Members of One Another

Served in another assignment. It too had three congregations, two of a similar size, and one was small. About 20 people. And one year we had a bad year there. There were only about 20 people, but they were happy, joyful, and friendly, peaceful, just delighted to come together and sit down and have sample services and visit. However, that one year, strong personalities moved in from far, far away. And it is amazing how the dynamics of the congregation changed. We had actually grown a bit. I think at one time we had hit about 34 on an average, and yet with some other personalities, some strong personalities, things began to change.

And it was an awful year, and it ended up with about half of people getting mad and getting up, leaving. And then we had a small congregation, and we had warm and friendly and peaceful church once again. We've seen that happen many times, but if I look back and think very hard on that year, yes, there were personality clashes. There was friction regarding exactly who does what service to make a church service happen. There was bickering about how to spend the congregation's money. There were a couple of times completely inappropriate statements made during a sermon at church that had to be addressed. On more than one occasion, there was someone who spoke out during the Sabbath services.

Now, you guys have been around. You know the drill. And you know the scriptures, that all things be done decently and in order. And God's not the author of confusion. So, unless we ask a question, now watch five people speak out during church here today. Unless we ask a question, we want your feedback, then we realize, we sit there, and we listen, and we pay attention. Cleeks formed, but only two cleeks.

One time I called a planning meeting on a week evening. It was over at one couple's house. And when I arrived, everybody was there early. And it was like there was this line drawn down the middle of that living room, and people with one mindset on one side and the others on the other side.

And it was a long evening. Anyhow, there were a number I needed to go and see. Preferred, always have preferred to see them individually on the side. And some wouldn't take my phone call, and some, when I left the message, wouldn't call back. And some refused to meet with me. And we had a few who just said, well, fooey to all of it. I'm gonna stay home. But thankfully, with little time, they came back. They came back. I bring this up as an example, because we have a large amount of peace here, and I think across the board in the church today.

Well, let us not assume it'll always be that way. Because if you have a few decades under your belt attending the church of God, you realize it's only a matter of time that Satan uses whatever tool he can to begin and drive wedges between people, and to destroy the peace of God's people. Let's turn, first of all, to 1 Corinthians 10, and read verses 16 and 17. And in this passage, the Apostle Paul refers back to the Passover. Excuse me, he refers to the Passover. In his case, he probably was looking forward, and in our case, we're thinking back to what we did two and a half months ago.

As you gathered here, some of you visiting may have gathered in your home congregations, and Denise and I were in the now Philippines meeting with the congregation there. But as the sun set, the time zones across the earth, we had the members of the body of Christ in common that night, taking a little bit of bread, whereby we asked God to bless it for its sacred purpose, to represent the broken body of Jesus Christ.

And we ate a bit of that. And we asked God to bless the little cups of wine, to represent the blood of Jesus Christ, the very life of Christ that was given for us. And we did that in common. Chapter 10, beginning of verse 16. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?

For we, though many, are one bread and one body, for we all partake of that one bread. Quite often in Paul's writing, he uses the word one. One spirit, one church, or here, one bread, one body. He was concerned about unity. And yet, the Apostle Paul sadly had a lot of experience in dealing with congregations that were struggling to find peace. It is a challenge that goes on in the body of Christ 2,000 years later. I'd like to use a number of statements from the Apostle Paul this afternoon in discussing the sermon. I have just simply titled this sermon, Members One of Another. It's taken from one statement of Paul we'll see a little later. Members One of Another. But we can go to different of his books. Some from Corinth, some from Rome, Ephesus. Paul wrote to pastors. He wrote to individual members like Philemon. And it seems that it was on his mind. Let's go to Romans 12. We will read verse 5.

Romans 12.

And in verse 5, here we read, So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

I looked it up in the New Living Translation. I just chose one of the newer translations. And this key phrase renders it, we all belong to each other. We all belong to each other. And hearkening back, having kept the Passover, it's been a while now. But we were baptized once upon a time into Jesus Christ, into the very body of Christ. It was done in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. We were fully immersed, and that symbolized a number of things, not only our death, but that we were more fully immersed into the work that God has. It's always been a hallmark of the work of God, is that there is a gospel message to be proclaimed.

That Passover night, we took a bit of bread, we took a bit of wine, and we ingested that. And those who live in us, they represented Christ living in us via the Spirit of God, as He does in all other members who have that Spirit. And it speaks of the fact that we belong to each other. We are a collective entity, we are a team, we are one body, as Paul often puts it. With a team, if you lose someone, you lose a part of yourself. I did not grow up watching hockey. I do not understand it. But I have seen that if someone commits a penalty, they can be placed in the penalty box. And then their team plays with one less player on the ice than the other team. And it would give them a great disadvantage because of that penalty.

The Passover night, we washed the feet of someone else. And that pictures many things. Pictures respect and love and forgiveness. And the picture is acceptance that we accept that person, him or her, whom God has called and placed in his body. He did not call us to ask our opinion when he was considering calling someone brand new. He simply called, and we are to be individually members of one another. Let's go up to verse 3. Verse 3, For I say through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. The New Living on that key phrase says, don't think you are better than you really are. So Paul is counseling them to fight against the human tendency to become puffed up and vain and haughty and aloof and to go around feeling even superior from others. We wash to someone's feet, and it's kind of difficult to get up and go around feeling superior to them. It just doesn't go together. But a proud heart, pride. It's been a few months ago. It gave a sermon on pride, the root of sin. It seems always start there. That's where it started with Lucifer. That's where it starts in our lives. There's pride. We begin thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought. But a submissive, humbled, devoted mind makes the welfare of the body of Christ the primary objective. It goes hand in hand. When there is devotion and dedication to God, it only naturally becomes a fact that there's devotion and dedication, one to another, in the church of God. Now, as we look at this phrase, belonging to one another, we can ask ourselves the question, how does this come down here locally to this congregation? What can I do? That's the way we should always read the Scripture. What is God telling me? Well, a number of things. If we gossip, stop it.

If we are in a clique, get out of the clique and seek to fellowship with every last person here.

If we avoid some, then stop it.

And don't be concerned about who does the job. Once in a while, that seems to crop up. Here and other places. The feelings about who is performing what service in the church. But if we don't care about who does the job, just care that it does get done, and church happens, then the glory goes to God and that's where it must always go. Let's go to Romans chapter 12. Let's go to verse 10 this time. Romans 12 verse 10.

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love. In honor giving preference to one another. The first half, New Living says, love each other with genuine affection. Love each other with genuine affection. And so this involves as well promoting the welfare of the greater body, the whole body. In our case, the United Church of God, as it's scattered across various places. Let's go to verse 13. Distributing to the needs of the saints. Given the hospitality. Are those phrases that would describe us that if someone has a need, we jump to it to see that that need is fulfilled. Do we open? Do we share what we have, what we are with each other? As has been commented here many times, you step into somebody else's house, you begin to learn something about them. You can walk into their house and everything hanging on the wall, the picture, the pictures on the piano, the paintings, and the little trinkets we all have that are here and there through the house. Begin to tell someone a great deal about who you are, what you are, where you've come from. And you learn a lot more an hour in somebody's house than you do a long time sitting here at church together. Verse 15, rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Seems we always have that, don't we? We have those who are on cloud nine so excited that a new baby has come into the household. And then we have others who have an older person who falls and they have to go spend the Sabbath at the hospital. It's always life is bittersweet. They have the highest highs and the lowest lows. And Paul was saying, whatever your brother or your sister is going through, go through it with them. And our challenge is to learn to identify with brethren as we do with those that are on home. One rejoices we all rejoice. Devotion to one another does not grow by lack of knowledge of one another. And there's no substitute for just spending time together and being together. We have brethren scattered all over the world. And again, in this hall where the United Church has gone, it's where we have found a home. We have others who have found a home in other places, but we are called to love each other with genuine affection. Let's go to Philippians 2 now.

Statement Paul made to those of Philippi that we should highlight. Philippians 2, we will read verses 1 through 4. Verse 1, Therefore, if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord of one mind, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. We'll come back to that last phrase there in a moment. Verse 4, let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Yes, the past overnight we washed somebody's feet. We washed their feet because we had to. Well, hopefully not. We washed feet because Jesus Christ, our Savior, modeled that behavior for us. He is the one who told us that if you want to be great in the kingdom, then serve. It tells us that he came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. And where that is spoken of, that would be, well, one place is Matthew 20. And it was just a few events later that things were set in the motion that led to his own death where he literally gave his life for others. But God's calling is to love, to respect others, because we hopefully can see God working in their lives. And that often is the key. Look to see God. Look above and beyond the short-term problems and realize God is not through in that person's life. And of course, the more important side of that is God's not through with us, either. We all have a distance to travel. We washed feet, and it was a manifestation of the attitude of mind. Let's look at 1 Corinthians 6. There is a section here in this chapter where Paul addresses the fact that one brother was going to a court of law against another brother, and he was correcting them rather strongly for it, and rightfully so. We are instructed in the Word of God we should be able to sit down as brothers and work things out. We should be able to get a few heads together and come to some resolution. Perhaps, in some cases, the church needs to be involved, but at any rate, in this case, some were going, taking a brother to court into the courts around them. Let's just read verses 6 and 7. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 6. But brother goes to law against brother, and that before unbelievers. Verse 7. Now therefore it is already an utter failure for you that you go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be cheated? And there's a principle there in those last couple of questions Paul was teaching them. There are times to just take the wrong. There are times to just let it go. That if someone calls you a name, if someone gossips about you, if someone misquotes you, we don't pick everybody. There are times when we just let it go. So let yourself be defrauded and go on with life. Keep your place. We'll be back to the epistles soon. But let's look at Ecclesiastes chapter 7. Ecclesiastes 7. There is a principle given back here. And it speaks of just don't hear everything that is said. Don't hear everything that is said. Or you might hear a servant cursing. And that's a good principle for life. Don't draw a line and pick every battle. Ecclesiastes 7 will read verses 21 and 22. Verse 21, Also do not take the heart everything people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you. For many times also your own heart has known that even you have cursed others. So if we bring it down to modern life, if you have an employee, for instance, any job has its distasteful sides.

If a person is in construction, if a person is in farming, if the person, well, runs a retail business, there are sides to that that are just unpleasant. And sometimes an employee might grumble and mumble and say something. It's not in their heart of hearts. It's just frustration. They're tired and they don't like that part of the job. And the same is true in dealing with people in general. Things are said. Sometimes we use that phrase, wear our feelings on our shirts, please. And we let things get to us so easily. And Paul is saying, why don't you just take the wrong, even let yourself be defrauded, and let it go. And don't make it an issue out of every little petty thing. Let's go back to the epistles now and let's go to Romans again. Romans 15.

Romans 15 will read verse 7.

Romans 15 verse 7. Therefore, receive one another just as Christ also received us to the glory of God. The New Living translates that as accept each other just as Christ has accepted you. And as I said a while ago, God calls. The Father decides who to draw, call Jesus. He doesn't ask our opinion. He chooses people from all kinds of backgrounds. And every person that walks through the door for the first time is carrying with them a lot of baggage.

We all have our own upbringing. Some have very little concept of what family is because of what's happened. Some have grown up in homes where they've been called names. It's been just a very angry household. Some grow up where there is alcohol and you're really off with the races there. Everyone has their own past. Sometimes they're shackled by what has happened in the past. Others walk in and they have reasonably stable backgrounds, but we all have our own sins. We generally will have our own prejudice and bias we do address. We have some that will walk through the door and they'll have feelings of superiority of being better than, of knowing more than, of being smarter than everybody else. But more likely than not, we're going to have people walk through the door and they have feelings of inferiority, of feeling, pardon my grammar, but I can't do nothing no way, no how. And Satan has done a number on a lot of people to just get us to where that we don't even try. We feel inferior and God has to spend years and teaching them that regardless of what has happened, His love is constant. It endures forever. Once in a while, God calls people with great ambition, strong personalities that want to rule over. They want to be seen. They want to be heard. They have ambition and they may go around promoting themselves. Let's go back to Acts chapter 10. These actually would be words of Peter. Most of what we'll cover came from Paul, but I have one quote from Peter and one from someone else. I forget who it is, but we'll get there.

Acts 10. And let me go to Acts.

This, of course, is a story of Cornelius in a household. Peter's been down in Joppa. He has a dream. Something happens three times. Three men are at the door looking for him. He begins connecting the dots. He is instructed to go with the men and go to this house of the man, Cornelius, who is a centurion. And as Peter has one of those aha moments and everything clicks, Acts 10 verse 34, then Peter opened his mouth and said, In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever fears him and works righteousness is accepted by him. Now, they had been warned. They had been instructed, but a lot of it went over their head. It was a very Jewish church in the earliest years. But when Jesus was about to ascend back to heaven, he said, You start here at Jerusalem, you go to Judea. But then he said, You also go to Samaria and you go to the ends of the earth. Because when God said, Let us make man in our image after our likeness, there was no concept of Jew, Gentile, of various peoples. There was no chosen nation to hopefully be the example nation that Israel has never been. That's waiting to be done in a millennial setting. But here, again, you had a people who were very exclusive. And yet, Peter is taught, and then through him the church is taught, that there are no second-class Christians. And that if there is bias and bigotry and racism, it has to be addressed. And so we're left with the question, have I, am I, do I, do I show respect to persons in the body? The body is not to be compartmentalized. Let's go to James 2. James as well spoke about those who show respect to persons. James 2 beginning in verse 9. James 2 verse 9, if you really fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You do well. But if you show partiality, you commit sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

So again, we bring it back down to our own life. Here is a part of a local congregation. We're on the same team. We are to accept one another. We are not to show respect of persons. God's the one who called the other person. And if God accepts them, we should as well. Let's go to Colossians chapter 3. Colossians 3 beginning in verse 15.

Colossians 3, 15 through 17, verse 15, And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body, and be thankful. Like there's something that's easy to skip over there. You want the peace of God. If you want to be a part of a unified body, one of the greatest things we can do is be thankful. Be thankful for the breath of life. Be thankful for the beautiful world we have around us. What a green world it is out there now. And it won't be long we'll be looking. Well, it's burning up now. But it's a beautiful world out there. The day lilies are beautiful. So much to be thankful for. And that's not even considering the fact that God looked down of all the people on earth and called us. Verse 16, 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 whatever you do, in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. The latter part of verse 16, the New Living says, Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. We've said it many times that we need to be a more encouraging people. Barnabas was renamed from Joseph because he was the son of encouragement. And with young John Mark, he saw something in John's life that could be used. And he was used powerfully later on because somebody believed in him and gave him another chance. But we need to be an encouraging people. One of the greatest needs all of us has is for encouragement. We need support. And sometimes, though, we need an admonition and exhortation. Sometimes we need a warning. We need to be warned. But it speaks here of teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom He gives. Sometimes it's picking the right time. Maturity, it's said, is a sense of timing. Picking the right time to try to exhort a brother or sister. We might say all the right things in the world, but if it's the wrong time, the wrong setting, then great damage is done. When God approached Cain, Cain asked that question, Am I my brother's keeper? The short answer is, yes, you are. And so are we. We are our brother's keepers. And we demonstrate it by encouraging, by admonishing, by exhorting, and sometimes warning one another. And perhaps we should ask, to what degree does my life touch another person's life in an uplifting and positive manner? What do we leave behind us in our wake?

Romans 16. We'll begin in verse 3. Romans 16.

This is not so much in this chapter what Paul said as far as a short, curse-meaningful statement, but it's what he did over many verses.

Romans 16, verse 3. He's sending a letter to those at Rome. He hasn't been there yet. He's going to be there for a while. But he sends greetings. Verse 3, Greet, Priscilla, and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

Likewise, greet the church that is in their house.

Priscilla and Aquila, the couple is only mentioned six or eight times, every time they're mentioned together. A time or two, it's Aquila and Priscilla, but usually Priscilla seems to be the point person.

And also, wherever they go, it seems like their home is a place for God's people to gather. And here, once again, there's a church meeting in their house. Greet, my beloved Epinetus, who is the first fruit of Achaia to Christ. Achaia, well, that far southern part of Greece, if the margin says some translations will say, or some manuscripts will say Asia, which would imply over a modern-day Turkey. But if it's Achaia, that's at far southern part of Peloponnesus area of Greece, down below Corinth and Sparta and all. Greet Mary, who labored much for us. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me. Greet Amplius, my beloved and the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ. And Stachus, my beloved. Greet Apelles, approved in Christ. Greet those who were of the household of Aristobulus. Greet Herodian, my countrymen. Greet those who were of the household of Narcissus, who were in the Lord. And it goes on in verse 12, greeting Triphina and Triphosa and Persus. Verse 13, greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord and his mother and mine. Verse 14, mention several names and the brethren who are with them. There's 15 more names and all the saints who are with them. Verse 16, greet one another with a Holy Kiss, the churches of Christ greet you. Now, from what I've studied, the Holy Kiss part was more a part of their culture. We all have different things we're comfortable with. I generally like a Holy Kiss from one person on earth.

Can't get enough of that.

Trying to make her turn red.

Years ago, we were privileged to start a congregation in Victorville, California, and there were three men. From the first week, they were the greeters. We were there for two years, and they were the greeters every week. And somebody would walk up and they'd say, are you are you hugging or shaking?

And I'd say, well, how about a little of both? So shake hands and then get a big hug from these three guys. And it was a lot of fun, but it was their way to serve. But Paul said, greet one another. And here's this long list of personal greetings that he sent. He was genuinely glad to hear news of others, and he was glad to send news and to hear from one another. It was a big deal to Paul, and I suspect he was inspired because I think it's a big deal to God. Now, learning each other's name used to be a whole lot easier, and I don't quite know what's happened. But now we have about 60 new names. And thankfully, about a quarter to a third we already knew. But I've got these names floating around in my mind and these faces, and I get them mismatched. But it'll come. It just takes longer. I have an old, old book here. Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People. I know it's old because inside the front cover it says 68 cents. And it also says Denise Garrison. And that's a long time ago. But one of the things, and I'll just summarize the story that I had intended to read, but pages 82-83, one example Carnegie used was the power behind learning someone's name. You meet someone, and then the next time you see them, you call them by their name. That's a great step in building a relationship. But he mentioned the days of Franklin Roosevelt. Now, most realize that FDR, with the folio, was crippled. It just tells you how much the world has changed and not for the better. That with Franklin Roosevelt, to this day, you can scarcely find a photograph that will show him seated in a wheelchair because of the respect for the office.

And a little different today. And the last guy. He was the last guy before him. I just recognize Mark Graham. Welcome. Don't let me make a public example out of you. It's been a while.

Greetings. We'll find out later if he remembers my name.

I'm going somewhere with that. Okay, so he was in a wheelchair. Chrysler Corporation was building a special car for the president so that it could be operated by hand controls. The day came when it was delivered. Chrysler sent a Mr. Chamberlain with the car and a mechanic. And when they arrived and the president came out with a few others, and this is Roosevelt, and he was introduced to everyone, including this shy, quiet mechanic. And then, as Carnegie talks about how they pointed out, Roosevelt is made over the upholstery and the spotlight and the rearview mirror and the clock and the personalized luggage. And then someone came and he announced to them that I've been keeping the Federal Reserve Board waiting for 30 minutes. I need to go to my appointment. But before he left, he went to everyone, including the mechanic, shook his hand and called him by name. And then days later, all of them who came from Chrysler received a photograph autographed by the president. So it's just an interesting story that Carnegie wrote about so long ago, but learning someone else's name. Greeting them from the heart is what Paul did in Romans chapter 16. Let's go back. Let's go to Ephesians now. Ephesians 4.

Ephesians 4.

And we will read verses 1 through 3.

Verse 1, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, again one of Paul's prison epistles, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. And then he goes on, one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, etc.

But he said, bearing with one another in love. The New Living says, Making allowance for each other's fault because of your love. Now, I learned a long time ago, decades ago, that everyone walking this earth is not as normal as I am.

I see you've learned that too. We, well, it's said that it takes all kinds of people to have a world, and they're all here. And the challenge is, with all of our differences, to somehow be compatible. There's a story told of George Washington, and I'm not sure whether I believe it or not, but it's a good illustration. This is back in the days when the word queer meant odd or eccentric, and that apparently George Washington turned to his wife one day and said, Martha, I think everyone is a bit queer but me and thee, and sometimes I wonder about thee.

We are that way, aren't we? We have different personalities, different likes, dislikes. Thank God we are different. I would really not like going into a gas station, fill up before the Sabbath, and there's a me. Somebody just like me. Same sense of humor, half-bubble off plum that I have. We're different. God did that. It's right and good. God wants a family with lots of variety. Anytime we go to a family reunion, you probably saw that a long time ago, that some of them are a little different. Some of them are their home folks. I was in about this time a year ago, I was out in Oklahoma with a family funeral and saw lots of first cousins, quite a few second and third cousins. Once in a while, somebody would be talking and you think, oh yeah, you remember one of those stories from back when he was 13. And I've learned to keep quiet about it a little better now than I used to at any rate. Thank God we are different, but once in a while there's that person in the family that has to be loved at a distance. And sometimes that happens in the church family, doesn't it? They're not all as normal as we are. And some, when they walk in that door, we realize they're not fully housebroken. Some are but inskies, you'll be talking and they'll just butt right in the middle of a conversation. Others will meddle, not just from behind a microphone, but others will meddle. And some will gossip, some will be abrasive. But I think Paul's point was, bear with him in love, let the love of God work in you. Let the Holy Spirit complete its work in their life and in your life, because God's not through with all of us. Colossians 3.

Colossians 3, beginning in verse 12. In fact, I think I'll just read this from the New Living, the way it is worded. New Living Translation, Colossians 3, verse 12.

Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Verse 13. Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts, for as members of one body you are called to live in peace, and always be thankful. Yes, we've seen that sign, be patient with me. God is not through with me yet. God's not through with us. He's patient with us. And there is always that possibility that we might be the problem. And these might still chuckle about how once upon a time in northeast Tennessee, we were venting with another family. We had young adult children. In other words, a time when you thought, just get them through high school, and all of our worries are over. And it just gets worse. But we were venting, and the other mother was explaining that her son was saying, well, you know, these people at work, they're this way, and they're a problem. And these people at school, they're a problem. And these people in the neighborhood are a problem. And she finally told her son, son, if, and how did that go? Hang on, hang on, they will come to me.

I should have written that down. She said something like, if you have trouble with everybody, everybody is not the problem. I think there's a lot to that. Look in the mirror and heal your self position. Ephesians 5. Let's wrap it up over here.

Ephesians 5.

And we, of course, are very familiar with these passages here, submitting to one another in fear of God, verse 21, wives submit, 25, husband's love. Let's start right there, though. Husbands, love your wives. Just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for her, that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing water by the word, that he might present her to himself a glorious church, not having a spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself, for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it just as the Lord does the church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. Yes, we are members, one of another. It takes commitment to our own calling, and to the degree we're committed to our own Christian relationship with God, we'll be committed to each other and realize we belong to each other. It takes allowing the Spirit of God to lead us, to lead us to prefer one another, and to be devoted to each other. It takes the humility of Jesus Christ to be able to see others as being better than we are. There's a statement that is made in Luke's gospel. He asks the question, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

One of the most difficult scriptures I've ever found to try to live by is one of the statements he made on the Passover night. He talked about giving them a new commandment that you love one another. And then in John 1335, I believe, he essentially said, here in will others know you're my disciples, if you have loved one for another. Maybe that's another question that could be asked. When the Son of Man comes, will he find a people who are members one of another to such a degree that the world recognizes these are the people of God.