Sermon nuggets Weds Sept 3
Theme: Love Talks
Verses John 13:34-35 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Love Carries Over to Others
Not too many days earlier Jesus was listening to the disciples argue who was the greatest. Then he went into the house and as they were having their meal none of them would stoop low enough to take on the position of the slave by washing feet. Jesus their teacher and Master confident in his position and serving attitude took the bowl and the towel and washed their feet. Then he tells them to do this to one another. Follow His example. Demonstrate acts of love to one another.
That segment was followed by the identification of Judas as the betrayer. Now Jesus commands them to love one another. He wants them to show the world what love is. Love is not being selfish, it is not erotic, it is not possessive and jealous, it is self-giving.
One of the ways Christianity was attractive later was when people saw how they loved one another. Don't wait for someone to love you. Show your love to them. Give and it will be given. Don't keep accounts.
As I have shared before, William Glasser, a noted psychologist explains in his book, “Reality Therapy” there are two essential needs we all have: the need to love and be loved, and the need to feel worthwhile. People need to see love expressed in ways that is different than the world understands it.
If a group of people had never seen or witnessed Christianity in action before were told to follow us around for a week to observe and then to imitate our actions and behavior, on the basis of what they saw, I wonder what form their Christianity would take? What would it look like? And do you think Christ would recognize it as what he had in mind when he came to found his Church?
I believe there are many who are content to love God and let God love them and think that is all there is the to Christian life. If there is one of many verses that support the importance of Christian fellowship and the church as a local institution it is also this verse. How can you love others, without other fellow-believers to love? You can't learn love out in the woods some place with just you and your Bible. You cannot learn to love as a hermit on retreat. You need people to learn Christian love. For then you will learn to love when love isn't always returned. You will learn to pray for someone you might not particularly choose to befriend, but God has chosen him or her for you. You are brought together young and old, rich and poor, Swede and Norwegian, Republican and Democrat, black and white and commanded to love one another.
I was talking to someone recently who married another with a ready made family. It was a death of a spouse and that person had children. The couple loved each other, they wanted to get married, but with the marriage also came the step-children into the deal. Now it isn't easy to be a step parent and it isn't easy to be a step-child. But they come along for the ride. The commandment is if you love the spouse, love his children. He chose her but he didn't necessarily choose them. So it is in the Church. You chose Christ because you love Him, but in choosing Christ you also, as part of the package, get all the others who belong to Christ, because they belong to him they belong to you too. Sometimes they are people with deep problem and needs. Sometimes they can be irritating, annoying or just plain pains in the neck. You choose Christ but you don't get to choose those who belong to Christ. In loving Him we are commanded to love those who belong to Him.
I think Bob Brunko was right when he said, "When people eventually join a Church there is usually a spirit of euphoria. They are sure they have finally found the perfect Church. Then time goes by and little by little, here and there they discern that the people who comprise the Church are humans and mortal and sinful--just like themselves. They quite often react by becoming bitter and disillusioned and they think of shoving off for greener pastures. But my feeling is this--here is the real test of whether or not I am loving as Christ loved me. It doesn't take divine love to love illusions we have manufactured in our own feverish imaginations, but it does take divine love to love people with eyes wide open to what they really are."
Pastor Dale.
