Radiant Love: Having the Mind of Christ

Introduction

Story about man I met last Thursday

I was talking about church and he got really excited and then he told me how He for the last two years has gone into a park and read His Bible aloud.

Thats pretty exiting to here isn't it

I asked Him what he was learning from his time in the Word

He told me a number of things including ho the

seem to come alive as he continues to read each day.

He then said one fo the best parts is how he has many opportunities to engage with People who hear him reading it.

That sounds really cool doesn't it?

It was refreshing to hear someone talk about Gods Word as Alive and active in their life.

And so I naturally asked Him So where do you go to church?

And His response was very quick- Oh I dont go to church. ME and church dont get along?

Jesus and my Bible are all I need to be good with God.

As those words came out of His mouth my pastoral heart sank.

and in that moment my pastoral mouth opened up and spoke up

and I said to that man “You have missed the whole point of the church. ‘ The church is God’s gift to you. its how you live out the commands you say you love inn Gods word, its how He look like the Jesus you say you love and want to follow

Let me make it very Clear for you today- You cannot claim to be a faithful Christ Follower and Not get along with His church.

God did not intend for you to live out your Christian life alone.

Jesus knew how hard that would Be. He knew that we would need one another in order to live a life that Reflects His perfection in this world. and so He gave us the church as a gift- to help us be who he has made us to be.

Friends you need the church and the church needs you.

Transition into text:

We have been studying Peters letter to churches Asia.

A letter that is meant to encourage these suffering Christians to live for the glory of God no matter what their circumstances may be.

In chapter 3 Peter has been teaching these Christians what it looks like to suffer well through the example of Christ’s own suffering on the cross.

and in chapter 4 verse 1 he says Since therefore Christ Suffered in the flesh ARM yourselves with this same way of thinking.

SIMPLY HE IS SAYING “IN ORDER TO SUFFER WELL YOU MUST THINK LIKE CHRIST!”

You must love whom Jesus Loves!!

And in our text today Peter is going to lay out the WHO WHAT WHERE WHEN WHY AND HOW a christian is to have the mind of Christ.

PETER BEGINS WITH THE WHAT

What does it look like to have the Mind of Christ?

WHAT

Look with me at verse 8 of chapter 4

1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly,

Peter says that the most important part of having the mind of Christ is to love what Jesus loves.

Jesus loves those whom He saved

He loves those whom his death paid the ransom to redeem

He loves those who have believed in Him

Jesus loves His church

THE WHAT IS SIMPLE- HOW DO WE HAVE THE SAME MIND AS CHRIST?-

ABOVE ALL ELSE- WE LOVE WHAT JESUS LOVES - WE LOVE HIS CHURCH.

although the church that Jesus loves is every follower of Jesus that he redeemed with His own life.

Peter, in this text is specially speaking about the local body of Christians and is addressing their relationships with one another in a local church family.

Peter’s main point in this text is that if you are going to have the same mind as Christ-than ABOVE ALL OTHER THINGS- YOU MUST LOVE those in your local church family.

Friends the greatest testimony we can have as a local church in Clear Lake Iowa is in the way we love one another in the church.

this why Jesus said in John 13:35

John 13:35 (ESV)

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Peter is saying if you want to have the same mind as Christ- then above all other things You must love one another in the church.

Peter has given the …WHAT- LOVE ONE ANOTHER

So Who is it that is commanded to Love one another?

WHO - is to love One Another?

This question isn’t that hard for us to answer-

Peter makes it very clear who his intended audience is in this letter- Who he is saying must love one another

Look at the very first verse of this book

1 Peter 1:1 (ESV)

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Peter is writing these words to the elect- to New Christians who have been scattered because of the persecution they had been going through because of their new relationship with jesus Christ as their savior.

Peter is addressingChristians who are broken, who are hurting, and who are crying out for some answers..

And He is simply Saying that no matter what state you may be in whether free or a slave, wether wealthy or poor, whether single or married, You have the same purpose and that is to look like Jesus in the way that you love one another in the church.

Peter is not making up a new task to help these Christians endure their suffering or even to get their minds off of all the pain they have in this world.

Peter is simply reminding them of the the command that Jesus gave all of his followers in John 13:34-35

John 13:34–35 (ESV)

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

church family the Only way that this command can be fully lived out in your life is through the church.

The man I met this week- Loved His Bible , He loved Jesus, But He did not love what Jesus loved. He did not love the church. In fact He saw it as the enemey.

WHO IS COMMANDED TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER? EVERY ONE OF US WHO ARE FOLLOWERS OF JESUS.

EVERY BELIEVER!!!!

Transition: Peter Goes on in this text and tells us How Christians are to love one another in the church

HOW- Should We Love One Another

Listen as I read verses 8-11

1 Peter 4:8–11 (ESV)

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies….”

Here Peter gives believers three ways How their love for one another should flow out of their lives.

Look at the first way Peter says Christiana should love one another in the church

1 Peter 4:8 (ESV)

8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

HOW SHOULD WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER?

Love in a way that looks past other’s sin.

Friends this is one of the hardest things to do in this life.

Peter is encourages these believers to fervently love one another, Because He understands that the love we have in Christ has the remarkable ability to cover a multitude of sins.

it is hard for all of us to love someone who has hurt us especially a brother in Christ

But Church family,Remember who you were when Christ offered you his unconditional love!!

You were completely rotten inside- You were selfish, You we angry, You were vengeful, You were a follower of the devil.

Christian do you understand that everything you did before Christ- was against Him. You were his enemy-

You lived your life in complete defiance of his Will,

And Yet ,compelled by His great love for You, He willingly died in your place offering you complete forgivenss to that he could redeem you back to God.

he didn't die for the righteous He died for the unrighteous- He didn't wait for you to deserve his love He offered it while you where still in your sins

Dont ever lose sight of the fact that “While you were still in your Sins Christ died for YOU!!!”

Peter is telling the church that to have the mind of Christ means that we need to love sinners with the same love Christ had for us when we were still in our sin.

Its this Christ like Love that allows us to forgive those who have hurt us deeply especially those who are brothers and sisters in Christ!

Its this Christ like Love that allows us to come together as a big group of redeemed sinners, with all of our difference and all of our struggles, and still be united in our worship to God and our service to one another.

How do we love like Jesus? We let our pool of Love be greater then our brothers pool of sin against us.

meaning that even when they sin against us- our love for them is still greater.

Peter goes on in verse 9

1 Peter 4:9 (ESV)

9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Love in a way that welcomes others into your life

Christian, I cant say this enough “you are not meant to go through your Christian life alone.”

You are meant to have a church family in your life!!! You need the church in order to love like Jesus

Hospitality in this context goes beyond merely providing food and shelter to strangers.

It’s having a welcoming and generous attitude toward other believers in the church. (even those who sin against you)

How do I know Peter means even those we dont really like?

Because He says do it without grumbling!

We dont grumble when we get to love our friends We grumble when we have to serve those we don’t think deserve it.

To love like Jesus means that we invite other people to do life together with us.

Look at what Jesus did in his earthly ministry -

He invited 12 strangers into his comfort zone so that they could do life together with Him. So that he could pour out his love towards them

he didn’t go out and pick other perfect people He chose men who brought with them a lot of baggage and a lot of sin.

Think about what these men brought with them into this group.

Matthew was a tax Collector Hated by the Jews

Peter was a lower class fisherman- Who many times acted out of emotions before thinking things through

Thomas questioned everything Including Jesus Resurrection

Simon was zealot ready to overthrow the government.

Judas was a thief who only wanted monetary gain from the relationship

On the surface these men shouldn't be together they have nothing in common.

But what brought them together is the same thing that brings us together today as One Church- Its jesus Christ.

he Chose them for a purpose…to be his disciples

He chose them so that he could teach them what it looks like to love one another as One Body in Christ. even with all of their differences

So that they could learn that they were not meant to live their Christian life alone -

So that they could understand that They have each other and its their differences that help them love and serve others the way that Christ intends His church to do.

Friends to love others like Jesus ,means that we invite others into our lives- We invite them into our joys our sorrows our struggles and our victories.

To love like jesus means that we take the opportunities we have to fellowship with one another as the body of Christ.

Thirdly Peter says in verses 10-11

Love in a way that uses your gifts to serve the Church

1 Peter 4:10–11 (ESV)

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

How do we love one another? We use our gifts to serve the church!!!

I read the NLT Bible on these verses and loved the simplicity it had in its translation

1 Peter 4:10–11 (NLT)

10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Christian, serving is not an option for the Believer

Peter makes this clear

(Point at crowd)- Do you understand that God has given you a special gift that He intends for you to use in this local body of believers to build it up in Christ and to make him know to the world?

This again comes back to my story about the man who said “I dont need the church”.

Friends you cannot live a Christ like life on your own- You cannot use your God given gifting if you do not have a church family to use it in- You need the church

PETER SIMPLY SAYS “USE YOUR GIFTS WELL. DONT WASTE WHAT GOD HAS GIVING YOU…. USE IT TO SERVE THE CHURCH.”

IF YOU HAVE BEEN GIFTED IN TEACHING YOU SHOULD BE TEACHING IN THE CHURCH

IF YOU HAVE BEEN GIFTED IN SERVING YOU SHOULD BE SERVING ONE ANOTHER IN THE CHURCH.

People often say I dont know what specific gift God has given me but when He lets me know I’ll start serving.

Christian you dont have to know exactly How God has gifted you before you start serving- I believe that if you Just start serving- and he will make it clear.

So how do we love one another?

We let love cover a mutlitude of sin

We invite others to do life together

We serve one another

and we do all of this for their spiritual good.

So the next question we need to answer is

WHERE - Should we Love One another?

in verse 8 PETER says to love one another through your Hospitality in the Home

in verse 10 it says to love one another through serving in the church

I think peters Point is simple- Christians should love one another wherever they are at and in whatever they are doing.

Why because we are family that has one purpose and that is to live our lives together as one body WORSHIPPING ONE Lord for the glory of one God!

WHEN - Should we love One another?

ALL THE TIME!

our love for one another is not meant to just be a Sunday morning exercise where come together and serve each other for an hour So that we each can get through the week.

Our love for One another in the church should be our 24/7 lifestyle.

Our love for one another in the church should be the first thing the world sees when they look at us.

Your identity in this world should include tour love for your church family,

Friends We should live our lives always looking for opportunities to love one another just like Christ loved us.

and this leads us into our 6th and final question

WHY - Should We Love one another?

1 Peter 4:11 (ESV)

11…In order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The Reason We are called to love one another is Because when We love like Christ -God Alone Receives all the Glory.

Remember what Jesus Said in the gospel of John “THEY WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES IF YOU HAVE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER”

When A church truly loves one another the world sees Jesus.

And when the world sees Jesus they See the Savior that God sent to redeem them from their Sins.

and when a bunch of redeemed sinners look less like the world and more like their Savior - The World sees the Love of Christ in us and God alone receives the glory because He is the only way these sinners could ever look like a righteous savior,

And this is why Peter concludes this text with “To Him Belong the glory and dominion forever and Ever Amen>”

Friends the only way that we could ever love one another is if we have the mind of Christ-

The only way that we can look like Jesus is if we have been made new Through Him

Let’s bring it home this morning

How are you doing at thinking like Jesus - How are you doing at loving one another in the church?

Are you letting your love cover a multitude of sins…our are you letting your pain hold on to unforgiveness and drive a wedge between you and your brother?

Are you inviting other believers into your life or are trying to go at it alone?

brothers -God’s design for you is fellowship, not just worship. You need the church and the church needs you.

Are you using your gifts to serve the church?

Friends do you believe that God has given you a special gift that he intends for you to use in serving this church?

If so How are you using it to serve?

Dont just be part of a church to worship on Sunday mornings, chose to serve one another- chose to build up the body of Christ… chose to above all else -love one another earnestly

Lets be a church that makes and equips followers of Jesus Christ through the way that We love and serve one another.

PRAY