Growing Spiritually Mature Through Loving God and People
John 13:34-35
Healthy relationships are based on healthy loving.
Healthy relationships are the key to success in every area of life.
How we feel about each other determines our spiritual level of maturity.
Biblical fellowship is loving God through loving people.
Fellowship is the Greek word koinonia meaning to share life together.
I John 1:3, …“That you may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
Fellowship in Christian terms means mutual acceptance of the and submission to the principles of Christian faith. It means sharing in personal knowledge of a heartfelt obedience to God through Jesus Christ.
From this definition of fellowship is knowing and obeying Jesus Christ, which is fellowship and discipleship.
Our theme for 2024, “Growing spiritually mature through loving God and loving people.”
Fellowship is essential for spiritual maturity, that is loving God through loving people.
Let us work on loving one another, through accepting each other as God has accepted us.
Loving only starts when we start loving. Love is a choice that we as Christian choose to do if we want to grow and enjoy fellowship with God.
God made us to love us with an everlasting love.
Loving is the center piece for God’s plan for mankind.
Loving makes us more like God that’s discipleship.
Loving makes worship more meaningful.
Loving makes evangelism more effective.
Loving makes ministry exciting.
Loving makes fellowship a reality.
To live in disobedience is to live outside of the will of God.
I Cor. 13:2, “And though I have the gift of prophesy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountain and have not charity I am nothing.”
By this, love, is the distinction that separates the Christian faith from false religion.
The first Christians were known by their deep, genuine, and tender affection of love toward one another.
We need to love and be loved to fulfill the great commission and great commandment.
Loving God is more than just saying I love God!
I John 4:20, “If a man say I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
To love God is to love people is biblical fellowship!
When we love God through loving people spiritual maturity is the results.
Hate, resentment, unforgiveness, and bitterness kills spiritual maturity.
But when we love people sacrificially then we are disciples of Christ.
You cannot love the building more than the people in the building.
You cannot love your auxiliary more than the people in the auxiliary.
You cannot love stuff and things more than loving people.
You cannot let your light shine without loving people.
God showed us how to love.
I want to be more like Jesus!
Healthy relationships are the key to success in every area of life.
How we feel about each other determines our spiritual level of maturity.
Biblical fellowship is loving God through loving people.
Fellowship is the Greek word koinonia meaning to share life together.
I John 1:3, …“That you may have fellowship with us and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
Fellowship in Christian terms means mutual acceptance of the and submission to the principles of Christian faith. It means sharing in personal knowledge of a heartfelt obedience to God through Jesus Christ.
From this definition of fellowship is knowing and obeying Jesus Christ, which is fellowship and discipleship.
Our theme for 2024, “Growing spiritually mature through loving God and loving people.”
Fellowship is essential for spiritual maturity, that is loving God through loving people.
Let us work on loving one another, through accepting each other as God has accepted us.
Loving only starts when we start loving. Love is a choice that we as Christian choose to do if we want to grow and enjoy fellowship with God.
- God gives us his priority to grow spiritually mature- vs. 34a.
- God gives us the process to grow spiritually mature- vs. 34b.
- God gives us the product of spiritual maturity- vs. 35.
God made us to love us with an everlasting love.
Loving is the center piece for God’s plan for mankind.
Loving makes us more like God that’s discipleship.
Loving makes worship more meaningful.
Loving makes evangelism more effective.
Loving makes ministry exciting.
Loving makes fellowship a reality.
- God gives us his priority to grow spiritually mature- vs 34a
- It is new in the sense that it is not being done.
- Lev. 19:18, “Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; I am the LORD.”
- It is new in the sense that we are to be known by loving people.
- It is the Christian badge that distinguishes us from the world and religion.
- Christians are not to be known by our dress, money, education, or fame but by loving unconditionally.
- God gives the process to grow spiritually mature- vs. 34b
- The process to spiritual maturity starts with obeying God commandment to love people.
To live in disobedience is to live outside of the will of God.
I Cor. 13:2, “And though I have the gift of prophesy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountain and have not charity I am nothing.”
- God informs us how we are to love others.
- Storge love for family.
- Philia brotherly love
- Eros romantic love.
- Agape unconditional love
- Everlasting love.
- Unconditional love.
- Sacrificial love.
- Loving the unlovable is hard, but the Holy Spirit through the word of God give us enabling power to love the unlovable.
- God gives us the product of spiritual maturity- vs. 35
By this, love, is the distinction that separates the Christian faith from false religion.
- That is your love for each other shall be so decisive evidence that you are like Christ.
- Not by ritual or habits
- Not speaking in tongues or any other charismatic antics.
- Not by your dress or your proper English
- Not by the fine cars you drive or by the big house you live in
The first Christians were known by their deep, genuine, and tender affection of love toward one another.
- Their love caused them to share whatever they had with those who had needs.
- Barnabus sold his property and gave it to the church because of his love for his brothers and sisters.
We need to love and be loved to fulfill the great commission and great commandment.
- Loving people and loving God produces discipleship.
- By this, the this is love!
- Love is God’s ordained distinction that makes us different from the world and religion.
- Fellowship is loving and obeying God’s commandment to love thy neighbor as thyself.
- Loving others opened the flood gate of grace.
- Love and grace are inextricably tied together.
- If you need more grace, start loving people.
Loving God is more than just saying I love God!
I John 4:20, “If a man say I love God and hates his brother, he is a liar for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?”
To love God is to love people is biblical fellowship!
When we love God through loving people spiritual maturity is the results.
Hate, resentment, unforgiveness, and bitterness kills spiritual maturity.
But when we love people sacrificially then we are disciples of Christ.
You cannot love the building more than the people in the building.
You cannot love your auxiliary more than the people in the auxiliary.
You cannot love stuff and things more than loving people.
You cannot let your light shine without loving people.
God showed us how to love.
- 2 Cor. 8:9, “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich.”
- Jesus left heaven’s glory to come to earth’s sorrow, to show us how to love one another.
- The King of glory became a servant to show us how to love each other.
I want to be more like Jesus!
