The Way Forward Part 2
We trust today’s message encouraged and guided you in your journey of following Jesus. These notes are meant to help you remember and reflect on the message, help you go deeper into study on the subject, or to be used for a sermon group discussion. CLICK HERE to find a discussion group. Enjoy!
Sermon Title: The Way Forward: Care for One Another
Main Scripture: Matthew 22:36-37; Galatians 6:10; 1 John 3:16-18; Romans 12:13;15
If you’re going through this discussion with a community group this week consider taking the time to read the provided scripture to catch everyone up!
Summary:
Pastor Ryan preached again on the topic of “The Way Forward” in 2022. Life has been very difficult for many in the past two years and Pastor Ryan says it appears from his perspective to have ramped up in the past 6 months or so. It’s no surprise what it is, COVID has changed our way of life and has affected many. Just when we think we’re overcoming the virus a new wave hits us. Pastor Ryan encouraged us to do something simple but powerful: care for one another, especially in the family of God. The Bible speaks in numerous places on our attitude and ways of the church caring, loving, and serving one another. Pastor Ryan unpacked a few of those important verses, shared a recent and personal experience, and then gave us practical ways we can care for one another. Overall, we were challenged that it’s not enough to belong to the body of Christ, spiritually, we need to express our care for the body, physically. We are part of the largest and greatest family on earth. Express your love and care for it with action, especially in this moment of time.
Notes:
Today’s message is in light of all that our community and church are going through. As a pastor, we are aware of the trials, struggles, and deaths that are connected in some way to our flock. The past two years have been very difficult. The morale of our nurses, doctors, and first responders is at an all-time low. All of us are in some way weary of the circumstances in our world. Last week we learned that we can move forward in 2022 with strength and courage because God is with us. Let me encourage and challenge us that the way forward this year is also for the church to take care of each other.
I repeat a phrase on a regular basis to my kids. Love God, Love Others, and obey the Bible. I teach them that if they do those three things they will be right with God and successful in this life. I add when we faithfully love God and obey the Bible we wholeheartedly love others.
Matthew 22:36-37 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Of all the things God would command us to do, the deep things we could learn and dissect, but the most important of all, LOVE.
What’s also beautiful is that to love others is to express our love for God. Jesus makes a point many times when speaking to the Pharisees who struggled to show love to others that your zeal to be right with God needs to include showing love and compassion to those around you.
1 John 4:19-21: 19 We love each other because he loved us first. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
1 John 3:16-18: 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
John 13:31-35 (context, Jesus washed the disciple’s feet, had the last supper and reveals Judas was going to betray him.) 31 As soon as Judas left the room, Jesus said, “The time has come for the Son of Man to enter into his glory, and God will be glorified because of him. 32 And since God receives glory because of the Son, he will give his own glory to the Son, and he will do so at once. 33 Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. 34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
What were they to do in Jesus’ absence? Show devoted and sacrificial love to one another.
There are many ways of expressing love, but today I want to focus on the expression of our care for one another.
OUR RECENT FAMILY STORY: This past week, I was reminded and witnessed, once again, how important it is that we love and simply care for each other. Last Sunday after church, I went to visit my father-in-law to see how he was doing at home. He had contracted covid and was at the end of 10 days but he was not himself and strength had not returned yet. His oxygen levels were in the low 90’s. His doctor suggested he get looked at in the hospital and after visiting Him I agreed. My wife and mother-in-law took him to the hospital where he would wait for an excruciating 29 hours to get a bed. For two days, his oxygen levels improved without the aid of oxygen and he passed the tests. Praise the Lord, He is home now. The prayer and physical support and advocacy that we received were very encouraging.
I know this goes without saying, but it deserves a reminder right now: we need to be there for each other.
When someone passes away and the widow or widower is alone, this changes the dynamics of their lifestyle.
The pain and grief of the loss, loneliness, tasks around the home, taking care of the kids, working to pay the bills, and the challenging list goes on.
In the world we are living in now, going through a trial, death or not, feels magnified and exacerbated.
Fears, stress levels, and exhaustion are at an all-time high. What’s the way forward this year?
Love, serve and be there for one another. It’s simple, but it’s powerful, especially at this moment in time.
The Bible is full of examples of the attitude and ways in which the church cared, loved, and served one another. I want to share a few of these and then give a practical list we can use at the end.
Romans 12:4-5: Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
We are the church, the body of Christ. Therefore, we are connected in Christ as the head. Each believer has a loving responsibility to serve and help each other. It can not and should not be one way, but reciprocal. We live in a cycle of giving and receiving, through the enablement of Jesus as our source of life. Jesus nurtures us and we grow and build each other up.
Galatians 6:9-10: So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone–especially to those in the family of faith.
Paul wasn’t teaching us to ignore our community. Paul teaches to make sure we cover the family of faith as we help the community.
Doing “good” can be many things. I’ll share examples of what that looks like in a moment.
1 Peter 4:7-11
7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be alert and of sober mind so that you may pray. 8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.
Be ready, alert, and focused in prayer.
Love overcomes a multitude of offenses, conflicts, and shortcomings in the family of God.
Offer hospitality, meals, homes, and aid.
Romans 12:13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.
Use your gifts to serve others. These gifts are God’s grace in various forms. We are vessels of God’s comfort, help, and blessings. What an honor to be a faithful steward of God’s grace.
The gift of serving or helping others, use it. Even when it’s hard, you can do it because God will give you strength.
2 Corinthians 1:3-5: 3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:26 If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.
Romans 12:15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Show compassion, sympathy, and empathy for those who are going through difficult trials. Those who have been through painful experiences of many kinds are a gift for the church because the comfort you received from God and the church in your grieving can now be expressed to those going through the same experience.
God desires that we give out the comfort He gave us. Praise the Lord, we can do this with his help.
Here are some practical ways we can love, serve, and care for each other: (Keep in mind Covid has changed how we do some of these things.)
Check-In. When we simply check in with a phone call or text it means we are thinking about them, even better when we add prayer. Call 3-5 people each week to check on and pray for them.
Start a prayer chain. With permission, share their circumstances with friends and family who will pray.
Send cards of encouragement. Gather some friends and family to shower them with cards full of encouraging scriptures and words. Sign up to receive the care newsletter at our church and write cards to those on the list. How do they receive that care newsletter? Bulletin page on our website. If you send a card be sure to include a way to contact you.
Deliver a warm meal. It's nice to not think of a menu and have a break from the kitchen. Have meals covered for a few days. Sign up to be a part of our Take Them A Meal team https://calvarydover.org/bulletin (From personal experience this was very helpful because we had no energy to cook once when we all had covid.)
Help around the home. Running errands, taking the trash out, and walking the dog go a long way.
Meet in person (if appropriate). When things are hard, there's nothing like meeting face to face to be heard and comforted. Pray, encourage, and offer your company. It’s hard for a spouse or family member to be alone while a family member is recovering in the hospital.
Some caution when you help:
Less is more when it comes to words. Your presence matters the most.
Don’t make it about you or what you’ve been going through.
Refrain from offering your opinion and medical advice.
Be considerate and respectful to follow their desires for social distancing and masks. It’s best to ask than assume.
Do not prolong a phone call, overwhelm or overstay your visit. Be sensitive and aware of how you should move forward. Share and express your care, prayer, and gifts, but then give them space. Let them know you are available.
We belong to the body of Christ Spiritually, but we need to feel it physically. The love of Christ compels us to demonstrate love and care for our spiritual family.
Discussion
What spoke to you or stuck out to you the most from this message?
Which scripture resonated with you the most?
Why is it important that we ALL do our part to care for one another?
What form of love from other believers ministers to you?
What gift has God given you naturally or supernaturally that you’ve seen helps others?
Take a moment to share an encouraging word for your group. It may be something you’ve gotten from God’s Word, something you’ve been hearing lately, or something you’ve experienced that has helped you through difficult seasons.
The most important decision you will ever make!
Are you ready to experience salvation and be transformed we encourage you to say a simple prayer like this from your heart: Dear God, I see my sin and how wrong it is. I see how without Jesus I’m lost. I believe in Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving me from my sin, my past, this world, and your judgment. I repent, I turn away from that life and I put my faith and life in Jesus! Amen!
We would love to know if you made the decision to accept this wonderful gift from God. Let us know here.
Pray Together
We hoped you found this AFTER THE SERMON discussion helpful for your walk with Jesus. We pray you can find ways to apply it this week!