Love One Another

[0:00] The theme of the communion time, speaking of God's love, and how God's love should translate!

[0:30] Our lives. My purpose today is to help stir up some love and good works. It's one of the reasons we met together, it's just that, isn't it?

[0:41] Love and good works. Love, the world talks a lot about love, it's a word bandied about. People can talk a lot about what they love. They say they love things.

[0:52] People might say they love certain food. What comes to mind? What? All kinds of good things, no doubt. Food.

[1:02] What happens if some people have a love for certain things, whether it be entertainment, whether it be sports, things, whatever it be. But the love that we're speaking about here is something that transcends far and above any love for such matters as that.

[1:18] The love of which we speak now is the love of God. There's a child who wrote God a letter one day and it goes like this. Dear God, I bet it's very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world.

[1:30] There's only four people in my family and I can never do it. God loves everybody in the sense that he loves the world. He so loved the world as we just heard. Many times the Bible speaks about our duty to one another.

[1:45] And we've looked in times past at some of those one another's that are in the Bible. And we could think, for example, some of these ones here where it talks about be at peace with one another.

[1:55] Build up one another. Be of the same mind one towards another. Serve one another. Greet one another. Esteem one another. There's so many of them. Care for one another. Forbear with one another.

[2:07] Be kind and forgiving towards one another. Comfort one another. Exhort one another. Encourage one another. Be compassionate with one another. Pray for one another.

[2:21] It says confess your faults to one another. Accept one another. Be truthful with one another. But the one we're looking at just now is another one another and it's a repeated one.

[2:33] Love one another. Love one another. As we know, the world talks a lot about love. But for the world at times it's a kind of jaded kind of love that they're talking about.

[2:45] It's not the love that we're speaking about. That God tells us of. This love is much higher, much deeper, much wider. The love of Jesus. The love of God. The greatest love.

[2:55] Honestly, isn't it? John 13 from verse 34. It says, A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another as I have loved you. That ye also love one another.

[3:08] It's being sorted, Dad. Please. It's being sorted. Friends, if you do have someone coughing, we try to help and support you. But if it's too hard, you've got to go outside, alright?

[3:20] Just under the circumstances that we're in at this time. We don't mean to embarrass anyone. But naturally, if you have a coughing fit, people might get concerned. We don't want to diminish that.

[3:32] So I understand, Michael, it's hard when you have such a thing happen. But we'll continue. That ye love one another as I have loved you. That ye also love one another. And then the Lord says, By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another.

[3:48] So our Lord talks about love as being really the defining mark, isn't it? The defining quality of his disciples. It marks us as God's own people. Notice that when the Lord just said this in John 13, just before that, our Lord had stooped down and washed the disciples' feet.

[4:06] That's the kind of love we're called to have, isn't it? To love one another. To sow love. As the Lord loved in that servant attitude of stooping and washing dirty feet.

[4:19] Honestly, we're called to love. To love one another. But more than this, notice verse 34, as we just read, it says, As he has loved us.

[4:31] Verse 34, as he has loved us. Notice again, think of it, this is just hours before the cross. He's about to lay down his life for us.

[4:44] And these are really amongst his last words to the disciples as he addressed them in that close place of the upper room.

[4:55] In that intimate place. As he had that very close time with our, with our, his disciples. Our Lord had that special moment.

[5:06] And so it's very precious and very critical love that he showed. And we read on as he continued to speak in John 15, where he says such words again.

[5:17] He says, This is my commandment, that you love one another, as I have loved you. And he says this, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

[5:31] Notice that he says again, This is my, this is my suggestion, that you love one another. No. This is my commandment, that you love one another.

[5:41] We can gloss over that, can't we? We can gloss over that. But we must obey the master who calls us to love. To love like Jesus loved. It's love, that's not just any kind of love, it's Calvary love.

[5:56] Calvary love. The love of God. Think of it. It's love commended. It's love selfless. Love sacrificial. It's giving you life. That we should love one another, as he has loved us.

[6:09] That's something, just mind boggling, isn't it? To think that we could love one another, as much as Jesus our Lord, would love us. Such love that it's a giving, even of our life, for one another.

[6:21] That we'd lay down our lives. That's the extent of it. When you think, when you read about 1 Corinthians 13, where we know the familiar one, about charity, about love, really you could, you could translate, you could transpose the word charity with Jesus.

[6:38] Because he is 1 Corinthians 13, isn't he? He is 1 Corinthians love. 1 Corinthians 13. Love with a supernatural dimension. God quality love. And we call to this love, friends, to love with this Jesus quality, of that kind of love, that his love is.

[6:58] And we can't really fully grasp that, can we? The love that we're talking about, it's not a love to a sports team, or a love to some food, or whatever it be, some quite shallow, superficial kind of love.

[7:14] This is the love that he showed to us. So great a love, that he would lay down his life for us. And the love that we're talking about, this is decisive love. It's not fickle and changing.

[7:26] It's not dependent on emotions and feelings. We don't have to feel like loving. This love is unconditional, isn't it? Unmerited, selfish, selfish, selfless rather, unselfish, unmerited, unconditional.

[7:45] So our Lord tells us in Matthew 5, 44, again, another demonstration of that love. It says there, our Lord says, as the context is, if you've heard it said, you know, you just love people that are nice to you.

[8:01] He says, no, but I say unto you, love your enemies. Bless them that curse you. Do good to them that hate you. And pray for them, which despitefully use you and persecute you.

[8:16] It's counter-cultural, isn't it? This is way above and beyond what the world knows as love. It's God's love. And while we were his enemies, while we were still sinners, he loved us.

[8:31] And with this love, love is a choice. Love is his commandment. Love is his character. His commandment is that we love one another. What does the word tell us about this kind of love?

[8:43] Firstly, consider the quality of this love. The quality of this love. Love is of God. Love is of God. 1 John 4, verse 7 through 11.

[8:55] Beloved, let us love, for love is of God. And everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God.

[9:10] For God is love. In this was manifested, the love of God toward us because that God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him.

[9:24] Herein is love. Not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. So that word means the sacrifice for our sins.

[9:37] Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. Notice this marks the ones born of God.

[9:49] We that are born of God, we know his love and this love is his love. Love is of God. He is the definition of it.

[10:01] God is love. We see the Lord Jesus poured out God's love. For all the world to see at the cross. The Lord Jesus is God's love in human form.

[10:16] Love is of God, it says. In other words, he defines it. It's who God is. He is love. Again, think of 1 Corinthians 13.

[10:28] The Lord Jesus is right through that chapter. And since the new birth, his love is in us. Working through us. Friends, love is of God. Think of that.

[10:39] It's his character. It's his nature. It's his person. He is the model of love. And he shows us just what love looks like. Beloved, that's who you are.

[10:52] You that know Jesus as Lord, you that are for saved, God says, you're beloved. There's special love to you from him. And John says to you, beloved, he says, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

[11:08] So let's put that into our minds and into our actions. Amen? If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. In Christ, we see his love just personified.

[11:21] His compassion, his tenderness. Read the Gospels, we see who he was. In tenderness, he reaches out and he touches the untouchable. His grace extends to the unlovely.

[11:33] His mercy reaches the graceless to such as we, unworthy. He shows his love. The Bible speaks of with an everlasting love, I've loved you.

[11:45] Think of that kind of love. Everlasting. From everlasting to everlasting. Think of his mercies to you.

[11:56] of his loving kindness, of his compassion. Our loving Heavenly Father manifested his love. Love is of God. He's manifested it.

[12:06] When he sent his Son, he's fully demonstrated it. God's love, we see in his awesome grace, his undeserved kindness, his loving kindness. It's evident. It's manifested.

[12:17] It's demonstrated. We've heard about John 3.16. We all, I'm sure, can recall the words of John 3.16.

[12:29] Look at the other John 3.16. It's interesting how the other John 3.16 kind of unfolds it and unpacks it even more. Hereby, perceive we the love of God because he laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

[12:49] We've seen he poured out his life for us even while we were yet his enemies. He wants us to likewise have that same heart. As someone has said, it's natural to love them that love us but it's supernatural to love them that hate us.

[13:08] That's what our Lord did, isn't it? Really. It's hard to kind of fully grasp that honestly, isn't it? The love of God and it's seen in his laying down his life for us.

[13:20] The shepherd laid down his life for the sheep. Our love for our brothers and sisters needs to be that kind of love, sacrificial love. It's the quality of that love. He's caught us too.

[13:31] So let's have that heart for one another. A love that loves no matter what. Love one another. Love is of God. Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God.

[13:44] So we've seen that quality of that love. Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God. That's the quality of this love. Secondly, we see the source of this love.

[13:56] How can we know this love? How can we have this love? Where does this love come from? Love is from God. Love is from God. This is quite elementary this morning I know, but sometimes we need to go back to the basics, don't we?

[14:11] Because this is fundamental. Love one another is a fundamental. There was a time told where some preacher and I think the church was having some troubles or something or other was happening and he just got up and he said, this is my sermon.

[14:26] And he just said, love one another. And he went and sat down. And people were getting up, that was strange, that was a very short sermon. And then I think the next Sunday he did the same thing again and people started to complain, saying we've got to sack this pastor, he's not giving us a proper sermon.

[14:43] But he wanted to drill it down, he wanted to emphasise that this is important, love one another. He wanted to make sure they got the point because it's seen in that church they missed it.

[14:55] But friends, we see the second point, love is from God. That's the kind of love we're talking about. It tells us of this love, it says God, rich in his mercy, has shown this great love, this great love with which he has loved us, this great love, Ephesians 2 verse 4.

[15:15] It's not of us, it's from God, it's from God. You know, we can't manufacture it or kind of floss it, it's got to be from him, it's got to be from his enabling.

[15:28] We see in 1 John 4 verse 11 through 12 it reads, Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man has seen God at any time, if we love one another, God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us.

[15:46] Notice there verse 12, this verse is, this love is his love, his love. It says God dwells in us, it's God's people, God dwells in us, it's God at work in human vessels, love is from God.

[16:05] So, when you think of it, he is the source of it, if we need this love, let him supply it to you. It's his nature dwelling in us, outworking through us, this love, we're called to love one another, other people, we're called to love one another, we're called to even love our enemies, get that.

[16:28] So, it's pretty, it's pretty stretching to think of it, isn't it? It's love, that we're called to love one another, it's his work in us, his love is a part of his indwelling, because God dwells in us, we can sow love, we love one another because his love is at work, it's the work of his indwelling, God dwells in us, God is love, he lives in us, wow, you can't really fathom that, can you?

[17:00] That's how we come, that's how come we can love one another, because really it's his love, we are vessels of his love, we're channels, we're instruments of his love, we are communicators of his love, wherever we go, this love, it's his love, it springs up in us and it's a product of his new nature within us, when we have those difficult neighbours, when we have those difficult circumstances, that God, he dwells in us, his love's going to come out, it's Christ in you, his love is perfected in you, and people will see God at work in you, God's love does his perfect work, when we love one another, because friends, God lives in us, his love is that living expression of God at work, God helps us to love people, and we want to be that, that kind of body, don't we, that kind of people, that we do love, that God helping us will love everyone it's hard to love, many years ago there was a young boy who was in a children's Sunday school, and his parents moved to another part of the city, and this fellow kept wanting to attend that same children's program, and he took a very long Tyson walk each way, and a friend asked him why he went so far when there was others, other churches that he could have gone to closer to home, and he said, they may be good for others but not for me, and the woman asked him why not, and he said, because they love a fellow over there, you know, love should be the mark, that we should be a church that loves, and that will be something that marks us as a people, that they'll see that we belong to

[18:53] Jesus, they'll see that we are his disciples because of our love, that's a precious message that we can communicate as a church body, so love is of God, it's the quality of his love, let's love one another because love is of God, secondly let's love from God, he's the source of this love, and thirdly let this love flow through us, love is meant to be through us, we see that in 1 Peter 1 verse 22 where Peter writes, seeing you have purified your souls and are going to truth through the spirit, unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart, fervently, unfeigned, now if I was to have Tim up here and I went like that, just made it look like I was punching him in the face, not that I would do that to you brother, but that is a feigned punch, it's a feigned punch, it's just like the movie stars do, they feign a punch, we can feign love, we can pretend love, it's a feigned love, we don't want feigned love, we want real love, that's the point, just to explain the word feigned, unfeigned, unfeigned means it's real, unfeigned means it's for real, not pretend, but we are channels of his love, and friends that's what we want to be, we're channels of his love, that his love flows through human hearts, and not a fake, put on, pretend, a pretense of love, but that it's real, real love, that we'll go through the, we'll go the distance with people, people, and that can be hard sometimes, but God helping us, he'll work that through the human vessels that we are, we're carriers of his love, we're transmitters of his love, and the Bible speaks much about this mark of

[20:50] God's people, friends, God is at work in us, and through us, he wants to demonstrate his love in this 21st century through his body, which is you and me, and God is at work in us, through us, what does his love look like, this real love, it ought to be seen in practical ways, it ought to be translated into action in our lives, as we read in Galatians 5, 13, where it says, by love serve one another, it says brethren, by love serve one another, and it reads on that the whole law is fulfilled in this one word, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, the love we're called to, believers, this morning, is that love that will show in our actions, will serve one another, will live out his love, day by day, every day of our life, someone has captured it, what is love?

[21:53] It's silence, when your words would hurt, it's patience, when your neighbour is curt, it's deafness, when the scandal flows, it's thoughtfulness for others woes, it's promptness, when stern duty calls, it's courage, when misfortune falls, love is shown in so many ways, as we talked about that forbearing one another, that preferring one another, exhorting, encouraging, comforting one another, all of those things, being patient with one another, being kind, forgiving one another, all of those words of one another, we could think, yeah, that's love, that's what it looks like, and where is the love of God today?

[22:35] Friends, it says in Romans 5, verse 5, hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us.

[22:46] God wants his love to be shed abroad in our hearts. We should be fountains, we should be channels, we should be rivers of love, shouldn't we? It should be shed abroad, it should be pouring out of our lives, of our hearts.

[23:03] Can we just dwell on that thought and think, how can I be such a believer? love. It ever gives, it forgives, it outlives, it ever stands with open hands, while it lives, it gives.

[23:21] This is the last prerogative to give and give and give. Love, it's practical as well. It's put into action. We see 1 John again, chapter 3, 1 John is just full of love.

[23:38] There's some 40 times, I think it's actually closer to 50 times, a love or a derivation of love, of beloved, of love in different actions and verbs and senses.

[23:54] 1 John is just full of love. It's a very short book, maybe read that tonight, 1 John. 1 John 3, verse 18, it says, my little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

[24:09] God wants us to put our love into practice, to action. And that love is agape. It's that God quality love, that God kind of love.

[24:23] The love where it says we should love our enemies with. Husbands love your wives. Wives, love your husbands. Love, love as brethren, brotherly love.

[24:36] There's a sense where God's love is just in a higher dimension. Love your enemies to think that's agape there. So that's pretty astonishing, isn't it?

[24:46] That we said love like Jesus loved even our enemies with such enduring, sacrificial love, unconditional love. It's love though not reciprocated.

[25:00] It's love that goes beyond our human willfulness, our human ability, isn't it? We don't have that in us, do we?

[25:10] I don't. I need Jesus to give me that love so that I can be that one that's his love is shed abroad in my heart. That's what we want.

[25:22] That's what we can pray for, amen? That kind of love. And it goes on, Ephesians tells us, with all lowliness, with that humility, with that meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love.

[25:34] Some people need a bit of, some people test the forbearing, don't they? They get, yeah? Forbearing, that's a good word to get a hold of, forbearing, and these putting up with.

[25:52] I think it goes beyond that, just beyond that, but I think it's like, just goes the distance, doesn't it? Wow. Some people test your ability to love, but God tells us to love, show love, and God helps us to show that love.

[26:12] He gives us his grace that makes that love happen beyond our own strength, and God helps us to show our love to each other with that patience, be kindly affectioned one to another, with brotherly love, in honor of preferring one another, regard others, consider others, we should be number two, number three, Jesus is number one, others, then yourself, J-O-Y, Jesus, others, you, we're at least number three, if not lower in the rankings, really, shouldn't we be?

[26:51] and friends, 1 Corinthians 13, it says, and now abide of faith, hope, charity, these three, but the greatest of these is charity, and we love one another by how we relate to one another, with kindness, treating people with grace, with honor, and I need some work in that, I need work, I'm not bragging or big noting me in any way, think of what our Lord says of love, he's loved us with so great a love, Ephesus, he says, greater love have no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends, there's no greater love than his love, Calvary love, the love of the cross, the love that lay down his life for us, and then he says the greatest is love, love, we can be great in faith, great in hope, but the greatest of these is love, it's charity, it's love, the greatest purpose, the greatest objective for us as a church, for us as a people, as individual believers, is love, it's the ultimate, and God helping us, let's pray, in spite of that, to be that loving, hearted church, to love one another, as he has loved us, amen, just going to close this time shortly, and appeal really, do you know the love of

[28:29] God, do you know him, Peter put it so clearly, God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son, believe on him, he'll have everlasting life, faith is that moment of trust, that is a forever moment, of receiving Christ as saviour of your life, knowing his saving grace, knowing his forgiveness of sin, of your life, transformed within, your heart changed, he loves you so, that he would lay down his life for you, and he says, love one another, just like that, let's pray, Lord we thank you for this mercy that you've shown us at the cross, that we can know your saving grace, and Lord for your mercies and compassion, that's beyond our comprehension, why you would care so for such as we,

[29:33] Lord, thank you, we receive that mercy and pardon at the cross, we know your love is so beyond human words, Lord, help us to so love one another, to be a church that puts that into practice, Lord, that we'll be a church that does demonstrate that love, even for our enemies, Lord help us have grace, help us to know your awesome love in all of its fullness, Lord, to be saved, and to walk in love, as the Bible tells us to, that we'll walk in that, we'll take that roadway, if we've come to the crossroads, we'll take that love road, we'll walk in love, that we'll take that direction, we'll walk in love, in Jesus' name, Amen.

[30:38] Amen.