Living the Love of Jesus, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21
Eric A. Snyder. Farwell Church of Christ
December 30, 2001
There is a story about a legalistic Seminary student who wanted to have a scriptural basis for everything he did. He felt he was on solid ground if he could quote Bible book, chapter & verse to okay his actions.
He did all right with that until he began to fall in love with a beautiful girl. He wanted very much to kiss her, but he just couldn’t find a scripture to okay it. So, true to his conscience, he would simply walk her to the dormitory each night, look at her longingly, & then say "Good night."
This went on for several weeks, & all the time he was searching the Bible, trying to find some scripture to okay kissing her good night. But he couldn’t find one, until finally he came across that passage in Romans that says, "Greet each other with a holy kiss." He thought, "At last, I have scriptural authority for kissing her good night."
But to be sure, he went to his hermeneutics professor to check it out. After talking with the professor, he realized that the passage dealt more with a church setting than with a dating situation. So once again he simply didn’t have a passage of scripture to okay kissing his girl good night.
That evening he walked her to the dormitory & once again started to bid her "good night." But as he did, she grabbed him, pulled him toward her, & planted a 10-second kiss right on his lips.
At the end of the kiss, the Seminary student gasped for air, & stammered, "Bible verse, Bible verse." The girl grabbed him a 2nd time, & just before kissing him again, said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
"Dearest Jimmy, No words could ever express the great unhappiness I’ve felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you’ll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you, I love you, I love you! Yours forever, Marie... PS, And congratulations on willing the state lottery."
In 1993 the Sports man review stated that toy companies watch divorce rates. When it rises, so do toy sales. According to the analyzers, four parents and eight grandparents tend to compete for children’s affections, so they buy toys.
The love of Jesus is different than any other kind of love in our lives
2 Corinthians 5:11-21 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God was making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
1. The Love of Jesus Compels us to a new life.
There’s an old story of a man who was walking at night, and saw another man searching for something near a lamp post. Approaching, he asked the man what he was looking for, and the man, without looking up, replied, “My watch”. The first man asked, “Well, precisely where were you standing when you dropped it?” Continuing his search, the man pointed a finger in the distance and said, “Over there somewhere.” Incredulous, the first man said, “Well then sir, why are you looking for it here?” Finally looking up in frustration and meeting the first man’s gaze, the searcher replied testily, “Because sir, the light is better here!”
Some of you have been looking for God in all the wrong places. The great truth of Jesus is that He came into a darkened world so that you can find what it is that you have been missing. Perhaps it’s easier to look for him on Television, or at work, or on the golf course. But if you have lost him you need to find out where he is.
When you get there He wants to give you a new life
February 15, 1921. New York City. The operating room of the Kane Summit Hospital. A doctor is performing an appendectomy. In many ways the events leading to the surgery are uneventful. The patient has complained of severe abdominal pain. The diagnosis is clear: an inflamed appendix. Dr. Evan O’Neill Kane is performing the surgery. In his distinguished thirty-seven-year medical career, he has performed nearly four thousand appendectomies, so this surgery will be uneventful in all ways except two.
The first novelty of this operation? The use of local anesthesia in major surgery. Dr. Kane is a crusader against the hazards of general anesthesia. He contends that a local application is far safer. Many of his colleagues agree with him in principle, but in order for them to agree in practice, they will have to see the theory applied.
Dr. Kane searches for a volunteer, a patient who is willing to undergo surgery wile under local anesthesia. A volunteer is not easily found. Many are squeamish at the thought of being awake during their own surgery. Others are fearful that the anesthesia might wear off too soon. Eventually, however, Dr. Kane finds a candidate. On Tuesday morning, February 15, the historic operation occurs.
The patient is prepped and wheeled into the operating room. A local anesthetic is applied. As he has done thousands of times, Dr. Kane dissects the superficial tissues and locates the appendix. He skillfully excises it and concludes the surgery. During the procedure, the patient complains of only minor discomfort. The volunteer is taken into post-op, then placed in a hospital ward. He recovers quickly and is dismissed two days later. Dr. Kane had proven his theory. Thanks to the willingness of a brave volunteer, Kane demonstrated that local anesthesia was a viable, and even preferable, alternative.
But I said there were two facts that made the surgery unique. I’ve told you the first: the use of local anesthesia. The second is the patient. The courageous candidate for surgery by Dr. Kane was Dr. Kane.
To prove his point, Dr. Kane operated on himself! A wise move. The doctor became a patient in order to convince the patients to trust the doctor.
Jesus came to earth and he wants you to trust Him for a new life made complete in Him.
2. The Love of Jesus Conforms us to a new people (image)
On a wall near the main entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is a portrait with the following inscription: "James Butler Bonham--no picture of him exists. This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle. It is placed here by the family that people may know the appearance of the man who died for freedom." No literal portrait of Jesus exists either. But the likeness of the Son who makes us free can be seen in the lives of His true followers.
The love of Jesus transforms our lives in such a way that Jesus is seen in us
3. The Love of Jesus Commits us to new ministry
Whatever is done for God, without respect of its comparative character as related to other acts, is service, and only that is service. Service is, comprehensively speaking, doing the will of God. He is the object. All is for Him, for His sake, as unto the Lord, not as unto man. Hence, even the humblest act of humblest disciple acquires a certain divine quality by its being done with reference to Him.
The supreme test of service is this: ’For whom am I doing this?’ Much that we call service to Christ is not such at all....If we are doing this for Christ, we shall not care for human reward or even recognition. Our work must again be tested by three propositions: Is it work from God, as given us to do from Him; for God, as finding in Him its secret of power; and with God, as only a part of His work in which we engage as co-workers with Him."
What can I do because of this insight of Christ’s love for me?
I. A NEW FAITH:
1. A faith centered in Christ.
2. A faith that works for Christ
3. A faith to live for Christ (Heb. 10:38) The just shall live by faith
II. A NEW POSITION:
1. A position on the Rock
2. A position’ of Acceptance
3. A position of no Condemnation
III. A NEW ASSURANCE
1. An Assurance over doubt
2. An Assurance over Temptation
3. An Assurance of eternity
IV. A NEW SERVICE:
1. A cross-bearing life
2. A self denying life
3. A Christ following life
V. A NEW PRAYER LIFE:
1. Pray for our enemies
2. Pray for all in Authority
3. A prayer that is steadfast
Signal Ellen
Ivan the IV was the first Czar of all Russia. He was such a cruel man that they called him "Ivan The Terrible." He married 7 wives & abused them all. He was immoral & violent. He used to throw animals off the Kremlin Walls just to watch them die.
But when he died in 1584, historians record that they shaved his head & dressed him for burial in the robes of a monk, hoping that God would think that Ivan the Terrible was a monk, & thus allow him into heaven.
We cannot get to heaven by disguising yourself & hoping God will think you are someone else?
He knows my name he knows everything about me, and he knows everything about you.
His love is different than any other love. But if you want to experience the full benefit of His love you have to surrender your whole self. Are you willing to let him change you?
He wants to make you new.
Down the corridors of time He is shouting trough this text, come home.
Let’s start fresh again.
The promise of God is that He will never forsake you or leave you.
He is not going to leave or refuse to come with you, He is not going to pass away. He can be trusted.
If you want to trust him with your life, come.
