Love One Another - A New Commandment for the New Community, Part 1

Did Jesus appear to you today and you ask him what one thing do you really want me to do what you think you were telling to find the answer to that statement.

Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with children Living on the Edges of international discipleship ministry featuring the Bible teaching of this program. We begin a new series called love one is digging of the God's word to help us learn how to build relationships with Christian brothers and sisters, courage, and stand the test of time. For starters, he takes a look at what Jesus gave us his last instructions to one another. What's George Belfour's message from John chapter 13, a new commandment for the new community.

I'll never forget the first day I walked in to Mr. Hall's algebra one class IXth grade any understanding Brad Starr and I always sat together I got my growth in life very light and so in ninth grade in a junior high seventh eighth and ninth of several hundred students, Brad Starr was the only boy shorter than me and when you don't know what this is why this is but he was class clown number two and I was his assistant and so we would get the classes early Brad can make everybody laugh and I was sorta his stagehand and I would just note the fires that until Mr. Hall's class lights are off. Brad has got everyone going and I am just writing you know is my time to really soup it up and getting on his Brad was the funniest guy ever met and I mean the lights came on.

Mr. Starr and here are introduction to Mr. Hall flattop black glasses tape on the right you got it.

Prop pocket protector chalk dust on the corner and he sat over that overhead so that the light always reflected off his four head. This was math as we had never known it. Mr. Starr, you are now excused. And I mean they had a brief conversation. He was gone and so being second in command in the clowning activity. I started to whisper to Mr. Ingram. Would you like to join Mr. no Sir no Sir, Mr. Hall. That was my introduction to algebra one, we learn that you will be there one minute early.

The lights will be off people walk in it exactly on the hour, the lights will come on you will sit quietly, you will not talk in the minute before he arrives. You have a number two pencil. You have nothing on your desk but your homework that is completed. If it's not completed, you will not stay there and you will learn that my name is Mr. Hall and you can call me Mr. Hall. I was scared to death of a guy and I should've been.

From that day on I arrived early.

I brought a number two pencil. I clear my desk. I always did my homework and something happened. Math was a dreaded subject for me. Up until ninth grade.

I hated ever find how much you hate things you no good at but day after day week after week he began to put exes into the second power and over Y minus why all of a sudden I realized for the first time in my life. Someone help me understand what was I sheepishly started coming a little early and asking a few questions. My academic career turned in ninth grade, largely because Mr. Hall took me where I'd never been before. I actually learned and now love math. Because from day number one we all took Mr. Hall very seriously and as we start here's the question I have, how seriously do you take Jesus on a scale of 1 to 10 and you do it privately. You know, 10 being totally sold out what you take him very, very seriously as a center of your life, your actions, your thoughts, your dreams, your time, your finances, one I think about him now and then mostly on weekends. Some weekends how seriously do you take Jesus had a mental head rate yourself on the tell anybody.

Give yourself a number not a some of you are not to do this in your same website you can't really do that. How can anyone really know how seriously they take Jesus come on this is one of those introduction communication fieldwork they sorted tricky and give you these numbers and one can never know what number off and that's true, but this isn't the case. According to Jesus, you can know here about 30 seconds exactly how serious you take Jesus because by his own words from his own lips. He gave a litmus test of who takes them seriously and who doesn't notice there is a teaching handout. You might want to go and pull us out on the very front teaching handout. Let me read just a few.

I can give you dozens but let me read just a few selected passages from the lips of Christ, and as I read these see if you can evaluate how to know how seriously you taken from John 831 and 32, a group of people, Jews had just come to believe in Christ Jesus therefore was saying to those Jews who had believed him. If you abide in my word, the word abide means to take in the Scripture for the purpose of putting it into practice on a regular basis. If you abide in my word that you are truly disciples of mine and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free next passage. John 1421 Jesus on the last night, speaking to his closest followers he that has my commandments and keeps them, he it is that loves me and he who loves me will be loved of my father and I will love him and I will disclose or reveal myself to him to see the pattern, yet will gets obvious in the last one Matthew 724 and 26 he's closing out the sermon on the Mount.

He just talked about kingdom living and he makes a summary statement Matthew seven verse 24 therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock contrast verse 26 but everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand you inductive thinkers of God it don't you there's a thread that goes through all three passages I can give you dozens more you how you know how seriously take Jesus very simple taking Jesus seriously means we take his words seriously. According to Jesus, you can now you can know how seriously you taken because according to Jesus, to whatever extent you take his words seriously. To that extent, you take him seriously. According to Jesus, if you hear what he says and put into practice. You taken seriously if you honor his word. You taken seriously. You member the very first parable in Mark chapter 410 amazing line I don't if you missed it or not Mark chapter 4, the parable of the seed in the soil. There's four responses to how people respond to God's word. The words of Jesus member. Three of them are not so good.

One is very good you member privately. What he told his disciples. He says if you don't understand this parable about response to my words, you can't understand any of the parables that you the most axiomatic reflection of your relationship and my relationship to Christ, is how you respond to God's word. There's lots of other things.

But the most important. According to Christ about taking God seriously is how do you respond how I respond to him his word. So what's a $64 question today what he say to me you know this is not enough.

You look at me like his can be profound nose number turn the page. We on the teaching handout so what did Jesus say once we find out what he said how seriously we take that word will tell you and will tell me how seriously we actually take our relationship with Jesus, not how seriously we think we take it, not how seriously other people might think we take it, not how we feel, but when we see what Jesus says and how we are or are not responding to what he says we can now the next question comes your mind is a chip he said a lot. I mean, where he began, he said so many things. I mean, this could take us down the trail dictate years will that's true, but on the very last night. He lived on the earth. He took all that he said and he pulled it all together and he went to kind of the top and said if you don't remember anything else closest followers.

If you don't get anything else I've ever said here's a new commandment. He never said that any other type. Here's a new commandment here something that goes to the very top all the teaching all the miracles you see me raise people from the dentist and the walk on water you for the sermon on the Mount youth. We had late-night discussions hey guys push all that to the side. Here is a new commandment if you don't do anything else. This is what I want you to do. John 1334 and 35 it says a new commandment I give to you know what that you love one another. How even as I have loved you, now repetition for emphasis that you also love one another. Why winds are so important.

Verse 35 by this by what by how we love one another. The way that he loved us.

By this all men the whole world. By this all men will know that you are my disciples condition. If you have love for one another. That's not a very long passages. I don't think there's anything in all the Bible more important of what Jesus said this is what on the last night.

He said here's a new commandment slips to the Bible study. Okay.

I put some questions underneath that passage. Let's just together, get a get a pencil out if you got was just to some Bible study and ask some penetrating questions of this passage so we really understand what's going on here. The first question is most obvious to me is what is the new commandment I mean, why was he mean by new might take a little pencil and circled the word new. There's two wars in the New Testament least for new one has the idea of chronology, you know something is old chronologically announce new that's not this work. This is a word for new, as in not worn out new, as in unused the word is used member when Jesus went into the tomb.

Now it was a tomb that was carved out of a rock but it was called a new tomb, why not because I had been there long time but was unused. This is new.

This is fresh. This is something that can bring about refreshment and impact and it's going to be a new paradigm if you will and you ask yourself okay what is that command. It's to love one another. Now you Bible students, especially some of you in the Old Testament for a while your mind click back. I'm sure immediately to Leviticus 1918 and it says what that were to love our neighbor as ourselves. So what's new about this Jesus is saying were to love one another. The Old Testament said were to love one another. What's new about this here's what's new. The how the measure before we were to love one another in the way that we wanted them to love us or we were to love one another. How the way we would want to be loved. The new part of the commandment is, Jesus takes the anti-and he puts it all the way up here. He said no. This new commandment is not about loving people the way that you want to be loved. That's not the litmus test anymore. What is less, the text say love one another as I have loved you what you mean, Jesus actually wants us to love one another. The way he loved them. You bet. What's that look like open to John chapter 13 the skeletal context here John chapter 13 verses 1 to 5. He bent begins to give him a little idea. It says it was just before the Passover last night in his life. Jesus knew that the time it come for him to leave this world and to go to the father having loved his own who were in the world get this not line. He now showed them the full extent of his love what he's going to do this night with his closest followers. Knowing this time the next day he will been crucified.

He's now going to show them the full extent of his love verse to the evening meal was being served and the devil. It already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus get this the is critical why Jesus could love such a radical way. Jesus knew that the father had put all things under his control and that he had come from God and that he was returning to God.

Notice the purpose clause so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing wrapped the towel around his waist and after that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around you know we don't understand what you can't quite get what's going on here. He's the Lord he's the rabbi he's the teacher right is not to show them the full extent of his laugh. He was secure. He knew God was sovereign in control. Nothing to lose, nothing to gain no one to impress. He knew where he came from. He knew where he was going out of that security is going to show them the extent of his love, and he's going to do would not even a regular servant did, but only a bondservant did in the bondservant was at the bottom of the heat.

These guys all walked into because there wasn't a servant of the door where the big canister type thing was where you wash your feet in a way that he ate in the Middle East he would cut a lounge on these little couches and so you know when you're lounging here someone's theater pretty close to your face. They were all so proud because someone else was on the pecking order that we learn what they were arguing on the way to the Lord's supper tonight was the greatest.

So what's it mean to love like Jesus loves it means to willfully not regard position or status, or how people perceive you and to lay aside ego and security issues and to give other people what they don't deserve to meet their greatest need, even when their hearts may not be open to and he says that's how I want you to love one another. In fact, flip over to chapter 15 chapter 15 verse 12, you need understand chapter 13 1415 1617.

All this is happening. One evening, it's God giving us an inside picture. It's like there was a camera there that last night with the disciples were getting to see and hear what was going on and what Jesus is thinking and their fears and their struggles and then let us know what's going on.

Verse 12 of chapter 15. My commandment is this love each other how as I have loved you, and any defined what that mean greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friend.

You my disciples are my friends if you keep my commandments.

If you do so what's this new commandment will first. It's not new as in something is never been heard of its new in terms of our love for one another is to be at the level of sacrifice of dying to our own self of putting other people's agenda. It's a crucifixion of the me first mindset and it is a commitment to other center grace giving Spirit empowered.

I'm going to do for you what you don't deserve. If it cost me my life the early church believed that there had to be a willingness to literally physically die for one another. That's how literally they took this passage the call for us the mark.

The signature the litmus test of all followers of Jesus for all time. Is this is not how much they know not what church they go to is not how well they can teach the mark of the Christian.

The signature of the body of Christ. The litmus test for your life. My life and every believer of all time is very simple. The degree to which you love other believers with the radical self sacrificing putting them first, and death in the me first mindset that you put into practice on a daily basis. That's the mark of the Christian. That's what the new commandment is no.

We've alluded to the second question, when was this giving me why did he say this coming when was this giving some real pain to what's going on the passage. This is the last 90s to live. This is the Lord's supper as as I refer to the disciples they were walking ahead of Christ. According to one of the Gospels and Jesus came a little bit later and they had this argument and he asked you what we and then I got kinda sheepish, as they all are there in their dirty feet and were there, who's the greatest among us one ghost because just hello Emmanuel, I went to the Transfiguration. You guys incident you hold my yellow so what I was chosen before you want to get now to get some context here about why he gave this command think this the God of the universe took on human flesh and he did a lot of things with a lot of people, but these 12 got more of him than anyone. These 12 small things that no one is ever seen. They walked together when they had a struggle to have late-night talks three and was seen at least two or three people raised from the dead.

They've heard sermons like no one is ever heard. They seen miracles they been apart of miracles is a pastel below. Now imagine being Jesus and thinking you're going to entrust the mission the revolution to these 12 and that you know it's only 11. No one's gonna bail out his inventory. Can you imagine on the very last night that you're on the earth in your thinking. This is the group to take the message working in trust and the number one point on their agenda is, who's the greatest. Is this how to get discouraged before you go to the cross mean is this like the everything to get it see the context is important because it came on the last night it came around. The Lord's supper. It came at a time here where they were arguing and it came after he wash their feet.

This command came after Jesus said, let me show you what it looks like you guys are arguing about who's hot stuff. See, don't forget wheat we get we get these passages in our little Bible story mode. This is John 13 of us in John 13 is reality. They know who he is, Peter, and said you are the Christ, the son of the living God. They know he was the Messiah was God. They knew God was in their midst and that day, the God of the universe washed their feet.

I think that picture burned in their heart. Like few experiences ever.

And afterwords when he said I want you to love one another.

The way I loved you. You know what went there my this means washing feet this this time me into a gooey feelings. This means obeying when you don't feel like this means giving up rights and privileges and time and finances. This means doing what is totally unnatural to me. What did Jesus deserve absolute worship and then he will serve. That's the new command listening to part six message new commandment for new community, but a series love one another. It was easy to hear truth, believe it even be moved by it, and then drift along to whatever comes next.

If you've been moved today to love the people around you a little better than you have been the series love one another provides biblical direction to help you pursue that goal. Love one another will give you insight into issues like how to love difficult people how to restore someone who's fallen into sin and how to lovingly hold one another accountable it's filled with practical truth to help you deepen relationships on every level to take a look at our resource options for love one another. Check it out online at http://livingontheedge.org or tap special offers only a for more information just give us a call at AAA 333-6003 will chip as we get the series rolling what's kind of an overarching thought you have about why it's so important when I began doing some thinking about the series. I realize that most people don't know the most important things that Jesus said in verse most of us don't take seriously what he said this whole series is aimed about getting our arms around at the church and me personally the radical nature of what our Lord said, his life, his death, his resurrection, his miracles imagine all that it's all boiled down to one singular command after he fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies after he revealed the father after he showed us what grace and truth look like in human flesh than the last thing he did as he pulled his closest followers next to him and he said I've got one new commandment I talked about one word a shift, a new way of thinking and he said to his followers. This is my commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you, let me ask you, how are you doing on that.

What would it look like if you and me in your church in your Bible study.

If we begin to really love one another in that radical unconditional lavish way that God has loved us.

Can you imagine the impact. I hope you will make it a point to make Living on the Edge of priority for you as we learn how to love one another.

Well, I'll definitely be here and I hope you make plans to be with us to.

If you happen to miss a program if you could always pick it up on the chip and remap or anytime on our website LivingontheEdge.org without her strip with a final word one as we wrap up today's message. I hope you can tell I am really excited about the series will find some really practical ways from these little phrases that we find all throughout the New Testament, and it's interesting.

The Bible calls us to do a number of things in community or with one another were to encourage one another were to love one another word to bear with one another and it's so exciting that when you begin to see where that one. Another word pops up in the context in which it comes, and you begin to practice it, you know that the heart of loneliness unit that need for connection you know that part of us as human beings, that feels so great when you're connected to someone from the heart that's behind this word one another and in this one. It's at the very end of Jesus ministry and we start with the one that's the most important where he says to them a new commandment I give in to you that you love one another. How in the same way that I loved you to be a real follower of Jesus isn't keeping rules. It's not about being religious most important thing he ever asked us to do is to love each other and that's not just a good feeling. He's saying to you, want you to begin in your family. I want you to begin with your husband or your wife with your closest friend with your roommate. I want you to to love people in your small group your Sunday school class. Your church and I want you to love the ones that you connect with in your light can and is just so fun to be around and I want you to love the ones that are sort of extra grace required and tend to be low, but negative and you don't really like to be around them. But the power and the love of God will shine through because you're going to treat them the way Jesus treated you so let me just encourage you. Just today, just as we get rolling on this is to ask yourself when you think about other people.

When you talk to others and in the way that you're currently reacting and if you would just even lean back and say your relational network you start at the very core in the center whose closest to you in the next concentric ring and may be neighbors and work in. I wouldn't get discouraged if you find yourself falling a bit short like me but I think I would be very pleased if you and I today said Lord, would you help me take very specific steps to love, to choose to care to be kind to give a word of affirmation to meet a need today and let's see what he does.

Through us, don't miss our next program as we dig into this together it'll great way to get more out of every message is to use chips message notes while you listen you get is outline all of the Scripture references and lots of filaments to help you remember what you're learning. Use them personally, or even with your small group chips message notes are a quick download@livingontheedge.org under the broadcast stab at blisters Filling notes and yourself will be sure to join us next time. Until then, this is Dave. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge