Do you really love Jesus Christ? – Sermon audio
Jesus said a Christian’s love is proven by our responses to what He says.
In America, the gospel is taught in more flavors than Baskin Robbins ice cream. Many are taught a level of “love” more in line with what the Protestant Reformers set the stage to allow for – or what modern society allows for – rather than what the New Testament fully teaches.
The quality and measure of a Christian’s love for God is found out by the true test which is described in the New Testament.
This audio (divided into two parts) talks about this for anyone who wants all of God.
Lord bless you.
Outline notes
The gospel is often billed as God’s love for mankind, and it is, but that is not all that God says of the gospel and why Jesus Christ came to earth.
God hopes for something profound and all-encompassing to take over within those who actually accept His offer of the promise of eternal life. He hopes for real and effective love in return.
With the spiritually regenerated Christians who are plucked out of society at large, God hopes to create a witness and testimony to Himself as working in and dwelling in them. – to fallen angels and man and create a compelling reason for fallen man to join them.
Jesus gave His life for them, and He wants them to give their lives in return, in a holy synergy of gratitude, desire, fear of the Lord, thankfulness, desire to do God’s will, and love. Love is the glue and central in all of the other motives.
A Christian is to be a little Christ – not in word only, but proven by actions, fruit – and the New testament writers said all that they did had as its central motive love for God.
Imagine – Scenarios –
• Mother loves daughter
• Man loves woman he is courting
• Woman loves best friend
Imagine something bad happened with them. Not same as with a stranger.
What God wants
• Cannot get enough of Jesus
• No sacrifice of our time or energy or money He asks is too much
• Nothing He asks is a hardship, but joy of our heart.
• We know it is the least we can do
Can you honestly say you meet these conditions?
LOVE FOR NEIGHBOR – Matt 5 – 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 [o]But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your [p]brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the [q]tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
God commands us to love people like this, how ought we to love God Himself?
God created all, all is good. Creation went astray. Blameless, holy, perfect, wise, far above,
Jn 1 – In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
To know God is to love God. And John 17:3 says eternal life is to know God.
Is He real to you? Do you really love Him? How much? Prove it.
Matthew 19 – 16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, “Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”
17 So He said to him, [e]“Why do you call Me good? [f]No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments
God is … Really likable, not unlikable. Not distant. Not unapproachable. Not unfair, unkind, random. If we really believed that, how would our lives be?
American-Style Christianity
Mental discussion like two students pondering an abstract topic.
Salvation taught to the self-interest of people – save self. LOVE / FEAR
Supposed to birth love.
Natural right response
Other reasons to serve God
1) Hope of reward in this life
2) Hope of reward in eternity
3) Fear of hell
4) Fear of not keeping commands and punishment
Focus in Christian lives – on what is important to us
God – unseen, held in imagination, or conception based on scripture reading or preacher talk …
Fear
1 Jn 4 – 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love [c]Him because He first loved us.
Or we think how much God loves us.
Assume it. Take it for granted
Prove our love by actions – or lack thereof
Paul ended epistles on this note
1 Cor 16:22 – 22 If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be [a]accursed. O[b] Lord, come!
Eph 6 – 24 Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity. Amen.
Merger with world –
Permits –
Too busy? Other things more important? Family, career, job, kids, spouse, hobbies, entertainment, pursuits,
People are dying without Jesus. If we are not spiritual, and listening to God, we will not be in position to help them.
God Commands it – not present, you are not spiritually normal or healthy
Matt 22 – 34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
John 14 – 15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments. 16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another [e]Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.
19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. 20 At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and [f]manifest Myself to him.”
22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?”
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.
What does Jesus command?
• Be born again
• Learn of Him
• Open heart to Him
• Hunger and thirst for righteousness
• Be baptized in Spirit
• Be filled with Spirit
• Walk according to the Spirit
• Love Him above all people, things
• Take up cross follow Him
• Forsake all
• Be fruit bearing
• Love neighbor as self
• Always be ready to share truth – and have something to share
• Be a living witness
• Become like Jesus
1 Corinthians 13
James 1:12 – 12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
Jude 1:21 – keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
2 Thess 3 – 5 Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ.
Seek His face.
55 “Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
2 Why do you [a]spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me.
Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you—
The sure mercies of David.
4 Indeed I have given him as a witness to the people,
A leader and commander for the people.
5 Surely you shall call a nation you do not know,
And nations who do not know you shall run to you,
Because of the Lord your God,
And the Holy One of Israel;
For He has glorified you.”
6 Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the [b]wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.
