Edify One Another

[0:00] Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another.! Follow after, chase after, pursue after these things, things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another.

[0:20] Paul's saying here something that we should chase after. This is something we should earnestly chase after. He says do this, don't miss this, he says.

[0:32] He says look for ways you can edify one another. Things which make for peace, find things which we can use to edify one another.

[0:45] So edify, this word edify, we know there's the description of a building. People call it an edifice, an edifice. And to edify means to build.

[0:58] An edifice is a building. And to edify means to build up. To build up. Look for ways that you can edify one another, that you can build one another up.

[1:09] Every day we are either tearing down or we are building. One or the other in much of the time really, aren't we?

[1:26] It's either one or the other as to what we're doing with our lives and our interactions with other people. Every day we are demolishing or we are constructing. Some people are part of the demolition crew.

[1:39] You know, they've got their hard hats on and their big mallets and smashing things apart. They're part of the demolition crew. And some people are builders, builders.

[1:51] Who are you? You know, today I was out in the back paddock, as it were, and I saw some trees that were many years old cut down in a few seconds.

[2:01] You know, quite large tree branches, trees. You see the rings around the tree and you know that tree is pretty old.

[2:11] Many years old. Many years old. But just a few seconds of the zzzz and it's gone. It's cut down. And a chainsaw can destroy a beautiful gum that has taken many long years to grow in just a few moments of time.

[2:32] Gone. Dead. Cut down. And it's like that, isn't it? In a sense with a building, you can have a beautiful building. You know, you see that over in the Middle East.

[2:44] Some people like to smash down buildings and beautiful objects and what has been the treasures of antiquity. They just take the mallet to and smash it to bits.

[2:55] And it's just a few moments and that work is gone. That beautiful construction is destroyed. And it can happen with us as God's people. We can be part of the demolition crew or part of the construction crew.

[3:14] I'd like to encourage us all to join the construction effort. To edify one another. To build one another up. And here are some things that I suggest to you. Ways with which we can edify one another.

[3:29] Some ways that we can use to build one another up. And one of those ways I put to you tonight is our words. Our words. Our words can build or our words can destroy.

[3:44] How easy it is to let those words slip. It's like someone has compared it to words are like toothpaste.

[3:57] You know, there's an object lesson where it suggests the kids get the toothpaste and squirt it all out and throw it all around. And then they say to the kids, put it back in the tube.

[4:11] It's like that with our words, isn't it? Once those words are out, we say some words in anger or haste. We say some word carelessly to condemn, to hurt.

[4:26] Once it's out of our mouth, once the toothpaste is out of the tube, it's out there, isn't it? And even if we say, oh, I'm sorry I said that. Too late, isn't it?

[4:37] It's out of the tube. You can't put it back. Don't say those hurtful words. Don't say them. Ask the Lord to stop you saying those words. You know, the Bible talks about put a guard over your mouth.

[4:49] You know, have a watch over your mouth so you watch those words. You don't open it. Don't say it. Don't let it come out. You know, in Ephesians it tells us this.

[5:01] Let no communication, no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good. That which is good. So the use of edifying.

[5:13] That it may minister grace unto the hearers. So Paul's saying here, don't use corrupt communication. We know what those words are, don't we? Corrupt communication, if it's questionable, is corrupt.

[5:26] Don't use it. Let the world use the guts of language. It should have no place coming out of our mouth. But use words that are good. So the use of edifying.

[5:38] Words that are going to build people up. Words that are going to encourage and lift people. Words that will minister grace unto the hearers. We want to minister God's grace, don't we? We want to be messengers of his grace.

[5:49] We want to be channels of his grace. Our words can build. Or our words can destroy. He's telling us here about some things with which we can edify one another.

[6:01] One of those words is our words. So watch your words, people of God. Watch your words. Better not to utter them than to utter hasty words that we regret.

[6:11] And as much as we apologise, and we should. We should. It's better that we hadn't have said them. Speak your words carefully.

[6:23] Speak words that build up. Find something good to say. You know, I don't want to overlap too much about my morning message, but it's about that good gossip. It's about those good words.

[6:34] It's about those uplifting things. It's about those words that strengthen people in our lives. That we show our love by our words. Words that we share, give heart and hope.

[6:47] Some people can be reckless with their words. Some people want to tear things apart. Here's a woman. Every wise woman buildeth her house, but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

[7:01] You know, this is a verse to women. Be a wise woman. Build your house. Build your house. Your family. Build your family. Don't be one, as the foolish one here mentioned, who plucks it down with her hands.

[7:17] She just tears it apart. You know, say those words that you won't regret, because foolish words spoken, it's too late to really stop them, isn't it?

[7:31] Proverbs 15, too, tells of how foolish words gush out of the mouth of a fool. Foolish words. Sometimes there's kind of a worldly saying of sorts that it's better to be thought a fool, because how does it go?

[7:49] Does someone know that one? There's the sense that... Yeah. Better to not open your mouth. Even if you don't know what you're talking about, it's better not to say it, or to try to say it.

[8:01] Better to keep your mouth closed. So what kind of words do we use? This is really important. This is sinful stuff, really, isn't it? But it's elementary and it's so fundamental to choose wisely those words that we can edify one another.

[8:14] Words that you can bless people with. Words that you can uplift people with. Words that you can minister grace to others. Words where you can speak hope into people's lives. We can speak words of help and healing.

[8:27] We're looking at things with which we can edify one another. Words. Another one is the scriptures. The word of God. We can edify people with the scriptures.

[8:39] These words can build up people. They build us up, don't they? They build you up when you read them. And when you impart to others, they build others' faith.

[8:50] And they build other people's hope. We're meant to be messengers of this book. The scriptures can give people God's comfort. As we read in Romans 15 from verse 4, it tells us, For whatsoever things are written aforetime, you know, a long and long time ago, whatsoever things were written aforetime, even in the Old Testament, were written for our learning.

[9:15] That we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope. There's patience. There's God's perseverance. There's messages of comfort.

[9:27] And we can have hope here. There's hope in this book. And it goes on. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like one toward another, according to Jesus Christ.

[9:41] The word of God edifies. It builds people up. This book has the answers to the problems of life. Don't neglect it.

[9:53] Don't put it on the shelf to gather dust and just take it church to read it. You know, some people, they go to the gym to build up their strength and their muscles and their fitness.

[10:06] And the Bible says that bodily exercise profiteth little. It does profit you. But much rather that godliness, that exercising yourself unto godliness.

[10:20] Now, do we stop and think about our spiritual muscles, about our soul, about our spiritual strength, about our spiritual life? Don't neglect that. Don't neglect your soul.

[10:31] This body is as impressive as it is. It's going to be worm food one day. You know? It's about your soul.

[10:42] That's what matters, isn't it? Of course, you look after your body too. You don't be stupid. It goes on. Paul says, I commend you to God and to the word of his grace.

[10:54] In Acts 20, 32, it says, and now I commend you. He said to the people, to God and to the word of his grace. I commend you to this book, the word of his grace, which is able to build you up.

[11:06] This book is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. The message of this book will build you up.

[11:20] We're looking at things which we can use to edify other people. Our words, the word of God, A third one is prayer.

[11:32] Jude 1, verse 20. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.

[11:43] Building up yourself on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. Have prayer that is motivated by the Spirit of God.

[11:54] Prayer that is in tune with the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit, praying in the Holy Ghost. And it's another way.

[12:05] We can edify ourselves and edify others. We can build up one another through prayer. We can build up ourselves and our spiritual life, our faith. We can build ourselves and others as we pray for others, as we pray specifically for others.

[12:20] Pray for people by name. Get a burden for people. Pray for them. Let them know you're praying for them. We're looking at ways, at things we can use whereby we can edify others.

[12:34] Another way is love. We can choose to tear down or to destroy. We can choose to lift up and build up people. Every one of us has got a different circle of influence.

[12:48] There's people in your life that are not in mine and vice versa. We've all got a circle around us of the people that we can reach, the people that we can impact. And you've got people in your life that you might be one of the few voices they can hear that point them to Christ.

[13:05] You can be one of the few people in their lives that can be a witness to Christ to them. You know, we are really, as someone has said, what's the gospel written according to you?

[13:16] You know, in the sense that we're all messengers of that good news, of that gospel and sometimes you might be the only Bible people read because you're the only one who's actually got their ear, that you've got their trust and you can have an opening into their lives and speak God's truth to them.

[13:37] There's some people that are very hardened to the gospel yet they're in touch with some Christians. You might be that one Christian who can make a difference. So don't blow it.

[13:47] Be a good witness for Christ and use those opportunities. Love people. Now we can edify people by our love, by being constructive in that sense of love.

[13:58] In 1 Corinthians 8 verse 1 it says, Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth. You know, I know some very knowledgeable Christians, but it's like they're just a big shot.

[14:15] You know, knowledge puffeth up. Don't be like that. I need to guard against that. You know, sometimes you have too high an opinion of yourself, don't you? I know I'm speaking for myself.

[14:26] That can happen, can't it? Knowledge puffeth up. We can think we know everything and discount other people. But love, charity, edify. You know, let's have a heart for people.

[14:39] Love builds people up. Now ask the Lord to help develop a love for souls, to love people for Christ. Ask the Lord to help you love God's dear people as if they were your brothers and sisters, because they are.

[14:57] Amen? It could be that there's brothers and sisters, there's fellow Christians in this church that maybe you haven't thought about this before.

[15:10] They're your brother. They're your sister. How do we treat people in church? Do we have that mindset? Ask the Lord to help you love God's dear people as if they were your brothers and sisters, because they are.

[15:27] They are. You're my brother. You're my sister. Yeah, that's a wake-up call, isn't it? I know sometimes I think, oh, I better get on with that fellow Christian because they could be my next-door neighbour one day in heaven, in glory, you know?

[15:45] We've got to learn to get on with each other sometimes. Find some ways you can develop a compassion, a love for people that goes beyond your own because it has to. Sometimes our measure of love, our extent of love is kind of, I'll go this far, isn't I?

[16:03] I'm not going to talk to that person. I don't like the look of them or whatever it be or, you know, different, we can have those mindsets that stop us from loving people but we need to love people with God's supernatural love, don't we?

[16:16] That goes beyond our own love because the Lord Jesus says this, he says, a new commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you that ye also love one another.

[16:31] By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another. Shouldn't we be that loving family? We should. To edify means a strengthening.

[16:43] It means an encouraging of people to do what is right. How are we building? Do we care enough? Do we consider one another in these ways?

[16:55] Do we look for those things with which we can edify people? Again, let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edify another.

[17:10] Now I was, again I don't mean to overlap too much what I was talking about this morning but Christianity is not a solo venture. It's not, you know, just, it's just, it's not a one man band.

[17:23] It's not just for yourself. We're saved to be part of a family. We're saved to care for one another and to love one another and to build up one another.

[17:36] This is what the scriptures are telling us. To edify one another, build one another up. And don't be selfish, look at others that, hey, what can I build into this person's life?

[17:46] What can I build into this person's life? Let's follow after these things, things wherewith one may edify another. What we've seen so far, just to recap just briefly just so far, is we've seen these ways, these things which we can use to edify one another.

[18:02] Ways we can build up one another. Our words, the scriptures, prayer, love. Question is, are you a builder or a wrecker?

[18:16] God's will is to build his church. He's building his church. He is. And I believe that God wants you and me, all of us, to be a part of the construction effort, to be a part of his construction crew, to get those hard hats on and those steel cap boots and get those gloves on and get stuck into it.

[18:36] Amen? That's what he wants us to be. Construction workers, brickies labourers under the superintending of our great builder, our God, and to be constructive Christians.

[18:49] So how are we going to build? That's an important question. In Ephesians 2, verse 19 through 22, it talks about how you know more strangers and foreigners but your fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God.

[19:04] Be part of God's family, saying, and you're built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets. That means this, the word of God, God's words, the foundation, and Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord, in whom also ye are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

[19:35] God is building his house. You know, have you ever had the joy of building a house? You know, building a construction such as this, building a home in which you are to live.

[19:46] You want to get it right, don't you? You want to make sure the foundation's right. And God is building his house on that foundation, the right foundation. The foundation for our life must be Christ.

[19:57] He must be the chief cornerstone, the one who sets everything else in accord with that. Build upon that foundation. Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.

[20:09] In 1 Corinthians 3, he uses a like analogy. Ye are God's building. Ye, plural, God's people. Ye, you, are God's building. It's not the building we meet in.

[20:20] It's the people that we are. We are living stones, lively stones. We're built together to be that holy temple. And Paul says that I'm like a wise master builder.

[20:31] I've laid the foundation and another builder thereupon. But let every man take heed how he builds. Let every man take heed. He goes on, he talks about you can build with wood, hay, stubble.

[20:48] Or you can build with gold, silver, precious stones. Now, if you build over here with wood, hay, stubble, just man's foot and man's thing and outside of God's purpose, it's just going to be a pile of ashes in your hands.

[21:04] The Bible talks about someone going to be ashamed before him that he's coming because it's just a pile of wood, hay, stubble. It's just going to burn up. There's going to be nothing to show. Or you can have gold, silver, precious stones, those things in your life that you've done for God, for his glory and praise, to his honour, with that right heart, it's going to be gold, silver, precious stones.

[21:28] So let's be mindful how we build. Of course, we know the word tells us that the Lord God, our Lord is the builder. The Lord Jesus says, I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

[21:42] And the Lord wants us to join in that. I believe he wants us to be a part of that building effort. Not that we are building his church, but he is building through us, he's using us for his glory, to his praise.

[21:55] You know, we see many, many verses that talk about this building effort, this edifying, this building up. We see that even spiritual gifts are such needful part of this building effort, of this building program.

[22:13] Every one of us has a different part to play in that building program. Every part of us are meant to be part of that building effort. It says in 1 Corinthians 14, it says in 1 Corinthians 14 about being zealous of spiritual gifts.

[22:33] Seek that you may excel. In other words, make it your intention, your application, make it something that you earnestly aim for, that you want to excel in spiritual gifts.

[22:54] Why? For the edifying of the church. It's not to make anyone look to you or think you're especially gifted or called or anointed. The object is that the church is built up.

[23:08] That's what the whole point is of all the spiritual gifts. God wants us to excel in that, to get a zeal for serving him, to get a zeal for how can God use me?

[23:20] What can I do for him? How can he work through me? It's spiritual gifts. And the whole object of God's gifts and callings, his ministries, is to this object, the edifying of the church.

[23:34] That is the whole point. So we see God's church blessed and built up. We see that in Ephesians 4, verse 11, and he goes, some apostles, some prophets, some pastors, some evangelists, some teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.

[23:55] So there's that same truth there. The ministries, the ministry gifts, the spiritual gifts and the ministry people are all for this object, for the edifying of the church, for the edifying of the body.

[24:10] So let's have that mindset that if you feel God's called you, if you feel God's gifted you, that you use those gifts and callings, those talents, those abilities, those spiritual endowments to God's glory and praise for the building up of his church.

[24:31] Let that be your object, your motivation. As we tap into the very power of God, that's his intention, that he use us in that. And so we see another one, and again, I'm touching on encouraging again because edifying and encouraging go kind of hand in hand.

[24:50] Both of these words come together. For example, we see in 1 Thessalonians 5 verse 11, wherefore comfort, this word comfort is also, has the intention of encourage or exhort, as it's elsewhere translated, wherefore comfort yourselves together and edify one another, even as you're also doing.

[25:11] So comfort, encourage, and edify, build one another up. These words come hand in hand as they exhort, encourage, the same thing, we edify.

[25:22] You know, it's been said, there's a worldly saying that people use and it motivates us that have got a heart for the youth, for the children, better to build boys than have to mend men.

[25:37] So true, isn't it? You see, if those young people, those children, those young men, those young women could have been reached for Christ, if they could have been saved, if they could have got their lives on track at the young age, we wouldn't have to be mending men.

[26:03] Yeah. So it's true for all ages too, certainly. And so, let's take time to encourage the younger age set to make wise decisions.

[26:15] That's why as a church we invest in the Sunday school. That's why as a church we invest in the youth program. Better to build boys than have to mend men and build girls than have to mend women.

[26:27] So let's take that heart for people and make it something we care about as a church. Encouragement is another way that we can build one another up.

[26:42] We see people like Barnabas. His name means the son of encouragement. He knew how to support others. He gave giving of his own property to meet a need.

[26:57] to provide for the needy in Acts 4. And he was the first believer to stand beside Paul when others were saying they couldn't trust Paul.

[27:09] He was a Christian killer. Barnabas saw that he was one who was genuinely saved. And he stood by him.

[27:20] He encouraged Paul and encouraged others to receive him. And we see that Barnabas stood beside his friend John Mark. John Mark had failed. He'd let the side down and Paul himself thought to cut him loose.

[27:38] But Barnabas saw in John Mark something. and he encouraged him in the work of the Lord. He lifted John Mark up when others just wrote him off.

[27:51] And he gave him another chance. He encouraged him in the ministry. Thank God God is the God of the second chance isn't he? Isn't he? He's the God of the second chance.

[28:01] You might be one to think well I've just blown it. I'm God's given up on me. I'm in the too hard basket. No God is the God of the second chance.

[28:13] He gave Paul the chance. He gave John Mark the chance. And John Mark thrived with Barnabas' encouragement. And so we talked about these things. We talked about exhorting and encouraging. They work hand in hand.

[28:24] We see Nehemiah as another example of encouragement. He saw the need. He saw the city and its state. He saw that everything was in chaos and destruction.

[28:38] And God gave him a vision. And he exhorted and encouraged the people. He says, let us arise and build. Let us rise up and build. And he exhorted the people.

[28:49] It's a new courage. Now, there's a poem that goes like this. And it kind of captures some of these truths about reflecting on these contrasts.

[29:00] Are you a builder or a wrecker? Consider this. As I watched them tearing a building down, a gang of men in a busy town, with a ho-heave-ho and a lusty yell, they swung a beam and the side wall fell.

[29:17] I asked the foreman, are these men skilled? And the men you'd hire if you wanted to build? He gave a laugh and said, ha, no, indeed, just common labour is all I need.

[29:33] I can easily wreck in a day or two what builders have taken years to do. And I thought to myself, as I went my way, which of these roles have I tried to play?

[29:46] Am I a builder who works with care using tools and skill to make the building square? Am I shaping my work to a well-made plan, patiently doing the best that I can?

[29:59] Or am I a wrecker who walks to town content with the labour of tearing down? Oh, Lord, let my life and my labours be that which builds for eternity.

[30:15] Builder or wrecker, which one will we be? I urge you tonight as we draw to a close to consider these truths. Find ways with which you can build one another up.

[30:31] Find some ways you can edify one another. What are some of these ways? Maybe take the time to listen to people, to be kind, to go the extra mile.

[30:45] Put yourself out once in a while. I know you do. I know there's people here that do that. Take the time to share God's promises, what God's been speaking to you from his word.

[30:57] He's given you a scripture so you can share it. help people meet their needs. I know some of you do. I put a call out and people are jumping to help me.

[31:10] Thank you. Let's do that for others. Let people know you're praying for them. Let them know that might be all the help they need.

[31:24] Just to know you're praying for them. Spur one another on to love and to good works. Comfort people. How hard is it to send a text message?

[31:39] Really. Let people know that you care. To care for the hurting. Take time to say thanks to people.

[31:53] Make a deliberate effort not to open those lips to say something that's going to hurt someone. Amen. You know it's what we need to do sometimes isn't it?

[32:08] Really. Care for the hurting. They're all around us. We've just got to open our eyes.

[32:19] We may not be able to meet every need. Sometimes it's impossible isn't it? But take time to care to share a scripture to be a practical help where you can.

[32:31] There's people that are less able than you for whatever reason. Maybe we can try to be some help practically. Not just make it all theoretical, spiritual.

[32:46] You know to miss those opportunities, those real opportunities. You know it's easy to be selfish isn't it? It is easy. It's my human nature just to be selfish, to be living in my own little world and just not thinking about others.

[33:04] We're talking about one another. We talked about this morning to exhort, to encourage one another. We're talking tonight about edify, build up one another. It would be much easier just to be selfish and not to do anything about what we're talking about tonight and just to write it off and not really put it into action.

[33:26] But I pray God helps you to find that humility, to find that love that goes beyond your own love, to care, to be a loving, serving Christian.

[33:37] And I know you are. There's people here tonight, I know you are. Maybe you could go a little bit further with it. Amen? We all can, can't we? Do a little bit more.

[33:48] stop living in our own selfish little bubble and to be considerate of others. You know, the word tells us about, you know, look not on every man on his own things, but look out for the interests of others.

[34:07] That's what it's saying, isn't it? To be considerate of others, consider one another. So we see, just to wrap up, Romans 15, it says, we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak and not to please ourselves.

[34:21] Some of you are mighty men and women of God. Mighty. We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak.

[34:34] Let's put ourselves out and show our faith with our works, not to please ourselves. And it goes on, let every one of us please his neighbour for his good, to edification.

[34:51] So the scriptures are telling us many times about the one and others. We're just scratching the surface here. We're talking about building one another up. And not to necessarily please ourselves, but to please our neighbours, those around us.

[35:07] So just to recap, what have we seen? These ways, these things that we can use, these ways we can build one another up. We've talked about our words, what we say. Watch your words.

[35:19] The scriptures. Here's the, this has got A to Z of how to build people up. There's words here that you can share that are going to build people up in your life.

[35:34] Those people in your circle of influence, isn't it? The word God wants you to give, it's in these covers. The scriptures.

[35:46] Prayer. We can build ourselves up, we can build others up as we pray. Love. Love beyond your own love. Love with his love.

[35:57] As I have loved you, he says to you. And we've seen the foundation. It's got to be strong, it's got to be the apostles and prophets, it's got to be the scriptures, it's got to be Christ as the chief cornerstone.

[36:10] And our gifts and callings, it's not for our own edification, it's to edify, to build up the body, the people of God. God bless you tonight as you take heart in the scriptures, as you encourage yourself in the word of God.

[36:25] 1 Thessalonians 5.11 again, it says, edify one another. Edify one another. That means step outside of the me zone and think about the others.

[36:38] it's so easy to get wrapped up in the me zone. We all like to have me time, don't we? Me time. That's a kind of worldly concept, isn't it, in a way.

[36:53] And think about one another, one another, edify one Thank you.