1 John 4:19 We love because He first loved us.
Tonight we’re going to participate in remembrance of the great command the Jesus gave his disciples, that they love one another. We’re going to receive the Lord’s Supper, hear again the wonderful words of the prayer, that God would , “cause this heavily food to strengthen our faith in you and our fervent love towards one another.” The unifying concept is love. It has two objects in it’s expression. God another people. It’s a two in one. That’s the point the John makes over and over again in his first epistle. You can’t love God whom you haven’t seen if you hate your neighbor who you have seen. What God has joined together let not us split asunder. True brotherly love and it’s accomplishment can only come from Jesus Christ and the preaching of the cross upon which he died to forgive that sin of unbrotherly love. Hearing again about the great love of God strengthens us in faith towards God and provides the love towards one another. Love has always been the mark of true Christians. It was said of the early church “look at how they love one another”. Today, sadly< we hear about our churches “look how they can never get along”. You can excuse lovelessness. You can pretend like there’s no connection between your love of God and your love for your neighbor. You can pretend that everything is about you and Jesus. But there is a real danger here. There is a danger of forsaking the one who loved us so much He died for us on the cross and understanding that we love because he first loved us. There is a missionary idea here too –
1 John 4:17 – Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.
As Jesus is so are we in the world – think about that.
