1 Peter 4:1-11

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us* in the flesh,

arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who
has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 that
he no longer should live the rest of his time in the
flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. 3 For
we have spent enough of our past lifetime* in doing
the will of the Gentiles — when we walked in lewdness,
lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and
abominable idolatries. 4 In regard to these, they think
it strange that you do not run with them in the same
flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. 5 They will
give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living
and the dead. 6 For this reason the gospel was
preached also to those who are dead, that they might
be judged according to men in the flesh, but live
according to God in the spirit.
Serving for God's Glory
7 But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be
serious and watchful in your prayers. 8 And above all
things have fervent love for one another, for "love will
cover a multitude of sins."* 9 Be hospitable to one
another without grumbling. 10 As each one has
received a gift, minister it to one another, as good
stewards of the manifold grace of God. 11 If anyone
speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone
ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God
supplies, that in all things God may be glorified
through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and
the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Aims Part 5
To recap the aims are:
1. Show our love for the Lord
2. To produce mature, stable and holy believers
3. To incite Christians to love and good works
4. To care for the poor members: widows, orphans, etc
5. Preach the gospel
6. To do good in the world

Recapping: Praise, Thanksgiving, Obedience, Jesus is the head

of the body and today the subject is:

Love one for another

What is it that God desires in every fellowship? Let’s find out!
God has put us in contact with other people and so we read in...
Heb 10:24-25
24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up
love and good works, 25 not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but
exhorting one another, and so much the more as you
see the Day approaching.
Rom 1:12
12 that is, that I may be encouraged together with
you by the mutual faith both of you and me.

We need each other. We need the body around us. We need

to be part of work of God together. The devil would isolate us:
It makes us easy to be picked off. This is a tough lesson to be
learned: we cannot do it on our own. Sorry! I need you! Even
more Sorry! You need me!

We don’t insist that you come to every meeting as sometimes

other commitments come across us or even the Lord may call
us to set time seeking Him but be careful as missing meetings
is not the norm. Maybe that sounds too formal – that word
‘meetings’ – what we really mean is ‘fellowship’ – do not miss
opportunities to fellowship with each other. We are part of the
collective fellowship meeting together and as you can work out
from the analogy of a body – a body separated cannot function.
If God has put you here then we belong together. These can
sound like strong words when we say ‘belong to each other’.
This means that we are not independent.

A poll sheds light on a paradox of increased religiosity and

increased immorality, according to sociologist Robert Bellah.
His conclusion: 81 percent of the American people say an
individual should arrive at his or her own religious belief
independent of any church or synagogue." Thus the key to the
paradox is that those who claim to be Christians are arriving at
faith on their own terms -- terms that make no demands on
behavior. A woman named Sheila, interviewed for Bellah's
Habits of the Heart, embodies this attitude: "I believe in God,"
she said. "I can't remember the last time I went to church. But
my faith has carried me a long way. It's 'Sheila-ism.' Just my
own little voice."

Rom 12:5
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and
individually members of one another.

We read in Hebrews earlier that we are not to be spiritual

gypsies – flitting from one fellowship to another – and great
critiques they are of each fellowship but before they have
settled and God starts to work in their life off they go! When
we come across them we should make clear to them that we
are not meant to be transient...we are not to be
consumers...what cereal shall I have today?...it is not about
choice...we did not choose who our parents were, or our
brothers or sisters or cousins...they are family...therefore we
cannot choose who are our brothers or sisters are in
Christ...what we have got we have got! Once God places us in
a fellowship everyone is to work out their salvation – we need
to see progress in each of us in the Christian life – this is part of
the exhortation...part of admonishing one another...being clear
about what being a member of Christ and his body means...to
hold each other to account.

Loving one another is not simply not doing bad things to one
another, or dealing with bitterness, or lack of forgiveness...it
includes these things but it is clear that there is more to it than
that...we are to demonstrate that love to one another – to want
to spend time together – to encourage one another -
1 John 4
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God;
and everyone who loves is born of God and knows
God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for
God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested
toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son
into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In
this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved
us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love
one another.
This is love that costs...he sent his son...do we have a love for
one another that costs us? Or is the love that we have
superficial?

It is incredible just how often our relationship to one another is

mentioned in God’s Word – in fact there are so many Bible
references I had no idea where to start!
One another (over 80 times), each other (2 relevant times),
together (over 100 times) – so over 180 times in some way
Scripture has something to say about our togetherness – the
stress is easily seen to one that takes us away from our own
individualistic, introverted, view to one that puts others in the
body of Christ first as a community working out the will of God
for our loves in the midst of the area God has put us.

Here are some of those verses:

Col 3:12-13
12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness,
longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and
forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint
against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you
also must do.
Eph 4:25-26
25 Therefore, putting away lying, "Let each one of
you speak truth with his neighbor,"* for we are
members of one another.
Gal 6:2
Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of
Christ.

But my friends, I think that Paul’s letter to Thessalonica sums

up this – I don’t mean to teach your grandmother to suck eggs!

1 Thess 4:9
9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need
that I should write to you, for you yourselves are
taught by God to love one another;
I wonder if Paul had his tongue in his cheek for, after all, he is
writing to them to say; you’ve got brotherly love? Great!
Increase in it!

Acts 9:4-5
4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice
saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting
Me?"
5 And he said, "Who are You, Lord?"
Then the Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you are
persecuting.*

If we persecute Christians then it is Jesus we are persecuting; if

we are criticising other Christians we are criticising Christ; if we
lie to another Christian we are lying to Jesus; if we boast about
ourselves to another Christian we are boasting to Christ. You
get the idea! If we therefore love other Christians we are loving
Jesus, too.

We are family together and therefore we need to seek each

other’s betterment...where there is mutual love, warmth,
loyalty and not to grab the limelight but to enhance one
another.

Conclusion
The question at the beginning was: what does God desire of
every fellowship?
The Bible, as God’s Word to us and for us lays a heavy
emphasis upon loving one another, we being the body of
Christ, and we being proactive in demonstrating this love and
having joy in having fellowship with one another so much so
that being apart from one another makes the heart ache. I
don’t suppose this is where we have got to, to date, but as we
put God first, realise that we are in covenant with each other,
in agreement together to be Church here at Ely Baptist; we
need to raise our commitment to another level and arrange
our lives around each other.
It is in doing this that we show the world in loving one another
that we are His disciples and we will be recognised as such.
You know that Irena and I have an open home – you are
always welcome...being in and out of our home is part of being
in fellowship...even if it is just to drop in for a cuppa.
The going is not easy – for the Bible says to ‘bear with one
another’ – it would not say that if we don’t rub each other up
the wrong way – communion with each other takes hard work,
taking up our cross, denying ourselves and putting Jesus first,
and then each other and our individual selves last. And then
we will be fulfilling that great commandment of loving God and
loving each other.
Amen? Amen!