1John 3: 11 – 24
READ
To Love Like Jesus, what does this even mean? I dont know about you but every I think about how Christ has and does love me I am completely blown away how do I love like that? Sometimes it is hard enough to like a person ... but to love them? I dont know if you have ever felt this way or asked those questions but if you have I want you to know we do have a place we can go to for those answers. God has given us an example, the perfect example. Lets read God's word together
John 13: 1 – 15
To Love Like Jesus
Lets pray… sweet sweet Jesus help us to
Rightly understand your majestic eternal Lordship
Your power and might in order that we might understand
The depths of your love
Teach us father to love as you have loved us
In your son’s name
Looking at John 13 how do we love like Jesus? A few things that might be worth looking at…
V1 He KNEW …… what did he know?
He was fully aware of the sacrifice being asked of him.
We gotta pause here for a minute to try and grasp this …
Jesus being fully God KNEW
Just a quick reminder:
Genesis 1: 1 GOD Created…
Nothing existed except God
God was and he chose to create
Heaven, earth, light, water, sky, dry land, seas, rivers, food, plants, sun, moon, and life it’s self
God created! but it doesnt stop there
He also …
Provides
Psalm 104: 21
He meets every need of every living creature
He knows our needs and our desires and he provides
And if that were not enough He also…
Sustains
Sustain = strength, support, comfort, help, support
Philippians 4: 13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me
John 14 says
He (Jesus) will send his comforter for us
This GOD ~ Jesus KNEW
He knew he would be betrayed, mocked, abused, and tortured
He knew we would doubt him, deny him, rebel. He KNEW
Genuine love begins with a clear head knowledge
Jesus did not go to the cross thinking "man I didnt see that one coming" "I cant believe so n so did yadda yadda" NO he KNEW
Are we Jesus? Of course not! Will we know like he did? Probably not but we don’t have to have “full” knowledge do we?
Genuine love begins with a CLEAR knowledge that risk, sacrifice commitment are involved.
We are told in scripture anyone who puts their hand to the plow and looks back (regrets or second guesses) is not fit for service in the Kingdom of God (Luke 9: 62) It always makes me shake my head when I hear people profess to be "in love" and then follow it up with “and I never saw it coming” what an outlandish statement! That is NOT love THAT is a temporary emotion, it is simply evidence of how satan has taken God’s most powerful action and tried to belittle it into a simple emotion that comes and goes … what a LIE!
Just as we see in v1 genuine love begins with a clear head it also leads to…
A Choice
Jesus Knew and …
(2) He Chose: to do something about it
V4 …. He got up
He knew all the before(s) and afters he knew and still
He chose…. To get up
Love is choice to not sit by when someone is in need.
Love is NOT just lip service
the 2 most common responses a "Christian" has when a brother or sister is struggling are,
(1) I will be praying for you (not that prayer is bad) or
(2) I will keep my eyes open (not that being vigilant is bad)
It’s the lack of follow through that kills it. More often than not these are just words we toss out to end the conversation. Being aware of the sacrifice and commitment involved and choosing to do something about it. To follow through to the end.
Love is a clear head knowledge coupled with a decision or choice to do something about it but if we look at Jesus we can see at least one more element
Jesus knew and still chose to get up and he
(3) and Serve without judgment
remember v2 …. the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus.
And yet Jesus washed his feet along with every other disciple in the room.
NO bitterness, NO anger, NO pointing fingers
He reserved judgment for God he did what he was called to do .... LOVE
Too many of us use our own intolerance's to determine how far we are willing to go when serving another.
If we want to love like Jesus we must surrender ourselves to him putting our own bigotries aside
He gave of himself to everyone who was willing to receive
It is important that we catch this… he gave of himself to everyone who was willing to receive …
Look v6 in here for a reason guys
Peter was not gunna have it! OH NO Jesus you cant wash MY feet!
Jesus did not force himself on Peter (nor should we) he simply told him the truth
V8 unless I wash you, you have no part in me
Peter did what many of us do…
Oh no I am good you don’t have to help me
But Jesus so sweetly told him … Peter.. how can I love you if you refuse to receive my love for you?
To which Peter quickly responded …
OH NO! I want ALL that you have for me!
Depending on the person and where we are spiritually and mentally at any given time, giving love and receiving love can be challenging to say the least but BOTH are necessary
I honestly have no clue how to teach what I myself am still learning all I can offer is Christ’s example and encourage you to gaze upon him. Allow his sweet sweet love to fill you so that you can love ... genuine love not the emotional lie Satan would have you believe is love
Jesus says: Mark 8: 34
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me
Jesus knew this life we are called to would be challenging
But he also reassures us not to give up, we are a work in progress
1John 3: 2
Dear friends now we are children of God and what we will be has not yet been made known but we know that when Christ appears we shall be like him
When you stumble, fall, when it is hard look to your savior, heed his example, follow his footsteps. He will lovingly and graciously stretch and teach you how to love
Jesus has loved us
He KNEW, He KNOWS, He CHOSE to SERVE
Something worth noting:
John 3: 16
For God so loved the world he gave his one and only son
1John 3: 16
This is how we know what love is … Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters
Are you willing to receive the love God has so abundantly and graciously given to you and are you willing to give the love God has abundantly and graciously given to you?
Beautiful absolutely BEAUTIFUL!
