Activate

Good morning, my name is Sam and I'm on the ministry team here at St Paul's.

Let me also endorse James' plug for his small group.

He's a good leader and if you've never been in a small group,

Sunday afternoons would be a good one to be a part of.

But let me pray and then we're going to open up that passage that was read for us

and another one in John as well.

Father God, we do thank you for the chance to gather this morning.

We thank you for the chance to open your word and reflect on what it means to love.

God, we ask that you would enable us to recognise in ourselves

definitions that we've held to that are not consistent with you,

maybe practices that we have gotten in the habit of

that don't reflect who you are and what you've done.

I pray that this morning the result of us gathering like this would be

that our hearts are transformed, our minds are renewed

and we are equipped by your spirit to live lives of love.

Amen.

It may come as a surprise to you, it may come as a surprise to my wife,

but once upon a time I was a hopeless romantic.

As a teenager, there's no need to giggle,

as a teenager I loved watching romantic movies.

I loved soppy love stories.

I would get very emotional in dramas and that sort of thing.

I didn't mind crying when, you know, the pet died or whatever it was.

I just, I had this very fanciful version of what I figured my romantic future would be.

I was, I would never tell anyone this at the time,

but as a 16-year-old I would dream about being, you know,

the male hero in the classic drama, rescuing the damsel in distress.

It's very strange.

But that's kind of what I got fed that love was supposed to look like.

My family was a little bit dysfunctional.

I've shared with you a bit before.

I won't go into it too much right now.

But my parents separated when I was 14.

And even before that, my dad travelled a lot.

So I didn't really have a picture of what love might look like in a family.

What, you know, kind of real love looked like when you had to deal with five kids

and some of those kids being unhelpful and disobedient and that sort of stuff.

So the only picture I had was what I saw in movies like Love Actually.

And other equally helpful love stories.

But the reality is that I'm probably not alone in this.

You might not have a romantic definition of what love is like,

but trying to work out what love is supposed to be is actually kind of difficult.

When you listen to the voices around you that are telling you what it's supposed to look like,

whether it's what you saw modelled in your own mother and father,

whether it's movies, whether it's books, whether it's media, whether it's whatever,

it is actually difficult for us to pin down what love should be.

And so imagine the challenge when we as followers of Jesus are called to this extreme countercultural love,

this love that loves enemies.

Imagine how much trouble we would have actually figuring out what that looks like.

And so often we find ourselves qualifying the commands to love that we find in Scripture.

One of the great maxims that you hear around churches is,

I have to love my enemies, but I don't have to like them.

Now, I'm not going to go into whether that's right or wrong,

but isn't it interesting that we like to qualify some of the really difficult instructions

when it comes to the love that God has called us to?

But the good news is we're actually not required to guess what love is like.

We're not actually required to try and come up with our own path for how we might love.

We've been given a model and his name is Jesus.

We are called to love like Jesus.

We are called to emulate the love that he models for us, the pattern that he sets out.

And in God's word, we see picture after picture of what that love is in different circumstances,

in different situations, with different people.

We're dropping into John's gospel today, and John's gospel can kind of be chopped in half.

The first half is sometimes known as the book of Psalms,

where Jesus is doing lots of things to prove who he is.

And in this second half, which starts in John 13,

it's almost like the story slows down.

So the first three years almost in entirety are in the first 12 chapters.

And then this last bit, everything slows down.

And there's a sentence in John chapter 13.

John 13 · chapter mention

If you've got John 15 open, turn back one page,

because this sentence at the beginning of John 13 is very important.

Verse 1, it says,

It was just before the Passover feast.

So this is the video that we watched with the kids.

We're about to slow down in Jesus' life in the second half of John's gospel.

He's about to really make it clear what his love looks like,

because very shortly he's going to utter the very significant words,

as I have loved you, so you must love one another.

This back end of John's gospel is focused in on what Jesus' love looks like.

It is focused in on a very brief period in Jesus' life.

Even though love has been on display the whole way through,

what Jesus is focusing on now is the ultimate expression,

the full extent of his love.

And so I want to look with you today at two scenes in particular.

And the first one is chapter 13.

Isaiah 13 · chapter mention

It's the video that we watched.

The time has come to show his love fully.

A couple of months ago, Bailey, who is my son, he's three and a bit,

developed some tinea on his toe.

I think that's disgusting.

Just telling you.

But as a dad, I don't get to choose what I do with that.

I've got to look after him.

And so we had a nightly routine that involved me putting on a rubber glove

to make sure that I didn't touch that disgusting fungus,

getting some antifungal cream and rubbing it on his toes,

which he called tickling.

And so he would be helpful and flick around and put cream everywhere.

But I found it kind of gross.

It's not really the kind of job you want,

but it's one of the jobs that you have to do as a dad.

In John 13, we see Jesus doing a job that probably would make some of us

feel kind of similar.

Maybe a little bit squeamish, a little bit grossed out,

a little bit uncomfortable.

I mean, I think that the cartoon on the screen depicted it quite well.

There would have been animal poo on their feet.

Who knows what else?

And so it's not really a job that the disciples were queuing up to do.

You didn't see any of them tripping over themselves to be the most servant-hearted.

And so instead, Jesus gets up and models something for them,

demonstrates something for them.

And so in the story, you see Jesus on his knees,

humbly washing their feet.

Their teacher, their leader, the one they're following,

assuming the lowly position and washing their feet.

And listen to what he says as he finishes in verse 12 of chapter 13.

When he had finished washing their feet,

he put on his clothes and returned to his place.

You can almost imagine how uncomfortable everyone would have been feeling at this point.

Maybe enjoying the fact that they had nice clean feet now and they could have dinner,

but their boss, if you like, their hero,

had just done something that they were too proud to do themselves.

And he comes back and sits in his place.

And there just would have been this awkwardness hanging in the air of,

are we about to get in trouble?

What does he say?

Do you understand what I've done for you?

You call me teacher and Lord, and rightly so, for that is what I am.

Now that I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet,

you also should wash one another's feet.

I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.

I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master,

nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Jesus is about to be taken from them.

Jesus is about to give his life up, and yet he models again,

this is what love looks like if you are a follower of Jesus.

Love is costly and sacrificial and active.

There's this incredible interaction in this chapter where Peter says,

no, no, Jesus, you can't wash my feet.

It almost reminds you of the scene when John is nervous about baptising Jesus.

But the issue for Peter here is,

he doesn't want Jesus' love for him to cost Jesus.

He doesn't want Jesus to have to do something disgusting

in order to express his love for Peter.

Why?

Because if that's the kind of love that Jesus shows,

it's also the kind of love that Jesus expects.

One of the reasons that our culture and our world,

and maybe even us, are so uncomfortable with a crucified saviour,

a servant-hearted saviour,

is because if that's who we follow,

that demands a life of sacrifice,

a life of service,

a life of love,

even for those who are difficult to love.

Love is costly and sacrificial and active.

One of the things I've tried to instil in my son

is that he is loved.

I'll try and remind him a lot,

maybe even to the point where he's annoyed

because he's just learnt how to say,

I don't love you in return when he's sick of hearing it.

But one of the things that I've taught him,

one of the phrases is I say,

Bailey, who does Daddy love?

He says, Daddy loves Bailey.

And then I keep saying it,

and then he just pushes me in the face or something

because he's sick of me.

But one of the challenges is

those words are empty

and even confusing and misleading

if I don't follow through and actually love him.

When he's tired and a little bit unhelpful

and a little bit complaining,

how do I treat him then?

Do I love him?

Does Daddy love Bailey in that moment?

Or is it just words that I speak

when we're having fun in front of the TV

or playing with toys?

Real love requires more than words.

To quote a cheesy Christian pop band from the 80s,

love is a verb.

Love requires doing something.

One of the challenges for us

is that we are inherently lazy people.

It comes back to that thing of,

yeah, I have to love my enemy,

but I don't have to like them.

Because what we do there

is we create love to be this kind of

vague sense of well-being

that requires no action.

So I can love them

as long as I don't have to talk to them,

go near them,

give anything to them,

let them come anywhere near me,

because that would be liking.

We're minimalists.

We want to do just what is required.

But that's not the kind of love that Jesus models.

There is no line that Jesus is not willing to go below

in order to love and serve his disciples

and in order to love and serve us.

Jesus models love that is costly,

sacrificial and active.

But also, and this is really important

because I think we miss this sometimes,

in this story here,

Jesus models love for those

who don't love him back.

Did you notice in the cartoon

and more importantly in the scripture in John 13,

whose feet does Jesus wash?

His disciples.

All of his disciples.

Even the feet of Judas,

who is about to leave and betray him.

I mean, it's one thing for Jesus

to be willing to sit there

and wash the grime off the feet

of the 11 men who love him

and will continue the mission

after Jesus is gone.

But how could Jesus kneel there on the floor

and wipe filth

off the feet of the one

who is about to sell him

for silver?

The answer is in verse 3.

Says that Jesus knew

that the Father had put all things

under his power

and that he had come from God

and was returning to God.

So he got up from the meal,

took off his outer clothing

and wrapped a towel around his waist.

The thing that enabled him

to serve both his friends

and his betrayer

was a confidence

in his heavenly Father,

was a trust in what God

was about to do.

Remember that this is just a snapshot.

This is a beginning

of a section of the gospel

that is unapologetically

marching towards

and pointing towards

and focusing in on the cross.

That's what this is about.

The full extent of his love

is not his willingness

to wash poo.

The full extent of his love

is the willingness

to suffer and die

so that we might know

forgiveness.

How does Jesus

hang on the cross

and look us in the eye

and pray for us

while we scorn him

and mock him?

The answer is

he trusts God.

One of the reasons

that I find it really difficult

to love the people

who don't love me

is because I think

I'm better than them.

When I was in Bible college

I was having a conversation

with another guy

who was studying

and I can't remember

what the exact context was

but I was basically

having a go at someone.

How frustrating they were,

how annoying they were,

how just unaware

they were

of how annoying they were.

And he turned to me

and he said

that's really sad

that you feel like that.

It's one of the gentlest

but most pointed rebukes

I've ever received.

Because when we look at people

and ask that question

why should I have to love

somebody who's like that?

Why should I have to love

the criminal?

Why should I have to love

the bully?

Why should I have to love

the person

who has hurt me repeatedly?

What we're saying is

we've forgotten the gospel.

We're saying

there's something in me

that makes me superior

or better

or more valuable

but the gospel message

is the opposite.

The gospel message

is that God looks at you

and sees you as unworthy

and even worthless

but he loves you anyway.

The gospel

causes us

to be able to look

at those

who are painful

difficult

and a struggle

and say

they deserve love

just like I did.

They need love

just like I did.

One other barrier

that I wanted to just flag

with us

when it comes to

being loving like Christ

is culture.

I was thinking about this

and chatting with some

of the team

even just this morning

about what sort of things

become part of our culture

that actually become

obstacles for us loving

in the way that Jesus

talks about here.

I want to give you

two examples.

One I can own for myself

and another is an observation

from a culture

that I'm not a part of.

Firstly,

we are an achievement

culture.

Sydney,

Australia especially,

we are an achievement

culture.

we love winners.

Think about the way

we flip on a sporting

team when they start

losing.

We love

Bernard Tomek

when he almost

wins a tournament

and we probably

hate him the rest

of the time.

We love the

Wallabies

or the Socceroos

or whatever team

it is you're supporting.

You love the Swans

until about 12 hours

ago.

Sorry,

that was a cheap shot.

But we are an

achievement culture.

We love people

who are impressive,

who have skills,

who have abilities.

The problem is

when that culture

becomes part of

what we do here.

Because that's not

how Jesus loves.

And we're called

to love like he did.

If we come to church

and only honour

and only respect

the people

who are impressive,

the people

who have done

things,

that's not

how Jesus

loves.

And his love,

the gospel message

of what he has

done for unworthy

people,

is the love

that he calls us

to mark

this community.

We must be

careful

that love

for one another

is not defined

by what we get

back or how

impressive

or how love

worthy the other

person is,

but is defined

by the love

that Jesus

has shown,

by the value

that he has

placed on every

son and daughter

that he has

died for

and forgiven.

The second

one is,

second example

is that that

comes particularly

in Chinese

or Asian

cultures.

And I think

this can be

a strength

and a weakness,

but in Asian

cultures it

tends to be

in a way

that Anglo

cultures are

weak.

Chinese cultures

respect and

revere

seniority.

Age is a

mark of wisdom

and honour,

and so younger

Chinese people

will respect

and defer

to their

parents,

their grandparents,

their aunties,

their uncles,

to older people,

whereas in Anglo

culture,

you know,

there's no respect

given,

unfortunately,

to a fault.

But the

challenge is

when that

defines our

relationships

here as

well.

When,

because you

are older

than me,

you know

better.

Now,

you might,

but age

is not the

point.

The thing

that defines

us as a

community is

that we are

all unworthy

and powerless

apart from

Jesus.

The thing

that blocks

love in

this community

is holding

on to things

that are part

of the way

the world

works at

the expense

of what

the gospel

has done.

The gospel

has drawn

people who

have no

right to

be in

close

relationship

together

by the

same grace

of Jesus

Christ.

Culture

does not

define what

it looks

like to

love.

The gospel

says that

a 90-year-old

Chinese man

can choose

to serve

a five-year-old

Chinese child.

The gospel

says that

the person

who is

skillful enough

to lead

every ministry

we do

can choose

to serve

the person

who has

just arrived

and has

absolutely

nothing

tangible

to offer.

The love

that we are

called to

replicate

is the

love of

Jesus.

love

that's

costly,

sacrificial,

active,

and even

for or

especially

for those

who don't

give it

back.

At the

end of

chapter 13

Jesus

words like

this in

verse 34

he says

a new

command I

give you

love one

another as

I have

loved you

so you

must love

one another.

The bit

that's new

as I

have loved

you.

There's

always been

the command

for the

people of

God to

care for

one another

to look

after one

another but

now we're

getting clearer

definition as

I have loved

you.

Not just in

this foot

washing although

that's part of

it but we

are marching

towards the

cross now

sacrificially,

costly,

actively,

even for our

enemies.

and verse

35 by

this all

men will

know that

you are my

disciples if

you love

one another.

The gospel

message that

we want to

take to the

world, the

message that

there is

hope and

forgiveness

on offer

for even

the darkest

heart is

made clearer,

is even

proclaimed by

our love

that is like

Jesus, our

love for one

another and

our service

of one

another.

We are

called to

love like

Jesus but

the great

news is that

we're called

to love like

Jesus because

we've been

loved by

Jesus.

As I have

loved you.

See it's not

just a model

that Jesus

gives us,

it's actually

the means for

our love.

It's the thing

that empowers

our love.

It's the thing

that enables

our love.

The model that

we are given

in Christ is

also the thing

that achieves

love in

his community.

When I was

just starting

out in

ministry I

had a boss

who would

often ask

me the

question,

what is

your sanctified

daydream?

Which was

his way of

asking,

what do you

think God

wants you to

do in

ministry?

And I was

young and I

was enthusiastic

and I would

unashamedly

respond every

time with,

I see myself

preaching to

thousands of

people.

Now I

honestly believe

I did that

out of a

somewhat pure

heart.

I'm a sinner

like you so

part of it was

probably just the

desire to be on

stage in front of

thousands of

people but deep

down I really

just want as

many people as

possible to hear

about the love

of Jesus.

That's what I

would dream about,

that's what I

would always look

forward to.

But one of the

things that I've

had to learn

through my

Christian life

is that having

a big vision

like that,

and it's a

good vision,

our church has

a big vision

as well,

is that it

will never be

achieved by me

trying really

hard.

It will never

be achieved by

a certain skill

set or a

certain individual.

This is where

this stuff gets

really practical.

If we're going

to love like

Jesus in a

way that draws

people in, in a

way that preaches

the gospel, in a

way that sees

lives transformed

by the hope and

forgiveness that

is on offer,

loving like

Jesus is

possible because

we've been loved

by Jesus.

And then now

in John 15,

flip back there

if you went to

John 13,

John 15,

John 15:4

verse 4,

remain in me

and I will

remain in you.

No branch can

bear fruit by

itself, it must

remain in the

vine, neither can

you bear fruit

unless you remain

in me.

I am the vine,

you are the

branches.

If a man remains

in me and I in

him, he will

bear much fruit.

Apart from me,

you can do

nothing.

love like Jesus,

love by Jesus,

love in Jesus.

Our hearts desire

as a church, and

I'm sure for many

of you, the thing

that drives you is

fruit.

You want more to

know Jesus.

It's like we talked

about last week.

You have a heart

that is desperate

for lost people to

know the joy that

you know, to know

the incredible,

unconditional love

of a heavenly

father, to know

the hope of

heaven.

It is a big

vision.

That's the fruit

talked about here.

Lives

transformed.

It's the fruit of

our own lives

lived out in

love, and it's

important for us

to dream.

It's important for

us to have that

heart to do big

things for God.

In fact, it's

even almost required

in chapter 15.

But what's the

command in this

chapter?

It's a chapter

about vines and

branches and fruit

and love and all

this stuff.

What's the

command?

It's not to

bear fruit.

The command in

John 15 is that

first word in

verse 4.

Remain.

That's the

instruction.

Now, we get

evidence of what

that remaining

will look like.

In verse 7, it

says, if you

remain in me and

my words remain in

you, we need to be

Bible-saturated

people.

That's what it

means to live in

the love of God.

Not so that we'll

have knowledge, but

when we sit in

God's word, we

hear his voice, we

get encouragement, we

get assurance, we

get reminded that

his love is

unconditional, that

his love is

powerful, that his

love is effective.

Again, in verse 7,

if you remain in me

and my words remain

in you, ask

whatever you wish

and it will be

given to you.

Jump down to

verse 16.

You did not

choose me, but I

chose you and

appointed you to

go and bear fruit,

fruit that will

last.

Then the Father

will give you

whatever you ask

in my name.

Prayer.

Absolutely call

is prayer.

Remaining in the

love of Jesus is

about depending on

him for everything.

That's what God's

love does, is it

takes weak and

powerless, unimpressive

people and adopts

them as dearly loved

sons and daughters

and empowers them to

do incredible things

for God's glory and

God's purpose.

Prayer is the

evidence that we

understand it's only

by him, only by

his love.

As a preacher, I

often get nervous

when I get to the

end of a sermon

preparation and the

application that I'm

walking towards is

read the Bible and

pray because, you

know, someone's going

to tell me afterwards,

we know.

We've heard that

before.

That can't be the

only point.

But what if it's so

key that we just

need to hear it

again?

Just one more

time.

Remaining in God's

love means hearing

his voice, means

being actively

dependent on him

in everything and

for everything.

I mean, we're told

there in no

uncertain words in

verse 5, apart from

him, you can do

nothing.

You need him to

wake in the

morning.

You need his

strength to achieve

anything, let alone

this Christ-like love

that he's called us

to, this love for

enemies, this service

of one another, even

when we annoy each

other.

Remaining in

Christ is about

having his power at

work in us.

That's what the

whole vine image is.

The life that

comes from the

vine flowing

through the

branches to

produce the

fruit.

We're just a

conduit of his

power and his

love and his

hope.

But the

incredible thing

is, is he

pours out good

things to us

along the way.

Verse 11, I've

told you this so

that my joy may be

in you and that

your joy may be

complete.

Loving each other

can be a joy,

even when it's

sacrificial and

costly.

Verse 15, I

no longer call

you servants

because a

servant does not

know his

master's business.

Instead, I've

called you

friends for

everything that I

learned from my

father I've made

known to you.

We're not the

hired helpers.

We're partners.

We're co-heirs

with Christ.

We are friends on

his mission.

Remain.

That's the

command.

That's the

instruction.

verse 12 in

chapter 15

echoes chapter

13.

It says, my

command is

this, love

each other as

I have loved

you.

Verse 17

finishes, this

is my command,

love each

other.

But this

passage is about

remaining.

It's about

vines and

fruit.

So why add

those two

commands to

love?

love?

If the

instruction is

that we must

remain in

Christ, why

do we end up

there with the

command to

love again?

Well, because

it's the key.

Loving like

Jesus is made

possible because

we have been

loved by

Jesus.

And it's

empowered when

we remain in

Jesus.

The key in

this passage in

John 15, and

this is how we

need to

understand John

13, this is

how we need to

understand the

gospel, this is

how we need to

understand every

aspect of being a

Christian and

following Jesus.

The key is not

our love.

It's his love

for us.

As he loved,

so we must

love.

And his love is

not just a fuzzy

feeling.

It's not just,

oh, isn't it

nice that God

thinks I'm

special.

God's love is

effective.

God's love is

doing something.

It's achieving an

outcome.

It's working.

God's love is a

love that he has

put in you that

is transforming

your heart.

It's enabling

you to see that

annoying person as

someone that God

loves and someone

who you can love

too.

It's enabling you

to bear fruit, to

speak the gospel in

such a way that

people might come

to know the love

and forgiveness

of Christ that

they don't

deserve but that

they desperately

want.

The key is not

our love, it's

God's love and

that's why

remaining is the

command.

That's why

remaining is the

instruction because

growing is the

key to serving.

Being in Christ

and knowing his

love for you,

apart from

anything you

would ever do,

is the key to

being released to

serve joyfully.

and without

burden and

lovingly, even

when it costs,

remain, dwell,

soak, live in

Jesus.

In his forgiveness,

in his love,

in his purpose,

in his hope,

hope, so that we

can bear fruit,

so that we can

love like he

did, so that we

can serve, so

that we can

transform the

world with his

hope.

Let me leave you

with these last

two verses.

Jesus says,

you did not

choose me,

but I chose

you, and I

appointed you

to go and

bear fruit,

fruit that

will last,

then the

Father will

give you

whatever you

ask in my

name.

This is my

command,

love each

other.

Let's pray.

Father God,

please help

us this

morning, and

not just this

morning, but

every day, to

feel the weight

of your love.

Help us to

remember again

the power of

your love to

reach out to a

lost person like

us, the

sufficiency of

your love to

wash us clean

by the blood of

Jesus.

The completeness

of your love

that is working

in us to

prepare us for

heaven, for

eternity with

you.

And in the

security of

your love, may

we be

energized and

empowered to

show that same

love to our

brothers and

sisters, and

to the world

around us, and

to our enemies.

May we

proclaim the

gospel through

active, costly,

sacrificial love.

love, enable

us to trust

you and to

be so confident

in your

goodness that

we can

gladly bear

the cost

ourselves so

that we might

show love to

those in need.

father, may we

remain in you.

May we soak in

your word, listen

to your promises,

hear your voice,

cry out to you in

prayer, in such a

way that your

power and your

love and your

hope flows through

us and produces

fruit.

father, we have a

big vision as a

church.

We don't just

want to be a

group of people

who meets

together.

We want to be

your tool for

your purposes.

We want to be

used to see the

world transformed,

to see people

drawn into your

kingdom from

darkness to

light, from

death to

life.

So please,

God, work in

us, change

us, equip us,

empower us to

love like Jesus

did.

Amen.