Advent Love

Today is the last Sunday of Advent, which is a season of waiting in eager anticipation for what God will do. During these last three weeks, we have looked back to the people of Israel as they waited for a savior to appear, and we have looked ahead to the time when Christ will come again and all creation will be restored.

We have been reminded that we are a people who do not give in to despair during those days when the darkness seems overwhelming but who place our hope in the God who brings life out of death. We have been reminded that we are a people of peace who are not overwhelmed by the chaos but instead entrust ourselves to the God of peace. And we have been reminded that we are a people of joy, who do not ignore pain and sorrow but who instead know the joy and comfort of God even as we grieve.

Today we are called to remember that we serve the God who is love and that we are to be a people who love. For most of us, this is nothing new. We know the command to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbors as ourselves. But sometimes we struggle with knowing how to love well. Indeed, it can be difficult to know what actions are truly loving. This is especially true because every situation and every relationship is unique, and there are often many different factors to consider. Today we will examine how God’s love is displayed in John 1:14 and what that has to say about how we are to be a people of love.

John 1:14 NIV

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Elephants and Their Caregiving Behavior

In the wild plains of Africa or Asia, one of the most emotionally intelligent and relational animals you’ll find is the elephant. Elephants live in tight family units, and they’re known for incredibly deep bonds. But here’s something remarkable: when a baby elephant is orphaned or abandoned, the herd doesn’t cast it off.

They take it in. The aunties—the older female elephants—circle around the orphan, protecting it, nurturing it, even mourning with it. They guide it, shelter it, feed it—just like they would their own.

It doesn’t matter that the baby isn’t biologically theirs. It doesn’t matter that it’s not “useful” to the herd yet. It’s loved. That kind of compassion in the animal kingdom is rare—and it’s beautiful. But for us, it’s more than biology. It’s theology.

Psalm 68:5 says, “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” God’s love isn’t based on usefulness or performance. He doesn’t just accept us when we have something to offer. He wraps us up in grace when we’re weak, when we’re alone, when we’re helpless.

He doesn’t care about pedigree. He adopts us. Just like those elephants gather around the orphan, the heart of God moves to gather the abandoned. That’s not instinct. That’s agápē. That’s divine, unearned, unconditional love. And He’s still doing it today, right now, in this room.

(Source: BBC Earth)

The story of God is one where God is constantly reaching out to the world in love. In the Wesleyan tradition, we call this prevenient grace. The grace of God that goes before.

From the time of creation, God has been seeking the good of humanity, recognizing that humans need community and providing it. We see this throughout the entirety of Scripture in the story of the Israelites, but also in how Jesus comes to not only the Jews but also to the Gentiles!. In fact, the magi in the Christmas story were been Gentiles!

God called and blessed Abraham not for Abraham’s sake alone but so that the whole world might be blessed through Abraham and his descendants.

When Israel was enslaved in Egypt, God came to deliver them through Moses then led them to a place of their own so that the world might know God through their life together.

Time after time when the Israelites turned from God and lived lives of injustice and unfaithfulness, God sent prophets to call them back to God’s self.

Our text today tells us of God’s ultimate act of love, when the God of the whole world came and dwelt among humanity.

This is the very God of whom Psalm 8 says:

Psalm 8:1 NIV

1 Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.

That same God comes to us and takes on our flesh, living as one of us, experiencing all of life from birth to death and everything in between. He knows what it means to be fully human! He never lost his divinity, but he truly experienced all the emotions and struggles of being human!

God shares in our weakness, our grief, our pain, our sorrow, and even our death, so that we might share in the very life of God.

As Paul says in Philippians 2,

Philippians 2:5–11 NIV

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus took on the form of humanity, even the form of a slave, and experienced death, even death on a cross. And we are called to share that love with others! It is not just for us, but for ALL people!

This is what it means that God is love.

God seeks relationship with us—so much that God takes on flesh and tabernacles in our midst, experiencing all of life with us.

God does not abandon us to our pain, our sorrow, and our death but takes all of that into God’s very life and triumphs over it in the death of Jesus on the cross.

And as I mentioned a moment ago, we are called to respond to this love of God poured out for us by being a people of love.

We are called to love one another and our neighbors as God has loved us.

As C. S. Lewis says, “Love is not affectionate feeling but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.” And this wish moves us to action—we actively seek the good of others.

Love cannot be accomplished if we are ignoring and avoiding the brokenness of our community and our world.

Love requires us to form relationships with the poor, the broken, and the oppressed; to see and know those who struggle with addiction or homelessness; and to join with those who are experiencing grief and injustice.

The Prodigal Son's Older Brother

Imagine a man with two sons. One son runs wild—squanders the family name, wastes his inheritance, ends up feeding pigs.

You know the story. One day, he comes home. Dirty. Barefoot. Rehearsing his apology. But before he can finish, the father runs to him. Wraps him up. Calls for a feast. Gives him a robe, a ring, and a seat at the table.

But what about the older brother? He stands outside the party. Arms crossed. He’s furious—not because his brother came back… but because the father welcomed him without conditions. “All these years I’ve been slaving for you… and you never threw me a party.”

You see, the older brother thought love had to be earned. But the father wasn’t celebrating obedience—he was celebrating a relationship restored. The prodigal was lost—and now found. Dead—and now alive. That’s the love of God. Not earned. Not calculated. Not scored on a ledger. Just given. Freely.

And the tragedy? The only one who missed out… was the one who thought he deserved it. That’s the warning. That’s the beauty. God’s love isn’t for the perfect.

It’s for the lost, the broken, the humble. The only thing that keeps you from experiencing it… is refusing to believe you need it.

Brothers and sisters, our God is the God of love, and we are called to be a people of love.

1 John 4:7–21 NIV

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

Agape, unconditional love. That is hard for our human brains to imagine. There’s always a reason, a condition it seems to why we can’t love someone. In fact, in today’s culture we might classify someone who loves people this way, unconditionally, no matter what, as reckless. Friends, our God loves like this. Unconditionally. No strings attached. No matter what you’ve done. No matter what mess you’ve made. We might think love like that is reckless from our human perspective, but it is how God loves and how we are called to love others.

Maybe this morning you need to experience that love from God for the first time or maybe it’s time to come back to that love, ask forgiveness and repent. Maybe you need help loving others this way. As we sing Reckless Love, would you come and pray this fourth Sunday of Advent? Listen to these words if you are not familiar with this song, it speaks mightily about how our God loves not only us, but every person.....

SING: RECKLESS LOVE

PRAYER

COMMUNION RITUAL

The Communion Supper, instituted by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is a sacrament, which proclaims His life, His sufferings, His sacrificial death, and resurrection, and the hope of His coming again. It shows forth the Lord’s death until His return.

The Supper is a means of grace in which Christ is present by the Spirit. It is to be received in reverent appreciation and gratefulness for the work of Christ.

All those who are truly repentant, forsaking their sins, and believing in Christ for salvation are invited to participate in the death and resurrection of Christ. We come to the table that we may be renewed in life and salvation and be made one by the Spirit.

In unity with the Church, we confess our faith: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again. And so we pray:

PRAYER OF CONFESSION AND SUPPLICATION:

Holy God,

We gather at this, your table, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who by your Spirit was anointed to preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, set at liberty those who are oppressed. Christ healed the sick, fed the hungry, ate with sinners, and established the new covenant for forgiveness of sins. We live in the hope of His coming again.

On the night in which He was betrayed, He took bread, gave thanks, broke the bread, gave it to His disciples, and said: “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”

Likewise, when the supper was over, He took the cup, gave thanks, gave it to His disciples, and said: “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this in remembrance of me.” Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And so, we gather as the Body of Christ to offer ourselves to you in praise and thanksgiving. Pour out your Holy Spirit on us and on these your gifts. Make them by the power of your Spirit to be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the Body of Christ, redeemed by His blood.

By your Spirit make us one in Christ, one with each other, and one in the ministry of Christ to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen.

EXPLAIN ELEMENTS

The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, broken for you, preserve you blameless, unto everlasting life. Eat this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

The blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, shed for you, preserve you blameless unto everlasting life. Drink this in remembrance that Christ died for you, and be thankful.

CONCLUDING PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING AND COMMITMENT

And now, as our Savior Christ has taught us, let us pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

BENEDICTION: During this season of eager anticipation, as we have been preparing for God’s kingdom to come in its fullness, may we know the God of hope when the darkness threatens to overwhelm us. May we know the God of peace when we are surrounded by chaos. May we know the God of joy even in our pain and sorrow. And may God’s hope, peace, joy, and love strengthen and uphold us as we seek to be a people who live in the love of God.