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Home Sermons 2010 Love: The super glue that holds us together
 
Love: The super glue that holds us together PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Charlton   

Scripture

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Summary and Purpose

Summary: Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." We can not even begin to fulfill the great commission (Mat. 28:19-20) and great commandment (Mat. 22:37-40) unless we first love each other.

No congregation is perfect. Congregations are like families and I can’t think of any family that isn’t dysfunctional in some way. There are relationships within our congregation that need to be strengthened by God’s type of love. Make this Valentine’s Day special by doing your part to strengthen these relationships. Search your heart and ask God to reveal what you need to do. If you need to forgive someone, then do some forgiving. If you need to repent of something, then do some repenting. Then people will see our love and know we are Christians.

Purpose: To encourage people to do their part to strengthen the relationships within the congregation.

The Sermon

I. Introduction: Big objects that are made of many smaller parts need something to hold
all the parts together
1. Houses are held together by nails and screws
2. The bricks in a brick wall are help together by mortar: The brick wall at my house
fell down when I leaned on it because the mortar was old and brittle.
3. In art projects we use Elmer glue to hold paper, popsicle sticks and other
materials together.
4. The same is true for relationships

II. The glue that holds relationships together

1. Relationship: When two or more people come to know and interact with each
other in a positive way.
2. Like the smaller pieces that make up a biger object, something must bind the
people together in order to form a relationship. There must be a glue that holds
the relationship together.
3. The glues that hold relationships together
  • Relationship held together by a Common goal (working relationship): Not a strong glue. Once the goal is reached or taken away, the relationship dissolves. This relationship is weak.
  • Relationship held together by Worldly type of love: Still not a very strong glue. Worldly love is based on that ‘warm & fuzzy feeling’ Once that ‘warm & fuzzy feeling’ goes away, the relationship often deteriorates or completely dissolves.
  • Relationships held together by God’s type of love: Incredibly strong glue. Unbreakable. It’s the crazy glue for relationships. God’s type of love is unconditional and will never fail.

4. God’s type of love is the ideal type of glue for any relationship.

  • If both the husband and wife love each other with God’s type of love, then the marriage will not fail
  • If both the parents and children love each other with God’s type of love, then the relationship between parents and children will remain strong
  • If friends love each other with God’s type of love, then they will remain friends forever
  • If God’s type of love is prevalent in the work place, then people will work sacrifice for each other and productivity will go up.

5. This brings up the question: What is God’s type of love?

III. God’s type of love

1. Not a feeling but a choice

  • In both my marriages (My 1st wife is in heaven.) there were times when I was aggravated at my wife. During those times, however, I could still choose to love my wife by treating her with respect and kindness.
  • Sometimes one must ask God for help to make this choice but it is still a choice
  • 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7: Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

2. Not doing what the other person wants, but doing what’s best for him/her

  • I love my son and, because I love him, I don’t always do what he wants. I do what’s best for him.
  • Telling people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear
  • Always asking: “What is the loving thing to do in this situation?”

3. Is unconditional

  • God loves all people and expects us to do the same. This includes our enemies and people we don’t particularly care for
  • 2 Peter 3:9: The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
  • Matthew 5:43-48: Being perfect like God means loving your enemies
  • Story of the ‘Good Smaritan’ (Luke 10:25-37)
  • We do not get to choose who to love. God expects us to love all people.

IV. God’ type of love is what we need holding us together as a congregation

1. John 14:34-35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another;
even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will
know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”

2. We are a congregation like any other congregation

  • No congregation is perfect. Congregations are like families and I can’t think of any family that isn’t dysfunctional in some way.
  • There are relationships within our congregation that are not healthy and need to be healed by God’s love.
3. Make this Valentine’s Day special by doing your part to heal these
relationships.
  • This Valentine’s day, we’ll invite everyone to take special vows. Prior to taking theses vows, search your heart and ask God to reveal what you need to do.
  • If you need to forgive someone, then do some forgiving.
  • If you need to repent of something, then do some repenting.
4. If we all do our part to love each other with God’s type of love, non-believers will
see our love and know we are Christians. Only then can we hope to fulfill the great
commission to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

V. Loving people with God’s type of love requires empowerment from the Holy Spirit.

1. This empowerment begins with repentance and trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord.
If you have not yet surrendered your life to Jesus, you can do so now.
2. Holy Communion is a way for us to open our hearts to the transforming power of
the Holy Spirit. As we remember what Christ did for us, we open our hearts to the
Holy Spirit. In this way, the Holy Spirit can enable us to love each other with
God’s type of love.
3. Come to the supper prepared by Jesus and receive empowerment to love each
other with God’s type of love.
 
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