What's Love Got to Do With it?

Last week we talked about this idea of evangelism. And we looked at the story of the woman in Samaria who had a big moment with Jesus that changed her life and she couldn’t help but share that moment with others.

When you have a big moment you naturally want to share it with others!

That’s what the e word is. It’s not a bad word. It’s not cringe-worthy word. Evangelism is simply sharing that big, life-changing moment when you accepted Jesus free gift of eternal life. And you keep sharing htose big moments you have as Jesu continually transforms your life.

After we accept Jesus’ gift of eternal life and have a first-hand encounter with Him, we need to demonstrate the change in our lives by learning to lean on grace!

We’re saved by grace, yes, but we’ve got to learn to live by grace as well. Grace isn’t just leniency. It’s not just that God is pouring favor out onto our lives. Grace is the enabling power of God to live a life that honors him. We honor him when our lives tell a story about forgiveness and redemption.

Does the faith you celebrate on Sunday sometimes feel disconnected from the reality you face on Monday?

On Sunday, we’re excited to see people we haven’t seen in a week or a few days.

On Sunday, we enjoy gathering with likeminded people over a cup of coffee, good music, and something encouraging from whomever’s preaching GOd’s Word.

On Sunday we like to think about what our life could be like.

On Sunday we even dream a little about stepping out in faith and doing that thing that’s always been on our heart.

On Sunday we allow ourselves to imagine a world in which our debts are forgiven and our hurts from the previous week or weeks have been healed.

On Sunday we believe anything’s possible!

Evangelism begins to flow naturally when we close the gap between Sunday’s celebration and Monday’s frustration.

This is what Jesus was getting at in .

John 13:31–35 CSB

31 When he had left, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. 32 If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. 33 Children, I am with you a little while longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so now I tell you: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ 34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 13:31-

I used to think that everyone in the church was kind and gracious, loving and Christ-like. I also used to think eating 8 Big Mac’s a day was a good idea.

The fact is, there are some unlovlely people in the church.

There are some resentful people in the church.

There are some hypocrites in the church.

There are some self-righteous people in the church.

Churches are messy because churches are full of people. The answer isn’t to run away. The answer isn’t to criticize. The answer isn’t to get mad. The answer is in doing what Jesus showed us in and doing what he told us in .

Pastor, I thought we were talking about loving those who don’t know Jesus. We are, but it starts by loving those who do.

Closing the gap between the celebration on Sunday and the frustration on Monday

If we’re going to share our story with others, it needs to be a compelling story and nothing is more compelling than a loving community that cares for one another.

Arnold Toynbee, the Brittish philosopher and historian born in 1889 and in 1975 once remarked,

“I think that love is the only spiritual power that can overcome the self-centeredness that is inherent in being alive. Love is the thing that makes life possible or, indeed, tolerable.”

Arnold Toynbee

And Jesus showed us exactly what he meant for us to do.

John 13:4–5 CSB

4 So he got up from supper, laid aside his outer clothing, took a towel, and tied it around himself. 5 Next, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet and to dry them with the towel tied around him.

John 13:

Jesus knew this was out of the ordinary. He knew it would stick into their minds. He also knew that it was counterintuitive.

John 13:7 CSB

7 Jesus answered him, “What I’m doing you don’t realize now, but afterward you will understand.”

After what? After his death and resurrection.

John 13:12–15 CSB

12 When Jesus had washed their feet and put on his outer clothing, he reclined again and said to them, “Do you know what I have done for you? 13 You call me Teacher and Lord—and you are speaking rightly, since that is what I am. 14 So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you.

Jesus died for the lovely and the unlovely

Jesus died for the “saint” and the “sinner”

Jesus died for the messy and the mannerly

Jesus died for the war-monger and the peace-maker

Jesus died for everyone!

And this is the message that most christians believe in. It’s the message that we want to convey to others.

And what Jesus wants us to understand is that loving people that don’t know him loses credibility when we can’t even love those who do know him.

Our faith earns credibility when our faith communities are characterized by unity and love!

ILLUSTRATION: There’s a popular social media account that’s trending right now and it’s owned by someone who claims to follow Jesus. On their page, they post pictures of other well-known Christians wearing expensive clothing. Nothing inherently wrong with that. That alone, brings to the surface an important topic about materialism, greed, stewardship, appearances, and a host of other themes that could and should be talked about.

However, a quick scroll through the comments on each post reveals of host of negativity, sarcastic responses, and a whole lot of justification for why many have become disengaged and disillusioned with the church today.

So what’s the problem? The problem that I have isn’t the posts or the pictures. Fantastic. Let’s have a conversation. But let’s also be clear about what we’re fighting for.

I’ve never met the creator of this social media account and I want to give whomever it is the benefit of the doubt, but the question i have when I encounter Christians who point out inconsistencies or hypocrisies in other Christians, is “What are you for?” We’re often very clear on what we’re against. But what are we for?

Jesus tells us that more than anything else we should be known for what we are for. In particular for unity and love.

John 13:35 CSB

35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Our faith earns credibility when our faith communities are characterized by unity and love!

John 13:15 CSB

15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done for you.

Why did Jesus use the example of foot washing?

We learn to love the world when we learn to love each other, especially when loving each other becomes difficult to do.

6 Reasons for Loving the Unlovely Among Us.

1. We’re all sometimes unlovely.

John 3:16 CSB

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

When whatever’s on our phone is more interesting than real life.

When we consistently show up late for things.

When we set an appointment or hang out time with someone and then bail at the last minute. It’s especially unlovely when the person you bailed on sees your social media post later that evening and it looks like you’re having a blast. They assume you just got a better offer.

Loving the unlovely is a way of being real. It’s saying to someone, I’m gonna cut you some slack because I’m gonna need you to cut me some slack.

If we’re talking about our faith in a way that emphasizes love and yet our unbelieving friends never see practical expressions of love, they’re not likely to be persuaded of the truth about Jesus.

2. Jesus loves the unlovely.

John 3:16 CSB

For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

I love that! God loved us in this way...

He loves the arrogant church member.

He loves the believer caught in sin.

He loves the follower who denies him.

He loves the one who’s about to betray him.

Romans 5:6 CSB

For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.

3. Loving the unlovely is a form of discipleship.

Jesus told his disciples he was washing their feet as an example for them. What you’re doing, you don’t understand, but you will. Just as I have done to you, you to others.

Discipleship is all about becoming more like Jesus. Christlikeness comes from making Christlike commitments!

We show others what’s it like to grow up into Christ when we love them in their most challeging moments.

Our mentality has to change.

We STOP thinking like an immature child.

That’s not fair.

Well they never help me.

They’ve never said a kind word to me.

We START thinking like a mature child.

How can I help?

How have I contributed to this attitude?

What’s the best way to demonstrate love in this situation?

What’s the wisest course of action here?

4. Loving the unlovely is an act of faith.

We’ve got to something of people in terms of “dealing with” them. Oh man, now I’ve got to “deal with” so and so. Nope. Not your job.

God deals with people.

NO matter how rotten someone’s attitude is or how egregious their behavior we can love them. We love, by humbling ourselves in the same way Jesus did.

We plant the seeds

We water them.

And then we trust God to give the increase.

It’s an act of faith!

5. Loving the unlovely teaches us to pray.

When we love the unlovely we realize that we can’t change anyone, only Jesus can do that.

So we pray while we serve.

So we pray while we sacrifice.

So we pray while we wait.

So we pray while we treat them with kindness.

So we pray as we try to gain an understanding of their perspective.

And when we do this for the unlovely among us, God grows our heart for the lost around us and we begin to pray...

6. We show the power of the gospel when we love the unlovely in our faith communities.

This is our compelling story!

By this, everyone will know you are my disciples! This can’t be overemphasized. If we get one thing right. If we can just get this thing down. If we can just figure out how to love each others…everyone will know...

What is The Bridge Church known for?

A lot of things make a church distinctive. One distinction that I never want The Bridge Church to have is a lack of love. We might lack a lot of things.

We might lack a dynamic speaker.

We might lack the fancy gadgets and latest sound equipment.

We might lack creativity and innovation.

We might have some leaky roofs and cracked sidewalks, but I don’t want ever want us to have a lack of love.

Why? Because too much is at stake!

Pastor, can you guarantee that people will come to our church if we do this? Nope, I can’t.

Well, what if people don’t come to our church? Doesn’t matter.

Evangelism isn’t about growing the Bridge Church it’s about growing God’s church!

Evangelism is about obedience and faithfulness. This is what God builds in each of us when we love one another.

We learn obedience.

We learn faithfulness.

We learn commitment.

We learn accountability.

We learn sacrifice.

We learn to love!

What’s love got to do with it? Everything!

Our faith earns credibility when our faith communities are characterized by unity and love!

In Blue Like Jazz, Donald Miller describes his misgivings about evangelism prior to deeper spiritual growth:

“I could not in good conscience tell a friend about a faith that didn't excite me. I couldn't share something I wasn't experiencing. And I wasn't experiencing Christianity.

It didn't do anything for me at all. It felt like math, like a system of rights and wrongs and political beliefs, but it wasn't mysterious; it wasn't God reaching out of heaven to do wonderful things in my life.

And I wasn't experiencing Christianity. It didn't do anything for me at all. It felt like math, like a system of rights and wrongs and political beliefs, but it wasn't mysterious; it wasn't God reaching out of heaven to do wonderful things in my life. And if I would have shared Christianity with somebody, it would have felt mostly like I was trying to get somebody to agree with me rather than meet God.”

And if I would have shared Christianity with somebody, it would have felt mostly like I was trying to get somebody to agree with me rather than meet God.”

People don’t meet God when we tell them what we know about God. They meet God when we show them what God is like and then explain to them how they can know him like that as well!