3 - Love No Matter What
Nothing to Fear, Nothing to Prove • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 6 viewsMain idea: We can love others no matter what because we have an unending source of love within us, the Holy Spirit. God’s core nature is self-giving love, according to John the apostle, who lived with Jesus and was an eyewitness to the cross and resurrection. God is love. Love is always the right response. And we will be a church who loves others no matter what.
Notes
Transcript
SLIDE: Scripture: 1 John 4:7
1 John 4:7 (NLT)
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
VIDEO: Bumper
SLIDE: Title
Introduction
Introduction
Hello Church! Glad to have you back today as we wrap up our series Nothing to Fear: Nothing to Prove. And today, we’re going to look at a key passage of scripture from the book of 1 John. This is a letter written by John the apostle, who was a disciple of Jesus. John spent lots of time with Jesus. He watched Jesus, he listened to Jesus, he asked Jesus questions. John was an eyewitness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ… He’s a trusted advisor to the church and a credible witness to the faith.
But it doesn’t end there. Do you know one more way John interacted with Jesus, even after the cross and resurrection? John received the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the presence of God in his mind and heart. This is important because the ministry of Jesus did not end with the cross and resurrection. God then sent his Spirit to live and dwell within us. You have this Spirit.
Do you know what this means? It means that because of the indwelling Spirit of God, God is always with you. You are never alone. Anywhere you go, God goes. You don’t have to go to a special place or building in order to enter into God’s presence because God has already put His presence within you. John is very clear about this. This is one of the differences between the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. In the Old Covenant, God dwelled in buildings, but in the New Covenant, God dwells in our hearts.
We have nothing to fear and nothing to lose as Christ followers. 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 collapse. We need not fear war, hunger, or poverty. Some or all of these things will occur. But, because of His presence 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 shift from insecurity to security. In that sense we have nothing to prove.
Let’s go to the passage. As we read it, I want you to see if you pick up on a main theme or a keyword. John rambles a little bit, but not too much. He’s speaking to you as a friend, so there’s some repetition. Just sit back and listen, let the words wash over you. Let the Spirit of God speak to your heart through these words.
Read 1 John 4:7-21
1 John 4:7–21 (NLT)
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. 14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
Main Teaching
Main Teaching
Did anyone pick up on a main theme or a keyword? There’s one word that John uses in this passage more than any other word. Anyone want to take a guess?
John says “love” 27 times in these 15 verses. 27 times! (Pastor: “love” appears 46 times overall in the NIV version of 1 John).
Love is a main theme with John because love was a main theme with Jesus. Here are three things we can learn about the importance of love.
SLIDE:
1. God is love. Period!
1. God is love. Period!
The first thing, and maybe the most important thing, is that scripture says, “God is love” (1 John 4: 8,16). And notice, both times when John says, “God is love” the verse immediately ends with a period. It’s as if John is telling us: God is love, period.
“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8)
“And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.” (1 John 4:16)
There’s no comma after “God is love.” And, there’s no “but.” John doesn’t say, “God is love, but….”
God is love, but He’s holy
God is love, but He’s just
God is love, but He’s righteous
Those things are TRUE! But, John doesn’t say that. He says, “God is love.” Period.
This is important because John knew that God’s love is not one small part of his overall makeup. He’s not partly loving, partly holy, partly just, and partly righteous (and on and on). His love is not held in tension with his justice. God is not conflicted about anything. He is perfect and whole.
God’s core nature is love. Self-giving, life-giving, courageous love. Everything else is an expression of His love. Think of it this way: God’s love is like a diamond, and every other characteristic of God is simply a facet of that love.
God’s Attribute:
God’s Attribute:
God’s holiness is an expression of His love.
God’s justice is an expression of His love.
God’s righteousness is an expression of His love.
God’s Love:
God’s Love:
Everything God does is motivated and initiated out of love. Period.
He loves you. Period.
He loves the world. Period.
He loves the drug addict and the prostitute. Period.
He loves you when you’re at your worst. Period.
He loves Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. Period.
He loves atheists and agnostics. Period.
He loves Democrats. Period. He loves Republicans. Period.
He even loves those dirty politicians! Period.
He CAN’T NOT love, because His essence is love. This is what John is saying to us.
ILLUSTRATION or TESTIMONY: Pastor, how have you encountered the love of God? How has someone in your congregation encountered the love of God? Can you or they share what that was like and how it affected them?
SLIDE:
2. Love is always the right response
2. Love is always the right response
The second thing we learn from John is that there is a real expectation that we love as God loves. This is where things start to get challenging.
“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God…” (1 John 4:7-8)
“Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (1 John 4:11)
“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” (1 John 4:19-21)
God’s core nature is love, and He expects us to love one another the way He loves us.
Is that an impossible standard?
Does that seem fair?
How are you doing when it comes to loving others the way God loves us?
Friends, here’s the truth. No matter what your relationships are like, no matter how people treat you, love is always the right response. And love is always possible, because love is a choice and love comes from God.
SLIDE:
A. Reacting vs. Responding
A. Reacting vs. Responding
There is a difference between reacting and responding. You may not always react in love, but you can always respond in love. There’s a difference.
Reacting involves our initial feeling or impulse about something. We cannot control how we emotionally react to a situation.
When people gossip about us, we react…how?
When your teenage daughter gets sassy with you, you react….how?
When you hear the evening news, you react….how?
When you discover layoffs are coming, you react…how?
When someone cuts you off in traffic, you react by saying or doing something you wouldn’t want caught on camera!
-----> ADVANCE:
Those are reactions. Reactions are part of our sinful nature. (That’s not to say reactions can’t be good or loving — they can be — but we are focusing on non-loving reactions today). Reactions are our “default setting” and if we don’t upgrade our hearts and minds through the love and Spirit of God then we won’t change.
-----> ADVANCE:
Responses are different than reactions. Responses are intentional.
Here’s the truth: You are NOT responsible for your first feeling or your first thought. You ARE responsible for your second thought and your first action.
Your first feeling and your first thought in situations is frequently a default reaction. You are not responsible for those.
However, you ARE responsible for what you do with that internal reaction. You can make it external, or you can choose a second thought and first action.
No matter what life or your employer or your spouse or your teenagers throw at you, you can ALWAYS respond with love. You may not react initially with love, but you can capture that initial feeling or thought, take it captive, and turn it around into a courageous, loving response.
“We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:5)
Love is always the right response, because Love is always God’s response.
ILLUSTRATION or STORY: Pastor, can you think of a time when you reacted instead of responded? Can you think of another story of how you chose an intentional, loving and courageous response to something rather than reacting out of anger or fear?
SLIDE:
3. Love no matter what
3. Love no matter what
John writes,
“No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.” (1 John 4:12)
No one has ever seen God, but if we love one another here in this church, it demonstrates that God is here. And while no one alive today has actually seen our invisible God, they can catch glimpse of Him and his goodness when we are busy loving one another as a church.
Wouldn’t that be beautiful? If our church were known simply as the place where people go and encounter God through people’s love? That is very possible, the only question is will we love one another well?
Let’s love no matter what! Who should we love?
-----> ADVANCE:
A. Let’s love God
A. Let’s love God
“Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37)
B. Let’s love our neighbor
B. Let’s love our neighbor
“And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Matthew 22:38)
C. Let’s love fellow Christians
C. Let’s love fellow Christians
“Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.” (1 John 4:21)
D. Let’s love our enemies (those who have hurt us)
D. Let’s love our enemies (those who have hurt us)
“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…” (Matthew 5:44)
E. Let’s love one another
E. Let’s love one another
“By THIS everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:35).
ILLUSTRATION or STORY: Pastor, who in your congregation loves others really well? How are they an example for the rest of us to follow when it comes to loving others with the love God has for us? Can you tell a story or highlight this person in a time of affirmation?
Conclusion
Conclusion
Here’s the good news. You have an unending source of self-giving, life-giving, courageous love within you. You have the Spirit of God himself. You can access this love by pouring yourself out in love to those around you, whomever that might be.
You can love with Nothing to Fear and Nothing to Prove.
Sometimes we think if we love too much we’ll be empty. We’ll go dry. But God himself is a never-ending source of love for you because He will never leave you. As long as you have him — AND YOU DO HAVE HIM — you will never exhaust His love.
-SLIDE: Truth for your Life
Trust this truth as you go out into your neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities this coming week.
There is a world in desperate need of Christ, and as His ambassadors we’ve been called to share His love with others.
Let’s pray together.
Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, you modeled a life of love and poured yourself out all the way to death on the cross. And then you sent your Spirit to fill us with your love. Teach us to rely on your love and to share your love with others today. Amen.”
