Proving Christ love in community
The closest equivalent may be ‘we believe just as though we were all one person’ or ‘we believe in one and the same way.
Introduction: When community is not the foundation…
–my cousin and his girlfriend are both successful and want to build a union and family-but for that to happen, one of them is going to have to sacrifice their career to build toward the common goal they say they have.
-If they are not willing to sacrifice, than they prove that their own personal agenda is greater than a unified one-”so don’t get married…”
Ex: Our foundation/identity is founded on the sacrifice and service of Jesus-leaving no room for fulfilling our own agenda
Luke 9:23-24–And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
–Jesus knows that if this relationship is going to work like He designed-we have to sacrifice our agenda for unity sake…
Ex: now think about any relationship that is in strife-it is because someone has veered off into their own agenda…apart from what unified you in the first place…(this is our relationship with God as well)
*The importance of a vision and how it can unify
-A vision becomes important because it let’s everyone know what the goal is for family, church, business, community,
–Our church has a vision in John 17:22-23–The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Ex: even politicians have a vision statement-pronouncing their goal for the city
-It gives everyone the opportunity whether or not they “buy into” or not-if they don’t sacrifice their agenda, they cause division within the family, church, business, community, etc
So in order for our lives to have peace; order, sacrifice, and service must mark who we are for unity sake in Christ
- A focus on God or our own (in community)?
3 John 1-4–The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. 2 Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when the brothers came and testified to your truth, as indeed you are walking in the truth. 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
(vs2,3)-When you frame the context of your life in community-priorities must go beyond things “going well” just for you
-if the focus is just on me-then there is no room for sacrifice and service, church becomes; ”my blessing, my sins, my this, my that”
Ex: this is why we teach kids to share- to alter the order of things being just about you, to what is best “for us”
Matt 6:33-But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
–what is best for me is when my soul is the priority-because things could be going bad, and I still have peace…
Ex: if I only focus on how things workout for me and my agenda-then I haven’t given myself permission to be challenged by God to sacrifice for others… (of course going beyond the church)
1)-(vs3)-embracing God’s Word/agenda is to submit to authority-applying what we hear for the sake of unity
2)-it challenges me to build up my family, friends, the body of Christ-by whatever God is calling me to sacrifice and do
(vs 4)-If the truth is not what we are interested to be challenged by and walk in-So when we are set on our own agenda, we won’t compromise it for anyone
-but desiring the truth, prioritizes our soul over desires, that contend with God’s truth and vision for our life-As a Christian we cannot truly enjoy things going well for us, if our soul is in conflict with God and the truth…(bitterness, hidden sins)
Proverbs 15:17-Better is a dinner of herbs where love is than a fattened ox and hatred with it.
–It is better to sacrifice and have less, if it best for your soul-than to have an abundance and have no peace=priorities
- The blessed man/woman embraces community…though it is uncomfortable
3 John 5-8–Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth.
In order to prove God’s love, this man has served strangers like a brother for Christ sake (uncomfortable)-So the writer wants to support such a man, to prove they support the truth/vision of God’s church.
(vs5)–Why is it important to embrace strangers, and make every effort to serve people we don’t know?-it is the closest thing that proves God’s love “being unconditional” to the individual, and the world in general
Ex: naturally we like to judge whether we’re gonna like people or not by what we see-most times never giving them a chance to prove that they are likable or worthy of respect, even our love!
1 Samuel 16:7-…For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
(vs6)-This man proves that he is not motivated by his own feelings and comfort-but allows the truth and love to overcome what is uncomfortable, showing God’s love is the priority of his soul=this is a learned grace, practicing love…Ex:
–It is this kind of heart that provoked strangers to testify of his love!-He prioritized his soul before God, causing community to become a fabric of his life
James 2:1–My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory.
-If a church is not known for it’s love within itself and outward towards strangers- it’s priority is not God heart/truth
(vs7)-John highlights that he is doing all of this service for the sake of “the name”
Ex: if your “service” of God isn’t first marked by love in your own soul, and second reaching out in love to EVERYBODY-than the truth is not your goal or a churches
We can be so “busy” for God, that you forget God, and miss the point of church=testifying to His love in community
III. When the focus is not God and community…
3 John 9-12–I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. 10 So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church.11 Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. 12 Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. We also add our testimony, and you know that our testimony is true.
-So this man Diotrephes is rebelling against his own soul, by not submitting to God and His truth-the problem is that he sees his own agenda as more important than God’s and the community…
-When people become a source of division is that they lack respect for authority-first Christ as The Truth, then community
Ex: this is the problem with families, churches, businesses, etc.-if there is no respect for authority, then everyone has their own agenda, which means you can’t flourish in community…like this man
Proverbs 29:18-Where there is no prophetic vision the people cast off restraint, but blessed is he who keeps the law.
-Vision in a family, church, business, etc is important-because if there is a common goal, people can see where they are missing it, repent and get “back on the proverbial horse”
-But if there is no heart to follow God; His Word, Love, and community-people come up with agenda’s according to their own emotions and influences.
–God’s Love and Truth are not the priority, comfort in my own dysfunction is!=Diotrephes had a problem with the truth from John who was the overseer. So he had a problem with God, and his own soul…
Conclusion: When our soul is not our priority…
-”A good testimony” in this passage has everything to do with faith in God being the best thing for your life-If the truth is not the priority of your life, faith in God will not be either, so your soul can’t prosper
–As a church, prioritizing your soul doesn’t mean we don’t care about your personal life-in fact it means we care more than any other institution you’re involved with!
–The goal of the truth is not to make you comfortable, it’s to challenge you to love like God loves-but if you resist the truth like Diotrephes than you will never experience being part of community, b/c a community is not about an individual
*The mental shift
John 3:29-30-The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
–If you are at your happiest when it is more about you than God and others-you are in danger of destroying community
-John the baptist says joy is his goal-and it is completed when he decreases and Christ increases
Ex: not when we decrease just for the sake of our family or church or job, etc.-you won’t find joy that suffices…
Hebrews 11:6-And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
-God is the rewarder of sacrifice if you are living by faith!?-if not, what person can fulfill the measure of your sacrifice?
–Even if God uses people to bless you for your sacrifices, your joy and contentment should have it’s source in God-
James 1:17–Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Ex: people blessing you is from God-so you are not dependent on people
-So I am not a slave to what you do or don’t do for me, because my joy isn’t in people, but in God!-if I am seeking God?
-Since joy or happiness is the goal for everyone alive-If I am not seeking God for joy, I’m seeking my agenda for it
–your agenda for what happiness is you will destroy unity at all cost, eventually…-destroying yourself or people for it
This man Diorephes thought being esteemed as first, “everything revolving around him” was his highest joy, while John the Baptist found everything revolving around Jesus as his highest joy-the one sacrificed his ego, the other couldn’t get out of it
0 Comments