Feed WhatisLove L4 Sermon

What is Love?
How Do We Love Others?

Lesson 4 Sermon
Overview
Summary
In the small group lesson this week, you helped your students examine why it is so
difficult to love others: sin has warped our hearts and the environment around us. While
the world tempts us to see people as objects to be used for our own gain, God calls us
to selflessly love, remembering that each person is loved by God and created in his
image. God’s design for love and sex is radically different than what the world presents,
and when we love God’s way, the world will notice! With this sermon, you will help your
students consider how they can pursue their calling to love by following Jesus’ example
of obeying God’s Word with the help of the Holy Spirit.
Key Takeaways
1. Students will identify the connection between loving God and loving others.
2. Students will explain the importance of focusing on Jesus’ attitude and example
of loving others, even our enemies.
3. Students will assess their relationships and media use to determine how they
affect their love for God and others.
Scriptures
Mark 12:28-31 / Matthew 5:43-48 / Philippians 2:1-5
Sermon Script
Introduction
What is love? This is the question we have been asking throughout this series. I want
you to think about this for a moment: What is love to you and how do you show that love
to others? Have you ever tried to love someone well? What worked and what did not?
(Share a story about a time where you loved someone well and the result of that
moment. You can also share a funny story about a time you tried to love someone well,
and it did not work out)
Loving others can be difficult! Why? Because people can be difficult! We are all twisted
by sin and selfish by nature. We are hard to love. On the flip side, we are very easy to
hate. Think about what you see filling social media and news channels right now. It is all
hate towards others! (If possible, use some appropriate examples. Be careful not to
choose ones that students will find too funny). It is easy to judge those around us for
their beliefs, passions, lifestyles and so much more. When we look at people through
our own eyes, it is easy to find ourselves judging instead of loving. In fact, it can be so
hard to love others that you might find yourself asking, “Is this really important?”
However, when we look at others through the eyes of Christ, we will find that loving
others is incredibly important, and Jesus gives us the ability to do so.
Our call to love other people is inseparable from our call to love God. While the world
tempts us to see people as objects to be used for our own gain, God calls us to
selflessly love, remembering that each person is loved by God and created in his image.
God’s design for love is radically different from what the world presents, and when we
love this way, the world will notice!
Point #1: Jesus calls us to love.

One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He
realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, "Of all the commandments, which
is the most important?" Jesus replied, "The most important commandment is this:
'Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the
Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.' The
second is equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment
is greater than these."... Matthew 22:35-40
If you are still wondering if loving others is truly important, Jesus clears that question up
in this statement! He says that no other commandment is greater than loving the Lord
your God with all your heart and loving your neighbor as yourself. Loving others is so
important to Christ that he says it is equal to loving God. An argument could be made
that when you love others, you are actually loving God.
When Jesus says to love your neighbor as yourself, it forces us to determine who our
neighbor is. Is our neighbor those closest to us, those easy to love, or those in our
family? You may be thinking to yourself at this moment, “I can love my friends and
family, but _______ is too much”. When I left a name out of that last sentence, did you
fill it in? Is there someone in your life you think you cannot love? The reality is that
whoever you come into contact with is your neighbor. Whether that person is someone
you get along with or not, you are called to love them. In our world today, this truth looks
radically different than how many live. But look what Jesus says about whom we should
love.
"You have heard the law that says, 'Love you neighbor' and hate your enemy. But I say,
love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as
true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the
good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love
you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are
kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that.
But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect."
Matthew 5:43-48
It’s easy to love people who love you back--that kind of love comes naturally. You don’t
need God’s help in doing it. But here, Jesus is calling us to do something completely
unnatural, something that requires supernatural help: loving our enemies. This kind of
love sets followers of Jesus apart from everyone else. It’s not normal to be kind to
people who are unkind, and this kind of extreme love marks us as children of God.
Point #2: The world will know the love of God through the way we
love our enemies.
The world is in desperate need of knowing the love of God! However, if the way we love
others does not look any different than the world, how will anyone truly know the love of
Christ? We are called to love differently and live differently. Jesus doubles down on this
commandment to love through calling us to not just love those who love us back, but to
love our enemy. Who is your enemy? Is it someone who has picked on you in the past?
Maybe it is someone who has hurt you through the words they said or the things they
did.
It is easy in moments of hurt to walk in unforgiveness instead of love. Unforgiveness is

like drinking rat poison and expecting it to kill the other person… in reality, it will only kill
you! However, when we love our enemies, it will actually bring us freedom in the
process. It is not easy, but we can love our enemies because Christ first loved us when
we were his enemy. Christ’s love for us was sacrificial and selfless, and in the book of
Philippians Paul is calling us to have that same attitude toward others.
Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any
fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then
make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another,
and working together with one mind and purpose. Don't be selfish; don't try to impress
others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don't look out only for
your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude
that Christ Jesus had.
Philippians 2:1-5
Living in unity requires us to be humble and put other peoples’ needs before our own.
Much like the passage above, this kind of love requires God’s help; it doesn’t come
naturally. Paul begins these verses by reminding us of our identity as Christians. When
we belong to Christ, we experience his love, and the Holy Spirit lives in us. Our
behaviors flow out of our relationship with Jesus. The way we love others flows out of
our relationship with Jesus!
Point #3: We love because Christ loves.

I think it is worth noting that Paul started out as an enemy of Jesus, but then became a
follower who planted churches worldwide. Before Paul was a Christ follower, he was a
devout Jew who was so religious that he hated those that followed Christ. This strict
religion did not lead Paul to love others, but instead to persecute the church and order
many Christ followers to be thrown in prison and killed. What I love about Paul’s life is
that as soon as he encountered Christ, his heart radically changed. Through
relationship with God, he deeply loved others. Paul would eventually become one of the
greatest missionaries of all time, and continually love others to the point of being thrown
in prison, beaten, and much more.
Many times, a religious attitude can lead to judgement and hate. However, love flows
out of our relationship and heart for Christ. Our relationship with Jesus should lead us to
love those closest to us as well as those far away. Who in your life could you love
better? Who could benefit from your interest, your kind words, or your acts of service? I
want us to take some time and pray about a person or persons you need to love. Take a
moment to pray for them and ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to love them as Christ
does.
Discussion Questions
1. Is there a certain group of people that you find hard to love? What are some
steps you can take to show love to this group of people?
2. Does social media help you love others, or does it cause you to objectify people?
How do you see it playing a role in your love for others?
3. Think about the world’s view of sex and God’s design for sex. How does God’s
design honor and protect each person’s dignity?
4. Phrases like “don’t be selfish” and “work together” can lead to burnout and
frustration if we focus on the command alone. Why is it important to focus on
Christ’s attitude and example as we obey?

Feed WhatisLove L4 Sermon

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Feed WhatisLove L4 Sermon

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Feed WhatisLove L4 Sermon

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

What is Love?

How Do We Love Others?

Point #1: Jesus calls us to love.

It is easy in moments of hurt to walk in unforgiveness instead of love. Unforgiveness is

Point #3: We love because Christ loves.

You might also like

Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.