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THE GOD OF LOVE - LOVE LIFT YOU UP WHERE YOU BELONG
WEEK TWO - WHAT'S THE POINT OF ALL THIS LOVE
"He died for everyone so that those who receive His new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them." (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)
The world believes Jesus belongs in a church. Not out there-you know, OUT THERE where we all live and work, out there in our world. Jesus and all that Jesusy love belongs safely confined within the walls of the church behind the stained glass and unstained Jesus speak. The world wants Jesus-Like Love restrained and restricted. Christ-Like love is for church camp, it’s just a little unwelcome among all the “worldly” loving going on out here in the “real world” (can you sense the sarcasm?). Oh, from time to time the world let’s some folks, select folks, make mention or reference to God and his love and compassion. Typically, in those solemn moments when we need to feel like we’re doing the love thing according to God’s plan as we get on with our own plans reflecting our own understanding.
Fact-Of-The-Matter-Is
We no longer live for ourselves. Christ’s love controls us. It makes all things new in and through us. Radical love creates radical change. And this experience is not limited to the works of pastoral, apostolic, or evangelist ministers, but that of anyone who is in Christ (v.2 Cor.5:17). We all no longer evaluate ourselves, others, and things from a human point of view, we are new creatures, The old ideas and values are gone; a new Christ centered life has begun!
Christ’s love isn’t an expression of how we feel about stuff. Christ’s love is like a compass guiding us along his way. Our Christ’s-love life is like a train, and we all get hitched together and pull each other along, up the hills, safely in the steep declines, around the curves and courageously through the dark tunnels. God’s love train stays on track for a reason. Oh sure-the trail winds around here and there and we could jump off the winding trail as it turns to the right and trek straight instead figuring we’ll eventually wind up back on the trail when it turns back left, but truth is there’s a reason the trail turns to the right. It’s trying to avoid perils and dangerous difficulties. It’s God’s love guiding us and protecting us.
Effective Christian ministry (Love) demands transparency and integrity. The Christian stands open for inspection by God. Not to gloat in one’s loving accomplishments and self-righteous expressions of love. but to give suitable grounds for assessing one’s love offering in our ministry, and our lives.
THE POINT
We can’t really fool anyone you know. While we’re trying to send a message to everyone around us that we’re Christ-like and loving as Christ has loved us, we’re probably using our own compass and map when no one is looking. We’re moving from one bit of mischief to another trying to look good as we go and hoping it all turns out making everyone love us, and from time to time when it gets rough, we stop to ask for help. But here’s the good news, that’s the point. That’s the true north on the compass. God knows we’re all a bunch of phonies and he knows we’re going to end up at the end of our trail lost and alone and in need of his help. In need of some love. In need of more guidance. In need of grace. He’s an amazing God, he’s love, he’s perfect. He’s not a phony. He’s not manipulating the feelings of everyone around him. He’s not trying to mask himself in a pretense. He’s grace. And he doesn’t make all our decisions for us, he just loves us. And he knows we’re not going to be loving everyone as Christ loves the church. He knows we’re usually just trying to win the affections of others. Maybe take home the church camp trophy for best overall campers. And he knows we can also learn from each other, even if that wasn’t our true intent. We can learn to forgive each other. We can learn to be kind, we can learn to love mercy, truth, and justice, and hopefully we can learn to love somewhere along the way. He points the way to love and he’s relying upon us to not get too lost along the trail.
Prayer:
Father, how differently we know you now that you’ve shared your love with us through your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you for your loving patience, and the ever-present power of the Holy Spirit guiding us with your loving embrace. Amen.