Jesus' Passion for us: ultimate gift of Love
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Jesus' Passion for us: ultimate gift of Love
Jesus' Passion for us: ultimate gift of Love
Introduction:
(new series leading up to Easter and what Jesus has done for us)
(gifts we have done for loved ones for Valentines day.)
of the new series leading up to Easter and
2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
Jesus’ offering is His ultimate gift of love to us.
Understand what God has done for us and what it means to us that esus is that fragrant offering. Recognize that it may seem weird that God requires this. Our world looks at it being weird because we are not used to it. However, during ancient middle eastern age, it was not uncommon for people light fragrance in order to set a mood or set the right frame work for worship. It is not hard to realize this when we start to thank about all the representations when we light candles.
Genesis 8:
20 Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.
21 And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.
4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me;
6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure.
7 Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ”
8 When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law),
9 then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second.
10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
14 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,
16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
How do we live in appreciation for His sacrifice for us?
Live out God’s Love
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
As followers of Christ, we are challenged to imitate God by “walking in love.”
Define “walk”. This word for walk is not a walk of haphazardness. I have to be careful what how I say the following because I can be easily misunderstood. Walk in love is not going through life just “following our heart.” So whatever feels good, give the OK to continue on. If we live that way, it can have happy moments but leads to heartache and unnecessary struggle. Listen to the warning in .
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Once again, the “walk in love” in is so much more than feelings and especially feelings of the heart. It is intentionality. Strategically taking steps with intentionality. (Story of couple walking out to the music of “Raiders March”, the theme soundtrack to Indiana Jones. Then relate to countless scenes where Indiana had to take strategic steps or face certain doom.)
When we “walk in love”, we are trying our best to strategic take steps or another words “live out God’s love” with intentionality. Trying our best to live in such away that God will be please with us because we are displaying His love for us and His love for others through us.
15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,
16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things?
(Key on they aroma that is pleasing to God. Pleasantness of walking from the streets in Louisville into this small boutique shop with some candles lit that just smelled good.)
Many if not all of us know what death smells like. We have smelled the maybe an animal that has been killed by some mean and left on the side of the road or on our land. But compare that smell to a flowers bloom during spring time. Which would you prefer? Not to be less “manly,” We would prefer the smell of spring flowers which is the smell or the fragrance of life. What causes that beautiful fragrance in our world? God’s love. God’s love moves through us as we live out our love. Yet, our love his love.
Be selfless
3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.
Ephesians 5:3
As believers in God, we are part of God’s people. We are part of His church. We are part of the saints. Saints that are not declared by human recognition or declaration but instead by God’s decree by what He has done for us through Jesus Christ.
So since we are Saints, We live out our Love be being selfless. In , it quickly mentions sexual immorality or some translations say fornication, impurity or covetousness or some say greed. The Bible does not hold back. It speaks specifically into all of these categories. Yet, all of these stem from one over arching “sin”…selfishness. If we are so focused on our self and how we feel and not others and especially not on God, we will not live in love. Instead we will live in such away to get all the money we want. We will live in such away fulfill our own desires.
To “Live out God’s Love” we must be selfless on our desires.
Be selfless
Speak with gratitude
4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.
Ephesians 5:4
There is something to be said about the effects of our words on our actions. Our words can impact how we live. It makes sense that God would make sure to include this in how we should “live out His Love.”
Wisely evaluate all input
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians
5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not become partners with them;
8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
Ephesian 5:5-
From all sources in our life: family, friends, tv, books, newspapers, movies, and social media.
Faith comes into play here at higher level than what we want to believe. Because we have people in our lives that we allow to speak into our lives that can cause tremendous damage if we are no careful. They may have militias intent or they can have misguided intentions.
Do what pleases God
8 for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true),
10 and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.
11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.
Ephesians 5:8-
Faith comes into play here at higher level than what we want to believe. Because we have people in our lives that we allow to speak into our lives that can cause tremendous damage if we are no careful. They may have militias intent or they can have misguided intentions.