I like the story about the 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 chapter & verse to okay all his actions.
He was doing fine until he fell in love with a beautiful co-ed. 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, and then say "Good night."
This went on for several weeks, and 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 a 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 had to do more with relationships within the church 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 again walked her to the dormitory to bid her "good night." As he looked longingly into her eyes he told her of his desire to kiss her good night, but that he was unable to find any scriptural basis to approve of such an action. Immediately she grabbed him, pulled him toward her, and planted a 10-second kiss right on his lips. At the end of the kiss, the Seminary student gasped for air, and stammered, "Bible verse, Bible verse." The girl grabbed him a 2nd time, and just before kissing him again, said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Last time we looked at the love affair between Christ and His Church. Ours is not a cold religious experience, but we share in a passionate relationship with Jesus (and we have scriptural references to back it up too!).
Turn with me again to Ephesians 5:21-32 as we again consider what it is like to have a love affair with Jesus. Remember that although Paul is describing the relationship between husbands and wives, the Holy Spirit reveals a profound mystery regarding the relationships between Christ and the believer and how in turn we who make up the Church relate with one another.
✞ Ephesians 5:21-31 21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--30for we are members of his body. 31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." 32This is a profound mystery–but I am talking about Christ and the church (NIV)
The mystery of a love relationship is more than love at first sight. Any of us who have been married for any time could talk about the exciting and mysterious relationship of marriage. And yet within passionate relationship of marriage another mysterious relationship is pictured. That mystery Paul says is of Christ and His Church.
We saw last time that in the same way God takes the two and make them one within the bond of marriage, so too the countless multitude of believers making up Christ’s Church are united by the Holy Spirit as one. We are the body of Christ united to Him and one anther. It does not matter what denominational label you may choose to ware; Christ is united to ALL who believe and we are made one in Him.
So what does a love affair with Jesus look like? How is the Church to relate to Christ and one another? Within the marriage relationship described here in Ephesians 5, we find four ways Christ’s love is working within the Church to make us one–one with Christ and one with each other. Jesus makes the passionate Church [1] a Submissive Church, [2] a Loving Church, [3] a Radiant and Glorious Church, and [4] a Nurturing Church. (Now again remember, when we talk about what Christ is doing within the Church, it affects each of us because the Church is not made up of bricks and mortar, but of individual believers united by the Holy Spirit.)
Last time we saw what it means for us to be a submissive church. None of us want to submit, but we must first yield control of our wills to God. The evidence that our lives are submitted to God is that you and I can submit one to another. Now if you missed the message on submission, get the video because I’m not going to say it all again this morning!
We concluded saying that biblical submission is built upon a foundation of love. We submit to God because we know He loves us. Likewise we can submit to one another because of our love one to another.
This brings us to the second characteristic of the Church that has a passionate relationship with Christ. Jesus makes us:
2. A Loving Church
✞ Ephesians 5:25 25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. (NIV)
Think with me about how Christ has loved us. His love could not be broken by betrayal. Through our sin we all have rejected God; we turned our back on His desire and choose instead to do our own thing. But Jesus loved us anyway. Even while we were dead in our sins Christ proved His love for us by taking our punishment; He died in our place. Jesus put our need ahead of His comfort. His love is so great!
I can better understand Christ’s great love for me because of my wife Susie’s love. While we were engaged to be married, I betrayed her. Now you can think what you want, the truth is that all of us who are married have in some way been tempted to put ourselves ahead of our mate. We have all betrayed someone. That’s what I did; I didn’t think about how my actions would affect Susie–I didn’t think about how she might be hurt. I just did what I wanted to do. It nearly cost me the love of my life, but Susie kept on loving me. I’m thankful that Susie had a love that could not be broken by betrayal. She chose to take me as her husband in spite of my failure.
In Romans 1:6 Paul identifies the church as the "called" ones (in the Greek the “kletos” also translated saint) and throughout the Books of Acts the church is identified as the “Ekklesia” the called out ones. You and I have been chosen; Christ has called us to be His very own. He loves you so much that even though you have betrayed Him rejecting God and choosing the pleasure of sin, Jesus still loved you! You have been called to be His very own. “Jesus loves me this I know!”
A church that is passionate about Christ will be a loving Church. The church cannot be the church unless it is loving.
✞ 1 John 4:19 We love because he first loved us. (NIV)
Another way of saying that is like this: “As He first loved us, we love in the same way.” It is impossible to be a part of His Church and not love. Jesus says that love will be the identifying mark of His followers.
✞ John 13:34-35 34“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (NIV)
Are you a bitter person? Are you resentful? Are you overly critical of others? Are you a demanding person–do you have to have your way? Do you like to keep score or are you looking for the straw that broke the camels back? Are you green with envy; do you wish you had it as good as other people? If you are like any of those, then you must not be a part of His Church because His followers are loving.
Jesus didn’t say we would be identified by our buildings, Bibles, or beliefs. It is not the church you attend, the Bible you carry, or the doctrine you hold that marks you as a Christian. You and I can only be identified as one of Christ’s followers in one way: LOVE. Our love for Him and one another is the brand that marks us as belonging to Christ.
A sad reality is that many people feel more love and acceptance at the local bar than at the local church. Many of the people who drive by any given church on a Sunday morning are as likely to stop at the church before going onto the countless other activities that they have planned as the average church member is to go to the bar on a Friday night after work.
Why is the church no longer attractive to so many people today? Is it an over simplification to say that the mark of love has been lost in many churches? I don’t think so. Love attracts people. Jesus said in John 12:32 that when He was lifted up from the earth, he would draw all men unto Himself. What was Jesus talking about? We like to think that praise and worship will draw people to Jesus, but that’s not what Jesus was talking about. Jesus was telling His disciples that when He is lifted up on the cross to be executed then and only then will He begin to draw people to Himself.
Jesus’ death upon the cross for sinful humanity is the greatest act of love the world has ever witnessed. We spend more time trying to get people to see that our buildings, Bibles, or beliefs are what they need; we’re busy point people to religion and not a love relationship with Jesus.
Let’s just make the love of Jesus known. His love compelled Him to action. God doesn’t just shout from heaven, “I love you.” God sent His one and only Son and proved His love as Jesus died in our place on the cross. It is His great display of love that will draw people. Love attracts.
The church that has a love affair with Jesus, when you and I are passionate in our relationship with Christ, LOVE FLOWS FROM OUR LIVES. We need to remember that the greatest form of love is not communicated in words. Love is best made known when it is a "shown" love.
✞ 1 John 3:18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. (NIV)
So how can we love beyond words? How can the reality of Christ’s love and His love within our love be seen by the world?
Every parent has experienced the mixture of emotions that comes with the words “I’m pregnant.” Before long sharing with others the anticipation of the big announcement is an ongoing celebration of joy. Within our family of 5 children we have come to call our youngest Mikey “our joy boy.” Each of our children are a tangible expressions of our love. As a church we are called to “share the Joy.” We have the opportunity to make the expression of God’s love through Christ at the cross made known to the world. But how can we do that “beyond just words”? How can we make the love of Christ know in such ways that people are drawn to Him?
Let me share four ways that the Church, our church, can love the world beyond mere words sharing the love of Christ with those who need it most.
1. Servant Evangelism– are we willing to meet people right were they are? What impression do you think we would make by pumping gas, or carrying out groceries for a day. What if we were to mow our neighbors yard, or do something for our boss without being asked and off the company clock? Could we let people know that God loves them and we do too with a simple act of service? Could a small expression of love from the church wet someone’s appetite enough that they might get hungry for more?
2. Sharing, or Cost-free Evangelism– this will cost us something, but are we willing to give bottled water or popsicles to let people know God loves them? As we give love away like this with “no strings attached” will people be drawn into the church?
3. Benevolence Evangelism– this will cost a little more, but are we willing to meet the needs of people in our community? As we reach out to meet the temporal needs of people is it possible that they might also find their eternal need of salvation met as well?
Now the first three will be easy compared to the last way we can share the joy making God’s love know to our world. We can be involved in a program at the church to let our community know about God’s love, but then we can go home to “our world.” The first three ways can reach out to strangers, but the last way of sharing God’s love is right were we live everyday. This one will be the hardest, but it may also have some of the most rewarding results. Are you willing to live the life of love?
4. Live the Life of Love– will we bare the mark of Jesus in our lives, the imprint of love within our families, in our work place or at school, and yes even at the church? This is were the rubber meets the road. In the first three you can pretend to be loving. If you are going to live the life of love, you are either loving or you aren’t.
How can we live the life of love? How can we live our lives in such a way that people see Jesus in us? How can our lives give be a witness to the greatest act of love the world has ever known–Jesus’ death upon the cross to set the sinner free?
How can love be defined or understood? Webster defines love as “a deep and tender feeling of affection or devotion to a person; an expression of one’s love and affection.” That’s good, but it’s missing something because love is much more than that. The greatest understanding of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13. Paul does not intend to define or merely analyze love. Rather through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Paul breaks love down into bite size pieces to enable us to understand and live the life of love.
✞ 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails. (NIV)
So how does your life measure up? Are you living the life of love as Paul described here in 1 Corinthians 13? When we love like this people will see the imprint of Jesus. Your family, friends and acquaintances will be drawn to Jesus through love like that.
You may be thinking, but its impossible to love like that. You’re right. If we are going to live the life of love, we must have “spirit inspired love.”
Why “spirit inspired love”? 1 Corinthians 13 is not just a discourse about love; Paul is not talking about the family or friendships or any other relationships that require love. Paul is talking about the work of the Holy Spirit within the life of the believer. Look what surrounds 1 Corinthians 13 ––
✞ 1 Corinthians 12:31 But eagerly desire the greater gifts [of the Spirit]. And now I will show you the most excellent way. (NIV)
✞ 1 Corinthians 14:1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts. . . (NIV)
1 Corinthians 13 is at the center of Paul’s instruction on the gifts and working of the Spirit in the lives of believers. This isn’t an accident. As the first three verses of the “love chapter” puts it “all the gifts of the Spirit are worthless without love.”
In the same way the God’s Spirit gives spiritual gifts to believers, we can live a life of “Spirit inspired love.” Not a natural love, but God’s love flowing through us.
✞ Galatians 5:22 The fruit of the Spirit is LOVE. . .
God enables the believer to love by His Spirit. God’s love, the agape love of God, is not a natural or man made love. Agape love is “Spirit inspired love.”
Conclusion:
If we are going to have a passionate relationship with Christ, then He will make us a loving church. His love flowing through our lives is impossible unless we are also a submitting church. Only as we yield to the Holy Spirit’s control can we live the life of love.
Submission and love are intertwined together; you can’t have one without the other. Like two sides of the same coin, the church that has a love affair with Jesus will be a submissive church and a loving church.
