Living Out Christ's Command: Love One Another
Summary
In today's message, we explored the profound commandment Jesus gave to His disciples in John 13:34-35, which is to love one another as He has loved us. This commandment is not merely a suggestion but an imperative that calls us to embody the same love, intensity, and commitment that Jesus demonstrated. The context of this command is crucial; it is directed towards those who are in close relationship with Jesus, His disciples, and by extension, us as members of His church. This love is meant to be lived out within the community of believers, the church, where we are called to be in mutually beneficial relationships with one another.
The essence of this command is not just about loving in a general sense but loving specifically those who are part of our spiritual family. This involves a commitment to be present, to engage meaningfully, and to support one another in our spiritual journeys. It is about creating a safe environment where vulnerability is met with grace and understanding, where we can hold each other accountable in love, and where we can grow together in our knowledge and relationship with God.
Furthermore, this love is empowered by the Holy Spirit, who enables us to love beyond our natural capacities. It is through the Spirit that we gain the strength and insight to love as Jesus did. This love is not just an individual endeavor but a collective one, where the church becomes a living testimony of Christ's love to the world. When we love one another in this way, it becomes evident to the world that we are His disciples, and it draws others to Him.
Key Takeaways:
- The Command to Love: Jesus' command to love one another is not optional but a defining characteristic of His followers. This love is to be as sacrificial and committed as His love for us, requiring us to be deeply connected to Him and empowered by the Holy Spirit. [12:25]
- Context of Love: The command to love one another is specifically directed towards the community of believers. It is within the church that we are called to practice this love, creating a space where we can support and encourage each other in our faith journeys. [18:20]
- Mutual Accountability: Loving one another involves holding each other accountable in a safe and supportive environment. This means being willing to confront sin and offer grace, helping each other grow in holiness and faithfulness. [41:26]
- Empowered by the Spirit: Our ability to love as Jesus did is made possible through the Holy Spirit. It is through His power that we can overcome our limitations and love with the same intensity and commitment as Christ. [32:46]
- A Witness to the World: When we love one another as Jesus commanded, it becomes a powerful witness to the world. Our love for each other should be so distinct and compelling that it draws others to Christ, demonstrating the reality of His presence among us. [44:23]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:45] - New Law and Compliance
[06:01] - Jesus' Commandment
[08:51] - Context of Jesus' Words
[10:37] - The New Commandment
[12:25] - Love as Jesus Loved
[14:49] - Are You With Him?
[16:05] - Context for Compliance
[18:20] - Loving One Another
[20:52] - Church as Context
[22:41] - Mutually Beneficial Relationships
[26:19] - Knowing God
[32:46] - Power of the Holy Spirit
[39:25] - Importance of Community
[44:23] - Witness to the World
[49:38] - Real Church Membership
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- John 13:34-35
- John 17:3
- Hebrews 10:25
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Observation Questions:
1. In John 13:34-35, what specific command does Jesus give to His disciples, and how does He describe the nature of this love? [12:25]
2. According to the sermon, what is the context in which Jesus' command to love one another is meant to be lived out? [18:20]
3. How does the sermon describe the role of the Holy Spirit in enabling believers to love as Jesus did? [32:46]
4. What does the sermon suggest is the evidence to the world that we are Jesus' disciples? [44:23]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the command to love one another as Jesus loved challenge the typical understanding of love within a church community? [16:05]
2. What does it mean for love to be "empowered by the Spirit," and how might this differ from natural human love? [32:46]
3. In what ways does mutual accountability play a role in the church's ability to love one another effectively? [41:26]
4. How does the sermon suggest that loving one another can serve as a witness to the world, and why might this be significant? [44:23]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current relationships within the church. How can you be more intentional in loving others as Jesus loved you? What specific actions can you take this week? [16:05]
2. Consider a time when you felt empowered by the Holy Spirit to love someone beyond your natural capacity. How can you seek the Spirit's guidance in your relationships now? [32:46]
3. Think about a situation where you might need to hold someone accountable in love. How can you approach this with grace and understanding? [41:26]
4. How can your small group create a safe environment where vulnerability is met with grace and understanding? What steps can you take to foster this atmosphere? [54:34]
5. Identify one person in your church community who might feel isolated or disconnected. How can you reach out to them and demonstrate Christ's love this week? [51:16]
6. Reflect on the idea of being a living testimony of Christ's love. What changes can you make in your daily interactions to better reflect this to those around you? [44:23]
7. How can you encourage others in your church to engage in mutually beneficial relationships? What role can you play in facilitating these connections? [22:41]
Devotional
Day 1: Love as a Defining Characteristic
The command to love one another as Jesus loved is not just a suggestion but a defining characteristic of His followers. This love is sacrificial, committed, and requires a deep connection to Jesus, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Jesus' love was marked by selflessness and a willingness to lay down His life for others. As His disciples, we are called to embody this same love, which goes beyond mere words and is demonstrated through our actions and attitudes. This love is not something we can achieve on our own; it requires us to be deeply rooted in Christ and reliant on the Holy Spirit to guide and empower us. [12:25]
"By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers." (1 John 3:16, ESV)
Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience the sacrificial love of Jesus through you today? How can you practically demonstrate this love to them?
Day 2: Community as the Context for Love
The command to love one another is specifically directed towards the community of believers. It is within the church that we are called to practice this love, creating a space where we can support and encourage each other in our faith journeys. This love is not just about being nice or polite; it involves a deep commitment to one another's spiritual growth and well-being. In the church, we are called to be present, engage meaningfully, and support one another, creating an environment where vulnerability is met with grace and understanding. This community of love becomes a powerful witness to the world of the reality of Christ's presence among us. [18:20]
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25, ESV)
Reflection: How can you contribute to creating a supportive and loving environment in your church community this week?
Day 3: Accountability in Love
Loving one another involves holding each other accountable in a safe and supportive environment. This means being willing to confront sin and offer grace, helping each other grow in holiness and faithfulness. Accountability is not about judgment or condemnation but about lovingly guiding one another towards Christlikeness. It requires humility, honesty, and a willingness to both give and receive correction. In this way, we help each other stay on the path of righteousness and grow in our relationship with God. [41:26]
"Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted." (Galatians 6:1, ESV)
Reflection: Is there someone in your life who needs gentle correction or encouragement? How can you approach them with love and grace?
Day 4: Empowered by the Holy Spirit
Our ability to love as Jesus did is made possible through the Holy Spirit. It is through His power that we can overcome our limitations and love with the same intensity and commitment as Christ. The Holy Spirit equips us with the strength, wisdom, and insight needed to love others selflessly and sacrificially. As we rely on the Spirit, we are transformed into the likeness of Christ, and our love becomes a reflection of His love for us. This supernatural love is a testimony to the world of the transformative power of the Gospel. [32:46]
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you need the Holy Spirit's help to love others more fully? How can you invite Him to work in those areas today?
Day 5: Love as a Witness to the World
When we love one another as Jesus commanded, it becomes a powerful witness to the world. Our love for each other should be so distinct and compelling that it draws others to Christ, demonstrating the reality of His presence among us. This love is not just an individual endeavor but a collective one, where the church becomes a living testimony of Christ's love. As we love one another, we reflect the heart of God to a watching world, inviting others to experience the transformative power of His love. [44:23]
"By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35, ESV)
Reflection: How can your love for others serve as a testimony to those who do not yet know Christ? What specific actions can you take to demonstrate His love to those around you?
Quotes
Jesus, somehow you made things. It's really clear, really simple, like a rifle. A new commandment I give you. Add this one. Place all the others with this one. Make this part of your life. It's a commandment. It's not a suggestion, not a dictation. It's a commandment. It's imperative. Just as I am loved, you also are beloved. Father, as we... point our hearts and attention to this word from Jesus to see. Open our minds, please. Our hearts, our spirits. Give us understanding. [00:06:41]
So if he says, just as I have loved you and I have loved you with a sacrifice, then yours would be what? Love one another. What else? Same what? Same manner, same intensity, same motivation, same commitment, same quality? How about the same empowerment? How about the same... Where did the man, Jesus Christ, get the power to love like this? Specifically, from God, through the Holy Spirit. [00:12:56]
Therefore, if you are among those who by faith, in the Spirit, with all your hearts, are with Jesus, you're a disciple who is with him, you're not just a student, but you're accompanying him, you have a relationship with him, then here's the command. That you love one another in the way, the same empowerment, same quality, same manner, same intensity, same manner for the reasons, same commitment, equal sacrifice, just as Jesus has loved you. [00:14:54]
The disciples to whom Jesus gave this command were the disciples who were in relationship with them. And he gave that to the one another we already know who is ärigant. know we need to love him, that's how we get so love one another, Jesus is saying you need to be a part of each other. You need to have a relationship with one another. You need to be faithful to one another. You need to, what does this look like? What does love one another look like in real life? [00:20:15]
Because it is your local church that provides the context for fulfilling this command to love one another. Okay? Okay? And sometimes people read this, I know! I don't know who this is, everybody, oh yeah, we have to present in a genuine love of Jesus, love to the whole world, but as a matter of, to the degree of command, what does love one another look like? Well, it's empowered, it's quality, it's got some concrete methodology to it, the same manner, you said the same intensity. [00:21:06]
He loved them unconditionally, but notice, he loved them, and he was loved by them. It was a mutually beneficial relationship. So when Jesus says love one another, he's talking about loving, whatever that word means, in a mutually beneficial relationship. And you can't do that with my believers. They can't return to you the love that you give to them because they don't have to give. [00:22:24]
What does it mean to be a member of a church? According to Jesus, it means a commitment to love this group of people in a mutually beneficial relationship. So that mutually beneficial relationship has a larger name. from your experience and your observation and from what you would like to see but haven't seen in your life, what does this look like in real life? When it works, what does it look like? [00:23:19]
If we're going to love one another, Jesus, by definition of giving his command, is saying to us, you need each other. You need each other. You don't because you don't have to do it. I'll just tell you how hard it is. On those days when it seems like on Sunday mornings, everybody's got something to do somewhere, and there's it's 1030, and the service is starting, and there's five people. [00:39:13]
And those five people are very technical for them, but I was trying to think about preaching to this empty auditorium of five people. Because you're just sitting there, even if you sleep through a sermon, which I can fix. Even if you sleep through it, just being there encourages me. You know? This is not one side of you. That's why Jesus said love. That's why he gives us this part, one another. [00:39:45]
Sin and guilt are burdens that Jesus wants to relieve us of. And too many, too many people today who call themselves disciples are walking around burdened by sin and guilt because the people around them don't love them well enough to confront their sin. Did you hear what I said? Listen, we live in a small town. We know the stories. Mm -hmm. [00:41:23]
When Jesus called his people to be members of his body, members of one another, he called them to do that in love. The church membership should be the place where people who have relationships that we carry out, love, love one another. And it's when, you know, if you look at verse 35, Jesus says, when you do this, when you are members of each other and you do this, they will know you are my disciples. [00:44:07]
I grew up hearing people say, oh, it's so hard to tell people about Jesus, I just don't know what to say. And I want to tell you, if you loved one another the way Jesus said, you wouldn't have to say much. Or as much. Because people would be coming and saying, hell, tell me, how do you do that? And you would just say, Jesus, and go from there. [00:44:31]
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