Pastor Ralph Posted December 21, 2014 Report Share Posted December 21, 2014 Q6. (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus’ disciples? Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoiKosum Posted March 8, 2015 Report Share Posted March 8, 2015 (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus’ disciples? Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? There is a car bumper sticker which reads - I love you Lord but it is your people I cannot stand! Jesus' disciples are exalted to love one another. If we do not follow this commandment, then we cannot profess to be Christians. It is easy to love our friends or people whom we like. However, when it comes to strangers and people who we do not like or who have hurt us, then it is a different story. In such situations, our Christian faith is opened to be judged by all. Often we opt for large group meetings so that we can avoid having to become close to people and "love" them. In my opinion, many church congregations and cell groups fall far short of this measure that Christ has set for us. They only "love" members who share the same thinking and regularly attend Church meetings. Once you are out of that group, love becomes non-existent. This is the sad reality. I will always remember Jesus' words - if you have lost 1 sheep, will you not leave the 99 sheep to look for that 1 sheep? And when you find it, you will rejoice. (Luke 15:4-6) Many church groups practice loving the 99 sheep instead of looking for that 1 lost sheep! I myself am certainly guilt of not measuring up to Jesus' standard of love. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JanMary Posted March 10, 2015 Report Share Posted March 10, 2015 Q6. (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus’ disciples? Paul said in Romans if we love not our brothers and sisters in Christ, we're not really believers.....It is the "test" of whether or not we are genuine disciples of Jesus. Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? I think because it's easier to remain anonymous...to "seem" like a loving and caring person without having to do the work required in a small community. Our entire society has moved toward this "distancing" with the electronic world....texting and email have replaced intimate relationships. I think we're lazy and want the quick "fix" without getting "our hands dirty". Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? Love doesn't come naturally for us, and being intimate with other Christians can be "messy"...we all have flaws, and irritating traits. We're all in different stages of growth. We are drawn to others who are "like us"...and it takes work and reliance on the Holy Spirit to love and accept the unlovely, or the difficult to get along with, or those who seem weird and very "unlike us". (Just as I may be to others "irritating or unlovely" or because I'm elderly, not worth wasting time getting to know.) How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? I was amazed when we went back after 22 years to the church where we began our walk with the Lord, that it is a wonderfully loving and caring body of believers...a true family, unlike the way it was in the early years. (conformity was the "rule" in the early days and striving for position seemed to infect the group) It is refreshing just to be in the midst of this lovely group of true followers of Jesus...I'm sure He is pleased! How do you measure up? I've grown in love as I've grown in grace through the years. I'm still growing in Love and grace. If I find now that if I want to avoid someone, that this is the time to ask the Lord to increase my love, to help me see that person as He sees them and to give me His love for them....and He does! Years ago we were asked in a Bible study to think about the end of our lives and what we would want our grave stone to say about us....I thought about it a lot, and decided the things which are important to Jesus should be my priorities....so my life goal has been to live as "A woman of faith who loves people". I can't think of anything else that is more satisfying and more challenging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blezed Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus’ disciples? Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? We are to love one another as Christ loved us. This will prove that we are his disciples and an indicator of true love for God. Lack of love for one another is a red flag that a person's faith is suspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clarence Posted March 11, 2015 Report Share Posted March 11, 2015 Q6. (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus’ disciples? Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? So our love for one another or lack of it, is a test of our sincerity as followers of God (1 Corinthians 13:2). I have found it difficult at times to be part of an intimate christian community when I have had a disagreement with someone. I struggle to forgive if I have been disrespected or I know someone hasn't been honest with me. It is easy to hold a grudge especially if the problem is unresolved- left hanging, no body wants to talk about it anymore. And its not all one sided I am or have been at fault also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanks Posted March 12, 2015 Report Share Posted March 12, 2015 Q6. (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus' disciples? Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favour of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? John clearly states that if we do not love, we do not know God: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:8). If we don’t know God we cannot possibly be a disciple of Jesus, since everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. On our own it is most difficult to love others, but those that belong to Jesus have the Holy Spirit to help and enable us to accomplish this. In an intimate relationship our hypocrisies are often exposed for all to see. It is easier to hide in a large group where there is not so much individual attention focused on a person. How do I measure up? I think there is room for a lot of improvement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
haar Posted March 13, 2015 Report Share Posted March 13, 2015 Q6. (John 13:35) Q. In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus' disciples? A. A disciple is one who learns from Jesus and follows His example. Jesus loved everyone and commanded us to love oneanother as He had loved us. Thus any one who loves one another is a true disciple of the Lord. Q. Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? A. I am not sure I understand this question well. But I think we avoid living in an intimate Christian community because we cannot cope or tolerate our differences due to absence of true love. Q. Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? A. Because self is still in our centers. Only when we are fully surrendered to the Lord who takes over our centers can we love intimately by His power as He loves. Q. How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? A. I think the answer is- BELOW AVERAGE. Q. How do you measure up? A. Very poor. Help me Lord. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeteD Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Lesson 23 Q 6 If we as Christians truly love one another as Christ loved us and because Christ love us, people will see that we are faithful followers of Jesus - they will see consistency and integrity in that we walk the talk. We will be good witnesses. And yes, to the extent that we love one another is evidence that we are indeed authentic disciples of Jesus. We sometimes avoid small intimate groups because to love like Christ loved us is not natural. It is hard work and can only be done with much prayer and grace from God. My church is small but we certainly could do better at fostering a holy intimacy and fellowship. And, I too need constant prayer to achieve this. I need to work at confession, transparency, forgiveness and all the fruits of the Spirit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RebeccaMallinson Posted March 18, 2015 Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 Love is an essential indicator that we are true disciples because we are supposed to follow Jesus’ example. He said that if we do not love one another we are not his disciples (i.e. followers). He was the epitome of love for all, particularly sinners and sufferers. At large services, I look around when I arrive and pray for all those present as my brothers and sisters in Christ, giving thanks for them all. This is easy to do because I am living in an extremely poor country where my fellow church-goers are stick-thin and ragged. They are in serious need of prayer for their daily needs. They are also extremely kindly, devout people, who it is very easy to love. I admire their tenacity of faith in spite of all their difficulties. At an intimate Christian community meeting, such as Bible Study, I know the members far more intimately. It is easy to pick fault with them when we don’t always agree. I need to be aware of this and resist doing so. Conversely, I enjoy groups of this sort and get a lot of benefit, so I also feel gratitude for their help on my spiritual journey. My love at church is more ‘agape’ and at Bible study, more brotherly love. When people ask, “How can you love everyone?” I think I have a way to help as I had an experience when my second child was born which helped me a lot. When I saw him I felt no love for him at all. In fact I found him repulsive. I even had nightmares about him. I was appalled by my reaction as I knew perfectly well that he was a totally innocent baby, who deserved love. I was determined that he would not know that I didn’t love him. I cuddled him, nursed him, sang to him, and generally treated him as though I loved him. Miraculously the love came. Thirty years later, of all my children he is the one who is closest to me. We can make ourselves love by initially going through the motions and doing our best to show love. True love then comes. I live and work in an orphanage in South Sudan and teach in a class of 60 very disruptive and difficult children during the week. I treat them all with love, most of the time, although there are moments when they can be very exasperating. This causes me to feel like their mother. If I hadn’t had that experience with my son, I don’t think this would be the case. There are still people who I find it hard to love. I find it helps to pray about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lighthouse2014 Posted March 20, 2015 Report Share Posted March 20, 2015 Q6. (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus’ disciples? Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? To love one another as Jesus loved us would be an indicator of our discipleship and love for Christ. We show our love our neighbors and help those in need, we love our enemies as we love ourselves. We may avoid living in a Christian community that is intimate in expressing our faith because this is not what Jesus wanted. He did not want us to stay put in one place because we are brothers and sisters, he wanted us to go out into the world and preach the good news, showing others Christ love and sharing it with unbelievers. Finding it difficult to love one another living in a Christian community is because we see one another's sins especially under a magnifying glass expecting everyone to be perfect as we think we are perfect! It is good to confess our sins but living on a type of community, as this would no doubt start all sorts of problems and rumors. Our Church seems to measure up to the indicator of loving one another by the fact we live in all sorts of communities, under lots of different circumstances. We find first of all praying for one another in troubles and health issues. Going out and helping non believers and witnessing, bringing others into the church Christ has authored. I measure up by helping fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and helping others that are not believers. By being a good example to others and praying, helping when in need. Visiting hospitals and the elderly, this showing our love fo Christ and our neighbors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted April 4, 2015 Report Share Posted April 4, 2015 Q6. (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus’ disciples? Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? God is love and if the Holy Spirit resides in us and if not squelched we will have love for one another. On our own it can be difficult to love people in an intimate christian community. There is always someone to rub us the wrong way and we probably rub people the wrong way. I know I have been the subject of much talk in this little town. I never ever ever heard gossip in my house when I grew up. I leave as soon as it starts up. it destroys lives. Why do people talk and criticize others? Probably to feel important and to feed that deep dark sense in us to know something about others so we can feel better about ourselves. So I pray that where I go the gospel goes. It is hard to find believers here. And if you are one you are probably going to suffer dearly because you are a threat to those who aren't. I believe God put me here and so much has gone wrong however I believe I am where He wants me to be. If you love the Lord in this world you are probably going to suffer for it. What an awesome privilege He gives us. God Bless! Jen Numbers 6:24-26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pickledilly Posted April 4, 2015 Report Share Posted April 4, 2015 Jesus established love as THE primary identifying characteristic of an authentic disciple. We really don’t need to know much more than that! We are being made like Him in character, and He is love. So we can gauge our status as a disciple by our growth in love. This kind of love isn’t dependent on circumstances or feelings; it is more of a choice in how we view others and what we desire for them. And it is a messy business! We all have baggage, attitudes, desires, wounds, disappointments, fears and failures to deal with. None of us are perfect, so none of us are fully capable of loving perfectly or being perfectly “loveable”. This makes it difficult to love each other in an intimate Christian community as masses of messes are all joined together in Christ and called to unity. It’s something we have to deliberately seek and work at with the Spirit's help. I’ve long believed that if we will focus hard on the first part of Matthew 22:37-40, we will be enabled to do the second part. Loving God with all our being is prerequisite to being able to rightly love others. When we love Him this way, we become more like Him in character, which gives us His view of people and opens our heart to love them the way He does. I’m grateful that even though I love so imperfectly, there is definitely a difference in the way I’m able to love others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilter Posted April 7, 2015 Report Share Posted April 7, 2015 1. Jesus says that our Christlike love will show we are his disciples 2.if you are a truly a believer all will see your love by your action in your worshping 3 you have to be openly loving to others if you don't how will others see the love you spread to others 4.My church openly shows love but you can see sometimes jealousy petty bickering.you pray and love one and all. What is hard for me is to love the unloveable and they are out there but I pray for strenght and know we are to love all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grace2free Posted April 12, 2015 Report Share Posted April 12, 2015 Q6. (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus’ disciples? Love for one another is the mark of distinction as a Jesus' disciples. Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? You can still see the division to those who haves and to those who have not. But because you know its all about love you'll just pray that the Lord intervene. Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? People love their own lifestyle. How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? My church are more on program, popularity, and orthodoxy. More prayers to learn more about love. How do you measure up? I am in the process of loving all that our God created, believer or unbeliever and to minister to all. It all started in the lesson of loving my enemy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stanley Tavaziva Posted May 5, 2015 Report Share Posted May 5, 2015 Q6. (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus’ disciples? Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? Jesus says that our Christlike love will show we are his disciples. Some people in the church are petty bickering, being jealousy, and causing division in some churches. The thing is they should know some of us are Jesus’ followers and we show it by loving one another. Love is the one characteristic that Satan cannot counterfeit. Believers are to be characterized by love. Our actions toward other Christians confirm our relationship with Jesus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
royk Posted May 25, 2015 Report Share Posted May 25, 2015 Q6. (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus' disciples? Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up?Sometimes we feel we are in need and should be served, but that is not what being a Christian is about Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, Where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith;where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy; O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. St Francis of Assisi showed us that being Christian, being like Christ, is not at all about us, or what we think we need. fi we remain in Christ, we are filled and can do these things. For it is in giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we are pardoned; and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Rejoice in all things, again I say rejoice; we are lucky to be alive and better yet, lucky that God chose us to be alive in Christ. Jesus gently teaches us to love, and serve all. This means I need to pray more and more, like right now. I can never measure up to Jesus, but I can ask Him to help me die to myself and then become a better instrument in the Kingdom. First surrender ALL, that means ALL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe_Applegarth Posted September 13, 2015 Report Share Posted September 13, 2015 In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus' disciples? Before Jesus ascended into heaven he left behind a new commandment. He declared that, just as he loves us, we should follow the example that He set and love each other for His sake. His infinite Love binds us as one body, in Christ Jesus, nourished by one soul. If we, as followers of Christ don’t show love toward each other we give the world cause to suspect our sincerity. Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Our faith in and our love for Christ Jesus is at the very heart of who we are as a Christian. The love that we convey is an open expression of God’s unconditional love and I don’t believe the setting in which we are called to worship should matter. No matter what the setting, as followers of Christ we always need to be active, visible witnesses of God’s love. To the world, our faith and reliance on God’s grace make us all confessors of the gospel and, like it or not, that is precisely what Jesus expects us to be. When we put on Christ, our faith is put on display for all to see and it’s our moral fiber, our speech and our actions that define us. Whether we happen to be in a large or a small intimate setting, our Christian faith should always convey the wonder of God’s power at work in our lives. Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? I don’t believe it is. I’m an elder in a smaller, rural (Reformation Movement) Christian church and there are probably less than a handful of our congregation who are in the least bit hesitant to show their Christian love and affection for one another. How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? Our church measures up very well indeed. As for me, well I’m human but… I have Jesus in my corner so when I stumble He’s always there to pick me up and put me back on track. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Jerry Posted September 20, 2018 Report Share Posted September 20, 2018 When we love one another it indicates our status as Jesus’ disciples because we care for one another. We are watching out for them. I guess the reason that we live in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith is because we like to fit in and not be left out. I guess it is so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community is because we don’t always trust each other. Our church does measure up the indicator of love for one another and I hope that I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Godswriter Posted May 16, 2019 Report Share Posted May 16, 2019 Q6. (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus’ disciples? Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? Love shows that we care for one another and love God as well. We are watching out for them by being willing to tell them about their sin. I believe one of the biggest reasons is fear of being left out and not fitting in or fear in general. I believe it is difficult to love each other in a Christian community because often people get offended or hurt by other Christians and that can make things difficult to love each other. We love each other as we should but they are some who are standoffish. I have a lot of work to do in that area yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Edwards Posted November 28, 2021 Report Share Posted November 28, 2021 Agape love is automatic for the believer. As one studies Acts of the Apostles..--koinonia--was a main characteristic of the church. Amongst the early Franciscans, agape was so profound ! St Francis demonstrated love and service among his followers and various Church leaders. Being in Christ wrought actual graces in our lives; the Holy Spirit "deifies" us---not that we are actual Gods but we become salt and light. We radiate Christ's love in our daily actions. I have been there! Living in a closed Christain college community setting. Many people would not want to be in a disciplined type of environment. An environment in which one's rough spots are exposed and accountability to authority is rendered. People are erratic. Sad but true--people that get involved in such small groups have ongoing psychological problems or simply are not cutout for such small fellowships. Many are not teachable and don't have a serious prayer life. One can be sincere in being a serious disciple but be very dissapointed; we live in a cynical age and bring that self absorption into the church. Here in NYC, isolation and social distancing are the norm at this time. Years ago in early 1980s, cell groups were common. I miss that--small cell groups--people taking time for one another and having prayer at home. I have asked God to forgive me for any sins committed willingly or unknowingly or unwillingly in regards to Christ's commandment of love of neighbor. These days I spend in time for prayer for others. Also I pursue evangelistic journeys as well. In our days of people obsessed with cell phones, cynicism and self isolation due to Covid--intecessory prayer for others is essential. It is ironic ! Just last nite I had a dream that my feet were being washed during a church service. I was clothed in white church garments. It almost reminded me when I had to get physical therapy for a foot condition. This dream occurred after an evangelical outreach completed just this last Sunday. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irmela Posted September 3, 2022 Report Share Posted September 3, 2022 Q6. (John 13:35) In what sense is love for one another an indicator to all of our status (or lack of status) as Jesus' disciples? Why do we sometimes avoid living in an intimate Christian community in favor of only a large-meeting expression of our faith? Why is it so difficult to love people in an intimate Christian community? How does your church or group measure up by the indicator of love for one another? How do you measure up? If we do not love one another, we cannot claim to love God, for God is love. When we live in close communities, we soon react more normal and cannot hide our flaws for a long period of time, the real me/you is soon reflected. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.