Good morning, my name is Sam and I'm on the ministry team here at St Paul's.
Let me also endorse James' plug for his small group.
He's a good leader and if you've never been in a small group,
Sunday afternoons would be a good one to be a part of.
But let me pray and then we're going to open up that passage that was read for us
and another one in John as well.
Father God, we do thank you for the chance to gather this morning.
We thank you for the chance to open your word and reflect on what it means to love.
God, we ask that you would enable us to recognise in ourselves
definitions that we've held to that are not consistent with you,
maybe practices that we have gotten in the habit of
that don't reflect who you are and what you've done.
I pray that this morning the result of us gathering like this would be
that our hearts are transformed, our minds are renewed
and we are equipped by your spirit to live lives of love.
Amen.
It may come as a surprise to you, it may come as a surprise to my wife,
but once upon a time I was a hopeless romantic.
As a teenager, there's no need to giggle,
as a teenager I loved watching romantic movies.
I loved soppy love stories.
I would get very emotional in dramas and that sort of thing.
I didn't mind crying when, you know, the pet died or whatever it was.
I just, I had this very fanciful version of what I figured my romantic future would be.
I was, I would never tell anyone this at the time,
but as a 16-year-old I would dream about being, you know,
the male hero in the classic drama, rescuing the damsel in distress.
It's very strange.
But that's kind of what I got fed that love was supposed to look like.
My family was a little bit dysfunctional.
I've shared with you a bit before.
I won't go into it too much right now.
But my parents separated when I was 14.
And even before that, my dad travelled a lot.
So I didn't really have a picture of what love might look like in a family.
What, you know, kind of real love looked like when you had to deal with five kids
and some of those kids being unhelpful and disobedient and that sort of stuff.
So the only picture I had was what I saw in movies like Love Actually.
And other equally helpful love stories.
But the reality is that I'm probably not alone in this.
You might not have a romantic definition of what love is like,
but trying to work out what love is supposed to be is actually kind of difficult.
When you listen to the voices around you that are telling you what it's supposed to look like,
whether it's what you saw modelled in your own mother and father,
whether it's movies, whether it's books, whether it's media, whether it's whatever,
it is actually difficult for us to pin down what love should be.
And so imagine the challenge when we as followers of Jesus are called to this extreme countercultural love,
this love that loves enemies.
Imagine how much trouble we would have actually figuring out what that looks like.
And so often we find ourselves qualifying the commands to love that we find in Scripture.
One of the great maxims that you hear around churches is,
I have to love my enemies, but I don't have to like them.
Now, I'm not going to go into whether that's right or wrong,
but isn't it interesting that we like to qualify some of the really difficult instructions
when it comes to the love that God has called us to?
But the good news is we're actually not required to guess what love is like.
We're not actually required to try and come up with our own path for how we might love.
We've been given a model and his name is Jesus.
We are called to love like Jesus.
We are called to emulate the love that he models for us, the pattern that he sets out.
And in God's word, we see picture after picture of what that love is in different circumstances,
in different situations, with different people.
We're dropping into John's gospel today, and John's gospel can kind of be chopped in half.
The first half is sometimes known as the book of Psalms,
where Jesus is doing lots of things to prove who he is.
And in this second half, which starts in John 13,
it's almost like the story slows down.
So the first three years almost in entirety are in the first 12 chapters.
And then this last bit, everything slows down.
And there's a sentence in John chapter 13.
If you've got John 15 open, turn back one page,
because this sentence at the beginning of John 13 is very important.
Verse 1, it says,
It was just before the Passover feast.
So this is the video that we watched with the kids.
We're about to slow down in Jesus' life in the second half of John's gospel.
He's about to really make it clear what his love looks like,
because very shortly he's going to utter the very significant words,
as I have loved you, so you must love one another.
This back end of John's gospel is focused in on what Jesus' love looks like.
It is focused in on a very brief period in Jesus' life.
Even though love has been on display the whole way through,
what Jesus is focusing on now is the ultimate expression,
the full extent of his love.
And so I want to look with you today at two scenes in particular.
And the first one is chapter 13.
It's the video that we watched.
The time has come to show his love fully.
A couple of months ago, Bailey, who is my son, he's three and a bit,
developed some tinea on his toe.
I think that's disgusting.
Just telling you.
But as a dad, I don't get to choose what I do with that.
I've got to look after him.
And so we had a nightly routine that involved me putting on a rubber glove
to make sure that I didn't touch that disgusting fungus,
getting some antifungal cream and rubbing it on his toes,
which he called tickling.
And so he would be helpful and flick around and put cream everywhere.
But I found it kind of gross.
It's not really the kind of job you want,
but it's one of the jobs that you have to do as a dad.
In John 13, we see Jesus doing a job that probably would make some of us
feel kind of similar.
Maybe a little bit squeamish, a little bit grossed out,
a little bit uncomfortable.
I mean, I think that the cartoon on the screen depicted it quite well.
There would have been animal poo on their feet.
Who knows what else?
And so it's not really a job that the disciples were queuing up to do.
You didn't see any of them tripping over themselves to be the most servant-hearted.
And so instead, Jesus gets up and models something for them,
demonstrates something for them.
And so in the story, you see Jesus on his knees,
humbly washing their feet.
Their teacher, their leader, the one they're following,
assuming the lowly position and washing their feet.
And listen to what he says as he finishes in verse 12 of chapter 13.
When he had finished washing their feet,
he put on his clothes and returned to his place.
You can almost imagine how uncomfortable everyone would have been feeling at this point.
Maybe enjoying the fact that they had nice clean feet now and they could have dinner,
but their boss, if you like, their hero,
had just done something that they were too proud to do themselves.
And he comes back and sits in his place.
And there just would have been this awkwardness hanging in the air of,
are we about to get in trouble?
What does he say?
Do you understand what I've done for you?
You call me teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am.
Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet,
you also should wash one another's feet.
I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master,
nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
Jesus is about to be taken from them.
Jesus is about to give his life up, and yet he models again,
this is what love looks like if you are a follower of Jesus.
Love is costly and sacrificial and active.
There's this incredible interaction in this chapter where Peter says,
no, no, Jesus, you can't wash my feet.
It almost reminds you of the scene when John is nervous about baptising Jesus.
But the issue for Peter here is,
he doesn't want Jesus' love for him to cost Jesus.
He doesn't want Jesus to have to do something disgusting
in order to express his love for Peter.
Why?
Because if that's the kind of love that Jesus shows,
it's also the kind of love that Jesus expects.
One of the reasons that our culture and our world,
and maybe even us, are so uncomfortable with a crucified saviour,
a servant-hearted saviour,
is because if that's who we follow,
that demands a life of sacrifice,
a life of service,
a life of love,
even for those who are difficult to love.
Love is costly and sacrificial and active.
One of the things I've tried to instil in my son
is that he is loved.
I'll try and remind him a lot,
maybe even to the point where he's annoyed
because he's just learnt how to say,
I don't love you in return when he's sick of hearing it.
But one of the things that I've taught him,
one of the phrases is I say,
Bailey, who does Daddy love?
He says, Daddy loves Bailey.
And then I keep saying it,
and then he just pushes me in the face or something
because he's sick of me.
But one of the challenges is
those words are empty
and even confusing and misleading
if I don't follow through and actually love him.
When he's tired and a little bit unhelpful
and a little bit complaining,
how do I treat him then?
Do I love him?
Does Daddy love Bailey in that moment?
Or is it just words that I speak
when we're having fun in front of the TV
or playing with toys?
Real love requires more than words.
To quote a cheesy Christian pop band from the 80s,
love is a verb.
Love requires doing something.
One of the challenges for us
is that we are inherently lazy people.
It comes back to that thing of,
yeah, I have to love my enemy,
but I don't have to like them.
Because what we do there
is we create love to be this kind of
vague sense of well-being
that requires no action.
So I can love them
as long as I don't have to talk to them,
go near them,
give anything to them,
let them come anywhere near me,
because that would be liking.
We're minimalists.
We want to do just what is required.
But that's not the kind of love that Jesus models.
There is no line that Jesus is not willing to go below
in order to love and serve his disciples
and in order to love and serve us.
Jesus models love that is costly,
sacrificial and active.
But also, and this is really important
because I think we miss this sometimes,
in this story here,
Jesus models love for those
who don't love him back.
Did you notice in the cartoon
and more importantly in the scripture in John 13,
whose feet does Jesus wash?
His disciples.
All of his disciples.
Even the feet of Judas,
who is about to leave and betray him.
I mean, it's one thing for Jesus
to be willing to sit there
and wash the grime off the feet
of the 11 men who love him
and will continue the mission
after Jesus is gone.
But how could Jesus kneel there on the floor
and wipe filth
off the feet of the one
who is about to sell him
for silver?
The answer is in verse 3.
Says that Jesus knew
that the Father had put all things
under his power
and that he had come from God
and was returning to God.
So he got up from the meal,
took off his outer clothing
and wrapped a towel around his waist.
The thing that enabled him
to serve both his friends
and his betrayer
was a confidence
in his heavenly Father,
was a trust in what God
was about to do.
Remember that this is just a snapshot.
This is a beginning
of a section of the gospel
that is unapologetically
marching towards
and pointing towards
and focusing in on the cross.
That's what this is about.
The full extent of his love
is not his willingness
to wash poo.
The full extent of his love
is the willingness
to suffer and die
so that we might know
forgiveness.
How does Jesus
hang on the cross
and look us in the eye
and pray for us
while we scorn him
and mock him?
The answer is
he trusts God.
One of the reasons
that I find it really difficult
to love the people
who don't love me
is because I think
I'm better than them.
When I was in Bible college
I was having a conversation
with another guy
who was studying
and I can't remember
what the exact context was
but I was basically
having a go at someone.
How frustrating they were,
how annoying they were,
how just unaware
they were
of how annoying they were.
And he turned to me
and he said
that's really sad
that you feel like that.
It's one of the gentlest
but most pointed rebukes
I've ever received.
Because when we look at people
and ask that question
why should I have to love
somebody who's like that?
Why should I have to love
the criminal?
Why should I have to love
the bully?
Why should I have to love
the person
who has hurt me repeatedly?
What we're saying is
we've forgotten the gospel.
We're saying
there's something in me
that makes me superior
or better
or more valuable
but the gospel message
is the opposite.
The gospel message
is that God looks at you
and sees you as unworthy
and even worthless
but he loves you anyway.
The gospel
causes us
to be able to look
at those
who are painful
difficult
and a struggle
and say
they deserve love
just like I did.
They need love
just like I did.
One other barrier
that I wanted to just flag
with us
when it comes to
being loving like Christ
is culture.
I was thinking about this
and chatting with some
of the team
even just this morning
about what sort of things
become part of our culture
that actually become
obstacles for us loving
in the way that Jesus
talks about here.
I want to give you
two examples.
One I can own for myself
and another is an observation
from a culture
that I'm not a part of.
Firstly,
we are an achievement
culture.
Sydney,
Australia especially,
we are an achievement
culture.
we love winners.
Think about the way
we flip on a sporting
team when they start
losing.
We love
Bernard Tomek
when he almost
wins a tournament
and we probably
hate him the rest
of the time.
We love the
Wallabies
or the Socceroos
or whatever team
it is you're supporting.
You love the Swans
until about 12 hours
ago.
Sorry,
that was a cheap shot.
But we are an
achievement culture.
We love people
who are impressive,
who have skills,
who have abilities.
The problem is
when that culture
becomes part of
what we do here.
Because that's not
how Jesus loves.
And we're called
to love like he did.
If we come to church
and only honour
and only respect
the people
who are impressive,
the people
who have done
things,
that's not
how Jesus
loves.
And his love,
the gospel message
of what he has
done for unworthy
people,
is the love
that he calls us
to mark
this community.
We must be
careful
that love
for one another
is not defined
by what we get
back or how
impressive
or how love
worthy the other
person is,
but is defined
by the love
that Jesus
has shown,
by the value
that he has
placed on every
son and daughter
that he has
died for
and forgiven.
The second
one is,
second example
is that that
comes particularly
in Chinese
or Asian
cultures.
And I think
this can be
a strength
and a weakness,
but in Asian
cultures it
tends to be
in a way
that Anglo
cultures are
weak.
Chinese cultures
respect and
revere
seniority.
Age is a
mark of wisdom
and honour,
and so younger
Chinese people
will respect
and defer
to their
parents,
their grandparents,
their aunties,
their uncles,
to older people,
whereas in Anglo
culture,
you know,
there's no respect
given,
unfortunately,
to a fault.
But the
challenge is
when that
defines our
relationships
here as
well.
When,
because you
are older
than me,
you know
better.
Now,
you might,
but age
is not the
point.
The thing
that defines
us as a
community is
that we are
all unworthy
and powerless
apart from
Jesus.
The thing
that blocks
love in
this community
is holding
on to things
that are part
of the way
the world
works at
the expense
of what
the gospel
has done.
The gospel
has drawn
people who
have no
right to
be in
close
relationship
together
by the
same grace
of Jesus
Christ.
Culture
does not
define what
it looks
like to
love.
The gospel
says that
a 90-year-old
Chinese man
can choose
to serve
a five-year-old
Chinese child.
The gospel
says that
the person
who is
skillful enough
to lead
every ministry
we do
can choose
to serve
the person
who has
just arrived
and has
absolutely
nothing
tangible
to offer.
The love
that we are
called to
replicate
is the
love of
Jesus.
love
that's
costly,
sacrificial,
active,
and even
for or
especially
for those
who don't
give it
back.
At the
end of
chapter 13
Jesus
words like
this in
verse 34
he says
a new
command I
give you
love one
another as
I have
loved you
so you
must love
one another.
The bit
that's new
as I
have loved
you.
There's
always been
the command
for the
people of
God to
care for
one another
to look
after one
another but
now we're
getting clearer
definition as
I have loved
you.
Not just in
this foot
washing although
that's part of
it but we
are marching
towards the
cross now
sacrificially,
costly,
actively,
even for our
enemies.
and verse
35 by
this all
men will
know that
you are my
disciples if
you love
one another.
The gospel
message that
we want to
take to the
world, the
message that
there is
hope and
forgiveness
on offer
for even
the darkest
heart is
made clearer,
is even
proclaimed by
our love
that is like
Jesus, our
love for one
another and
our service
of one
another.
We are
called to
love like
Jesus but
the great
news is that
we're called
to love like
Jesus because
we've been
loved by
Jesus.
As I have
loved you.
See it's not
just a model
that Jesus
gives us,
it's actually
the means for
our love.
It's the thing
that empowers
our love.
It's the thing
that enables
our love.
The model that
we are given
in Christ is
also the thing
that achieves
love in
his community.
When I was
just starting
out in
ministry I
had a boss
who would
often ask
me the
question,
what is
your sanctified
daydream?
Which was
his way of
asking,
what do you
think God
wants you to
do in
ministry?
And I was
young and I
was enthusiastic
and I would
unashamedly
respond every
time with,
I see myself
preaching to
thousands of
people.
Now I
honestly believe
I did that
out of a
somewhat pure
heart.
I'm a sinner
like you so
part of it was
probably just the
desire to be on
stage in front of
thousands of
people but deep
down I really
just want as
many people as
possible to hear
about the love
of Jesus.
That's what I
would dream about,
that's what I
would always look
forward to.
But one of the
things that I've
had to learn
through my
Christian life
is that having
a big vision
like that,
and it's a
good vision,
our church has
a big vision
as well,
is that it
will never be
achieved by me
trying really
hard.
It will never
be achieved by
a certain skill
set or a
certain individual.
This is where
this stuff gets
really practical.
If we're going
to love like
Jesus in a
way that draws
people in, in a
way that preaches
the gospel, in a
way that sees
lives transformed
by the hope and
forgiveness that
is on offer,
loving like
Jesus is
possible because
we've been loved
by Jesus.
And then now
in John 15,
flip back there
if you went to
John 13,
John 15,
verse 4,
remain in me
and I will
remain in you.
No branch can
bear fruit by
itself, it must
remain in the
vine, neither can
you bear fruit
unless you remain
in me.
I am the vine,
you are the
branches.
If a man remains
in me and I in
him, he will
bear much fruit.
Apart from me,
you can do
nothing.
love like Jesus,
love by Jesus,
love in Jesus.
Our hearts desire
as a church, and
I'm sure for many
of you, the thing
that drives you is
fruit.
You want more to
know Jesus.
It's like we talked
about last week.
You have a heart
that is desperate
for lost people to
know the joy that
you know, to know
the incredible,
unconditional love
of a heavenly
father, to know
the hope of
heaven.
It is a big
vision.
That's the fruit
talked about here.
Lives
transformed.
It's the fruit of
our own lives
lived out in
love, and it's
important for us
to dream.
It's important for
us to have that
heart to do big
things for God.
In fact, it's
even almost required
in chapter 15.
But what's the
command in this
chapter?
It's a chapter
about vines and
branches and fruit
and love and all
this stuff.
What's the
command?
It's not to
bear fruit.
The command in
John 15 is that
first word in
verse 4.
Remain.
That's the
instruction.
Now, we get
evidence of what
that remaining
will look like.
In verse 7, it
says, if you
remain in me and
my words remain in
you, we need to be
Bible-saturated
people.
That's what it
means to live in
the love of God.
Not so that we'll
have knowledge, but
when we sit in
God's word, we
hear his voice, we
get encouragement, we
get assurance, we
get reminded that
his love is
unconditional, that
his love is
powerful, that his
love is effective.
Again, in verse 7,
if you remain in me
and my words remain
in you, ask
whatever you wish
and it will be
given to you.
Jump down to
verse 16.
You did not
choose me, but I
chose you and
appointed you to
go and bear fruit,
fruit that will
last.
Then the Father
will give you
whatever you ask
in my name.
Prayer.
Absolutely call
is prayer.
Remaining in the
love of Jesus is
about depending on
him for everything.
That's what God's
love does, is it
takes weak and
powerless, unimpressive
people and adopts
them as dearly loved
sons and daughters
and empowers them to
do incredible things
for God's glory and
God's purpose.
Prayer is the
evidence that we
understand it's only
by him, only by
his love.
As a preacher, I
often get nervous
when I get to the
end of a sermon
preparation and the
application that I'm
walking towards is
read the Bible and
pray because, you
know, someone's going
to tell me afterwards,
we know.
We've heard that
before.
That can't be the
only point.
But what if it's so
key that we just
need to hear it
again?
Just one more
time.
Remaining in God's
love means hearing
his voice, means
being actively
dependent on him
in everything and
for everything.
I mean, we're told
there in no
uncertain words in
verse 5, apart from
him, you can do
nothing.
You need him to
wake in the
morning.
You need his
strength to achieve
anything, let alone
this Christ-like love
that he's called us
to, this love for
enemies, this service
of one another, even
when we annoy each
other.
Remaining in
Christ is about
having his power at
work in us.
That's what the
whole vine image is.
The life that
comes from the
vine flowing
through the
branches to
produce the
fruit.
We're just a
conduit of his
power and his
love and his
hope.
But the
incredible thing
is, is he
pours out good
things to us
along the way.
Verse 11, I've
told you this so
that my joy may be
in you and that
your joy may be
complete.
Loving each other
can be a joy,
even when it's
sacrificial and
costly.
Verse 15, I
no longer call
you servants
because a
servant does not
know his
master's business.
Instead, I've
called you
friends for
everything that I
learned from my
father I've made
known to you.
We're not the
hired helpers.
We're partners.
We're co-heirs
with Christ.
We are friends on
his mission.
Remain.
That's the
command.
That's the
instruction.
verse 12 in
chapter 15
echoes chapter
13.
It says, my
command is
this, love
each other as
I have loved
you.
Verse 17
finishes, this
is my command,
love each
other.
But this
passage is about
remaining.
It's about
vines and
fruit.
So why add
those two
commands to
love?
If the
instruction is
that we must
remain in
Christ, why
do we end up
there with the
command to
love again?
Well, because
it's the key.
Loving like
Jesus is made
possible because
we have been
loved by
Jesus.
And it's
empowered when
we remain in
Jesus.
The key in
this passage in
John 15, and
this is how we
need to
understand John
13, this is
how we need to
understand the
gospel, this is
how we need to
understand every
aspect of being a
Christian and
following Jesus.
The key is not
our love.
It's his love
for us.
As he loved,
so we must
love.
And his love is
not just a fuzzy
feeling.
It's not just,
oh, isn't it
nice that God
thinks I'm
special.
God's love is
effective.
God's love is
doing something.
It's achieving an
outcome.
It's working.
God's love is a
love that he has
put in you that
is transforming
your heart.
It's enabling
you to see that
annoying person as
someone that God
loves and someone
who you can love
too.
It's enabling you
to bear fruit, to
speak the gospel in
such a way that
people might come
to know the love
and forgiveness
of Christ that
they don't
deserve but that
they desperately
want.
The key is not
our love, it's
God's love and
that's why
remaining is the
command.
That's why
remaining is the
instruction because
growing is the
key to serving.
Being in Christ
and knowing his
love for you,
apart from
anything you
would ever do,
is the key to
being released to
serve joyfully.
and without
burden and
lovingly, even
when it costs,
remain, dwell,
soak, live in
Jesus.
In his forgiveness,
in his love,
in his purpose,
in his hope,
hope, so that we
can bear fruit,
so that we can
love like he
did, so that we
can serve, so
that we can
transform the
world with his
hope.
Let me leave you
with these last
two verses.
Jesus says,
you did not
choose me,
but I chose
you, and I
appointed you
to go and
bear fruit,
fruit that
will last,
then the
Father will
give you
whatever you
ask in my
name.
This is my
command,
love each
other.
Let's pray.
Father God,
please help
us this
morning, and
not just this
morning, but
every day, to
feel the weight
of your love.
Help us to
remember again
the power of
your love to
reach out to a
lost person like
us, the
sufficiency of
your love to
wash us clean
by the blood of
Jesus.
The completeness
of your love
that is working
in us to
prepare us for
heaven, for
eternity with
you.
And in the
security of
your love, may
we be
energized and
empowered to
show that same
love to our
brothers and
sisters, and
to the world
around us, and
to our enemies.
May we
proclaim the
gospel through
active, costly,
sacrificial love.
love, enable
us to trust
you and to
be so confident
in your
goodness that
we can
gladly bear
the cost
ourselves so
that we might
show love to
those in need.
father, may we
remain in you.
May we soak in
your word, listen
to your promises,
hear your voice,
cry out to you in
prayer, in such a
way that your
power and your
love and your
hope flows through
us and produces
fruit.
father, we have a
big vision as a
church.
We don't just
want to be a
group of people
who meets
together.
We want to be
your tool for
your purposes.
We want to be
used to see the
world transformed,
to see people
drawn into your
kingdom from
darkness to
light, from
death to
life.
So please,
God, work in
us, change
us, equip us,
empower us to
love like Jesus
did.
Amen.