Counsel One Another ~ Romans 15:14 August 25, 2013 ~ New City Church Calgary ~ Pastor John Ferguson

Intro: What comes to your mind when you hear the word church? E.g., Immigration officer who was confused when we said that we have been hired to start new churches in Calgary. He thought I was here to be a construction foreman to build a building. Mt. 16:18, Jesus said, I will build my church.

Many people today equate church with a building. In the NT, the word for church is assembly / congregation of Christians. The NT envisions a community of believers who are disciples of Jesus who are learning to obey everything that he has commanded: an apprenticeship in a different way of being human together. One of the primary activities of the church was their life together where they lived out one-anothering. Devoted to One Another Love One Another Serve One Another Encourage One Another Pray for One Another Welcome One Another Show Hospitality to One Another Forgive One Another

Counsel One Another ~ Romans 15:14

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I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. 1. Instruct one another = a rich word meaning to instruct, to teach, to admonish, to warn, to advise = counsel 2. Brothers = ordinary Christians, not apostles, elders, seminary grads, philosophers or scholars. These were men and women, converted Jews and Gentiles, slaves and free. 3. I myselfyou yourselves. Paul didnt misspeak; not making an assumption; rather, he is convinced, he is satisfied by what he knows about them that they can counsel one another. What evidence does Paul offer to convince them?

I. Display Christ-like Character: full of goodness. 1. Surprising diagnosis? Yes and no. Rom. 3:10, No one is righteous, no not one; no one does good, not even one. for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Rom 4:7-8, Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sin is covered; blessed is the man whom the Lord will not count his sin. 1

Gal. 5:22-23, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

2. Biblical goodness always displays itself in relational contexts. It is the Christ-like character of Jesus that is displayed in our lives as we grow in spiritual friendships with one another. II. Employ Scriptural Knowledge: filled with all knowledge. 1. This doesnt mean that they are writing systematic theologies, but it also doesnt mean that they are ignorant of the Scriptures either. Default mode is not, Oprah says, but The Scriptures say.

2. Colossians 3:16, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom. (same Greek word) The Scriptures give us divine wisdom that enables us to gain insight o into people o into problems o and into solutions. 3. D. Bonhoeffer, Because I am a Christian, therefore, every day in which I do no t penetrate more deeply into the knowledge of Gods Word in the Holy Scripture is a lost day for me. I can only move forward with certainty upon the firm ground of the Word of God. III. Give Competent Counsel: able to instruct. 1. Paul is convinced that they are able to instruct; i.e., they have the capability and the resources in Christ to instruct one another. 2. The word instruct simply means to direct ones mind. In context, it speaks of the ability to direct ones mind by imparting Gods truth. It can take the form of teaching, encouraging, counseling, comforting, reminding, admonishing, urging, advising, warning, and even spurring on one another. Paul believes that ordinary Christians can give one another spiritual care and direction in the Christian life. And he envisions this as the ordinary Christian life.

IV. Deepen Christian Community: brothersone another

1. Their Christian life is meant to be a life together where our default mode is we instead of me. There is no such thing as a Lone Ranger Christianity. We are family. 2. NCC Value #5: Embodying authentic community towards deepening our lives together. We acknowledge that one cannot be a healthy follower of Christ apart from other believers, or what has been called the communion of saints. We embrace the fact that part of the restoration of Gods original purposes for humanity includes living in genuine community with each other under Gods kind rule.

3. Deepening Christian community is how we flesh out the Life Together 4. How can you deepen in Christian community? Our vision is that every Christian at NCC is intentionally connected to other believers. Opportunities include: (1) small groups, (2) triads, (3) one-to-one meetings Summary: Your display of maturing Christ-like character, your growing employment of Scriptural knowledge, and your deepening Christian community enable you all to counsel one another.

So, how are we doing? We began this series in July noting the frustrations and obstacles to true community in a city like Calgary. We also noted that the NT calls us to a different way of being human. The first followers of Christ were devoted to fellowship, to one another. Love One Another Serve One Another Encourage One Another Pray for One Another Welcome One Another Show Hospitality to One Another Forgive One Another Counsel One Another

Do we have room to grow? Absolutely. We turn 3-years old next month! But its also time to put on our big boy pants / big girl pants and grow into the mature kind of community that the NT envisions for followers of Christ. Key Point: One another-ing is an essential (non-optional) component of NT Christianity. Our default mode should be we instead of me.