Untitled Sermon (42)

Scripture Introduction:

It’s Father’s Day, you know what that means fellas. We’re going to do a sermon about how awful men fail, tell you to step up your game, and really push you.

Actually that’s not true. We’re going to talk about love. That’s the text we are in today as we’re going through 1 John. And I think that might be a grace to us.

Because if I’m being honest I think our first instinct is to think that “love” is lady stuff. We might associate it with Valentine’s Day or something.

We might like the apostle John of Luke 9…a group of people rejected him and the message of Jesus. And so James and John asked Jesus if maybe he’d be willing to call down some fire from heaven and burninate the whole countryside.

THAT is manly, we think.

There’s another story about John…this one isn’t in the Bible but it’s from church history. According to tradition, when the Apostle John was very old and frail, he had to be carried into church meetings. Despite his physical weakness, he would consistently address the congregation with the simple yet profound exhortation: "Little children, love one another." When asked why he always repeated this same message, he is said to have replied, "Because it is the Lord's command, and if this alone be done, it is enough."

What happened to John? Did he just get sissified in his old age? Well…maybe we need a new definition of love. Maybe it really is all about love…and that isn’t something that is feminine or masculine—it’s gospel.

Listen in to 1 John here…and as we read this I want us to count together how many times John says “love”.

1 John 4:7–21 ESV

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. 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. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

If we count the “Beloved’s” what is that 15? In five verses. What does John mean here when he says “let us love one another”. Love is one of those things that is tough to define…in fact if you start trying to define it…well, then it becomes something different.

It’s like dissecting a frog…there comes a point when you lose sight of the frog. That’s what can happen if you start dissecting love.

And so I struggled with how to tackle this text. I mean John says “love” 15 times and if we all have a different understanding of what “love” is then that’s going to be problematic.

"Love is friendship set on fire." – Jeremy Taylor

"Love means never having to say you're sorry." – Erich Segal"

Love is a better teacher than duty." – Albert Einstein"

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend." – Martin Luther King Jr."

Love is a canvas furnished by nature and embroidered by imagination." – Voltaire"

Love is a language spoken by everyone but understood only by the heart." – Anonymous

"Love is when the other person's happiness is more important than your own." – H. Jackson Brown Jr.

"Love is the bridge between you and everything." – Rumi

"Love is a promise; love is a souvenir, once given never forgotten, never let it disappear." – John Lennon

All you need is love…well great…but what is it? So here is what we’re going to do today. There are many ways, as you can see, that we could define love. And there are even a few more things that could be said from Scripture.

But I want to let this text speak. And define love here. And we’re also going to relate this to Father’s. No matter if you had a great father, a not so good father, if you are a father, if you want to be a father, if you want to be a better father…what we’re going to do is look at the Father’s love. And then John is going to encourage us to reflect that love—father’s and really every disciple.

verse 7—love is from God. He is the source of love. It flows out of Him. It’s not something that he “has” it’s something He is. Love isn’t some thing outside of there…a quality that is outside of God…it’s like a piece of His very person.

And so when we’re partaking of love…whatever love is…it is drinking from the stream of God. And it’s a perfect love…and it’s also connected to all of His other attributes…So it’s a holy love, it’s an eternal love, it’s an all-knowing love.

You get the picture. This is why John says…if you love—like in this way that John is talking about love—then it’s something that flows from God. There is a unique and special love here that he’s talking about.

John isn’t saying that if you “love” in whatever way you define love—well, then it means you’re born of God and you know God. There is a specific thing happening here—keep in mind that there are false teachers in the background here....maybe even saying that this is a move of God.

And John is saying…well, here’s how you know…does it create love? When you’re really embarassing these guys, digging into it all, what’s it do to your view of other people. You more loving or less loving?

And I think we can see this even more in verse 8.

You cannot know God or claim to know God and not have love in your heart. And not love others…and also notice that “God is love”.

Letters of John The Origin of Christian Love (4:7–10)

When verse 8 says “God is love” (cf. v. 16), it is important to note what John is not saying. He is not saying that “God is loving” (though this is true). Nor is he saying that one of God’s activities is “to love” us (though this is true as well). John is saying that God is love, that “all of his activity is loving.” Love is the essence of his being. But the reverse is not the case. We cannot say, in other words, that “love is God,” as if any display of affection suddenly qualifies as divine. John is carefully defining the character of who God is and what it means to live in relation to him. To genuinely contemplate the true identity of God is to become like him. A true apprehension of the personhood of God should lead us to change how we live and behave.

Well what does love look like?

Made manifest among us…okay…made visible. Something we could see and touch. This isn’t just “I love you” as a statement…it’s love in action. It’s doing what needs to be done.

God sent his Son into the world…so that we might live through Him.

God sent His Son…that, the One, who the Father loves especially. He gave him up...

Why did he do such a thing. Because we needed rescuing. So he sent His very Son to do the rescuing. Because we need life.

We are dead apart from God’s action. We do not have life. We do not have flourishing. We do not have joy. We do not have love. All of those things which flow from God—we don’t have any of them…even if we have them in a shadow form…they aren’t part of us. We’re borrowing them.

We don’t have life....but the Father gives so that we might have life. That is what love is. Love gives so that others can flourish.

I think here of a couple stories. First is the story of Dick and Rick Hoyt.

Rick Hoyt was born in 1962 with cerebral palsy due to oxygen deprivation at birth. Doctors advised his parents to institutionalize him, predicting he would be a "vegetable" with no hope of leading a meaningful life. Refusing to accept this prognosis, Dick and Judy Hoyt chose to raise Rick as an active member of their family. At the age of 15, Rick expressed a desire to participate in a five-mile charity run.

You can’t run Rick. How are you going to accomplish this…?

But for Rick—being able to run in this charity was what it meant to live, it’s what he believed it meant to flourish. Although Dick was not a runner, he agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair.

Over the following decades, Dick and Rick Hoyt, known as "Team Hoyt," competed in over 1,000 races, including marathons, duathlons, and triathlons. They completed the Boston Marathon 32 times and even tackled the grueling Ironman Triathlon together. Despite the physical and emotional toll, Dick did what was necessary for his son to “live”. Not just to have a heartbeat and lungs filled with air but to truly thrive. He did what it took to provide this for Rick…at great cost to himself.

Or perhaps we could tell the story of Mike Hughes. Mike’s son, Chris, had a deadly kidney disease. Without a new kidney he wouldn’t survive. But Mike found that he was a match. He had two kidneys…he could give one. This was great news.

So they get ready for the surgery…Chris is needing this quick. He’s dying. And Mike finds out that he has a life-threatening aneurysm in his heart. Surgery was risky.

Mike proceeded. The transplant was successful but Mike did not survive. He gave his life so that his son could live.

This is a picture of what God does for us. He does whatever it takes for us to have life. But there is something even more amazing about this.

Look at verse 10. “Not that we have loved God...” This tells us that God takes the step…He initiates…of course, that’s what a Father does. He doesn’t wait for his son to respond, he loves, he keeps loving even if the kid doesn’t exactly receive it.

But it tells us so much more than that. “Not that we have loved God.” We don’t naturally love God. He doesn’t do this for a doting son…He does this for rebels. That’s what that word “propitiation” means.

It's a word that means satisfying the wrath of a deity. John has already used this in 1 John 2:2. That we have sinned against God…incurred debt…we have rebelled.

And yet God sends His Son…only His Son could have made this sacrifice. Only His Son could have paid the price.

Go to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus looks into the cup of God’s wrath…this is that propitiation language…that Jesus will have to drink the wrath of God that belongs to us. And he looks into that cup…and that’s what you have at the Garden of Gethsemane when he’s sweating drops of blood...

. It is here that he will experience stronger temptation than any of us, so that it is fitting to say that He was tempted in every way. And it is the view into the cup that causes Christ to pray, “if it is possible take this cup from me.” Can you hear Jesus’ prayer? Papa, you can do anything. Can you take this cup from me? Is it possible that we can redeem sinners and yet me not suffer estrangement from you? Is it possible to redeem them in any way other than me being the sin-bearer?

He appeals. Silence. He appeals a second time. Silence. He appeals a third time. Silence. Why silence? But there is no other way. Now certainly, it would have been possible for God to have not poured out the cup of His wrath on Jesus. He would not have contradicted his nature had he chosen not to send his Son and left sinners to their just reward. But because God had purposed before the foundation of the world to save sinners, this then was not possible. As John Stott has said, “God’s purpose of love was to save sinners, and to save them righteously; but this would be impossible without the sin-bearing death of the Savior.”

Now wait a second…what kind of dad is this? Shouldn’t He save His Son and let the rebels die? Oh mystery of mysteries…this isn’t only the plan and will and love of the Father…it is of Jesus as well. That’s why it isn’t some sort of cosmic child abuse.

And again away with any kind of teaching that God is white hot with anger towards us but Jesus says, “dad, don’t do it…I’ll pay the penalty.” No, this was Father, Son, Spirit all united in this.

The Godhead would absorb the blow of our rebellion. Not make us pay. Again that is what love is. It does what is necessary to give life to others, at great personal cost. I die so that you live. That’s what love is.

Then John turns it on us in verse 11. If that is how God has loved us…when we drink that in…when we realize that we’re forgiven…that He paid the price…He took our sin…He forgave…all of that...

He says, we also ought to love one another. That we give of ourselves in such a way that others live---even our enemies. That we love like the Father loves us.

Men, I don’t know about you but that inspires me. It inspires me to be this for my children. But also to be this for others....to love even enemies with the love which the Father gave. That I’ll give my life to loving others—to giving them life--

Which is ultimately to point them to Christ. To connect them with Jesus. This is true of evangelism for sure…but John has something else in mind here…it doesn’t leave out evangelism…but here he is talking about loving people within your community of faith.

Just like Jesus said. They’ll know you are my followers by your love for one another. Again that’s not some mushy sentimentalism. That is saying by the way you sacrifice so that others have life—so that others can take hold of Christ.

How do we apply all of this?

First, let’s connect it to Father’s Day for just a moment.

—Maybe Father’s day is really tough for you. It’s tough because you didn’t have a dad who modeled this. Your dad was self-absorbed. He didn’t do what it took...

The reality is that this is likely true at least in some regard with every father. We aren’t perfect. But we don’t have to level the playing field here.

Father’s can be really good and wonderful and in some ways model this. I read awhile back this fascinating book on the power of showing up. Of simply being present—always there in your kids life.

It talk about four key ways to “show up”.

safe—that they are protected from harm. To do what is necessary in as much as it is within your power to keep them safe.

seen—to pay attention to them, to know their emotions, to really see them, know them, hear them.

soothed—To help them manage the difficult stuff. Here’s how to do life. Here’s how to handle those difficult emotions.

secure—To p rovide consistent care that develops trust and confidence. Dad is always going to be there. There is always going to be a safety net for me.

You might feel a deep ache here this morning because your dad didn’t do these things—profoundly didn’t do these things. And I want to quickly go to saying...”God is your father. He is all of these things.” But maybe we should sit with that grief for a moment.

I’m sorry. I’m sorry that this was your experience with fatherhood. That’s not how it should have been. This is all part of the brokenness of the world—and I’m sorry that you had to be impacted by the fall in this way.

But it is true that God is a good Father. God does all of these things and He’s still doing them even if you don’t see it. But I know how hard that is to trust…because you didn’t have it modeled for you really. And that’s really what 1 John is telling us...

How if we don’t love one another…if we aren’t modeling this love…it’s a massive stumbling block for others to know and see and experience God. They aren’t able to see the invisible God. They aren’t able to look at things like this and say… “oh, that was my daddy…I know what this looks like…I’ve seen the sparks of it…I’ve seen his fingerprints on my own father.”

Which dads, let this inspire you. To draw from the love of God to be overflowing with God’s love…so that it pours out into your own children.

But guys this text isn’t just about Father’s Day. It’s for all of us. Sometimes we get to be that for the fatherless. We get to model God’s love…no matter what your gender is. Or your family situation. We get to give our lives so that others can know life.

That might be as simple as sacrificing a week night for VBS. Or it might mean something even more.

It’s also possible that Father’s Day is tough because you had a dad like this…not perfect sure…but he modeled Jesus for you. And he’s no longer with you.

It’s okay to grieve that today. And it’s okay to still celebrate him. To thank God for this gift that He gave you. That you could hear a passage like this and say, “I know what that looks like. I know what kind of father love that is.” And use that example to be that example for others.

Let’s thank God for this.

As we close let’s move off of Father’s Day for a second and say....God has done what it takes to redeem. He is radically dedicated to your redemption and He will stop at nothing to see it happen.

Oh what wonderful news this is. God is for you, in Christ.

The beautiful logic of Romans 8....If God did not spare His Son…will He not graciously give us all things.

Friend, there is nothing but your own stubbornness and rebellion that could stand in the way of you receiving this love. Drop that. Cry out to the Lord. Receive that forgiveness.