is on mission. Yes, it's hard and you may have to put on some gloves and you deliver groceries or knock on the door and asked the neighbors for help.

But we have to be on mission. The needs are all around us. Are we stupid. Do we take risks in ways that are unwise. Absolutely not.

But as Martin Luther shared during the plagues of his time. He said I will do nothing foolish that will endanger other people that I will in no way not go to people in need to love them in the name of Jesus and provide for their needs because I'm afraid of what will happen to me. We are living in a day where the forms may change, but we must come before God daily. We need to do life in community weekly. We have to be on mission 24 seven.

I use that as my little sort of dashboard to say Chip, are you going to be connected involved in growing in the church of Jesus Christ.

It's about bio it's about life. Now let me ask you what's missing. Are you coming before God. Are you doing life in community are you sitting back or are you on mission not focused on what you can't do. But doing what you can, let's go for it together. Just before we close.

I want to say thanks to those of you who are giving regularly to the ministry of Living on the Edge you're making a huge difference helping other Christians live like Christians of your enjoying the benefits of Living on the Edge, but are get on the team.

You do that today. You can set up a recurring donation by calling us at AAA 333-6003. Tapping the donate button or visiting us online at http://livingontheedge.org. Thanks in advance for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do. Chip continues his series love one another in our next program, so be sure to join us again. In the meantime, this is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge