Love = Choices and Actions
John 13:34-35
If you could sum God up in one word, what would that word be? Would it be Almighty? Would it be Omnipotent? Or possibly Creator?
Any one of these would be a legitimate answer. You see, He is Almighty. He is omnipotent. He is also the Creator! But the word that I am looking for is Love! I am sure that everyone here today would agree that God is indeed Love!
Think about everything that he has done for you out of love. Think about all that he has done for all of us out of love! He has done so much for me that I could not even begin to list everything! My life, my family, this church. But most of all, His son, Jesus Christ!
One of the biggest responses of people that we share the plan of salvation with, is that they cannot understand how he can forgive the despicable things that they have done. How can anyone forgive a murderer? An adulteress? A thief? A liar? The things that people could never forgive? And it truly is amazing at how he can forgive like this! But none the less- he does forgive them all! He does it because of unconditional Love!
He unconditionally loves you, you, you and me! Each and everyone of us!
Just what should be our response be to this Love? Just how should we react to this powerful gift of Grace that God has given us? What does he want our response to his eternal love?
The first thing I want to do is to clearly define just what love is. What this love does for us. What it does for others. What it does for the Church.
A survey of 8,600 people from congregations in 39 different denominations measured their `love quotient’. The conclusion - growing churches are more loving to each other and to visitors than declining churches. Loving churches attract more people regardless of their theology, denomination or location.
Love is defined as a strong affection, desire or devotion. So why is it exactly that we say things like, “ I love my wife’s asparagus?” or “I love watching football!” Should we really use a word o f this magnitude for such ‘things’? Like the Dallas Cowboys? Vegetables?
I think that somewhere we have diluted the true meaning of this beautiful word. So, this morning, I would like to go to the authority o f love, God, and his word to clearly define the true meaning of Love.
Let’s open our bibles to the book of Corinthians. Chapter 13 is known as the love chapter. Beginning in verse 4 and to the beginning of verse 8. We read, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast. It is not proud, it is not rude. It is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, it always trusts, always hopes and always perseveres. Love never fails.”
Now that is a very tall order, wouldn’t you say?! Love is patient. Patient means to have hopeful forbearance. To have endurance. Staying power. Love is not self-seeking. Love is something for you. It is sacrificial. You give without any expectations in return.
If you truly love someone, you will trust them no matter what. Your love never dies. It lives for ever. In fact in verse 13, we are told that it is the greatest of all!
It is so hard for us as humans to love as God has loved us. He showed us what is called as Agape Love. Perfect Love. A love without flaw. Pure and never ending.
I am guilty, as are most people of not sharing this unconditional love with others. Oh sure, we can love those that we know and have become used to. To those that are of like thinking and status as ourselves. But what about the others? What about the guy that stands on the corner panhandling for alcohol money? What about the mother that leaves her 4 year old child in the car while she prostitutes for drug money? What about the man who strikes his wife out of anger when she wants out? What about those Muslims that took the lives of over 5000 people on September 11th? Would Jesus love these people just as much as us, his people? I think that we all know the answer. I say emphatically yes!!! He came to save the wretched and the poor. The sinners. You see, all sin is the same in the eyes of God. He loves you no more or less than those people.
You know, a few weeks ago, I was on the panel for a murder one trail. They started with 300, then by the time they whittled their way down to 35, they finally released me. I am sure you are familiar with the defendant in the case. Jason Doty. He was accused of killing a Security Guard so that he would receive special powers from Satan. Doty is both a Satanist and a white Supremacist. He was is a cold blooded killer that was responsible for the death of at least 3 humans.
As I sat directly behind him, I did a lot of thinking. This man, as evil as the acts he has completed, was just a man. He is definitely responsible for his acts of treachery. And he should be punished for them. But I wonder about his salvation. I think about God’s love, and the changes that his love could bring to this man. If he would only allow Christ into his life.
If Jesus could die for this man, why can’t I show this kind of love to others?
God’s love is directed outwards, towards others, not inwards. It is utterly unselfish. This kind of love goes against our every natural inclination. It is impossible for us to practice this kind of love alone. The only way that we can show this kind of love is with the help of God himself. He helps us to set aside our own desires and instincts. Then, and only then can we give love without any expectations in return! That’s when we become more like Christ, when we show unconditional love!
In 1st John 4:7-12 we read, “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God! Whoever does not love, does not know God, because God is love. 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. This is Love: not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
A newspaper columnist named George Crane told once of a woman who was full of hatred toward her husband. Someone counseled the woman to act as if she really loved her husband, to tell him how much he meant to her, to praise him for every decent trait, to be kind, considerate, and generous whenever possible. Then, when she’d fully convinced him of her undying love, she’d make her move and file for divorce. With revenge in her eyes she said, "That’s perfect, I’ll do it." And so she did...but guess what happened...the more she demonstrated sacrificial love toward her husband, the more she began to actually love him, and at the end of a few months divorce was the furthest thing from her mind.
Love is usually thought of as a feeling. In reality, it is a choice and an action! In fact, in the New Testament, Love is used as a noun 110 times, and a verb 137 times. 247 times the word love is referenced! I wonder if by chance that should tell us something?! God is our source of Love. Love in it’s truest and purest form. You see, God is love! Love is not God!
Jesus is our perfect example of unconditional love! Everything that he did in both life and death, demonstrated Agape love. When he took the spear in the side, love. When they placed that crown of thorns on his head, love. When they beat him and spat upon him, love. You see, he did not have to allow this, he could have simply called out, and an army of angels would have came to his defense! But he didn’t! He loved us. We as “Christians” need to be more Christ like. To show this love! But it is co very hard to do this. How do we do this?
The first thing we are to do is to empty ourselves of sin, by asking for forgiveness! Then we have to invite the Holy Spirit into our lives to begin this transformation from weak humans to powerful vessels of God’s love!
Our love should always involve choice and action! Then it will be like God’s love! Ask yourself, how well do you display your love for God in the choices you make and the actions you take?
Some time ago, a teenager, Arthur Hinkley, lifted a 3,000-pound tractor with his bare hands. He wasn’t a weight lifter, but his friend, Lloyd Bachelder, 18, was pinned under a tractor on a farm near Rome, Maine. Hearing Lloyd scream, Arthur somehow lifted the tractor enough for Lloyd to wriggle out. Love motivated him to do it.
Our Father in heaven heard the screams of lost humanity, crying out for deliverance. He sent His one and only precious Son to the cross so that our sins could be lifted off of us and on to Himself. Love motivated Him to do it.
John 13:34-35 is a basic instruction for us to follow. It says, “A new command I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another! By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Mother Teresa, when asked how she had accomplished such great things in her life said this, "None of us can do anything great on our own, but we can all do a small thing with great love."
Jesus says we are to love one another, as he loved us! Who did he love? Everyone! Who should we love? Everyone! We are to give that cold cup of water to all that thirst! We are to love even those that do not thirst!
The Scripture commands us to love Christ. John 14:21, “Whoever has my command and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”
Here we see that love truly is more than words, he said that those that have his commands and obeys them loves him! This shows us that love is commitment and conduct. Choice and action! If you love Christ, you will do as he says, you will follow his commands! You will do as the word says! The Bible is the word of God, so we must follow as it says!
In Matthew 10:37, “ Anyone who loves his father or mother more than is not worthy of me. Anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me;”
Jesus is calling us to a higher mission in this scripture! A higher mission than to find comfort and tranquility in this life. We know that love of a family is a law of God. But even this love can be used as an excuse to not serve God. “My family needs me, I cannot do that Lord.”
I know that there are many excuses as to not serve the Lord as he has called you. I have used many of them. That is exactly what they were too! Excuses. You have to have faith that when he calls you to his service, he will take care of all the details! You should not fear. You have to be willing to do things that may seem uncomfortable.
When you truly love him, you need to step up to the plate and take a swing at what he has called you to do! This is what he is talking about when he says you are to obey his commands!
Mark 12:30-31, “Love the Lord your God with al your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself, there is no commandment greater than these.”
Jesus tells us that by loving both God and our neighbors, we are actually fulfilling the intent of the 10 commandments! So when you are confused about what to do, ask yourself, “Which course of Action best demonstrates God’s love and love for Others?”
So, as I come to a conclusion this morning, I ask that we think about some things. Is there somewhere in my life that his love does not show? Is there someone that I ought to share his love with? Is there someone out there that needs to feel his love? Can I deliver this love?
When we leave this old brick building, Are others able to tell that we are Christians by our Love?
Let us pray:
