A Ministry of Love

1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.

John 13:34–35 NKJV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Title - A Ministry of Love

The Main Point

Our ministry is to be an extension and a continuation of the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. And if there is anything that distincly sets His ministry apart, it is love.

Christ’s ministry glowed with love, for God and people. He demonstrated how it is to love God above everything, and how to love others as oneself.

It is my desire that this ministry become identified with the same passion as Christ’s.

Sermon Points

Love - the Distinctive Mark of Christ’s Ministry

John 13:35 NKJV

35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:35 NKJV

35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:34 NKJV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

He showed how to love God above all

- “my food is to do the will of HIm who sent me...”

- “I do not seek my own will...”

- “…I always do the things that please Him.”

He showed how to love our fellowmen

Matthew 5:43–48 NKJV

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

Matthew 5.43-48

- love your enemies, love…do good…pray…

God makes the sun rise on the evil and the good…

Love - a Commandment for God’s People

John 13:34 NKJV

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

love is itself a commandment, an action word

Jesus’s kind of love is distinct from all others

Jesus’s kind of love is distinct that all others

His love was serving -

His love was sacrificial -

His love was uplifting -

Love - a Most Excellent Way to Serve

Galatians 5:13 NKJV

13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

1 Corinthians 12:31 NKJV

31 But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.

1 Corinthians 12.

Love gives meaning and purpose to every action.

Love produces actions beyond what the natural man’s capability

Love endures

Love is a sign of maturity

Love - the Mark of True Christian Life

The mark of true discipleship

John 13:35 NKJV

35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13.35

How can we love the sinners around us? the lost?

Love in deed and truth

1 John 3:16–19 NKJV

16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him.

1 John 3.16-1

1 John 4:7–11 NKJV

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

- speaking the truth in love

Love that is fervent

1 Peter 1:22 NKJV

22 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,

1 Peter

Love

Love that is abounding (overflowing)

Conclusion

How can we become identified as a ministry of love?

Philippians 1:9–11 NKJV

9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

Philippians 1.9-

Abound in love -

in knowledge and discernment

genuine love is not blind

genuine knows and grows in knowledge

genuine love can discern between right and wrong

that you may approve things that are excellent

love that grows in knowledge and discernment is able to judge (identify, point out) things that have great value

that you may be sincere and without offense

genuine love does not make people stumble

that you may be filled with the fruits of righteousness

genuine love produces actions that are in conformity with God’s justice and holiness

Romans 12.10-18

Romans 12:10–18 NKJV

10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. 17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

Love One Another -

our love for one another becomes a living testimony to the world

our love for one another makes it easy to love those who persecute us

love the brethren

hospitable to guests and strangers

bless those who persecute

Entertain Strangers

Hebrews 13:1–3 NKJV

1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. 3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

Serving all men

1 Corinthians 9:19–23 NKJV

19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; 20 and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; 22 to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 23 Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I may be partaker of it with you.

1 Corinthians 9.19-2

SONG - The Love of God

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