Love
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Pre-Sermon
Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent. Advent means to arrive or to come to. We look back to the first Advent - Christ has come; Christ has died; Christ is risen. And we anticipate the second Advent, that Christ will come again. And the question that we’ve been asking all along is how to live in the in-between Advents. One way is to celebrate Advent.
Remember, Advent marks the beginning of the Church calendar. Historically the Church has celebrated Christ’s birth in December: a) didn’t know – knew something happened on Dec. 25, and b) His birth represents the beginning of the new covenant and new life. This is why in the midst of colder and darker days we can say it is the most wonderful time of the year because Christ has come! Not only did Jesus come to save us, but to transform us and to reverse a cold and dark and dying world. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
And that is the message we are to go and tell on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born. But here’s the thing – we can shout it all day long, but most people won’t hear it – because if we have not love – just talking. The question is how do we get people to listen? In other words - how do we live in between Advents?
Turn to 1 John 4, 1 Cor. 13, and Luke 6, Rom. 8
Earlier, I asked the question how do we live in between Advents. Because Christ has come, and because Christ died and rose from the dead, and because Christ will come again – how do we live? How do we live as citizens of God’s Kingdom when we’re not quite in the Kingdom yet? How do we live so that the world knows that there is a Kingdom of God? What’s the one thing that really sets God’s people apart from the rest of the world?
It’s not our belief in Jesus. Confessing Jesus as Lord and putting our faith in Him saves us (access to eternal life), but that’s not what separates us. In Matthew 25, Jesus gives us a picture of the final judgment. He separates the goats from the sheep. To the sheep He says ….
So what was it that separated the goats and sheep? Love is what separated (the goats believed as well). But what kind of love separates God’s people from the rest?
The apostle John …
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Wait – this doesn’t quite make sense because we know many who are not Christians who are very loving people. So, what does John mean if you don’t know God you can’t love? Everyone is capable of loving others. Even people who don’t know God can have sacrificial unconditional love - but
Only those who know God are capable of loving like God.
Or in a more NT way, only those who know God are capable of loving like Jesus.
See,
There is something different and unique about God’s kind of love, which means there should be something different and unique about our kind of love.
By “our” I mean those who are followers of Jesus Christ. So, if God's love is different and unique, what makes it different and unique? It’s good to know in Scripture there are a variety of words for our one English word love. In the NT (Greek), philēo, ēros, orgē, and then agapē. It’s this agapē that makes God’s love different and unique. Because God is holy, and He’s loving, let’s call it holy love.
Holy Love
But what is this holy love? Curious, would you rather get your definition and understanding of love from the world - whose systems and definitions constantly change – consistently confused …? The world’s concept of “love” is primarily a self-centered individualistic emotionally driven ideology. Or would you rather get your definition and understanding of love from the Author of love - whose very nature is perfect holy love?
Again, what makes God’s love, this holy love different and unique?
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Again, what makes God’s love, this holy love different and unique? The Greek word agapē implies action, decision and choice.
Holy love is a choice – not a feeling.
E.g. - no one feels like changing diapers … but because of love and necessity …. Let’s be honest, anyone can do that. The fact that holy love is a choice is just the beginning because holy love is more than that.
What else is it?
Holy love chooses to do what is best or beneficial for others.
Holy love seeks the wellbeing of the other people – regardless of who they are - not just the people we like. Now we’re starting to distinguish holy love from worldly love. Holy love is outward focused – not inward. Choosing to do what is best is not always easy or comfortable. Still, non-Christians can do that – but narrower.
Holy love is more than just choosing what’s best.
Holy love chooses to do what is best or beneficial for others without considering the ROI (Return on Investment).
What’s an ROI in economics? In other words, Holy love loves without asking what’s in it for me (e.g. missionaries). This is where we start getting to that unconditional agape love.
Holy love is more than that.
Holy love chooses to do what is best or beneficial for others without considering the ROI because all people are valuable and made in God’s image.
Now we’re really seeing the separation between God’s love and worldly love. Holy love has nothing to do with what people have done, not done, where they come from, color of skin, social status … anything other than the fact that each person is valuable to God. At the beginning, I said holy love is a choice, but also
Holy love is not selective.
Let’s pause for a moment and listen to the Spirit.
Let’s look at vv 7-8 again before moving on.
1 John 4:7–8 Beloved, let us choose to do what is best or beneficial for others without considering the ROI because all people are valuable and made in God’s image,
for this holy love is from God, and whoever chooses to do what is best or beneficial for others without considering the ROI because all people are valuable and made in God’s image has been born of God and knows God.
Anyone who does not choose to do what is best or beneficial for others without considering the ROI because all people are valuable and made in God’s image does not know God, because God is holy love.
In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.
In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
How did God love the world? He didn't just write a little note and tell us that he loves us, he actually did something about it. He took action. He chose. When did God love us? When we were unlovable – sinners, enemies – nothing to offer Him in return (Rom. 5). Why did God love? Because that’s what holy love does. And so He sent His Son, Jesus, to be a sacrifice for all humanity, that through Him and Him only we could have new life.
So, holy love is a choice, it’s not selective, and
Holy love is sacrificial.
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
Holy love is more than that.
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.
If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
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.
Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
Holy love is eve more than that. What else is there? Think back to Matt. 25. Jesus said I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink … eat …. We just assume that this person whom we gave drink and food to was a nice person. What if they weren’t so nice …?
Remember when I said holy love is a choice, not selective, it’s sacrificial? Perhaps the great thing that distinguishes holy love from any other love is this -
“But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.
Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.
And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.
“If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them.
And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same.
And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount.
In other words – whoopty-doo! Susan would say, “What. Do you want a cookie!” CEB – why should you be commended. They do the same thing!
But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
* Jesus knows what it’s like to love an angry world …
I’ve let Scripture do a lot of the speaking this morning. How can I improve on Jesus’ words?
Everyone can love, but only those who know Jesus can love like Jesus. Of course, the question is always how – how to love like Jesus? The short answer is we become like the people we hang out with. If you want to love like Jesus, hang out with Jesus – and hang out with people who love like Jesus.
