Christ’s Love In Action
I John 4:7-12
Welcome Willow Vale Church, thanks for coming today. On the back flap of your worship program you’ll see the outline for today’s message.
With Valentine’s Day coming up in a couple of weeks I want to focus on the theme of love for the next two Sundays. Today let’s see how we can put Christ’s love into action.
The Apostle Paul instructed the Christians in Corinth to “Do everything in love.” I Corinthians 16:14
The Apostle John gave Christ followers this challenge: “Let us stop just saying we love each other; let’s really show it by our actions.” I John 3:18
I. Christ’s love is Compelling
The love of Christ compels us to reach out to others with God’s love. Andrew was one of the first followers of Jesus. Andrew grew up in the fishing village of Bethsaida. Five of the twelve apostles grew up in Bethsaida, Peter, Andrew, James, John and Philip.
Andrew heard of a young preacher that came to their area who was preaching near the Jordan River. He asked his fishing friend, John, to go with him to hear the preacher, John the Baptizer. They were impressed by the fiery preaching of John the Baptizer and became his followers. On another day they heard John the Baptist introduce another preacher, named Jesus. He said Jesus was the “Lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world.” John 1:36 Andrew and John met Jesus and spent the evening listening to his teachings. That was a transforming visit for Andrew. He hurried back to Bethsaida to find his brother Simon. Andrew said to Simon, “Simon, I have fund the Messiah! Come and meet Him, too!”
Andrew was not an upfront person. He was one who would sit in the last chair in church. He was more of an introvert than an extrovert. Yet when he personally found Jesus the Messiah, the “Anointed One,” he went to find his brother Simon.
One time missionary, D.T. Niles once said that witnessing and telling others about Jesus is just like “One beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”
You don’t have to know all the doctrines of the church, have a vast knowledge of all the religions in the world, or excel in debating. If you know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord you have a story to tell.
Andrew probably didn’t realize the impact his brother, Simon Peter, would have on the Christian world. Although Andrew was the one who brought Simon Peter to Jesus, and Peter became a leader in the early church and Andrew was content to walk in the shadow of his brother.
When Andrew was introduced to others, he was introduced, as “This is Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.” In the listing of the twelve Apostles in Matthew 10:2 and Luke 6:14 Andrew is listed as “Simon Peter’s brother.”
As you faithfully tell others about Jesus you never know the impact your witness might have on others. It takes many Andrews to keep the ministry of Jesus Christ going and growing.
In the Willow Vale Church we have Andrews that fix the breakfast for the first service, prepare communion, teach Christian life classes, count the offering every Sunday, serve as ushers and greeters, arrange flowers, and carry on many activities behind the scenes.
Andrew was content to live in the shadow of his brother. Christ’s love compelled Andrew to faithfully serve the Lord though often unnoticed.
A young adult member of a church was fortunate to have an older wealthy brother who purchased a new car for him for his birthday. It was a beautiful blue Lincoln Continental fully loaded.
A few days later, the man came drown from his office to get into his new car and found a young boy, looking over the car. “Mister, is that your car?” the man told the boy that it was. “How much did it cost?” “Why, it didn’t cost me anything.” My older brother gave it to me.” “Wow,” said the boy. “I wish…” “I wish I could be a brother like your brother!”
Whatever your personality makeup the love of Christ compels you to faithfully tell your brother and family and friends about Jesus. “I have found the Messiah, I want you to meet Him too.”
II. Christ’s Love Calls Us to Action
Our actions prove our love. The scripture commands us to “love one another.” I John 3:11 “Anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” I John 4:8
Why are we to love the Lord, because He first loved us? I John 4:19 - We love because God first loved us.”
We sometimes sing the hymn:
“O Love that will not let me go.
I rest my weary soul in Thee,
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depts; it’s flow
May richer, fuller be.” George Matheson
What the Apostle Paul says in I Corinthians 16:14 is a challenging to all of us: “Everything you do must be done in love.” Why not write this short verse down on a 3 X 5 card and look at every day for the next week.
For you to love you need to have an adequate self-love. Jesus said: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” We need to have an appreciation for the way God created us. Some people say they need to love God more. What we need to accept is the fact that we just need to realize how much God loves us.
When you find a person always putting him self and others down, always angry and nourishing a critical spirit, you can be assured that person doesn’t feel good about himself or herself.
Jesus tells us to come to Him just as we are. Come to Him with all our pain and hurts and give them to Him. Maybe you have been hurt by your parents, or your have hurt your parents, or you’ve been hurt in marriage or abused or felt rejected. Come to Jesus for forgiveness and love. Accept God’s love and let His love flow through you to others. When you experience lemons in your life you can either become bitter or use the lemons to make lemonade.
Jesus came to free us from inner pain. Jesus came to set us free to be all that God wants us to be.
Galatians 5:22 describes how we are to love as Jesus loves: “The fruit of the Spirit of Jesus is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control, against such there is no law.”
Joy is an expression of love. Peace is love in repose. Patience and gentleness are love in behavior. Goodness is the disposition of love. Faith is the quiet confidence of love. Self Control is love in control.
One of the best places to practice Christ’s love is in our homes. When we practice Christ’s love in the home”
Instead of quick tempers we show patience,
Instead of jealously we are kind,
Instead of conceit we are humble,
Instead of rudeness we demonstrate courtesy,
Instead of selfishness we are selfless,
Instead of becoming irritated we are long suffering,
Instead of being judgmental we show consideration.
Because you are created in the image of God you have the capacity to love yourself and your neighbor.
Biblical love is more than an emotion or feeling. Biblical love is a commitment. We make the vow of commitment in marriage. We choose to love people we want to love. Love is a choice. Love is either conditional or unconditional there is no third possibility.
Conditional love plays one-upmanship in marriage. I’m one good deed up on you so you owe me. “I carried out trash, you must do the dishes. I worked ten hours today; you must tuck the kids into bed tonight. I was the last one to tell you, “I love you,” It’s your turn.” Conditional love is mechanical and cold.
I John 3:18, “Let us love not with words or tongue, but with action and in truth.”
Love is a choice when you are raising children. There is great joy when you bring home your first child. Joy turns to commitment when you have to get up several times during the night to care for a crying baby. Caring for your children demands commitment not feeling. You act out of love not out of feeling. You act whether you feel like it or not.
Your actions prove your love.
When you really love someone you show her love by your actions and attitudes. “Let all that you do be done in love.” I Cor. 16:14
One of the greatest truths we glean from God’s Word is that in loving others we experience love. We can never experience true love until we personally know self-forgetfulness. To be loved, we must become loveable.
John Powell, former Professor of religion at Loyola University tells a heart-warming story about one of his students that found God’s love.
John Powell was teaching a class on the Theology of Faith. In his first class session he met Tommy, whose hair hand down over his shoulders. Professor Powell thought Tommy was strange, very strange.
Tommy turned out to be the “atheist in residence” in his course on the Theology of Faith. Tommy objected to the idea that God had unconditional love.
At the end of the semester Tommy sarcastically commented to John Powell, “Do you think I’ll ever find God?” Professor Powell decided to use a little shock therapy and replied, “No.” “Oh,” Tommy responded, “I thought you said God was a God of unconditional love.” Tommy started walking away and Professor Powell called after him, “Tommy! I don’t think you’ll ever find God, but I am absolutely certain that God will find you!”
Tommy graduated from the University and the report came back that Tommy had terminal cancer. One day Tommy came back to visit Professor Powell. Tommy’s body was wasting away, his long hair had fallen out as a result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice firm, for the first time.
Professor Powell asked Tommy how he was feeling. He told him that he had cancer in both lungs. It’s a matter of weeks. The professor asked Tommy, “What’s it like to be only 24 and dying?”
Tommy replied that it could be worse. “Like being fifty and having no values or ideals, like being fifty and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money were the real “biggies” in life.”
Tommy told the professor that the real reason he came to see him was to talk to him about his last day in his class on the Theology of Faith. “You told me that I would not find God, but that God would find me.”
“When the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, I finally got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven. But God did not come out. I almost gave up on finding God.”
“I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. You once said in class: ‘The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally said to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those who you loved that you had loved them.’”
“So I began with the hardest one: my Dad. He was reading the newspaper when I approached him.”
“Dad…”
“Yes, what?” “Dad, I would like to talk to you.” “Well, talk.”
“Dad, it’s really important.” The newspaper came down slowly and he said, “What is it?”
“Dad, I love you. I just wanted you to know that.”
“The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. And we talked long into the night. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me.”
“It was easier with my mother and little brother. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years. Here I was, in the shadow of death and I was just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to.”
“You were right, God found me.”
Professor Powell asked Tommy to do a special favor for him. Would he come to his class and share his experience of finding God with the students in his present class on the Theology of Faith.
Tommy said he would and they set a date. However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the one with the class. Tommy made the great step of faith into the very presence of God. His life was not ended only changed.
I want to close by giving you a check up on your relationships. Are you applying Christ’s love to your relationships?
You’ll find an insert in your worship program to help in our assessment.
How is it with your parents? Would you rate your relationship as poor, great or in between? If your parents aren’t living, how’s your attitude and thoughts toward them?
If you aren’t married but want to get married! What is your outlook on getting married? Are you becoming less selfish and more loving in your relationship?
For you who are married, how about your spouse? How’s your relationship right now?
How about a relative? There’s a line that you can write a name in. How’s that relationship?
Can you think of a co-worker who is in need of love and encouragement? Write their name and not how things are going.
How about a neighbor that you can share the love of Christ? Think of ways to love your neighbor in practical and specific ways.
How about a difficult person in your life? How can you love that person with God’s help?
Last but not lest is your children. How’s your relationship right now and how can you improve your relationships with your children?
This morning as we partake of communion why not look over your assessment and thank Jesus for his love of every person in your relationships. Ask Jesus to help you demonstrate the love of Jesus in your life. To prepare for communion let’s pray together.
(Sermon Resource - 40 Days of Love by Rick Warren)
