Love Each Other

Scripture Reading: John 15:9 – 17

Message: “Love Each Other”

Text: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

Introduction:

Do you find it easy to love other people?

Your question might be, “What do you mean by loving other people?”

We have one kind of love for our families. In other words, the people who are closely related, mother, father, brother or sister, are usually easy to love because of the relationship. These are people that we have grown up with, lived with, took care of us, provided for our needs, washed our clothes, prepared meals for us, and helped us with our school work and a myriad of other things. These people saw to it that we had what we needed and even had what was not really necessary.

All of us have worked with people whom we care about and would do anything to help them. When we work with people, we have something in common with them. We share experiences or interests with them. We tend to back them in whatever they say or do. They are like brothers and sisters to us. This is a kind of love.

We can disagree with people, but that does not mean that we do not love them. Brothers and sisters often disagree, but they still love each other and would defend each other if the need arose. Husband and wife sometimes disagree, but they still love each other.

Story: “Husband and Wife”

A quarrelsome husband and wife sat before the open fireplace. They lived, or existed, at counter purposes with each other. Sleeping peaceably on either side of the fireplace were two cats. The husband said, “Why can’t we live in peace with each other like the cats?” The wife replied, “Just tie the tails of those cats together, and fling them over a clothesline, and see what happens!” Two can’t walk together except they be in agreement. Christians walking separately can walk peaceably with Christ in their hearts and with love and good will for everybody. Spirit-filled Christians can agree to disagree without strife and ill-will, their prayer being, ‘Grace be with all them that love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity” (Eph. 6:24).

1. Once again, do you find it easy to love other people?

I believe your truthful answer to this question would be that most people you know and meet are relatively easy to love, Jesus’ type of love, but there are some people you find difficult to even like.

Do you find it difficult to define love? Most people who think of love are thinking of a feeling. Jesus type of love was the love of his loving Father. Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you” (v. 9).

2. What kind of love does the Father have?

The love of the Father is a forgiving love. Psalm 103:2-3 says, “Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”

The Lord not only forgives all our sins but provides for us many benefits; one of them being healing our bodies of disease or keeping us from getting any type of sickness.

The Lord is also merciful to us. Daniel 9:9-10 says, “The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets.” This verse indicates that the Lord not only forgives but extends mercy or compassion or sympathy to us.

I Corinthians 13:4-7 tell us more about the love of the Father. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.”

3. Do we have love that is:

Forgiving

Merciful

Patient

Kind

Protective

Trusting

Persevering

Sincere

Truthful

Honest

Joyful

Peaceful

Gentle

Good

Faithful

In all honesty, we probably do not fare too well in any of these categories.

The Father’s love is patient, kind, satisfying, personal and uplifting. The Father is very patient with us regardless of the things we might do. He will correct us, but he does it in a kind and caring way. He speaks to our hearts instead of making a scene of our mistakes. As parents, we tend to correct our children in a way that causes them humiliation and embarrassment. Parents usually make a scene in front of other people, not realizing what they are doing to the child and themselves. Parents do not always exhibit the Father’s kind of love.