What Are You Known For?

When people think of you, what do they think of? What are you known for? Are you known for your professional skills, or your knowledge, your experience, your handiwork, your position, etc.?

Malady: We often fail to show to the world God’s love by the way we live as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Means: As disciples of the Lord, we love one another because Jesus has loved us, and that brings glory to God.

Sermon Outline

Introduction: When people think of you, what do they think of? What are you known for? Are you known for your professional skills, or your knowledge, your experience, your handiwork, your position, etc.?

If I call out the names of certain famous people, what would they be known for? Think of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington Carver, General Norman Schwartzkopf, Martin Luther King, Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein. If I call out your name, what would people know you for? Would they know you for your love?

I recall my pastor during seminary. When I think of him what comes to mind is, “I have never met a man who had so much love as that pastor.” This is what I would like to be known for—my love. Is this what you would like to be known for—your love? That would be a loving legacy!

I. What was our Lord known for?

Jesus was known for his love ().

“As I have loved you”).

John 13:34 NKJV

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

B. Jesus was known for glorifying his Father (vv 31–32: five times a form of “glorify” is used).

Jesus was known for glorifying his Father ( five times a form of “glorify” is used).

2 — So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately.

John 13:31–32 NKJV

So, when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately.

C. Jesus was known for leaving his disciples (v 33): This was not a bad thing; it was a good thing. It would give the disciples the opportunity to love one another as he loved them.

Jesus was known for preparing his disciples for His departure (). This was not a bad thing; it was a good thing. It would give the disciples the opportunity to love one another as he loved them.

John 13:33–34 NKJV

Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

his was not a bad thing; it was a good thing. It would give the disciples the opportunity to love one another as he loved them.

John 13:33–34 NKJV

This was not a bad thing; it was a good thing. It would give the disciples the opportunity to love one another as he loved them.

John 13:33 NKJV

Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you.

Our Lord’s goal here is that we, His disciples, will be known for bringing glory to God by loving one another () “By this all will know that you are my disciples.”

John 13:35 NKJV

By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

II. But is That What Are You Known For?

II. What Are You Known For?

45-years ago, in my high school youth group days we used to sing this song:

We are one in the Spirit

We are one in the Lord

We are one in the Spirit

We are one in the Lord.

And they say that our unity will one day be restored.

Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our Love

By our love, yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

Can the world say that of us, 100% of the time?

As the world looks on — and it is looking on — how do they see us loving one another?

How do we care for the sick, those mourning the death of a loved one?

We all st

We all struggle with sin, and some sins are more scandalous than others. But knowing the world watching how the Church handles such matters, do they see us trying to sweep it under the rug? Do they see us blaming the victims? Or, do they see in our actions love for everyone involved.

What does the world see of our care for those who have been victimized?

Do we fail to show the world God’s love by the way we live as disciples of Jesus Christ.

Are you known for your love or lovelessness?

Our Lord’s desire is that we love one another as He loved us.

What are you known for? Love? Lovelessness?

This “New Commandment” embraces the second table of the Law.

For your lovelessness? A new commandment from Jesus was necessary; we wouldn’t and couldn’t do it on our own. But something more than a commandment is needed.

love (Christian) — agape n. — a strong, non-sexual affection and regard for a person and their good as understood by God’s moral character; especially characterized by a willing forfeiture of rights or privileges in another person’s behalf.

Philippians 2:1–4 NKJV

Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.

:1-4

English Standard Version Chapter 2

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Our motivation for this type of love is to ponder the the love Jesus has shown us (v 34: “As I have loved you”).

love (Christian) n. — a strong, non-sexual affection and regard for a person and their good as understood by God’s moral character; especially characterized by a willing forfeiture of rights or privileges in another person’s behalf.

motivated by the love Jesus has shown us (v 34: “As I have loved you”).

III. What Motivates Us for this type of Love?

B. For your love (vv 34–35)?

— “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

C. For being a disciple of the Lord (v 35)?

For being a disciple of the Lord (v 35)?

D. For bringing glory to God through your love (v 34)?

For bringing glory to God through your love (v 34)?

Our motivation is Jesus — Others will come to know God’s love through our love for them and one another.

E. For understanding that the Lord is no longer among his disciples (v 33)?

For understanding that the Lord is no longer among his disciples (v 33)?

Others will come to know God’s love through our love for them and one another.

Once there was a man whose job was to operate the toll bridge over the river. When he saw the boats approaching, he would raise the bridge. When he saw trains approaching, he would lower the bridge.

One day he heard the whistle of the oncoming passenger train. As he set the big gears in motion, he looked down from his tower and saw his son playing among the gears. He looked up again and saw the approaching passenger train. He looked down again at his son. Should he keep the bridge up and send the train with its passengers plummeting to their death? Or should he let down the bridge and engage the gears that would crush his son to death?

The son, seeing the train and realizing the dilemma, shouted, “I love you, father, and I love the people on the train. It is all right—let down the bridge.” So the father did.

“Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” ().

John 15:13 NKJV

13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

Conclusion:

“You will I love, my crown of gladness;

You will I love, my God and Lord,

Within the darkest depths of sadness,

And not for hope of high reward—

For your own sake, O light divine,

So long as life is mine!”

(LW 375, stanza 5)

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