Text: John 13:34-35, Title: The Mark of a Christian, Date/Place: NRBC, 1/10/10, AM
A. Opening illustration: “even now, there is nothing else that causes the heathen to stumble, except that there is no love…Their own doctrines they have long condemned, and in like manner they admire ours, but they are hindered by our mode of life.” –John Chrysostom, 380 AD, writing about the lack of love among Christian men in his day,
B. Background to passage: In the past six weeks, I have had two recurrent themes in my life as it relates to this church. The first of which is that I grow increasingly frustrated with our lack of real growth numerically here at New River. Some of us where talking at the association about the church plant, and how other churches and pastors felt about it, and I was asked if there was a possibility that jealousy would rear it’s head in our pastors. And I said, “of course, I am jealous!” It just seems like to me that we should have experienced more growth here at NR in three years time. I have visions of having to go with two services because of the crowds, but they never come to reality. And so in my frustration I ask “why?” The second theme that has come recently become repetitive in my mind and heart related to NR is we are consistently bad and caring for one another—all of us. In the past 6-8 weeks, we have lost members that we have not cared for adequately and hurt others in our midst beyond belief. And it is not something that has just happened recently. I have had conversations, at least five or six with different church members, where they have brought up the subject, not to complain, but to express genuine concern for our church as a whole; and they all say virtually the same thing: (and maybe the glasses are a little rose colored, but the point is that we’ve changed for the worse) in past years care and concern for others in the body has flourished, or at least been much better than now; and that has led to or been the result of superficiality in relationships between us. We don’t each other and we don’t care for each other. And these two themes came together in my prayer time on Monday morning and in this message this week, in that we still have some things to work on internally before God will really grant the growth to NR. Because if he did, we wouldn’t be good stewards of that growth, and NR would be on the yo-yo cycle of growth again, as it has been in the last 20 years. Common problem, Jesus speaks to it. Give warning to visitors that this is in all churches; and not ours severely. Related to several other themes and problems in our church, and most churches today, and we are reaping the results.
C. Main thought: Jesus speaks his one supreme command that should revolutionize the/our church. And we must reshape our worldview, and then/therefore our practice of this truth. And maybe this is one of the last hindrances to growth at NRBC.
A. The World’s Discernment (v. 35)
1. John indicates later in his letters that love that we have for one another verifies the reality of our conversion; and the lack of it testifies to our false hope in a non-saving faith. But here it is the world and the church that will be able to look at the church, see its love for each other, and know (the verb here is middle/reflexive, indicating that they will know on their own, inherently) that these men and women are Christ-followers/learners. To them, this is the true verification of our faith in the God who is love.
2. 1 John 3:14, John 17:20-23
3. Illustration: “It is mainly the deeds of a love so noble that lead many to put a brand on us! ‘See,’ they say, ‘how they love one another…see how they are ready to die for one another.’” –Tertullian, 195 AD, “Upon His authority he (Jesus) gives the world the right to judge whether you and I are born-again Christians on the basis of our observable love toward all Christians…In other words, if people come up to us and cast their teeth against us in judgment that we are not Christians because we have not shown love toward other Christians, we must understand that they are only exercising a prerogative which Jesus gave them.” –Schaeffer, “The church may be orthodox in its doctrine, and vigorous in its proclamation of truth, but that will not persuade unbelievers unless believers love one another,” –MacArthur, “Orthodoxy without principial obedience to this characteristic command of the new covenant is merely so much humbug.” –Carson,
4. When we hear the excuse that there are too many hypocrites in the church (#1 excuse, along with bad experiences, same cause), even though we may know that there are other issues at the heart of a person’s rebellion, we have no defense. Their accusation and assessment is valid. And if our commitment is to make much of Jesus Christ, and if our commitment is to walk in obedience, and if our commitment is to reach the world and Tift Co. for Christ, we must address what they see. Perception is reality. And the world should see a mark difference between the way it treats its own, and the way believers treat their own. Why if we hear it so often to we brush it off? Aunt Laura’s Facebook status about “I’m sorry.”
B. The “New” Commandment (v. 34)
1. The disciples are so distracted by Jesus’ impending departure that they miss the significance of this instruction. The OT commanded love for God, and for others in the community. But why this commandment was new was that it was related to the new covenant, not the old. AND the standard that was given made it new. They were instructed to love “as I have loved you.” Jesus having just washed their feet (a task that no one of status would do, be kinda like a movie star or great leader coming and cleaning your house, even the toilets), said I have given you an example. Love in the bible is an action verb, and it always is associated with some expression or action in demonstration of that love. This self-sacrificing, self-giving, selfless, valuing others more than yourself love is the “new” command.
2. John 15:12-13, Eph 4:31-32, Eph 5:2, Gal 6:10, 1 John 3:16,
3. Illustration: the Tift Ave women and their obvious close connection, Brian and Paul’s testimony, “a circle of Christ-followers who invest in one another as Christ has invested in them, who exhibit love, not based on mutuality or attractiveness of its members, but on the model of Christ, who washed the feet of everyone, including Judas.” –commentator, Gary Burge, when Mike Flowers is upset, he goes and deals
4. Many times we are so distracted by the cares and goings on of this life, that we miss this command. And if we miss it too long, its absence becomes normal, and you don’t even miss it anymore. You forget what it’s like to have close relationships with others in the church, because you are bitter, hurt, or angry, and push others away to protect yourself the next time. Vulnerability is a requirement for intimacy in relationships. But your obedience to that command demonstrates your love (or lack of it) for Jesus. If we won’t love each other, we are no better than the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. Of course, all this is impossible without the transforming power of the Holy Spirit, and the genuine experience of God’s love. My intention tonight is to devote the bulk of the preaching time to thinking about practical ways we must commit to doing to experience a love one another revolution. But for this morning, let me start with two that are related, and maybe the most significant. Seek forgiveness; search people out that you have wronged OR that think you have wronged them. This is anti-cultural, unnatural, unusual, completely foreign to human nature, and therefore, demonstrates redemption in the heart to all who see you bow in humility, apologize (even if you are right), and genuinely beg for forgiveness. Countless stories of hearts that were melted after much grief and pain because of a sincere request to be forgiven. Secondly, forgive those who have caused you the deepest hurts. Here in the south we are far too sensitive. Some of us just need to take off our bibs and “put our big girl britches on.” Or like another person said, get you a ladder or two, make yourself a bridge, and get over it. Our church covenant says, “We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.” And yet most of us are not slow to take offense, nor to we secure reconciliation without delay. It is possible through Christ to forgive even the deepest hurts. I have seen pain cause by in calculable wrongs in divorces, adulteries, deaths of children or families, thefts of property and money in a family disputes, all the way down to hurtful words, and unthoughtful actions. You realize that Christ forgave you more hurt that anyone has ever causes you. Let that be you standard. Also know that forgiveness granted is a conscience decision based on choice, not emotion. You may not “feel” forgiving. Also, remember it doesn’t mean there was no offense, or that it’s “OK”, or that you must resume immediate normal relations. It means that you are going to consistently act forgiving toward that individual. Don’t let more time go by. We must have a love revolution.
A. Closing illustration: The new command is simple enough for a toddler to memorize and appreciate, profound enough that the most mature believers are repeatedly embarrassed at how poorly they comprehend it and put it into practice: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another…The more we recognize the depth of our own sin, the more we recognize the love of the Savior; the more we appreciate the love of the Savior, the higher his standard appears; the higher his standard appears, the more we recognize in our selfishness, our innate self-centeredness, the depth of our own sin. With a standard like this, no thoughtful believer can ever say, this side of the parousia, ‘I am perfectly keeping the basic stipulation of the new covenant.’Love cannot be commanded thing… 2 John 1:5- And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.
