Christ-Centered Relationships
Notes
Transcript
When Jesus was asked “Which is the greatest commandment in the Law,” His answer was swift and very clear.
First, Jesus said to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” He said this is priority number one.
And we have been looking at what that means over the last several weeks. Loving God in this way means loving Him with ALL THAT YOU ARE.
God is deserving of such love! and it makes a big difference in our life when we love God in this way! Why? Because it places God at the center of who we are!
Such love places God at the center of your emotional self, your spiritual self, and your intellectual self. No area of your life is off limits to His Spirit, power, and truth.
Christ becomes the center… of your focus. You begin to see the world how Jesus sees the world. Your vision becomes more clear as your world view begins to shift.
Here’s the deal… we know God has big things in store for the heartland! But in order for these things to happen, we need to make sure our vision and focus is where it ought to be.
I don’t want a pandemic focus or an economy focus or a political focus or national focus or whatever else might come our way. All of these things are important… but not more important then having a Christ-Centered focus.
What a difference it makes when we address these issues with Jesus as our guide! The difference He makes in you will be the difference you make in the world around you.
And that serves as a Segway into the last part of Jesus’ answer to the Pharisees that day. He gives a second command...
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Jesus makes it very clear. We are to love God with all that we are and we are to love others as ourselves. Verse 40 specifies that ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS hang on these two commandments.
Love is the key. And I want you to understand the importance… I want you to see the that these two commands cannot exist independently from the other.
We cannot claim to love God without loving others. We cannot love others as God desires without knowing the love of God.
Jesus emphasized this truth in John 13:34-35
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
It is again emphasized by John as he lays out the truth very clearly.
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
Here’s the key plain and simple: A genuine love for God is revealed in our genuine love for others.
“Oh man! Pastor, sometimes people can be difficult to like let alone love! How in the world can we be expected to love everyone all the time?”
That’s a great question that warrants a solid response. Loving our neighbor as Jesus commanded requires that we have Christ-Centered relationships. It means that Jesus must be central in how we interact with others.
Consider these reminders for a moment.
One, ALL people matter to God
According to 2 Peter 3:9, God is not wanting anyone to perish. He desires for everyone to repent.
His desire was lived out as He sent Christ, His Son, to die for the sins of ALL. John 3:16 reveals the motive behind this action… GOD SO LOVED that He gave.
Even while we were yet sinners, Jesus gave His life for us. Romans 5:8 identifies this action as a demonstration of God’s love for us.
Here’s the deal: God’s love for all people is PROVEN. ALL people matter to God.
Secondly, in light of this truth, ALL people should matter… to us!
Never forget that Jesus died for EVERY soul… that includes you and… that includes those who might get on your nerves, those who irritate you, those who attack you, and those who talk bad about you.
Aren’t you glad today that Jesus didn’t pay us back for all the wrong we showed Him? Instead, He paid it forward by paying our sin debt IN FULL.
Loving our neighbor as ourselves requires that we place Christ at the center of our relationships. It requires for us to see people… how Jesus sees people.
So how does Jesus see people exactly? Through what lens… if you will… does He view the people of this world.
A loving lens is apparent… but it is a love that takes action. I briefly spoke of John 3:16 a moment ago… let’s look at what John 3:17 has to say.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
in light of the universal sin problem the world was facing, God sent Jesus to save the world.
Love was the motive behind the sending. Saving is the action that Jesus displayed. Instead of condemning the world… JESUS, AT THE WILL OF HIS FATHER, HAD MERCY ON US.
Watch this: Mercy defined is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.
God chose mercy over condemnation. God chose compassion over condescension. and Jesus commands His followers… to do the same.
This morning we are going to look at a familiar story. This story is Jesus’ answer to yet another question by an expert in the law. The question hovers around the two greatest commandments. The expert asks Jesus in Luke 10:29, “Who is my neighbor?”
Jesus’ answer is quite remarkable. It comes in the form of a parable and leaves little room for creative interpretation. It answer the question of what Christ-Centered relationships look like. It shows the love for a neighbor in motion.
As we look at this parable this morning, I want us to consider this question: Do I see people through a lens of love and mercy, or judgement and condemnation? Is Christ the center or how I see the people around me?
Left for Dead
Left for Dead
30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
Jesus paints an interesting picture in His parable. He tells a story that is believable that His listeners could relate to.
Being attacked while traveling wasn’t out of the ordinary. The traveler is ambushed, robbed, humiliated, beaten, and left for dead by his attackers.
These guys were merciless. These guys did a lot of harm to the traveler. They left him without any kind of aide or hope.
Now, everyone who hears this would be dismayed at the though of this happening to someone. It was cruel, it was heartless, and it was deliberate.
But the robbers were not the only characters in this story that left the traveler for dead on the side of the road.
A priest approaches the scene. He observed the traveler and… passed by on the other side of the road.
There was no engagement, there was no compassion. The priest just continued on while blatantly ignoring the traveler’s condition.
Next, a Levite comes down the road. This guy does the exact same thing that the priest did. The traveler is once again left for dead.
Now these two guys have a couple of things in common.
The priest and the Levite “love” and “serve” God. Yet there was absolutely no effort made to help the guy on the side of the road. Instead, they chose to pass by on the other side of the road.
Raised to Life
Raised to Life
33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
Talk about a different approach! The Samaritan doesn’t just pass on by… he engages the need and took pity on him.
He came to where the traveler was.
His compassion for the wounded man caused him to move in closer… to not ignore, but to engage. In that engagement the Samaritan:
Placed bandages on his wounds
Poured in the oil and wine - cleaned the wounds
Placed the wounded man on his own donkey
Checked him in at the nearest hotel
Took care of the wounded man’s future expenses.
The Samaritan did not distance himself from the traveler but rather he took care of the need. And he could have made a list of excuses a mile long not to engage.
The traveler was a Jew, he was a Samaritan. There was a race problem here.
The Samaritan would lose time by stopping and taking care of the traveler.
The Samaritan would have to walk in order to give the traveler a ride into town
The Samaritan would have to give money to insure the travelers care.
And yet the excuses didn’t matter. The Samaritan did not hesitate to help the wounded traveler. He was not going to leave him for dead as the others did.
The world is in desperate need of people who would operate as the Samaritan did - people who will not think twice about helping and loving their neighbor.
Jesus has commissioned… has commanded that His church be a different people than that of the world. Jesus illustrates for us what loving our neighbor should look like. Instead of leaving people for dead… we need to help raise them back to life.
The example given shows love in action. The example given shows the Samaritan doing for the traveler what he was unable to do for himself. The example shows the needs of the traveler being met by the love of the Samaritan.
This is EXACTLY what Jesus has done for all of us.
Jesus didn’t pass on by… Jesus met our every need.
Throughout His ministry, Jesus was seen engaging with the people that had been broken and forgotten. He reached out to the sick, the exiled and the hurting. He engaged.
Jesus would later meet a need only He could meet - our need for redemption. This need could only be paid for with His blood.
He died for the very crowd that shouted crucify Him.
He died for the soldiers that hammered the nails through His hands and feet.
He took on the sins of the world… even though the world had rejected His love.
Jesus… because of His love for us… showed us… MERCY. Jesus is NOT asking us to do something He was unwilling to do. Jesus is commanding that we do as He did… especially if we claim to love Him.
We are called to engaged. We are called to love. If we love Jesus… we will love like Jesus.
As Jesus closes out the parable, He asks the expert in the Law
36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
And I love the answer that is given back to Jesus.
37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
Go and do likewise. Go show mercy like what was illustrated in the parable.
Christ-Centered Relationships
Christ-Centered Relationships
Christ-Centered relationships look different and operate differently than any other relationship. Christ-Centered relationships remove self out of the equation.
Mercy, motivated by love, becomes the commonly expressed action. Compassionate actions become the norm, not the exception.
Things like judgement, condemnation, etc, all take a hike. Instead of looking down on others, we lift them up as Christ has lifted each of us up today.
I do not believe there is one person here today that does not appreciate the mercy God has extended toward us through His Son. Please correct me if I am wrong.
We need to extend to others what has been extended toward us. We need to treat others how we desire to be treated.
The Golden Rule… is a biblical rule. It comes from Luke 6:31 and was spoken by Jesus!
31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
Notice He did not say treat people how they treat you… He said to treat them as you desire for them to treat you.
This is not the “I’ll scratch your back if you will scratch mine” sort of thing.
And… this rule is given in passage of Scripture where Jesus is talking about… LOVING YOUR ENEMIES!
27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
I hope we are listening today! because this kind of love… has the power and potential to CHANGE THIS WORLD! This kind of love will make the difference! Why? Because this kind of love comes from knowing JESUS!
We are not to show favorites. We are not to place conditions. We are not to look down or to make assumptions. WE ARE COMMANDED TO LOVE.
8 If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. 9 But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.
12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.
Speak and Act… show mercy instead of judgement. Mercy will NOT be shown to the merciless. And mercy must be more than something spoken of… IT MUST BE REAL ACTION.
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
Christ-centered relationships are merciful and loving relationships.
This goes for EVERY relationship we have! We are to love as Christ loved. We are to show mercy as Christ showed mercy.
And this is especially true in our strained relationships.
32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Church… this is not a suggestion… it is a command of God. This needs to be lived out personally. This needs to be lived out as the church.
Loving people… the second half of our mission statement… comes from the command given by Jesus. He meant it when He said it… we should desire to live it and to love like Jesus.
Application
Application
Will we take this command to heart, today? Are we willing to look deeply within ourselves to see if we look like the Samaritan… or do we look like the priest or the Levite?
I get it. The world is a busy and crazy place. And it is only going to get more crazy as we continue in these last days. But this is all the more reason why we, the church, need to rise up in love.
If we love Him, we will love others. Remember the words of 1 John 4:20. We cannot claim to love God and not love others. A genuine love for God is revealed in our genuine love for others.
And if we do good without love in our hearts, 1 Corinthians 13 makes clear all we are doing is making more noise.
What this world needs is love. What this world needs is mercy. What this world needs is a Savior.
Jesus has come and He gave His life for all. ALL PEOPLE MATTER TO GOD. It’s high time that all people matter to His church as well.
Imagine the difference it would make if Christ were at the center of all our relationships?
When considering those you know and hang out with and work with… what do you find at the center of those relationships?
Maybe happiness. Maybe anger. Maybe concern. Maybe bitterness. Maybe joy. Maybe sorrow. Relationships can be full of MANY different feelings. They can be difficult to navigate at times.
Jesus at the center helps to place His love in focus instead of how we might feel.
Imagine what might happen if mercy was extended instead of judgement.
Imagine what might happen if a helping hand was given instead of a condemning word.
Imagine what might happen if love was present instead of hate.
“But pastor, they do not deserve that kind of treatment.” Well, neither did we. But Christ STILL died in our place.
In order to know this kind of love… you must first know the Lord.
You won’t find this kind of love in the world… it is found only in Jesus. He wants to reset your heart and your life today. He wants to show you mercy and love. Will you invite Him to come into your heart today?
PRAYER - Salvation
Secondly, how many would be transparent today by saying you recognize some room for improvement in the way you view some people in your life?
It’s time to place love at the center. It’s time to offer forgiveness. It’s time to stop casting judgement… for mercy triumphs over judgement.
If we want to see God move powerfully in the heartland in 2022… it needs to start with His people loving others as He commanded. Imagine the difference expressing a Christ-centered love can make!