A few weeks ago we talked about living a life of loyalty. Last week we talked about living our lives trusting God. Today let's talk about a life that's filled with love. In every case, whether it be loyalty, trust, or love, we have to have some sort of experience in order to appreciate it more.
Some things just can't be done without some level of experience. Imagine trying to bake a cake when you've never seen a cake or tasted one. Imagine being told to quarterback a professional football game when you've never watched a game of football. No amount of discipline will get a cake out of your oven if you don't have some concept of a cake. There's no secret force that is going to move your team down the field if you don't know what a football is.
This same concept applies to living a life of love. You've heard me preach about love in most every sermon I have preached. But today, we're going to see Jesus's command for us to love and to what extent we are to love.
Most people see the value of this command, but do we really know what love is? A lot of times we think of love as being simply the support of others. People tend to look for affirmation of the identity that they want to achieve, but is that really love? Is it real love? Jesus truly wants us to taste and see His love. Because it is only then that we can love one another as Jesus intended.
So just what is love? Love is defined as a set of emotions and behaviors characterized by intimacy, passion, and commitment. Love involves care, closeness, protection, attraction, affection, and trust. Love can vary in intensity and can change over time. So, let's listen closely today as Jesus explains to us His concept of what love truly is and what He meant it to be. (PRAYER)
Love should bring us joy. Who doesn't want joy? Everyone does. And that's why, for many of us, Jesus's statement in John 15:11 is such a favorite passage. Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” That is a powerful statement. Your joy may be complete. Who doesn't want complete joy? We all do. Let’s look at the verses together beginning in verse 9.
John 15:9-11 – “Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
Jesus is telling us that He is the source for abundant joy. Joy. We don't just want joy. We are almost desperate to have it. For too many, the search for complete joy is an exhausting and almost impossible pursuit.
Now I haven't been in your house and snooping around in your closets, but you might have a closet full of supplies from all the hobbies you've tried out and then forgotten, hoping that one of them would fill some empty spot in your life. Or maybe you check your bank account three times a day hoping that you might see a more satisfying sum on the bottom line. Skydivers even jump out of planes for the thrill and pursuit of joy. And then there are cross-fitters, those who pursue fitness to the extreme and seem to pursue joy by pursuing misery.
Everyone wants complete joy. And Jesus wants us to have it. That's why He calls us to dwell in Him and obey Him. He says in verse 10, if you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in His love. In other words, when we do what Jesus has called us to do, we experience His love and joy over and over again. And that is complete joy.
But I think some people question whether complete joy is even possible. But God lovingly created us to live in joy. Jesus pointed the way to experiencing this joy, and it's found in three words that he used in this passage.
-Love. Jesus said “remain in my love.” His love is the key to our joy. That really makes sense when we remember what Jesus's love is like. Jesus came to earth because of His love for us. He came to teach us of the Father's Love and to express that love through His actions and miracles. He openly showed us love in His response to our sin. In His love for us, Jesus took all our wickedness on Himself. He was nailed to a cross. He died. He was buried behind a boulder. Because of His love for us, He came out of the tomb and wasn't dead anymore so that we could have victory. That is love.
-Remain. Jesus says we are to “remain.” That means we are to continue in Christ's amazing love for us. When we remain there in His love, our joy will be unbroken, but it's important we remain. It's that fellowship with Jesus that brings the joy that we are looking for.
-Keep. Because of Jesus's love, we remain in Jesus's love. And because of Jesus's love, we keep His commands. It's an incredible cycle of living in His love.
Okay. Now it's time for a reality check. Are you keeping God's commands? Are you taking those steps to remain connected to Jesus through your personal Bible study and prayer? If not, it's time to think about those areas and make some adjustments starting today. It's not too late.
You may be sitting there and thinking well I really don't understand fully how we are to love. Jesus answers that question in:
John 15:12 – “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.” (That’s a tall order.)
Javier Sotomayor set the world record for the running high jump at 2.45 m, more than 8 ft. He has held that record for almost 30 years. I do well to jump one foot high if I try hard. If there's a snake I might be able to jump one and a half feet. What if I was commanded to jump as high as Javier Sotomayor jumped? I'd be overwhelmed because I couldn't do it. This is what I thought of when I read Jesus's command to love like He loves. How can we possibly love as Jesus loved?
Jesus is the world record holder for love. No love has ever been higher, deeper, wider, or stronger than the love of Christ. No Love has impacted more people. The disciples, when they heard this, must have thought it was like being asked to high jump 8 ft. They knew what Jesus's love looked like, they had seen the love of Jesus up close and how powerful it was. They had seen Him heal diseases, mend bones, and silence demons for the people He loved. They had seen Him weep, teach, and feed.
How do we love as Jesus loved? Even though the example of Christ seems unattainable, the answer is simple. We try. We experience the love of Jesus, and we obey. We look at Jesus, and we try to be like Him.
Most people probably will never jump as high as Javier Sotomayor. And we will never love so wonderfully as Jesus. We may not be able to love to the degree that Jesus loved, but we can love in the same manner. We may not see the same impact from our love, but we can share the same heart. We love as we have been loved. That's the mandate. Be loved and be obedient.
Jesus clarified his message in the next verses.
John 15:13 – 14 – “Greater love has no one than this, that a person will lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you.”
That means the love Jesus wants us to have for one another is active. It's not something we just say and walk away. We put our love into action. Our love should be sacrificial. Loving as Jesus loved means sacrificing something of ourselves for the sake of others. If we obey in that way, it's like Jesus being obedient to the heavenly father.
It might hurt or cost us dearly, but we move forward for the sake of the ones we love. It gets down to this, it's one thing to talk about love and it's another thing to put it into action. I may say I love my mother, and yet refuse to do anything for her when she's sick. That type of love doesn't count for anything. Love is put into action in our obedience.
If we're not demonstrating our love through acting, we really aren't loving. If our love never requires sacrificing, we're only talking. Jesus laid down His life for us and called us to act accordingly; to love as He has loved us. Now think about some of your relationships. Are you possibly being selfish in any way in that relationship? Ask God to help you in showing your love to others. You'll be amazed at what good it will do.
John 15:15-16 – “No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”
Jesus appointed us to produce fruit. Love is the fertilizer that helps as we tell others about Jesus. Love helps our service to others, and it helps our character point to Christ.
Do we have any gardeners in our congregation? Gardening isn't exactly easy, is it? It's hard work. Some think that they just dig up a little plot and put seeds in the ground and the seeds do the rest. They don't realize that you have to weed and water the plants regularly, several times a week. If not, that garden will not produce much of anything to put on the table.
That's how many of us approach producing fruit for Jesus. Again, Jesus told us that He has appointed us to go and produce fruit and that our fruit should remain. We want to stick a seed in the ground, walk away, and be overwhelmed by the crop of apples produced. But that's not how farming works, and that's not how we produce spiritual fruit that remains. We have to bring the loving, remaining, and keeping that Jesus talks about into the process. What Jesus is trying to tell us is that remaining close to Him is vital in us producing any kind of fruit for Him.
John 15:17 – “This I command you, that you love one another.”
And there it is again. How many times has Jesus told us this? He repeats the command to love one another. He is trying to tell us that we are never to stop remaining or abiding in the love of Jesus. We are never to stop loving as we have been loved. When Jesus calls us friends and appoints us, these things don't negate the fact of His previous command to dwell in Him and love like Him. We prioritize our life based on our friendship with Jesus and our calling to bear fruit. We bring the love of Jesus to the people around us. Love as Jesus loved. Sounds pretty simple, but it takes some work.
Our love for Christ is the key to bearing fruit for Him. Are you bearing fruit like Jesus asks you to do? We are commanded to bear spiritual fruit. But what kind of fruit are we talking about?
-Some people think that bearing fruit means they have had evangelistic success, meaning how many people they have led to faith in Jesus.
-Some people connect fruit to acts of service, meaning the ministry you do in the name of Jesus.
-and some people insist fruit is about personal growth, the character of Jesus that God shapes in you.
So which is it? We see all three of these concepts of fruit in Scripture. To bear fruit can mean leading people to Jesus, serving them in Jesus's name, and developing the character of Jesus in ourselves.
But let's never separate remaining in Jesus and loving like Jesus, from serving Jesus and bearing fruit for Jesus. If we attempt to bear fruit without remaining and loving in Jesus it's like attempting to grow strawberries without soil or sun. If we want to bear fruit for Christ, we need to show others the love of Christ. Let His light shine from you.
And if we daily show others the love of Christ through the way that we live, then we are living a life of love.
It's no secret that Jesus loves you. Is there anyone here this morning that doubts that Jesus loves them? He loves us beyond measure. And all He asks is for us to love Him in return and share His love with others. This is what He meant when He said:
John 15:12 – “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.”
If you say you love Jesus Christ and have never placed your faith and trust in Him, we're giving you that opportunity to do so during our response time. Will you pray with me and if you haven't asked Christ to come into your heart, will you do so now? And then come tell me of your decision?
