Embracing Love: The Power of Redemption and Unity
Summary
The sermon begins with the pastor emphasizing the importance of love in action, referencing the great commandment given by Jesus to love one another as He loves us. The pastor shares a personal anecdote about a previous experience at Christchurch, where they witnessed the power of love in action. They describe how a licensed minister was feeling nervous before preaching, and the pastor noticed that she had misplaced her sermon notes. During a hymn, the pastor quickly retrieved the notes and handed them to her, allowing her to deliver a beautiful sermon without anyone knowing what had happened.
The pastor then shares a personal story about a woman named Rosie who made a mistake while preaching. The pastor reassures Rosie that her mistake is not something to be forgiven, but rather something to be released from. This interaction leads to a deep bond between the pastor and Rosie, and she continues to be a blessing in the church until her last days. The pastor emphasizes that Rosie needed to know she was loved for who she was in Christ, not for what she did. The pastor extends this message to all listeners, reminding them that the love of Christ does not point fingers at their mistakes, but rather embraces them with open arms.
The pastor then emphasizes the message of redemption and God's love. The pastor acknowledges that there may be individuals in the congregation who feel unworthy or not good enough, but reminds them that God's love is pouring out upon them from heaven into their hearts. The pastor encourages those who feel that God is speaking to them to recognize that it is no longer their own lives that they live, but Christ who lives in them. The congregation is invited to place their hands upon their hearts and receive God's grace and love, allowing them to live life abundantly in the power of Jesus.
The pastor highlights the importance of love as the defining characteristic of discipleship. While achievements and ambitions may have value in the world, the love of Christ is the greatest thing that the church should be ambitious about. The pastor emphasizes that the love of Christ should be the currency of the church, as it has the power to transform and make us ontologically different. The pastor also reminds the congregation not to forget the world that is in desperate need of Jesus, as sometimes they can become too focused on their own lives and church. The love of God is not just for individuals, but for all, and it is a love that extends nationally.
The sermon concludes with a call to commit to being a community that embraces others with the love of Christ, seeing the best in others and offering forgiveness and transformation through love rather than judgment. The pastor encourages the congregation to live out God's love and to pray for the world to see Jesus through their love for one another.
Key Takeaways:
- Love is not just a theoretical concept, but it must be practiced through both small and big actions. The pastor's personal anecdote about retrieving a minister's misplaced sermon notes during a hymn demonstrates the power of love in action. [01:15]
- The love of Christ does not point fingers at our mistakes, but rather embraces us with open arms. This is exemplified in the pastor's interaction with Rosie, who made a mistake while preaching. The pastor reassures Rosie that her mistake is not something to be forgiven, but rather something to be released from. [12:45]
- God's love is pouring out upon us from heaven into our hearts. The pastor encourages those who feel that God is speaking to them to recognize that it is no longer their own lives that they live, but Christ who lives in them. [23:30]
- The love of Christ should be the currency of the church, as it has the power to transform and make us ontologically different. The pastor emphasizes that the love of Christ is the greatest thing that the church should be ambitious about. [34:20]
- The congregation is called to commit to being a community that embraces others with the love of Christ, seeing the best in others and offering forgiveness and transformation through love rather than judgment. The pastor encourages the congregation to live out God's love and to pray for the world to see Jesus through their love for one another. [45:10]
Study Guide
Bible Reading:
1. John 13:34-35: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
2. Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
Observation Questions:
1. In John 13:34-35, what is the new commandment given and why is it significant?
2. How does Galatians 2:20 describe the transformation that occurs in a believer's life?
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the commandment in John 13:34-35 challenge the traditional understanding of love and discipleship?
2. In Galatians 2:20, what does it mean to be crucified with Christ and how does this impact the believer's identity?
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a recent situation where you had the opportunity to show love in action. How did you respond and what could you have done differently to better reflect Christ's love?
2. Can you think of a person in your life who you find difficult to love? How can you apply the commandment in John 13:34-35 to this relationship?
3. Reflect on Galatians 2:20. How does the understanding that Christ lives in you change how you view your daily life and interactions?
4. What is one specific way you can demonstrate the love of Christ in your community this week?
5. Think of a mistake you made recently. How can you apply the understanding that Christ's love does not point fingers at our mistakes, but embraces us with open arms, to release yourself from this mistake?
Devotional
Day 1: Embracing Love in Action
Love is not merely a concept to be discussed, but a force to be put into action. It is through our actions, both big and small, that we can truly demonstrate the love of Christ to others. This love in action can have a profound impact on the lives of those around us. [12:45]
1 John 3:18 - "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth."
Reflection: Reflect on your actions in the past week. Can you identify a moment where you could have shown love through action but didn't? How can you make a conscious effort to show love in action today?
Day 2: Releasing Mistakes in Love
In the eyes of Christ, our mistakes are not something to be forgiven, but rather something to be released from. His love does not point fingers at our mistakes, but embraces us with open arms, offering us freedom from our past errors. [24:30]
Romans 8:1 - "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."
Reflection: Is there a mistake from your past that you're still holding onto? How can you accept Christ's love and release yourself from this mistake today?
Day 3: Love Overcomes Fear
God's love is greater than any of our failures or fears. We are complete in Christ, and it is through our love for one another that others will recognize us as His disciples. [36:15]
1 John 4:18 - "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."
Reflection: What fear is currently holding you back? How can you allow God's love to drive out this fear and move forward in faith?
Day 4: Building Spiritual Foundations
Unity, love in fellowship, commitment to serving the Lord, prayer, passionate formation, and scriptural discipleship are the spiritual foundations that guide us in our journey with Christ. These foundations will help us navigate the new seasons of our lives. [48:00]
Ephesians 4:15-16 - "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
Reflection: Which of these spiritual foundations do you need to strengthen in your life? What specific steps can you take today to start building this foundation?
Day 5: The Unchanging Love of God
Despite the changes and uncertainties of the world, God's love remains constant, eternal, and all-conquering. This love is reflected in Jesus' command to love one another as He has loved us. [59:30]
Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Reflection: How can you embody God's unchanging love in your interactions with others today? Is there someone in your life who needs to experience this love?
Quotes
1. "If God is speaking to you now, would you place your hand upon your heart and receive God's grace and love for you today and be free now to live life abundantly and the power of Jesus." [22:21]
2. "The love of Christ must be the currency of the church... It is powerful, transformative, and what makes us ontologically which transforms us." [24:48]
3. "Orthodoxy without orthopraxy is just Theory... the people of God cannot be a people without love." [15:56]
4. "May God release you from whatever happened in the past which made you so worried about a simple mistake like this. There's nothing here to forgive." [18:46]
5. "She needed to know that she was loved for who she was in Christ, not for what she did. Maybe we need to know today that the love of Christ does not point fingers like this at our mistakes, but that it embraces us with arms wide open." [20:15]
6. "Today marked the beginning of my Ministry at Saint John's... we're going to start living God's love by being a community which is deeply loving in Fellowship, a community that is committed to enjoy to serve the Lord, that's on a third in prayer, that's unashamely passionate formation and unshakably scriptural in discipleship." #!!03:05!!#
7. "We cannot hold back his love to the rest of our community, our parish, and the world...we need to wish and pray that our relationships with one another, with our community, may reflect the love of Christ in such a way that everyone will know the reality and Redemption that comes through Christ by the love that they see in our very lives." (#!!25:33!!#)
8. "God's love doesn't change, his love is Everlasting... it must be the Hallmark of his church." #!!07:56!!#
9. "Love is a verb, love is costly and sacrificial... love at best changes the world." #!!09:34!!#
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