Courageous Love
Nothing to Fear, Nothing to Prove • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 1 viewMain idea: God loves us with self-giving, life-giving, courageous love! And that love overflows from our hearts into the lives of those around us, if we are doing it right! To love others courageously means we lay down our lives, our agendas, and our schedules to meet their needs. Those who love courageously are moved to compassion rather than closing off their hearts. And this courageous love we receive from the Father never runs dry because he has given us His Spirit.
Notes
Transcript
SLIDE: Scripture 1 John 3:18
1 John 3:18 (MSG)
18 My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love.
SLIDE: Welcome Home
BUMPER:
SLIDE: Title
Introduction
Introduction
Hello church! Glad to have you back as we continue in our series, Nothing to Fear: Nothing to Prove. Today we’re going to learn again from John the apostle, someone who was very close to Jesus himself. John watched Jesus, learned from Jesus, listened to Jesus, and was an eyewitness to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. John is a well-informed person when it comes to the things of God, and he has a lot to teach us.
The things John teaches are the things he learned from Jesus. One of the words John uses over and over again is the word “love.” Jesus was the perfect embodiment of self-giving, life-giving, courageous love. And if something is true for Jesus, it’s true for God the Father and the Holy Spirit. God’s core nature is self-giving, life-giving, courageous love (see 1 John 4).
When we receive God’s self-giving, life-giving, courageous love, we realize, because of this love, we have nothing to fear and nothing to prove.
We have nothing to fear because God is always with us, loving us. We need not fear death, nor sickness, nor loss. We need not fear economic downturns or financial collapses. We need not fear war, hunger, or poverty. Some or all of these things can and will occur. But, because of His love within us, we will endure and overcome everything this life throws at us. In that sense we have nothing to fear.
And, we have nothing to prove. God loves us deeply and unconditionally. He accepts us right where we are, no matter what. The power of His love breaks us free from the need to constantly prove ourselves and seek approval and recognition from others. We go from insecurity to security. In that sense we have nothing to prove.
Today we are talking about self-giving, life-giving, courageous love, and how that kind of love naturally flows through us into the lives of everyone around us.
Main Teaching
Main Teaching
Let’s start with a story from Jesus. Our primary verse today is in 1 John, but remember, John learned from Jesus. So, let’s start with Him. Jesus tells a story that shows exactly what self-giving, life-giving, courageous love looks like:
Luke 10:30–35 (MSG)
30 Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. 31 Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. 32 Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man. 33 “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. 34 He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. 35 In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’
Let’s make some observations from this story so that we can hone-in on what Jesus is teaching about courageous love. Observations:
Someone was in great need
Two people passed by both closing their hearts to him (religious people!)
A third person came along and was moved with compassion to intervene
He used his own resources to help oil and wine for first aid, and his donkey for transportation
He took this man to an inn for recovery
He paid for the inn out of his own pocket
He committed to paying whatever additional expenses might be incurred
And then, Jesus ends with this little zinger:
Luke 10:37 (NLT)
37 “Yes, now go and do the same.”
Jesus is teaching how to love our neighbor. This is how we are to love one another. This is self-giving, life-giving, courageous love!
John, being a disciple of Jesus, no doubt heard him teach this story and watched how Jesus lived it out. John listened to Jesus, watched Jesus, and encountered the love of Jesus. No doubt Jesus taught this story many times throughout his travels so that all people would learn how we are to love one another.
Now, let’s go to 1 John and see what John wants to teach us about courageous love. Let’s see if there are any similarities between John’s teaching and Jesus’ teaching.
1 John 3:16-18 says,
1 John 3:16–18 (NLT)
16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.
Notice any similarities? John is teaching exactly what Jesus taught! Jesus taught by telling a story, and John is teaching by being direct and to-the-point:
Lay down your life for others because Jesus laid down his life for us.
Share your resources — “material possessions” — with those in need.
We are people of action and truth, not people of words and speech.
This is what the love of God looks like in a person.
SLIDE: Courageous
1. Courageous love lays down its agendas and schedules
1. Courageous love lays down its agendas and schedules
John says, “Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” (John 3:16). Jesus was full of self-giving, life-giving, courageous love, and that moved him to lay down his life for us.
Philippians 2:5–8 (NLT)
5 You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. 6 Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. 7 Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, 8 he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
Jesus Christ laid down his life in the ultimate way — obedience all the way to death on a cross — but before that, he laid down his life in other ways. We can also sacrifice our lives for others, but what if we don’t have a chance to literally die for someone? How can we lay down our lives daily?
For starters, we can learn to lay down our agendas and schedules when others are in need. Some New Testament scholars have said that over half of Jesus’ ministry happened through interruptions. Here are some examples:
His mom asked him to provide some wine at a wedding
A few men dug a hole in the roof while he was teaching and lowered their friend down to him
A bleeding woman reaches out and grabs his garment
A group of men drag a woman caught in adultery to him
A sinful woman pours perfume on his feet.
None of those encounters were scheduled in advance! And there are many other examples of Jesus going through his day, being interrupted, intentionally laying down his life, agenda, and schedule, and then ministering to that person in need.
The very story of the Good Samaritan, which we read a few minutes ago, involved someone laying down his agenda and schedule to help someone in need.
Some of the best, most impactful opportunities you’ll have will be unplanned. How you respond to sudden situations, i.e. interruptions, will matter. Much in our world is scripted. Anyone can live by a script, but who can respond to unplanned moments and interruptions with self-giving, life-giving, courageous love?
ILLUSTRATION: Pastor, share an illustration from your church community of someone who was open to an interruption, and it made a difference in another’s life.
Mary Fuller, Kris Land
Can you respond to unplanned moments and interruptions with self-giving, life-giving, courageous love? YES, YOU CAN! Because you have the source of life, the source of courageous love, abiding in you — the Spirit of Christ!
What if you developed the same mindset as Jesus, that all interruptions become life-giving opportunities instead of hassles?Developing this mindset is a skill. It takes time, intention, and practice. You’ll initially fail more than you succeed, but that’s okay! You’ll find that the best opportunities to love the world will be unplanned.
SLIDE: Compassion
2. Courageous love is moved to compassion
2. Courageous love is moved to compassion
John asks if we see someone in need and “have no pity on them” (John 3:17) how can the love of God be in us? The Greek phrase here is kleisē ta spanchna, which literally means, “to close up the heart.” So, John is asking, “If we have material possessions and see another person in need, if we close up our hearts to that person, how can the love of God be in us?”
If we go back to Jesus’ story about the Good Samaritan, Jesus tells us that, “When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him.” The Greek word here is esplanchnisthē, which literally means “moved with compassion.” Jesus is saying, “When he saw the man’s condition, his compassion moved him to action.”
Self-giving, life-giving, courageous love will move us to action, just like it moved the Good Samaritan to action. The other option is to close up our hearts to people in need, and that is not the love of God.
The question we can ask ourselves every night before our heads hit the pillow:
Was I moved with compassion today?
Or....
Did I close up my heart today to someone who needed me?
(Pastor, take a moment to ask this question so that people can reflect, then move to the next section).
When you reflect on those questions, how does your heart answer?
SLIDE: God won’t condemn
3. Your heart may condemn you, but God won’t
3. Your heart may condemn you, but God won’t
According to John, “the truth” is tied to actions and not to words. If, in your heart, you know that you’ve not been “laying down your life” for someone in need — maybe it’s your spouse, your kids, a friend, coworkers, or neighbor — then that’s a signal for you to step up and start loving them with courageous love.
If though, upon reflection, you can say with a sincere heart, “Yes, Lord. I am doing my best to love others in need. Please help me to love them even better.” Then you have a clear conscience.
Listen to how John continues:
1 John 3:19–22 (NLT)
19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God. 20 Even if we feel guilty, God is greater than our feelings, and he knows everything. 21 Dear friends, if we don’t feel guilty, we can come to God with bold confidence. 22 And we will receive from him whatever we ask because we obey him and do the things that please him.
----> ADVANCE
A. Notice! It’s “our hearts” that condemn us. Not God!
A. Notice! It’s “our hearts” that condemn us. Not God!
Notice what John says. He says “our heart” is what will condemn us, not God! God does not condemn you when you miss an opportunity, or screw up something, or realize you’ve a pattern of sinful behavior. God does not condemn you. Your heart will condemn you but know that the God of self-giving love and mercy is greater than your heart.
If your heart is condemning you right now, go to God and ask for forgiveness and another chance. If your heart does not condemn you, then John says go to God and ask whatever you want with a clear conscience.
----> ADVANCE
B. You will never run out of love
B. You will never run out of love
John closes this passage by affirming that God Himself lives within us. God has given us Spirit.
1 John 3:23–24 (NLT)
23 And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. 24 Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us.
Do you know that the Spirit of God lives within you, if you are a Christian?
The Spirit of God is God Himself. And God’s core nature is self-giving, life-giving, courageous love. This means you and I have a source of eternal love from which we can draw in all situations.
In John’s Gospel, he tells us that Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as “living water.” Living water is distinct from “dead water” because dead water is still and has no source. Living water is constantly replenished and never runs dry. This is the Spirit of God within you. He will never run dry.
John 7:37–38 (NLT)
37 “Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’ ”
You can live a life of self-giving, life-giving, courageous love because that river of love within you will never run dry. There will always be more to come. The paradox is that the more courageous love you give away to others, the more you get. You have a never-ending supply. You cannot exhaust God’s love for you or others. It’s endless.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Jesus Christ loves you and laid down his life for you, in the most ultimate way possible. All the way to death on a cross. But he didn’t stop there. With God’s mighty power, on the third day he rose from the grave, defeating death, and ascended to the Father. But he didn’t stop there either... He sent his Holy Spirit to come and reside in your heart and mind. And even that wasn’t His last stop... He’s loving you, today, right where you are in life, with self-giving, life-giving, courageous love.
Draw on that love. Let that love overflow your hearts in such a way that it flows into the lives of everyone you meet.
SLIDE: Challenge for this wwek
Look for interruptions this week.
Watch for unplanned moments.
You might be surprised, but God is not.
He’s right there, ready to love others with you as you lay down your life, your agendas, and your schedule.
Love others with the courageous love of Christ.
You have nothing to fear and certainly nothing to prove.
Let’s pray together.
Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for laying down your life for us. Teach us how we can love others the way you loved us. Help us feel your touch today. Amen.”
