Loving Beyond Limits: The Call to Love Like Jesus

Bible Passage: John 13:34-35, 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, 1 John 4:7-21

Summary: This theme emphasizes how Jesus exemplified love in His actions, calling His followers to love others with the same selfless and sacrificial love that He demonstrated.

Application: This sermon can encourage Christians to examine their own capacity to love, challenging them to move beyond comfort zones and societal norms in their relationships, reflecting on how to cultivate a love that mirrors Christ’s love in their everyday lives.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that love is not merely an emotion but a choice and a commitment, rooted in the character of God, and offers practical steps and biblical examples of how to apply this kind of love in our relationships.

How this passage could point to Christ: The theme positions Christ as the ultimate illustration of perfect love. Throughout the Scriptures, His life, death, and resurrection reveal God’s love for humanity, showing believers how to live out that love every day.

Big Idea: Loving like Jesus means embracing sacrificial love that reaches beyond our comfort and extends to all, reflecting God’s love to a hurting world.

Recommended Study: As you prepare, consider exploring the Greek terms for love found in 1 Corinthians 13 using your Logos library to differentiate between phileo, agape, and storge. You might also examine John 13:34-35 for the new commandment context and the implications of communal love in the early church. Reviewing recent commentaries on 1 John can provide insights into how love is portrayed within the context of Christian assurance and identity.

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.”

Love Originates from God

1 John 4:7–9 ESV

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 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 first John we see John call for love

discussing the origin of love in this statement

John calls the world to love

why?

because God is love

John even puts some understanding that it is not possible to know God and not know love

God’s nature is love

we see this example all through Scripture

in fact the Psalmist writes continually about the Love of God

In specific we can view Psalm 136

In Psalm 136, each verse concludes with the phrase 'His love endures forever.' This refrain emphasizes the constancy and faithfulness of God’s love across generations. It serves as a reminder that no matter the circumstances, God’s love is an unshakeable foundation. In moments of doubt or despair, we can find comfort in the enduring nature of His love, which is always present, active, and faithful.

God’s love is faithful and never ending

Love is one of the main attribute given to God throughout Scripture

God is the definition of Love

His love knows no bounds

His love cannot be boxed up

His love endures forever

Our God is always present within Love

What is so important about the fact that our God is love

The origin of love is God

Well we are called to live within that image

We are called to represent Him in that image

reflecting on His goodness through our daily life!

Mark 12:30–31 ESV

30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

First lets look at verse 30

what type of love does God expect from us?

Lets look at Abraham

the one who believed in Faith and it was appointed unto Him as righteousness

all the way back in the Old Testament we see a Christ like Love

In the narrative of Abraham and Isaac, we witness a profound moment of faithful love when Abraham obeys God’s command to sacrifice his son. This act illustrates the depth of Abraham's trust in God and foreshadows God’s own sacrificial love for humanity through Jesus Christ. The faith demonstrated by Abraham highlights the divine love that requires trust and obedience, reminding us that faithful love often calls for great sacrifice and unwavering faith.

Abraham’s love for God was more than that of the Love for his family

Abraham recognized the authority and love within the Father

fully trusting Him in all that He commanded

Even if it meant sacrificing His own Son

This is the type of love for the Lord we should have

not that you take your sons to an altar

God already sacrificed His son for us

But that we are willing to love God more than anything this earth has to offer

A love that extends deep enough to be willing to give up everything at the sound of His voice

Then Jesus calls us to love our neighbor

The Christian walk should be filled with an Agape love for our neighbor

a love that is imitating the love of Christ

That builds into our next point

Love as Jesus Commanded

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.”

Jesus issues a new commandment here

As the Son of God

He states love one another just as I have loved you

Jesus expects the believer to be reciprocal in the love He provides

In reality The Spirit of God lives inside of us upon salvation and the Spirit is Love which should change our identity

Our identity is to be loving believers of God

While this is a command we should not do this just because He told us to

but because we are willing to do so for the God we love

Jesus even goes as far to say in the next verse that this is how people will know His disciples

if they love one another!

What a command and a promise

Our love for one another as believers shows the world who we follow!

within this call for love is a call for unity

a call to be together

It does not mean you have to always agree

it means you must be willing at times to agree to disagree

turn the other cheek

let the world see a love that represents the one who loves them more than they could ever know

This is not just for believers but for unbelievers

we are to love the lost individual

Jesus loved us while we were still sinners

Romans 5:8 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This is made evident by Jesus’ death on the cross

We should show the world the Love of God through example so that they might encounter Him too

So what is that example?

What is the definition of love?

Paul gives it to us in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Live Love’s True Definition

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 ESV

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Paul starts with love is patient and kind

Paul knows the believer must be patient with each other

we must be kind to one another

we must show our care while being understanding

Love does not envy or boast

We must be humble

we actually see Paul boast in Scripture but he does not boast in himself

he boasts in the Lord

We are man we have no reason to boast for ourselves

we can boast in the Lord

For He is Worthy!

Love is not arrogant or rude

Love does not let pride in the way of things

love does not turn up a nose on another believer

love looks inward at the love represented by Christ

Love recognizes that you are just unworthy of God’s love as they are

Love does not insist on its own way

if we did this we could override God’s way

We must be open to suggestions and understanding

We cannot have a my way or the highway mentality

we must be gentle and open in our communion with others

Love is not irritable or resentful

This is one were it is easy to fall short

We are called to be patient allow things to roll off of our back

not be short tempered and not be resentful or holding grudges against a brother or sister in Christ

Does not rejoice in wrongdoing

rejoices in truth

Love is bold for the truth!

This is where love can come off hard

We have to stand up for the truth

True love looks eternal not temporary and stands up for the truth of the Gospel

with gentleness and respect

Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures

Love carries all things with it

It bears the burdens of a brother

It takes the benefit of the doubt from the brother

It hopes in the eternity we will be in due to our Savior

and it endures the suffering and struggle of life to bring Glory to God

Love is a wonderful thing

It is at the central being of who we are in life

Live like Jesus and Love like Jesus pair so well together

We are called to Live like Jesus which means in our lives we must be loving like Jesus which means we are Leading to Jesus

We are called to represent Christlike love everywhere we go

So as we close this morning I encourage you to seek a place of growth in your Christlike love

A place where you can practice to be more Christlike in your interaction with others

And above all don’t forget the greatest commandment

To love like Jesus first means we must Love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength

To Experience the Love of God one must recognize the disparity of sin they are in and the need for the Sacrifice God has provided!

Salvation Message