Freed to Love

Welcome/Prayer/ Intro

Good Morning Church!

I love you!- We are going to continue our series in Romas.

Prayer- Lord I pray that we would be overwhelmed with an awareness of your love for us this morning! That your love would work in our lives this morning. That it would meet us where we are at. That it would shine through in the scriptures we read and that your heart would transform ours to look more like you! Amen!

Introduction- We miss the point!

Valentines Day for Example: We think it is about Romantic love, but if you look up the story of St. Valentine. He did some cool stuff, like heal a blind girl and convert his jailor, but the end of his story was more of a tragedy than a romance. He was decapitated. We send cute little valentines, but the original one was right before a man got his head chopped off!

it makes me wonder if we miss the point of Christianity?

Heaven, Living a good life, following the bible, converting people, building a better world?

Transition: In today’s scripture passage Paul is saying the very same thing to the Christians in Rome! He is saying you are missing the point when it comes to the Law. You are treating it like it still holds the same weight, like the law is still the point. He will explain to the church that we are freed from the Law to do something greater! (Turn to Romans 7)

Scripture Speaks!

Freed from the Law!

Paul explains that the jews and the whole church are not under the authority and bondage to the law. The law was intended to be a guide on how to maintain right relationship with God and others!

N.T. Wright says it like this, Paul is making the striking and controversial claim that the law, when given to Israel, formed a bond between Israel and … not God, as one might have supposed, but rather Adam

Christ has set up a new authority and bondage- He uses the example of a woman who’s husband dies and remarries. She is no longer bound by the law or her husband.

Paul simply wants to show that a death can indeed bring freedom from the law; at the same time, he hints that such freedom can also lead to a new relationship.

Paul is saying that this thing Ive talked about being dead to sin and alive in Christ is serious! You were bound to the law but now you are bound to God in Christ.

Transition: What then is our purpose? if we are free from the law, what guides us un our relationships? I think we can boil it down to one word! LOVE!

Question: What does love mean to you? How do you define love?

The bible uses the word hessed- means loving kindness, I like the translation God’s stick-with-it-ness.

Love- Love is the to Christianity as what the Law was to Jews. Its the standard by which we measure our lives!

Does anyone remember this acronym? W.W.J.D- (Slide) What would Jesus do? Thats a brilliant question to ask yourself in a sticky situation. But your answer could varry. (whipping people) Answer: H.W.L.F (Slide)- He would love first is a great response. How can I love like him in this situation?

Who are we supposed to love- Scripture tells us three things. Can someone please read: Mat 22:34-40 out loud. It clearly says love yourself, money and politics right?

This isnt a new command you can find hundreds of OT scriptures that say this.

its a new way of relationship with God and others. Its how we were created to relate to God and others!

Neighbor- Who is my neighbor- if you want the long answer read Luke 10! but short answer is everyone! anyone you come across!

Have you ever heard the phrase, I have to love you it doesnt mean I like you? Thats a garbage perspective. Tell me how you feel loved by someone that doesnt like you? its just an excuse for not taking a step deeper into love! Now, you can not like someones actions or choices, but thats different.

Jesus says you have to love each other!

Look at what he says in John 13:34-35 (slide)

Question: How do you feel loved/what is your love language?

We just heard how we can truly love each other lets put this into practice church!

How do we love- What does it look like- Scripture again gives us a simple answer- Just like Jesus!

If you are not sure what love looks like, read about Jesus- there are four books all about him. They are literally called Good news about Jesus !

Challenge: if you arent following a plan this year, I challenge you to go through the gospels and write down every instance where you see Jesus showing “love”. Youre life will be changed. I am going to do this too!

Look at Scripture! - Read 1 Cor 13:4-8, 13

When we ask ourselves have we loved today? We can really ask

Was I paitent today?

Was I kind today, even when this person annoyed the pants off me!

Was I envious of that person today or that relationship?

Was I full of myself today boasting and proud?

Did I dishonor anyone in my words or thoughts to them or how I spoke about them to others?

Did I seek to serve myself? Did I explode in anger? Did I bring up that thing from the past when I wanted to justify my actions?

Love is the standard, you see… Read 1-3 with paraphrase..I can have the most valuable things, but if not love I have nothing!

Why? Why should we love? Whats the point? do we love for love’s sake? Scripture has a clear answer here too!

Does anyone know 1 Jn 4:19- We love because he first Loved us!

Question: How or when do you feel Gods love? Me- used to be in nature, now it is in the way my wife loves.

Love will radically change our church, our community, and the world. Jesus says in John 13:34- this is how people will know you are his disciples, not by your political party not what stance you take on this hot topic or that one but by our love for each other!

Again in John 16, Jesus says our unity will be the reason the world will know that Jesus is from God and that God loves them!

Love will help us squash sin- 1 Peter 4:8.

Our commitment to love and our commitment to each other is our best way to witness to Newville and the world. There are churches everywhere in Newville, What will set us apart? - it wont be our BBQ chicken, but our Love, Amen!

Recap/Challenge: Love is the point, its the best way to live our faith!

We are called to

Love God

Love our our neighbor - anyone and everyone

Each other- that means the person setting next to you or behind you or across the room from you.

We see love as the key throughout scripture

The bible gives us example of what love looks like in Jesus and in other passages

We now know how to love each other in a way that makes us feel loved!

We have a litmus test for love! Found in 1 Cor 13!

Challenge: Your challenge Church, is to love this week in ways that you havent loved before, do something for someone in this church. Do something for a neighbor! Show love to a stranger! Love to the point that it costs you. That it makes you uncomfortable. Do something for someone that you wouldnt have though you’d do in a million years. (we are going to talk about this next week.)

I want us to imagine how this could change us!

Imagine: if we all took this seriously. Each person chose to love this week. if each person pushed beyond what they called love before. If a stranger knew Jesus like love for the first time. If newville was a town known for its love more than its narrow streets. Imagine a world filled with Love! That world starts with YOU!

Prayer Focus: Lord, show me your love in a way that I have never seen or felt before. Let that love change me and transform me. May your love ignite a fire of love in my own heart. A refining fire that burns away all other false loves. Lord, help me to love you more today than I did yesterday. Lord, let that Love reflect in how I treat others! Jesus your love set me free from sin and death, your love looked like sacrifice. Your love changed the world. Holy Spirit, transform us till our love looks more like Jesus! Amen. (Slide)