LCS talk 6: Loving Neighbor. Goal: To live Christ by living the command to love one’s neighbor.

LCS talk 6:Loving Neighbor

Goal:

To live Christ by living the command to love one’s neighbor.

Loving neighbor, together with loving God, form the core of the Christian life. Jesus summed up the whole law in these two

greatest commandments.

Mark 12:28-31

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments,

which is the most important?”“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this:

‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all

your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment

greater than these.”

The two go together. Thus it is clear: no love for others, no Christianity.

1 John 4:20-21

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God

must also love their brother and sister.”

A. What Christian love is NOT.


1. Love is not only having positive feelings.



2. Love is not always saying “yes”.




3. Love is not defensive.





4. Love is not self-seeking.





4. Love is not self-seeking.

5. Love is not manipulative.

B. So what is Christian love? What does God mean by love?

1. The answer is in John 15.


a) Jesus spoke of a love that is connected with keeping God’s commandments.


a) Jesus spoke of a love that is connected with keeping God’s commandments.

John 15:9-10

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you

will remain in my love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments remain in His love.”

b) Jesus was specific about how we are to love one another.

b) Jesus was specific about how we are to love one another.

John 15:12

“This is My commandment: love one another

as I love you.”

c) How does Jesus love? With a self-sacrificial love.


• It is not just giving our time, imparting our wisdom, praying for other, etc., but it is being willing to die for others.


John 15:13

“No one has greater love than this: to lay down

one’s life for one’s friends.”

• It is not just giving our time, imparting our wisdom, praying for other, etc., but it is being willing to die for others.

2. But most are not called to actually die for others. How then do we translate love into practical everyday terms?


• The answer is in the washing of the feet.

John 13:1-5

Before the feast of Passover, Jesus knew that His hour had come to pass from this world to the Father. He loved His own in the world and He loved them to the end. The devil had already

induced Judas, son of Simon the Iscariot, to hand him over. So, during supper, fully aware that the

Father had put everything into His power and that He had come from God and was returning to God,

He rose from supper and took off His outer garments. He took a towel and tied it around His

waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and dry them

with the towel around His waist.



• After Jesus washed the apostles feet, He told them to do likewise.

John 13:14-15

” If I, therefore, the master and teacher, have

washed your feet, you ought to wash one

another’s feet. I have given you a model to

follow, so that as I have done for you, you

should also do.”




• Christian love is therefore committed service.

Gal 5:13b-14

“For you were called for freedom, brothers. But

do not use this freedom as an opportunity for

the flesh; rather, serve one another through

love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one

statement, namely, “You shall love your

neighbor as yourself.”

3. And who is your neighbor? Can you choose whom to love?

3. And who is your neighbor? Can you choose whom to love?

• The answer is in the parable of the good Samaritan. (Luke 10:29b-37)

C. How do we love in everyday life?

1. Characteristics of Christian love.


• Patient – slow to anger; able to give allowance for the shortcomings of others.


• Kind – not an attitude of criticism, but posture and speech that builds up and encourages.


• Not jealous – not coveting what others have, or begrudging another for having something you do not have.


• Not pompous or inflated – humble, not thinking of your own importance; more impressed with your own unworthiness than merit.


• Not rude – accord honor and respect to one another.


• Not self-seeking – not focused on having your rights met, but more on your duties.


• Not quick-tempered – able to master your emotions and feelings.


• Not brooding over injury – not holding grudges or resentments.


• Not rejoicing over wrongdoing – always seeking the good of others, even enemies.


• Rejoices with the truth – telling the truth to one another.


• Forebears – can bear insult, injury, disappointment, without taking counter action; has self-control.


• Trust – believing the best about other people.


• Hopes – having a positive attitude towards life and problems; can remain joyful and peaceful under any circumstance.


• Endures – can bear things, not with passive resignation but with triumphant fortitude.

CONCLUSION

CONCLUSION

1. Christian love s a command, and it is essential to Christianity.

CONCLUSION


• We have seen what it is not..

CONCLUSION



• We have seen what it is…

CONCLUSION



• We have seen what it is…

• We have also taken a look at the various characteristics of love.

CONCLUSION

2. If you come to the conclusion that Christian love is difficult or even impossible, you are right.

CONCLUSION


• Given the nature of love and also our own human limitations, mere human effort will fail. It is impossible without God’s help.

CONCLUSION


• But Jesus who commanded us to love also gives us the power to love. To enable us to love, God made us temples of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:5

“And hope does not put us to shame, because

God’s love has been poured out into our

hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has

been given to us.”

Group discussion

How has your understanding of love

changed based on its biblical meaning?

LCS talk 6: Loving Neighbor. Goal: To live Christ by living the command to love one’s neighbor.

Documents

Transcript of LCS talk 6: Loving Neighbor. Goal: To live Christ by living the command to love one’s neighbor.