• What do you want to be known for in your life?
• The answer to that question probably changes as your life changes - when you’re younger - maybe sports - or school - or social circle - As you get older you want to be recognized for your job - maybe later it’s how much money and stuff you have
• Maybe you want to be known for being a good person - a family person - or somebody who helps out in their community
• That is maybe what you want to be known as but what are you actually known to be like?
• If your friends and family could define you with one word what would that word be?
• Determined, hardworking, kind, generous, patient
• Or maybe it would be selfish, stubborn, arrogant, greedy or angry
• But whatever you want to be known as or are known as, as Christians, there is a certain way we are to be known
• Many people in the world see the Church and Christians in not a great way
• They think we are judgemental, mean, and angry
• Many people outside the church have similar views as Gandhi when he said “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”
• Now often when people say something along those lines they don’t have a full understanding of who Jesus is – but still that is what they think - they have positive view Jesus – when they think of him they think of good stuff – but not of his church
• That can be disheartening at times – especially for those of us who are committed to the church– that idea can kind of push you back - it’s discouraging
• But I believe we can change that – we can change how people view Christians and how they view the church – might not be an instant change – It will take time, and it won’t always be easy
• Because Jesus had a way he wanted us to be known
• He told his disciples the night before he went to the cross
• Jesus is spending time with his disciples - and he has just done the amazing act of washing their feet - He is beginning to show them how much he will do for them - and Judas has just left to go betray him
• And Jesus begins to teach his disciples as he often did - but because this is his last night with his disciples before his crucifixion - it feels important
• Like his last things he wants his disciples to know and understand before he leaves
• And he says these amazing words in John 13:34-35 - John 13:34-35 New International Version (NIV)
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
• Pray
• This is one of my favourite verses in the bible - because it seems so simple - but amazing at the same time - I do believe if all Christians put this verse into practice- we could change the world - if we loved like Jesus - imagine the difference that would make - but before we look at how to love like Jesus - we need to look at how he loves us
• I love to think about what was going through his disciples heads when he said that
• Because I bet a first a lot of them didn’t think this was a new commandment
• They had been told already to love God and love their neighbour - but then Jesus says this - love each other - like I love you
• Think about how he loved them - tax collectors - and fishermen - many of them were people who others hated - considered them rejects - or traitors to their country - or just guys not good enough
• But Jesus welcomed them in - gave them invitation to do something great in following him
• This love changed their lives - gave them all a new direction in their lives - a new path
• The apostle John was so changed by this that he later simply calls himself the one that Jesus loved - this love changed him so much that it became how he defined himself- that was all that was important to him - he didn’t need to be recognized by any other accomplishment or achievement - other than the fact that he was loved by Jesus
• The disciples knew they were loved - they were willing to live and die for this
• Give up their lives for Jesus - because of his love for them - how he changed him - with his death and resurrection
• So think about how Jesus has loved you
• We could spend hours talking about how Jesus has loved us - changed our lives
• We could spend hours looking at scripture at all the verses about how amazing the love of Jesus is
• Just think of what he has done for you with his love- he sacrifices, he accepts us, he makes us more than conquerors, he changes us, he challenges us, he forgives us, he serves us, he is patient with us
• So much more
• With his grace we are brought in as children of God
• We need to grasp a hold of this - because if we want to change how the world sees us - how the world sees the church - we need to first grasp how much Jesus loves us - this is a process will we walk through the rest of our lives - understanding - comprehending how great God’s love is for us
• Just like the prayer Paul prayed for the Ephesians -
• Ephesians 3:14-19 New International Version (NIV)
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
• When we are rooted in his love - and begin the journey of understanding his love - it will fill us with God - and change us - and when we are changed - we will live differently - because we are living out of the knowledge that we are loved by God
• we will realize - that we need to love others too - and we can begin to follow this command - take steps to love as Jesus has loved us
• It must start with his love
• Because it enables us to love one another
• And when we love like he has loved us - the world is changed - lives are changed
• And when the church has gotten this commandment right – when this has been obeyed – lives have been changed – the world has been touched when this has been lived out – when the church was being persecuted and killed in the early 200’s the theologian Tertullian said that the persecutors would say things like “look how they love one another” or “look how they are ready to die for one another” – that is an amazing testimony
• Not just that, but when we look at things like hospitals and orphanages, and so many charities, they were started by Christians who knew that they needed to love others
• Those things have changed the world -
The Apostle John I’ve mentioned a couple of times - as one who was taken in by this love
He said in 1 John 4:7-11
1 John 4:7-11 New International Version (NIV)
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
John couldn’t help but love others because of that amazing love of Jesus
That was a sacrifice for his sins
• He saw the life he was able to live in Jesus
• He saw that God truly loved him - and that God loved others - so he needed to do the same
• Because if we actually know God - we will know that he is love - we are going to love others -
• How can we not love one another
• But how do we do it - because I know the unloving things that I do sometimes - they sometimes seem so natural
• Gossip, talk down, judge, don’t be patient, or unforgiveness - It’s so easy to fall into the old unloving habits -
• Maybe not things as bad as that - but just not overtly loving people - staying back - but love requires us to take action
• C.S. Lewis puts it this way “Do not waste time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.”
• Take action to show love – it’s not putting on a show- it’s not putting on a fake smile – but it is an attempt to grow in love towards others
• If you are wondering how to love – think of Jesus – how does he act – he gave – he is patient with us – he is generous with us – he accepts us
• We must do that to others – we obviously can’t do it on the same level as God but we can be a small reflection of what God does in us
• The amazing thing as hard as this is – at times how meaningless it feels – it works
• Showing love to people as simple as it sounds – is difficult – it can feel like you’re being taken advantage of – like you’re not making an impact – it feels like no difference is being made
• It changes lives – it makes people stop and notice – it can make a difference
The world will know we are different - because of our love
• Think of your own life - take a moment - the people who helped you get where you are - those who helped you in your faith - they loved you - sometimes by doing just simple things - but it made a profound impact
• I think of some of the people who made a huge impact in my life - the biggest thing they did was they showed up - they were present in my life - and they cared about me - asked questions - prayed for me when things were tough - celebrated when I was happy about things - Even if those things seem seemed small and insignificant to them - they still cared - because they loved me - those people showed me so much about how to love like Jesus
• Because of the actions we take - they will know we are associated with Jesus
• Andy Stanley says that we should bring people to the edge and as they look over they will see and be in awe of how much we love each other
• What if we treated our families members in such a way that made non-Christians say “I don’t know if I believe what they believe, but based on how they treat each other I want my kids to marry Christians”
• Or I don’t know if I believe what they believe but based on how honest and caring they are I want as many of them to work for me as possible – or I want to work for one of them
• That is the power of loving people it can change us
• We should live in such a way that makes people stop and wonder- scratch their heads- about us when they see how we act - Some of us me included probably make people scratch their heads but that is for other reasons
• But when they see how we live - they should pause and think - because it’s so different to everyone else around them
• So as I finish up today, I have two questions, first what action do you need to take?
• It might not be big and flashy - simply - doesn’t matter age - or skill - anybody can show love
• And second, how do you want to be known? I want to be known as someone who follows Jesus. I want to be known as someone who loves others.
