Prayer-
Introduction-
Good morning, we have been in a series “Love worth finding”
We have looked at loving God and God loving us.
We have looked at living our lives directed by the Holy Spirit of God helping us and leading us and empowering us to live the life that God intended for us to live.
I think we saw loving God and loving others this week in VBS. We love the Lord and shared that love with those that came through these doors.
This morning we are going to look at loving others-
I know our actions should show the love of God because God first loved us and we are to love others like God loves us. Amen.
This is a vertical relationship first with God and then that love horizontal to those we come in contact with.
Jesus gave us two action Commandments-
Love God with all your heart, mind, soul and body.
Love others like you love yourself.
Like I said from the start of this series- Everything thing hinges on God being first In our lives- it is not an option, it is a Commandment. Everything is out of place when God is not first.
He doesn’t suggest we love Him like that- We are commanded to live God like that.
There are certain things that we need to have active in our lives to Love others like God does. This morning we will spend time on about 3 of them because two of them are sessions on their own.
Question to get us thinking- Everyone thinking?
Do we love God and help others just so that we look good?
Do we love God and help just because it is a moral thing and we feel that we have to do?
Do we love God and help others as long as it does not interfere with our lives and what we want to do?
Do we love as long as it is not dangerous?
Do we love and help because we have a heart of compassion?
Do we love someone just because God said?
We can see by the questions, this is why some people will look at you and make their own decision on why you help?
Did you catch that? Why you do what you do or why you don’t do what they think that you should.
Jesus in Matthew 23 gives a stern warning against Hypocrisy- People have the habit of looking at others to make sure they are living the life they proclaim, but make excuses for their behavior and attitudes.
Read Matthew 23:1-4
Follow the law of God (Bible) Authority
Practice what you preach/ not a hypocrite
Be who you say you are/ No mask
As a believer, become a servant of God and a servant to others.
What is the difference between a true servant of God and a hypocrite doing the same thing?
Their heart, their motive of why they are doing it and who they are doing it for.
Brennan Manning
There is a beautiful transparency to honest disciples who never wear a false face and do not pretend to be anything but who they are.
Francis of Assisi
Most High, Glorious God,
enlighten the darkness of our minds.
Give us a right faith, a firm hope and a perfect charity,
so that we may always and in all things act according to Your Holy Will. Amen.
God loves you/ that is a fact wither you feel like it or not.
You must understand His love before you are able to give others His love.
You have to experience His love.
Regardless of who we are or who we are not-
Regardless of what we have done or what we have not done
Jesus loves us.
"He died for us while we were still sinners." (Romans 5:8)
There is nothing we can do or not do to make him love us more or less.
God loves because it's in his nature to love; God is love.
This unconditional love that God has for us isn't easy for our human nature to comprehend.
We better understand the concept of earning or receiving something good based upon our performance.
God's unconditional love is an act of generosity and should motivate us to love him back with a grateful heart of worship.
If we feel that we have to earn God love, we will love others with the same concept, they must earn our love before we would love them like Jesus.
Unconditional love is caring about someone without limitations; loving without conditions and doing something to make someone happy without any thought for what we might get for ourselves.
This type of love is rare; it's uncommon to receive kindness without strings attached. This kind of love includes risk and a willingness to fail as we give ourselves over with vulnerability.
It's putting our own needs and pride behind us and doing what's best for someone else regardless of how we feel.
It requires staying close to someone, not judging or punishing them but loving without conditions.
This type of love has the power to heal, to bring people closer together, and to create relationships beyond our capacity to imagine.
Unconditional love demands we love God first.
Only He can provide the strength and ability to give this same love to another person.
God loves unconditionally and nothing changes His love for us; this is an impressive truth.
When we love this way it gives us a certain amount of power we must not take for granted.
It means we are obligated to tell people the truth with gentle, kind communication, without judgment and staying by them to see them to the better side of their difficulties.
As Christians we have a responsibility to express our love daily into the lives of others.
The benefits of loving others this way includes genuine connections, personal transformations and empowering others to step out of their comfort zones and make a difference.
When we love like Christ does, this makes it possible for people to see and feel a genuine and intentional love for them.
Powerful Ways to Love Like Jesus: (Maybe you want to write some of these down.)
Forgive like Jesus
Forgiveness is a choice and not a feeling, which takes time and prayer.
Jesus has forgiven us after we ask. If He forgives us for every sin; we need to forgive ourselves. "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)
We are not going to spend much time with forgiveness because it will be discussed later in the series.
Sacrifice like Jesus
Putting our own needs and desires, and wants aside to focus on other people's needs and wants.
This can be as simple as allowing someone to go ahead of us in line, choosing not to argue with someone's opinion or spending time helping someone in need.
Taking a raise and using it for kingdom work instead of something for ourselves.
Sacrifice requires a positive attitude and an obedient heart.
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship."(Romans 12:1)
Praying like Jesus
Praying for people is an act of unconditional love.
Especially when we pray for our enemies. This allows us to lift others up to God in a positive manner, asking God to bless people and work in their hearts and lives according to His plan and purposes.
"But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike." (Matthew 5:44-45)
Determine if you are loving them or judging them.
Dumblaws.com- laws on the books
In Canada, you cannot pay for a 50 cent item with all pennies.
Augusta, Maine you cannot stroll down the street playing a violin
All the Blue laws of Texas
Last one, on the books-
In Massachusetts, at a wake, mourners may not eat more than three sandwiches.
Snoring is illegal if the window is open.
All men must carry a riffle to church.
No gorilla is allowed in the back seat of a car.
Legalism- off the books nonsense
Salvation can be earned
You can become spiritual by following man made rules.
Actively praying to our Lord will keep us from judging, forgetting where we came from, prevent us from thinking that we are better than anyone else- and that will allow us to love like God loved us because we know the sacrifice God made for us and we will not be as critical to someone else and leave the changing to God.
Share Jesus: Christianity isn't a secret club.
We were never told to keep God a secret; but to go and tell the world about Jesus!
It's not always in the perfect place, time or at our convenience.
We won't always feel comfortable or accepted; but it's about sharing the message and hope of Jesus Christ for the purpose of reaching souls for the Kingdom of God.
In September, I would like to have a “Back to Church Sunday.” It would be a way that everyone of us could invite till we get at least one to come because maybe they have been burned in church or they have never been asked, but you make the effort to see one of your friends and acquaintance to be in a service where God has a chance to minister to them and they have a chance to experience God.
"He said to them, "Go into the entire world and preach the gospel to all creation." (Mark 16:15)
Humble like Jesus:
Living with a humble opinion of ourselves allows us to keep God first in our lives.
Humility teaches us that God created us for His purposes and not our own.
We become peacemakers, recognizing every person has a purpose and needs to be treated with dignity and respect.
Being humble requires saying no to sinful behavior or responses that want to over-ride our "Christ-like" attitude.
We may never realize or truly know the impact we have in this world; and sometimes it feels like we aren't doing enough. But God knows best and we have to be obedient to living out His word daily.
We can never give too much, love to much or care too much.
Let's ask God on a daily basis what we can do for Him by reaching out to others with unconditional love.
"Unconditional Love helps others know that despite any discouragement they feel or wrongs they've committed; someone cares about them."
John 13:34
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
We are commanded to love one another as Jesus does.
There is not one person Jesus does not love and did not come to save - this includes everyone you lock eyes with, walk past on the street, hear about in the news, live next door to, stand behind in line at the grocery store, or sit next to in the waiting room.
When we actively love those around us, putting their needs before our own, we are taking the same amazing love that Jesus has poured out to us and becoming a living, breathing, beautiful display for humanity.
You cannot give away something that you do not have.
Wrap this up
John 3:16:
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”
Galatians 2:20:
“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Ephesians 5:2:
“Walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”
Ephesians 5:25:
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her ….”
1 John 3:16: “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
We certainly need bible doctrine but if it doesn’t make you more tender and more caring for God’s children then it is not doing what God intended it to do.
You cannot down play feelings for head knowledge.
You cannot downplay Obedience to God.
Close with a prayer of being sensitive to what God wants us to do with the people we come into contact with.
Pray-
