Like Jesus - Love People

Continuing the series: Like Jesus

We, as Christians ought to be like Him

The more we know Him, the more naturally His likeness will flow from us

Perhaps the greatest way to mimic Jesus is to love

If we love, then are we born of God

If we do not love, we do not know God

How many people do you love? And how many do you not love?

1 John 4:7–9 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.

The Bible gives us the instruction to love

Love thy neighbor as thyself

Jesus gave us the demonstration of Love

Love one another, as I have loved you.

Let’s look at some examples of Jesus’ Love, that we should be emulating:

Love that Serves

At the last supper there was no servant to wash their feet

after the supper, Jesus took a towel, and began to wash the disciples feet

John 13:12–17 NKJV

12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? 13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, 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 should do as I have done to you. 16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. 17 If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.

He concluded this lesson by instructing them (vs. 36), that they love one another “as I have loved you”

by this will all men know that you are my disciples — if you have love one to another

this is what Christianity MUST look like

otherwise is is false Christianity.

Jesus said, if we know these things - we will be happy if we do them

loving others brings joy unspeakable - not only to the one receiving the love, but especially to the one who loves

Do we love? As He has loved us?

Love Above Ritual

Jesus was Holy (and is Holy)

He observed and fulfilled all the law

And when His Disciples were hungry, on the sabbath, He allowed them to eat

Matthew 12:2–8 NKJV

2 And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, “Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath!” 3 But He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? 5 Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless? 6 Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple. 7 But if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8 For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

The rituals matter, and are important

there was a reason for them - to love and bless people

God so loved the world

So many people can get caught up in the letter, and kill the spirit

But no Jesus

The sabbath was made for man...

all of the law was made for us, we were not made for the law, but for love

Love That Provides

When the people followed Jesus, they became hungry

They had left their own provisions to follow Him, to hear Him

And Jesus said “I have compassion on the multitude

Matthew 15:32 NKJV

32 Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

Jesus said “I do not want to send them away hungry”

You can be confident, that if you will follow HIm, Jesus will not send you away hungry

David said, in Psalm 37 “I have been young and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his children begging for bread”

He will not leave you begging for bread- His love will provide for you also.

Love that is Humble

Jesus was not seeking a title, wealth, or power of this world

He loved us with gentleness and humility, and taught us the same.

Mark 10:42–45 NKJV

42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

too many people are looking to “lord over” others -

if you want to be the first, be willing to be the servant

This is the example He set

Love That is Selfless

Its easy to love, and serve, and give, when you are full yourself, and strong yourself

But Jesus was also willing to love when He was tired, and empty, and wanting to be alone

Matthew 14:10–16 NKJV

10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. 11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 12 Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus. 13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.” 16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

He had received the news of John the Baptist being killed

He wanted to be alone and pray

He had sought out a deserted place - but they followed Him

This is where so many of us blow a gasket

haven’t I done enough already!!!! one might shout.

So many of us make excuses in these times ---

we just need a vacation from being a Christian perhaps

But genuine love does not take a vacation - it just is -

In season - out of season

When Jesus saw the multitude He had compassion on them -

He healed their sick

He instructed the disciples, saying “you give them something to eat”

Even when He had every right to be left alone, and to avoid the crowd, he put Himslef aside, again, and had compassion

Can we love like this?

Can we keep our attitude of love when we are under pressure?

if you want to know what is in a sponge, squeeze it

If you want to know what is inside a Christian - how do the act under pressure

Jesus loved - had compassion

Fearless Love

Sometimes love has to confront sin - this is still love

Matthew 11:20 NKJV

20 Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent:

Matthew 23:13–15 NKJV

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation. 15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.

Jesus love was not afraid to confront sin, and sinners -

to do otherwise would not be love

to remain silent allows others to be lead astray

He still gives us free will - but we should know the truth

Acknowledging sin for what it is is not wrong

we can still love people even if they continue in their sin

but being afraid to confront their sin is not love - that is cowardice, and hypocrisy

Love That Identifies with You

Mat 25:24-40 -

Jesus will separate all nations -

to those on the right - come into the kingdom

becasue I was hungry and you fed me....

Whatever you have done to the least of these, my brethren you have done to me...

Think about how wonderful this statement is for a moment:

If you are a Christian then....

Every good deed that you do for people in His name, or for Him, is as if you did it to Jesus Himself

And, should you choose to ignore those needs, it is as if you ignored Jesus Himself ---

And there is more:

If you are a Christian, every time someone blesses you, helps you, shows you love, it is, as thought they did that for Jesus Himself - He has chosen to identify with you

He chose not the form of angels, but came as the seed of Abraham

He had said to Abraham — I will bless every one who blesses you

He has chosen to identify with you

Therefore He is not ashamed to call us Brethren!

Love That Rewards

Luke 18:29–30 NKJV

29 So He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, 30 who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.”

There is a reward for those who follow Him

though you may leave a lot behind - there is so much more for you

Moses had respect unto this reward - far greater than Egypt’s treasure

Love that Speaks the Truth

Mark 10:17–22 NKJV

17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” 18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. 19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” 20 And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” 21 Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” 22 But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Jesus “loved This man” - and so He told him what his problem was

He knew that doing so would make him sad

He knew the man would leave lost - but he was already lost

He did not give him false salvation -

He did not give him a sugar coated lie

He told him the truth - even though it would turn him off to the gospel,

it is not your fault when sinners continue to sin

it is not your fault when someone rejects the gospel you have presented

in fact, Ezekiel 33 says you are judged guilty if you do not present it

Love Never Too Late

Matthew 20:10–16 NKJV

10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”

So many of us have wasted days and years, like these laborers loafing around the town all day

so many of us have wasted years working for the wrong master, and come late to the Lord

Even the last can be first -

and we are never too late to receive the kingdom!

A Never Ending love

These examples only touch the surface of the love of Jesu

The examples He has given us would exhaust the time we have - He is wonderful

And, the love He has shown us is Everlasting

Matthew 28:18–20 NKJV

18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

He is with us “always”, even to the very end

Now, I am so moved by the love of Jesus toward me

I cannot express the joy I have knowing I am so loved

I cannot express the relief I experienced when I first learned of this wonderful love

The confidence I have in His love - indeed, nothing can separate me from His love (Rom. 8:38-39)

And still, I am not complete until I can learn to love like He does

Until I can love without condition

As a servant

In humility

Selflessly

Fearlessly

Above rituals and social status

Giving of my self and my substance

Loving as He loved me

Loving without condition

Identifying with others, seeing through their situation

Loving those who wait too long-

loving endlessly

God help me to love others, as you have loved me.

We can be Like Jesus - we can love like Jesus