Sermon Title: Love One Another
Sermon Date: 12/27/2007
By: Dcn. Chris Nerreau
INTRODUCTION
What is the key ingredient to a healthy, strong, vibrant church? Is it theology? Is it prayer? Is it good teaching and preaching or the sacraments? Again, what is the backbone if you will of a healthy church?
I would submit to you today that ultimately, the key that unlocks the doors to a healthy, growing, vibrant church is LOVE. This is not to say that theology, prayer, teaching preaching and the sacraments (among others) are not important, most certainly they are, but without love they are pointless. Love for God and each other is ultimately where prayer, bible study, teaching/preaching and the sacraments are supposed to lead us, making love superior to all other activities. Paul said that to “put on love” binds all things in harmony. (Col. 3)
And Jesus summed up all of Christianity with a teaching on love – Mk 12:29 “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.’ 31‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.”
With this in mind it seemed good to me and the Holy Spirit that my first sermon as Pastor of St. Stephens be a sermon on the importance of loving one another.
ILLUSTRATION
I can remember a while back, giving pastoral council to a man who asked why he could not stop cheating on his wife. He said he loved her deeply but his flesh was weak. My response was that his flesh is weak because his love is weak. It is not enough to love your wife, I told him; he also must love the other woman enough to leave them alone. I tried to show that fidelity flows out of his love for his wife and his love for others.
The same is true in the church, if you say you love God but you continually hurt others, then you are just like this man. Our love for God is proven in our love for each other.
PROPOSITION
You cannot say you love God if you do not love each other!
ORIENTATION
This is why I would like to spend a few minutes today looking at the significance of loving one another, specifically at:
• Johns Call To Love One Another – (v.7,20)
• Jesus Example Of Love For One Another – (v.9,10)
• God’s Reward For Those Who Love One Another – (v.12)
TRANSITION – Lets begin today by looking at…
I. John’s Call To Love One Another – (V. 7,11,20)
OBSERVATION
John was a Bishop and Father to his “beloved” flock, he loved those under his charge and wanted to see the church flourish, as such he now takes time to remind his flock of the importance of love for each other…
a. Love Each Other Because Love is of God –
Exegesis – v7.“Let us love one another for love is of God”
• “Let us” – In saying let us, John concludes Love to be a choice, we are called to actively choose to love one another. Do you actively love?
• “one another” – This choice to love is to be directed toward each other as our highest act of worship. NOTE: (John 15:17) Jesus commands us to love one another and says we are not His if we do not…
• “Love is of God” – God is the source of Love, He is the full embodiment of love. Human love is simply a reflection of the divine love.
b. Love Each Other Because God is Love –
Exegesis – v.8 “God is love”
• “God is love” – John gives us (3) images of God in this epistle, the first “God is light” the second is “God is love” and the third is “God is life”.
• God does not necessarily give us love, He is love and calls us to come to Him and get filled up with love and then once we are full, we are commanded to bring some back and give it away.
c. Avoiding the Big Lie
Exegesis – v.20a “If anyone say’s, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar;”
• Notice the strong condemnation for those who claim a love of God and yet hate their brother. They are called liars, they lie because love for God is not possible apart from love for others, to love God is to be close to Him and to be close to Him is to radiate love.
INTERPRETATION
John is basically saying, it is hypocritical to claim a love of God and yet remain hostile toward others. It violates who we know God to be (Mt 5:45 Rain on Just and unjust) and it also violates Christ’s command to love each other (John 15:17).
John further explains that the way we accomplish this love for each other is through a response to His divine love, notice v.19 “we love because He first loved us”. Thus if one is truly in love with God, spending time with Him, then one will automatically love others (Jesus said we will be known by our “fruit” (Mt. 7:16).
ILLUSTRATION
One of the incredible things about Christ is that by being fully human and fully divine, we cannot love Him fully unless we embrace both his humanity and divinity. This was part of God’s plan, you see to love Jesus is to love His humanity and divinity. It’s to love God and Person and to deny either is to not love Jesus at all.
APPLICATION
• How do you treat others? Particularly those in this congregation?
• Do you claim to love God and yet hurt others, gossip about them, lie to them and take shots at them while they are not around to defend themselves? Do you not know that when you strike them while they are unaware, you are no better than those who struck Christ in the mob (Mt. 26:68).
• You may only get as close to God as you get to the person you love least. (Hos 6:6 reminds us that God’s chief desire is love.)
• So Today I want you to notice that the ultimate expression of our love for God is an active intentional love for each other. We as a church will stand or fall on this principle.
• John’s primary concern here is his church, and so is mine. St. Stephens will only go as far as its love for God and others will carry it.
• Today I would encourage you to turn to the Father and allow Him to love you that you may be prepared to love others…
TRANSITION
So we have seen Johns call to love one another, now let’s look at…
I. Jesus Example Of Love For One Another – (V.9)
OBSERVATION
In (v.9) we see the wonderful example of Jesus love to better help us understand how this is accomplished. While Jesus certainly did come for pragmatic reasons, such as, to save us from our sin and defeat the enemy of our soul, God also sent His Son as an example of the most excellent way (1 Cor. 12:21). This example should be our model as well.
a. A Love Which Holds Nothing Back –
Exegesis – v9a. “The love of God was made manifest… God sent His only Son into the world…”
• This is more than a simple statement; it sets forth the very character and nature of God. God’s very nature of love became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1)
• If you have ever offered your love and been rejected then you can relate with what God has done. He has held nothing back, He had give all of His love, made manifest in His Son in the hopes of a response, both in receiving His love and in giving it away.
b. It is a love that is totally undeserved –
Exegesis – v.9b “That we might live through Him”
• “That we might live” – We are all dying, the reason we are dying is our sin. We are rebellious and sinful, we scorn God in thought, word and deed and yet God gave us His only son as an undeserved gift. This love is totally undeserved.
• “live thorough Him” – The love is undeserved in that Christ should not have had to leave His Father, but it is also undeserved because Christ allows us to draw life out of Him. He truly gave everything to an undeserved people.
INTERPRETATION
What we see here is Christ’s complete and undeserved offering of love and this is our example of how to love each other. Our love for each other should hold nothing back and be given even when it is totally undeserved.
ILLUSTRATION
My very best friend left his wife a few years back and had an adulterous affair. Eventually, he and his wife began to reconcile, but his wives family was unable to forgive him. He shared with me a story that really touches on holding nothing back and giving undeserved love. It was Christmas, he and his wife had just begun to patch things up, and Eric was invited by his wife to attend her family Christmas party. Eric was prepared for a fight, as a matter of fact when he arrived to the party; he knocked on the door with clenched fists. As the door opened, Eric’s worst nightmare was realized, his wives brother (the crazy one) who hated him was there to greet him. As the door open Eric was ready for anything but what occurred. His wives brother embraced Eric and said “Merry Christmas”. Eric wept and this small act of undeserved love changed him forever.
APPLICATION
• Today, we must learn from Jesus example, Christ has called us to hold nothing back in our love for others and to give it even when it is undeserved.
• Is this difficult for you to hear? Well, it’s difficult for me to preach as well. As I stand here I can think of a dozen relationships that I need to repair.
• Are you withholding your love from someone today? Are you actively avoiding someone? Do you hold a grudge or seek to undermine someone?
• Today as your pastor, I am calling on you to stop it! I am calling on you to love others, to give everything you have and to give it to the most undeserved among you.
• Remember, the ultimate expression of our love for God is a demonstration of our love for each other. We as a church will stand or fall on this very principle.
• John’s primary concern here is his church, and so is mine. St. Stephens will only go as far as its love will carry it.
TRANSITION
So we have seen Johns call to love one another, and Jesus example of how it’s done, finally let’s look at…
III. God’s Reward for those who Love one another (v.12)
OBSERVATION
God did not have to but choose to give us (2) distinct rewards, should we choose to act on this love for one another.
a. REWARD 1 – We Will See Him
Exegesis – v.12 “No man has ever seen God; if we love one another…”
• Remember, God is love and to the measure we love God is seen. God is like the wind, we can not see it but we can see it’s effects, the same is true with God.
• Ask yourself this question, why does it always feel so good to love? What can change the world fast than love? Love is the very power of God on earth and love is the way we can see Him.
• Also, remember that the only demonstration of God’s love left in the world is the Church.
b. REWARD 2 - His Love Is Perfected In Us
Exegesis – v.12 “His love is perfected in us”
• Love is the means by which God molds us into His own nature.
• To the measure that we love others, God will give increase to that measure.
• Luke 6:38 “give, and it will be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For the measure you give will be the measure you get back.”
INTERPRETATION
God encourages us in that He promises that He will be found in love and that to the measure we pursue love, He will increase our measure, causing us ultimately to see Him even more clearly.
ILLUSTRATION
If you have ever watched the TV show “extreme Home Makeover”, then I doubt you have been able to do it with dry eyes. When we see people pouring out love, we see God. Next time you watch, do not wonder why you are crying, and rather look more closely because you are looking at God incarnate.
APPLICATION
• Do you desire to see God? Have you said “God where are you?” Have you pleaded with God to just speak a single word to you so you know He is there?
• God will answer your prayers, but not in the way you might imagine. When we pray to see Him, does He simply appear, or does He provide the opportunity to look with a deeper gaze?
• It is in love that you will see God, when we love; we not only see God but God is able to continue to add to you making you more like Him, perfecting your love.
• Remember, the ultimate expression of our love for God is an active intentional love for each other. We as a church will stand or fall on this principle.
• John’s primary concern here is his church, and so is mine. St. Stephens will only go as far as its love for God and others will carry it.
TRANSITION
So in closing…
Tell Them What You Have Said
1. John has called us to love one another
2. Jesus has showed us how this is done
3. God has promised us that in love we would find Him and that He will perfect our love to the measure we use it.
Final Exhortation
• Where are you today? Are you withholding love from someone? Do you have a problem with someone here in this congregation? In your family? Or maybe an outsider?
• As we begin to turn the page of a new chapter here at St. Stephens, I wanted my first sermon to be on the “most excellent way”. Remember that healthy vibrant churches are churches that love.
I wanted us to remember that at the end of the day, this whole race is about growing in love for God and one another. To grow in love is to become more like God because God is love.
Closing Statement
In the end, I am challenging you, to love each other “ONLY” as much as you desire God to love you.
