“Coffee helps with clarity…” Most pastors in America, or even people for that matter, at least the ones I know, will say those words with conviction! “I need my caffeine before I can get any work done…” Me personally, I say, “Give me a little bit of coffee, and a whole lot of Jesus!”
Whether you’re an early riser, or a night owl, that boost of caffeine intake can help get the wheels turning. It just seems that after that cup of joe, or tea, you are able to knock out the cobwebs and focus better on the tasks set before you. And focus is important!!
This idea of gaining clarity to be able to focus better on tasks can be applied to the implementation of the Allēlōn Principle in the local church context, especially when you are wanting to change the culture that you’re in.Bottom line, clarity is key especially when dealing with a new concept or idea.
Allēlōn Principle Construct: L.S.W.E.E.P.E.R.
Having focus and clarity in your brain’s construct of the Allēlōn Principle is going to help you, and those in your local context, be able to get more traction to move forward toward developing a healthier and proactive culture in your local church. Without clarity on the principle the likeliness of implementing anything is slim.
So let’s get focused! As stated in a previous blog, the definition of the principle helps reveal its identity and how it is utilized within the intended context of God’s designed community of believers. (Just in case you missed it or need a refresher: The Allēlōn Principle is the Spirit empowered actions between believers that develop and define the intended culture of the community of Christ’s disciples.)
One important factor of the Allēlōn Principle that must not be overlooked is that it is an empowerment by the Holy Spirit in the lives of believers. It is intended for believers to act in a way that displays Christ to each other and to those around them. The principle is not set forth with the recipient being an unbeliever, rather, it is clearly to be executed between believers.
Every one of the 47 commands given to the church are to be exercised by the church, in the church, and for the church. The purpose of the principle is for the edification of the church. When the church is edified, God is glorified.
In focusing on the principle between believers, this doesn’t mean that unbelievers are not affected by the results of the principle. Rather, when the principle is being properly exercised and displayed among the local body the culture of the body is transformed by God’s working. The culture is transformed from a self-centered social club to a self-less society that has all things in common (Acts 2:44, 4:32).
8 Categories of the Allēlōn Principle
To better understand the principle given by the “one another” commands to the church in the New Testament, I have compiled and distilled them into 8 categories that can be remembered by the acrostic L.S.W.E.E.P.E.R.. Following is the condensed list of one another commands given to the church in the New Testament. As you will see, some categories have more references than others. This doesn’t mean that there is less importance in a category it means that there is just less mention of the exact wording, but the idea is clearly evident throughout.
- Love One Another
- John 13:34, 35, 15:12, 17; Rom. 12:10, 13:8;1 Thess. 3:12, 4:9; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 3:11, 23, 4:7, 11, 12; 2 John 5
- Serve One Another
- John 13:14; Gal. 5:13
- Welcome One Another
- 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; Rom. 15:7, 16:16; 1 Pet 5:14
- Encourage One Another
- 1 Thess. 4:18, 5:11; Heb. 10:24-25
- Endure With One Another
- Gal. 6:2; Eph. 4:2; Col. 3:13; James 5:16
- Pray For One Another
- James 5:16
- Equip One Another
- Rom. 15:14
- Respect One Another
- Mark 9:50; Rom. 12:10, 16, 14:13; 1 Cor. 11:33, 12:25; Gal. 5:15, 26; Eph. 4:32, 5:21; Phil. 2:3; Col. 3:9; James 4:11, 5:9; 1 Peter 4:9, 5:5
L.S.W.E.E.P.E.R.
Now they say that “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and so the mental picture that I use when trying to remember the categories for the Allēlōn Principle is that of a street sweeper. I use this acrostic and visualize a street sweeper with the word “Love” painted on the side of it. I call it the “Love Sweeper.”
As you see, to love one another is at the top of the list. This is not by chance, but by design. Jesus tells us in Mark 12:30-13 “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” If we were to love God and love one another properly, the principle will not be difficult to execute faithfully.
The objective of the Allēlōn Principle is not designed to be difficult. Rather, it is to communicate and display God’s design for His disciples to cultivate a culture that produces fertile ground for growth of all sorts to happen. In learning and implementing the principle faithfully, the ground that is occupied by and that surrounds the church will become part of an ecosystem that produces a healthy and proactive culture.
Conclusion
Once you begin to clearly comprehend the concept of the Allēlōn Principle, and how it is soundly communicated in Scripture, you will understand the importance of it in impacting the counseling culture of the local church. Being committed to the cultivation that is going to be needed is key in establishing the desired counseling culture in your church.
Ask God to open your eyes to what He has revealed to us in Scripture about the one another’s and aspire to be able to effectively apply the truths of the Allēlōn Principle to your life. Without the commitment of each other to one another, the principle will have no ground at all to take root in for growth.
Allelon Principle 