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Radical Love (John 13:34-35)
Where is the Love? Will.i.am and the rest rap about the lack of love in the world. Soln:
· Father, father, father help us / send some guidance from above – need God’s help.
· Take control of your mind and meditate / let your soul gravitate to the love y’all – bit vague – think about love enough it will just happen?
Kinda close to the truth about the problems though. Where is the love in our nation?
· Many people don’t know neighbours – our area probably better than most.
· People are socialising less – pubs closing faster than ever[i]
· Unemployment down again – partly because so many women now working. Not so much time to do the things that build community. Blessed: TT.
· Home-working[ii]. No work colleagues.
· Nearly half of UK families don’t eat together regularly[iii]. All sorts of reasons.
· Online shopping
· Marrying later in life
· Family breakdown[iv]
· Living longer past retirement – see fewer people
Going to get worse. More and more in our society are going to feel isolated and unloved. Even now, so many people are just plain lonely. Loneliness leads to depression and all sorts of other problems[v].
We are built for relationships. God made us for friendship. Genesis 2:18The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone”.
As church-people, we’ve probably bucked the trend a bit. I’m always encouraged when there are people hanging around for ages after services – engaging with each other. Have you ever stopped to think how often that happens in places other than church? Where else do people sit around and chat these days? Especially across generations. Older people talking to kids, building respect, friendships.
Problem: many of our conveniences (internet shopping, TV, games, home deliveries, home-working, lack of time for clubs & societies)
· nothing wrong with any of them as such.
· Danger: reinforce something that’s deep inside us all anyway.
· The problem is that people are inconvenient. I mean, if you prefer a life of convenience where you can do what you want to, without interruption, people are a real complication.
o People have problems. People need help. People require time, and effort. And, for all of us, it’s hard work.
What creates community? It’s love. Selfless love. Not, “I love you because…meet my needs/make me feel good” Love with no strings attached. Gift-love. This is what the human soul cries out for. We want to be loved, not for what we can give, but just for who we are.
This is our problem, that at the same time as desperately wanting to be loved, we all have a bias towards selfishness. Sinful nature – me first. So we want to receive unconditional love, but don’t want to give it because that’s hard work and it takes time and effort.
Not saying because we’re terrible at this – reminder to us – natural tendency to not love, to become curved in on ourselves – fight for this.
So if that’s the problem, what’s the solution?
Let’s get back to Jesus.
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:34,35
Take this apart:
Something new
He says to his disciples he has a “new command” – “love each other”. New?
· Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
· Leviticus 19:18 Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself.
· Jesus asked: Greatest commandment? #1 and #2. Everything else hangs on those two. Not unique idea in the Bible – but Jesus is saying that love is to be the defining feature of Christianity. Heart of everything he’s about.
It’s a command
Not an optional extra. If you’re a believer, if you are following Jesus, this is not something you can opt out of. Not like you can tick the box at the end of the form so you don’t get the junk mail. There’s no opt-out on this one. Love me? Do this!
Sometimes hear people say, “I love Jesus but I don’t much like the church”
· Crazy & wrong. Jesus loves his church, with all her faults and failings and weird people and those who stand too close and are hopeless with money and swear at inappropriate times and smell and have failed marriages and no jobs. Love him – love the church. Love the church he loves!
How should we love each other?
“As I have loved you, so you must love one-another”.
Society - needs love desperately. Jesus – church: new command to love each other. How? What is this new model of love supposed to look like?
“As I have loved you” (v34). Well, how is that?
· Love? Feeling? “I love cake / babies / sunshine”. Is that what he means? Warm, fuzzy feeling? Come to church & get loved-up for the week?
· Experiment: Jesus commands us to love. Let’s try that. 1-2-3 – Love. Are you feeling it? Try really hard – focus – energy – warmth in your heart?
· Not working is it? Can’t command a feeling. But Jesus commands us to love. So he can’t mean a loving feeling.
In the Bible – love – action – doing – verb. Jesus love:
“As I have loved you”
2 weeks ago. Jesus knelt down on the floor with a bucket and washed a bunch of smelly, hairy feet – like a servant would. That’s Jesus’ love: service.
· Being a servant to people. Takes on a task – clearly “below” him.
· Undercover boss[vi]. Top executive – back to the factory floor – or flipping burgers.
· King of glory – washing feet – way beneath – sacrifice – love.
Another aspect: sacrifice.
John 13:1 ...he now showed them the full extent of his love.
A few days later – cross. Gives his life for his friends.
John 15:13 Greater love has no-one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
This is love: service, sacrifice.
· Not a warm fuzzy feeling
· Taking on a task that’s “below” you
· Perhaps not noticed, recognised, appreciated or thanked.
· Not to impress, or to boast about later.
· Not for what we can get out of it, but simply to serve
· Persevering when no-one notices[vii].
Getting practical
Get really practical. 1st note: within church.
· John 13:35 As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another
· What’s he saying? People who are not Jesus’ disciples (followers) – see the love inside – say wow that’s different!
· Loving community around is good – love within is even better.
· Galatians 6:10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
· Don’t feel guilty about doing good to people inside the church!
Practical: As a church generally, probably not too bad at showing love between us. Can always do better. And some of you are far better at this than I am.
1) Love someone by making contact: struggling - phone, card, email, FB, txt
2) Love someone by inviting them with you: Beach, town, cafe, restaurant.
3) Love someone by noticing they’re not around. Few weeks? Say you’re thinking of them & missed seeing them.
4) Love someone by offering to help: In need? (moving house, hospital, accident, baby) offer to help.
5) Love someone by praying every day for a week. And tell them. So encouraging when someone says that. Wow – that person cares enough about me and my welfare and my problems that they’re willing to devote a few moments each day to think of me and pray for me.
6) Love someone by offering a skill: Ask, what am I good at? What can I do? Look for ways you can use it. Don’t just wait for the need to crop up, go looking for it. Eg. If you can fix leaky taps, don’t wait until the day when someone prays for the poor person who’s got water coming through their ceiling. Just make it known that you’re around & willing to help. Look for ways to serve. Money advice / gardening / cooking.
7) Love someone by serving here. Tech team, door, drinks, chairs, cleaning. Add to the team.
8) Love someone by looking out for their kids, especially young teens. Involve yourself in the life of a teenager (pref. same sex) – help them, support them, pray for them – that they will have strength to overcome temptation, peer pressure, grow in grace.
9) Love someone in another country. Support a foreign mission organisation – get the brochures, pray for them, give them some money. Support our missionaries – send R&I an email. Call them - <10p minute, from any phone. Just say you’re thinking of them & praying for them.
10) Love someone by being friendly. Say hello to someone you don’t know. Please let’s make sure that no-one ever comes in here and gets out again without at least being asked how they are and how their week has been. And if they look a bit lost, they’re probably a visitor – just say hello, and welcome, and nice to see you. All of us can do that. If you’re feeling brave, ask if they normally go to church somewhere.
11) Love someone by saying thanks. Really appreciated your playing/teaching SS/praying/making drinks/moving chairs.
12) Love someone by being willing to receive. Sometimes giving is easier isn’t it? It’s humbling to receive. Some people are very self-sufficient: “No, no. I’ll be OK thank you.” And in rejecting the help from other people, we stop them being blessed through giving.
13) Love someone by inviting them round for a meal. There’s only limited time on a Sunday to get to know someone, or a family. Invite them over. Can’t cook? Get a takeaway. Can’t afford? Invite them for coffee. Obviously it’s easier if you have a house of your own – always meet at a café!
14) Love someone by giving money. Loads of charities[viii]. Cancer, lifeboats, animal charities – all good stuff. The rest of the UK will also support them. Only Christians will support Xn charities – showing the love of God through his church.
15) Love someone by babysitting for an individual or couple with children. Often, young couples are financially stretched and find they don’t have time or money to get time alone, on a date. If you have to add babysitting to the cost of a meal, it’s just too expensive. Enables both parents to come to an evening service once in a while. You don’t need to do much – just sit there usually.
Can you see how it can’t be the pastor’s job! No one person can do this – church community – grow love.
· But I’m shy – scared – overcome! Command. Not about feeling: doing.
· But I don’t know that person – soon will if you offer to help them!
· But I don’t have time – not all of those need lots of time. Meet during lunch break – involve someone else with what you’re doing anyway.
· But I don’t feel very confident. Don’t feel bad if you don’t tick all those boxes. I certainly don’t! Know what you can do and do it well. Different for everyone.
Tendency will always be to do less over time. Natural inclination – curve in on ourselves.
· Push yourself further than you’re comfortable with.
· All of us could find something easier to do. Watch TV.
· That’s why Jesus makes is a command: because naturally, we won’t do it. We have to force ourselves to build community. We’re all essentially individuals who like to do things our own way, for our own benefit. We have to make time. We have to make the effort.
· More than Black Eyed Peas: Take control of your mind and meditate / let your soul gravitate to the love y’all - think about love enough it will just happen
The effect of a loving church community
John 13:35 By this [love] everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
The whole point is this: Jesus Kingdom is a community – a people who are characterised by love
· And when we love each other, in practical ways, making time and effort to do things for one another, we’re not just building the Kingdom of individuals, we’re building a Kingdom Community
And people outside will look at this Kingdom community and say, “that’s cool – they’re different. This Jesus guy must be the real deal”
· Profound impact - community within a community – people with nothing in common except that we love Jesus – helping and supporting and loving each other. Attractive! Crying out for friendship and companionship and love.
Priorities: What marks us out as Christians?
· Haircuts? Clothes?
· /right theology, nice buildings, great youthwork, best coffee, stirring music, coolest preacher
· #1 characteristic that will mark us out is love for each other.
· Without love – just a lot of noise. “resounding gong or a clashing cymbal”[ix]
· Priorities – mustn’t lose sight of love.
Do we always get it right? No. Easy? No. Comes naturally? No.
· How can I love more?
o Knowing the source of love better.
o 1 John 3:16 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.
o Laid down his life
o We needed that
o Profound corruption – sinful nature – curved in on ourselves - kill root of sin