Embodying Agape Love for the Next Century

Devotional

Day 1: The Great Commission: A Call to Active Discipleship

Description: The Great Commission, as recorded in Matthew 28, is a directive from Jesus to all believers to go and make disciples of all nations. This command is not limited to the apostles but extends to every follower of Christ throughout history. The essence of this mission is to actively share the gospel, embodying the teachings of Jesus in our daily lives so that others may be drawn to Him. Our faith is not meant to be a private affair but a public declaration that impacts the world around us. This call to action requires us to step out of our comfort zones and engage with people from all walks of life, sharing the transformative power of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection. [01:31]

Matthew 5:14-16 (ESV): "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Reflection: Think of one person in your life who does not know Jesus. How can you intentionally share the love and message of Christ with them this week?

Day 2: Agape Love: Sacrificial and Action-Oriented

Description: Agape love, as demonstrated by God in John 3:16, is a self-giving love that seeks the benefit of others. This type of love is not merely a feeling but an action that requires us to make sacrifices for the well-being of others. True agape love means putting others' needs before our own, just as Jesus did for us. This love is characterized by selflessness, compassion, and a willingness to go the extra mile for others. It calls us to be proactive in our love, seeking out opportunities to serve and uplift those around us. [10:49]

1 John 3:18 (ESV): "Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth."

Reflection: Identify a specific way you can show sacrificial love to someone in your community this week. What action can you take to meet their needs?

Day 3: The Danger of Indifference

Description: Indifference, not hate, is the true opposite of love. When we become indifferent, we fail to act and care for others, which is a dangerous place for the church to be. Jesus warns against being lukewarm in Revelation, urging us to be passionate and active in our love for others. Indifference leads to a lack of action and a failure to fulfill our mission as followers of Christ. To combat indifference, we must cultivate a heart of compassion and a willingness to engage with the needs of those around us. [13:38]

Revelation 3:15-16 (ESV): "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth."

Reflection: Reflect on an area of your life where you have become indifferent. How can you reignite your passion and take action to show God's love in that area?

Day 4: Loving Without Boundaries

Description: The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 teaches us that true love knows no boundaries. Despite cultural and religious differences, the Samaritan showed compassion and care for a wounded Jew. This teaches us that our neighbor is anyone in need, and we are called to love them without restriction. Agape love is sacrificial, compassionate, and willing to cross societal boundaries to meet the needs of others. This kind of love challenges us to look beyond our prejudices and extend kindness to all people, regardless of their background or circumstances. [20:10]

Galatians 3:28 (ESV): "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

Reflection: Think of someone who is different from you in terms of culture, background, or beliefs. How can you show them unconditional love and compassion this week?

Day 5: Sharing Hard Truths in Love

Description: Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well demonstrates that sharing hard truths is a form of love. By addressing her sin with compassion and respect, He led her to a transformative encounter with God. We must be willing to share the truth about sin and salvation, trusting that God will work through our words. This requires a balance of grace and truth, ensuring that our message is delivered with love and sensitivity. Sharing hard truths is not about condemnation but about guiding others towards the hope and redemption found in Christ. [35:28]

Ephesians 4:15 (ESV): "Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ."

Reflection: Is there someone in your life who needs to hear a hard truth spoken in love? How can you approach this conversation with grace and compassion, trusting God to work through your words?

Sermon Summary

### Summary

Today marks the beginning of our new series, "Go! The Next 100 Years," which is designed to focus on our church's 100th anniversary and what we need to do to ensure that the church thrives for the next century. Our journey begins with the Great Commission from Matthew 28, where Jesus commands us to go and make disciples of all nations. This command is not just for the apostles but for the church throughout all time. The implication is that those who have experienced Jesus' life, death, and resurrection will naturally share this good news with others.

We also looked at Luke 10, where Jesus sends out seventy disciples to prepare the way for Him, emphasizing the urgency and importance of spreading the gospel. This mission is not just about words but about living out the love of God, which is agape love—a self-giving love that seeks the benefit of others. John 3:16 exemplifies this love, showing that God’s love is action-oriented, sacrificing His Son for our salvation.

However, the opposite of love is not hate but indifference. Indifference is dangerous, especially for the church, as it leads to a lack of action and care. Jesus warns against being lukewarm in Revelation, urging us to be either hot or cold but never indifferent. Agape love requires us to take action, to care deeply, and to sacrifice for others.

The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 teaches us who our neighbor is and how to love like God. The Samaritan, despite cultural enmity, showed compassion and care for a wounded Jew, demonstrating agape love. This love is sacrificial, compassionate, unrestricted, and willing to share hard truths. Jesus Himself exemplified this when He spoke to the Samaritan woman at the well, breaking social norms and sharing the truth of her life with compassion.

To be a church that lasts another 100 years, we must embody agape love. This means loving sacrificially, showing compassion, sharing hard truths, and pursuing peace. We must remember that we were once the broken man on the road, saved by Jesus' compassion and love. Now, we are called to extend that same love to others, ensuring that our church remains a beacon of God's love for generations to come.

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Key Takeaways

1. Oriented**: God's love, as demonstrated in John 3:16, is a self-giving love that seeks the benefit of others. This love is not just a feeling but an action, requiring us to make sacrifices for the well-being of others. True agape love means putting others' needs before our own, just as Jesus did for us. [10:49]
3. Indifference is the Opposite of Love: Indifference, not hate, is the true opposite of love. When we become indifferent, we fail to act and care for others, which is a dangerous place for the church to be. Jesus warns against being lukewarm, urging us to be passionate and active in our love for others.

4. The Parable of the Good Samaritan Teaches Us to Love Without Boundaries: The Samaritan's actions in Luke 10 show us that true love knows no boundaries. Despite cultural and religious differences, he showed compassion and care for a wounded Jew. This teaches us that our neighbor is anyone in need, and we are called to love them without restriction.

5. Sharing Hard Truths is an Act of Love: Jesus' interaction with the Samaritan woman at the well demonstrates that sharing hard truths is a form of love. By addressing her sin with compassion and respect, He led her to a transformative encounter with God. We must be willing to share the truth about sin and salvation, trusting that God will work through our words.

### [10:49]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:31] - The Great Commission
[02:40] - Implications of the Great Commission
[04:51] - Jesus Sends the Seventy
[06:46] - Our Mission in Lake and Porter County
[07:34] - The Foundation of Love
[09:15] - Understanding Agape Love
[10:49] - John 3:16 and Agape Love
[12:22] - The Danger of Indifference
[13:38] - Jesus' Warning to the Lukewarm Church
[15:37] - The Parable of the Good Samaritan
[20:10] - Loving Without Boundaries
[25:20] - Sacrificial Love
[27:27] - Compassion in Action
[30:27] - Sharing Hard Truths
[35:28] - Jesus and the Samaritan Woman
[40:17] - Pursuing Peace
[43:55] - Agape Love for the Next 100 Years
[45:04] - Closing Worship and Blessing

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 28:18-20 (The Great Commission) — > "And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.'"

2. Luke 10:1-2 (Jesus Sends Out the Seventy)
> "Now after this the Lord appointed seventy others, and sent them in pairs ahead of Him to every city and place where He Himself was going to come. And He was saying to them, 'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.'"

3. John 3:16 (Agape Love)
> "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

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Observation Questions

What command does Jesus give in the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20?
In Luke 10:1-2, what does Jesus say about the harvest and the laborers?
How does John 3:16 describe God's love for the world?
According to the sermon, what is the opposite of love, and why is it dangerous for the church? [12:22]

Interpretation Questions

Why is the Great Commission considered a call to action for all believers and not just the apostles? [01:31]
How does the sending of the seventy in Luke 10 emphasize the urgency and importance of spreading the gospel? [04:51]
What does it mean for God's love to be action-oriented and sacrificial, as described in John 3:16? [10:49]
How does the parable of the Good Samaritan challenge cultural and religious boundaries in demonstrating agape love? [20:10]

Application Questions

Reflect on your own life. How can you actively participate in the Great Commission in your community? What specific steps can you take this week to share the gospel with someone? [01:31]
Think about a time when you felt indifferent towards someone in need. How can you overcome indifference and show agape love in similar situations in the future? [12:22]
Identify a person in your life who might be considered a "neighbor" in the sense of the Good Samaritan parable. What practical actions can you take to show them sacrificial and compassionate love this week? [20:10]
Consider a hard truth that you need to share with someone you care about. How can you approach this conversation with compassion and respect, following Jesus' example with the Samaritan woman? [35:28]
Reflect on a situation where you might have been lukewarm in your faith. What changes can you make to become more passionate and active in your love for others? [13:38]
How can you pursue peace in a relationship or situation where there is conflict or division? What steps can you take to demonstrate agape love and seek reconciliation? [40:17]
Think about the next 100 years of our church. What role can you play in ensuring that our church remains a beacon of God's love for future generations? What specific actions can you commit to in order to support this vision? [43:55]

Sermon Clips

1. "We are to go and tell people of Jesus. Here's what I know and here's what I feel in my heart. He is working radically in Lake and Porter County. All we have to do is share our faith and then he will show up. And he's going to do amazing things around us. So I want to have this image here. Behind me. I want that deep in your mind. That as we go through this series that we are being sent to go out because there's so much harvest." [05:39] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

2. "When we read that God is love, we sometimes struggle to understand what that means. When John writes, God's love, it means that God eternally gives of himself to others. Let me say that again. That God eternally gives of himself to others. His love is self-giving for the benefit of others. It is the very nature of God to give of himself in order to bring about blessing and good for others. God's love isn't a feeling or an emotion. It is his nature put into you." [09:15] (41 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

3. "The best example of love that we can ever have, and if we want to develop a healthy understanding of love, we have to look towards God, because for God, love isn't a feeling or an emotion. It's not something just rising up and in. It is his nature that he puts into action. He exercises his love into the world, and this type of love is known as agape love. Agape The love of God. Agape love is only found in God." [09:59] (38 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

4. "The opposite of love is indifference. When someone is indifferent, they simply don't care. They see much of the world and the people in it having little to no importance and or value. Indifference takes no action because it has no interest or concern. I see this as a hazard in our culture as we're becoming more and more divided as we're taught to hate that there's also some indifference. People are just getting fed up and they're like, well, I don't want to hear that and I don't want to hear that so I'm just going to tune out the whole world. I just don't care anymore." [12:22] (51 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

5. "Agape love means that you're willing to make sacrifices. When we sacrifice for others, we express agape love. And agape love creates trust. It says when life is tough, I will be there. I've got your back. Agape love does not mean that we get out of balance and we give up our own family. We don't exhaust our resources. We don't go into incredible amounts of debt to help others. That's not what agape love is. But we clearly understand that at times we do need to give of our time, our effort, and energy to serve others. Sacrifice is the root of agape love." [26:25] (54 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

6. "Compassion is when you stay in that community and search for loved ones. You get dirty. You take risk injuring yourself, sifting through the rubble so that others can rebuild their lives. See, that's action. That's agape love being lived out. This is, I'm putting myself at risk. I'm using my resources to help others so they can get to the life God is calling them to. Agape love is lived out when Christians show compassion to others by getting in the mess of life with them and walking alongside them with deep emotional, physical, and spiritual needs." [27:57] (46 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

7. "Agape love is put into action everywhere without limits or restriction. God sent the Son to save the world. Not America, not Europe, not whatever, insert whatever title or name you want to put in there. No, it says the world. We should be so loving as to show God's love to the world. When Christians demonstrate agape love to those who don't look or talk like them, who have different political views, who speak, in other language, it says to that person, you have value. I care about you and I love you. That is agape love." [30:00] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

8. "To let someone continue to live their life in sin without ever telling them of the eternal consequences is not loving them. We've got to get to a point where we communicate the love of God as Peter says, with respect and reverence. I share the gospel of Jesus Christ with people because I love them. Every single human being, if you're a Christian, this holds true for you whether you know it or not. Every single human being has an eternal destination and it's one of two places, heaven or hell. There's no other way around that." [32:10] (49 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

9. "Agape love is put into action when we pursue peace. In a world that is currently seeking to divide mankind agape love looks beyond the actions and words of others and seeks peace. Don't buy in to what the world is telling you. God created each and every one of us. We should view our neighbor not the person in the house beside us but the person who is in need. That's our neighbor. It doesn't make a difference the color the belief system any of that. Just help them. Love them and radical things can happen." [42:58] (58 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

10. "Southlake if we are going to be a church for the region for the next 100 years we must must demonstrate agape love to the world around us. This is our goal to have agape love for the region. We are a church that demonstrates agape love by walking with others in their struggle with sin. We hold the hands of the hurting because we too were once like that person. May we never forget that we were the broken man on the road and Jesus Christ rescued us." [43:55] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)

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