Jesus Loves People - Part A

We are called in the Bible, the body of Christ. Have you ever thought to the implications of that metaphor, we are the body of Christ. Simply put, we are his hands reaching out to people. We are his feet going to work. People are. We are his ears listening to people's hurts, we are his boys giving counsel and encouragement, or even confrontation is where the body of Christ. Jesus loves people through us. Someone once said the church exists for the benefit of those who are not its member. So how do you treat those who aren't believers today on connect with skip-Skip kicks off a series called Jesus loves people sharing eye-opening insight about God's relentless love for all people including you get is a great resource that will give you more insight into God's extraordinary life. People everywhere. I didn't need to be loved, but sadly sometimes the people who need love the most the most rejected here. Skip, I think we all crave love. We will do sometimes almost anything to get it to know that we are loved by somebody else unconditionally. No wonder that better than Jesus love the worst of sinners. You love the best of saints Jesus. So the love of God in human flesh we want to give you a glimpse of God's relentless love for all people including you by sending you the Jesus loves people for booklet collection by skip. I think all four Jesus loves people titles including Jesus loves the broken RR thanks for your gift of $25 or more today to help connect more people to God's love through his word connectwithskip.com/offer to give online securely or call 892 1888 in Mark chapter 10 Philippians chapter 1 today as we get into the teaching skip-I have for a long time enjoyed the writing of Dr. Richard Selzer surgeon who wrote notes after different operations that he performed. He wrote about one occasion, I stand by the bed were a young woman lies her face post operative. Her mouth twisted in Paul's a clownish tiny twig of the facial nerve the one to the muscles of her mouth has been severed. She will be like this from now on. The surgeon had followed with religious fervor, the curve of her flesh. I promise you that.

Nevertheless, to remove the tumor in her cheek. I had to cut the little nerve, her young husband is in the room he stands on the opposite side of the bed and together they seem to dwell in the evening the lamplight isolated from me private.

Who are they, I ask, I asked myself about this couple.

He in this ride little mouth that I have made. They gaze and they touch each other so generously so greedily. The young woman speaks, my mouth always be like this. Yes I say it will be is because the nerve was cut she not send is silent. The young man smiles.

I like it. He says it's kind of cute unmindful. He bends to kiss her crooked mouth, and I am so close I can see how he twists his own lips to accommodate to hers to show her that there kiss still works you know we love love we love to hear love stories we love to hear and sing love songs. What's more, we all crave love.

We will do sometimes almost anything to get it to know that we are loved by somebody else unconditionally and also that we are able to give to express to another person.

Unconditional love American psychiatrist by the name of Carl Medinger. He founded the Menninger clinic is still in operation down in Houston, Texas. He was trying to discover the origin of the ills of many of his patients in his clinic and so he decided he would embark on a little experiment. He instructed his clinic staff to give his patients what he called generous amounts of creative love and suffer six months. He told them no bad attitudes will be tolerated by you.

My staff and let's just love these patients very openly big doses of creative love and then he watched after six months.

He noted that the average time that his patients were in his clinic was cut by almost exactly one path, and afterwards he said love cures people. It cures both the ones who give it as well as the ones who receive it. The court, another doctor, a Swiss physician by the name Apollo 28, he said, I am convinced that nine out of every 10 people who go to see a psychiatrist don't need one. What they need is someone who will show them God's love and they will get better. No one did that better than Jesus. He demonstrated the love of God to cross-section of humanity during his days. He loved the worst of sinners.

He loved the best of states he loved lepers and prostitutes, young children, older people, religious people, atheists, Jesus Christ show the love of God in human flesh for the next several weeks with a look at several of those different approaches and encounters. Jesus had with these people.

Today I want to begin by giving you for foundational truth. Let's look at it like were laying a foundation this morning and we have four corners of this foundation and will make four points that lay the groundwork for those for foundational corners. The first truth is simple. It's what is in the title itself. Jesus loves people should turn in Mark chapter 10 because of the statement that is found in this encounter Mark chapter 10 verse 17 now as he was going out on the road, one came running and knelt before him and asked him good teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life. Jesus said to him, why do you call me good, no one is good. One that is God.

You know the commandments, do not commit adultery, do not murder. Do not steal, do not bear false witness.

You not defraud, honor your father and your mother, and he answered and said to him, teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth. Then Jesus looking at him, loved him and said to him, one thing you lack go your way, sell whatever you have given to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven and come, take up the cross and follow me. But he was sad at this word and he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Here is a young man who was markedly different than Jesus Christ.

Not only is this young man, a rich young ruler as he is often called but there are other things to notice as far as the differences.

First off, he doesn't know what Jesus knew that's why he asked him what must I do that I can inherit eternal life.

Another difference is that he was nowhere near the level of spirituality that Jesus was.

He recognize the Jesus was a teacher good teacher. He asked what must I do to inherit eternal life 1/3 thing to make note of is that this young man was pretty self-righteous when Jesus rattles off the commandment he boldly asserted I've kept all of these from my youth in the fourth differences. This young man was gripped by the sin of greed and materialism and once confronted by Jesus.

He didn't respond favorably. He actually walked away from Jesus Christ. Now, even though all of that is true. The Bible hear the text plainly says that Jesus loved him. Jesus looked at him and loved him, and the word for love. You know it it's a Greek word, but you know this word you thinking about right now in your mind. Many of you is the Greek word agape Ogg Apollo in its verbal form. It is the unconditional love of the will. That's the kind of love Jesus had toward this young man.

Jesus never met anybody he didn't love looking at him he loved him. We all like the song from the 1800s, Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. Theologian was one time ask a very notable one of our century, a doctor after reading all of the language and history and all the things you know what is the most profound truth you've ever heard.

He said it's this Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. If you have been to a Billy Graham Crusade or watched one of the last several decades. One recurring theme that Dr. Graham always preached and that is God loves you and he loves you with an everlasting love. You heard it. If not, from him for me and here's why. He says that he said if you knew if you really knew the love of God toward you. It would transform your life once in an interview with USA Today. Dr. Graham said no matter how sinful we are, no matter how bad we are. God loves us, that agrees with Scripture. Paul the apostle in Romans eight verse 38 declared nothing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is the essence of his nature. First John chapter 4 verse four God is love know. Be careful of that.

That's not all God is God is also purity and holiness and just the essence of God. Part of his nature. God is love that is so simple to say it is so hard to grasp first time somebody walked up to me and told me before I was a saved person is a Jesus loves you. I remember thinking and saying to him why, why, what, why would even be interested in me, let alone love me so easy to say it is so hard for us. Many of us to really believe in grasp ex-wife DL Moody went on a long searching took a concordance that's before I phones and computers. There were books that had references to different scriptures and heat, he traced every single reference he could find in the Bible to the love of God, and afterward he said there is no truth in all of the Bible that should affect us as much as the love of God. Jesus loves people.

That's the first foundational truth was moved to the second Jesus loves people individually. That is, he loves them uniquely separately independent in his approach from one person to the next. What what I find interesting about the Lord in this section of our text that were reading chapter 10 of Mark earlier in this chapter he picked up some children help them bless them, so tender in the very next chapter he overturns the tables in the temple and drives out the worshipers and rebukes them. He definitely approached people individually. One of the things that I have long admired and loved the Lord Jesus for is that he never had a canned approach to people he never liked began with the same spiel or the same question he just kind of varied his approach from person to person.

I came across a book some time back that I found interesting and logical to share a snippet with you.

It's a technique book on how to share your faith.

What gave me pause is that it's filled with pictures on how to do it in illustrations and then instructions. Here's just a little snippet. Step 3B.

Place your left hand on Bill's right shoulder. As an illustration number four look him in the eye, your manner should be confident but gentle if he avoids eye contact, say, Bill.

Look at me when you have good eye contact, then say Bill, I wonder if you would let me tell you how much Jesus means to me not not knocking this and I'm sure some people find it helpful. I just don't find it particularly helpful.

I would rather let the situation unfold to see what's going on happen or what doors or windows might open the conversation. Jesus had this unique ability.

Of course he was God so he could read people's minds and he knew their motives, so that was helpful, but he knew he was who he was dealing with, and his approach was accordingly. Example to the woman caught in adultery. He said women were are your accusers.

She said Sir I have none. He replied, neither do I condemn you go and sin no more, so tender to the man, the leper was ostracized from society who said, Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean up. He was a leper. Nobody was allowed to touch them. Jesus touched him.

The Bible says touched him and said, I am willing be clean that on the other hand to the scribes and the Pharisees. He spoke very harshly. Words like this will undo you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, you are whitewashed tombs filled with dead men's bones and all corruption out very different than the leper very different than the woman caught in adultery. Sometimes you call people by name like Mary Magdalene after the resurrection with that tender tone. Mary or Peter and other times he didn't call people by their first names. He made up new names for them. One time you said brood of vipers. That's what he called. There's another difference in the way he approached people.

He walked up on data Matthew the tax collector and publicly called him out and said come and follow me is my disciple.

Then on another occasion when he cast the demon out of the young man in good Dara, who begged Jesus to let him come and follow him.

Jesus said no you can follow me go back home and tell your friends the good things God has done very different approaches to these two here's another difference to his own disciples. Jesus spoke profusely, he instructed. We have chapter after chapter in the New Testament, given directly to the disciples. He's training them here a lot to say to them, but then on another occasion as he stands before Pontius Pilate and the religious elite at his own trial he has nothing to say to them, and then when he finally speaks, it's just a few words. Not much. Another difference in Capernaum whaling crowd at the funeral of a young girl who is died. Jesus comes in the scene and the ghost stopped crying, stop weeping on another occasion at the funeral of his friend Lazarus.

We are told that Jesus himself stood in front of the two minutes is Jesus wept. Now he knew he was in a race both of them from the dead. When one consents to go stop your crying and here Jesus wept. Here's what I want to point out the love of Jesus Christ was tailor-made for every individual that he met every expression was unique.

Each encounter was a one-off wasn't canned love has different expressions all expand on that in the moment, but we even do this will give our children gifts for their birthday for Christmas or just because. But then on another occasion, we might spank them we love them. But those are two very different expressions, are they not all we have spouses and we will cite our spouse. I love you. On another occasion, we will argue with our spouse because we want to resolve conflict, both good expressions of love by the way, I learned how to end every argument to words yes dear, it works every time Jesus loves people. Jesus loves people individually. Here's the third foundational cornerstone for this series.

Jesus loves people through us his people he loves people through us his people. Jesus came, taught, lived, loved, died. Rose ascended and now, how does he reach people through us. We are called in the Bible, the body of Christ. Have you ever thought to the implications of that metaphor, we are the body of Christ.

Simply put, we are his hands reaching out to people. We are his feet going to work. People are. We are his ears listening to people's hearts. We are his voice, giving counsel and encouragement, or even confrontation in his name where the body of Christ. Jesus loves people through us.

He said to his disciples, as I have loved you, so you must love one another.

I love you know you love one another what I've done for you do to one another.

Now the critical Bible student will hear what I just quoted and say we know Skip technically Jesus was referring to other believers when he said love one another. He was saying literally to his apostles, his disciples, as I have loved you, my disciple is your love one another disciples that's true. However, on another occasion when Jesus was asked what is the greatest commandment. He said this hero Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one, and you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart, all of your soul. All of your mind. All of your strength. This is the first and greatest commandment before they could get any word in edge wise, he said, but the second one is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment in these know again somebody listening to that might want to pick it apart. A little more and say well he said here to love your neighbor. He didn't say anything about loving drunks or prostitutes or homosexuals yeah but you know eventually you still have to deal with that one troublesome text in the sermon on the Mount Matthew five verse 43 where our Lord said you have heard that it was said he will love your neighbor and hate your enemies but I say and do you love your enemies so we get the picture in what Jesus commanded his followers to do here it is.

It is a divine mandate to love people with the love of Jesus Christ.

Even even what you might consider to be the worst. By the way, you be surprised who Jesus considers to be the worst, it's a divine mandate to love people with the love of Christ.

Even those you consider to be the worst you can be a good doctor and not let your patients, you could be a good lawyer not love your clients, you could be a good geologist and I love science but you cannot be a good Christian, without love, you can't be in Romans five verse five were told the love of God is been shed abroad in your heart or it is been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. We love that idea, but we don't love it enough. We love the idea that he loves me he loves me.

Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so. But don't stop it's been poured out into our hearts. And if it's been poured out into our hearts. It should be poured out from our hearts to be a conduit or written not just a receptacle to be a channel of that skintight message for you from the series Jesus loves people.

Right now you Skip to tell you how your support helps keep these messages coming your way and connect more people to the good news of Jesus throughout his ministry on earth, Jesus showed again and again just how much you love people. He always gave the people that he encountered a chance to receive his salvation and our heart is to see more people living for Jesus by sharing these biblical messages that you have come to love when you give a gift today you help more people know about his incredible love. Here's how you can give a gift right now. Visit connectwithskip.com/donate to give your gift today that's connectwithskip.com/donate or call 800-922-1888 again 800-922-1880 coming up tomorrow Skip Heitzigs. It shows you how you can love others the same way Jesus loves you, love is to be expressed in a variety of ways. Mature love, responsible, love learns to distinguish what's the right way. Should I rebuke this person or give this person a hug. What is the best expression of love is what Jesus could heal in one instance and overturned tables. In another instance, you could say Blessed are you one day and then say hello. Are you the next day.

Why is that because love authentic love. According to first Corinthians 13 is this law does not rejoice in iniquity rejoices with Skip presentation of connection communications through