Loving Like Jesus – Living an Abundant Life, part 3
Do you offer and receive love? In today’s message, learn what it means to love your neighbor and—just as importantly—how much God loves you.
Are you settling for less than God’s abundant plan for you? In this series, we’ll learn about where abundance comes from and what abundance looks like. We’ll look at different states of the heart and what we can do to cultivate a healthy heart for God. Then we’ll learn about the connection between the fruit of the Spirit and abundance; and what that means for living an abundant life God’s way. When we’re done, we’ll see how abundance comes through us; and that abundance is about what we give.
About the Speaker
Joel Wolski has been a passionate follower of Christ for over 30 years and serves on the Board of Faith Chapel. He is dedicated to living and sharing a Christ-filled life. Through the years, he has also been both a student and leader in Bible studies. His greatest desire is to help others grow in their identity in Christ. Also an avid photographer, you can follow Joel on Instagram or his website.
It’s Easy to Love Others When You Understand God’s Love for You.
With God, There Is No Plan B
Do you realize that God is never taken by surprise or caught off guard?
I started planning this message a few weeks ago with the intent of sharing it next week. I had my usual 10 pages of outline, and earlier this week I started fleshing it out. Then when I got through the first point, I was done.
I wondered, “But what about the rest of my notes? There’s so much I have to say.” To which God always responds, “Is it about what you have to say, or what I want to say?”
Paul told the Corinthians: When I came to you, it wasn’t with eloquent words or persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God, but in fear and trembling I preached Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 2:1-3).
Over the past week, a friend sent me a link to a blog post about a father’s love for his child. She told me she was sure God would use the content of the blog to minister to others as I spoke. Well, I guess she was right.
Even before I knew what was going on, God was preparing this message for today. This isn’t a Plan B. God doesn’t do Plan B. He wasn’t kicking back in the Garden, drinking iced tea, enjoying the beauty of his Creation, when he suddenly got word about what Adam and Eve had done. “Wait, what? Are you kidding me? I just started my vacation and those two have already made a mess of everything? I guess I’ll need to come up with a new plan.” If God’s plans are that easy for us to screw up, he’s not much of a God.
Did you know that the cross was God’s original plan? That wasn’t Plan B; it was Plan A from the beginning. Before the beginning.
John tells us in Revelation that Jesus was the Lamb who was slain before the foundation of the earth (Revelation 13:8). Jesus’ death and resurrection for us was established before we existed or needed it.
The Parable of the “Merciful Neighbor”
‘Now an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus, saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Luke 10:25, NET).
I want to pause here. Please don’t ever put Jesus to a test. On second thought, go ahead and try it. It will change you.
He said to him, “What is written in the law? How do you understand it?” 27 The expert answered, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.” 28 Jesus said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.”
29 But the expert, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who stripped him, beat him up, and went off, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, but when he saw the injured man he passed by on the other side. 32 So too a Levite, when he came up to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan who was traveling came to where the injured man was, and when he saw him, he felt compassion for him. 34 He went up to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring olive oil and wine on them. Then he put him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever else you spend, I will repay you when I come back this way.’ 36 Which of these three do you think became a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of the robbers?” 37 The expert in religious law said, “The one who showed mercy to him.” So Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same”’ (Luke 10:26-37, NET).
So, let’s get right to the point, who are we in Jesus’ story?
The expert in the law—a lawyer—asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). Jesus tells a story and then answers with his own question, “Who was the injured man’s neighbor?” (Luke 10:36). The Samaritan, of course. This places the lawyer—and us—in the place of the injured man.
We have all been beaten down and mistreated and have every right to be bitter and angry toward those who’ve hurt us. But, when Jesus says, “Go and do like the Samaritan,” what is he saying?
He’s not just saying, “Love even the people you don’t like.” That would be enough, wouldn’t it? He’s telling us, go be a neighbor; go be someone that the broken and hurting can love.
How Much Does God Love Us?
Don’t just love others, be someone others love.
Let’s be honest: how easy do you make it for others to love you? We have our wounds and scars; scars that separate us from people. This is a harder thing than loving someone else.
I know personally, there have been times when I’ve made it very difficult for others to love me. Especially those I’ve loved.
John tells us that we love (are capable of loving) because God loved us first (1 John 4:19).
God loves us. Why? He loves us because he loves us. Not because of what we can do or how much we worship or something else. God’s love for us is simple, pure, and unconditional. He loves us because he loves us, because he loves us, because he loves us, because he loves us, because he loves us. . . Has it sunk in yet?
How much does God love us?
I’ve been reading a devotional and the chapter for this week had this verse:
“For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs” (Zephaniah 3:17, NLT).
The Hebrew word rejoice literally means “to spin around in violent emotion.” What does that even look like? For the God of the universe to love us so much that he dances and sings over us. A vision of arms outstretched looks a lot like Jesus on the cross. We asked God how much he loves us, so he stretched out his arms and said, “I love you this much.”
John tells us there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13). But Paul tells us in that God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). This is what we remember in communion; that God loves us this much.
Suggested Praise and Worship
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This and other sermons brought to you by Faith Chapel, an Assemblies of God church in Pleasanton, CA.