The Five People You’re Called To Love (And Don’t Want To)
Notes
Transcript
Story: Love is a funny word
I could say…
I love my wife
I love my son
I love my house
I love my town
I love my friends
I love my favorite team
I love……
“Love” means something slightly different in all of those phrases, which is a good thing!
It means we can love a variety of people in a variety of ways and - BECAUSE WE START WITH JESUS - we can honor God in every relationship by the way we love people
In the familiar Acts 2:42-47 passage that we’ve been reading for the past month…the relationships are marked by love…
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Fellowship
Together
Common
Give
Meet
Ate
Favor
^^Those are all words that point to a kind of love that was unheard of in their culture.
This morning…I want to let Jesus encourage you with a kind of love that is unheard of in our culture…
I’m going to pray over us to center our thoughts and open our ears and then we’ll turn to Mark 5 and follow
PRAY
Today… I want to help you discover THE FIVE PEOPLE YOU’RE CALLED TO LOVE (AND DON’T WANT TO)….
We’re about to read a big chunk of the Bible - and it all happened in a relatively short period of time…maybe 1 day, or maybe a few…but all pretty close together.
We could spend a lot of time on each event in this chapter - and at some point, that would be worth doing - but for today, we’re going to take a look at it in a big-picture kind of way.
1 They - Jesus and the disciples - went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. 2 When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. 3 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. 4 For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. Scary guy, right???
6 When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. 7 He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” 8 For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
9 Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” 10 And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. This moment is chock full of tension and drama.
11 A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. 12 The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” 13 He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
14 Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. 15 When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. 16 Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. 17 Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
18 As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. 19 Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.
1 - We love the people who scare us.
The entire town was terrified of this man…in fact, they were perfectly content to let him live in the cemetery off in a remote area while they hid in their town and ignored the problem.
But Jesus wasn’t content to let it go that way…in fact, it almost seems like - not only did Jesus love a man who was scary - He intentionally sought out a man who was scary.
QUESTION:
Who in your life feels “too much” - maybe because of addiction, mental illness, anger, or brokenness?
Jesus is calling you to love the people you usually avoid!
21 When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. 22 Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. 23 He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” 24 So Jesus went with him.
2 - We love the people who impress us.
As a synagogue leader, Jairus enjoyed a bit of fame and power, if not actual popularity.
It would have been easy to…
just say whatever a man like Jairus wanted to hear
Assume Jairus didn’t need any help
Consider how much money you might be able to earn helping a guy like Jairus
Do you treat people differently because of what they can do for you? Or what other people think of them?
Jesus is calling you to love the people you admire and put on a pedestal.
A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” 29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.
30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”
32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
We love the people who exhaust us.
This woman was hidden inside a crowd of people who had chosen to overlook her with the intention of seeing Jesus.
She had been sick for a long time - and doctors…friends…family had all run out of options. They were all “over” this woman…
Who in your life constantly drains your time, energy, or patience?
Jesus is calling you to love the people you’re tempted to give up on.
35 While Jesus was still speaking, some people came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher anymore?”
36 Overhearing what they said, Jesus told him, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”
37 He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James. 38 When they came to the home of the synagogue leader, Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. 39 He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” 40 But they laughed at him.
Jairus’ daughter wasn’t even there…in more ways than one…
1 - she was back at home
2 - she was dead
But Jesus says….
We love the people who aren’t present.
Who around you goes unseen? The quiet co-worker…the overlooked neighbor…the child…the elderly?
Who is absent right now? The person who’s walked away…the one who can’t be in the room…the one forgotten in prayer?
Jesus is calling you to love the people who - for whatever reason - you can’t see right now.
After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”). 42 Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. 43 He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this, and told them to give her something to eat.
We love the people who seem too far gone.
Who in your life seems beyond hope? Spiritually dead...hardened…written off?
Do you still believe Jesus can step into their situation and bring new life?
Jesus is calling you to love the people who others have already given up on.
There IS an invitation in all of this…
We love because he first loved us.
No matter what you’ve done - or what’s been done to you - Jesus loved you before you ever knew Him.
People might be scared of you…
People might be impressed by you…
People might be exhausted by you…
People might have forgotten about you…
People might have written you off…
…BUT JESUS CHOSE TO LOVE YOU ANYWAY
INVITATION: Join the family of people who are learning how Jesus loves them
CHALLENGE: Will you join me in loving people well???
The ones who scare you
The ones who impress you
The ones who exhaust you
The ones who aren’t present right now
The ones who seem too far gone
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Who are the people in your world that others tend to avoid or ignore because they’re “too much”?
What keeps you personally from engaging with people who seem intimidating, broken, or different?
What would it look like for you to take one small step toward showing them Jesus’ love this week?
Do you find yourself treating people differently because of their status, wealth, or influence?
How can admiration or respect for someone quietly become favoritism?
What’s one practical way you could honor God by loving an “impressive” person without strings attached?
Who in your life consistently drains your time, energy, or patience?
How do you usually respond when you feel like you’ve “had enough” of someone?
What boundary, prayer, or perspective shift could help you love that person in a way that reflects Jesus?
Who comes to mind that you don’t see anymore—someone absent, overlooked, or forgotten?
How can we as a group or as individuals pursue the people who aren’t in the room right now?
What step could you take this week to remind someone absent that they’re seen and valued?
Who do you know that feels spiritually “beyond hope” or written off by others?
How does remembering Jesus’ power to bring new life shape the way you pray for them?
What’s one way you can act in faith—through prayer, conversation, or care—toward someone who seems too far gone?
