[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 16th of December, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church. This is the third Sunday in Advent, with the theme of "Peace". Due to a heavy snow storm, we missed the second Sunday and its theme of "Love". So this Sunday I am combining the two, with an emphasis on love, for that is what the world needs most right now. Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel: http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]
Today is the 3rd Sunday in Advent, when we would normally consider the theme of peace. But since we missed the 2nd Sunday due to the huge winter storm, we’ll also ponder love this morning. For on Christmas day, Love came down from heaven to earth and brought us peace. And on some glorious day yet to come, Love will return to set the earth aright and bring everlasting peace. We celebrate the one as we anxiously await the other.
The Apostle John tells us about love, true love. Please listen and follow along as I read from the 3rd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 13 through 21, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
The Apostle John tells us about love, true love. Please listen and follow along as I read from the 3rd chapter of his Gospel account, verses 13 through 21, from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…
13 "No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."
--John 3:13-21 (NKJV)
Let us pray… Father God, You showed us Your love by sending Your only Son into this cold world to offer us salvation. Father, Your love transcends anything man is capable of. We speak of love, but too often our actions and our words do not show love. Please teach us what true love means. Open our hearts that we might show love as an expression of our faith. This we pray in the blessed name of Your Son Jesus. Amen.
Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a woman who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband: “I not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has hurt me.”
Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan: “Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you've convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that you're getting a divorce. That will really hurt him.” With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, “Beautiful, beautiful! Will he ever be surprised!”
And she did it with enthusiasm, this “acting as if”. For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing. When she didn't return, Crane called. “Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?” “Divorce?”, she exclaimed. “Never! I discovered I really do love him.”
The woman’s actions had changed her feelings. What started out as play-acting turned into real emotion. This shows that the ability to love is established not so much by fervent promises as by often repeated deeds. If we “act like” we love someone long enough, we may find ourselves actually loving them, as Jesus intended.
Did you notice that our scripture reading this morning pretty much encapsulates the life of Jesus? It speaks of His birth, with God sending His only Son. It mentions His death, being lifted up on the cross, and His ascension back into heaven, from whence He came. And it tells of His ministry, spreading the truth, bringing the light to mankind. But mostly, this passage speaks of love, of God’s love for His creation, for us.
Yes, it also brings up the subject of condemnation, but notice it is not God who condemns us. We condemn ourselves when we refuse to believe in and listen to His son! We condemn ourselves when we reject the light. But even that is a message of love, for we who believe are not condemned, but are in fact saved, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and given eternal life.
This isn’t the first time John tells us of God’s love, nor will it be the last. You know how John opens his Gospel account. Listen once again to chapter 1 verses 1 through 5, and I’m adding in verse 14…
Do you see the love in that passage? Jesus, the Word of God, who has been with God since before time and will be with Him long after time has ended… Jesus, who through Him all things were made and without Him nothing was made that was made… Jesus, shines the light into the darkness, a light, a love, that cannot be overcome.
On Christmas day, the Word, God’s Love, became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth. Emmanuel, God with us, God’s Love with us.
For most of us that call ourselves Christian, it’s easy to see God’s love. But how do we show God our love in return? The answer to that question is simple to state, but for many, much more difficult to execute. Later on in John’s Gospel recording, in chapter 13, verses 34 and 35, Jesus speaks to us saying…
Just as Jesus has loved us, we are to love one another. Another expression of His love can be found in chapter 14 of John’s Gospel account, in verse 27, when Jesus says…
In our first Advent service on “Hope”, we saw where Jesus gives us peace with God. In our congregational reading a while ago, we repeated that God, through His love, offered us peace. With the love of God, the love of Jesus, comes a peace that surpasses all human understanding. And this peace comes from our faith just as does hope and love.
There’s a story that the Apostle Luke relates for us in chapter 7 of his Gospel account, where a “sinful woman” attends a dinner party at the home of a Pharisee because she heard Jesus was there. She kissed His feet and washed them with her tears, dried them with her hair. She anointed His head with fragrant oils, sobbing the whole time because she knew she was a sinner.
Jesus told her, "Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." Forgiven, saved, and given peace, all by faith.
We’ve already seen how much Jesus loves us – He brought us God’s love and peace, He gave His all for us, He died on a cold cruel cross for us! How far are we willing to go to give our love to others? And especially those “others” who we might consider to be our enemies, those who would do harm to us if they could, those who hate us for what we are. Are we willing to show them true love, as Jesus loves us?
In chapter 21 of John’s book, he tells us of a conversation between Jesus and Peter, that stubborn, emotionally charged disciple upon whom Jesus built His church. Three times Jesus asked, “Peter, do you love Me?” Three times Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, You know I do.” And each time, Jesus told Peter to feed His lambs, tend His sheep, feed His sheep. If we love Jesus, we will do as He asks of us, showing His love through our love, taking care of those who have needs we can meet.
Actually, He didn’t ask us to do this, did He? He said this was a new commandment He gave us. Jesus commands us to love others, as He loves us! If He is truly our Lord and Master, shouldn’t we do what He commands? What price might we have to pay for disobedience?
God loves us, you and I. Do we feel that love, do we truly know that love? For that matter, do we recognize God’s love in action? God is still pouring out His love, even today. We can see it in the actions of Christians who share His love with others. Let’s strive to make sure others can see that love in us, in our actions.
We light the candles at Advent to show that our hope is in our coming salvation, which causes us to show love to others, which brings us peace that leads to joy in the coming Christ. Let’s show that love so that others may come to know the same hope we hold, be given the same peace. For Christ is coming.
In the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You sent Your Word, Your only Son, into this world to redeem us from our life of sin and offer us eternal life. Greater love has no one ever shown, greater love has no man even known. Thank You, Father, for Your wonderful, unmerited, unconditional love. Forgive us, please God, when we fail to act on or even acknowledge that love. Please give us the courage and the strength to put our faith into action and share Your great love with all others.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…
Lord Jesus, You gave Your all just for us. You suffered a cruel death, taking our sins to the grave, and then leaving them there as You rose again from the dead. You redeemed us by Your own precious blood – we are Yours. Forgive us, Lord, when we fail to follow Your commands. Forgive us when we hesitate to show the same love that You hold for us. Please help us put our faith into action by loving all others, by helping those who need our help, by meeting the needs we are capable of meeting.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Master. Amen.
Newspaper columnist and minister George Crane tells of a woman who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband: “I not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has hurt me.”
Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan: “Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you've convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that you're getting a divorce. That will really hurt him.” With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, “Beautiful, beautiful! Will he ever be surprised!”
And she did it with enthusiasm, this “acting as if”. For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing. When she didn't return, Crane called. “Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?” “Divorce?”, she exclaimed. “Never! I discovered I really do love him.”
The woman’s actions had changed her feelings. What started out as play-acting turned into real emotion. This shows that the ability to love is established not so much by fervent promises as by often repeated deeds. If we “act like” we love someone long enough, we may find ourselves actually loving them, as Jesus intended.
Did you notice that our scripture reading this morning pretty much encapsulates the life of Jesus? It speaks of His birth, with God sending His only Son. It mentions His death, being lifted up on the cross, and His ascension back into heaven, from whence He came. And it tells of His ministry, spreading the truth, bringing the light to mankind. But mostly, this passage speaks of love, of God’s love for His creation, for us.
Yes, it also brings up the subject of condemnation, but notice it is not God who condemns us. We condemn ourselves when we refuse to believe in and listen to His son! We condemn ourselves when we reject the light. But even that is a message of love, for we who believe are not condemned, but are in fact saved, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and given eternal life.
This isn’t the first time John tells us of God’s love, nor will it be the last. You know how John opens his Gospel account. Listen once again to chapter 1 verses 1 through 5, and I’m adding in verse 14…
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 overcome it.--John 1:1-5, 14 (NKJV)
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
On Christmas day, the Word, God’s Love, became flesh and lived among us, full of grace and truth. Emmanuel, God with us, God’s Love with us.
For most of us that call ourselves Christian, it’s easy to see God’s love. But how do we show God our love in return? The answer to that question is simple to state, but for many, much more difficult to execute. Later on in John’s Gospel recording, in chapter 13, verses 34 and 35, Jesus speaks to us saying…
34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”--John 13:34-35 (NKJV)
27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”--John 14:27 (NKJV)
In our first Advent service on “Hope”, we saw where Jesus gives us peace with God. In our congregational reading a while ago, we repeated that God, through His love, offered us peace. With the love of God, the love of Jesus, comes a peace that surpasses all human understanding. And this peace comes from our faith just as does hope and love.
There’s a story that the Apostle Luke relates for us in chapter 7 of his Gospel account, where a “sinful woman” attends a dinner party at the home of a Pharisee because she heard Jesus was there. She kissed His feet and washed them with her tears, dried them with her hair. She anointed His head with fragrant oils, sobbing the whole time because she knew she was a sinner.
Jesus told her, "Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." Forgiven, saved, and given peace, all by faith.
We’ve already seen how much Jesus loves us – He brought us God’s love and peace, He gave His all for us, He died on a cold cruel cross for us! How far are we willing to go to give our love to others? And especially those “others” who we might consider to be our enemies, those who would do harm to us if they could, those who hate us for what we are. Are we willing to show them true love, as Jesus loves us?
Actually, He didn’t ask us to do this, did He? He said this was a new commandment He gave us. Jesus commands us to love others, as He loves us! If He is truly our Lord and Master, shouldn’t we do what He commands? What price might we have to pay for disobedience?
God loves us, you and I. Do we feel that love, do we truly know that love? For that matter, do we recognize God’s love in action? God is still pouring out His love, even today. We can see it in the actions of Christians who share His love with others. Let’s strive to make sure others can see that love in us, in our actions.
We light the candles at Advent to show that our hope is in our coming salvation, which causes us to show love to others, which brings us peace that leads to joy in the coming Christ. Let’s show that love so that others may come to know the same hope we hold, be given the same peace. For Christ is coming.
In the blessed name of Jesus. Amen.
Let us pray… Father God, You sent Your Word, Your only Son, into this world to redeem us from our life of sin and offer us eternal life. Greater love has no one ever shown, greater love has no man even known. Thank You, Father, for Your wonderful, unmerited, unconditional love. Forgive us, please God, when we fail to act on or even acknowledge that love. Please give us the courage and the strength to put our faith into action and share Your great love with all others.
Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, seeking Your forgiveness for our disobedience…
Lord Jesus, You gave Your all just for us. You suffered a cruel death, taking our sins to the grave, and then leaving them there as You rose again from the dead. You redeemed us by Your own precious blood – we are Yours. Forgive us, Lord, when we fail to follow Your commands. Forgive us when we hesitate to show the same love that You hold for us. Please help us put our faith into action by loving all others, by helping those who need our help, by meeting the needs we are capable of meeting.
This we pray in Your glorious name, Christ Jesus our Lord and Master. Amen.
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