LoveSick - Week 2 - St. Peter - Pastor Bill Monday
LoveSick
Week 2 - St Peter
Pastor Bill Monday
Welcome back to week two of our three-week series Love Sick. Kind of the time of year, I know Valentine's Day, is coming up. We actually have a family marriage Retreat. That's coming up this month for our ministry efforts here. So, a lot of love thoughts at least are in the air. And yet, at the same time, I think we demand as we look at the world. A lot of people lovesick longing for something, real something to satisfy them. Something that only Jesus can offer. So if you were with us last week, you would have recalled with Pastor Tim or Pastor Mike, defining love very well from the scriptures. God is love and love isn't just a feeling or emotion, but it is God in flesh and blood. Christ committed unconditional, sacrificial love that will never fail. And such love is what the world needs and such love is yours and mine. Today, we extend our message, our thought, where we see that love, isn't just something we receive and experience in Christ, but it is something that we are transformed by. And we then are gifted to exercise to live out. We too have been changed to love. So we're going to really see today that love does love is truly an action word. Before we jump into our message inspired by 1 John 4:11. Why don't we open with prayer?
Sanctify us by the truth. O Lord. Your word is truth. Amen.
So caught up by the message from last week about what love is and seeing that love is so powerful, the love of God that it does it changes it transforms and we do. I thought I would turn to my good friend Chat GPT. I don't know. Any of you been using chat GPT these days AI, artificial intelligence, okay? Some of you, if you haven't and I'm kind of new to this myself definitely not an expert on it. It's artificial intelligence. It's software that you can type questions in at a prompt or directions for and then this Alien intelligence, I don't if this artificial intelligence computer software program, just synthesizes all this is the best of information. And spits it out to you and what you're hopefully looking for. Although nothing's perfect, right? So anyway, I thought I would ask Chat GPT about the transformative love of Jesus. And I asked it this way. I thought, you know, such love right? That inspires, that transforms, that's going to motivate people, right? But I'm just curious. What would artificial intelligence say are the greatest examples of love sacrificial? Love and human history that has promoted or motivated a cause Would you like to see the top 10 that I was given? Okay, here we go. Well, you don't really have a choice. I'm going to do it anyway.
So here's 10. Number one. Nelson Mandela. So, really, a civil rights leader, for freedom of his people? Joan of Arc right? Fought for Independence. It's a Soldier, a woman leading many in battle. Gandhi. For India again, fighting for freedom for his people. Malala Yousafzai. I'm not sure I pronounced that right. I tried my best but out of Pakistan, something, someone similar or civil rights activists in her own country. So, no surprise, Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks was on a list, a whole list of activists from the 1950s and so on. Florence Nightingale, nursing and humanitarian aid, and great advancements. There’s Oskar Schindler, we think of the Holocaust or Stephen Spielberg's movie Schindler's List. Caesar Chavez fight for farmers. We think of him. Perhaps, at least, that's what Chat GPT thought of. Aung San Suu Kyi I can I hope I pronounce that correctly, cause of democracy in Myanmar a woman activist that's been in prison for many years. Firefighters and First Responders that kind of rounds out the list and rightly. So Uh, you think at 9/11 and what they did in New York City and gave their lives to rescue people and it's motivating. It's inspiring people still talk about these these figures today, don't they?
And that’s top 10.
So, maybe my question for you, is anybody missing from that list, anybody who may be hoping to see, like, Maybe, like Jesus, that's what I was. So I decided I was feeling a little feisty, whenever I get something I don't necessarily, like, I write back. I probably should have waited, but it's a computer. So this is what I said in response because you can do this with chat GPT. I typed away. What about Jesus, question mark?
And the AI responded. Oh, Jesus is one of history's most significant examples of sacrifice for a cause, dot, dot went on for another explanation paragraph or two. Then I felt a little face. There wasn't satisfied. So I was like, well, why didn't you list Jesus in the top 10 examples? Chat GPT said I apologize. You're not including Jesus, in the initial list of examples, the omission was not intentional. And I appreciate your important point and on, and on it went. Well, it wasn't good enough for me.
I asked, are you sure you aren't programmed to exclude Jesus.
Chat CPT, very graciously said, I'm not programmed to exclude any specific religious or historical figures for my response. I sincerely apologize for any offense or misunderstanding it may have caused. So I was like well isn't that fantastic? Finally computers are apologizing these days and that's great. As you've been doing that for a long time or maybe, maybe it's me.
And then to boot, sincerely apologize. Like wow, I didn't know computers could do that or be sincere so I don't know what to make of that.
But in chat GPT's defense maybe I started thinking like whoa, why didn't Jesus? His love, His sacrificial love which has inspired a third of the world today. To see him as Lord and Savior. Talk about a cause.
That has even invaded other religions. Maybe they don't call them Lord and Savior, but they don't know how to handle them. So they put him somewhere.
How is it that didn't register? Maybe it's because it was thinking, political causes, social causes and so on. So I'll give it a pass. But I guess it made me think a little bit more and this is probably more of a practical question I have.
How many Christians including you and me?
Maybe he can fall into a pattern of looking at the love of Jesus.
Sacrificial, unconditional love, if you want to know what love is. Undoubtedly look to Jesus on the cross. I mean, there's a love for people who are not lovable But he loved anyway.
As we Christian people just contemplate the love of God.
Is it possible that? Yeah, we could be moved by that somewhat. We can receive it. We experience it. We love it. And yet
Somehow, it doesn't translate to a cause in our life. It doesn't motivate us. Perhaps we think. Yeah, Heaven's good. Eternity is good. Lack of better word ticket to Heaven.
But then like James said, we kind of turn away from the mirror of Christ's love that it's now our image and we forget what we look like.
Is it possible? Maybe in our life? I look at my life.
And I see that. Yeah. Like I so often forget oh God so loves me.
And therefore love does, I'm not like I was before.
That's really John's point. I probably, instead of bothering ChatGPT should have just prompted John. Hey, can John you tell me what's the biggest example of love? And what does that do for us? And John would have said this in 1 John 4:11, I've got it in your notes if you're filling in the blank. I'm going to read the whole verse but you'll be able to fill in the thoughts here.
John says, after just standing in awe of God's love. Seeing it. He's the one that was there at the table, the night Jesus was betrayed. He was there at the cross. He was there as a witness of the resurrection. He said, dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
Yeah. It inspires us, doesn't it? To be different to love everybody.
And so our job today is wrestling with this message. We're going to be taking a look at what love does.
Again, love comes from God. Oh love did. That love is ours. And now we're going to see that love It really inspires us three things. To love God back.
And God in loving him. Back says, love others and then, doesn't hate, doesn't sin. It hates and refuses to delve into itself and evil. So, those are the three thoughts that we're going to come to you today. The first one, loved us for God.
Now, if we think about John's words there,
Since God loved us we ought to love one another. You might wonder, it doesn't really say love God, he just goes right to the neighbor, but I'd like to take a moment and obviously we'll see in John's letter and just a few verses later that he has this in mind that love for neighbors, loving others, which is the end goal of what God has done for us. It has everything to do with loving God first. That's a no-brainer but just don't miss the connection. Jesus even said it this way. I'm the vine, you're the branches. Apart from me. You can do nothing. Good thing you can't love.
A connected to me, loving me who, so loved you. You can love tthers.
In the whole Scriptures. Speak this way a couple passages to share. Galatians 5:14. I think it's interesting the Apostle Paul again seeing Jesus understanding, His will as love. Having been transformed from Pharisee to Ambassador of the Gospel. He sums it all up this way, our life, our response to such love not there in heaven. We already have it. God has loved us.
But just how to live, how to show things he says. The whole law of Love can be summed up in this one command.
Love your neighbor. It's yourself.
It's all inspired by the love of God connected back to the love of God. Gives us. Just thought that love does, love does for neighbor.
Uh, John, he says even more. So on the flip side of things, 1 John 4:20 through 21. Notice how again just that doesn't passages later after our theme.
He spells it out. He says if anyone says I love God, but hates his brother, he's a liar. For whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God. Whom he's not seen. This is the commandment we have from Him. Whoever loves God, must also love His brother.
Just kind of a paraphrase different version on the screen.
So, to love others before you can do that, in other words, you really do need to be caught up in the love of God and it's a mutual thing first. He loves us, transforms us off and then we, we love him. Love Him.
And now we're ready to love others. So I'm going to kind of play this, outbreak it down a little bit further, so we can maybe picture it in more of a concrete way, because love can often be abstract
Let's picture you and I. We catch up with Jesus right after he met with Nicodemus, and in Our Gospel, right? Where Jesus conveys to Nicodemus, hey, you're trying to earn God's love. Let me just give it to you. For God so loved the world. He gave His one and only son. If you believe, you're right with God.
So, that whole conversation ended up and Nicodemus was still wondering like I know he's from God.
Can I can I embrace this and believe it? I mean is this really transformative?
So we show up and we have all of history and we've seen how it's played out and we know the love of God. So we're a little smarter than Nicodemus by God's grace, it was a Pharisee so that's saying something
Can you imagine sitting down at the table with Jesus?
And you look across and you see the Son of God and flesh and blood. And, you know, all that's coming for Him and how he'll prove himself to be reliable and to be love and to be transformative, So we're gonna have a conversation but I suppose before I would have that conversation. I'd probably just sit there. Wouldn't you do this for like a thousand years? Just look at them. Like wow. Okay. It's you too.
What will experience in heaven?
So, maybe SpongeBob SquarePants a thousand years later. If we start the conversation, Just an off God's love. We ask Lord is this not what we would ask. How can I show?
How can I show that? I love you.
You are everything to me.
What's love look like for you? Um, how do I show my thanks, Lord?
I could just picture Jesus, right? So pleased as we're in a relationship with Him.
He looks at us, he would say, and again, summarizing the Scriptures, and this is dangerous. I'm going to play the part of Jesus. I know we're close. So just bear with me. It would sound so much better. Having him set.
But Jesus would say, tell you what.
You know, how I have kept you first.
Keep me first? That's what love does. Keep me first? The treasure of your heart, you're the apple of my eye.
And I know you've got that sinful nature that still plagues. You, my grace covers that. Don't let it beat you up. Don't get guilty and shamed about it.
But hold me first nothing else.
And as to that in holding me first, you'll know my love more. And you'll see what I've called you to and that's to be that messenger for my name, by the way, you're part of the family, you're a child of God. You bear my name and eternal name that means all that's mine is yours. And so when you live in the world just go out and be messengers of those ambassadors, reflect my image, it's yours. That's why you're called christian little christ.
And so, when you live, just keep my reputation intact.
Let it all be about grace, just be honest, open. Confess your sins, cling to my grace and share with others. What love really looks like in holiness.
And then, by the way, to do that, you got us to stay connected to me. So, the third thought, it's rest in me.
When you get, we're eating burden, come to me come to my word. That's my mindset. That's my love. Come to my word and worship and come to my word. With two or three, because I'm there and just meditate with me. Alone behind closed doors. Pray. I hear you.
That's how you show love to me.
And what's our thought? Our response is absolutely. I love you. Keep you first. I'll be a messenger of your name. Because your name's my name. And I will rest in you because I get it. The only way to be filled with love is to be with you so that I might be loving.
Did you catch what I did there too and summarizing Jesus thoughts?
Maybe for filling in the blanks to love God. So that you're filled up with His love, isn't it really? Do the first three Commandments.
Have no other gods before me. Honor my name. You remember the Sabbath day.
Keep them first.
To live out His reputation to others. And the only way you do that is rest in him, Beautiful commands. They're not burdensome even though we can hardly keep them. They're beautiful, they protect life. They protect love and they keep that connection. So guess what we're ready? To conquer the world and love. Which leads me to my next thought.
Part two.
Love does for others.
You know, Jesus, He works through what God desires in our relationship with Him also that you can be of effect. You can be transformed, you can love like, well, nobody else in the world except his people. And so staying connected to God. Loving God, it fills us with love and we love
And now we tell Jesus, I get it. It's beautiful. Your Commandments. I remember when I was in confirmation class, it was a bear. I just had to memorize on how silly was I? That I would think it's a burden or a chore, but this is life.
Thank you for your patience. Jesus, help me. Love you.
Jesus getting smiles and covers us with Grace. And then we would ask. So then how, how can I be you in the world I live in. And what does it look to look like to love other people? And he said, well, I got some ideas. In fact, let's show the ideas. All these passages up here. I won't go through them all. They're just references.
But he's a structure. He's got a thought. He would say, you know, there are people that I've given in the sin broken world to bless you, they're those in positions of authority over you
With our church parents or homes. And churches and schools and governments, right institutions that are out there. These are people who bear my authority and the reason is because I'm all about Life. I created people who were born in my image and they've lost it and they need time of Ggrace. They need to be protected and have a chance to hear so that my image can be restored. It's all about protecting life. And so, what I ask of you is to really submit to really love those and authority over you whether or not they're good people.
And don't worry as you love them. It is mine to avenge. I will call them to give an account.
But if you just submit to that order and that Authority, There's protection, there's boundaries. This is where life flourishes apart from those authorities. If they crumble it's anarchy, it's chaos.
It's maybe like what your culture is seeing today.
So no matter what love those and authority over you if they tempt you to disobey me stand firm on the truth in love and face the consequences just as I went to the cross.
And then Jesus transitions thoughts. In that Authority in reverence and respect and love. This is where life happens. This is where you interact with people. So love them, love all people, the unborn the elderly, those who can't stand up for themselves, love them, go, the extra mile for them.
Just as I went to the extra mile for you.
In whatever challenges they have. And even if people think they have no quality of life or worthiness, it's not how I see them.
Let me decide when their life comes to an end. You just love them. Love them all.
And love, where life comes from. Man and woman marriage.
Out of that stability, Godly children arise. More light, more salt for this world. So honor the marriage bed.
Protected. Because when that breaks, society crumbles, the church crumbles, life cannot flourish when families fail, and if marriage is not your thing, if, you can't Envision loving, someone deeply in marriage, that's okay. I got a better idea. If you're gifted this way, love widely singleness celibacy. Be the Apostle Paul, advance the kingdom. Love others.
But respect marriage, sexuality, gender. These are designs, my making. To radiate me the church protected.
Give the next generation a chance.
And then everything else, the property I give, the food the reputations that people have just love it all because all of that is provided by my Father's hands so that life flourishes, so that my image can be restored, be ambassadors of that.
As Romans 13, Matthew 25, Ephesians 5, 1 Corinthians, Philippians 2 and Mark 10, is this mindset that Jesus himself.. Had He's like as you look at everyone else, then don't see them as you would in a worldly sense. But in my eyes, All we see. Everyone else is better than yourself.
And remember that. I came though, I master and Lord, I did not come to be served. But to be slave of all. Be the same.
And again, we are amazed at his wisdom. Truly, this is the Son of God.
And if we were to sum it up,
Well, then love does. Commandments 4 to 8: Honor your father and mother, do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness against your neighbor, All of that is to protect life. Let it flourish and let it be restored to Jesus' image. That's how we love.
After that conversation. We wrap up our thoughts and we say, well, this is what love does. Jesus, is there anything that love does not?
And again, Jesus is so glad we asked. He loves us. So he says, yeah, love does not sin.
Sin is anti-love. Sin is selfishness incarnate.
Sin is me-oriented. Not the other.
So don't sin. It doesn't bless you, it's not good for you and it destroys everyone else.
The Apostle Paul said it this way in 1 Corinthians 13:4,
Follow me, says love is patient. Love is kind. It doesn't Envy notice the “nots” now.
It doesn't look at people in higher positions and say, oh, I wish I were that. Why are you that God or others? It says, praise God, you're there.
How can I be of encouragement and celebrate you? It doesn't envy. It only rejoices it doesn't boast, it's not proud, it does not dishonor others. It's not self-seeking, right? Look at all. That love is not.
Anger, it keeps no record of wrong. So, it forgives come back next week. Talk a lot about that.
Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. Love does not fail when love refrains from sin. It never fails. There's always hope. Jesus is proof.
Jesus rounds it out by saying? Yeah, don't covet. Don't want anything that's forbidden. It destroys, it's not good. It's
Which leads us to the last film of blank. Love does. Commandments 9 and 10.
It's interesting. In talking with Jesus and the apostles and the prophets, it all goes back to the law of love, that law. That. yes, threatens us at first was a mirror and condemned us, but drove us to Jesus gave us the gospel. Gave us real love to rescue us that same law. We see that there wasn't anything wrong with that.
It's a beautiful guide of how to live
And so that's our task for this coming week. A takeaway.
It kind of reminds me of my experience as a dad. Father of my oldest in a few months, will be 21. My next in line will be 19 in about a month. My third has just turned 17 so less than a year and she's 18, on her own? All right? Now I got one that's 13. So I got four and a half years left, but who's counting, right? I mean I love them all, I do and honestly, I'm not worthy of any of them. Parents that God would so bless us with precious souls to raise.
He's good and it's humbling as a parent. And again, this is all about love, isn't it guys? Two things that I've learned as a parent of sinful children and they got that sinfulness from me.
Is that when they would argue in bicker and fight and they did, we're all sinful.
I got a taste of what it was like from the father above to look at me like oh.
But you still love me. You still have all compassion for me, perhaps I should do the same for my kids. And so to humbly, tell my kids when they're fighting and I didn't always do it patiently. I'm a sinner too. But to say, hey, Um, You know, what's going on here?
It's your sinful nature, it's getting the better of you. You got to kill it. Fight it. That's not who you are. But God has loved you.
And then I wouldn't share and I guess you got that for me. So, I understand. But that's not who we are. Not the Mondays.
Because Jesus has us. And then I would ask Him this, I would say, can we start again? And there would be boundaries, there would be punishments because they got to learn not to let the sinful nature, get the better of them. But I would often ask them and you could ask my kids because they would often roll my eyes every time. They'd be like, oh, I know where this is going. Dad's going to ask the question. Hey, let's start again.
What's love look like here?
As you think of your brother who is just punching you to death.
And you were shoving him. What's love look like?
How can we be different? Because we are. What’s love look like?
And that's a phrase that they'll carry with their whole life, throughout their whole life. What's love look like and their relationships and in their life? And that's the takeaway I would ask for you. In everything asked what's love looked like from me for God, for others? When you get up tomorrow morning and it's back to Monday and work and whatever else I want you to ask yourself is you're maybe stressed and you're a little bit behind Can you miss your coffee? And maybe you're driving down the road and you're hoping there's nobody in line at the drive-through but there is.
Ask, what’s love look like ?
What's love?Love looks like in the hand gestures. I'm about ready to wave along.
It's love. Look like what's love look like when I talk to the person behind the register who is not happy herself.
Let's love look like when I tip.
What's love look like when I go to work and there's that co-worker and he's just always talking. He just keeps talking. I got things to do. That's probably me around here, so I apologize.
Let's love looked like for that person even though your agenda just never ends, let's love look. Like when you're tired and you're on your third cup of coffee in the afternoon, it doesn't do the trick and you've got another task that was just dropped on you on asked. It's love. Look like
When you go home and maybe you connect with your friends, What's love look like for your spouse and hasn't gone well and maybe for weeks, or months or years.
What's love look like? He's going to break that cycle of sin and hatred.
What's love look like you, you will. Because you know what love looks like?
Love looks like Jesus. And Jesus does amazing things, transformative things. So that's my prayer, every waking moment for the rest of this week. Just ask yourself. What's love look like here?
See God's invitation to do loving things. Cling to the cross. But don't give up.
Because this is our life. This is our purpose. Love does.
And then, gather here next week. And see how great love is and how tough and how it crucifies us. Because love Well, we Christian people, we love different.
Amen.
