In the Name of Love

Please Bow with me in prayer. Father, it is by your gospel that we are even able to come to you. Jesus, we thank you for dying on the cross in our place to bring us to God, and Father it is for that reason, that we bow before you in prayer this morning. Father, out of your glorious riches strengthen us with power by your Spirit in our inner so that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith. Illuminate us with your word, Help us to understand more about you. In Jesu name, we pray, amen.

Monday is Memorial Day. We take Memorial Day to honor and remember all of the brave soldiers who have given their life for this great country. There have been around 651,000 battle deaths. Roughly 42 million people have served in the US Military. I suppose almost every person that enlists knows that there is at least a chance that they may lose their life in service to this country, but they do it anyway.

They do it anyway because they love their country. They love the people, and they love protecting them. They love freedom, and the American dream and they know that it is worth protecting. People do incredible things in the name of love, right? ? Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

However, it gets a little complicated. It is not as simple as it appears. In every one of those conflicts that took one of our soldier's lives. One of our soldier's that loved their country, there was another soldier, on the other side of the line, that loved his country as well.

Take the Civil War for instance. Now there were vastly different ideas of civil rights. One idea is absolutely right, and one is absolutely wrong, however, in that conflict, each side still has a love for their country. It would be unfair to say that the soldiers of the North loved their country more than the soldiers of the South loved their country. Each side loved their vision for the country equally. The conflict erupts when one side loves their vision of the country, or their preferences for the way things operate, more than they love the Gospel.

Think of two types of love here. There is a horizontal love between people and country, and things, and society. But there is also a vertical love. God's love some to us. He demonstrates his love for us in this, while we were still sinners Christ died for us. says, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." When we have faith in that vertical love, then we are able to develop a horizontal love for our brothers. , "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Therefore, when our horizontal love of one another is driven by our vertical relationship with God, we have a right version of love. In our Civil War example, if an individual has a saving knowledge of God, they will understand that love is sacrificial and is not limited to race, and they will exhibit a love that is willing to die to self and comforts and pleasures for what is right and true and good.

There certainly was love on the other side. This side did not base their love on this idea of dying to self. Thier love was not based on their love God, and the idea that the Gospel is available to anyone who places his faith and trust in Jesus Christ, regardless of race. But instead, their love was based on their preferences for their comfortable life. They based their love on their own vision of the country.

Please Bow with me in prayer. Father, it is by your gospel that we are even able to come to you. Jesus, we thank you for dying on the cross in our place to bring us to God, and Father it is for that reason, that we bow before you in prayer this morning. Father, out of your glorious riches strengthen us with power by your Spirit in our inner so that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith. Illuminate us with your word, Help us to understand more about you. In Jesus name, we pray, amen.

Please Bow with me in prayer. Father, it is by your gospel that we are even able to come to you. Jesus, we thank you for dying on the cross in our place to bring us to God, and Father it is for that reason, that we bow before you in prayer this morning. Father, out of your glorious riches strengthen us with power by your Spirit in our inner so that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith. Illuminate us with your word, Help us to understand more about you. In Jesu name, we pray, amen.

Monday is Memorial Day. We take Memorial Day to honor and remember all of the soldiers who have given their life for this great country. There have been approximately 651,000 United States Soldiers killed in battle. Roughly 42 million people have served in the US Military. I suppose almost every person that enlists knows there is at least a chance that they may lose their life in service to this country, but they do it anyway.

They do it anyway because they love their country. People who enlist in the military love the people of the United States, and they love protecting them. They love our freedom, and they love the American dream, and they know that it is worth protecting. People do incredible things in the name of love, right?

John 15:13 NIV

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

? Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

If we look at a broader picture of the love of country, is not as simple as it appears. In each conflict that took one of our soldier's lives, there were also casualties on the other side. Just as our soldier's loved our country, the soldiers on the other side probably equally loved their country. That is why we have wars.

Monday is Memorial Day. We take Memorial Day to honor and remember all of the soldiers who have given their life for this great country. There have been approximately 651,000 United States Soldiers killed in battle. Roughly 42 million people have served in the US Military. I suppose almost every person that enlists knows there is at least a chance that they may lose their life in service to this country, but they do it anyway.

The idea that our vertical love must be in line before we are even capable of correct horizontal love is not only found in those passages from John, but it is also in the passage from Ephesians tht we have been studying.

Let's look at the Civil War for instance. Inherent to this war were vastly different ideas of civil rights. One viewpoint without dispute is absolutely right. The opposing viewpoint is absolutely wrong. Also present in that conflict is that each side had a love for the same country. It was just that each side had a love for their own view of their country.

They do it anyway because they love their country. People who enlist in the military love the people of the United States, and they love protecting them. They love our freedom, and they love the American dream, and they know that it is worth protecting. People do incredible things in the name of love, right? ? Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends."

If each side loved the same country, and the one viewpoint is completely wrong, why was there a conflict? Why wasn't it able to be worked out?

If we look at a broader picture of the love of country, is not as simple as it appears. In each conflict that took one of our soldier's lives, there were also casualties on the other side. Just as our soldier's loved our country, the soldiers on the other side probably equally loved their country. That is why we have wars.

To answer that question we need to think about two types of love here. One love, we will call a horizontal love. It is the love between people and country, and things, and society. But there is another love, a vertical love. It is God's love for us. , "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." And, says, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." When we have faith in that vertical love, then we can develop a horizontal love for our brothers. , "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Let's look at the Civil War for instance. Inherent to this war were vastly different ideas of civil rights. One viewpoint without dispute is absolutely right. The opposing viewpoint is absolutely wrong. Also present in that conflict is that each side had a love for the same country. It was just that each side had a love for their own view of their country.

Therefore, when our horizontal love of one another or country or whatever is driven by our vertical love relationship with God, we have a right version of love.

If each side loved the same country, and the one viewpoint is completely wrong, why was there a conflict? Why wasn't it able to be worked out?

In our Civil War example, someone who understands the vertical love that God has for mankind would have a horizontal view that dignifies all men. If someone knows that God created all men in his image, and Jesus came and died on the cross so that men could be saved, they would then develop a love based on God's love that would extend to all human beings regardless of race. In this case, a correct healthy picture of the vertical love relationship between God and mankind should have yielded a healthy horizontal love relationship, and a conflict should never have existed. It did. I will address why that was a bit later, but for now, let's start with the vertical love relationship.

Turn with me to . I will read it. Paul writes, "14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

To answer that question we need to think about two types of love here. One love, we will call a horizontal love. It is the love between people and country, and things, and society. But there is another love, a vertical love. It is God's love for us. , "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." And, says, "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." When we have faith in that vertical love, then we can develop a horizontal love for our brothers. , "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

Turn with me to Paul writes, "14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Therefore, when our horizontal love of one another or country or whatever is driven by our vertical love relationship with God, we have a right version of love.

Last week, we began this new series "Rooted" focused on this passage. We looked at how Paul's reason for praying like this is grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We also studied how Paul prays for the church of Ephesus to be strengthened with power through his Spirit.

In our Civil War example, someone who understands the vertical love that God has for mankind would have a horizontal view that dignifies all men. If someone knows that God created all men in his image, and Jesus came and died on the cross so that men could be saved, they would then develop a love based on God's love that would extend to all human beings regardless of race. In this case, a correct healthy picture of the vertical love relationship between God and mankind should have yielded a healthy horizontal love relationship, and a conflict should never have existed. It did. I will address why that was a bit later, but for now, let's start with the vertical love relationship.

This morning we will pick it up right at verse 17, specifically, the end of the sentence started in 16.

Ephesians 3:16–17 NIV

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

Turn with me to . I will read it. Paul writes, "14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

Paul prays that the Power of the Holy Spirit will allow Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith.

Last week, we began this new series "Rooted" focused on this passage. We looked at how Paul's reason for praying like this is grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We also studied how Paul prays for the church of Ephesus to be strengthened with power through his Spirit.

At first glance, that may sound strange for two reasons. The first reason it may seem strange is that we often hear about the Holy Spirit that dwelling in our hearts, rather than Jesus. The second reason it may seem odd is that we also speak of the indwelling coming in the moment of our salvation.

20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

The answer to both is essentially same. Remember we are dealing with a triune God. One God, in three persons. The persons of the Trinity are still completely one and only one God, who cannot be divided. So although Paul says that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, he could just as easily have said the Holy Spirit. Throughout the New Testament, we see references to both.

This morning we will pick it up right at verse 17, specifically, the end of the sentence started in 16.

When we get saved, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within us to conform us to be more like Christ. What Paul is praying here, is that God will provide us with power by the Holy Spirit to be more, and more conformed to the likeness of Jesus. There is this sense of a continual and increasing dwelling of Jesus.

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith."

It is us being more and more conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. , to be conformed to the likeness of his son.

Romans 8:29 NIV

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Paul prays that the Power of the Holy Spirit will allow Christ to dwell in our hearts by faith.

The minute we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins he begins to start conforming us to His likeness. From the beginning of our salvation, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sins that we need to get rid of to conform to the image of Jesus.

At first glance, that may sound strange for two reasons. The first reason it may seem strange is that we often hear about the Holy Spirit that dwelling in our hearts, rather than Jesus. The second reason it may seem odd is that we also speak of the indwelling coming in the moment of our salvation.

He may begin to convict us of outward and obvious sins such as sexual immorality, or stealing, or our language. As we live as Christians the Holy Spirit convicts of more and more sins some maybe less obvious, and perhaps smaller in nature, but nevertheless, he continues to conform us to the image of Jesus.

The answer to both is essentially same. Remember we are dealing with a triune God. One God, in three persons. The persons of the Trinity are still completely one and only one God, who cannot be divided. So although Paul says that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith, he could just as easily have said the Holy Spirit. Throughout the New Testament, we see references to both.

Left in our own strength we would find ourselves weak. If you have ever tried to live a more holy life, you understand what a struggle this can be. It is a constant battle of your will.

Last week, we began this passage. We looked how Paul's reason for prayer is based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we looked at how Paul prays for the church of Ephesus to be strengthened with power through his Spirit. This morning we will pick it up right at verse 17. Paul writes, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

So Paul prays, that God will strengthen the church with the power to be able to be more conformed to the image of Christ. He is praying for them to be able to kill more and more of the sins in their life.

When we get saved, the Holy Spirit comes and dwells within us to conform us to be more like Christ. What Paul is praying here, is that God will provide us with power by the Holy Spirit to be more, and more conformed to the likeness of Jesus. There is this sense of a continual and increasing dwelling of Jesus.

Think of it along the lines of

It is us being more and more conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. , to be conformed to the likeness of his son.

.

Galatians 5:24 NIV

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

The minute we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins he begins to start conforming us to His likeness. From the beginning of our salvation, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sins that we need to get rid of to conform to the image of Jesus.

That last part where Paul urges them not to be conceited, provoking, and envying, sounds just about the opposite of love, doesn't it?

He may begin to convict us of outward and obvious sins such as sexual immorality, or stealing, or our language. As we live as Christians the Holy Spirit convicts of more and more sins some maybe less obvious, and perhaps smaller in nature, but nevertheless, he continues to conform us to the image of Jesus.

When we read from this morning, it said just the opposite.

Left in our own strength we would find ourselves weak. If you have ever tried to live a more holy life, you understand what a struggle this can be. It is a constant battle of your will.

So as we are killing these things of the flesh, being more indwelt and conformed to Christ then with the vertical in place, we can do unto the horizontal.

At first glance that may sound strange. Doesn't Christ dwell in us the moment we get saved? And yes that is true, but the idea here is of a continuing and incresing of Christ's dwelling within us.

So Paul prays, that God will strengthen the church with the power to be able to be more conformed to the image of Christ. He is praying for them to be able to kill more and more of the sins in their life.

So in verse 17, Paul prays, that you, being rooted and established in love. Becasue the Church of Ephesus has a foundation, a footing, a deep rooting in the correct view of the Vertical love of Jesus Christ.

This love, was demonstrated. It is an active love. It is a foundational root growing holding love.

Think of it along the lines of .

Ephesians 3:17 NIV

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,

The world put this faulty idea of love in our head. We have this thought that love somehow happens to us. We say we "fall" in love. Oops! I am in love! Not true. Love is a constant and continuous dying to self. It is an active giving up of that which you want and like and enjoy, for someone or something else. For something that is not you.

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

The soldiers leave their safe and comfortable lifestyle dying to that portion of their self, for their love of country. In , Paul gives the attributes of love none of which are focused on ourselves. Love is patient, that means that our time is less important than that which we love. And real love, like Christ's love, is active.

That last part where Paul urges them not to be conceited, provoking, and envying, sounds just about the opposite of love, doesn't it?

Let me ask you this, How long did Christ have to wait for you to fall in love with Him?

When we read from this morning, it said just the opposite.

Love is kind, Jesus gave me grace, by going to the cross for my sins, even while I was still a sinner, even when I was cruel to him he was kind to me, he gave me grace.

It is our being more and more conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ. ROmans 8:29, to be conformed to the likeness of his son.

So as we are killing these things of the flesh, being more indwelt and conformed to Christ then with the vertical in place, we can do unto the horizontal.

says, love, is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs.

Our God is slow to anger and rich in mercy, and Jesus has removed my sins as far as the east is from the west.

So in verse 17, Paul prays, that you, being rooted and established in love. Becasue the Church of Ephesus has a foundation, a footing, a deep rooting in the correct view of the Vertical love of Jesus Christ.

Church what if we started to live in that same love? What if we were so focused on the vertical love of God as demonstrated in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and we were rooted in it. What if were patient with those difficult people in our life? As long as Christ was patient with us? What if we were kind to those who do not deserve it? What if we were not easily angered and did not keep a record of wrongs, but rather forgave one another.

This love, was demonstrated. It is an active love. It is a foundational root growing holding love.

And as we read the words and we talk about it on Sunday it all sounds so easy. But it if we are honest with ourselves we know its not. Honestly, if we are really going to love, I can't in good conscious stand up here and say, to be rooted more in love, let's be kind, let's be patient, and let's not angry, now see ya later we can all go and have lunch.

The world put this faulty idea of love in our head. We have this thought that love somehow happens to us. We say we "fall" in love. Oops! I am in love! Not true. Love is a constant and continuous dying to self. It is an active giving up of that which you want and like and enjoy, for someone or something else. For something that is not you.

It is hard to die to self. It is hard to have a selfless love. Try it sometime. Just try and throw and extra 20 in the collection plate and see what happens. But when we are rooted in the vertical love of Jesus Christ, things are different. When we realize Jesus gave away everything to become man, every star in the galaxy belongs to him, and he gave all that up to live life on earth just so that he give die. What manner of love is this?

The soldiers leave their safe and comfortable lifestyle dying to that portion of their self, for their love of country. In , Paul gives the attributes of love none of which are focused on ourselves. Love is patient, that means that our time is less important than that which we love. And real love, like Christ's love, is active.

We look at soldiers horizontal love of country when they give up their comfortable homes to live in tents in the desert heat, based on the vertical love of Jesus Christ who gave up his throne in heaven for a cross, and a crown of thrones.

The minute we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ fort he forgiveness of sins he beigns to start conforming us to His likeness. He may right away begin to convict us of the big sins, like sexual imorality or stealing, but perhaps our coventous, or our impure thoughts remain. As we live a s Christians, God through the Holy SPirit convicts of more and more sins, maybe the action sins go first then the Holy SPirit works with us on the thought sins as more and more of us dies to Christ. But, we need the power of the Spirit to acoomplish this killing of sin or dying to self. SO Paul prays, that the Church at Ephesus will be strengthened by the Holy Spirit with power so that will have more and more of Christ wihtin them.

Let me ask you this, How long did Christ have to wait for you to fall in love with Him?

Brothers and Sisters, we cannot love like this on our own. We cannot die to self enough on our own. We cannot be conformed to Christ on our own, and we cannot be rooted in love on our own. But by the power of the Holy Spirit, we die to self, we are then capable of living a selfless love. We as a church must be rooted in that vertical love of Jesus. Otherwise, we are slaves to our own desires.

Love is kind, Jesus gave me grace, by going to the cross for my sins, even while I was still a sinner, even when I was cruel to him he was kind to me, he gave me grace.

It may not seem like a big deal right now today. It might not seem like a big deal when we give in to immorality, rather than letting Jesus be Lord over everything. But each time we fail to die to self we have given that preference that horizontal love preference over our vertical love for Jesus and we become ineffective Christians. It might not seem like a big deal to buy a $4 latte, rather than throw the $4 in the collection plate, but each time we do we give that horizontal desire preference over the self-sacrificing vertical love of Christ, and we slowly make our churches ineffective. When the churches do not reach out with the Gospel as they should because they like their internal preferences better, the entire Christian Community is ineffective.

Slaves to our desires, lead us to be ineffective Christians. Ineffective Christians lead to ineffective Churches, ineffective Churches lead to ineffective nations.

says, love, is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs.

Let me go back to our original Civil War illustration. It would be unreasonable to assume that everyone in the south would be unsaved. Surely, among the entire South, there must have been some people that had a saving relationship with Jesus, right? So how could people who know that Jesus died on the cross for their sins, still be unwilling to love other human beings enough to grant them even the most basic rights? The answer is that they were not willing to die enough to self. They held their preferences for their lifestyle their cheap labor and their money above their vertical love to respond to the dying of self, necessary to stop the injustice. People were still going to church. Churches were ineffective, and the result was horrible.

Our God is slow to anger and rich in mercy, and Jesus has removed my sins as far as the east is from the west.

Brothers and Sisters, what we talk about here, and what we do as a church has consequences. Look around the country is divided. We must each as individuals ask God for the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives so that we can die to self. We must ask God for the power of the Holy Spirit to fill our Churches So that we all die to self, So that we all will be rooted in the love of Jesus.

Church what if we started to live in that same love? What if we were so focused on the vertical love of God as demonstrated in the person and work of Jesus Christ, and we were rooted in it. What if were patient with those difficult people in our life? As long as Christ was patient with us? What if we were kind to those who do not deserve it? What if we were not easily angered and did not keep a record of wrongs, but rather forgave one another.

And then Paul prays, I pray that you, being rooted and established in love.

And as we read the words and we talk about it on Sunday it all sounds so easy. But it if we are honest with ourselves we know its not. Honestly, if we are really going to love, I can't in good conscious stand up here and say, to be rooted more in love, let's be kind, let's be patient, and let's not angry, now see ya later we can all go and have lunch.

Brothers and Sisters, we cannot love like this on our own. We cannot die to self enough, we cannot be conformed to Christ enough, we cannot be rooted in love without the power of the Holy Spirit. Based on the Gospel, because Christ saved us Paul is praying that we have the power to die to self, as demonstrated in a selfless love.

In the Name of Love

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