Not Just Another Church, But A “One Another” Church

A “one another” church is a church whose members . . .

1.   GREET one another:

      a.   Strong’s #782 - “to enfold in the arms, welcome”

      b.   How important is a warm, friendly greeting? Ever visited another congregation and received a warm welcome? Or the opposite?

      c.   Appears 48 times in the epistles, 21 times in Romans 16 alone.

      d.   Romans 16:16 (cf vv 1-15)

2.   RECEIVE one another: Romans 15:7

      a.   Strong’s #4355- to take in, as in food (cf Acts 27:33-36)

      b.   In this context, receiving the weak in order to edify.

      c.   Philemon 12, 17

3.   SERVE to one another:

      a.   Galatians 5:13 – “through love serve one another”

      b.   Matthew 20:25-28

      c.   Acts 20:35 – it is more blessed to GIVE than to RECEIVE

      d.   This requires us to SUBMIT to one another

            i.   Ephesians 5:21

            ii.  1 Peter 5:5

      e.   2 Corinthians 12:15

4.   are LIKE-MINDED to one another: Romans 15:5-6

      a.   Romans 12:16

      b.   Her members make a genuine effort to share the same interests.

      c.   The early church was like-minded: Acts 2:46; 4:32

      d.   2 Corinthians 13:11

5.   have the same CARE for one another: 1 Cor 12:25 (vv 18-27)

      a.   COMFORT and EDIFY one another: 1 Thessalonians 5:11

      b.   show HOSPITALITY to one another: 1 Peter 4:9

      c.   act without PARTIALITY to one another: 1 Timothy 5:21

      d.   Like-minded to visitors / new members: James 2:1-9

6.   LOVE one another:

      a.   John 13:34-35

      b.   John 15:12

      c.   1 John 3:11

      d.   1 John 4:7-10, 19-21

      e.   1 Corinthians 13:1-8