Marriage Series 1 - Love and Acceptance

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Reading: John 13:31-38
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 (NIV)

I.   What’s New?

A.  Our love has a new Benchmark

1.  What kind of love are we looking for?

                 a.  An accidental “fall” into irresponsibility?

                 b.  Something temporary or permanent?

                 c.  Is our goal to get love, or to love others?

           2.  The new is the same as the old but more so

                 a.  Old: Love your neighbor as yourself

                 b.  New: Love each other as I loved you.

                 c.  Marriage: love as Jesus loves him/her!

           3.  The benchmark is Jesus’ love for us

                 a.  Not self-love, or “tit for tat” love

                 b.  Not even mother/father love

                 c.  Jesus’ love is the new standard!

     B.  It’s object is a new Community

           1.  Not just our (worldly?) neighbors

                 a.  Not just about loving fellow humans

                 b.  Even more than family love!

           2.  Our spiritual bro’s & sis’s

                 a.  We are tied by a common bond of love

                 b.  We are tied together forever

                 c.  The command is based on our identity

                 d.  Our differences are insignificant

     C.  It springs from a new Fountain

           1.  Not from our humanity

                 a.  This is not a human kind of love

                 b.  It is not a fruit of effort, or decency

                 c.  It isn’t evoked by loveable people

           2.  But from our reborn humanity

                 a.  Our love flows from Jesus’ love in and for us

                 b.  It is a fruit produced by God’s Spirit

II.  Jesus love is the Standard

     A.  He accepts Before we are acceptable

           1.  Note: Jesus says this before the cross!

                 a.  Jesus loved the disciples from day 1!

           2.  So how does Jesus love?

                 a.  He loves before they understood Him

                 b.  While we were yet sinners . . .

           3.  He calls us as we are

                 a.  Fishermen, tax collectors, zealots

                 b.  Impulsive, power-hungry, skeptical

                 c.  Come, follow me

     B.  His love is Self - Denying

           1.  He comes to serve (John 13:1,ff)

                 a.  He teaches, heals, delivers

                 b.  He washes the disciples feet!

                 c.  Love focuses on serving (not being served)

           2.  He is very, very patient with the disciples

                 a.  Their faith is small and fragile

                 b.  The never really understand Him

                 c.  They’re always saying something dumb

           3.  He will lay down His life for them

                 a.  For this band of fickle followers

                 b.  And all who follow after them

                 c.  That’s how we’re supposed to love.

                 d.  Always on the giving end? That’s Jesus!

     C.  His love transcends Disloyalty

           1.  He had loved Judas for three years

                 a.  Tho He knew what he would do

                 b.  No one could tell Jesus knew

                 c.  Jesus had just sent him on his way

           2.  Peter’s triple disloyalty was yet to happen!

                 a.  Jesus knew what Peter would do

                 b.  Still He loves Him even now!

                 c.  And the others who would abandon Him

           3.  How are we to love each other

                 a.  In church and at home: as Jesus loves us!

                 b.  How does Jesus love you?

III. The key Identifier of a disciple

     A.  Love is the Core of discipleship

           1.  What most characterizes Jesus’ disciples?

                 a.  Is it their skill at theology, or debate?

                 b.  Is it their moral or spiritual skill?

                 c.  No. It’s their skill at loving each other

           2.  The most important lesson

                 a.  Jesus students know how to love

                 b.  If I did miracles without love would it matter

                 c.  Prophecy, wisdom, faith, hope: LOVE!

           3.  Why?

                 a.  Why should love be the key identifier?

                 b.  What is Truth without love? Just a neat list.

                 c.  What is obedience without love? Pharisees

                 d.  Worship without love? A beautiful lie

     B.  Love Governs disciple relationships

           1.  What should govern our relationships?

                 a.  Roles? Power? Privilege?

                 b.  Jesus explicitly rejects these.

                 c.  A handbook, a list of regulations? No.

           2.  What is the right way to relate? Love

                 a.  The messy, amorphous business of love

                 b.  Unmeasurable, unquantifiable love

                 c.  More art than science

                 d.  More heart than head

                 e.  More action than reaction

           3.  If it’s not about love it’s not about Jesus!

                 a.  It’s only about us, or ideas, or traditions

                 b.  It’s only about wishes, expectations

                 c.  It’s only about grabbing what we can

     C.  This is how disciples are Recognized

           1.  Not fish, or crosses, or old words?

                 a.  Not Bibles, hymn books, liturgies?

                 b.  Not moralizing, condemning, judging?

                 c.  Not arguing, theologizing, challenging?

           2.  Evidence of Love will “convict” us

                 a.  If love were a crime . . . evidence?

                 b.  Do I commit premeditated love?

                 c.  Do we look for better ways to love?

           3.  By everyone, in/outsiders

                 a.  Can our loving actions be that obvious?

                 b.  They’ll know we’re Christians by our love.

The Bottom Line:

Know Jesus’ love for You and love each other that Much and in that Way.

.

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