The Discipline of Loving One Another
by Raymond Sloan
January 17, 2019 · Cornerstone Apostolic Church
Kind: teaching
Scripture: John 13:34-35, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Galatians 6:10, Matthew 5:44, Leviticus 19:1-18

Source: https://acts238.life/repository/sermons/raymond-sloan--the-discipline-of-loving-one-another
Published by Acts 2:38 Life from the sermon transcript on that page.
Free to copy and share with attribution.

------------------------------------------------------------
glad you're here tonight if you have your Bible you'll need it tonight we'll be reading all of it so or at least a part of it again don't forget the 21 days of commitment trying to do the best I can with posting the blogs and I'm trying to be technical about it and sometimes it didn't dork like I think it ought to so I got to go back and fix it but anyway I've enjoyed writing them and hopefully you've enjoyed reading them tonight the last two Wednesday nights a couple weeks ago we talked about the discipline of worship and then last week does anybody remember what we talked about the discipline of prayer talking to God how many believes prayer works if God has ever answered a prayer for you raise your hand yeah bunch of times right probably some prayers that you prayed and forgot about maybe and then it just kind of worked itself out you know one of the most intriguing things about prayer as far as our side of the of the lake if you will is that a lot of times we pray for things we're not really sure we're not really understanding not really comprehending we just are in need and so we pray and and then things just life just kind of happens and things move along and next thing you know the answer comes and we've already moved off to something else and we forget sometimes to stop and do what thank the Lord for what he's done a man we in fact we call it taking God for granted because many times he answers prayer we just we just take it for granted that he's going to but that said I think that if we can develop habits if you will that cause us to worship cause us to pray cause us to connect with God our relationship with him will be much sweeter I don't know about you but I enjoy the sweet presence of the Lord the quiet the peacefulness and the presence of the Lord Amina now tonight we're gonna talk about something that's less peaceful for some you know I'm not gonna step on toes tonight unless you stick foot out and then you trip me up or I'll step on your foot one or the other so I don't want to talk about the discipline of loving one another yeah I mean those that loving one another's a choice now I'm not talking about Oh a gooey love Logan so quit acting like you're making points with Whitney you're not yeah yeah no I don't work John let's go to book of John New Testament stuff let's read something here John chapter number 13 John 13 and 34 35 we're gonna read a couple of verses here now when we talk about worship we all get that would we talk about prayer we all get that when we talk about loving one another we all get that but tonight I want to talk just a little bit about this and the actual power there is in unity in love okay in the body of Christ John 13:34 somebody read that for me please and then 35 says by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if you have love one to another in verse 34 it's a new commandment now I think we understand that quite honestly because if you go back into the book of Deuteronomy for an example here o Israel the Lord our God is one Lord right thou shalt love the Lord thy God okay when we understand the principle of relationship with God God also says that loving each other is also of paramount importance in fact Jesus was asked what's the greatest of the commandments what he say and love your neighbors yourself if you hate yourself say Amen not a whole lot of us in here hating on ourselves oh we take care of ourselves right we we sometimes bathe ourselves we sometimes brush our teeth we occasionally comb our hair we tend to try to take care of ourself and present ourselves as as somebody that's got some smarts huh the fact is though when Jesus in the John here it's talking there's a new commandment you love one another as I've loved you you also love one another how does Jesus love how does Jesus love how but yeah but how what let you know that he loves you he walk up to you every day and say come on bring it in hello marina that what he does Oh does you slip your note under your plate at breakfast coffee in bed no what's he do see what he well of course he died now keep in mind John what did they do and following Jesus because it says that they're going to know that you're my disciples my followers by the love that you have for each other how many believe that Jesus loves everybody how many believes when Jesus walked in Shu later that he demonstrated that to everyone did he you are a bunch of thieves and Liars you've made this place a house I can't believe this is gonna be a house of prayer and you've made it a den a dwelling place for thieves you think he made them happy oh good now pick up all this stuff off the ground he just turned over I would dare say that there's a reason that he was crucified is because they sought to kill him because they didn't like what he was saying and doing now we understand it today because it's prophecy it was a prophetic thing but the fact of the matter is is Jesus everywhere he went he he had this love this compassion this desire to be with folk to change them help them be around them but the truth of the matter is is is is is he could also ruffle your feathers now we call it today the good old word conviction does anybody ever felt conviction well why did you feel conviction you don't have to answer the word specifically but why oh it's on the counter I felt convicted that I ate the last cookie yeah just heart just can't believe it I mean honestly what do you feel conviction stay with me what do you feel conviction about what what kind of actions okay like what yeah see we all have that understanding because those are things that that are very prominent that stick out right that's for me you know just as an example if you're talking about something that's a bad person by and large we throw them into a category yeah they drinking and smoking and cussing as if theirs was the worst things ever I mean honestly they're bad things yes but there's a whole plethora of things that are an abomination to God and we we rarely go after those things because they're they're tough huh now stay with me many when Jesus then was saying I got a new commandment for you they're gonna know the church by the love you have for who not to God but to one another now is it always easy to love one another you don't have to answer that I just want you to think about it some of y'all are like right now answer now oh you mean no so with that said let me ask you this how does a church a body how does a church show its love we don't can't come up with anything how do how does a church show its love I'm sorry care for the community very good what else okay one another certainly without encouraging sure and when you encourage one another what else how does a church show its love helping what else when you pray for another yeah what else connected to each other certainly what else when the church gives us stuff and we learned not long ago that that a young man who visited here said I like coming to this church why because the other church takes all my money and this church gives me something for my money what's it give you then I get snacks in Sunday school oh so you're giving a buck in the offering why not you know hey truth of the matter is this okay let me ask you this another way in what ways then do you see in our generation today what ways do you see that this generation needs love is it still prayer is it still helping is it still connecting I mean we're living in a very strange generation agreed let's say it this way if you have a phone and you have the ability to send a text by and large this means got you I send a lot of these if I really got it you get two of them and in our culture we consider that to be what okay fact if I send my wife attacks many times I send her the one with the heart yeah and the big smooch I did learn this if you go if you don't put more than three they're bigger so I see one at a time you know now keep in mind I got a big thumb so there's time that's so then I found gifs and I'm terrible at those cuz I've no idea what they mean you know what else does that under the baby yeah yeah well thought of this who sat down and cut and pasted all these in here wish I had that job we consider that in our generation to be okay how anybody on the group me prayer thing in sister Stacy or whomever will send out please pray for and they go through this whole thing and in response they get a or and if they're really gonna pray brother Gibson they get one of these we're gonna prayed twice and what I always wonder is when somebody responds it's usually Josh praying now I'm like that dude ought to be working I just wonder I'm saying I could see him now he's at work they're waiting on parts and he's all done good you know geez you know geez you know I got the plant shut down cuz Josh is pregnant sorry Josh had to pick on this is the thing guys we live in a generation it's very different you know how he used to be anybody old time pentecost old churchgoer what they used to do they had what was called all days meeting with dinner on the ground come on somebody and man there was lots of love to show lots of good food corn and green beans and chicken and dumplings and pies and cakes and brick anybody remember that we call him now friends and family day but back then there was a whole lot of love because there wasn't any of this going on you didn't see a kid anywhere sitting in the corner on an electronic device you saw a whole lot of interaction stay with me question this generation loving one another in the church what are the risk involved are there risk what are the risk involved hurt you said son offended yeah what else what are the risk I've been I've been talked to very sternly before because when I responded to a text I didn't cap the letters because the caps thawne was on I'm like well I can see that why you yelling yelling at you culture generation what are the risk involved enabling what's that mean does that happen stay with me again years ago Church let's go New Testament church because this is a new word a new commandment this is something that Jesus is telling them everybody's gonna know who you are because you love one another and it's very very noticeable 2019 is it noticeable like it used to be so what do we have to do now you know what we should do we should come up Samuel license plates for our cars just put that on there this this and that and the whole world will know this is the point I'm making guys there are risk involved fact is this Jesus gave this understanding to the church you have got to love one another with the love you're gonna have one for another the world is going to know something about you it's different now there's a discipline involved with that because sometimes even in the church sometimes you make yourself vulnerable to someone if you had a need in your life a situation a circumstance that was just terrible do you feel like that you could open up and tell somebody confide in someone in the church about it many times it's near impossible to do so and feel like that they're going to understand and or or they're not gonna know I tell you all the time you don't have even trouble telling me tell me something cuz I ain't texting it cuz I ain't taking the time to do it you know frustrated a smaller phone you with me if you've ever sought me for counsel I'll tell you if it's a situation in your life there's what I say well if anybody knows about this you need to know right now I did not come from this mouth didn't do it if you tell them then they'll know now this is a point I make it when you make yourself vulnerable we have to understand that Jesus loves us his spirits working in us and the world's gonna know us by the way we love one another so what does that tell us then about loving one another is that we should be able to confide in one another pray one for another strengthen one another alright now my wife she gets prayer requests all the time and if they're really good I ask her what's the situation we need to pray for this thing well what is it I don't know honey find out I need details so I can pray more know is gossiping being nosy stay with me a minute okay the scriptures when it's talking here not now I realize there we're all adults in here tonight this is not an emotional gooey kind of love it's not a romantic thing this is rather a respect and assistance a support for the body of Christ there are some of you that have such incredible testimonies of where God has brought you from if anybody else knew that testimony it would blow their mind and to know that you simply love that person care for that person pray for that person embrace that person in spite of their past that you don't know anything about strengthen you in the body of Christ let me say this way 2019 do you realize there's a reason we no longer have testimony service huh we used to have them all the time now there are times when I'll ask somebody I want you to say don't you talk I want you to tell something that the Lord's done but you know the one that was always when I was a kid growing up that I was always scared about was the lady who stand that's a devil's been on my back all week long breasts his holy name we're all like well you can't say that truth of the matter is this we have to be able to encourage one another and consider someone else instead of ourselves because when you have a discipline of loving one another friend there are so many of you in here that are closer to your church family than your blood family why is that true why is that true keep going why is it true is it because you trust one another I mean you already know what your brother or sisters like your blood brothers sister I'm gonna laugh at you when you fall down you know you tell each other that but in in the house of God when you're in an altar and you're pouring your heart out to God and your brother or sister comes out wraps their arms around you and prays with you and you feel that support there's something that happens to you let's go to Galatians notice the letter written here Galatians 6 and 10 Galatians 6 and 10 somebody read that verse for me please if you have an opportunity do good now it says unto all men but then there's a stop a pause especially unto them who are of the household of faith now this is the this is the balancing act how many believes that sometimes the church can simply focus inside and forget outside that's a real thing right but according to what was written to the church you need to do good but especially to those who are in the family of God why why does that matter I mean he's ever tried to help somebody that's not in church not in the family of God and you become disappointed because you helped you tried POW you know happens all the time my phone rings yeah sudden I just wanna know if you can help pay cable bill I got one Riza well you know you need to rent no I don't care about to a destiny my cable paid Oh got one today you help people with yeah occasionally you let me pray with you click phone huh but if one of you reach out to someone what happens help me somebody what happens you ever been struggling with with the situation but field of love of the church family because somebody actually took time to care this is what Paul was telling the church at Galatia he was telling them in every opportunity you get big do good I've had a good attitude towards all men but especially those who are in the household of faith let me ask you a question what are some ways to not show love one to another are there ways that you should not show love one to another anybody can't say that just so you know herb said it a minute ago sometimes what are we doing to people we're enabling them I mean honestly if somebody comes and says you know what there was been on my back all week long bless His Holy Name but I'm just struggling in you need sometimes because you love them what do you need to say look stop stop quit giving the devil credit for things Oh sometimes somebody needs a you know your dad used to call it a wake-up call look buddy I'm gonna tell you what stop giving the devil credit give him its quit saying those things rebuke those things now you don't do it cuz you're mad at them you do it why cuz you love them what's another way to not show if you will love to someone what is it whip them oh now exactly what kind of whoop is that like a belt what's another way I mean I'm sorry but we live again 2019 we're living an entitlement generation nobody wants discipline nobody wants to be told no boundaries and borders and limits have been removed because nobody deserves to tell anybody what to do I found out that I found out this last week I didn't know you can't call people boss now I don't know that is it true her eye look okay let's call your sob instead I don't know boss backwards yeah what okay here's another one what if you have bad feelings or no respect for somebody in the church what's going to happen what happens if if there's an attitude in the church you're mad at somebody you don't respect them what's going to happen division but I mean keep going you're on the track what does it do it spreads now what now what that's right now doubt fear questions unbelief whatever you want to call it begins and it's not just that one now it's two three four five and we all know what rumors do okay the point is I'm making is this is that if you're going to demonstrate love to others then treat them the way that you would like to be treated in the church house now question what are you looking for in a perfect church family I'd like for us to eat every meal at the church every time we come together sit down eat would that be good what are you looking for acceptance community what a little patience a little long-suffering maybe what else because whatever you're looking for is how you're going to present your church to someone else okay because that's going to be multiplied in you let's look again Matthew look at Matthew chapter five this one's gonna gonna sting just a little bit Matthew chapter five verse 44 but I say unto you love your enemies bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you now is this the same word love so how do you do how do you love somebody who curses you who hates you who despitefully use and persecute you how do you pray for them we're all like I wish somebody'd say it so I'd know how how do you how do you pray for them how do you love them pray to love them get to pray the devil out of them lay hands suddenly uh-huh where's my old pastor say jerk are not in there head on what that means but wait the fact of the matter is this guy's these are things that the church struggles with I know because we live in a generation now a culture now that there's there's a great huge divide you could talk about love on the job and it may be accepted or talked about in a certain way you come into the church house and many times the attitude and the perception that the world has even affects what goes on in the church okay case in point somebody comes in never been in real church before or have never had much connection with church they walk into the house of the Lord they come in everybody shakes their hand glad you're here introduces themselves and then the first thing that they're told to do is let's all stand and give the Lord praise so what do they do you're the man you ha you know what to do they don't have to respond so what do they normally do it's it's incredible to watch they look to the left and right or you like Evelyn over here right until when how long does this last for them usually total about the end of the first song unless something draws them and then they begin to respond in a way that's not simply mimicking what they're seeing now they actually feel the love of the family let me show you something this is Old Testament stuff everybody okay with this we're gonna go to Leviticus now there's several verses here I feel I feel like it's as necessary for tonight's lesson I've got my on the clock Leviticus chapter 19 verse number one the Lord spake unto Moses saying speaking to all the congregation of the children of Israel say unto them you shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy you shall fear every man his mother his father keep my Sabbath's I am the Lord your God turn you not unto idols nor make to yourselves molten gods I am the Lord your God and if you verse 5 and if you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the Lord you shall offer it at your own will it shall be eaten the same day you offer it and on the morrow and if aught remain until the third day it shall be burned in the fire for seven and if it be eaten all on the third day it is abominable it shall not be accepted there for everyone that even it shall bear his iniquity because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the Lord and that soul shall be cut off from among his people stay with me minute verse 9 when you reap the harvest of your land thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of the harvest thou shalt not glean thy vineyard neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard thou shalt leave them for the poor and the stranger I am the your God you shall not steal neither deal falsely neither lie one to another verse 12 you shall not swear by my name falsely neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God I am the Lord 13th hour neither robbed him the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with the all night until the morning thou shalt not curse the death nor put a stumbling block before the blind thou shalt fear thy God I am the Lord he shall do no unrighteousness in judgment thou shalt not respect the person of the poor nor honor the person of the mighty but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor thou shalt not go up and down as they tell bear among thy people neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor I am the Lord 17 thou shalt not hate thy brother in 9 heart thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor and not suffer sin upon him thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of the people but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself I am the Lord this is back in Leviticus anybody know what the Levitical law was for anyone to what for what though they God was establishing with Moses the people of God this is how it's gonna be done this is how you will this is how you will not now it's called Leviticus because it was given to the tribe of Levi on how they would interact and they would be the ones that would stand and do the ministering from God to the people of Israel everything in this to me is so intriguing he tells them work hard and when you have a field you go out and you cut the weed out of the field he'll use that for an example but don't go in and cut all of the corners out of the field and then get all of that together and bring it and put it in your storehouse what does he say leave the corners don't go back and pick up the stalks or whatever that fell on the ground but leave them why now wait a minute it's my field I work to put the seed in it I killed it up got the rocks out of it planted it I went in with my crew I should be able I have the right to go out and get everything out of that field what about a vineyard when you go in and you guys with the grapes out of the vineyard what should you do leave some right don't go back and glean what's it mean to glean to pass through again to pick it back up pick up the scraps okay leave it he's doing that for the stranger and for the poor and then he goes right into now he's establishing with the people of God the law this is how it is to be done and in doing so he says to them you love your neighbor you take care of your neighbor you love your neighbor you don't hold a grudge against the people of God you don't get mad and upset but instead you love your neighbor the neighbor in this case was not the tribe was not the enemy was not that it was literally the family of God now stay with me for just a moment please and I'm watching the clock we're coming down here God always desired for his people to have respect for his people if you come into the family of God and you have aught against your brother or you have a grudge against your brother or or you're mad at your sister or or you don't understand why this is happening or what they said offended you or whatever it happens to be what you are doing is as you are stopping the power of God from working not just in your life but in the family you're hindering it there are going to be some in the family that don't have a field but they're gonna have to eat and so God is making a provision for those who are unable to go and have their own 60 acres 100 acres or whatever there's going to come a time when those who do not have are going to need something for survival because they don't have so God is making a provision for them but through it all I mean most grudges are held why with humans most grudges you may have a grudge or know what a grudge is what's a grudge offense what's a grudge is a grudge just something superficial just kind of fly by the whatever know what is a grudge usually it's what unforgiving but it's usually a deep-seated something I'll tell you what Oh ain't never gonna never let's tell you something you know later they're the one that effect you know if they want then they come to me I'm sorry huh your else Jesus had to say if you have aught against your brother and you bring a sacrifice to an altar I don't want it notice leave the sacrifice and go don't take that sacrifice with you leave it there go and fix it go fix it do what you got to do there's more at stake here than your sacrifice understand me leave it go make it right now come back and I will accept your sacrifice so the discipline of loving in the church where the drawing could you come and help me please it's not an easy task sometimes I know I know and sometimes because we are human we can fabricate we can conjure up we can misunderstand something that that I think that we all need to realize is truly quite honestly there have been very few in the history of man that had a right to be mad angry and bitter job was such a guy anyone do nothing nothing except what being right just before God and all of a sudden gone even his wife you know if you just cursed God your life would be over are you saying you understand the power of cursing God and that's what you'd want me to do know what I'm saying honey is that that you're just in a lot of pain you're suffering and just just get it over with his friends come along you know if you were and if you did and if you that there's one anybody else come to mind Oh Jesus was doing was helping reaching teaching I wonder how many in the crowd that day yelling crucify him were at the meal where he blessed a handful of food and fed him learn how many were there that day in the crowd that were screaming crucify him and they were standing at the tomb of Lazarus and watched him come out huh how many were waving blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord hosanna hosanna hosanna not long after that give us the thief send us the murderer we want him you can have this one this is the deal friend to develop disciplines of loving one another you have got to be in obedience to the Word of God if you've got the Word of God you know his promises and he know his benefits you know his character you understand his principles and you have a relationship with him you're listening to him you're talking to him you're in the word your you're getting it day in and day out you're following God you're making mistakes knowing you made a mistake you get back up and you keep on asking forgiveness and moving forward you keep a settling within yourself I will not be defeated there's nothing friend in this world that's worth losing heaven but the discipline of loving one another you've got to decide within yourself you know what my pastor just don't have it all together but God help me to somehow understand him my Sunday school teacher man I don't know what they're but God just blessed them the mute the songs were singing I don't get them cuz there's only four words in them and but God help us to get them see if we just sang Amazing Grace every service you know what would happen somebody would say and I wish we think something else not Amazing Grace why is that because it's the nature of humanity the discipline of worship says I'm gonna worship you no matter what the discipline of Prayer says I know this is how my life has changed the discipline of loving one another says I need you you need me together the world's gonna know that we're following Jesus staying with me would you love thy neighbor as thyself now in the age in which we live there's a whole lot to be questioned right it's a whole lot to be wondered about and scratch your head and say what in the world were they thinking or whatever it is but when it comes to the Word of God there's one thing that you have to always remember friend it is written and it is forever settled in heaven may not already be settled on earth but it's settled there when we stand before him guess what we're going to give an account to his word so in the family of God base your relationships on the word and your physical family blood family base your relationships and the word discipline yourself to say God I want revival at Cornerstone therefore help my attitude to be right I don't want to be the stumbling block for altars filled with souls I don't I don't God I want to be there work me my mom says it all the time honey all of us can complain best thing to do those go to the altar pray with somebody get your eyes off everything going on and watch what God does in them and build on that don't build on what that built on the altar safest place you'll ever be is the altar burdens are lifted in the altar shame is removed in an altar callings are given at an altar I love all of you my wife and I we love you all dearly listen friend it's more than just me saying that it's more than just you staying or going okay it's more than that it's saying pastor I'm here I'm not just in the building but I'm here blessed be the name of the Lord put my praise with his put my worship with hers let's attack come on God I love you and I bless you've got a brother over here that struggling that's got wounds from a bad week at work or family problems or health issues or finance come on let's surround you can't give them a word of encouragement more than I'm praying for you and I'm gonna bless the Lord right around you and when the power of God descends and touches me it's gonna touch you it's gonna touch you and as worship begins to happen forgiveness begins to work lift your hands with your right now all over the building let's pray together Jesus thank you for the church oh I thank you for the family of God I thank you Lord for the opportunity to grow and to learn to develop Lord God to prosper I thank you Jesus for my brothers and sisters in the church Oh God I know you're doing a great work in their lives and I pray that you would continue to do so let revival happen in their hearts and in their lives Jesus I pray that you would work in them Lord in spite of failures and faults and shortcomings I pray the blood of Jesus would work in them I plead your blood over them right now in the name of Jesus let your anointing Lord God rest upon their lives pray for every home that's represented in this house in the name of Jesus hallelujah shot oh yeah in the name of Jesus I pray for families right now in Jesus name I pray Lord for individuals right now in Jesus name I pray for our children right now in the name of Jesus pray for our college kids Lord going in on these campuses God be with them in Jesus name I love your Lord and I believe that the church is victorious through the word of our testimony and by the way that we love one another Lord and the world is gonna know our relationship with you come on somebody love him for just a moment come on worship his name for just a bit before you go home tonight I love you Jesus I believe in you Lord and I trust in you my hope is in you my faith is in you lord my courage comes from you tonight Jesus I love you and I bless your name I rebuke the enemy that would try to discourage I rebuke the enemy that would try to destroy in the name of Jesus there is power in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus hallelujah reach over pray for your neighbor right now grab them by the hand lift into heaven come on pray one for another right now in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus come on there's victory in the name of Jesus that's right come on praying for somebody the God you know what they're going through Lourdes you know the battles they're facing right now but you know the victory Lord that's in front of them I pray God for every one of them in the name of Jesus hallelujah hallelujah let God arise and let our enemy be scattered we love you we honor and trust you in the name above every name Jesus Jesus Jesus hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah I bless your name Oh God hallelujah somebody say in Jesus name praise God love you all thank you so much for coming to the house of the Lord on this Wednesday night don't forget Saturday morning 9 o'clock until noon Church will be open for family prayer come by you can stay the three hours you can come and stay 20 minutes it's gonna be focused on family prayer if your family's in town bring them with you come on if you got a drag I'm here drag them yeah if you got talent come on I'll buy you lunch really 9 o'clock that's early for lunch well we're gonna stop to me they lied to me I know sit down shut up we're gonna pray I love you all and then some they're back in here at 11 o'clock for Sunday school 12 o'clock worship they meant excited about what God's doing pray for who - ah I've got another open house coming up - end of the month and then excited about that Bible study's gonna begin midweek Bible study they're gonna be talking about the Bible alright shake hands be friendly have a great rest of the week we will see you this weekend in Jesus name