David Blythe
June 25, 2008

Two weeks ago I began my message by asking you “What is a Christian”

And we identified that the term Christian was never one used by Jesus – and didn’t begin until after His ascension into heaven

It was a term given to those who followed Christ by the people of Antioch

We talked at length about how Jesus identified His followers as DISCIPLES

And there were three things they were clearly called to do – REPENT – BELIEVE – FOLLOW

A disciple of Christ is someone who repents and turns away from serving themselves – and they begin serving God

They live their lives by Believing in Christ – His teachings – and His power

They follow Christ – no matter what it costs – and no matter how unpopular it may be

They live to be influenced by the Master – and ultimately to become like the Master

This is what a true disciple does – and it is what we are called to do by Jesus Himself
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There is no doubt that Jesus Christ has made an incredible impact on this world and continues to do so

His name alone is probably the most recognized in the world – and most everyone knows who He was whether they have chosen to believe in him or not

But In 1992 – Author William Hart ranked the 100 most influential figures in history

On that list – Jesus ranked third – behind Mohammad and Sir Isaac Newton

Hart said that on His own merits – Jesus would clearly be listed as THE most influential person ever

The problem he states – is His followers – They have done a very poor job at carrying out His message

Theologian Annie Dillard basically says the same thing – “What a pity that so hard on the heels of Jesus – comes the Christians”

So they are saying that the only problem with Jesus – is His followers – and you know – you have to agree with them

We often do a very poor job of being true Disciples of Christ

We claim the name – the title – but yet our actions and attitudes can be so far away from the model He established for us

And I confess to you that at times I find myself reacting to things – thinking in ways that when dissected – are far from how Jesus would

And I am confident – that if you were all honest – you would come to the same conclusion – we aren’t always like Christ

And at times we aren’t even close to being like Him
So for the next several weeks – we are going to look at the core – fundamental aspects of what it means to be a true disciple of Christ

Why we are called – to be a people who Love
• A people who Grow
• A people who Serve
• A people who Worship
• And a people who Give

So that we can all examine ourselves in light of God’s Word – and hopefully move closer in our relationship with Him

And ultimately to become more like the MASTER
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As you look at the most fundamental aspects of Christianity – the one characteristic that exceeds all others is LOVE

We – The Disciples of Jesus Christ – are called to be a people of LOVE

Jesus was a teacher – and for the Jew – the Law – The Torah – was the teaching of God

The Torah was the essential guide to life – it laid out all of Gods thoughts on many life aspects

You find that Jesus would often debate the Law with the religious leaders

In the book of Mark 12 One of those teachers asked Jesus “What is the most important of all the commandments?”

He wanted to know from Jesus what was the most important things God has ever said to us?

Mark 12:29-31
Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 31And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

So Jesus establishes that out of all the things mentioned in the Torah – the greatest thing – is that we are to be a people of Love

Number one – to Love our God above all other people or things or possessions

And Number two – to love our neighbors as ourselves – now that’s a tall order to fill isn’t it?

So tonight, I want to talk about these two aspects of Love that we are called to exemplify as Disciples of Christ

The first being a call to love God with all our heart – soul – and mind

You see – there can be nothing half hearted about this kind of love

God has given you everything you have in this life – and He calls you to give everything you’ve got in return

God has not called you as a disciple for part of your attention – he has called for all of it

God wants your very heart and soul – He wants to be the Lord of that inner part of your life that no one else can see or know

He wants your mind and your eyes to be focused upon Him

And He wants you to love Him with all your strength – your drive – energy – and enthusiasm

Why are many of Christ’s disciples such a disappointment?

Why do people like William Hart and Annie Dillard find it so easy to criticize the followers of Christ?

Because so often we try to be a disciple – by only giving God a part of our heart

A bit of our mind

A fraction of our soul

And very small amount of our strength

But that is not true discipleship – a true disciple seeks to give it ALL

I believe the most difficult barrier in extending a consuming love towards God is the fact that we have never seen God – He is invisible to us

At times it’s difficult to love that which we have never seen

But I would propose to you – that if you have experienced God – He is easy to love
Each of us have experienced God in some way – and if you can’t say that – you might need to look hard at your salvation experience

Some of us have a history or a past – where God came in and supernaturally rocked our world

Our life completely changed for the better – we were delivered from some pretty bad stuff and He literally set our feet on a new path

Others of us just knew something was missing in our life – our life may have been easy and carefree – things were going well

But the absence of God in our life was a void we felt compelled to fill – and so we asked him to be the Lord of our life

In either case – this should have been and continue to be a momentous occasion in your life

This decision – should now define your very existence – it should now be the driving force within

When God has saved you and turned your life around – how can you not muster a love for him?

Does He get any of your time and attention?

Do you go to him with your life’s circumstances and problems?

Do you spend time in prayer with Him?

Do you spend time in the Word to learn more about Him?
Do you ever spend time in Worship – telling Him how much you love Him?

These are all ways in which we show our love to God

Because, I have learned – the more you know God – the more you learn to love Him – the more precious He becomes to you

And you love that which is truly precious to you – that which you trust and appreciate and can count on

Jesus Christ is the most Precious Gift ever given

He is one upon whom you can truly trust – with your very life

He is clearly the one in whom you can appreciate because of the tremendous sacrifice He made for you at the cross of Calvary

And He is clearly one in whom you can trust with all that you have and with all that you are

Well, I’m not sure quite how to love God, Pastor David – well let me help you

You know – as you look at the ways we express our love to those in this world whom we love

We show them our love through our words – our actions – our attitudes – and in our devotion

It should be no different in expressing our love to God

Have you ever thought about the degree in which you love Christ?
Does it come close to equaling a love generated – with all your heart – soul – mind – and strength?

Make that your desire – make it something you want to see manifested in your life every day

Learn to develop that kind of heartfelt love towards God that He richly deserves

That kind of love is intentional – it is a focused kind of love towards the very one who has given you life

But I have learned you guys – one of the greatest ways in which we Love our God – is how we love our neighbor – the second part of Jesus Statement

So let’s talk about loving our neighbors as ourselves

And to do that we must briefly look at the ways we love ourselves – in order to offer that same kind of love towards our neighbors

Well – We feed – clothe – protect – pamper – indulge – we spoil ourselves

In fact – Self preservation is our #1 priority.

Now – Imagine loving our neighbors to that degree?

You say, well how can I show love to my neighbor?

By extending to them the very courtesies and attention that you appreciate being extended to you

And why is this love issue so important?
John 3:34 - Jesus said, “so now I am giving you a new commandment: love each other as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

Jesus tells us it is this kind of love – will prove to this hard hearted world that God is real in our lives – and a relationship with Him does make a difference.

And I believe when Hart and Dillard – our two so called experts came down on Jesus followers as to why he was third on the list of influential people –

The reason is this lack of true love

Now – before we get into the practicalities of what it means to love – let’s look at why love is such a priority in the heart and mind of God

And especially why love should be such a priority for us?

First – Love is the very nature of God

1 John 4:7-11 (NKJV)
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

The Word of God tells us that if we don’t have the capacity to love – we don’t know God and therefore we are disqualified from being a disciple of Christ

Well, you may say I love Pastor David – I love my parents – I love my friends – I love my Pastor

That’s all good but not what this means – the Word of God tells us it’s easy to love those who love us in return

Anyone can love like that – it’s a piece of cake

But what about loving those who don’t love back? It’s not as easy

Luke 6:27-28 (NKJV)
“But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.”

Now this is a whole other kind of love here

Luke 6: 29-31
“To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.”

OK – now your messing with my mind here Jesus!

And then He continues by telling us how absurd our original thought of loving those who love us in return actually is

Luke 6: 31-36
“But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”

Ladies and Gentlemen – God’s love as well as our love towards others entails EVERYONE

Not just those who are pleasant to be around or those who adore us in return

You see – Without God there is no love – God defines love

Every thought God has is a loving thought

Every word He speaks is a word spoken in love

Every action He takes is an act of love

And though we may never have the capacity to love in the way that Christ did – we are called to be a people of love to a lost and dying world

And do you know where that begins? Right here in the church

Listen, I am the first to admit there are many people in this church who are not particularly my cup of tea

We are all wired differently – we all have our own opinions – we are all motivated by different things

We go about things differently – we see circumstances in a very different light

We react to those circumstances differently – and let’s face it – sometimes other people’s personalities – just simply turns us off

Having stated all of that – we are yet called to love them

I have learned in my life that you can love someone and not necessarily like their personality or style – or approach

Someone once made a statement that really stuck with me – and it was this: “What are you going to do when you find yourself in heaven with them?”
The point I am trying to make is being a part of a large body of believers like here at PFA is ground zero for developing a love for your neighbor

This is where we learn – and apply – and extend that love first – to help us extend it out there in the world

If you’ve got someone in your mind who attends PFA or maybe even attends Edi Phi – that you simply are having a hard time loving

Try to find a quality within them that you recognize and relate to – and focus on ways in which you can engage them and ultimately learn to love them

If you cannot do this in a controlled environment like a church – you will have a hard time doing out there

You see – the reason so many people are repelled by Christians – or disciples of Christ – is our lack of genuine love

You can be a Bible Scholar – you can speak in tongues until the cows come home

You can go out and bring food and clothes to others in need – but if you cannot truly love your neighbor – it is all in vain

Several weeks ago I spoke on taking offense – by what people have said to you – by what they have done to you – by actions taken that you didn’t agree with

And how we need to just get over offenses – because they will keep you in a negative – go nowhere holding pattern

Well sometimes – we walk around like we are harboring an offense towards people we run into throughout the course of our day

Most the time it’s unintentional – we have things on our mind – we have daily concerns – and we can get so focused on them – we clam up
Never speaking a kind word to anyone – instead just ignoring most people we come into contact with

Let me propose to you – if you want people to recognize Christ’s love in you – you must engage them in a conversation

You must take the time to say a kind word – give a compliment – say a simple hello

I have developed a relationship with the many people at the Circle K I go to every morning for coffee

It stated with a common greeting and asking them how their day was going

It has developed into them knowing that I am a father – a Christian – a pastor

It has grown to me inviting them and giving them tickets to the Christmas Pageant – 4th of July

It has further developed into some of them sharing issues in their life and asking me to pray for them

As simple as all this may seem – I am showing love and attention towards them

I am loving my neighbor – and that is what God has called us all to do

When was the last time you gave any serious thought to blessing someone?

When was the last time you purposefully planned how you were going to try and make another person’s day?

You see – I believe this life of a disciple of Christ – requires some planning – some preparation

I believe we need to look for ways to extend Gods love to others – not just simply to bless them – but get us into the habit of doing it more

If you look at Jesus ministry throughout the NT – He always engaged people in a conversation – they knew Jesus cared

It made them want what He had – they desired what Jesus was giving His very life for

And that is what love does – it tears down barriers – it opens people’s minds – it portrays us as genuine

And people are looking today for what is real – not what is superficial

And superficial Christianity is a turn off to a lost and already cynical world

We can no longer gather in Holy Huddles – yes I have said it is important to surround yourself with Christian friends – and I believe that with all my heart

But we must take that same love out into our world – and let it shine

Have you ever examined or taken a good look at how you are?

How you deal with people on a daily basis?

Do you love – or are people a distraction to you?

You’re capacity to love – will determine your ability to be a true disciple of Christ

Of all the things He has called us to be – this is the very cornerstone – and the very thing that will take your walk to all new heights

So I challenge you tonight to examine yourself in light of this call made to us by Jesus – to be a people of Love
And seriously and honestly ask yourself – would anyone really know I am a disciple of Christ if they didn’t see me walk through these doors a couple times a week?

Therein lies the truth for tonight – it is that love or lack thereof – that will determine your level of commitment to true discipleship
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As an exercise to get you thinking in these terms – I want to ask you this week – before we meet again – that you select someone you plan to love

Not one who is close to you – but someone on the fringe of your life – someone whom you don’t regularly involve yourself with

I mean purposefully go out of your way to bless – or compliment – or buy them something that you know will bless them

And when you give it to them or speak a word of blessing – tell them this:

“I don’t know if I have ever told you this or not – but I want you to know that I love and appreciate you!”

Truthfully – you will indeed bless them with your words – and you have just extended love to them
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Let me end with a scripture found in Romans 13:8
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law.

This has an interesting concept to it – because we can all identify with debt

Debt is not a good thing and it seems we work hard to pay off any debts we have

Well this scripture references love as a debt – something that we owe to others – It’s an obligation

And Love is one debt we should never pay off – And It is one debt that can remain.

You see – God knows when we extend his love towards others – we too receive a blessing and makes us want to do even more

It becomes contagious – and becomes a part of who you are – and how you operate daily

And do you know the greatest by-product of this love extended is?

You lead many people to Christ – you become one who is always inviting – always encouraging – and always directing others to the cross of Jesus Christ

And that is ultimately what true discipleship is all about!