January 23, 2022 - Sacrificial Love Lived Out
A short time back in again. Thank you for your graciousness. This is not a normal way for me to preach. I know we did some of this during covid-19 work meeting in person, but it's going to be a little less polished. So be gracious with me. And I'm going to ask down in about the resources page, if you're interested, but let's be on a 35-minute message. When you can just watch it 10 to 12 minute one. So Millers to 66th wedding anniversary, 23rd wedding anniversary yet, but we're getting closer. All this talk about anniversaries got me thinking about love and what does it take to make it through 66 years or fifty years or something like that? While obviously it takes more than just the the first scene of love is patient. Love is kind. Love is not boastful, jealous room. That's that's good. And that's the question. What is sacrificial? Love that? What does it look like played out in your everyday life? And thanks for this time. Different value of the technology that we have to wear. I can still open God's word with my brothers and sisters in Christ. Both here. And anywhere else. Would you allow us to hear what you want to stay here this morning? I pray this in Jesus name. Amen. Sermon series called not your normal. Dear, John letters in the word. John's the first 1st, John. What does sacrificial love? Looks like the 1st. John 2:7 begins. Like this is your friend. I'm not writing a new commandment for you. Rather. Do you pass from the very beginning. This old commandment to love one? Another does the same message, you have heard before that. Sixty, to seventy years of before John wrote this letter, the people of her Jesus live when he was asked. What's the most important Commandments? He said, love God, right? But love your neighbor as yourself, and of course, he was quoting at Leviticus 19:18, some that Moses had written in the law. So many years before, a fast forward, another 10 or 20 years in the Apostle. Paul write the church in Rome. And again, reiterate, this passage. All things tie back to love. And that's Romans chapter 13, verses 9 and 10. From the time of Moses was riding a belong to the time of Jesus, to the time of Paul, to the time, John, 70, years, after Jesus, it all comes back to love one. Another.
He said yet is also new. The truth of this commandment and you are also living in for the darkness is disappearing. And the True Light is already Shining. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment.
Aquino in in John's gospel chapter 13. We saw Jesus washes disciples feet for you. Many of them would have thought I might be able to do that. Jesus pushed Beyond versus a 34 35, just a little bit late. Now. I am giving you a new commandment love each other. Just as I loved you. You should love each other. Your love for one. Another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. So Jesus says here's the new commandment John saying all right, it's new and if so, what does that look like? What it look like play. Where we going to see us a taste of it that our passes today, 2:9 to 11. If anyone claims, I am living in the light, but hates a Christian brother or sister that person is still living in darkness. Anyone who loves another brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble. But anyone who hates having been blinded by the darkness was not too long before. Jesus Sprite, 70 years ago has said your love for one. Another will prove to the washing world that you are my disciples, your 14. If your love, for one another, for each other for other fellow Believers, John. Apparently, her Jesus loud and clear. My question is, do we still have that really looks like or is an example of sacrificial? Love, today? We have over 200 Christian denominations in the United States alone. According to USA Today, author, Chris Pulaski in June of 2021 and the fact that fewer people want to be associated with us. You don't have to look far to see the vision with an American Christianity. He writes, we're still divided over the 2020 election. Racial Justice even wearing masks. If this was close to, this was a know he wrote that, I wonder if today sacrificial, love for many of us.
John said and 1st John 2:18. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment to love one. Another that we keep going. In our text. This is a great partner. First John chapter 2 verse 12 to 14. I am writing to you who are God's children because your sins have been forgiven through, Jesus. I am writing to you who are mature in the face because you know Christ who existed from the beginning. I am writing to you who are young in the face because you have won your battle with the evil one. I am writing to you or God's children because, you know, the father I have written to you who are mature in the face because you know Christ who existed from the beginning, I have written to you who are young in the face because you are strong and God's word lives in your hearts. And you have won your battle with the evil one.
Rabbitry on first and second stick with me over the last sixteen years, frankly, over the last 30 years in the church is, there's going to worship Wars of do we sing the traditional Ham versus the modern courses in for so many people over and over and over again, while if you look at our texts, that's what John was doing. He was repeating the same thing. Getting back off. This little John said that I'm riding through Jesus Christ. So forgiving somebody sends me an example of sacrificial love how absolutely. I think. I mean to forgive an offense.
That takes a different kind of love. John goes on to say, do the same group, the little children in Bridgeport. Show me because, you know, the father. But Jesus have said, if you've seen me, you've seen the Father. John 14, verse 9. And if they say, they saw somebody to forgive sins of the Father, the Father's Heart. I mentioned last week in Jeremiah 31 and installing 103. Help God, forgives sins. He forgets them as far as the East is from the West. So Jesus and John was saying, could look like the Forgiveness of sins. Maybe that's what sacrificial of looks like for us today. Let's go back to the song that John is singing in verses 12 and 13 of First John. The next group. He says, I'm writing to you for Father's Day because, you know, Christ who existed from the beginning. All this is an echo. We've heard many many times already this from the beginning part. John, the gospel writer, who wrote these letters in the gospel, says, in the beginning, was the word and the first John 1:14. So, the word became flesh or the word became human and lived Among Us made it home Among Us, and he was full of unfailing, love and faithfulness. You made it home Among Us, full of love and faithfulness. It's funny. As I pictured, this right. John's riding to those were mature enough from the beginning of heavenly places rights, but then the father looks at the Sun and says he hate man, we're going to fix something and he was going to make a mess. It's going to be hard challenging is going to be awful is going to be messy painful and it seemed like a turn my back on you. Or are you willing to go?
John 1:14 says spell. The word became flesh and made his home Among Us. Jesus is the answer to the father was. Yes, I am willing to go and he was full of unfailing love. Could that have been sacrificial, love? I mean, a picture of Jesus and everything he needed in this perfect to try unit, Unity, that the spirit has to come in amongst us. I wonder if that's what sacrificial love. Could look like for. So many of us today. Could we live amongst work amongst to be amongst people who needs to feel, and see an experience. I mean, I think about of a father who gets invited, you know, middle-aged father in his mid-forties gets invited to sleep with his kids on the 4th in the morning. His back's going to hurt because it's just awful sleeping on the ground and yet he goes and sleeps there with his kids will love looks like being amongst living amongst. You know, Christ can't live amongst us. He lived last and sacrificially loved us. That's what John write to in the face. Now we go back to our song. John says, to those young in the faith took to the young, men is what the King James version. Says. He said this and verse 13 and 14. Because I'm writing to you who are young and the face because you've won your battle with the evil one. And then I've written to you for young in the faith because you are strong. God's word lives in your hearts and you have won your battle with the evil one, if you want to love somebody else. I went to an auto shop in the owner of the shop knows my pastor often times. When I go he will leave the the front counter and he'll come and talk to me about different things of faith and get this as last time. But somehow we got on the topic of spiritual warfare and he told me the story of how when he was younger. He had several visions of him like that. When he was newly a believer in standing in the door was funny. I'm not going to lie, but when I picture our battle with the evil eye, when I took him my battle with the evil one, I don't picture myself standing firm big up and you don't hang out from under behind something. Jesus standing in the Gap, Jesus taking the punches or taking the flashes of the sort in him being the one that overcomes the evil one. That's, that's what I picture in the Bible. John, maybe pictures some of that same thing later in the same book. Chapter 4 verse for John talks about he was in, you is greater than he who is in the world and then we'll come back to that purpose is only thing. John is writing to the young man and he saying, look, you want to see sacrificial? Love. Jesus has demonstrated sacrificial. He has to do it in the gap for you. When Jesus sent out his 72 missionaries by two by twos. And Luke chapter 10, when they came back from their little mission trips. They were so excited to tell Jesus what happened. When the 72 to 54104 17th when they returned, they jointly reported to Jesus? Lord, even the demons. Obey us, when we use your name. Yes, the Jesus told them. I saw Satan fall from Heaven, like lightning. Use a phone, use your name. You stand in the gap for a fat is sacrificial. Love. John Starks our section the day by saying, I'm not giving you a new commandment. I just an old command is to love one another but in a way it is new and Jesus lived at the truth of this command that put you back to John 13:34. When Jesus washed feet and said, you don't do this. But then later nesting chapter. He says love one another. As I have loved you. Well and John's 15, he says the same thing, love one another as I have loved you and then he says, no greater love has someone in his life down for a friend. The sacrificial law. Let's be honest. Most of us today for somebody else. We're still called to love one. Another and love one another and sacrificially. So what does that look like for us? I hope you been thinking through that wrestling through that. What does that look like your flight from Christ laying down his life on the cross. I started thinking through what other ways did. He demonstrate sacrificial love? Almost all of them to me, working the interrupt. To meet with Christ, demonstrated sacrificial. Love. It was in the interruption to make you think about the time he just lost his cousin John, the Baptist quiet time in Jesus all crowd look like sheep without a Shepherd, the ended up feeding the 5000. So instead of getting off a loan. He went with the people. There was a time when Jesus was sound asleep, getting some much-needed, rest. And what did he do? He got up. He called the storm becomes fears. That stifles school to them a little bit. Jesus being interrupted that showing sacrificial love. I think of the time when Jesus was interrupted on the way to heal jairus's Daughter, by this was a very important person. Very important. A daughter woman interrupted you, and Jesus took the time to be present with her. It's me sacrificial love. Very much is being present in the interruptions. Why I get up in the morning? And I have my calendar of my list of the dues for the day. And and I think, okay, if I can get all these done is going to be a fantastic day. And you know, what, you going to get the love sacrificially because of what I can be present in the interruptions. I realize, that is really what sacrificial love looks like for me left. So what does it look like for you? What would it take for you? Much like John writing to that church in Ephesus? When John says he says, you know, Jesus lived the truth of this commandment and you are also living it that first day, you are also living at what would it look like for you for John to say that in your everyday life. I would love for you to think about that this week and if you can think of a few ways, then put them into practice and if you put him in the practice, take a moment to call somebody. Tell him about it, not to brag on yourself. But just to say, hey, I think this is sacrificial love. What do you say? Can you do that with me this week? Let's pray.
God in heaven, thank you for the time. We've had to open your work to see examples of sacrificial love live down. I pray father that this week, even this day, you will give us opportunities to live a sacrificially. I love sacrificially, I pray. We won't miss these opportunities and that we ultimately be the hands and feet of Jesus. We love you and that we are thankful for you. I pray this in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit. Amen.