Thank you for once again taking the time to read the sermon for this week. I hope you are all well. I have been feeling better.
Last week, we finished our study of the book of II Thessalonians. That means that it is time for us to start on something new for the sermons. For the next several weeks, we will be focusing on what the Bible has to say about the characteristics of love. The Bible is quite explicit in telling us that God is love and that those who live in love live in God. God in His love for us sent His Son to die on the cross to redeem us from our sins.
Over the course of this series of messages, I want us to look at what are some of the behaviors that are associated with being a truly loving person. I want us to look at what love is really all about as far as the Scriptures are concerned.
In today's message, I want us to start off by looking into the words that Jesus told us about love. Jesus gave those of us who are His followers a new commandment. We find this recorded in John 13:34-35 and in John 15:12-13 that states, "My commandment is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends."
We are told that in order to be true followers of Jesus, we have to love one another. In essence, love is what the Christian religion is all about. That is due to the fact that Jesus was the man of love. Everything that He did was motivated by the great love that He had for us. He loved us so much that He was willing to lay down His life for us. He was willing to come and humble Himself and suffer the humiliation of the cross in order that those whom He loved might have a place with Him forever in Heaven.
In the book of I John chapter 4, we are told that we abide in God when we abide in love. We cannot say that we are a true follower of God if we do not have love within our hearts.
Anytime that we as followers of Jesus do not act in a loving manner, we are not following the commandment that Jesus gave to us. By acting in an unloving manner, we can do great harm to the cause of Christ. Right now, in my country, I believe that one of the reasons that so many people are leaving the church and don't want to have anything to do with the Christian faith is due to the fact that many have seen professing Christians acting in a hateful and spiteful manner towards others instead of loving and reaching out in love to others as Jesus has told us to do. A lot of this has to do with politics.
It is clear that Jesus was all about love and loving others. What I want to do in the weeks to come is to look at places in the Bible that tell us what true love looks like. What is involved in being a truly loving person? If we are truly a person of love how does that manifest itself in our lives? We will find the answers to these questions by looking at the actions and words of Jesus and by examining the Bible's great chapter on love found in I Corinthians 13.
All of us need to start by recognizing that in order to truly follow Jesus, we have to be willing to follow the commandment that He has given us to love others. That means loving everyone. When we realize that we must love others we will be on the road to becoming more like our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayer Requests
I have been feeling some better, and I thank the Lord for this. Please keep praying for me that I will keep doing well. Thank you.
Please pray for an end to the mpox outbreak. Also, there is a summer covid surge taking place in parts of my country. Pray that this will come to an end as well.
Keep praying for peace. Pray for peace in Ukraine and Sudan. Pray for the release of the hostages and for peace in Israel and Gaza. Pray that a wider war will not take place in the Middle East.
Let us keep praying that those affected by the hurricanes will receive the help and the aid that they need to recover.
For our prayer focus countries this week, let us pray for those in the nations of Syria and Burkina Faso. Pray that many will come to know Jesus.
Next week, we will go deeper into our series. I will post the verses on Monday. May God bless you all.
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