True Love

Background

Good Morning

I am John Colunga - Staff Pastor of New Day

I came in with Golden Acres Baptist Church

It is an older church with faithful servants

I started as the kids, then student, then interim and helped lead the church through the merger with New Day

When I was discerning where God was calling me he solidified to stay with New Day

When I joined I was anxious because I was undure if I would fit in

As I have been able to know and learn more about leadership I have come to fit in

And the more I get to know the heart of the church I know I fit in perfectly

We have been preaching on the New Day Vision and the core values

If you go to the website you will find that we are about - How you can find your New Day

Bold Gospel

Deep Discipleship

Real Family

True Love

Wide Reach

We used Ephesians 2:1-10 for this and we know its Bold because in a world that tells us to be the best you can be, our best is not good enough for God

While we are living we are spiritually dead but that it is God who doesn’t leave us in that spiritual state

That God sent Jesus as the good news (gospel) to die for our sins and save us through his resurrection

Jesus - the Savior, who willingly went to the cross gave a command to make disciples

So we have deep disipleship that brings both encouragement and accountability for us to live as Jesus did. To obey his commands and to teach others to do so as well

And then real family - that the church should feel like a family (That we gather and do life together)

Today we will talk about true love

Because a family should love each other, right?

please turn to 1 John 3:16-18 we look at it shortly

What is crazy is just how much love is talked about in the world

And its not just talked about but it has made its way into songs

If we were only to look at songs “What is love?” - “I was looking for love in all the wrong places” - “I will always love you”

Just those three song asks what is love, that it is something to be found, and that it should be a lasting thing

Some of the things we see now in the world is that love is:

subjective - love can mean one thing to you and can mean something completely different to me

optional - love whenever, however, whoever, but you also have the option to opt out of that love (an eye for an eye)

emotional - There is an emphasis that It is something you feel, and because you feel it, it has to be love

watered down - “I love that thing”

As a church - we believe that there is a true love, a true design and intent as to what love is and how it should be displayed

As we look at todays text - we are reading out of 1 John and the author is attributed to John the apostle who was one of the 12 disciples and was the brother of James - Sons of Zebedee (Sons of Thunder)

1 John closely resembles, follows, and alludes to the gospel of John

John walked with, learned about, served with, and witnessed Jesus first hand

John’s gospel is written in a way to magnify Jesus as the Messiah, as Christ, as the Savior

In the gospel of John we find John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

While 1 John isnt written as a traditional letter, (No clear introduction) it is clear that the intent of the message be shared with people who were close to John

While the gospel focuses on Jesus as the Messiah, 1 John’s overarching message is that you can have assurance of your salvation

In essance: it answers the question, “How do I know that I am Saved/Chrsitan?”

One of the first answers John gives is that a person can know that they are a Christian when they are displaying Christ like love to one another

Lets read the text: 1 John 3:16-18 “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

In scripture there are 4 greek words for 4 differing kinds of love

Eros - (Airos) - romantic kind of love, (only in the old testament)

Storge (Storjay) - family love

Philia (Phelea) - brotherly love

Agape (Uhgope) - Highest form, unconditional, sacrificial, unmerited, can only come from God

Fastworard to 1 John 4:8 “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.”

God is love - God is the source - and in order for us to have love we must first know God

Do you believe that God is love? That God is the author of love?

I submit to you that this is the beginning of knowing true love

Our text today starts with “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us”

God doesn’t just say “he is love” but he displayed it through the sacrificial giving of his son Jesus

Jesus - perfect, obedient, and full of love, willingly died to be the atonement for our sins

Just as God is love, Jesus was love and was the ultimate sacrifice

And so we know and believe and trust in God’s plan, we trust in Jesus

Once this relationship is established, not only do we know God’s love through the cross,

We continuously know God’s love as we walk through life

Even when we sin, when we push him away, when we fail in life

God’s love doesnt cease

God doesn’t opt out

God doesn’t seek to punish

Rather, God continues to display his love sacrificially

I was saved early on and I served in many roles

Through college and even after I was lead male vocal singer, lead childrens church, was on the finance team, taught youth group,

There was a hard time when I broke up with my gf of 4 years. I thought we were going to get married and were wanting to get engaged

When we broke up I was lonely and mad,

3 months later, my grandpa who was my earthly rock passed away

2 months later my parents split up

All of this happened and rather than leaning into God, I was trying to do things on my own

I felt not in control of anything so I started to devote everything to what I could control, my real estate career

I quit serving becasue it was taking up too much time, I stopped my daily devotions

I still went to church because I wasn’t that big of a sinner, but I wasnt tithing

And then I started to get into the worldy things that promise pleasure

women, alcahol, partying - etc. I was trying to find fullfillment in the world

Of course, when you push God away you cant expect blessings and next then I knew I wasn’t even in control of my business

I was drowning in debt and I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders

I remember one night when I was in the middle of sin, I had this thought of “what am I doing?”

I dont even want to do this, this isnt even fun

I had hit complete emptiness

But God, But God rich in mercy, rich in love - he didn’t leave me in that state

He led me to an amazing Christian therapist and little by little, I witnessed the love of God restoring me

I started praying, reading, serving, tithing -

God provided through ways that I would have never imagined.

I felt God’s love, God’s forgiveness, and I can trust in it because I know that is who he is

When you are faithful, when you are serving and steward what God gives you, I believe he gives you more

And that is when I believe he called me to the ministry, He was still working on me but over time he just kept giving me more

And so I belive that I have been humbled

I cling to John 21:15-17 “When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

Peter denied Jesus three times! He was so sure he wouldnt but he failed miserably!

Jesus came to restore Peter. His love for Peter continued

And so he asks Peter, Peter - do you agape me. Do you love me

He does this three times which is significant because thats how many times Peter denied him but isn’t it interesting how Jesus’ response differed 3 times

Feed my lambs

Tend my sheep

Feed my sheep

He is to take the love that Jesus showed him and show it to the church

He is make sure that he teaches, preaches, encourages, crys with, church as he leads

And so this is a model for church leaders and pastors that although we are sometimes weak, Jesus fullfills, Jesus restores

And we take the restoration, the fullfillment, and we do not harbor it for ourselves, rather out of love and humility we are to pour out Christ’s love to the church

And this love from Jesus extends beyond just leaders but to all believers, to all who are part of his church

God is Agape love - God demonstarted agape love - God wants the church to have agape love

God wants all of his people to show agape love

Practicing Agape Love

And so the second part of know God’s love is for you to display it yourself

and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

If you are here today and you have trusted in Christ for your salvation - you are called to have agape love with fellow believers

You might not ever be called to lay down your life for a fellow believer, nonetheless this is the type of love you are to display

A sacrificial love that should be on display daily

I want to emphasize this that the text referrs to “brother”

In scripture we find that there is a difference between brother and neighbor

A brother is a fellow believer and a neighbor can be anyone

And so John here is saying that amongst believers, amongst the church (brothers) you are to take care of one another

If we see a need in the congregation we should meet the need, we should rejoice at the opportunity to love on a fellow brother or sister in Christ

We should jump at the opportunity to display agape love to one another

Of course, one of the best and most well known scriptures about love is found in 1 Corinthians 13

It is considered the love chapter and it is describing agape love

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

I love that this is read in weddings, I love that it is on walls, I love that it is applied in various contexts

But what I love most is the context in which it was written

The Cornthian church wasn’t a functional, life giving church

They had division; abuse of the sacraments; disorder during worship services; theological confusion over such doctrines as the resurrection and the proper exercise of the Christian’s liberty in the gospel; and the extremes of moral laxity and unhealthy complacency.

R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2011.

And so Paul is writing this letter to the church telling the church how to behave, how to learn, and how to grow.

The context of this chapter in love is how the church is suppossed to love

And so in our text John asks the question “If you are able to meet a need and you close your heart, where is the evidence of the loved of God in you?

Where there is a need with a brother - if you are able to meet it, then meet it

When there is a need - you dont wait for the Pastor to step in because it’s his job

When there is a need - you dont get irritated that your evening is interrupted

When there is a need - you dont say well that person got what they deserved

Rather you are to display the agape love of Jesus Christ

In the same love chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, it actually begins with this:

1 Corinthians 13:1-2 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

What good does it do for a church to have multiple ministries but not display love amongst each other

It is contrary to God’s design for the church

it is contrary to God’s love

This is not the design of God’s church

Now, I have good news for you

New Day Magnolia is not like the church at Corinth

This is a loving church with loving people who among the New Day circles is praised for the love, faithfulness, and the commitment that it has to God and to each other

There is love in this room right now as we are reminded of where this church is at

That there is a remnant of faithful believers loving eachother and is ready to share that love with others

That when others come in, they are able to hear, see, and feel the love of Jesus in this place

And this is exactly how John ends this section

Be about it

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”

Don’t talk about it, be about it!

Let the love of Jesus be on display in your life through your actions

That your love will point to truth

John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Our love should point others to Jesus to magnify his name, to exalt who he is, to glorify Him

And so I want to encourage this church -

That I know the past years have been hard

I can relate with the fact that New Day has brought hope

There is much gratitude and a sigh of relief that these church doors are not closing

And yet, maybe things just havent gone as you thought

Maybe there are still some doubts about what God is doing

The updates are nice but where are the people

It seems like every time we take a step forward something happens to bring us back

As long as this church remains faithful to the Bold Gospel

As long as this church remains committed to Deep Discipleship

As long as this church treats each other as a Real Family

And as long as you are displaying True Love

This church Is moving forward

Matthew 22:37-39 “And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Realize here that this is Jesus saying you should love your neighbor as yourself

Remember that everyone is your neighbor

I ask - How can you love on a neighbor this week?

How can you love on a brother

Maybe there isnt a need within the church but maybe you can encourage someone this week

As much as I’d love for my display the love I have for my life to be natural, many times I have to be intentional about it

I wish it were natural for me to buy her flowers every day, and to willingly clean the restroom on time

Sometimes I have to just have to have a pep talk with myself that no matter how busy I am, I am going to do this

I am going to be intentional with my agape love

So be intentional with your love this week, and I encourage you that the more intentional you are, the more natural it will become

The more intentional you are with your relationship with God, the more natural it will become

And maybe you are here today and you dont have that relationship with God

Maybe you have been longing for true love