Loving One Another Well in Christ

The Role of the Church in Guiding Each Believer in Prayer and Mercy

Good Morning,

As I was working on Ephesians 1:15-23 for this coming Lord’s Day morning at Bethany today I was struck particularly about the opening verses of 15 and 16 and the way Paul describes how the Gospel warms the hearts of those who rest in Christ. We talked a lot yesterday in the sermon on Hebrews 4:1-10 on how Sabbath observance is not as much about what we “do” on Sunday as it is about “who” we do it in and for. The more we remember the radical nature of the gospel and what that means for us personally, both now and eternally, the more we should be moved to witness mercy to those around us. Particularly when it comes to the lost. Our joy is grounded in who God is and what God has done. How much more so should that then be the heart and soul of our Christian life, especially when it comes to fellow members in the church of Christ.

In today’s prayer and worship help we are going to spend some time thinking through how we can not only do better in the consideration of our vows to one another when we joined the church, but mainly in the manner in which our Lord witnesses to us the hope we have born of His love for us at the cross.

When it comes to our resting in the salvation purchased by our Redeemer we can see how it is reflected in the way we treat one another, in faith and love, through prayer and public worship (Heb. 10:24-25). Our attendance, when not providentially hindered by illness or legitimate oxen in the ditch, in the house of God on the Sabbath is a blessing to our fellow believers in a way we may not always realize. When one looks out and sees an empty spot where our friend and brother usual is it should drive us not only to reach out to see where they may be (this isn’t just the job of the pastor or elders or deacons, that is an every-member responsibility) it should bother us in a way that we would likewise feel when a person in our earthly family is missing from a feast or gathering of some kind. That type of worry is born of love and genuine concern for the spiritual well-being of our brother or sister. An open pew should never result in a shrug or lack of notice.

See in the above mentioned passage how excited Paul is to hear how his prayers for his people in Ephesus are being strengthened by the Holy Spirit’s grace-filled encouragements. A lot of the problems a church can have can be traced back to the kind of person who can’t wait to gossip and tear down a fellow Christian or group of believers for whatever reason, even if it is a “good” one, but would then never sit down and pray to Jesus for that person. It’s also a sure-fire way to harm the evangelistic mission of a local church as rumors and half-truths get around and around. To return back to the above paragraph if you recognize that a person is not at church on a Sunday and you have an inkling of relief, that is a feeling that needs sanctified. We stand and fall as one.

We should be moved then by what we read in Ephesians 1:15-23 to seek the good of all men and women through Christ and His love for us, even when that means treating sin for what it is and calling folks to repentance. Those “saints” for whom Christ died, and gave His life, just as He did for us deserve our prayers and our working in the might of His power to see the body of our Lord blessed in the forgiveness of sins, the correction necessary for holiness, and the glory of God almighty in and through His Church and her worship.

Our hope in Christ is born of His hope in the promises of God in us. In other words when Jesus laments the hard-heartedness of Jerusalem at the end of Matthew 23 He does so because He has within Himself the knowledge of the love of God for sinners. He also knows those who the Father has given Him. Sometimes it is helpful for us as Christians to remember that when our Lord was weeping tears of blood in the garden He was considering not only the power and might of God as it began to come down on Him in the Father’s wrath, but He was also meditating on those for whom He would die. You personally were in the heart and soul of your Savior as He paid the penalty for your sin on the cross. Our own thinking on that should likewise motivate us to be at peace in Christ. If He would do such for us, what should we then do for those who He died for as well? Those who are not sisters and brothers in the flesh, but are of a greater bond in the household of faith? In fact Paul reminds us of that responsibility, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith”.

In closing, while you have heard me many times bang on about prayer meetings and the importance of our attendance at them I don’t want to go down that road again at this moment. However, I do want to take a second to ask us to do something related to that. When you go to the Lord in prayer this week in your daily times of devotion I want you to do something. I want you think of someone you have not prayed for lately. Dedicate the whole week to lifting that person up to God. The question of course is in order to pray for that person there is another thing to consider: when is the last time you talked to that individual? It’s hard to pray for someone when you don’t know what is going on in their life. Reach out to that person. Tell them you want to pray for them. Don’t be afraid. No one is going to get mad at you for asking, and if they do then you know even more what they need prayer for. It is worth the effort. I guarantee it.

Here’s another thought:

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-art-of-one-anothering

Blessings in Christ,

Rev. Benjamin Glaser

Pastor, Bethany ARP Church