“Let us Edify One Another” Edify = Mutual Up-

building

2008 Conference (“Rise up and Build” Bible study lessons.)

“Building”, Faith, Love, The Spirit of Cooperation, Prayer Practice, Usefulness in the Lord’s Service, and Outreach

Edify by Loving one another

By love serve one another!

“ye also ought to wash one another's feet.”

Washing another’s feet • An act of humility (Mic.

6:8)

• Requires serving others rather than being served.(Gal 5:13)

• Involves self sacrifice (Luke 9:23)

• It is an act of love!

By love serve

others

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.(Gal 6:2)

As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. (1Pe 4:10)

Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility (1 Pet 5:5)

Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. (Eph 5:21)

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. (Php 2:3)

Eliminate self and edify others by

adding LOVE!

We need to help one another ….with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.. (Eph 4:2)

(agape) Love is not about self!

Love is the answer to our relationship problems

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another (1Jn 4:11)

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34-35)

Variations of this critical commandment appear at least 10 times! John 15:12; 15:17; Rom 13:8; 1 Thes 4:9; 1 Pet 1:22; 1 John 3:11; 3:23; 4:7; 4:11; 4:12; 2 John 1:5

Love one

another

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

Ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.

See that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

Love one another, as he gave us commandment

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.

And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from

the beginning, that we love one another.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER

?

How can we so easily ignore this fundamental requirement?

Why do we avoid talking about love?

Stating that “love is a weakness” or that “love brethren” are compromising the truth does not relieve us from keeping this commandment! (this teaching/doctrine)

Love is not only a doctrine..it is also “a more excellent way” (1 Cor 12:31)

The More Excellent Way

If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. (1 Cor. 13: 1-3 NRSV)

Agape Love Love is patient; love is kind; love

is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;

it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth.

It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends. (1Co 13:4-8 NRSV)

Replace “love” with your name and see how it sounds!

God is Love!

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. (1Jn 4:7)

And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (1Jn 4:21)

• Love God (with whole heart)• Love Jesus (feed sheep)• Love Neighbor (as self)• Love one another!

We ought also to love one another

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

WHY?

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Love cares about

others!

We need to help one another, and preserve one another…. love one another with a pure heart fervently

The end of all things is near; therefore be serious and discipline yourselves for the sake of your prayers. Above all, maintain constant love for one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaining. (1Pe 4:7-8 NRSV)

Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.(Matt 25:40)

Love for God and His

Word!

Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels…(Mal 3:16-17)

Teaching One

Another!

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. (Col 3:16-17)

Be subject to one

another!

Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.(1Pe 5:5)

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.(Eph 4:32) THEME VERSE

Exhort one another… TO LOVE!

And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Heb 10:24-25)

But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. (Heb 3:13)

And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. (Rom 15:14)

Walk in the

Light!

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1Jn 1:7)

For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. (1Th 5:9-11)

Follow his example!

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. (Rom 15:1-4)

Care one for

another!

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. (Rom 15:5-7)

That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. (1Co 12:25-26)

Balance!We need Balance (an

important principle for us to apply to relationship issues)

He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD. (Pro 17:15)

Double minded man?

Strain at gnats, swallow camels?

Balance requires emphasis on both the purity of the word and being “doers of the word”

Balanced teaching

and practice!

The Pharisees were predictable, traditional and hypocritical

Paul was a Pharisee but…(AFTER CONVERSION) he was versatile, flexible and subtle (wise)

Many of his writings provide important advice for our relationships

Why do we need

balance?

We are all different! Every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. (1 Cor 7:7)

One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind (Rom 14:5)

But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. (Rom 14:10)

Balance and Understanding

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men. .(Rom 14:17-18)

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.(Rom 14:19)

These are Difficult Times !

We need to help one another

With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love.. (Eph 4:2)

We need to help one another .. preserve one another

Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another. (Mark 9:50)

Remember!These are Perilous Times

a “Time of Trouble” Let us redeem the time, the days are evil

We need to number our days and apply our hearts to wisdom

Deny self … esteem others better and work together

Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.

Love one another

while…

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

Pray for one

another!

As we reflect on the times.. and our lessons on “one to another”

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. (Eph 4:31-32)

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (Jas 5:16)