“Undergoing Construction: Growing In Love pt. 3”
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 10/27/24 (4th Sunday Message)
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{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
Message Title:
“Undergoing Construction: Growing In Love pt. 3”
Matthew 5:13-14
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
The Lord had a purpose and a plan for us. We are supposed to be salt.
The salt of the earth.
Salt Is Used To:
Season Preserve Clean Heal Deodorize
All of these things we should be doing…
but before we can work on impacting the world… we have to work on other things first.
making sure we are unified. and to do that.
John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
A new command.
Love one another.
This is how we show we are his disciples… if we love.
Loving One Another Shows The World We Follow God!
But we learned that there is a standard to loving. That standard was as he loved us…
And we should meet that standard.
We Are Supposed To Love Others Just Like Christ Loved Us!
1 John 4:19-21
We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
So we have to start looking at the standard for love.
What Are Some Ways We Can Show Love To Each Other?
So you want to do better. You need a place to start.
Ways We Can Show Love:
Galatians 5:16
You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.
We are to serve one another in love!
There are times when things happen to everyone. When life happens to others…
We are to be the support group! We are to help others in love!
1 Corinthians 13:6
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love doesn’t delight in evil.
When things happen to other people… Love doesn’t delight in that.
One thing that’s always been popular is: gossip.
Who’s doing what. Who’s doing who.
Keeping up with the latest mess.
What happened to them.
Who said what.
We Show Love By Helping Others, Not Talking About Them!
Unconditional love…
Even if they don’t deserve it!
Proverbs 24:17
Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice..
When life happens to others…don’t be happy!
This is saying when your ENEMY falls…
we should know better than to do this to other believers.
When trouble comes for you, you’d prefer to have someone help than laugh at you!
Romans 12:9
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Love has to be real.
Honor others above yourself… This is Christ’s example!
Others above ourselves!
How often do we look out for others above us??
The Good Samaritan?
Philippians 2:3-4
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
We should actually look out for each other.
Ways We Can Show Love:
How many of us have a mouth on us?
How many have a problem with the things we say? How about talking in a nice/nasty type of way?
Ephesians 4:29 (NCV)
29 When you talk, do not say harmful things, but say what people need—words that will help others become stronger. Then what you say will do good to those who listen to you.
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths… but only what is helpful for building up…
that it may benefit those who listen… Many times we talk…
but it’s to our benefit.
because we aren’t showing love with our words.
(NIV Version)
…only what is helpful for building others up
We Show Love To Build Others Up
Unwholesome talk if they can hear you or not…
How are you building someone up if you only criticize? How are you building someone up if you only complain?
How are you building up when they do something nice for you and you can only find something wrong with it.
If You Want The Best Out Of People, Make Sure You’re Giving The Best To Them!
ESPECIALLY when you talk to them. Something else here:
Ephesians 4:29 (NIV)
29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
We have to build each other up according to THEIR needs. Too many times we say things according to OUR needs.
Ever say these things?
“I just need to get this off my chest.” “I just need to say this.”
“I gotta say this and I pray you hear me.” “I, I, I, Me, me, me”
These statements are based on OUR needs! We gotta be careful what we say!
We also gotta be careful how we say it!
How many of us have a problem saying the wrong thing? How many of us go off too quickly?
James 1:26
26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.
If we can’t control the things we say. If we can’t check ourselves.
If we can’t keep a TIGHT reign on our own tongues. We’re lying to ourselves.
You Aren’t Just Holding Back For Them, You’re Doing It For You!
Goes back to venting…
many of us just want to get it off our chest. we just want to complain…
But that is for US!
It’s unwholesome!
It’s not beneficial!
Do We Complain More Than We Compliment?
Remember we’re to love as the standard!
If you aren’t loving like he did.
You aren’t showing you follow him. What you follow is useless.
“Sticks and stones may break by bones, but words will never hurt me…” That’s a lie!
Words Are Important!
Proverbs 18:21
21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
The same scripture in the Message version:
Proverbs 18:21 (MSG)
21 Words kill, words give life;
they’re either poison or fruit—you choose.
Your words have power.
They can be life or death to others.
How so??
Many of us have been hurt based on the things others said to us. if we KNOW how it feels…
why do we do that to someone else?
How does that help?
Many have left church.
because of what we said to them.
Meaning we could have ran people from God because we just had to get it out.
Some of us might be showing love with our words.
…bringing people to Christ… Others are chasing people away.
With those same words!
“Because it needed to be said!”
People Are Affected By The Things You Say!
You never know what your friend… Your spouse…
Your children… Your family… Your co-worker…
Your church member is going through! This is why there is a standard!!
Colossians 4:6
6 Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
This means to be ALWAYS full of grace.
This means to ALWAYS be thinking of the other person. This means we have to be careful!
There’s a saying…
Every Thing Doesn’t Need To Be Said
or
Every thought doesn’t need to be spoken!
Galatians 6:1 (MSG)
Live creatively, friends. If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself. You might be needing forgiveness before the day’s out.
We are to love!
We are to build one another up!
Matthew 7:12
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
If You Wouldn’t Want Them Doing It To You, Don’t Do It To Them!
In Conclusion:
We are to be the salt of the earth.
But to be salt…
we have to love one another.
If we can’t love one another… we don’t love God.
1 John 4:20
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
We have a standard to meet. We have to show love.
How do we show love?
Ways We Can Show Love:
Ways We Can Show Love:
Remember if you don’t want someone doing it to you. you can’t do it to them.
Even IF they are wrong… YOU as a believer are to love!
You Can’t Say You Love God And Not Love His People!
People can sometimes be terrible.
But don’t let them not let you live to the standard.
