Love One Another - How to Connect Deeply with Others, Part 1

Do you long to be loved. You wish there was a group of people that when you were there.

The conversation would be wares and then they would fill in your name. You have that you wanted do you know that God wants for you today will learn how to get statement welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram Living on the Edge features the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram on this international discipleship program through industry continues our series love one another gives us the keys to building relationships that really last.

In other words, how to be devoted to one another in a way that comes when accounts of you have a Bible open it. Romans chapter 12 let's join his message how to connect deeply with others. What did Jesus say said a lot of things, but in John 1334. He said there's a new commandment.

And the new commandment is this love one another.

How in the same way that he loved his early disciples.

He told them, and now tells us love each other to learn that were a family as well as a body and so go ahead if you will pull out a pillow teaching handout can go ahead and pull that out and be following that in a minute quote on the very front of that handout is from a very very famous author had a chance to meme a couple times don't say I know him well at all, but have heard a lot of his teaching have read several of his books. Dr. Larry Crabb 25 years of counseling, multiple books, well trained, PhD, counseling, practice, training students, on and on and on and on.

He sees more and more and more and more breakdown of relationships and begin to see that what the church originally was meant to do was happening more and more and more that people sharing deeply people working through deep issues. There were almost always doing it in therapy instead of in churches and although he feels there's a clear role for quality Christian counseling. Obviously he's a Christian counselor what he began to see was were missing were missing it somewhere people are recovering, people are growing into wholeness tells a story of the meeting with a felony. Said you know there's times where he said it without false humility is really good at what he does has great insight is well-trained is that there is a particular problem of very, very deep psychological problem.

The spells life. He said we met a couple three times. I mean for like to three years and he said he remembers the great breakthrough day and he felt like God just gave him insight like never before to to really help this person see what was going on in his life and in his mind the whole healing process really began their later on during that time. However, he was just driving around the Napa live in the same town. Any notice this friend in it with another friend eating a brownbag lunch in Park and so you thought you know this and very professional, but he just had a prompting of God, and he went over and just sat down on the grass informally took off his counselor had just said how you doing and the guy started to note give the psychological things he's working on his own on though. I mean like regular you know like regular people, how you doing you say find is all fine join for lunch is a brochure and they said we sat down we just had lunch wouldn't talk about his deep issues. We were just friends for 45 minutes is I didn't think anything of it. I got my car went back. He moved out of the area. He met him. I forget how much longer a significant period of time longer any thought to himself, how are you doing the guy glorious story coming to restore any real change in her transformation rightly connected with God restored relationships making great progress.

Any scientist can resist. He said well tell me what what was a turning point and he said, in my mind and thinking I can tell you the session and I noticed that she's in a say in what I said in the great insight I brought in a go ahead, tell me and said you know there was a day there's a day when I think all begin to turn around and you know his chest. The swelling you know they said that day that you ate lunch with me in the park. He said what he said yeah just the day you eat lunch with me so I don't know. We were just friends and we were working on my problem and somehow we connected and I felt affirmed and love just as a regular person and he said I think that was the turning point notice on the front of your hand out of pull out a couple quotes from the forward of Crabb's book, connecting the rights.

Imagine what could happen if God were to place within his people and tangible nutrients that had the power to both prevent and reverse soul disease and they told us how to share those nutrients with each other in a special kind of intimate relating called connecting.

Imagine what could happen if it were true if we believed it, and if we devote ourselves to understanding what those nutrients were and how we can give them away. I envision a community listen to that word carefully of people who intentionally mingle in settings where these nutrients are passed back and forth where I pour into you. The healing resources within me and you pour into me what God is put into you, like spiritual gifts, these nutrients only nourish our own souls as we give them away for the blessing of others last paragraph critical ready in recent days is after 25 years as a professional counselor, I've made a shift. I am now working toward the day when communities of God's people, ordinary Christians whose lives regularly intersect will accomplish most of the good that we now depend on mental health professionals to provide Geo lycée paradigm shift what he saying is I realize he's on the research.

After two years of psychotherapy. The research tells us that people get about just as well with it or without their special cases and I'm not saying Christian counseling is needed. It is, but for the mass mass mass mass majority of the real soul issues notice when he goes on to say, and they will do it by connecting we check with each other's in ways that only the gospel makes possible. Dr. Larry Crabb what is actually saying is, here's a renowned psychotherapist who concludes there must be a better way. I'm he's full-fledged into counseling says there must be a better way. And here's the question what is this better way and how does it work and I like to suggest that since most do you already turn the page.

I will to end up a better way is God's answer in Romans 1210. It's one thing to say what did Jesus say love one another. But now the question is how does it work, how do we love one another. It begins by understanding we are members of one another, it moves on. By understanding be devoted to one another.

It's a command be devoted to one another in brotherly love. That's how it works. Now he's you know he's a real smart guy and is a psychologist so he doesn't use those Bible words.

He called connecting but that's what this morning I'm in a giddy little Bible study. I'm getting the context and the meaning of the words God wants you to get it and so he says you're not only a a body theologically, but you're a family and what makes for great families is the emotional, psychological, connecting where we heal one another's wounds. As we love one another and afford to do what Jesus said if organ or love each other. It starts obviously by understanding who we are in his community. Our membership in our function, but the very first thing that we have to be devoted to one another, be devoted to one another in brotherly love in very specific, tangible, concrete ways. Now you might ask, what does it mean mean specifically what's it mean to be devoted to one another. Let me tell you context theory might open your Bible to Romans chapter 12 and I'll just highlight as I go.

The first couple verses talk about our relationship with God. Verses six through eight glance through their talks about your giftedness. The only point I want to make is the context is as we are in community.

We are interdependent in community and in that context in verse 10 were told love one another in brotherly love be devoted to one another. The context of verse 10 is this little phrase here. It's not just be devoted to one another. But how be devoted to one another in brotherly love you all already know Greek word you don't know some of you visited there. The Liberty Bell as their fellow love Adelphia brothers right Philadelphia the city of brotherly love. That's this word be devoted to one another in fellow Adelphia. The word Adele Fossum brothers is used to hundred and 50 times in the New Testament. What's the point where family were brothers were sisters. It's more than just a theological reality were to care for one another, were to be touching one another were to be from the heart connected to each other back the meaning of the word devotion is really pretty interesting. Webster says the word devotion means to give up oneself once time one's energy to some purpose, activity, or person is to pursue with loyalty and deep affection.

I like that devotion means to pursue one another with loyalty and deep affection. In fact, the meaning of this word here. It's a different word devotion is fellow same word love Stargate and that means the mutual love using classical Greek is only found here.

I believe New Testament fellow Stargate means is translated devotion. But the idea King James tries to get his arm around my talking about a warm tender affection. The idea it's the kind of love that parents have for children and children have parents at the kind of love that brothers and sisters have back in summer if you want to know what it means to be devoted to one another hears it in a nutshell, tender, family connection, one to another, from the heart. Get that okay tender you see what I'm trying to get at tender family connection from the heart off the authentic to one another real live authentic, warm, caring you matter relationships with one another.

That's what the meat that's what it means to be devoted to one only has to before I go on how many of you have that don't raise your hand. How many of you are experiencing that at some significant level, not perfectly, but I'm insignificantly there are other believers, not just immediate family. There's other believers, review file tenderness and a warmth and you are connected with them from the heart that you can sit down over a couple coffee that when things are really weighing you down, you can pick up the phone and you can talk to someone and you're greeted with concern and affirmation and love and follow through and maybe a note in the mail later an invitation to get some up.

How many of you have that's God's dream for you to his will for you. It's his will for every person.

That's what it means afford and obey the command for really take seriously love one another, God wants that for you and for those of you that have it's precious is it's awesome. No matter how much he had you on the Lord. Ouch I do.

That's okay, but that's what it means. Let me show you what it looks like rule specifically to skin it takes some quick pictures.

The first one is just from the Old Testament you want to get a feel for it. You know if you're sort of a word picture person read the book of Ruth and look at the relationship between Ruth and Naomi, it's family life. It's a daughter in law who's lost her husband at the Mongols lost her voice, her husband and his family love and notice that as you read that story in the book of Ruth. Their family love transcends race. She's a Moabite Ruth is Naomi's a Jew transcends culture and even geography there willing to relocate if necessary for another good Old Testament example is Jonathan and David first Samuel 20 awesome awesome passage of connection, love, family, brotherhood. Maybe these are two men that love each other at a level and it is wonderful and notice the things it transcends power. Jonathan is the King's son, he should be threatened, but is not privilege. He's got all the money he's got he's got the family. He's got the name, but he lays all that aside, in fact, there's a very special moment in their life where he gives away his sword. His robe and very specific things that communicate were on level ground.

David and then finally the last one family relationship. This love is so deep when Jonathan has to choose between his father's wrath for David and his own love and brotherhood for David. He chooses God's way over his own family. See, that's the kind of love were talking about, talk about some warm legally fuzzy little trite superficial. We got enough of that junk that's TV stuff that's Hollywood stuff that's what people act about or talk about the real thing fact third example is just read through the book of acts chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 6 chapter 13 just read through the book of acts, brothers and sisters, loving each other. I mean, it transcends money. They just they just pull their money. Such a crisis early on things pool their money and just meet each other's needs to transcend social economic barriers. If you read carefully. You got people in the household of Herod and you've got slaves get Jews and you got Gentile you people who hated each other's guts. It wouldn't go in the same roof that would need a meal together all this stuff and then when there's this family love. It transcends all that. What did Jesus say he said love one another. How as I've loved you sacrificial from the heart tenderly as a family that can happen if we don't know each other. The clarity as we are members of one another and now the first command be devoted to one another, and asking that second question.

The first one was member you feel connected like that. Do you have a sense that sense of moral responsibility. That sense of from the heart. Are you devoted to other believers in brotherly and doesn't matter how they're doing. Did you feel the moral weight toward other believers like you would someone is a physical brother or sister relationally or to a mom or to a dad or to a niece or two nephew to see what I want you understand the Bible talks about this the supernatural community he saying that we each move toward one another in connection and I need to own the moral weight of saying if you're not loved. I'm not built to supply it and I didn't need to be a part of the process of you getting connected and loved. And so then the question is what is it that keeps you what is it that keeps me from experiencing this authentic devotion, the supernatural community and so with that follow along. Get your pan out.

If you willing to make it work a little bit is what I want to do is just do some things that are very, very simple, but what you know first what keeps us from experiencing this authentic devotion one another one.

It doesn't happen automatically business it is not magic. God didn't design the body where you just come to church couple times and all of a sudden something happens inside.

I'm just devoted to everyone in brotherly love and having that way if I could so is not automatic multiple times in the Scripture were commanded were reminded to make this the focal point lest we end up with just some sort of intellectual relationship with God and with others, knows what it says in first Thessalonians 49 10 know about brotherly love.

We have no need to write to you, Paul says, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other and in fact you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia yet. We urge you, brothers to do so more and more seats not automatic. We all need urging second passage first Peter 122 and 23 now that you have purified yourselves by the by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart for you been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable to the living and enduring word of God to get the idea. You have the ability, I have the ability because I have a new birth to love people. But what, there's a command. Therefore, love one another out superficially when it's convenient now authentically from the heart list part one of trips message to connect deeply with others from his series. Love will know it's easy to hear truth, believe it even be moved by it, and then drift along to whatever comes next.

If you've been moved today to love the people around you a little better than you have been the series love one another provides biblical direction to help you pursue that goal. Love one another will give you insight into issues like how to love difficult people how to restore someone who's fallen into sin and how to lovingly hold one another accountable it's filled with practical truth to help you deepen relationships on every level to take a look at our resource options for love one another. Check it out online at http://livingontheedge.org or Special offers only a for more information just give us a call at AAA 333-6003 check before you come back and talk about today's message you know you talk about how you use a journal as part of your routine and you talk often about how your wife Teresa has an amazing prayer life. Does she use a journal and if so how does she use David's.

It's interesting that you would say that because I think this is something we need to clear up about journaling or not journaling my wife uses her journal completely different than me. She's not a verbal processor. Her verbal processing is primarily she prays for very long periods of time. She can concentrate. She pours out her heart. I always knows when she's had a good prayer time because to be this pile of Kleenex is where she's been crying and so heard her journal is primarily writing down specific prayer request.

It's very brief and it's very focused. Mine is there's lots of words there is. This is what I'm thinking this is what I'm feeling. Here's five concerns that have come to my mind that I'm distracted by night right. Each of those down and turn it to a prayer list. My point is this journal is a tool, it doesn't make you spiritual to write in the journal they need to be a unique tool to help you connect with God. So it's it's used in a way, by way of our personality and what God is doing in our life but what I do know whether you write a little or a lot whether it's more of just a prayer journal or whether it's a life journal is there's something to be said for using the tool that is tracking your journey with Christ left to ourselves. We will get very negative will be like the Israelites will forget all of God's miracles and when we face hard things will feel alone and not trust God and over and over and over Old Testament what they do, they go back to those memorial stones. God parted the Red Sea God gave the manna the water came from the rock and I believe that that is really the role of the journal. It's just whether it's a little or a lot.

It's marking some things down so that in your darkest times you can come back and you can say you know something the God who was faithful during that time is with me now so if even for those who've never kept a journal. I would encourage you give it a try and don't feel like you have to write every single day but begin a rhythm or a track record. Maybe it's true three times a week or you do it when you're compelled or becomes your prayer journal, but were just encouraging people. We want you to be connected to God and you just can't say a little prayer and read a little something fast and expect to have a deep, powerful, abiding relationship with Jesus Christ our hearts desire is to help you to be connect deeply with the living God, and we believe this journal could be one small part of that journey for you looks easy to be excited about our new prayer journals because there's so well done there beautifully bound in a couple of different colors with embossed gold or silver trimmings and inside it's even better chips given you a few of his journaling tips. There's a dedication page. If you want to send it as a gift and there's tons of room for you to do your own personal journaling for limited time are brand-new prayer journals are discounted so we hope you'll check them out today. You'll find all the details of LivingontheEdge.org app listeners will find them when you tap special offers and for more information just give us a call at AAA 333-6003. Without your strip with a final thought, be devoted to one another in brotherly love sounds, nice doesn't.

But what a calling. What strong words they are gentle but they are powerful.

I remember studying this word be devoted and it literally blew my mind when I solve the strengthen the commitment and the level of intensity and relationships that this word from God demands this isn't just how you feel about your wife for a very very small group of very close friends this be devoted to one another is how believers are to think about and to treat one another simply because were in the body of Christ.

This is the kind of devotion that flows out of relationships that are built not around blood relationship work or common hobbies or personality chemistry. This is the kind of devotion that flows out of the common bond of knowing Christ and being committed to one another because we belong in his supernatural community, the church is the kind of love that causes a person when they hear that a member of their small group is unexpectedly lost their wife, they stop their vacation they pay that extra money to change their airflight. They fly all the way across the country and they sit in silence in the living room and they hear their brother cry and they don't have words to say and they just hug him and they just hold him and they walk through the next two weeks with them and then when they're asked because I asked them why in the world did you do that and they looked at me with this quizzical look and said it never occurred to us not to. That's what it means to be devoted to one another in brotherly love and in this transit culture where families live farther and farther apart. If there's ever a day brothers and sisters in the body of Christ for us to be devoted to one another unconditionally, not based on who we really fit with, but based on the love and the bond of Christ.

It's now what would it look like today in your life in your church in your small group for you to express being devoted to someone else out of the love of Christ.

Can you picture in your mind what would it look like now. Today, go do it. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Just before we close.

I would like each of you who's making this program possible through your generous giving 100% of your gifts are going directly to the ministry to help Christians really live like Christians. A few phone chips teaching helpful which are not yet on the team you consider doing that today to donate. Just go to LivingontheEdge.org tap donate on the app or give us a call at AAA 83336003. Your gifts are greatly appreciated will be with us again next time. When Chip continues his series love one another to live for everyone here. This is Dave Drewry saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge