What's Love Got To Do With It?
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Introduction
Introduction
Good morning everyone. My name is Brian Young for those of you who don’t know me. It is a pleasure to be back here. This morning we will be continuing our study of the book of 1 John. I have titled this sermon “What’s Love Got to Do WIth It? In our passage this morning. The title is inspired from an old Tina Turner song titled “What’s love got to do with it”. In our passage this morning we will be looking at what it means to love each other after Christ’s love for us. And as we will see in our passage, Love has everything to do with the Christian life. Before we begin, Please join me in a word of prayer.
Good morning everyone. My name is Brian Young for those of you who don’t know me. It is a pleasure to be back here. This morning we will be continuing our study of the book of 1 John. I have titled this sermon “What’s Love Got to Do WIth It? In our passage this morning. The title is inspired from an old Tina Turner song titled “What’s love got to do with it”. In our passage this morning we will be looking at what it means to love each other after Christ’s love for us. And as we will see in our passage, Love has everything to do with the Christian life. Before we begin, Please join me in a word of prayer.
PRAY
PRAY
About a year ago, i had a person confide in me that they were going through a rough time. This person had moved out of their house somewhat suddenly. The details of that event were hard to hear. This person had been the recipient of years of emotional and verbal abuse. And after another one of the fights, she had decided that she had enough out if and had to get out of that house. With nowhere to go at first, she reached out to a family from church to ask if she could temporarily stay with them. It just so happens that at this time, the family that she had reached out to had a daughter who was just a little over 1 and the wife was due with their second very soon. This family without hesitation said YES. No questions asked, no second thought, they saw their sister in Christ in need and acted. Months later, the wife would give birth to their second daughter. This family with a child under two, and a new born, took in this person and made a sacrificial call that they could have easily said no too and no one could blame obviously, they have two young children. Instead, they took this person in.. They put a roof over her head and food on the table for her. They allowed her to pay minimal rent and most importantly, allowed her to witness the love of God that this family had displayed to her through them. I tell this story to give us just one example of what Christian love looks like. Our passage this morning will show and teach us about the love that believers are to be known by. My goal for all of us this morning as we look to God’s word is to look vertically to our example of love in Jesus Christ as our foundation, so that we can live out horizontally the love he calls us to as believers. So without further a do,
About a year ago, i had a person confide in me that they were going through a rough time. This person had moved out of their house somewhat suddenly. The details of that event were hard to hear. This person had been the recipient of years of emotional and verbal abuse. And after another one of the fights, she had decided that she had enough out if and had to get out of that house. With nowhere to go at first, she reached out to a family from church to ask if she could temporarily stay with them. It just so happens that at this time, the family that she had reached out to had a daughter who was just a little over 1 and the wife was due with their second very soon. This family without hesitation said YES. No questions asked, no second thought, they saw their sister in Christ in need and acted. Months later, the wife would give birth to their second daughter. This family with a child under two, and a new born, took in this person and made a sacrificial call that they could have easily said no too and no one could blame obviously, they have two young children. Instead, they took this person in.. They put a roof over her head and food on the table for her. They allowed her to pay minimal rent and most importantly, allowed her to witness the love of God that this family had displayed to her through them. I tell this story to give us just one example of what Christian love looks like. Our passage this morning will show and teach us about the love that believers are to be known by. My goal for all of us this morning as we look to God’s word is to look vertically to our example of love in Jesus Christ as our foundation, so that we can live out horizontally the love he calls us to as believers. So without further a do,
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 John 3:11-24
Please turn in your Bibles to 1 John 3:11-24
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
This morning we will focus on 3 headings of love.
I will give them all to you now.
A Lack of Love in non believers
A Life of Love in the believer
An Assurance of Love from the Father
A Lack of Love in Non Believers
A Lack of Love in Non Believers
The apostle John writes in verse 11, 1 John 3:11
For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another.
This beginning that John is referencing to isn’t the beginning of the world, but the beginning of the gospel being proclaimed. One pastor’s commentary on this passage says “Since the beginning of the gospel proclamation, love has been a central theme of Christianity. John emphasizes what they had heard from the beginning to emphasize that the false teachers were preventing that which God, through the apostles, proclaimed we should love one another”.
This beginning that John is referencing to isn’t the beginning of the world, but the beginning of the gospel being proclaimed. One pastor’s commentary on this passage says “Since the beginning of the gospel proclamation, love has been a central theme of Christianity. John emphasizes what they had heard from the beginning to emphasize that the false teachers were preventing that which God, through the apostles, proclaimed we should love one another”.
Some brief background history in which John is writing. The false teachers of John’s day were teaching the false doctrine of Gnosticism. Gnosticism pretty much says that the body is evil but the spirit is good, so acts done in the body don’t have any significance because a person’s soul is primary good. The false teachers also prided themselves on having this special knowledge that the rest of the people didn’t and therefore, that special knowledge made them special. These false teachers demonstrated a lack of love to anyone who opposed their false teaching and would tell their followers to not associate with anyone who would question their teaching, thus it would lead to breaks of fellowship within churches and congregations.
Some brief background history in which John is writing. The false teachers of John’s day were teaching the false doctrine of Gnosticism. Gnosticism pretty much says that the body is evil but the spirit is good, so acts done in the body don’t have any significance because a person’s soul is primary good. The false teachers also prided themselves on having this special knowledge that the rest of the people didn’t and therefore, that special knowledge made them special. These false teachers demonstrated a lack of love to anyone who opposed their false teaching and would tell their followers to not associate with anyone who would question their teaching, thus it would lead to breaks of fellowship within churches and congregations.
These false teachers are similar to the example of Cain that John writes about in the following verses. He writes we should not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. He murdered his brother because his deeds were evil and his brother’s were righteous. If you’re not familiar with the story of Cain and Abel, Cain and Abel were the two sons born to Adam and Eve. Cain and Abel offered an offering to God and God had regard to Abel’s offering but he disregarded Cain’s and Cain became filled with anger. Cain ends up murdering his brother out of anger after being warned by God not to give into the sin that was crouching at the door. John uses the example of Cain to show what children of the devil are characterized by. They are characterized by hate and not love. Now you may be thinking to yourself, I am not like Cain because i have never murdered anybody and i most likely won’t murder anyone in my lifetime. But when was the last time you looked at someone with hate in your heart? When was the last time you looked at someone and thought, i am glad i am not that person? When was the last time you showed partiality toward someone? That is just as hateful of a behavior. When we do that, we are looking just like the world. John writes in verse 14, Do not be surprised brothers that the world hates you. The world hated Christians. We don’t see it here yet but persecution may be coming here before we know it. Hebrews 11:36-40 is a helpful illustration of how much the world hated Christians back then. Hebrews 11:36-38
These false teachers are similar to the example of Cain that John writes about in the following verses. He writes we should not be like Cain who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. He murdered his brother because his deeds were evil and his brother’s were righteous. If you’re not familiar with the story of Cain and Abel, Cain and Abel were the two sons born to Adam and Eve. Cain and Abel offered an offering to God and God had regard to Abel’s offering but he disregarded Cain’s and Cain became filled with anger. Cain ends up murdering his brother out of anger after being warned by God not to give into the sin that was crouching at the door. John uses the example of Cain to show what children of the devil are characterized by. They are characterized by hate and not love. Now you may be thinking to yourself, I am not like Cain because i have never murdered anybody and i most likely won’t murder anyone in my lifetime. But when was the last time you looked at someone with hate in your heart? When was the last time you looked at someone and thought, i am glad i am not that person? When was the last time you showed partiality toward someone? That is just as hateful of a behavior. When we do that, we are looking just like the world. John writes in verse 14, Do not be surprised brothers that the world hates you. The world hated Christians. We don’t see it here yet but persecution may be coming here before we know it. Hebrews 11:36-40 is a helpful illustration of how much the world hated Christians back then. Hebrews 11:36-38
Hebrews 11:36–40 (ESV)
Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
John tells us not to be like Cain, not to be like the world. There is plenty enough hate to go around. Christians should not be adding to it. Instead we should be showing the love of Christ because as John says in verse 14, we have passed out of death, into life, because we love the brothers. If love is not a habit of a Christian’s life, John says plainly in verse 15 that the person who hates his brother is a murderer and no murderer who actively hates his brother has eternal life abiding in him.
John tells us not to be like Cain, not to be like the world. There is plenty enough hate to go around. Christians should not be adding to it. Instead we should be showing the love of Christ because as John says in verse 14, we have passed out of death, into life, because we love the brothers. If love is not a habit of a Christian’s life, John says plainly in verse 15 that the person who hates his brother is a murderer and no murderer who actively hates his brother has eternal life abiding in him.
I know i personally struggle with showing partiality and favoring others. Just this last week i had coffee with a guy i know i disagree about some things with. And i was kind of stressing out before meeting with him. I didn’t want to get into a debate or bring up our disagreements. But it hit me like 5 minutes into the conversation. I thought to myself, I just want to love this guy right now and listen to him. Not that i changed my views on things but it wasn’t about that. I knew in that moment, the best thing i can do for this guy is to make him feel loved by listening to him and making him feel cared for. And i pray that he felt that from me.
I know i personally struggle with showing partiality and favoring others. Just this last week i had coffee with a guy i know i disagree about some things with. And i was kind of stressing out before meeting with him. I didn’t want to get into a debate or bring up our disagreements. But it hit me like 5 minutes into the conversation. I thought to myself, I just want to love this guy right now and listen to him. Not that i changed my views on things but it wasn’t about that. I knew in that moment, the best thing i can do for this guy is to make him feel loved by listening to him and making him feel cared for. And i pray that he felt that from me.
Maybe there is someone in your life who is harder to love. You may not hate them like Cain hated his brother but maybe your struggle with thinking less of them than you should. How can you show God’s love to them? Just something to ponder on as we look at our second heading.
Maybe there is someone in your life who is harder to love. You may not hate them like Cain hated his brother but maybe your struggle with thinking less of them than you should. How can you show God’s love to them? Just something to ponder on as we look at our second heading.
A Life of Love In the Believer
A Life of Love In the Believer
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
In verse 16, John reminds us of the love of Christ for us. He laid down his life for us. We ought to live our lives in a willing and worshipful way that would do the same for our fellow Christian. Jesus says in John 15:12-13
In verse 16, John reminds us of the love of Christ for us. He laid down his life for us. We ought to live our lives in a willing and worshipful way that would do the same for our fellow Christian. Jesus says in John 15:12-13
“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
This is how we know love. It is thanks to Christ’s example of a love in action. A love that is sacrificial. Our world today is filled with a love that is all about me.
This is how we know love. It is thanks to Christ’s example of a love in action. A love that is sacrificial. Our world today is filled with a love that is all about me.
Love yourself more
Love yourself more
You cannot love others until you love yourself and on and on it goes.
You cannot love others until you love yourself and on and on it goes.
PAUSE
PAUSE
This is not how we are commanded to love in this passage. We love because Christ first loved us and anything we do in love should be rooted in that truth. When it isn’t we stop loving out of selflessness and go back to being selfish. We stop thinking what is best for my brother or sister in Christ and start thinking what can i get out of this. In order to love like Christ, we must continually look vertically to Christ in thankfulness of what he has done and continues to do in our lives, so that we can be refreshed to love others like he has loved us.
This is not how we are commanded to love in this passage. We love because Christ first loved us and anything we do in love should be rooted in that truth. When it isn’t we stop loving out of selflessness and go back to being selfish. We stop thinking what is best for my brother or sister in Christ and start thinking what can i get out of this. In order to love like Christ, we must continually look vertically to Christ in thankfulness of what he has done and continues to do in our lives, so that we can be refreshed to love others like he has loved us.
In verse 17 John says 1 John 3:17
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
I think it is important to understand this verse to look at what John isn’t saying in this verse. John is not saying that if you have goods, you have to give everything to the poor. This is not a verse about solving homelessness in the world. Notice the word brothers. This word speaks of fellow believers within a congregation or local church..
I think it is important to understand this verse to look at what John isn’t saying in this verse. John is not saying that if you have goods, you have to give everything to the poor. This is not a verse about solving homelessness in the world. Notice the word brothers. This word speaks of fellow believers within a congregation or local church..
He is saying that if you have the means to help someone, yet close your heart against him, how does the love of God abide in that person. Again, what John isn’t saying here is that if you have money, that you have to give it all away or if you are in a position of life where you can’t help a fellow brother or sister in Christ, that doesn’t mean that you aren’t a Christian.
He is saying that if you have the means to help someone, yet close your heart against him, how does the love of God abide in that person. Again, what John isn’t saying here is that if you have money, that you have to give it all away or if you are in a position of life where you can’t help a fellow brother or sister in Christ, that doesn’t mean that you aren’t a Christian.
It is about the heart. Does your heart desire to help even if you know you can’t? Or does your heart look at a needy person and think no i wont help my fellow Christian?
It is about the heart. Does your heart desire to help even if you know you can’t? Or does your heart look at a needy person and think no i wont help my fellow Christian?
God has given all of us everything we have. There is nothing in this world that does not have his fingerprint on so to speak that he doesn’t rightfully own. Do you have a heart that as John says in verse 18 that loves only in word and talk? Or do you have a heart that loves in deed and truth?
God has given all of us everything we have. There is nothing in this world that does not have his fingerprint on so to speak that he doesn’t rightfully own. Do you have a heart that as John says in verse 18 that loves only in word and talk? Or do you have a heart that loves in deed and truth?
As we close with our final heading to consider, don’t miss the gift given to believers in this last one. Our last heading is,
As we close with our final heading to consider, don’t miss the gift given to believers in this last one. Our last heading is,
An Assurance From The Father.
An Assurance From The Father.
Read again with me, 1 John 3:19-24
1 John 3:19–24 (ESV)
By this we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before him; for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
John says in verse 19, that when we display the love of Christ in our lives, we can be reassured that we are of the truth. Or said another way, we can know that we have been given the love of Christ in salvation, because HIS love flows from us. It is not us doing good deeds that somehow earn love points with God that we cash in for salvation. NO NO NO. Again , John says it in verse 16, we know love because HE who is Christ laid down his life for us.
John says in verse 19, that when we display the love of Christ in our lives, we can be reassured that we are of the truth. Or said another way, we can know that we have been given the love of Christ in salvation, because HIS love flows from us. It is not us doing good deeds that somehow earn love points with God that we cash in for salvation. NO NO NO. Again , John says it in verse 16, we know love because HE who is Christ laid down his life for us.
John goes on to write, for whenever our heart condemns us, God us greater than our heart and he knows everything. John says in verse 19 that we can have assurance of being in the truth when we see the love of Christ being lived out through us, and then John says that when our heart condemns us, God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything. When we sin against Christ, our heart should condemn us because we sinned. Think of Peter in the courtyard after Jesus is taken into custody. Jesus told Peter that he would deny him 3 times before the rooster crowed. Peter of course ended up denying him 3 times and in Luke 22:61-62
John goes on to write, for whenever our heart condemns us, God us greater than our heart and he knows everything. John says in verse 19 that we can have assurance of being in the truth when we see the love of Christ being lived out through us, and then John says that when our heart condemns us, God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything. When we sin against Christ, our heart should condemn us because we sinned. Think of Peter in the courtyard after Jesus is taken into custody. Jesus told Peter that he would deny him 3 times before the rooster crowed. Peter of course ended up denying him 3 times and in Luke 22:61-62
And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the saying of the Lord, how he had said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” And he went out and wept bitterly.
Peter was cut to the heart because of his sin and he went and wept bitterly.
Peter was cut to the heart because of his sin and he went and wept bitterly.
John says that even when our heart condemns us of sin, God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything. If your heart condemns you of sin and you are broken hearted over that sin, John is saying don’t stay there. Do not doubt the assurance that God gives in verse 19 to those who love Christ and in whom the love of Christ is being lived out.
John says that even when our heart condemns us of sin, God is greater than our hearts and he knows everything. If your heart condemns you of sin and you are broken hearted over that sin, John is saying don’t stay there. Do not doubt the assurance that God gives in verse 19 to those who love Christ and in whom the love of Christ is being lived out.
If your heart doesn’t condemn you, you can have confidence before the Lord because of the love that he has first given to us. This confidence is not a pride that we hold over others but a thankfulness to Jesus of the gift that he has given us. We do not have to stand ashamed or scared.
If your heart doesn’t condemn you, you can have confidence before the Lord because of the love that he has first given to us. This confidence is not a pride that we hold over others but a thankfulness to Jesus of the gift that he has given us. We do not have to stand ashamed or scared.
John writes in the last couple of verses in our passage today, 1 John 3:22-24
1 John 3:22–24 (ESV)
and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God, and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit whom he has given us.
When a Christian makes their number one goal, loving God and loving others, whatever we ask from God we receive, Again what this doesn’t mean is important to discuss. A helpful verse that may help us understand this better is Psalm 37:4
When a Christian makes their number one goal, loving God and loving others, whatever we ask from God we receive, Again what this doesn’t mean is important to discuss. A helpful verse that may help us understand this better is Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
When we are fully delighted in the LORD, we know that whatever we ask will be in line with what we should ask for and how we should ask. When Jesus is my delight, i am not going to ask for luxurious possessions because my delight would then be in those. I am not going to ask for tons of money because i would probbaly end up coveting that. I am going to ask for wisdom to discern, or to love my fellow believers like HE does. And when we pray those prayers, we know that he will answer them. His answer may not look like what we are thinking, but we can have confidence that he will answer us because he is the delight of our hearts!
When we are fully delighted in the LORD, we know that whatever we ask will be in line with what we should ask for and how we should ask. When Jesus is my delight, i am not going to ask for luxurious possessions because my delight would then be in those. I am not going to ask for tons of money because i would probbaly end up coveting that. I am going to ask for wisdom to discern, or to love my fellow believers like HE does. And when we pray those prayers, we know that he will answer them. His answer may not look like what we are thinking, but we can have confidence that he will answer us because he is the delight of our hearts!
From the beginning, even back to the Ten Commandments, the law could be summed up in 2 statements. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love others as yourself. This is the commanded that we as Christians abide. And as we abide in his commandments as an outworking of what Christ has done inwardly, we have assurance that we are his. John says in verse 24 that he has given to us His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us and he is the deposit of the guarantee of our salvation. Brothers and sisters in Christ, abide in his commandment to love others as Christ has loved you. We all need reminders to do this because we fall short of this. Look vertically to Christ’s love for you and be refreshed and renew to live out his love horizontally with your fellow believers around you.
From the beginning, even back to the Ten Commandments, the law could be summed up in 2 statements. Love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love others as yourself. This is the commanded that we as Christians abide. And as we abide in his commandments as an outworking of what Christ has done inwardly, we have assurance that we are his. John says in verse 24 that he has given to us His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit lives inside of us and he is the deposit of the guarantee of our salvation. Brothers and sisters in Christ, abide in his commandment to love others as Christ has loved you. We all need reminders to do this because we fall short of this. Look vertically to Christ’s love for you and be refreshed and renew to live out his love horizontally with your fellow believers around you.
What does love have to do with the Christian life? Absolutely everything.
Let’s Pray
Small Group Questions
Small Group Questions
1. How Can Christians Show Love to One Another?
1. How Can Christians Show Love to One Another?
2. How should Christians love to someone they might disagree with?
2. How should Christians love to someone they might disagree with?
3. How can we encourage a Christian from this passage who struggles with the assurance of their salvation?
3. How can we encourage a Christian from this passage who struggles with the assurance of their salvation?
4. What are some examples of things we are to pray for when Jesus is our heart’s desire?
4. What are some examples of things we are to pray for when Jesus is our heart’s desire?
5. Share how Jesus Christ saved you, if you feel comfortable!
5. Share how Jesus Christ saved you, if you feel comfortable!