Sermon Text: 1 John 3: 11-18
More on Love and Hatred
11 For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.
13 Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love each other. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
15 Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
16 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.
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.
Morning Message
We come to this fact in our Christian lives on a regular basis. Actions speak louder than words. I believe that is a very accurate statement, but it needs some fine tuning in order for us to love to our fullest. As a preacher I am a words person and I do place a great deal of importance on preaching and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus. Our words must be truthful and based in God’s word. They also must be tactful and loving at the same time. In order for our words to make any difference to those who hear them, they must come from our hearts and have the intention of building someone up and making a difference in their life.
Actions also should not be done in a vacuum. It can become very easy to become simply do-gooders; you know, to just go about doing good to everyone without saying a word as to the reason for your actions. Don’t get me wrong, I would take someone doing good and not speaking over someone just preaching all of the time and never backing it up with loving actions. Like all things in life, it’s the Mr. Miyagi principle (from the movie Karate Kid), you must have a balance. We are, after all, both called to preach the gospel and give a cup of cold water. I know that I have said this to you before, but it is worth repeating. In your relationships how would it make you feel if a loved one only told you that they loved you and never did anything to back that love up and show you their love.
We must first look at how we should treat one another. I am going to give you, once again, straight out of my study bible, fifteen key instructions on how to treat one another. Don’t worry, I am not going to preach all of them to you, I know that would take a very long time. I will give them to you and hope that at least one of them turns a light bulb on in your mind.
Love one another: You will find that all through the New Testament
Live in harmony with one another: Romans 12: 16
Do not judge one another: Romans 14: 13; Colossians 2:16
Instruct one another: Romans 15:14
Serve one another humbly in love: Galatians 5:13
Bear with one another in love: Ephesians 4:2; Colossians 3:13
Be kind to one another: Ephesians 4:32
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ: Ephesians 5:21
Forgive one another: Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13
Comfort those who are in any trouble: 2Corinthians 1:4; 2:7
Encourage one another: 1Thessalonians 4:18; 5:11; Hebrews 3:13; 10:25
Do not slander one another: James 4:11
Do not grumble against one another: James 5:9
Confess your sins to one another: James 5:16
Pray for one another: James 5:16
I know that there is a lot to consider in all of that, but maybe one or two will stick out to you and you Will feel moved by the Holy Spirit to make some changes.
So how can we show our love to others through our actions? Our love must be unconditional. God calls His sons and daughters to love people as they are and to pray that He will do a work in their lives. I can’t stress enough how important this is for Christians who want to make a difference with the love of Jesus. We can’t base our love on whether or not we agree with others or how they may be living. We need to show the world a love that depends on nothing except for God who placed that love inside us. Just love them and pray for God to change whatever he wants changed in their lives.
We must love sacrificially. We should not merely tell others of God’s love, but show them that God loves through our demonstrations of love. Nothing shouts love louder than giving of yourself — sacrificing for the good of someone else. It’s easy to give money if you have it, to do something for someone when you have the time, to love when it really doesn’t cost you much, or take you out of your comfort zone. When you sacrifice something that you love for someone else they feel loved.
We must love personally. The only Christ most people will ever see is the Christ they see in us. So much of ministry and even our relationships have lost that personal touch. The world teaches us not to get to close so that we don’t get hurt. Unfortunately they are right, if you get close you might get hurt, but unless you allow yourself to get close, you will never experience the pure joy of leading someone to Jesus. Why be afraid of getting hurt, what are we afraid of? You are saved and have eternal life the world, no person can truly hurt you, but you can make a difference for God’s kingdom by putting yourself out there. Verse 18, “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” God is calling His church to truthful actions. Will you step up and step into Gods call?
In Christ’s Love and Peace
Pastor Bob
Views: 2
