Loving Community
Sermon Audio
Sermon Notes
Today we’re continuing our teaching series called Grow, it’s all about how to experience true life change, how to experience real life transformation. We’re calling 2020 A Year of Transformation, and the stuff we’re teaching in this series are the very building blocks for you to experience not an episode of transformation, but a lifetime of transformation. Now something that’s critical to human growth development, is being in loving community with others. In fact researchers have found that infants lacking physical touch from a loving social environment, will have less developed brains, lower IQ’s, and increased risk of depression and mental health issues. One researcher said, “It's now clear, that a caregiver's nurturing is not only good for the development of the child, but it actually physically changes their brain.” But we’re also seeing the negative affects our digitized world is starting to have on human growth development. As face to screen time is increasing, our face to face time with others is decreasing, and it’s creating an isolated society lacking human social skills, emotional coping skills, and there’s an increase in things like loneliness, depression, and suicidal thoughts, especially with teens. Harvard recently stated, “This rise coincides with the release of the first iPhone.”
Look my point is that being in loving community with others is critical to basic human growth development, and it’s also critical to our faith development. It’s how God’s designed us to grow! He’s designed us to grow not in isolation, but in loving community with others, even when it comes to our faith. So today we’re gonna talk about what it looks like to live in loving community with each other. We’re gonna look at how Jesus loved his community, so we can learn how to love our community, in ways that helps lead to a lifetime of transformation and growth. Let’s turn to John 15:5-12 and get into it. If you open your bible to the middle and turn a few books to the right you’ll find John. We’ll be in John 15:5-12. The title of today’s message is Loving Community, here’s the big idea. If you abide in Jesus, you’ll abide in loving community... If you abide in Jesus, you’ll abide in loving Christ-centered community with others...
Context:
Here’s your context. John the author of this book of the bible, is recording the time in history when Jesus is about to be crucified. Jesus knows he’s about to die so he tells his disciples, his followers how to keep abiding in him, even after his death and resurrection. He teaches them 5 specific things they can do to keep growing in him and his love. It’s not 5 things to earn his love, it’s 5 things to grow deeper in his love. So far we’ve talked about 2 of those 5 things which is, #1 to abide in his word, #2 to obey his word bearing much fruit for God’s glory, and today we’re talking about #3 to abide in loving Christ-centered community. Let’s check it out.
The Word:
John 15:5-12 states this, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” Notice Jesus wants our lives to bear much fruit for God’s glory. He says it’s proof we’re truly his disciples, because true followers of Jesus want their lives to bear much fruit for God’s glory. But the point he’s making is just like a branch can’t bear fruit unless it’s connected to its vine, we can’t bear eternal fruit unless we’re connected to him as our vine. The way to get connected to him as our vine is by believing in the gospel, believing Jesus is our Lord and Savior who died for our sins on the cross. When we believe in the gospel we’re immediately connected to Jesus as our vine, and he starts producing his joyful fruit in our lives, transforming our character into more like his. He starts growing us in things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. It’s all things that’ll produce joyful fruit in you, your relationships, our church and city. But the way to start producing that joyful fruit in you, is by believing in what Jesus has done for you...When you believe in what Jesus has done for you on the cross, you’ll be connected to him as your vine.
Vs. 9, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” So Jesus wants us to live joyful fruitful lives. He wants his joy to be in you, to be completely full of him, so you can live a joyful fruitful life in him. It starts by believing in the gospel, and continues by growing deeper roots in him through the 5 things he’s teaching us.
Vs. 12, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” Jesus says we’re to love one another, as he’s loved us, and it’s the 3rd thing he’s teaching us when it comes to abiding in him. It’s to be in loving Christ-centered community with each other. It’s to love one another, as Jesus loved us. In fact this is the second time Jesus says this. The first is in John 13:34-35 so let’s turn there. John 13:34-35 is still a part of this same teaching in ch 15.
John 13:34-35 states, “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.” Notice he calls it a “new commandment,” meaning it’s not loving one another that’s new, it’s the standard of loving one another that’s new. Leviticus 19:18 states, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But Jesus is saying you’re to love your neighbor as he’s loved you. It’s a new and greater standard of love than loving your neighbor as yourself, and if you had to choose between the two, you’d much rather have people loving you as Jesus loved you. I mean the greatest love I’ve ever experienced is the love of my wife. She loves me far greater than I deserve, but even her love isn’t comparable to the love of Jesus. Her love will sometimes fail me, my love will sometimes fail her, but Jesus’ love won’t ever fail us. His love’s the greatest standard of love there is, and when you’re connected to him as your vine, he starts helping you to love one another as he’s loved you. Now if we’re gonna grow in loving one another as Jesus loved us, then we need to look at how Jesus loved us, and so I’ll give you 4 ways he loved us. There’s certainly more than 4, which you can study in loving community with others ☺. But for the sake of time I’ll give you 4, and here’s the 1st.
#1 Jesus served us = Jesus loved us by serving us, even to the point of washing his disciples feet. In fact part of the context of John 13 is Jesus washing his disciples feet, which back then was pretty nasty. I’d argue it’s still nasty today! But back then they walked around in open toed sandals and had all kinds of dessert dust up in their toes. I want to bust out the Purell just thinking about it! But Jesus was so loving towards his disciples, that he was willing to serve them even to the point of washing their feet, which leads to #2.
#2 Jesus humbled himself for our gain = Jesus loved us by humbling himself, for our gain. When Jesus bent down to wash his disciples feet they were shocked, because this wasn’t something a man in his position and power was supposed to do. I mean the way our minds tend think is about our own gain, not the gain of others. For example some smart people seek a degree not based on helping change the world, it’s based on what profession can help make them the most money. Others will make money, get pay increases over time, and increase their standard of living, but not their standard of giving. The way our minds tend think is about our own gain, not the gain of others. But Jesus humbled himself and used his life for others gain. He was extremely smart, had tons of riches in heaven, had great positional power, yet at the end of his life he’s bending down to wash his disciple’s nasty feet. He did this to show them that the dirtiest part of them wasn’t their feet, it was their sin stained souls which he was about to cleanse through his death on the cross. Jesus could’ve served himself by saving himself, but instead he humbled himself since we couldn’t save ourselves. He humbled himself on the cross, for our gain.
#3 Jesus lived with us, and shared our pain = Jesus loved us by living with us, and sharing our pain. He’s so transcendent and holy he could’ve stayed separated from us in heaven. But he’s also so immanent and loving he lived with us on earth. He didn’t shout his love at a distance in heaven, he displayed his love up close on a cross. He came so close to humanity that he was touched, mocked, betrayed, even crucified by humanity. He put on human flesh, entered our world of pain, bled and wept like us. The shortest verse in the bible is two words, it’s John 11:35 “Jesus wept.” He wept when his friend Lazarus died. He saw the sisters of Lazarus crying, and he started crying too. I notice this happening to me after having kids. I’m not a crier, but when my kids cry, I sometimes get a little tingling feeling in my nose. It’s like I’m watching This Is Us?..I’m not used to it, my nose just starts tingling. It’s because I’m relating with their pain. Jesus wept, he relates with our pain. Have you been weeping?...Has your heart been broken?... Jesus loves you, he knows what it’s like to feel pain, and is willing to sit with you in your pain.
#4 Jesus bridged the gap between us = Jesus loved us by bridging the gap between us, by bridging the gap that separated us. There’s a lot of gaps that exist in our society that keep separating us. There’s racial gaps, age gaps, gender gaps...financial gaps, political gaps, all kinds of gaps that keep separating us. But there’s no greater gap than the gap between us and God, between us and Jesus. He created the 6 sextillion planets in the known universe. He created the protons, neutrons, and electrons. He created every strand of DNA in your body. His power is so massive, we don’t deserve to be in his presence. His holiness is so perfect, the sin gap between us makes it impossible for us to earn our way to him with our good deeds. That’s why the gospel teaches us God’s love and our salvation is received, not achieved. It’s received through faith in Jesus coming to bridge the gap between us on the cross. Jesus loved us by serving us, humbling himself for our gain, living with us sharing in our pain, and by bridging the gap between us. In ch 13 and 15 he says we’re to love one another like that. We’re to love one another, as he loved us.
Again vs. 34, “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. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Jesus says by this “all people will know,” meaning the way we love one another displays something to the world. It’s displaying we’re his disciples, it’s displaying our love for Jesus to the world. That means spreading Jesus’ love in our city, is greatly hindered if we’re not loving each other in the church. Some of you know this based on experience. You attended a church in the past that didn’t love each other well, or you interacted with Christians that didn’t love you well, and it pushed you away from Jesus and the church. It wasn’t Jesus that pushed you away, it was unloving Christians that pushed you away. Well Jesus is saying if we grow in loving each other inside the church, then loving people outside the church will naturally flow with it. So we need to reflect on how we’re loving each other in our church. We need to ask if we’re loving one another, in the 4 ways Jesus loved us? So let me ask you:
#1 Are you serving others? = Jesus served others, are you serving others too? Jesus is talking specifically about loving one another within the church, so are you specifically serving others within the church?...Some people treat the church like it’s a cruise ship. They come to be served, instead of helping to serve. Others serve, but they’re half-hearted in their serving. They’re consistently late, consistently bail on days they’re supposed to serve, leaving the church burdened with finding last minute help. If you’re not serving or if you’re half-hearted in your serving, then you’re not loving as Jesus loved us. Jesus didn’t come to be served on a cruise ship, he came to serve even to the point of the cross. He didn’t half-heart his service to us, so let’s not half-heart our service to his church. As our church continues growing we’re needing more people to serve. We currently need people for our morning set up crew and children’s ministry. It’s a way for us to serve one another, and the guests we bring. Jesus served others, are you serving others too?
#2 Are you humbling yourself for others gain? = Jesus humbled himself for others gain, are you humbling yourself for others gain? Married couples are you serving your spouse, children are you serving your parents, singles are you serving your roommate in ways that’s helping them to gain?...Are you helping to serve those within our church, in ways that’s helping our church and our guests to gain? Are you willing to even scrub the toilets or take out the trash in our church, so others will gain? “Yeah but that’s not something I like to do. It’s not my gifting.” You think Jesus liked washing feet? “Oooh Peter has toe jam! Can’t wait to wash his feet!” Jesus didn’t wash their feet because he liked it, because he had a spiritual gift in washing feet. He did it because he loved them and it’s what needed to be done for their gain. What an incredible leader Jesus was! He led the way by humbling himself, by serving even in ways others wouldn’t serve, so that others would gain. Are you humbling yourself, for others gain?
#3 Are you involved in people’s lives, including their pain? = Jesus was involved in people’s lives, including their pain. Are you involved in a small group so you can be more deeply involved in people’s lives? If you’re in a small group, are you frequently checking on the people in your group to see how they’re doing? If you’re a church member, are you frequently checking in on your pastoral leaders, our spouses, and our staff, seeing how they’re doing, seeing if they need anything, seeing how you can pray for them...or are you expecting them to always be the ones checking on you? Church members need to remember we’re a part of the “one another” too. We’re all to invest in each other, carry each other’s burdens, put our names on the list to bring people meals, weep with those who weep like Jesus did with the sisters of Lazarus. Are you distant, closed off, guarded from people in the church, or so close that people can touch even the deepest wounds in your heart?...You can’t love one another like Jesus loved us, from a distance.
#4 Are you bridging the gap? = Jesus bridged the gap between us and him, are you bridging the gap between you and others? There should be no divisive gaps in our hearts, and if there is, you need to bridge that gap by remembering that Jesus bridged an even greater gap for you...City Awakening can you imagine what it’d be like if we lived this out?...Can you imagine what it’d be like if we lived these 4 things out, and loved as Jesus loved us?...It’d transform not only our lives, but also the lives of those in our city, as they notice our love like Jesus said.
Now there’s much room for all of us to grow in these 4 things, and personally I got exhausted just thinking about it. I mean there’s days I just don’t feel like loving anybody...I don’t...Some of you are like “What kind of pastor’s this?” One who’s telling the truth and relating with how you sometimes feel. I mean love’s a verb, it requires action, meaning it takes work to love people, and there’s days I just don’t feel like putting in the work. There’s days I’d rather just binge watch something on Netflix. It’s okay to unplug to rest, but Jesus is saying to grow in loving like he loved us, we need to plugged into his church. So plug into our church by taking our growth track, sign up to serve, join a small group, even humbly talk with your small group about how to better love one another in your groups. You can also take our discipleship pathway with somebody else in our church. It’ll help you see some areas of growth in your faith and give you suggested next steps to grow. Take it with somebody else in our church and walk together in it to help each other to grow. Our Executive Pastor Zack will say more about all this later.
The Big Idea:
So let’s get to the big idea. If you abide in Jesus, you’ll abide in loving community...If you abide in Jesus, you’ll abide in loving Christ-centered community with others...All of this is really about discipleship. It’s about us helping each other to grow in learning how to love like Jesus. There’s a lot of wisdom and gifting in this room. We need to use that wisdom and gifting to pour into each other, to learn from each other, to learn how to love each other like Jesus loved us, and you can’t do that in isolation. You can’t live out the “one another” in isolation. “Yeah but I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian.” You’re right, but you also can’t live out the Christian life in isolation. You can’t live out the love “one another” in isolation from the church.
Look saying I can follow Jesus in isolation is like saying I got married in isolation. It can’t happen. You need another person to get married, just like you need another person to live the Christian life. You need to meet with other Christians to grow as a Christian. It’s how God’s designed us to grow. Just like a baby’s growth is severely hindered without being in loving community, our growth is severely hindered without being in loving community with each other. So let’s believe the gospel, believe Jesus died for our sins, and keep growing our roots deeper in Jesus, by abiding in his loving community. Let’s keep helping each other to grow in loving one another, as Jesus loved us. Let’s stand and sing this last song as a prayer for us, and for our city.