In a supermarket, Kurtis the stock boy, was busily working when a new voice came over the intercom asking for a carry out at checkout register 4.
Kurtis was almost finished, and wanted to get some fresh air, and decided to answer the call. As he approached the check-out stand a distant smile caught his eye, the new check out girl was beautiful. She was an older woman (maybe 26, and he was only 22) and he fell in love.
Later that day, after his shift was over, he waited by the punch clock to find out her name. She came into the break room, smiled softly at him, took her card and punched out, then left. He looked at her card,
BRENDA. He walked out only to see her start walking up the road.
Next day, he waited outside as she left the supermarket, and offered her a ride home. He looked harmless enough, and she accepted. When he dropped her off, he asked if maybe he could see her again, outside of work. She simply said it wasn’t possible. He pressed and she explained she had two children and she couldn’t afford a baby-sitter, so he offered to pay for the baby-sitter. Reluctantly she accepted his offer for a date for the following Saturday.
That Saturday night he arrived at her door only to have her tell him that she was unable to go with him. The baby-sitter had called and canceled. To which Kurtis simply said, "Well, lets take the kids with us." She tried to explain that taking the children was not an option, but again not taking no for an answer, he pressed.
Finally Brenda, brought him inside to meet her children. She had a older daughter who was just as cute as a bug, Kurtis thought, then Brenda brought out her son, in a wheelchair. He was born a paraplegic with down syndrome. Kurtis asked Brenda, "I still don’t understand why the kids can’t come with us?" Brenda was amazed. Most men would run away from a woman with two kids, especially if one had disabilities. Just like her first husband and father of her children did. That evening Kurtis and Brenda loaded up the
kids, went to dinner and the movies. When her son needed anything Kurtis would take care of him. When he needed to use the rest room, he picked him up out of his chair, took him, brought him back. The kids loved Kurtis. At the end of the evening, Brenda knew this was the man she was going to marry and
spend the rest of her life with. A year later, they were married and Kurtis adopted both of her children. Since then they have added two more kids.
So what happened to the stock boy and check out girl? Well, Mr. & Mrs Kurt Warner, now live in St. Louis, where he is employed by the St.Louis Rams and plays quarterback.
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This story is good way to open up this sermon because in a real sense it describes how Jesus stepped in and did for us what we could not do for ourselves. What motivated God the Father and Jesus the Son to act the way they acted for us? It is summed in one word “Love”.
Our current society has messed the meaning of this the word up so bad that nowadays when we discuss love we discuss it in a manner of feelings, emotions, butterflies in the stomach, or sexual intercourse.
But the text of our study today takes love to a new level that many of us are not used to. The text declares love to be more than feelings, emotions, butterflies in the stomach, or sexual intercourse (making love). The text teaches us that love is an action word. Just as John 3:16 teaches us the sacrifice of love, John 13:34-35 teaches us the service in love.
The Greek word for love is agapao or agape which is an unconditional love. A better way to define agape love is that agape love seeks the highest good of the one loved. Now this takes on a whole new concept of love because when compare the love of scripture with the love practiced in our modern day Christianity you will notice that much of what we do is not love.
Context: John 13 - (read verse 1)
Verse 1 shows us the magnitude of Christ’s love – “…having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.”
Verses 34-35 shows us the manifestation of Christian love
The Command – “So now I give you new command, to love one another…”
The Condition – “…as I have loved you, that you also love one another”
The Confirmation – “ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love one for another.”
Let me not hold you long with preliminaries and let me get right down to the meaning of the text and how it applies to us today.
The text is tailored to teach us that love is the bottom-line of Christian Service. Or let me say it another way, our carrying out this new command given to us by Jesus Christ can and will only be evident in how we treat one another.
The text provides for us Three (3) Classic Expressions of Christian Service:
a. An Undeniable Love
People could debate about whether Jesus worked miracles by the power of God or the power of Beelzebub. They could debate whether or not he broke the Sabbath.
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They could debate whether or not he was John the Baptist reincarnate, Elijah, or one of the
prophets. But one thing that was undeniable was his love for people. “Look how much he loved him,” the people said about Jesus at the tomb of Lazarus. Jesus provided concrete examples day after day through his teachings, through his miracles and compassion, through his healing and acts of service that he loved.
We see this in John 13:2-12
There are three things you can expect in act of love through Christian Service.
a. Betrayal – Judas
b. Taken Advantage of - Peter
c. Denial - Peter
However, you may expect these three things from people in you act love through Christian service. But these things cannot be an excuse for not loving. Because at the end of John chapter 21 verses 12-19 Jesus restored His fellowship with Peter.
To love like Jesus, we must love in such a way that it cannot be denied. By his bold teaching and actions, Jesus left no room for doubting his love; and neither can we.
b. An Unselfish Love.
Jesus’ love was completely unselfish. Too often we love for selfish motives. If I be nice to this person, then I might get this in return. If I marry this person then her dad will make me president of the company. If I make friends with this person then maybe I’ll get to drive his car.
Jesus taught us to give expecting nothing in return. He taught us to give without blowing a horn or even letting our right hand know what the left is doing. And Jesus practiced such love and giving. Paul sums up the ministry of Jesus in Phil. 2 by saying Jesus emptied himself and made himself no reputation. Jesus was not concerned about earthly wealth and fame. He just loved us with complete unselfishness. And speaking of the Apostle Paul, he learned this lesson from Jesus well. Listen to what he wrote to the Corinthians in his second letter to them:
2Cor 12:14 (NKJV) Now [for] the third time I am ready to come to you. And I will not be burdensome to you; for I do not seek yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children. 15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved.
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"It doesn’t matter how I am treated in return," Paul says, "I am going to love you unselfishly." That is what it means to love even as Christ has loved us.
Jesus love for us is undeniable. It is unselfish. And lastly, it is unconditional.
c. An Unconditional Love.
All too often we put conditions on our love. We say, “I will love
you...If you do thus and so.” Even husbands and wives who have pledged to love “for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do us part” start putting conditions on their love soon after the honeymoon. If you don’t let me do thus and so then I’ll just divorce you. If you don’t stop doing this or that, then I’ll divorce you.”
But when you look at Jesus, you see a picture of unconditional love. While we were still sinners Christ died for the ungodly. As I meditated on the unconditional love of Jesus, these words came to me:
Jesus, did you really mean to die for me?
by: Mike Jeffress
Jesus, did you really mean to die for me?
Was it for me you chose the nails?
You must’ve been mistaken or at least failed to see,
That I once robbed a person and spent time in jail.
It could not have been for me,
That you suffered, bled, and died.
I have been so ugly, cruel and mean.
I’ve often cussed, stolen, and lied.
“Wait, wait,” said Jesus, “Listen to what I have to say,
Yes, I died for you; It was no mistake.”
“It was for you that I chose the nails that day;
It was your sins I went to the cross to pay.
“I know you wonder how I could love someone like you,
And you try to fathom it all.
But the fact of the matter is I can and I do,
Because my love is unconditional.
"I love you not for what you have or haven’t done,
I love you because I made you, you are my precious, precious son.
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So remember that my love is unconditional
and never, never doubt
That I will always be here to receive you
with both arms stretched out.
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“Love Lifted Me”
I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,
Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,
But the Master of the sea, heard my despairing cry,
From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.
Refrain
Love lifted me! Love lifted me!
When nothing else could help
Love lifted me!
All my heart to Him I give, ever to Him I’ll cling
In His blessèd presence live, ever His praises sing,
Love so mighty and so true, merits my soul’s best songs,
Faithful, loving service too, to Him belongs.
Refrain
Souls in danger look above, Jesus completely saves,
He will lift you by His love, out of the angry waves.
He’s the Master of the sea, billows His will obey,
He your Savior wants to be, be saved today.
Refrain
