A New Revelation of Love (1 John 4:7-11)

  • We already knew that God is a
    • God of power yet compassion,
    • purity yet forgiveness,
    • high above all but utterly faithful as a friend.
  • But Jesus revealed something new,   something shocking,   something almost unbelievable, at the very core of the supreme being.

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Video cover image by Aaron Burden Unsplash License

Goal

To change the way we think about our main goals in life.

A New Revelation of Love

  1. A New Commandment
  2. A New Revelation
  3. Working it out in practice

1. A New Commandment

1. A New Commandment: John 13

  1. A new commandment I give to you,
        that you love one another:
    just as I have loved you,
        you also are to love one another.

Relationship to the Old Commandments: Romans 13

  1. Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
  2. For the commandments,
    “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment,
    are summed up in this word:
    “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

2. A New Revelation

  • I want to talk about of the most extraordinary truths in the Bible, that is not often spoken about
  • When Jesus died on the cross, it was to suffer in our place
    • But that is not all it was
    • It was:

A New Revelation of What God is Like: Hebrews 1

  1. Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
  2. but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son...
  3. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of his essence...

We already knew that he is a:

  • God of power yet compassion
  • purity but forgiveness,
  • high above all but utterly faithful as a friend.
  • But Jesus revealed:
    • something new
    • something shocking
    • something almost unbelievable
    • at the very core of the supreme being:

The Core Nature of God

  • is to give himself sacrificially to others, even when the cost is so high.
  • When Jesus died on the cross, it was a declaration to the universe of what God is like.
  • Not just another aspect of God, but the very essence. The part of God that he himself most delights in.
    %He doesn’t want to hide this in a corner but to proclaim it as widely as possible through the cross%
  • Kindness is love in action, so when we are kind, we are God-like

A New Revelation of What God is Like: Hebrews 1

  1. Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets,
  2. but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son...
  3. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact representation of his essence...
  • John 13 is not the first time Jesus spoke of this, e.g.:

Luke 6

  1. But love your enemies,
    and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return,
    and your reward will be great,
    and you will be sons of the Most High,
    for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
  2. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.
  • This takes it to another level—one thing to be kind to a friend, or even a stranger
  • More than a feeling, it is an action
  • Jesus embodied this sort of kindness
    • Even healed the ear of one of the soldiers arresting him before his death
  • This is why, in one way, it is very easy to become a Christian
    • because no matter what we have done, God welcomes us
    • The only thing stopping us is ourselves
    • He will always welcome us
    • e.g. the story of the lost son who treated his father so badly

1 John 3

  1. By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we should lay down our lives for each other.
  • And here is my main text for today:

1 John 4

  1. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
  2. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
  3. In this the love of God was revealed among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we may live through him.
  4. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
  5. Beloved, if God so loved us, then we also should love one another.

Dying to self

Dying to self

3. Working it out in practice

What is Costly?

  • Money
  • Time
  • Energy
  • Prayer

Money

  • The NT church had all things in common and would take people into their homes and feed them
  • This is a difficult one because it is so easy to get tricked into giving money inappropriately, but that should not stop us, just make us wiser.
  • One of the best books I have ever read on this topic is

“When Helping Hurts”

When Helping Hurts
  • When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor . . . and Yourself
  • Much of charitable work today does not make any sustainable difference to the poor.
    • It makes the givers feel good!
    • But it takes away all dignity from the recipients—they just feel like “charity cases”

Time & Energy

  • Examples…
  • Good Listening is dying to self

Listening

“The essence of good listening is… suspending our preoccupation with ourselves and entering into the experience of the other person.”
The Lost Art of Listening Michael P. Nichols

  • Real listening is dying to yourself

Listening

“Of course suspending your needs in order to listen means more than just allowing the other person time to talk. It doesn’t mean just letting a certain amount of time elapse while that person has their say, only to leap in with your own agenda when they’ve finished.”
The Lost Art of Listening Michael P. Nichols

  • What will serve this person best?
  • Am I truly dying to my own desires in this conversation?
  • Many years ago I read this book that really spoke to me:

“Encouragement—the Key to Caring”

Encouragement--the Key to Caring
  • This is one of the gifts of the Spirit listed, along with miracles. prophecy, etc
  • It is not about “giving wisdom” but getting alongside people
  • It is so important that we get than this at the very core of God:

1 John 4

  1. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
  2. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
  3. In this the love of God was revealed among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we may live through him.
  4. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
  5. Beloved, if God so loved us, then we also should love one another.
  • How do we do this?
    • It is the life of God within us
    • The sign that God the Holy Spirit is truly in us
    • He is in you, and loves to love, just ask him “What can I do right now to show your love?”

Conclusion

  • Is the main goal of your life to be a person who loves (that is God’s goal for you)
  • Love and be God-like!
  • If God is in you, he will want to show himself in this way, so let him.
  • Pray: “What can I do right now to show your love?”
  • You have a choice: walk in the old or walk in the New.
  • I’m trying to paint a picture of what it looks like—find a part inside you that wants to love!

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