Who Do You Love?

Who Do You Love? 10/20/2003

1 John 4:7-11

Along our journey here on this world we encounter different people to whom there are some that we like more than others. We might have a common interest. We might have the same opinions. We might like the way someone looks or their personality. Maybe something just clicked.

It took me a while to like my best friend. I met him and thought he was so ugly that his mom had to tie a bone around his neck to get their dog to play with him. But once I got to know him, we became best buds all through school.

I can remember the time that I met Chris. They had a surprise birthday party for him and Stu here at the church and we met and I knew right away that I liked him. It was the same way with Don Kinder when I met him at Mr. & Mrs. Coles 50th wedding anniversary. We clicked automatically. There are people that are personalities mesh and we bond instantly. That is not what I want to talk about today.

The truth of the matter is that the people that we are attracted to are the easy ones to love. But that is not what our text is talking about. I does not say, “We ought to love the ones that we like the best”. It does not say, “We ought to love the ones that love us first”. No it says that (vs. 11) Beloved, if God loved us, we also ought to love one another.

That is the hard part. Loving the ones we don’t mesh with. Loving the ones who persecute us. Loving the ones who have never done anything to deserve our love.

James 2:8, If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, You shall love your neighbor as yourself, you do well.

James knew it was not an easy task.

Romans 13:8, Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

This passage is not just talking about money. It is talking about respect and honor. It is stating that Love is a debt that is never paid in full.

Then it goes on in verses 9-10, For the commandments , You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, You shall not covet, and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

Plainly put, if you have love for others in you life you will take care of all those other commandments.

1 John 3:11, For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.

From the fight of the first two brothers, the Bible has told us time and time again, over and over, love one another. One of the most emphasized commandments in the Bible. It was the top two when they asked Jesus.

Mathew 22:34-40

The first one is logical. It is easy to love God. Our actions may not show it, our attitudes may not display it, but with everything that he has done for us it is easy to love Him. It’s those other guys that are the tough part.

There are several reasons why we dislike each other.

Jealousy

You know the type. The ones with all the friends, all the looks, the perfect hair, with all the athletic ability and the book smarts. If I sound like I’m venting, I’m sorry.

But I’ve said before as a joke when God was handing out the brains, I thought He said trains and I said give me one with a red caboose. I always felt like I had to work harder in school and in athletics just to get by, while others it just came natural.

The same things happen within the church. “So and so got recognized for this and I did that and no one said anything”. Or “Can you believe that so in so was asked to do this or that and I’m the one more qualified.” This is a good one, “Look at that church directory, the same names doing all the jobs”.

Maybe no one else has volunteered to do them and out of love to God and the church they do the jobs. It is known that 10% of the people do 90% of the work in a church. Shame on us.

Hurt Feelings

This is the sly one. I have found out that I have hurt some ones feeling before and I never had any idea. This one will occur and unless the person comes and does what the Bible says in Matthew 18:15, “go and tell him”; you might not ever know it. I do it with my big mouth, not with intent to hurt, but not knowing when to keep my big mouth shut.