Right now, more than any other time of my life, I see the need for followers of Jesus to show His love. It seems that people are divided on just about everything. This past Sunday, I preached on, “unstoppable love.” Here are some recap thoughts from the sermon.
We live in a world that is confused about real love.
Jesus talked about how to love people, even those who are our enemies.
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you? Really, Jesus?
This was revolutionary.
This love that Jesus is talking about is agape love - an unfailing, never-ending type of love. As a follower of Jesus, I don’t choose who to love, just how. You have never met someone that you and I weren’t supposed to love.
Here are a few ways to love people like Jesus:
Realize opposition is my opportunity to love.
When we face people who oppose us, according to Jesus, it is an opportunity to show them love. Loving our enemies reveals that God is our Father.Pray for those who hurt you (Matthew 5:44).
As Jesus was dying on the cross, He prayed for those who were torturing him, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Luke 23:34). Jesus prayed for his accusers!
Dietrich Bonhoeffer (who was a Christian leader in Nazi Germany) in a great little book called “Life Together,” makes this point, “It’s really hard to hate somebody you pray for.”Move beyond just loving those who love you.
As followers of Jesus, we no longer get to determine and choose who we love. Our job is to love the person in front of us.Our love for others is the EVIDENCE of Christ in us (John 13:34-35)
The extent to which we love one another validates and communicates our faith. Our call as followers of Christ - is to be the people - who show to the world - the nature of the God we serve.
“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
Challenge: What if we said, “Jesus, point out for me somebody who I disagree with, or somebody I just don’t like a whole lot, somebody who rubs me the wrong way, and give me a vision for what it looks like to love them this week.”
Listen to this past Sunday’s sermon below.