Amen. So we're there in John chapter 13, and of course, a great chapter.
Jesus really gives us an example of what it is to serve one another and to love one another.
He says there are a new commandment in verse 34,
I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
And really what I want to just preach about tonight is,
well, the title of the sermon is Love the Brethren, Love the Brethren.
Now I promised you this morning that there would be a kinder, gentler sermon,
so I'm following through on that, but it's an important topic.
I'm not just preaching it just because we want to tone things down a little bit tonight and make
everybody feel okay, but it's an important topic because we're commanded to love one another.
We're commanded to love the brethren, and it's something that I don't think we're struggling
here in this church. I think everyone in this church, we're a small group and everyone knows
each other well and is getting to know each other better and everybody loves you, but it's always
good to have sermons like this as a kind of a pre-emptive, I guess I want to say just a maintenance
sermon, that type of a sermon, where we're doing preventative maintenance. That's the word I'm
looking for. Where we're just going to try and keep things kind of the way they are, and maybe
if there are some areas we can improve in, by all means, let's do that. But what we need to understand
because we are in a church that's made up of people, obviously, is that we all have an influence
on each other. Everybody's going to have an influence on one another and that's going to
happen for better or worse. We're not going to be able to just come to church and come and go
and not have an influence. You are going to affect other people when you come to church. You're going
to affect other people in every area of your life, every area that you come into contact with people.
This is something that's very important that we understand, the fact that we have an influence
on other people for better or worse. I mean, we can think about all the different relationships
that we have influences on people, and I think one that on Father's Day we would probably
highlight a little bit, the effect that we can have on our children. We influence our children
for better or worse, and that's a very powerful influence. I mean, we can, as parents, change the
entire course of our children's lives, be it for good or evil. The Bible reads in Colossians,
three fathers provoke not your children to anger lest they be discouraged. I really don't want to
break down the minutia of that verse and talk about what it's explaining about, but just
briefly it's basically I think what it's showing us is that we shouldn't have unreasonable standards
or we shouldn't give or frustrate our children to the point, unreasonably to the point where
they're going to lash out at us in wrath and anger. That's one area that we can talk about
where our influence is very powerful. Another area of our life that's very powerful would be
as friends. We have a lot of friends, hopefully we're making friends here at church and elsewhere,
and the Bible says in Proverbs chapter 18, the man that hath friends must show himself friendly.
You know, people that don't have a lot of friends, it's usually because they're not very friendly
people. You know, we meet these people out soul-winning. You know, I go out knocking
doors and I remember I was in Awa'tu. All the bad examples come from Awa'tu, by the way. I knocked
on the door and the guy opened it and I didn't even get to say hi before I went to the Baptist
church. He just opened the door, saw the Bible and said, no, close the door like that. You know,
which I like. I like it when they just get it out, let me know whether you're interested or not.
But I walked away thinking I bet that guy doesn't have a lot of friends. I bet he's probably a bit
of an angry person. Maybe I just caught him on a bad day, I don't know. But the point is, if we
want to have friends, we have to have the proper influence on people. We're not going to, you know,
you draw more, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar, as the saying goes. If you want
friends, you have to show yourself friendly. We can talk about, even with strangers, even just
in your day-to-day interactions, the influence that you have on other people. I mean, think about it,
if you're working in, you know, any type of public service where you're interacting with the public.
You know, you run into that one bad customer or you run in that one bad, you know, employee at
the place that you're, you know, you're shopping at or whatever. I mean, you can walk away from
that. You have the one interaction on the road, right? So that's what we can all relate to,
is the person who cuts you off or stops short or whatever goes on the road or, you know,
just our interactions with complete strangers even. They can have such a powerful influence
on the way we behave and the things that we do and affect our entire day. So we have influence
on each other. Really what I want to focus on tonight is the influence that we have on one
another as church members. I mean, if we're going to be coming to church faithfully and regularly
and get to know each other, you know, we're going to have influence on one another. We're going to
influence each other for good and we're going to, you know, hopefully that's it, you know,
but there could be times when we find ourselves, you know, maybe influencing somebody in a negative
way. We want to avoid that. So we would like to think that our influence within the church is
always going to be positive. I mean, that's what we should aim for. That's the goal. That when we
come together as a body in Christ that we're going to be helping each other, influencing each other
to live for Christ and to do the right thing and to encourage one another. The Bible says in
Proverbs chapter 27, as iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.
So it's talking about using that illustration of how when iron, you know, use iron to sharpen iron
becomes more useful, whatever that instrument is made of iron. Being an axe or a sword or knife,
it's hard to use, you know, a cutting instrument that's dull. And he's saying, well, you got to
take iron to iron and sharpen it. It's the same the way with us within the church that we need to
come together not to dull one another, not to, you know, put a dent in the blade, not to chip
away at each other, but to actually sharpen one another so that we can be more effective
for Christ. That's the ideal. But if we're not careful, what could happen within a church is
that, you know, we could, the reality of the proverb might read as nails scraping across
a chalkboard. So a man vexes his friend, right? That can happen with people. They can start to
influence each other the wrong way, and then people get bitter, people get angry, and even
though we might mean well, we've offended somebody, and it's just like those nails scraping across
you know, the chalkboard, which nobody can really stand. But you know, here's the thing. Here's why
we have to preach this and understand this is because of the fact that we're trying to avoid
that. We're trying to avoid that. What you need to understand that people are going to have an
influence on you, and if you keep coming to church, and as the church grows, it's only a
matter of time until somebody offends you in some way. It's only a matter of time before somebody
looks at you the wrong way or you come in on a bad day and you say the wrong thing or they say
the wrong thing to you or they don't say the right thing or whatever it is. There's going to
be something because we're human, and we're all sinners, and we're all going to make mistakes,
and as the church grows and as people spend more time together, you know, they're going to offend
each other. I remember, I don't know if anybody else experienced this phenomenon growing up,
but I had certain friends as a child, and it just seemed like there were, even my siblings,
it seemed like there was just a window of time that we could spend together before we got on
each other's nerves. You know, it was about two to four hours maybe with a certain sister, right,
that we could get along and everything was great, but then we just got sick and tired of each other.
And I'd have those friends, like he could stay at my house, I could stay at his house, we could hang
out, but after about 48 hours, you know, we needed to just take some time apart. So as we spend time
together as a church, you know, over the year, over the months and years, coming to church in
and out, being faithful to services, you know, it's only a matter of time to maybe you're going
to reach that window with somebody and say, you know what, I need to take a break from this person
or I need a little bit of time off, and maybe not. It doesn't necessarily have to be that way,
but the fact is, it really, it's just a matter of time until somebody says or does the wrong thing
and you get offended because then we're all going to have an influence on each other.
Now what really matters is how you respond to that. How do you respond when somebody
rubs you the wrong way or says the wrong thing? Your response is what matters because your
response is also going to have influence as well. You know, it's either going to escalate the
situation or it's going to de-escalate the situation. Now you're there in John chapter
13, if you would, turn over to John chapter 15. Jesus, you know, thought this was so important
that he reiterates this commandment in the end of the book of John. He says in John 15 verse 12,
this is my commandment. So this isn't just his suggestion or, you know, his philosophy
on life. This is something that God actually commands us. He says that you love one another
as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his
friends. He are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants,
for the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth, but I have called you friends for all the things
that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. You have not chosen me, but I have
chosen you and ordained you that you should go forth and bring forth fruit and that your fruit
should remain that you should ask that you should and whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my
name he may give it you. These things I command you that you love one another. So it sounds like
loving one another is a command. I mean we've read it several times just here in the book of
John alone. That we are to actually love one another and you know that word love today just
gets thrown about real loosely and a lot of people have I think a misunderstanding of what
love is. You know of course love is a feeling. Love is something that we probably feel towards
our spouse right at least we should I hope right but you know I hope you don't feel that same love
toward me. You know every time I look at you I get those butterflies and I go whoa there you know
back up. But we are to love one another so it's not it can't be just this you know this this
lovey-dovey this Hollywood type of love that they put out there but there is a real love that we are
to have one to another as believers and really Jesus describes what that love is like and really
we have to understand that love yes it's an emotion in many instances but it's also and
it's also manifests itself through actions like what we do through our behavior and that's what
Jesus gives us he gives us the example he didn't just say you know love one another and walk away
he actually gave the example when he girded himself and served them and washed their feet
when he you know humbled himself that's why he says there in verse 12 this is my commandment
that you love one another as I have loved you. So if we're wondering how it is we ought to love one
another how it is that we ought to make sure we're having the right influence in church with one
another as believers as the body of Christ all we have to do is look at this example of Christ and
say how is it that he loved us and understand that that's how we are to love one another
we have to consider the manner in which Christ loved us so how did Christ love us well
he loved us when we were in offense to him you know we're talking about just a minute ago how
the fact that we are going to offend one another you know eventually you know maybe never maybe
two people are going to get along great and just no one's ever going to get upset with each other
but the fact is is that we are going to offend somebody sometime and we have to understand
something that even when we are in offense to someone else that we need to learn to love that
person if someone offends us we need to learn to love that person because that is how Christ loved
us if you would turn over Ephesians chapter 2 Ephesians chapter 2 he loved us when we were
in offense unto him the bible says in Ephesians chapter 2 I'll begin reading in verse 1 and you
have he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins where in times past he walked according to
the course of this world according to the prince of the power of the air the spirit that thou work
and the children of disobedience among whom we all we also all had our conversation in times past
and the lust of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind and were by nature
the children of wrath even as others but God who is rich at mercy for his great love wherewith he
loved us even when we were dead and sins have quickened us together in Christ for by grace are
you saved and have raised us up together to made us sit in heavenly places that in the ages to come
he might show the exceeding riches of his grace and kindness toward us through Christ Jesus so
this verse is clearly showing us that there was all the time in our lives when we were in offense
unto God when we were dead in trespasses and sins when we were walking in the spirit of disobedience
and even then even at that time in our life that God had great mercy upon us and he not only that
he had great he showed his grace on us and how did he do that in his kindness towards us you know I
heard this a long time ago in the workplace you know somebody had probably done something if I
were to recall the details I'm sure it was very trivial and you know not important but boy it
made me mad it really upset me and I was talking to somebody else who worked about what they had
done and remember they just said you know what you need to just kill them with kindness just
kill them with kindness and that's something I've tried to remember throughout the years and
something I've tried to implement my life a little bit and there's been times when I've been able to
do it a little bit more successfully than others but I find that that works but often if you're
having an issue with somebody if you just instead of just escalating the situation you know and
throwing gas on the fire if you would just show kindness towards them a lot of times that brings
them around and you can find yourself almost you know better off than where you start you know
better friends than when you began so that's really been that is kind of what God did with us
is it is it not it says there that according that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding
riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus God showed kindness unto
us in Christ when we were yet dead and trespasses and said when we were yet an offense unto Christ
so you know somebody comes in and just offends you in some way you know and I'm sure in whatever way
somebody's going to offend you is going to pale in comparison the way that we were an offense unto
God I mean it's not even it's not even comparable so just keep that in mind that if somebody does
something or says something that offends you you know that God has forgiven you much more
so that's one way that we need to consider the manner in which Christ loved us another way that
we consider the matter in which Christ loved us is that he loved us not in word but also in deed
I mean it's one thing to just say hey I love you you know I love you man you know and then not
think another thing about that person or not care about what they're going through or or consider
them or not communicate it's it's something to just say that it's another thing to actually
show these things or to actually genuinely love somebody because it's going to again manifest
itself as it did with Jesus I mean you know like I said he's the one who gave us the example there
in John 13 where he showed the love that he had I mean he went on to show that love when he went and
bore the cross and died for us right it's not just that oh God for God so loved the world and it was
just just words only yeah he actually lived that out and showed us how much he loved us so that's
one of the other thing we need to do we not need to just love when we are in offense unto others
or others who have offended offended us but we also need to love not in word but also in deed
he says there in John 15 12 this is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you
so he's saying this is the example as I have loved that's how you were to do it he says in verse 13
greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends now I don't know I
if he really is going to say I could get up here to say you know what I'd catch a bullet for anyone
in here I don't know if that's true I pray I never have to find out right but I mean isn't that kind
of what Jesus did for us I mean he was he loved us so much that he was able to lay down his life
and he said greater love hath no man than this but people do do that you hear about sometimes
people doing this for one another you hear about the old the war stories of some grenade gets
thrown in the foxhole and one of the men without even thinking about it just jumps on it to save
his friends that are near him his fellow soldiers I mean that has that's either in you or it isn't
you either have that kind of love or you don't you don't get the you don't get to think in a moment
like that of whether or not you're going to act that out you know of course we're probably never
going to be be in a situation like that but we could you know apply that to our lives often like
thinking you know what if what if something were to happen where we had to you know sacrifice
ourselves in some way for somebody or put ourselves through something or maybe how about
this just get over it just get over something that somebody offended us you know either you're
going to have that in you or you're not either you're going to say you know what I can just
forget about the way I'm feeling right now I can just forget get over myself and I can just lay
down my own you know selfishness I can just lay down my own self-interest and and the way that
I'm feeling or way you have offended me and just get over it either you're going to have that in
you either or you're not you're not going to sit be able to sit there you know when that grenade
comes flying in the guy doesn't sit there and think about well if I jump on
that grenade and this this potential there's no time to think about that you
either have that you can either act on that in that instant or you can't so we
see that we are to love not and word only but also indeed and that deed
really is when we lay down our life for our friends we love one another when we
begin to put others first if you're still in Ephesians or should I have to
stay there go back to Ephesians chapter 5 you're going to Ephesians 5 will
remind us again of the love that Christ has showed towards us it says in
Revelation chapter 1 and from Jesus Christ was the faithful witness and the
first begotten of dead and the prince of the kings of the earth unto him that
loved us and it wasn't just words it wasn't just that God loved us it goes
out and says and washed us from our sins and his own blood I mean greater love
hath no man in this that a man would lay down his life for his friends and
that is exactly what Christ did you're there in Ephesians chapter 5 be their
followers God as dear children walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and
have given himself as an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling
Savior you know we might never have to get to the point in our life we're going
to literally lay down our life for our friends but if we're not even willing to
just carve out some time or you know make a phone call or maybe just a text
message or just let them know that hey we're thinking about you or whatever it
is I mean that is so simple if you can't do something as simple as that there's
no way in the world you're ever gonna have that kind of love where you're
willing to lay down your own life and I don't think that you have to do that in
order to show how much you love somebody you don't have to you know you don't
have to prove that hey I love you man kink I can jump on their grenade you know
just to prove it you don't have to look for the bullet to jump in front of you
could show somebody you love them by giving up a little bit of your own time
you know like what's what's the one thing that this is a good example you
know moving that's what you find out who your friends are right you say hey I'm
moving oh great oh man look at the time because you know what's coming next I'm
moving this Saturday let's start early about nine o'clock and then it's like oh
really alright you doing anything everyone gets nervous cuz everyone
loves moving right everyone's loves moving other people even more so and by
the way if you're that guy at least take the time to box this stuff up literally
everything into a box and then the box you know moving spine but just you know
you're first you but I mean that's what the point I'm trying to make is that if
we really love one another you know yeah maybe we never have to lay down our
life but can we at least maybe just give of our time of our energy of our our
thoughts the Bible says in 1st John 4 beloved if God so loved us we also ought
to love one another so we see that you know the influence that we ought to have
on one another is that we should love one another and that we should forgive
one another and we should be willing to love even when others have offended us
and we should be willing to love not only a word but indeed and that we do
that by putting other people first and you know just moving on here in the
sermon Christ example of sacrifice you know it serves as an example but not a
benchmark you know it's kind of looting this already that Christ him laying down
his life that that's an example that's not something we need necessarily have
to strive for you know looking for that opportunity to jump on that grenade we
can love each other in very practical ways there's some very practical ways
that we can love each other and not just moving by the way you know you
don't have to go through that pain and agony we can love each other in very
practical ways if you would turn over to 1st Corinthians chapter 16 what are just
some practical ways that we can show that we love the brethren that's the
title of the sermon tonight
and it's important that we do that because we're commanding to do it first
of all well here's one way we can do it is by greeting each other that's easy to
do now while we're a small church you know and but I've been part of a church
now that has been started out as a smaller church that's grown into quite a
large church and it gets harder you know what this gets harder to fill to fulfill
sometimes it says there in 1st Corinthians chapter 16 verse 19 the
churches of Asia salute you Aquila and Priscilla salute you in the Lord with
the church that is in their house all the brethren greet you greet ye one
another with the holy kiss now caveat here okay the hope the whole kissing
thing that was a cultural thing we know a simple handshake will suffice unless
you're in some country maybe that's their custom they can grab you and just
one one and they do that but here in America you know just bump the knuckles
slap me on the back if you need to whatever but let's keep it that but we
see that you know we're to do that greeting one another I mean everyone
likes to hear their name everyone likes to hear hi how you doing I mean how
would you feel if you walked in here every weekend and week out and just
completely ignored and nobody said anything to you never said hello never
said goodbye never asked your name I doubt you'd come back you know I've been
in instances like that you know outside of a church I remember I was you know
toying with the idea of practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu and then I you know
don't get me started but I went to this once this one place and I went in there
and all the guys are standing around their knees looking so you know like the
view and I was obviously the new guy because I'm not wearing the costume I've
got the sweatpants on it but you know what nobody said hello to me nobody said
hi nobody came up and shook my hand and and the instructor came in and he said
sure he says to have you met the other students said no and he just turned
around and tore into those guys it's like why would you why would you not
greet somebody comes here if I was him I wouldn't even want to come back and you
know what I never did I mean it's a little bit of a different situation but
that kind of thing affects people and that's one thing that we need to really
work on as a church or at least maintain and like I said it's easy now but as the
church continues to grow it does get harder to do and that's just you know
not to say that it's wrong it's just a it's just the facts that matter you know
when we're when you're running 300 up in three to four hundred people up in
Phoenix and I'm only there once a week now there I mean there's people that I
never meet that are part of that church because they're but every now and then
you know I'm thinking of people that I've met this has happened more than
once recently where they do show up on Wednesday I'm like oh when did you get
here they've been here six months I'm like oh sorry you know what was your
name again and they you know but the people understand I mean it's hard to
just physically sometimes get across the auditorium to shake somebody's hand
but I wonder how much we can improve in that area all of us if when a visitor
came in and where we saw some face we didn't know we'd say I'm gonna make a
point at Elise going and shaking their hand and saying hello and here's the
thing it doesn't take a lot in this area you know you don't necessarily have to
sit down and get their life story you know I sometimes I'll if I see somebody
that I don't know I'll say I'm gonna because normally now when I go to church
in Phoenix there's several faces I'll say I don't know who those people are
and if I can at least every service just make a point of going and seeing one
person or one couple that I've never met and just saying hello what's your name
where you're from and spend two minutes I mean that could go so far people that
kind of a thing and we don't want to have that that reputation of a church
that doesn't greet each other that doesn't greet people that just kind of
sits back and says well let's see how long we can hang in there before I come
and shake your hand so that's not the attitude that we should have we should
be willing to go out and greet one another and to say hello you know and
Paul commanded that but go ahead and turn over to Romans chapter 16 yeah
we're gonna roll we're gonna read Romans chapter 16 because I don't know it's a
bunch of names but Paul I mean look at what Paul took the time to do here in
Romans chapter 16 he didn't just talk the top all walk-to-walk you beings in
verse 1 I commend you unto Phoebe our sister which is a servant of the church
which is a century centria they receive her the Lord has become a saint and they
assist her whatsoever business she hath need of you for she hath been a sucker
of many and of myself also Greek Priscilla and Aquila my helpers in
Christ Jesus who after my life laid down their own necks unto whom not only I
gave thanks but also all the churches of the Gentiles likewise greet the church
that is in their house salute my well-beloved Epinatus who is the first
fruits of IKEA I am to Christ Greek Mary who stowed much labor on a salute and
Andreikos and Junia my kinsmen and my fellow prisoner who are of note among
the Apostles who also were in Christ Jesus who put Christ before me great
greet him pillows my beloved in the Lord salute urbane our car our helper in
Christ and stikas or stack is my beloved salute a Peles approved in Christ salute
them which are in Aristopolis is household salute Herodian my kinsmen
greet them that be in houses household of Narcissus which is which are in the
Lord salute trifina and try phoja who labor in the Lord salute and beloved
Perseus which labored excuse me which labored much the Lord salute Rufus
chosen the Lord and his mother and mine salute and strike and it's Kratos but
these are hard to say but I don't want to write them all right
flea gun Herman Herman's Patrobus Hermes and the brother which are with them
salute a file by Logos and Julia Maria's and her sister and Olympus and all the
Saints which are with them you know not just these all these people that I just
named but also everybody else that's with them salute those people salute one
another with a holy kiss the churches of Christ salute you I mean he's commanding
them this long list of specific people that Paul has had on his mind I think
saying you need to go salute these people say hello to one another you know
don't just greet the new people let's say hello to that brother that's been
around for a while the one that you know is going to be there anyway whether
you say hello or not why not just go get to know him a little bit better too you
know I kind of doubt you know I struggled to read it but I got Paul's
struggle to sit down and write it these were people that you probably had on his
heart these were probably people that he was thinking about and he probably could
have written a lot more names but didn't forsake for the sake of time he likely
had to cut it short but really what it's giving us and you say why is that even
them in the Bible well it's really giving us an example and commands us
to do likewise he says look Paul is greeting all these people that he cares
about we need to have that same heart and greet one another the Bible says in
Philippians chapter 4 salute every Saint in Christ Jesus the brethren which are
with me greet you all the Saints salute you chiefly they that are a Caesars
household I mean this is something the Bible touches on over and over again
just the simple act of saluting one another brethren pray for us greet all
the brethren with an holy kiss it says the first Thessalonians 5 you know it
was it was interesting there that he says at first Thessalonians brethren
pray for us greet all the brethren with an holy kiss you know sometimes we
struggle to remember people's names and sometimes we struggle to remember to
greet people but I think if we would have a little bit of a prayer list and
I'm not saying you have to have a prayer list with 350 to 400 names on it but
maybe you could start putting some names on a prayer list or say meet somebody
and say hey I'm gonna pray for that person and if you started to do that you
start to remember that person you start to think about that person and you
probably when you saw them that person that you've been praying for you
probably be more inclined to go shake their hand and see how they're doing and
you never know what might happen you know they might express to you some
burden that they're having you might pray about it and the next day you go
and greet them or the next time you see them you greet them and they tell you
something and you know that it's me that prayer is an answer that kind of thing
happens so but you'll never experience that if you never go just simply meet
people and greet one another so we should greet one another we should pray
for one of one another and we should what's another just practical way here
that we can learn to be a good influence on one another to love the brethren as
the Bible commands us to do you know saluting one another and greeting one
another that's a big one that's that's a big theme in the New Testament it's
something that we're commanded to do over and over again we see great
examples of people doing it great men of God doing it but how about just being
polite and courteous you know not just walking up hey what's your name
great you know you could do it with a little bit more you know be polite
courteous to one another the Bible says in 1st Peter 3 finally be all of one
mind having compassion one another love his brethren be pitiful be courteous so
we are to be courteous one another and to be kind to one another here's another
one that you know that might be something we need to make sure we're
being careful to do if we're gonna love the brethren and that is to forgive each
other because as I said at the beginning of sermon it's only a matter of time to
somebody it's only a matter of time to somebody in church says or does the
right or wrong thing that's just gonna upset you if you would turn over to
Proverbs chapter 19 Proverbs chapter 19 Proverbs chapter 17 says this he that
cover at the transgression seeketh love he that cover it the transgression seek
its love you know if somebody offends you you don't have to let them know
about it you don't always have to go and say hey you made me upset and you
certainly don't have to let somebody else know about it and go hey you know
so-and-so did this to me the Bible says he that cover at the transgression seek
its love you know maybe that if when that when somebody offends you or does
something maybe you could just cover it and just keep it hidden and just forget
it you say you know what I just want to forgive them and just move on and just
love them when you're doing that a type of person who is going to just willing
to just oversee a transgression to just cover it and forget that it's even there
is the type of person that's seeking love that same verse goes on and says
but he that repeateth the matter separate it very friends you know he's
not gonna let it go you're gonna keep repeating it in his mind or worse he's
gonna repeat the fence back on to them this tit-for-tat type of thing they're
gonna do one of them the same thing that was done to them or they're gonna repeat
the matter to somebody else say hey so and so and I've had this happen my own
life where I've offended somebody and instead of them coming to me and talking
about it they would talk to other people that that knew us and I could tell that
they work as those people started treating me different and sure enough
in time it comes out oh yeah so and so said this you did that you did this I
never heard about it but they don't have any problem going repeating that matter
to somebody else and what happens they separate it very friends I mean for
whole friendships relationships can we just be destroyed simply because you're
not willing to just let it go and just cover a transgression and seek love
look at Proverbs chapter 19 verse 11 the discretion of a man defer at his anger
and it is his glory to pass over a transgression you know the discretion of
a man defer at anger you know so it takes a discretion to sit there and not
let your emotions get a hold of you and run wild and just start repeating the
matter it takes a discretion to defer it you know to just say you know what I'm
just going to deflect that I'm just going to put that aside I'm just going
to forget that that happened it's the discretion that is what it takes to be
able to defer your anger in that way but it goes on and says that it is his glory
to pass over a transgression you know I think when we just let things go when we
just let things slide off our back we just don't get upset about things that
maybe maybe even we'd be right to be upset about maybe if we can just forget
about those things I think sometimes God sees that and he says and he blesses us
for it and it becomes a glory unto us and God no will return the favor when we
offend him so those are just some practical ways tonight that we can love
the brethren you know it's not it's not a profound sermon but it's one of those
things that really have to be in a church that if they're gonna make a
great church and if the church is going to continue to grow and new people are
going to come in and be added to this church and they're going to want to come
back I mean if visitors are going to come out and visit here you know and I
don't again I don't think we struggle with this that we had a visitor come in
the other day and and there was like a line of people waiting to shake his hand
and get it so I think that's great but let's not lose sight of it let's not
forget that I know because these are the type of things that bring people back
because that's a lot of times what people are looking for yeah everyone's
going to walk into a church just saying hey I'm looking to look to somewhere it's
going to rip my face off with the Bible that's what I'm here for a lot of people
are just coming in because they want to make some friends yeah right because they
just want to get to know some people and they're hurting or they have some needs
and they don't they want people to care about them so there are just some real
practical ways that we could just show people that we think about them that we
love them you know phone calls greeting one another saying a message just
talking to them letting them know praying for them on our own and helping
them out when needed like moving right so we have to understand something that
loving one another is a powerful influence I mean it can make or break
ministries it can make a church a great church an even better church and it's a
very powerful influence that we can have and not only that but it's a command and
you know I don't have the time to say you're gonna have to go through this
list of scripture I have that we are commanded to just love one another but
let's not forget it is the second greatest commandment to love thy
neighbor as thyself for upon upon these two commandments hang all to hang the
law and the prophets that if we would just learn to do one to others as we
have do unto us you know we would have just better relationships with
one another and we would be able to fulfill that command that we are to have
that we have been commanded to fulfill which is to love the brethren let's go
ahead and pray