The Life of Love
John 13:34-35
January 13, 2002
Introduction
Love-letter lament:
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.
P.S., And congratulations on willing the state lottery.
Source Unknown.
Doesn’t this really reveal the attitude that exists about love in our American society? Many, many people show love when they have a reason or when they feel like it. Love is greatly misunderstood in our society. We have created a kind of pseudo love that is really nothing more than boiled down emotionalism that creates a series of specific feelings. What do I mean by this?
We apply “love’ to all kinds of circumstances or situations in life. Here are some examples of what I mean.
Love is what you feel when you are with special people. I love my ___________. (Husband, wife, son, daughter, brother or sister.)
Love is what you feel when you do a specific activity. I love to ____________. (watch football, read, go shopping )
Love is what you feel about certain items you own. I love my _____________. (Car, house, computer)
Love is what you feel when you eat your favorite food. I just love __________. (steak, pizza, KFC, peanut butter pie)
Feeling a bit confused about what love is? You’re not alone.
When love is treated like something we feel or something that is fleeting, at best, we lose some of the essence of what love is and redefine love as something it is not. Love becomes attached with sentiment and endearment that can be applied to whatever, whoever, whenever, wherever, and however we please. When we do this we make love fickle, shallow and powerless. Love becomes nothing more than “warm fuzzies” and flowery talk. Isn’t there more to love than this?
“A new command I give 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.” John 13:34-35
If love is merely an emotion or sentiment, how can it be commanded? How can anyone, even God, command us on how to feel?
There must be more to love than just feelings and emotions. There are two defining facts about love.
1. Love is a matter of choice.
2. Love is a matter of conduct
Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband. "I do not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me."
Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan "Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you’ve convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that your’re getting a divorce. That will really hurt him." With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, "Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!" And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting "as if." For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing. When she didn’t return, Crane called. "Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?"
"Divorce?" she exclaimed. "Never! I discovered I really do love him." Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion. The ability to love is established not so much by fervent promise as often repeated deeds.
J. Allan Petersen.
The ancient Greeks had a deep understanding of love and they used four words to express the deeper reality of love.
1. Eros:
Definition: This love rises from infatuation or sexual desire
Biblical implication: This term is never used in the New Testament
2. Storge
Definition: This love rises from natural affection and relates to family love
Biblical implication: This term is used in the New Testament to describe a parent’s love for a child
3. Phileo
Definition: This love rises from deep friendship or deep emotional affection
Biblical implication: This term is used in the New Testament to describe personal relationships or “brotherly love”
4. Agape
Definition: This love rises from God. It is a complete love that includes the mind, reason and will of a person. This type of love is primarily a product of choice
Biblical implication: This term is used in the New Testament to describe God’s love and how Christians are to love one another and others
When Jesus gives His command to “love one another”; he uses the Greek word agape. How can we accurately describe and understand the love that Jesus is commanding of us in this passage? Note three key things.
I. This love is supernatural
A. The command that Jesus gives is completely new
1. The Old Testament command was to “love your neighbor as yourself.” The focus of this command was to love other people or more likely fellow Jews to the best of your human ability
2. Jesus understood the power of love and the need to have love within the church. Love would be the force that would not only build the church but also keep the church together once it was established
B. This is beyond our human ability
1. There is no way that we can love people the way that Jesus has described in our own strength. Supernatural love must have a supernatural source.
2. Love is the glue that holds our Christian life together. Love is the foundation of our faith. Love is the model for daily living.
II. This love is what Jesus lived out
A. The example of Jesus
1. The reality of Jesus’ love
a.) Jesus came to earth to live a human life
b.) Jesus gave us the gospel for our hope
c.) Jesus loved people every chance he had
d.) Jesus died in our place to gain forgiveness from God
e.) Jesus was raised from the dead as a demonstration of the Father’s love
2. The focus of this love
a.) The practical focus – This love is active in nature
b.) The positive focus – This love is attentive to needs
c.) The Powerful focus – This love is attractive to all
B. The spiritual aspect of love
1. Spiritual being
a.) The love creates a deep hunger for a deeper relationship with God
b.) Love creates a common bond with all believers everywhere
2. Spiritual life
a.) Love ushers us into the reality of eternal life
b.) Love gives the ability to live the abundant life
3. Spiritual union
a.) Love binds the church together in Christ
b.) Love creates an active bond between believers in life. Mission and purpose
4. Spiritual fellowship
a.) love gives us fellowship with god through Christ
b.) Love creates the fellowship of believers that allows us to share the joys and sorrows of life
III. This love is the mark of a disciple
A. Disciples are known by love
1. Love is the identification
a.) Love that is above and beyond reveals the person of Christ in you
b.) Love that seeks the best for other people points back to the love of Christ
2. Love is the calling
a.) Jesus has called us to live out a life of love
b.) Jesus loves the world through us
B. We need to show love
1. Love changes hearts
a.) C. S. Lewis Quote
b.) Love changes you as you allow Christ to work through you and love changes the lives of those Christ touches through you
2. Love reveals Christ
a.) Love is the measuring rod that reveals your relationship with Christ
b.) 1 John 4:7-8
1JN 4:7 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.
Conclusion
Your love compels me – 711
Your love compels me, lord, to give as you would give, to speak as you would speak, to live as you would live, Your love compels me Lord to see as you would see, to serve as you would serve to be what you would be.
As you examine your life, does the supernatural love of Christ fill you? Is the love that you show other people flow from your strength or God’s strength? Is the love in your life defined by your attitude and your actions? Is your life held together by the love of Christ?
