We are continuing our series on Dynamic Disciples or Dynamic Discipleship and this month our focus has been on The Lifestyle of a Disciple.
This morning I want us to consider together what it means for us, as disciples of Jesus, to have a Lifestyle of Love, and specifically I want us to think about Sacrificial Love.
The Bible clearly teaches us about how Jesus demonstrated His sacrificial love for each of us.
Jesus willingly left the glory of Heaven to come on a rescue mission to save us.
Jesus came because of His love for us.
Jesus came to restore our relationship with God the Father.
Jesus was incarnated into this world to do more than teach us and tell us how we should live - He came to die on the cross so that by the shedding of His own blood we could be forgiven.
The perfect one died for the imperfect, for us.
The shedding of His blood washed away our sins.
Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was sufficient to pay the price for the sins of everyone who repents and trusts in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
When Jesus rose from the grave, He conquered death, He conquered hell, He conquered the grave.
Then He ascended into Heaven and He has gone to prepare a place for those who believe and trust in Him as Saviour.
Before He ascended He gave His followers some final instructions, instructions that are as relevant to us today as they were to His first disciples.
In Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus told His disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
This morning, if you have been saved by repenting, by turning away from your sins, by asking God to forgive you and accepting Christ as your Lord and Saviour then you are a disciple of Jesus.
His sacrificial love for you has saved you, it’s set you free from the burden of your sin, by trusting in Him and Him alone you are assured of a place in Heaven.
And Jesus commands us, His disciples, you and me to tell others about His sacrificial love. Jesus said in John 13:34-35 “Now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
Love. A simple four letter word in English.
I think the original Greek is a little more expressive and helpful to our understanding of what Jesus is saying here.
Love each other... In the Greek the word translated as Love is agapaó literally it means actively preferring to love.
Prefer to love each other - Perhaps easier said than done.
Great in theory but sometimes hard in practice.
Prefer to Love each other. Just as I have loved you... The Greek word for loved used here is ēgapēsa the full meaning is about making a choice to love.
Prefer to Love each other. Just as I have chosen to love you.
How has Jesus chosen to love you?
Sacrificially!
He loves you so much He was willing to sacrifice Himself for you.
Prefer to love each other. Just as I have chosen to sacrificially love you, you should sacrificially love each other.
Do we really love each other in the way that Jesus has told us to love each other?
Maybe some people... Some of the time...
Maybe if it fits into our schedule...
Maybe if it does not demand too much...
Maybe if there is something in it for me...
But sacrificial love... Really? YES!
Why? Because Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
The Greek word for love here is agapen - literally your expressed love, your demonstrated love.
Prefer to love each other. Just as I have chosen to sacrificially love you, you should sacrificially love each other. Your expressed and demonstrated love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.
Ah! See the context, its not just saying, its doing.
It’s not passive it’s active and it’s sacrificial.
Christ has shown His sacrificial love for us and we are to show our genuine love for each other.
The Apostle Paul expressed it like this in Romans 12:9-10 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other.
In the first 11 chapters of the book of Romans the Apostle Paul wrote about how we are saved by the grace of God through faith and how God sent His Son into the world to die on the cross for our sins.
How we have the opportunity of coming to Christ and having our sins forgiven by trusting in Jesus as our personal Lord and Saviour.
Then in the closing part of his letter Paul speaks about how we can live for God through Jesus.
How with all that God has done for us, we can respond by living in a way that is pleasing to Him.
Friends, for us to really live as dynamic disciples of Jesus, we have to do what God expects us to do. Even if it’s difficult, even if it goes against what the world says is acceptable, even if it means we have to be different, we need to choose to do what He has commanded us to do.
In each and every one of our individuals lives,
there will be times when we are faced with what are humanly speaking difficult choices.
When we have to pick between conforming to the world or choosing to follow God’s commandments to us.
When we have to pick between following the pattern of this world or God’s perfect will and purpose for us.
When we will have to choose to take up our cross and live in a sacrificial way in some area of our life or ignore what we know is right in God’s sight.
So how do we do that? How do we choose to live in a way that expresses the sacrificial love of Christ to us and to others?
Romans 12 gives us four things we need to consider:
Our Decision
Our Disposition
Our Determination
and Our Demonstration
1st point - Decision Romans 12:1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.
This is a picture of worship in Old Testament times.
To come to God a person brought a sheep or a bull or a pigeon and sacrificed it on the altar as an offering to God.
Sacrifices had to be made because sin demanded punishment, and the sacrificed animal represented God’s willingness to accept a substitute so that a person could be forgiven.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5:7 that “Jesus our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.”
Jesus was the complete, final and perfect sacrifice for the sins of those who believe in Him.
Jesus ended the need for the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. Jesus finished the work of atonement. His death cannot be improved on. All we have to do is to make the decision to trust in Him and we are forgiven.
So what does Paul mean when he writes we are to give our bodies as living and holy sacrifice?
The sacrifice of our bodies to God is not a sacrifice for sin. That is done already in the sacrifice of Christ.
What we are offering to God our behaviour, what we do, the way we act, the way we live.
Simply put, you and I need to give ourselves fully to God.
We need to make the decision to fully sacrifice control of our lives to God. To belong to Him, to follow Him, to trust Him, to obey Him.
God wants us to make the decision to live for Him,
an acceptable visible testimony to His love, mercy and grace.
Our worship, our walk, our daily living should show evidence that we are disciples of Jesus and our thankfulness for His sacrificial love.
2nd point Disposition Romans 12:2-3
Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.
The dictionary defines disposition as a person’s inherent qualities of mind and character.
The world we live in is tainted by sin.
Many of the things that people in the modern world would say are acceptable, alright, good or correct behaviour are against the will of God.
Is your disposition based on what the world says or on what God has said?
If God says in His word that something is bad or wrong in His sight then we need to accept the fact that God is speaking the truth.
Our way of thinking, behaving, living is not meant to be the World’s way it is meant to align with God’s will, purpose, plans and commands.
None of us should ever think we know more than God.
None of us should ever think we know better than God.
God is perfect, God’s will is perfect and we need to allow God to work in us and through us, transforming our thinking, our character and our lives.
3rd point Determination Romans 12:4-8
Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other. In His grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
Are you determined to use the spiritual gifts God has given you?
If you serve, is it convenient or sacrificial service?
If you teach, is it reluctantly or sacrificially?
Do you encourage others to do more so that you can do less?
What about your giving?
Listen to the words of John the Baptist in Luke 3:11 “If you have two shirts, give one to the poor. If you have food, share it with those who are hungry.”
Are you willing to give something God has blessed you with to someone who has nothing?
Is your financial giving to God’s work just something you might find in your pocket or purse when the offering bag is passed around or planned from your pay or pension?
Are you willing to give sacrificially because of God’s sacrificial love for you?
Last point, Demonstration Romans 12:9-18
The dictionary defines Demonstration as an act of showing that something exists or is true by giving proof or evidence.
Romans 12:9-18 is a good description of how we as dynamic disciples are meant to demonstrate sacrificial love.
Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honouring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.
When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honourable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.
That is how we demonstrate sacrificial love.
My final encouragement to you this morning is:
Make the Decision to truly live for Christ.
Align your Disposition to the Word of God.
Be Determined to use the gifts God has given you for His Honour and Glory.
Demonstrate the sacrificial love of God in your daily life as you seek to be a dynamic disciple of Jesus.
