The Marks Of A Great Christian - Loving
Two friends were discussing what it means to be in love. One said, "I think I have been in love three times.” His friend asked him to tell him about his three love experiences.
He said, "Five years ago I cared deeply for a woman. I wanted to be around her all the time. I could not go a day without seeing her so I would spend every waking hour at her house. But there was only one problem; she wanted nothing to do with me. I think that was love, don’t you?" "No," his friend replied. "That was not love, that was obsession.”
The man went on, “Two years ago I deeply cared for a very attractive woman. I liked the way she looked. I liked the way she smelled. Every time I would see her I got goose bumps. I am quite certain that was love. Don’t you think that was love?” “No.” the friend replied, “That was not love; that was passion.”
"Well then let me tell you what happened last year.” the man went on, “I met a woman aboard a cruise ship in Caribbean. She was smart, funny, and a great conversationalist. We enjoyed being around each other and everywhere I followed her on the ship I would get this strange sensation in the pit of my stomach. I’m sure that was love. What do you think?" "No." the friend replied. "That was not love – you were just sea sick.”
Today if you haven’t guessed it we are going to be looking at what it means to love.
Last week we began a new series entitled: “The Marks of a Great Christian” and we found that to be a Great Christian we need to be serving. This week are going to continue our series and look at the second mark of a Great Christian and that is loving.
Our text for today comes from John chapter 13.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." John 13:34-35 (NKJV)
Let me give you:
FIVE REASONS TO LOVE ANOTHER:
1. Loving one another is an act of following CHRIST:
Jesus said:
"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." John 13:34-35 (MSG)
The standard of loving others is “THE WAY CHRIST LOVED US.”
Jesus set the example for the way we were to love one another. He led by example. He said, “In the same way I loved you, you love one another.” Go ahead and circle the words “same way.” This is the standard by which we are to love one another. Anything less than His example – falls short. How did He love others? By giving Himself to them! He gave of his time. He gave of his talents and finally He gave his life for them.
I want you to notice in our text – that Christ did not give us a suggestion about loving others. He didn’t give an opinion. He didn’t say it might be a good idea if you love others. He gave us a commandment. If we are followers of Jesus we need to do what He has commanded us to do. We are to – “Love one another, in the same way He loved us.”
2. Loving one another is evidence of a CHANGED LIFE.
Look at the verse from first John with me:
“In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” 1 John 3:10 (NKJV)
A little Girl had gone to Sunday School and the lesson that day was about how much God loves the whole world. The teacher told the children that they should love the whole world too. The teacher went on to tell the children the best place to start loving other people was to start right in their own homes. They should love the people in their own families.
On the way home from church she got into an argument with her brother. Her parents were not very pleased with the children for their behavior. That night when the little girl was going to bed she said this prayer. “Dear God, I bet it’s very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only four people in my family and I can’t do it. Help me. Amen.”
Loving one another is not easy sometimes. In fact sometimes it is hard sometimes. But it is what Jesus has called us to do.
Did you know that God never tells us to forgive and forget? He tells us to forgive. In fact I wish that there were things I could forget – but I can’t. The times someone has wronged me – the times someone has hurt me – the times that someone has let me down – I still remember some of those. But do you know what I can do? I can forgive that person and I can treat them as if it had never happened. That’s what love is about. In first Corinthians it says – “love keeps no records of wrongs.” Love is treating others – as if the wrongs you suffered had never happened. Love is hard sometimes but as Christians love is to become our second nature - because it is to be our new nature.
How many of you have ever ridden a bike? Were you able to just get on the bike the first time you saw it and ride it? No. It took work and effort. There were times you fell over. Some of us used training wheels but we still fell over many times. But with effort and practice eventually you were able to ride a bike. We could jump on the bike and just ride away. It became as natural as walking.
One of the fond memories I have of my grandfather was him riding a bike. We lived in Arizona and my grandfather lived in Ohio and one summer we went to visit my grandparents. They lived on a farm and they had some old bikes lying around. I pulled one out of the shed and was riding it down the dirt path between the fields. I remember my grandfather coming up to me and asking me to hand him the bike. I gave it to him and he got on – and rode it around. That amazed me – because he had to be over eighty years old at the time. He probably learned to ride a bike as a child – yet he never lost that skill - that skill never left him.
“Help me,” is a good prayer. Help me to love people – because that is to be my new nature. It takes practice to love. But once we learn it - we need to practice it - until it becomes second nature.
Just as natural as it is for an eagle soaring through the clear blue sky – so Christians aught to love one another. Just as natural as a fish swimming in water – so Christians are to love one another. Just as natural as human beings riding a bike – so Christians are to love one another. Folks if you’re a Christian prove it! Love one another. Practice it. Learn it. Make loving others a natural act. It’s what we do.
3. Loving one another is allowing God to work THRU ME.
“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” 1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV)
Love is more than a characteristic of God; it is His character. When you love others you allow God to love thru you.
How many of you remember the name, Ashley Smith. You may not remember the name but I’m sure many of you will remember the story. It was March 11th, 2005 that Ashley Smith was held hostage in her apartment in Georgia. Brian Nichols had shot four people in a Georgia courtroom and he was on the run from the law. At 2 am Brian Nichols took Ashley Smith hostage.
Ashley was a Christian and during the night she took out her Bible and started sharing the gospel. Brian responded by saying, “Look at me. You’re looking into the eyes of a murderer. There’s nothing more that God can do with a person like me.”
But Ashley was persistent. In addition to the Bible, she read from Rick Warren’s book; “Purpose Driven Life.” She read a chapter about serving one another in love. She said, “Just because you’re going to prison doesn’t mean that God is through with you. God wants you to come back to Christ and to serve other prisoners who don’t know the Lord.”
By showing this man genuine Christian love, Brian Nichols was miraculously changed from a beast to a brother in Christ.
Loving one another doesn’t mean that we have to love the things that people do. But it does mean that we are to love people. The only way we can do that is to allow God to work through us – “for God is love.”
4. Loving one another shows that God is working IN ME.
“No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.” 1 John 4:12 (NKJV)
People want to see God – but do you know what – they can’t. First John says, “No one has seen God at any time.” But do you know what they can see? They can see God’s love for them by how much you love them. In fact the Bible says that if we love one another – “God abides in us and that His love is perfected in us.” Knowing that God abides in us should give us the courage to Love.
A reporter was talking to a circus trapeze performer about the net below him and what it did for him. And the performer said, "Obviously, it keeps me safe. But," he said, "let me tell you what that net really does for me. It makes me a better performer." The reporter asked, "What do you mean, it makes you a better performer?" The trapeze artist responded, "It’s very simple. Because the net is there, I feel secure. And because I feel secure, I’m willing to risk more. I’m willing to try an extra turn, an extra twist. I’m willing to try a trick that I wouldn’t try at all, but that security releases me to reach my full potential."
The scripture says plainly – If you love one another – God abides in you. Shouldn’t that give us a sense of security and help us to reach our full potential? God is in us. God is working in you. Trust Him to love people.
5. Loving one another is what Christians DO.
If you love Christ - you should love people. Why? Because that is what Christ does. Christ loves people. If I am a follower of Christ – I should love people too. Look at first John three sixteen with me.
“By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” 1 John 3:16 (NKJV)
Go ahead and circle the word “ought”. In the Greek this word actually means to “owe”. It means we are in debt. It means we have something to pay. In other words – Christ laid down His life for us. He showed us His love by His sacrifice for us. And because of that act of love – we owe Him our lives. When you accept Christ as your savior you accept that He died on your behalf. You accept the sacrifice that He made for you. Because of that gift to you – “you ought to lay down your life for one another.” How do we give Him our lives – by giving our lives for other Christians. By loving them.
Christians we need to act like Christ! That is what it means to be a Christian. He gave His life for people – we should too – because that’s what we do. He laid down His life for us – we should lay down our life for one another.
We prove our faith in Christ by the love we give one another. In fact the Bible says that the whole world is watching how you love one another. Look at John 13:35 again.
"Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples." John 13:35 (NLT)
Notice Jesus didn’t say, “Love me,” as proof of being a Christian. He said, “Love one another, and the world will see that you belong to me.” In order to be a Great Christian we need to love one another. Commit today to loving one another - as Christ has loved you!
