How To Awaken Love In Your Heart For God & Others

God calls us to love one another. But some of those people we are called to love are easier to love than others.

I’m going to tell you about a hypothetical situation involving someone who is difficult to love, and you tell me if you can relate to it.

Monday morning. You just parked your car at work. As you were pulling in, you saw that coworker that always wants to tell you about their weekend. You’re tired, it’s a cold, gray morning, the weekend went by too fast. And all you want to do is get your coffee, sit down at your desk and go through emails. That’s about as much as you feel you can handle at 8:30am on a Monday. So you’re hoping that you can get into your parking space and into the building before that coworker sees you and attaches themselves to you to tell you all about their weekend.

You get out of your car. You see them getting out of their car from the corner of your eye. You increase the speed of your walk. The front door to the lobby is in sight. You’ll be home free if you can only make it to the elevator in time for you to get in right before the doors close, leaving your coworker in the lobby waiting for the next elevator.

But, alas — your coworker is so eager to talk to you that they almost begin jogging to make sure they make it to the elevator at the same time you do. Instead of getting on the elevator first and leaving them behind, you both make it into the building in time for you both to reach the elevator at the same time — alone. And while your coworker starts going on and on about their grandson’s birthday that weekend, you begin to collapse in on yourself like a dying star.

Okay, maybe the dying star thing is a little bit dramatic. But raise your hand if you can relate to something that resembles this scenario.

How do we love those who are hard to love?

The Bible gives us the answer. The problem is that we are broken lovers. What God has done for us is meant to awaken our love for Him and our love for others.

First though, if you heard Drew read the text, you might wonder why in the world I have chosen this text. It doesn’t mention the word love. It doesn’t command us to love. But one thing it does do? This text may not command or mention love, but it does display love. It displays to us the saving, cleansing, forgiving, restoring love of God toward a man who did not deserve it. And when we realize that this same love has been shown to us, what the apostle John describes in his letter begins to take effect: 1Jn 4:10-11

1 John 4:10–11 ESV

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. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Six things this morning - six quick tips on how to awaken your love for God and your love for others.

Notice with me the first tip, remember your sin.

#1: Remember your sin

Look with me at verse 1: “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments.”

What’s happening here? Joshua the high priest standing before the judgment seat of God. His clothes are filthy. His dirty clothes tell us something: somehow Joshua, the high priest, the spiritual leader of God’s people, somehow he has become dirty not only physically but morally too. He has fallen into sin, and has become guilty before God. [Baldwin, TOCT, p121]

And Joshua, well, as high priest, he’s the spiritual leader and representative of the people of God. So if he is dirty, so are the people. The sins of the men of God cannot but affect the people of God. [Ibid.] And it is in this guilty state that Joshua the high priest now stands before the holy God, the Lord of hosts.

Joshua would echo the words of the prophet Isaiah. “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa 6:5 ESV). Joshua would echo the words of Kind David in Psalm 51:3, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.”

[SLIDE: SATAN’S TRUE IDENTITY]

Satan’s true identity:

The highest of God’s angels

Now fallen, he works against God

His name = “the adversary”

Satan will one day be defeated and judged

But Joshua is not merely aware of his sin as he stands face to face with God. Joshua is also having his sin thrown in his face. We might expect God to be the one accusing Joshua. After all, it is the Lord to whom we are ultimately accountable. We will not stand before Satan at the day of judgment. Satan himself will be judged on that day. We will stand before God our Creator and Maker and Captain.

That is true, and yet, here, it is Satan who is accusing Joshua. Satan is standing to the right of Joshua, accusing him. Rev. 12:9 refers to him as “the accuser of the brethren. ”Even here in Zech 3 Satan is referred to in the original language as “the Satan” - “the adversary”, “the accuser”. That’s what Satan’s name means . That’s who he is. And Joshua stands here before God and with Satan at his side to remind us that we stand in the same situation before God, apart from Christ.

How does this help us learn how to love God and others? How does remembering our sin help awaken our heart to love others? Because we can only appreciate how much God loves us if we first understand how unworthy we are of His love. I’m not saying go around with your head down, feeling bad about yourself. God doesn’t want that and I don’t either. I’m saying go around with your headed lifted up with joy and gratitude! Because God loves you and I when we are at our worst. Knowing that helps awaken our hearts to love others.

That’s the first tip: remember your sin. Notice with me, next, the second tip: trust in your Defender.

#2: Trust in your Defender

When I was studying this text this past week, something hit me like a ton of bricks and I’ve been so excited to share it with you. If you’ll look with me at verse 2: “And the Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you!” The Lord of hosts, the Holy God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the rightful and just Judge of all the earth —the One person who has the right to judge Joshua instead defends Joshua!

And this is even more surprising when we consider this: Verse 3 tells us that “Joshua was standing before the Lord, clothed with filthy garments” (Zech 3:3 ESV). Satan’s accusations against Joshua were true! Joshua is guilty! Joshua’s guilt is doubled because He is the high priest, the one who must set an example to the people of God.

You see, as priest, Joshua could only draw near to God if he was holy and clean himself. The OT lays out the clothes the priests had to wear to draw near to God. They dare not draw near to God dirty. And yet that is precisely what Joshua has done! So Satan’s accusations are true. Yet the Lord, rather than rebuke Joshua, rebukes Satan!

It’s always better not to sin, than to sin and need to be forgiven. But when we do find ourselves dirty like Joshua, is there a Defender for us? 1 John 2:1-2

1 John 2:1–2 ESV

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

Friends, do you any have a guilty conscience this morning?

What is it that you’ve done or are still doing now that you know is wrong, and as a result you cannot make your guilt go away? I’m talking to those of you whose guilt weighs you down like a heavy wet blanket or a millstone around your neck.

I thought of you this past week and I thought also of Romans 8 when I read this this past week. Rom 8:31-34

Romans 8:31–34 ESV

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

You see, church family, God is a good Father to those who will merely trust in His Son.

Some of us have a hard time trusting God as father. Maybe some of us had fathers who were distant.

I was reading through a Burke county history book a few weeks ago. In there I found out some information about my great grandfather. His name was Columbus Mace. Grandpa Columbus died long before I was born — in fact he was born before my dad was born, he died even when my grandfather his son was just a few years old.

But the thing about Columbus was, he started having children later in life. He was over 50 when he and my great grandmother had my grandfather in the 1920s. That means that Columbus Mace, my great grandfather, was born in 1880.

That means he was born in the Victorian era. Do you know how fathers often behaved back in those days? The good father provided for his family, but he was not affectionate. In fact it was considered ideal for the father not be seen often by his kids. When he did see them, he insisted they call him “sir”. Distant, stern, formal. [The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott (The Victorian Father)]

Church family, how many of us see God the same way?

Let’s have all our parents raise hands this morning.

How about all our grandparents? Great grandparents?

Now, those of you who raised your hands, let’s say your child or grandchild did something wrong and hurt you. They’ve come to you and apologized to you.

ied and you’ve forgiven them. But they keep coming to you and asking forgiveness again and again. Or they keep doing things to try to make up for what they’ve done? Would you be flattered by that? Or would you be hurt by that? We don’t want our kids and grandkids to go around with guilt and shame once we’ve forgiven them.

And as a good Father, God does not want you doing that any more than you want your kids and grandkids doing that.

How does this help us love God and others? Because as long as we see God as angry with us, and as long as we feel guilty, we will never love God; we will either be afraid of Him or we will hate Him, but we will never love Him. The Bible says “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Rom. 8:14-15 ESV).

Remember your sin. Trust your Defender. Thirdly, live like the new person you are.

#3: Live like the new person you are

Satan’s accusations against us will not stand. That’s because God will not merely defend us against his accusations. God will actually make us new.

“Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” And to him he said, “Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments.” And I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of the Lord was standing by” (Zech. 3:3-5 ESV).

God can make you new today.

Remember your sin. Trust your defender. Live like a new person. Next, obey God’s commands.

#4: Obey God’s commands

The forgiveness and grace God offers not only make us clean and new. God also intends to change us.

After Joshua was cleansed, he was instructed to obey. Zech 3:6-7

Zechariah 3:6–7 ESV

And the angel of the Lord solemnly assured Joshua, “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you will walk in my ways and keep my charge, then you shall rule my house and have charge of my courts, and I will give you the right of access among those who are standing here.

We should not remain the same after coming to Christ. We will always be imperfect, and God will always forgive us, but we must endeavor to obey God’s commands. And we can obey God’s commands, because He has made us new. That is the purpose of our salvation. Not just to rescue us from hell and fit us for heaven. But to change us, to make us like His Son. To make us holy and obedient.

The apostle Paul in Titus 2:11-12 tells us about the purpose of our salvation. “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people” —and then what? To make us happy and content while we sit on our church pew and wait for heaven? No, “the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people” — and here it is — “training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”

Shannon and I are blessed with two very cool kids. I am proud of them, genuinely.

And I want to be the kind of dad that they are happy to obey. I don’t know that I am that dad, to be honest with you. I am not perfect. But I want to be the kind of dad whose kids can say, it is a pleasure to obey my father.

It’s not like Sigmund Freud said it was. Sigmund Freud was a neurologist and psychotherapist. He wanted to understand why Christians insisted on seeing God as Father. Freud comes along and says, “Yeah, God isn’t real which means there is no heavenly Father. All you’re doing is making up this idea of God as father so you can take your hatred of your earthly father or your love for your earthly father and project it onto God. And then you take your guilt, Freud said, and project it on this idea of God as a heavenly father, so that you feel like you have to obey God and that’s why you go to church and do good deeds and all of that. [The Preacher’s Notebook: The Collected Quotes, Illustrations, and Prayers of John Stott (Freud on Why God Is Called “Father”)]

It’s a very cynical way of looking at Christianity and faith. When the Bible says God is our Father, it means just what it says. God is not just like a Father. He is our Father. He is the original Father. And He is a Father whom we delight to obey. We always do what we want to do, whether that’s obedience or disobedience. Ask God to help you delight in Him so you can delight to obey Him.

Remember your sin. Trust your Defender. Live like the new person you are. Obey God’s commands. Lastly, anticipate your future.

#5: Anticipate your future

750 Engaging Illustrations for Preachers, Teachers and Writers 537: Promises of God

537

The people of Zechariah’s day needed hope. They had come back from exile. The reason they had gone into exile was that they had sinned over and over and over and God was faithful to discipline them. It was their sin that lead them into exile, and so as they come home, they are dirty. God would cleanse them. And He would usher in for them a glorious future.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, you and your friends who sit before you, for they are men who are a sign: behold, I will bring my servant the Branch. 9 For behold, on the stone that I have set before Joshua, on a single stone with seven eyes, I will engrave its inscription, declares the LORD of hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of this land in a single day. 10 In that day, declares the LORD of hosts, every one of you will invite his neighbor to come under his vine and under his fig tree.”

They couldn’t earn it. They couldn’t manipulate God into giving it. He would give it by pure grace. All they could do was receive it.

Their future is our future. We await a new heaven and a new earth. We await the day when the Branch, Jesus Christ our Messiah, comes again to rescue and redeem His people. We await the day when we can walk with the risen Jesus on the streets of gold. We await the day when we can sit under our fig tree and our vine with each other and with our family members who have gone before.

This is our future. We can’t earn it. We can’t manipulate God into giving it. He will give it by pure grace. And all we can do is receive it. Our task now is await that future gladly and with hope.

We too need hope, church family. We once trusted in our economic might as citizens of the U.S. Now inflation is at record highs. We once trusted in our strength as a country on the world stage. Now, we along with all of Western Europe are weak. We don’t have the courage to lead the nations in truth and righteousness. We once trusted in our bank accounts and investments. Now banks are collapsing and we’re reminded of how quickly we could lose everything we have worked to save.

Call for response

[SLIDE: RECAP]

Let’s recap:

Remember your sin

Trust in your Defender

Live like a new person

Obey God’s commands

Anticipate your future

Zechariah as prophet needs to be able to comfort and encourage and reassure the Israelites. And so the Lord gives Zechariah this vision of the spiritual leader, Joshua, being forgiven and cleansed. And if Joshua the high priest could be cleansed and forgiven, then so can they. He would cleanse them too if they would turn to him.

I wonder if any of you this morning long for a new start. Maybe you feel like you’ve made a wreck of your life. Maybe you’ve made wreckage of someone else’s life. Satan accuses you, constantly reminding you, throwing it in your face. And as a result, you feel tired, overwhelmed, and you’re stuck in a self-preservation mindset. You can’t love other people when you’re trying to bear that burden.

If you don’t know Jesus, you can trust Him today. You can begin a relationship with Him today. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (1John 5:17 ESV). If you are a believer, and you’ve gotten dirty, He will give you a fresh start. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9 ESV). Let God’s forgiveness and grace and love free you to love those around you.

So tomorrow morning, when you see that coworker in the parking lot, ask God to help you show them love. Wait for them. Show an interest in them. And know the freeing love of God.