A LOVING CHURCH
God's Word for today to us - Receive God's love and Share it with one another
A little girl was invited for dinner at the home of her school friend. The vegetable was buttered broccoli and the mother asked if she liked it. “Oh, yes,” the child replied politely, “I love it!”
But when the bowl of broccoli was passed, she declined to take any. The hostess said, “I thought you said you loved broccoli.”
The girl replied sweetly, “Oh, yes ma’am, I do, but not enough to eat it!”
Is that what love in the fellowship is like? We love in the abstract, but when it comes down to it, we don't want to get too close!
Jim Bigelow wrote a book in the 1970s in which he shared a story of his mother. She was a pastor's wife and wanted to go good in the town among amongst the parishioners - to show love. Jim says how his mother had perfected a technique of handing over a casserole or gift basket so that she made no eye contact or let her fingers touch the recipient - she was a sort of "lady bountiful" - loving with her gloves on - not making real contact.
The Apostle John wrote in one of his letters "We love in word, but not in deed" 1John 3:8
New Commandment
You know, people are often keen to know what their ministry is - how they can work for Jesus, and this isn't a bad thing - but Jesus quite clearly said "A new commandment I give unto you - love one another - (that sounds OK - but hang on He didn't finish there) - as I have loved you" We are talking about what the new The New Testament calls Agape love. Here it takes on a distinct meaning. Agape is used to describe the love that is of and from God, whose very nature is love itself: “God is love”
(1 John 4:8). God does not merely love; He is love itself. Everything God does as Father, Son and Holy Spirit flows from love.
Love of Jesus - Agape
So what does the love of God in Jesus look like? Not just liking something, ( I love dark chocolate) - not just love for friends and family, not just the passion of lovers but here's one definition:
Agape love is "Unconditional love that is always giving and impossible to take or be a taker. It devotes total commitment to seek your highest best no matter how anyone may respond. This form of love is totally selfless and does not change whether the love given is returned or not."
In other words, pretty impossible for humans to attain!
Agape love is always shown by what it does. God’s love is displayed most clearly at the cross. “God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4–5, ESV). We did not deserve such a sacrifice, “but God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God’s agape love is unmerited, gracious, and constantly seeking the benefit of the ones He loves. The Bible says we are the undeserving recipients of His lavish agape love (1 John 3:1).
God’s demonstration of agape love led to the sacrifice of the Son of God for those He loves.
The Apostle John is the one who records Jesus' call to love. It is his letters which are full of encouragement to love. he was called "the disciple whom Jesus loved" - not loved more than the others - He cannot love us more - He cannot love us less (Yancey) But he understood the heart of God in Jesus - men after God's own heart - maybe significance missed by other disciples. Jesus is looking for disciples after His own heart - what a calling!
We need to get a hold of how great God's love is toward us. Take time out to sit under His lavish love and receive it.
So Agape love does not come naturally to us. Because of our fallen nature, we are incapable of producing such a love. If we are to love as God loves, that love—that agape—can only come from its Source. This is the love that “has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us” when we became His children (Romans 5:5; cf. Galatians 5:22). “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16).
Because of God’s love toward us, we are enabled to love one another.
Love is a verb
It is an action not an emotion. It is the command of Jesus " Love one another as I have loved you" and "by this shall all men know that you are My disciples if you have love one for another" A comment on the early church was "see how these Christians love one another"
So how are we doing?
Sometimes we feel a bit like Linnus - Peanuts cartoon
We could start by just being kind to one another. We have enough trouble out in the world and for some of us even in our homes. How the world needs kindness.
One anothering
Some years ago someone put an article in our then church magazine entitled "One anothering" It listed many Bible references to what we should be doing as fellow Christians to and for one another. I've looked them up and most references come up with about 59 of these. As I looked at them they fall roughly into three areas, but again all summed up in kindness.
The three categories i found were Love, Unity, and Encouragement
Being loving concerns our whole nature. Our thoughts, our words and our deeds.
Summed up in that passage from Corinthians. Which is all about Jesus.
Thoughts - Jesus spoke about the way in which our thoughts are where our words and deeds come from. Our minds should be renewed and restored by God's Spirit all the time. The passage talks about not being envious , or proud - being humble and not vindictive - putting others first. "As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people: and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see that which is above you." From Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
Words - Jesus and the New Testament writers, especially James spoke about the things we say. How we should guard our tongues. Not boasting, putting others down, criticism - negative things. bending the truth - being positive - THINK - Slide
Our actions should also be coming from our relationship with the Lord. He only did what Father told Him to. We should do the same - try to positively bless others in some way - Work is done in the fellowship and often goes unnoticed - Be patient, be kind, be peaceable - persevere - don't give up.
Unity - working together is essential. "How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity" Bear with one another. Develop tolerance. We don't know what other people are going through.
Encouragement Looking out for one another, wanting to see each other grow in faith, building one another up - not tearing down. Praying for each other. Just saying "Thank you" - Writing a note, sending a card, sharing the things God is doing in our lives.
Conclusion
Love at first sight - Humorist Sam Levenson says, “Love at first sight is easy to understand. It’s when two people have been looking at each other for years that it becomes a miracle” (Reader’s Digest [3/83]).
Love in the church is a miracle; it’s the result of submitting to God and to each other.
Let's remember that Love is part of the fruit of the Spirit.
It is as we let the Spirit of God live in us that we grow in His love.
And finally - An old legend says that in his old age the apostle John was so weak that he had to be carried into the church meetings. At the end of the meeting he would be helped to his feet to give a word of exhortation. He would invariably repeat, “Little children, love one another.”The disciples grew weary of the same words every time. Finally they asked him why he said the same thing over and over. He replied, “Because it is the commandment of the Lord, and the observation of it alone is sufficient.” - Jesus said, "A new commandment I give unto you - love one another as I have loved you"
Response
Prayerfully sing "A new commandment I give unto you"
Pray in 1Corinthians 13
Final blessing:
12Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly . . .
17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. ( Colossians 3)