Last week we started our new series, “Jesus 360” … a full look at the person of Jesus … who He was and who He is.
In our theme verse we discovered that people have always had strong opinions about who Jesus is.
Jesus’ first question is “Who do people say that I am?” And his disciples rattle off several rumors they have been hearing – John the Baptist, Elijah, and a prophet.
Then Jesus asks the next question, “Who do you say that I am?” We didn’t read it but the next verse gives Peter’s answer – “The Christ. The Son of the Living God.”
People still have strong ideas about who Jesus is …
SOUND / LIGHTING – Play the video. It is contained in the powerpoint. Make sure the volume is up and prepared (“Who is Jesus? - sermonspice.com”)
Last week we looked at Jesus as our AUTHENTIC LEADER … that He is worth following because he never followed the crowd, he lived for the bigger picture, and he loved people to death.
Tonight, I want to spend a few minutes talking about Jesus as our RELENTLESS LOVER.
Let’s describe two words for a moment:
1. Relentless – never ceasing, persistent, uncompromising
2. Lover – a person who loves and is loved
John 15:9-13: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends” (NIV).
Two times in these verses we are told to “remain in Christ’s love” … and if we remain in his love our “joy becomes complete.”
What does it mean to have “complete joy”?
The word “complete” is a picture word … {take out a large vase … fill it up with water … keep filling it until it overflows} … it’s a picture of a vase that is filled with water until the water pours out over the edges.
When we remain in Christ’s love … we have complete happiness.
Without Christ’s love … we have complete emptiness.
Has anyone ever been “dumped”? Doesn’t it feel like your “joy” … like your “life” has been sucked out of you?
Going through a break up is hard … it is like your heart is spilled out.
We all need LOVE!
1 Corinthians 13:1-3: “If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love” (MSG).
Bankrupt without love.
Christ is our relentless lover … his love is without condition and without strings.
He loves us … He cares for us … He lived out LOVE!
Jesus showed us several aspects of love:
1. Servant Love – he came to serve, not to be served
2. Selfless Love – his earthly life was about YOU
3. Sacrificial Love – he gave his life so that you could LIVE forever
4. Supernatural Love – his love had no conditions – it’s hard for us to understand
1 Corinthians 13:4-7: “Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it keeps no record of when it has been wronged. It is never glad about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance” (NLT).
Love is and love does!
Love is Jesus and he is willing to do whatever for YOU …
Here is one final thought I want you to understand tonight … LOVE NEVER GIVES UP!
God will NEVER give up on YOU!!!
CONCLUSION
Luke 9:18-20: “One day as Jesus was alone, praying, he came over to his disciples and asked them, "Who do people say I am?" "Well," they replied, "some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say you are one of the other ancient prophets risen from the dead." Then he asked them, "Who do you say I am?" (NLT).
Who do you say Jesus is?
Jesus is our AUTHENTIC LEADER and tonight we discovered he is our RELENTLESS LOVER!
Is Jesus your relentless lover?
