As the body of Christ, 

we belong to one another;

we serve one another;

we forgive one another;

we submit to one another;

we encourage one another;

we accept one another;

we teach one another;

we greet one another;

we honor one another;

we fellowship with one another;

we build up one another.

And appropriately we crown the series this Easter Sunday with the greatest one another commandment of all: we love one another!

There is nothing greater in life than salvation and there is no greater work of God than the saving of a soul. I still remember that night in the Arbuckle Mountains of Oklahoma when as a seventeen-year-old senior in high school my heart was arrested by Christ and I was born again.

Although God was the author of that work, and even though it was a supernatural and glorious work, it was simply the start, the beginning. God is building something bigger and better in me; and He wants to do the same in you.

All too often we are like counterfeit currency. We have the look and the language down pat but we are missing an indispensable element of truth, light, purity. And so, our fellowship with God is compromised and our ability to connect meaningfully and deeply with others is compromised as well. Without light, intimacy shrivels and dies.

How did you grow up and what traditions etched the importance of respect upon you? A respect-less society is doomed to destruction and a respect-less life is doomed to disfunction.

At the heart of biblical Christianity is a commandment that takes respect to the highest level of application.

Here it is: respecting God translates to the discipline of respecting all people, always.

Greetings are ingrained in the biblical stories. The celebration greeting that Adam gave Eve is iconic. The reconciliation greeting that Esau gave Jacob is heartwarming. The intercession greeting that Epaphras gave the church at Colossae is inspirational. The recognition greeting that Joseph gave his brothers is convicting.

Greetings can also be used for irreparable hurt and damage. The greeting Cain gave Abel was lethal. The greeting Nabal gave David’s men was despicable. The greeting Judas gave Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was treacherous.

As Solomon so wisely said, “The tongue has the power of life and

death . . . .”

It is not possible to be a true disciple if you are not teachable; coachable; eager to receive instruction and absorb insight. It is one thing to be attentive and responsive to Jesus as our Lord and Master, but did you know that one of the most powerful means of discipleship is teaching one another?

Sin has sabotaged our self-worth. We either erroneously compensate by shifting our value to external factors, efforts and achievements or we languish in the darkness of doubt, insecurity, guilt or even self-loathing.

There is a better way. Jesus opened a path to redemption, deliverance and wholeness.

One of the most profound aspects of our new life in Jesus Christ is that we are accepted; 

we are valued; 

we are seen for who we truly are 

and we are embraced.

Left to ourselves, we would settle for far less than we are capable of achieving. That’s why we all need encouragement. Encouragement helps us; stretches us; motivates us. Simply put, encouragement is the ability to inspire others to fulfill their God-given potential.

While there are those who are especially gifted in the area of encouragement, and blessed is the family and the church who possess such gifted ones, all followers of Christ are empowered and expected to encourage one another.

Are you in need of encouragement today? You’ll find it as you connect with your brothers and sisters in Christ. Sometimes they can see in you what your insecurities conceal from yourself. Sometimes they can say just what your heart needs to hear.

And you know one of the best ways to be encouraged? It is to encourage someone else. That very act of thoughtfulness to boost others to fulfill their potential can often be the breakthrough you need to receive the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.

What do your hurts from the past look like?

What is the story behind your scars?

What baggage is weighing you down?

Forgiveness is at the heart of biblical Christianity. One cannot be reconciled to God apart from experiencing forgiveness and no one can walk with God apart from extending forgiveness to others. The greatest forgivers in the world should be the followers of Jesus Christ because we have the deepest and richest experience of divine forgiveness. The greatest cause of stunted spiritual growth is unforgiveness.

As we continue the series, “Stronger Together: exploring the power of one-another” let's dive in to the tough topic of forgiveness. Stronger Together is not just rhetoric, it’s reality; it’s not just a mantra, but a mission. When we come together as the body of Christ as the New Testament church, we experience the power of belonging to one another, of serving one another and of forgiving one another.

At the heart of the New Testament vision of the church is the biblical dynamic of service. No church can rise higher or influence deeper than their commitment to and practice of servanthood. As we continue this morning our series “Stronger Together” we celebrate God’s marvelous design of the church, the body of Christ. I am calling each of us to a fresh commitment to remember the Sabbath by keeping it holy and to reconnect with your church family every week either onsite or online. We really are stronger together! Today we dive into the Word of God to explore the power of serving one another. Some of the greatest characters of Scripture identified themselves as servants of God or even better, were identified by God as His servants.

Today's text is found in Galatians 5:13

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