9 – what would Jesus say today about love?

By Jeff Fry, Darwin Park Community Church

I.   Intro

A.   What does our culture mean when it uses the word “love”?

1.     songs and movies usually portray love as somehow connected with lust

a)     “did you know that I could make you believe in love and sex and magic ….” From song “Love, sex, magic” by Ciara and Justin Timberlake

2.     romantic love – princes and princesses

a)    e.g. song “Love Story”

b)     or “When love takes over” – I’m looking out for you to take my hand, feels like I could fall …”

c)      

3.     leads to confusion and disappointment esp for teens because love becomes either tingly, nice, warm feelings or sexual lust of which neither is what love is according to Jesus

B.   Thesis: Jesus commands us to love by sacrificial, humble commitment to another’s good.

II.         We must treat one another with love by humbly sacrificing for the other person

A.   State

1.     Read John 13:1-17, 34-35

a)    Context is important

(1)  Last supper

(a)    Foot washing in those days was not even fit for a Jewish slave but was usually left for Gentiles to do or women or children.

(b)   Before and leading up to Jesus’ death for all humanity where he sacrificed himself for the forgiveness of sins

(c)    The good of sacrifice contrasted with Judas Iscariot’s betrayal

(2)  In this context Jesus talks about love

2.     I want to talk about the ethic of how we should treat others and will touch on two sides of the ethic:

a)    Love (this week)

b)    Truth (next week)

3.     “a new command I give you …”

a)    we are commanded to love by Jesus

b)    it is not optional to love our brother

c)     and I would say our neighbour (e.g. Good Samaritan)

4.     “as I have loved ….”

a)    How did Jesus love?

(1)  Sacrifice – seen in the footwashing and cross

(2)  Humility – seen in the footwashing

(3)  John 13:14 “ … you also should was one another’s feet”

5.     “All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another”

a)    condition of spreading the word to other people is that we love one another

b)    love is the great apologetic for the world

(1)  this will draw people to know about the reality of Jesus

(2)  reality of faith, not just theory

(a)    sacrifice for another person’s good

(b)   humble ourselves to serve another person

(c)    strong proof of goodness of God/Christ

(i)      e.g. football course – 26 more kids and adults in Lichfield have a great experience of the love of God

B.   Illustrate

1.     Kevin Vanhoozer’s golden rule of graduate school oversight

a)    Grad student bemoaning Vanhoozer leaving Trinity U. therefore leaving his grad students who were studying under him in the lurch with no reader

b)    Vanhoozer replied that he wouldn’t do that and that he will continue to work with these students stating that this is the Golden Rule applied to Grad school! 

(1)  Now that’s love because it is putting the other person first.

(2)  Philippians 2:1-11 describes Jesus’ love for us well:

(a)    Philippians 2:1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. 4 Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature {6 Or in the form of} God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature {7 Or the form} of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

2.     Hall issues – people destroying one another to prove their point

a)    How do I love people who in my heart I want to destroy and who are trying to destroy me?

C.   Apply

1.     Jesus’ command to love one another has everything to do with seeking the other person’s best interest and not destroying that person (murdering people in your heart cf. Matthew 5:21-22)

a)    I’ve been in chruches where two Christian brothers when in the same room together only wanted to destroy each other with their arguments about who is right and who has the truth

b)    I’ve also been in churches where two Christian brothers couldn’t be in the same room together

c)     This is tragic.  Where is love?  Where is what jesus talked about in John 13:34-35 – sacrificial, humble love which seeks the other person’s best?

d)    Also, what does this say to the onlooking world about Christianity?

(1)  Jesus says in this passage that it will neutralize your witness and you will have no witness

(2)  In other words the measure of your witness is proportional to the measure of your love for your brother and for the unbelieving world.

2.     1 Corinthians 13:1ff   says, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal … 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 in the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.”

a)    Quit clanging around

3.     It must be said that the issue is not so clear cut as just loving our brother and the unbelieving neighbour especially when we are in disagreement with that neighbour over the truth.

a)    Next week we will explore standing what Jesus says about standing for the truth and how to love in the midst of confrontation and controversy.

b)    That is not easy.

III.    Conclusion

A.   The mark of a Christian is brotherly love says Jesus

1.     This sacrificial, humble love is not like the world’s love which consists of tingly feelings or sexual lust like so commonly is the message coming through songs, film and other forms of daily media.

B.   So, this Jesus-love will stand out and be different than the world’s love.

C.   So, make your mark with Jesus-love and the world will notice eventually something different about you.

1.     make your mark on your neighbours

2.     make your mark on your work colleagues

3.     make your mark on your family and friends

D.   So, think about this idea: how can I humbly serve my family, neighbours and/or work colleagues this week?  And put it in to action and see what happens.