… Today,
Friends,
I would like to share with you about the first church,
Or better translated from the original Greek,
Ekklesia.
The first century Christian gatherings were in homes and met often to break bread and just do life together.
How different were the followers in how they saw their participation in the kingdom of God?
A basic human need is that of community.
Humans were created to be in relationship with each other and with the divine.
Love one another.
So sit upright,
Attentive.
Relax your neck with a little roll to the left,
To the right.
Squeeze your shoulders up and just let them fall as weights.
Again,
Up and squeeze and let them fall down.
Stretch the spine a little more towards heaven.
Tuck your hip bones down and forward.
Flap your arms loose by your sides.
Then rest.
And place your hands resting in your lap.
Deep breath in and slowly out.
Again,
Deep breath in with soft eyes and out.
Then rest.
John 13,
34 through 35,
The new international version.
A new command I give to you,
Love one another.
As I have loved you,
So you must love one another.
By this,
Everyone will know that you are my disciples if you love one another.
The definition of one another is two or more people or things doing the same thing or sharing a relationship.
When and how did it all start?
Well,
Literally in the beginning,
In the Garden of Eden,
A perfect and sinless world where man enjoyed perfect community with his creator.
God looking at his creation said,
It is not good for man to be alone.
The only thing in all of creation that was not good was man's solitude.
So God created woman to be a companion to man and allow him to experience true ecclesia.
And his love is the same today as it was 2,
000 years ago.
Deep breath in and slowly out.
By studying two simple phrases that appear time and time again in the New Testament,
We can learn of the requirements and beauty of the true Christian assembly.
Love one another.
The phrases each other and one another speak to relationships.
Now they don't address our relationship to the divine or to oneself.
Rather,
It is the interpersonal relationships with the community of the believers.
The Ecclesia.
John 13,
34 through 35,
The Passion Translation.
So I give you now a new commandment.
Love each other as much as I have loved you.
For when you demonstrate the same love I have for you by loving one another,
Everyone will know you are my true followers.
And given this command,
Jesus did something the world has never seen before.
He created a group identified by one thing,
Love.
There are many groups in the world and they identify themselves in a number of ways,
By skin color,
Uniform,
By shared interests,
Politics,
Etc.
The ways people categorize themselves are endless,
But the disciples of Christ are unique.
For the first and only time in history,
Jesus created a group whose identifying factor is love.
Ecclesia.
Skin color doesn't matter.
Native language doesn't matter.
There are no rules about diet,
Or neighborhood,
Or what team you like.
Followers of Christ are identified by their love for each other.
Acts verses 9 through 11.
The early church demonstrated the type of love Jesus was talking about.
There were people in Jerusalem from all over the known world.
Those who were spirit filled got together and immediately began meeting each other's needs.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
They sold property and possessions to give to one another.
Acts 2 verses 44 through 45.
This was love in action and you can be sure it made an impression on the people of that city.
The New Testament contains 54 one another passages that teach us how to love.
Here is a list of one another commands in the Bible.
Deep breath in and slowly out.
Be at peace with one another.
Mark 9,
50.
Build up one another.
Romans 14,
19.
Ephesians 4,
12.
First Thessalonians 5,
11.
Be of the same mind towards one another.
Romans 12,
16.
Give preference to one another.
Romans 12,
10.
Greet one another.
Romans 16,
16.
Esteem others as better than yourself.
Philippians 2,
3.
Serve one another.
Galatians 5,
13.
Receive one another.
Romans 15,
7.
Be devoted to one another.
Romans 12,
10.
Rejoice or weep with one another.
Romans 12,
15.
Ammonish one another.
Romans 15,
14.
Colossians 3,
16.
Care for one another.
1 Corinthians 12,
25.
Show tolerance towards one another.
Romans 15,
Verses 1 through 5.
Ephesians 4,
2.
Colossians 3,
13.
Be kind and forgiving to one another.
Ephesians 4,
32.
And Colossians 3,
13.
Submit to one another.
Romans 12,
10.
Ephesians 5,
21.
1 Peter 5,
5.
Comfort one another.
1 Thessalonians 4,
18.
Encourage one another.
1 Thessalonians 5,
11.
Hebrews 3,
13.
Be compassionate with one another.
1 Peter 3,
8.
Pray for one another.
James 5,
16.
Confess your faults to one another.
James 5,
16.
Accept one another.
Romans 14,
1 and 15,
7.
Be truthful with one another.
Colossians 3,
9.
Do not take one another to court.
1 Corinthians 6,
1 through 7.
And of course,
Love one another.
John 13,
34.
Romans 12,
10.
1 Peter 4,
8.
1 John 3,
11.
23.
Chapter 4,
Verse 7,
11 and 12.
Deep breath in and slowly out.
Then rest.
I would like to expound on three of these one anothers.
They might be the hardest to do,
But I promise you,
Practicing these can bring you freedom.
Forgive one another.
Colossians 3,
13.
The ultimate example of forgiveness was displayed when Jesus hung on a cross and cried out for those who were crucifying him.
Father,
Forgive them,
For they do not know what they are doing.
Luke 33,
34.
We should forgive others even when they don't serve it or ask for it.
That demonstrates a love that keeps no record of wrongs.
1 Corinthians 13,
5.
Accept one another.
Romans 15,
7.
To truly love somebody,
You must avoid trying to change the person for your own purposes.
Accepting love is patient and is kind,
Even when someone doesn't meet your expectations.
1 Corinthians 13,
4.
Honor one another.
Romans 12,
10.
Honor means to esteem someone as highly valuable.
It leads us to treat others as though they were personally autographed by God.
When we value others above ourselves,
We are emulating the attitude of Christ.
Philippians 2,
3-5.
Close your eyes.
Take a deep breath.
Let's meditate on these,
One another's.
Now reposition your body.
Relax your shoulders and neck.
Feel your feet flat on the floor.
Feel the weight where you're sitting your back against the chair.
Let's meditate on these things.
How do they apply to my life?
Love one another.
Be at peace with one another.
Build up one another.
Be of the same mind towards one another.
Give preference to one another.
Greet one another.
Esteem others as better than yourself.
Serve one another.
Receive one another.
Be devoted to one another.
Rejoice or weep with one another.
Ammonish one another.
Care for one another.
Show tolerance towards one another.
Be kind and forgiving to one another.
Submit to one another.
Comfort one another.
Encourage one another.
Be compassionate with one another.
Pray for one another.
Confess your faults to one another.
Accept one another.
Be truthful with one another.
Do not take one another to court.
Love one another.
Deep breath in and slowly out.
John 13 34-35 The Living Bible And so I am giving a new commandment to you.
Love one another just as much as I loved you.
Your strong love for each other will prove to the world you are my disciples.
Love one another.
Interpersonal what you have done most of eighty days What the hardware of life does not require What God also does
