WALK AS HE WALKED - LOVE AS HE LOVED

Main Idea: Christians walk as Jesus walked as they obey as He obeyed and love as He loved.

Introduction

Dangerous words that come out of a Christian’s mouth.

“I don’t like them.”

“I can’t stand them.”

“I hate them.”

If that type of vocabulary has come out of your mouth, which makes it the true state of your heart, either in the past or recently, you are in present danger.

Review

Last week we learned that we know we are in Christ if we keep God’s commands.

Last week we learned that those who say they abide in Jesus should walk as he walked.

What does that mean?

To obey as he obeyed.

To love as he loved.

TRANSITION: That is what our time together is primarily going to be about.

1 John 2:7-8 “Brethren, I write no new commandment unto you, but an old commandment which ye had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which ye have heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.”

I. The most fundamental and basic command for the follower of Jesus is the command to love fellow followers of Jesus. 7-8a

What is the command? To love! It is a command they had from the beginning - the beginning of their Christian experience. Being born again meant being transformed to love people. If you didn’t transform in your view of people, I kindly doubt you were transformed at all.

Illustration: The other day I pulled into church at the same time as a fellow church member. As we were walking in he asked me if I got a new car. I asked him what his definition of new was. We both agreed that “new” for us means new to us, even if it is actually old.

John was able to say that the command is old because it isn’t anything new. They knew this command. It wasn’t “new” to them. This wasn’t some new revelation they hadn’t heard before.

Illustration: I’m not going to lie. I get slightly annoyed whenever someone brings some old news to me.

This command is as old as Leviticus. Leviticus? Yes, Leviticus. Leviticus isn’t just about how many animals ought to be killed, and how to kill them. It isn’t just about dietary restrictions. It’s about love. Leviticus 19:18 (NIV): Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. ”

But, at the same time, this is an incredibly new command. How so?

For starts, because Jesus said that it is. Jesus says that is new in John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

How can he say that?

I think he can say that because until now, the ability to really love others wasn’t realized until it was realized in Jesus.

TRANSITION: Look at v.8.

1 John 2:8 “Again, a new commandment I write unto you, which thing is true in him and in you: because the darkness is past, and the true light now shineth.”

II. This command is true in Jesus and all of his genuine followers. 8b

This particular command found its truth and fulfillment in Jesus, and is realized in his followers.

First in Jesus.

Jesus is the epitome of love. Jesus is love personified. Jesus is love in human flesh. How do we know that? Because He proved it.

He embraced people with warm regard.

He wept over people.

He drew near to people we wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole.

He gave his life for people.

Love comes natural to the followers of Jesus.

Romans 5:5 “And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”

When you trusted in Jesus something happened in you.

You received God’s Spirit.

His love was shed abroad in your heart. That means it was poured into your hearts. This ability to love as God loves was something that you couldn’t comprehend or imagine until you trusted Jesus and were given the Holy Spirit. Now, this love is as natural to you as it is natural to me to love my kids.

Illustration - My kids can wear me out, they can get on my nerves and they can drive me up a wall, but the ability to love them is as natural to me as breathing is.

If you are trusting in Jesus, this command to love your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ will come natural to you.

It’ll come natural to you because you are rooted in Jesus. And as you walk in the light, or abide in him, you’ll look like him and how he loves.

Count Ludwig von Zinzendorf - Saved while looking at a painting. The way the story goes is that the artist of the panting showed his sketches of the painting several times. The first time she saw his depiction of Jesus she said, “He looks like a good man to me.” The second time she saw the sketch of Jesus she said, “He looks like a great sufferer.” The third time she saw the sketch of Jesus she said, “The picture looks like Jesus.”

So the question that we all must ask ourselves is, “Does loving people come naturally to me? Do I look like Jesus in how I love others?”

TRANSITION: Next, those who love and those who hate are going to be contrasted.

1 John 2:9-11 “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”

III. Those who hate their “brother” is in darkness, and those who love their brother is in the light. 9-11

A. Those who love like Jesus loves are walking in the light with no fear of danger.

B. Those who hate their brothers are in grave danger.

Blind fold one student, spin him around, and challenge him to find an exit without bumping into something.

The difference between that person and the person who hates their brother is that the person who is really blindfolded is well aware of potential danger, but the person who hates his brother has no clue they are in danger.

Conclusion

Some of you are walking in the light. You are walking free of any danger because you are walking as he walked - obeying God and loving your brothers and sisters.

Some of you on the other hand are in grave danger. You know that is you if you have a vocabulary that says, ““I don’t like them. I can’t stand them. I hate them.”

Final Application:

Keep walking as he walked, in obedience and in love.

Repent

Get saved and receive the ability to love like Jesus does.