Sermon
delivered on September 6th, 2015
By: Pastor Greg Hocson
Text: Ephesians 5:1-9
Introduction
Last Sunday, Pastor Larry Obero
spoke about the importance of relationships and how in any relationships there
are expectations. He spoke about what is expected of me as your pastor, what do
I, as your pastor expects from you as a church member, what God expects from
us, and then concluded with what we can expect from God and Jesus Christ as
Head of His church.
Today, I want us to consider, as members together of Grace & Truth Bible Baptist
Church, our primary responsibility to one another. So the question this morning
is, as a member of this local church, what is my primary responsibility to you,
what is your primary responsibility to me, what is our primary responsibility
to each other?
I - Our Relationship with
One Another
To answer that question we need
to understand the nature of our relationship with one another? Grace &
Truth Bible Baptist Church is not a social club, nor a political party, nor a fraternity, nor a
sorority, nor any association or organization which are formed and united around a common interest, occupation and
aspiration.
These clubs or associations may
have a strong bonding but none of them can even begin to be compared
to the bonding we have as a church. What binds us together as a church is
not just common cause, nor common need, nor common heritage, nor common beliefs, nor
common values, nor common standards, etc. It is much more and much deeper than these things.
What binds us together as a church is a common life. We belong to one
big family.
It is true that, as a church we
have common doctrine, we subscribe to common beliefs, we have structure,
discipline and organization. We should not minimize the importance of these
things, but a gathering is not necessarily a church simply because a group of
people subscribe to the same doctrinal standard. No, something more than that.
The NT concept of the church is that living, organic entity
bound together in a common life.
1 Corinthians
12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members
of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. 13: For by one Spirit are we all
baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free;
and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
Romans 12:4 For
as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5: So we,
being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of
another.
The church is not just an
organization but rather it is an organism. One body, one member, one Spirit
were baptized in one body. Our relationship with each other is even deeper
than the relationship we have with our own flesh and blood, for this
relationship is eternal.
1 Peter 2:4 To
whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of
God, and precious, 5: Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual
house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God
by Jesus Christ.
II - Our Responsibility to One Another
Based on this unique
relationship we have with one another, what then is our primary responsibility
to one to another?
We have many responsibilities
but the question this morning is the primary responsibility that
we have one to another?
Ephesians 5:1 Be
ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2: And walk in love, as
Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a
sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
1 Thessalonians
4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye
yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
1 John 3:11 For
this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love
one another.
1 Thessalonians
3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another,
and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
It is obvious from these verses
that our primary responsibility as church members to one to another is to
abound in love one to another.
This is why as a church family,
we need to avoid the error of viewing our relationship as mere organization or
club or society. No, we are a family. We share common life. If we forget this
fundamental truth our "one-another" responsibility toward each other
will either be ignored or compromised.
John 13:34 A new
commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you,
that ye also love one another. 35: By this shall all men know that
ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
How are men going to know that
you are my disciples? By the love you have one
to another. A love demonstrated by deeds and actions that even the unbelievers
can see and discern.
1 John 3:16
Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and
we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17: But whoso hath this
world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of
compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? 18: My little children,
let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. .
Someone ask, what is church? "The Church is a local gathering or assembly of
Christians committed to Christ and to one another."
Church ecclesia an assembly
It is an assembly of called out
ones through the Gospel by His Spirit, called out from a life of sin and fused
into the fellowship of God's people.
That is what church is all
about - an assembly of people who are committed to Christ and His
Kingdom and committed to one another. An assembly of people bound by
common life and increasing and abounding in love one toward another.
III - The Result of Fulfilling Our Responsibility
What happens when there is
abounding and fervent love among ourselves?
1. If there is love, there
will be forgiveness
How easy it is to throw stones
to a brother who has been wounded and crippled with sin.
Colossians 3:12
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies,
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; 13: Forbearing one
another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even
as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14: And above all these things put
on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Most important of all have a
deep and intense love for each other. Oh, how we need this exhortation since
all of us have not yet arrived and therefore a lot of growing to do. As fellow
sinners live with one another and fall short of perfection before one another
and therefore there is a necessity to forgive and forget. But we can only
forgive and forget if we have a deep and an intense love for each other.
1 Peter 4:7 But
the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.
8: And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for
charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
If we have fervent love among
ourselves we will be able to cover a multitude of sins. Our love for one another
will enable us forgive and forget, instead of focusing on and magnifying each
other's fault.
This does not mean we tolerate sin. This does not mean that, if there is
an open and scandalous sin, because there is love, we just ignore it and act
as if it is not there. NO, because there is love, a sinning brother or
sister must be reproved and rebuked as prescribed in Luke 17 and Matthew
18:15ff.
But rebuke and reproof must
be done in love and humility. It must
be done with the goal to recover and restore the offending party.
So if God is pleased to allow
us to grow in number, the capacity to sin in the house of God also grows.
Because every person brought into the membership is an imperfectly sanctified
saints. So the more people we have, the more possibility for sin
and the more love we must have, to cover a multitude of sins.
2. If there is love, there
will be forbearance
Ephesians 4:1 I
therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the
vocation wherewith ye are called, 2: With all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3: Endeavouring to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Paul calls himself as the
prisoner in the Lord, that is, imprisoned in the Lord's cause, which some would
consider it a trap, a bondage, a disgrace, a dishonor, but Paul considers it an
honor and a privilege to be imprisoned in the Lord and His cause. And he uses
his imprisonment as an argument to enforce his exhortation.
Forbearing one another means
putting up with one another. Because we are imperfect people, we are capable of
doing things that will require forbearance, putting up with one another.
Church is not for perfect
people. If we are perfect we don't need to come to church gathering.
In Heaven there is no need
of forbearance, you and I will be so perfect that we cannot help it
but love one another all the time. But we are not there yet, that is why
we need to exercise forbearance. And what is it that motivates us to
forebear? It is love. It is the love of Christ constrains us. It is the
love of the Spirit shed abroad in our hearts.
"One of the things that
frustrates me are Church members who have been Christians for decades and still
are not getting it, are still not catching on." But we must forbear.
The more differently developed
saints we have within the assembly, the more love we need to mutually forebear
with one another.
3. If there is love, there
will be bearing of one another's burden.
Romans 15:1 We
then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to
please ourselves.
Galatians 6:1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore
such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be
tempted. 2: Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
We live in a broken planet and
which means expect sin, shortcomings, sorrow, suffering, sickness, and
separation. These are burdens we bear just because we live in this fallen
world. And even as children of God we experience these things. That's is why we
are called ...
2: Bear ye one
another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
And if there is love, there
will be burden bearing - visible by acts of love like - prayers, visitation,
and words of encouragement. If there is love, phone calls, texting, e-mailing,
card sending, home and hospital visits, sharing meal will abound and will be
part your life and my life.
4. If there is love, there
will be exhortation and admonition.
Exhortation and admonition
responsibility is not just for the Pastor only, as members we also have the
responsibility to exhort and admonish one another.
Hebrews 10:24 And
let us consider one another to provoke (motivate, stimulate, stir
up) unto love and to good works: 25: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves
together, as the manner of some is (as some are in the habit of doing); but
exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day
approaching.
Let us think of others, our
brothers and sisters and motivate them to love and good works, instead of hatred
and disengagement, which is too often the case.
One way we could encourage
one another is by not neglecting,
abandoning, staying away, not giving up meeting together. There are many things that could distract us,
discourage us, dissuade us, and we need each other to encourage one another not
to take our eyes off our Saviour and our reason for existence.
Faithfully meeting and
gathering together beget and foster love, and give good opportunities for
"provoking to good works," by "exhorting one another."
Romans15:14 And I
myself also am persuaded (fully convinced) of you, my brethren, that ye also
are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to
admonish (teach and instruct) one another.
Another way of encouragement
is teaching and instruction...
... able also to admonish (teach and instruct) one another..
Goodness and knowledge are
necessary to admonition, and qualify persons for it: if a man is not a good man
himself, he is not fit to admonish another; and if he has not knowledge, he
will not be able to do it as it should be.
Without compassion and
tenderness, he will not perform it aright, and with success; but all this being
in these persons, they were able and fit for it.
My prayer for Grace & Truth
BBC is that we will be filled with knowledge and be filled with
goodness. That we would all grow in knowledge and grow in grace.
Because as we grow in knowledge and grow in grace we will be able to exhort
and admonish one another.
If we are to admonish one
another we have to have both,
knowledge and goodness, full head and full heart.
If you have a full heart but
empty head and try to admonish, you have nothing worthwhile to admonish
another.
But if you have a full head
but empty heart, you may be hurting instead of helping people.
Let us pray ...
Romans15:14 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.
Strive to be filled of goodness
and filled with knowledge that we are able to admonish one another with the proper attitude and frame of mind. Here is Grace and Truth again.
Let us have grace and truth as we admonish one another.
5. If there is love, it will
restrain us from hurting one another
Romans 13:10 Love
worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
If there is love, it will keep
us from doing anything that is harmful to our brethren. If there is love we
will avoid things that would hurt a brother or a sister, such as unkind words,
wrong attitudes, harboring bitterness, unforgiving spirit, etc.
IV - The Root or Source of
Abounding Love
What is the source of this
increasing and fervent love?
How can I abound in love?
1. Remember how Christ loved
us
Ephesians 5:1 Be
ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2: And walk in love, as Christ
also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice
to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
Therefore, as dearly loved children, be followers or be imitators
of God, in respect to "love" (5:2). Walk in love as Christ also loved
us.
Sonship infers an absolute
necessity of imitation, it being vain to assume the title of son without any similitude
of the Father. - Pearson
2. Remember that love is the fruit of the Spirit
After Paul exhorts the
believers to walk in love, he then reminds them that walking in love is the
consequence of walking in the Spirit. It is the fruit of the Spirit.
9: (For the fruit
of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness,
goodness, faith, 23: Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24:
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and
lusts. 25: If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26: Let us
not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
Many times, we don't love each
other the way we should because our relationship with God is not what it ought
to be. In our coldness of heart toward God, His word and prayer, we grieve the
Holy Spirit, and the first manifestation that we have grieved the Spirit is, we
begin to and we have problems with our brothers and sisters,
O may God speak to us and cause
us as His people to abound in this love, more and more to the end that all men
will know that we are His disciples.
Let us look to Him for grace
that we may abound in love one to another.
Ephesians 5:1 Be
ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2: And walk in love, as
Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a
sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
AMEN!