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Today on Summit life with Jeannie Greer behold what manner of love the Father has given to us that we should be called children of God, not just the amount of God's love. What kind of love that was a serving was a self. The empathizing and coordinating gap bridging wells to another question for us becomes does this describe our relationships to one another like after 30 your host Molly Witte Mitch gardeners out there. Did you know that if you only have one tomatillo plan. A garden never produced any fruit because I need other plants to cross pollinate Christians are kind of like tomatillo play in that way. Healthy believers will produce the fruit of the spirit that first you have to be rooted in Christ, and second, you need to cross pollinate with community and where is that community usually found the local church.

That's our topic today on Summit life as pastor Jeannie Greer continues our series called gospel to hear previous messages in this study, or to learn more about Pastor JD's gospel Bible study Jeannie Greer.com but for now let's get started in the Gospel of John gets her Bible.you haven't done so already, let's review real quick where we have been very first week with an overview of the chapter that I tried to show you how the gospel changes us in a way like nothing else can.

Religion can tell us what to do. But religion cannot give us either the desire or the power to do it gospel changes us that by changing our behavior. First, by changing our desires should we begin to do what's right because we love what's right. So then we started to do from job 15 is look at the several different components that Jesus gives of a heart that has been changed by the gospel. We compare them to wheel the gospel the middle. The first thing is you develop this this passion for the word of God. You want to know God more expression about him in prayer.

Look at the growth of godly character, love, joy, peace, faithfulness, all the good the fruits of the spirit been this week were to look at the development of loving relationships inside the church in the community and then lastly were to look at generosity and how it creates a generous spirit that is within us. That's what sanctification is rights implications a big fancy theological word.

I realize that's all that it means I John 1512 this is my commandment, Jesus says, but you love one another as I have loved you right Mark number three of the gospel changed heart living in community. Now what you'll find is that this theme surfaces quite often in Jesus says talk that is given in John 13 to 17 November 1 we got explain you the John 13 to 17 is kind of unit, it is Jesus farewell speech that is giving to his disciples. John 1517 verses there in John 15, they kinda function somewhat like a summary of all the Jesus talk about me and the rest of the talk just kind when you go for the euro for the outline. You'll find at other places in John 13 to 17. Take the subject. See he mentions in John 15 will go deeper with Joe.

Let me take you a couple other places in John 13 to 17 to show you where he developed the idea of the talk about their verse 12 go first to John 17 I jump to chapters 4, John 17 you look at verse 23 John 1723.

This is Jesus praying for his disciples and their presence right. This is your byway for the Lord's prayer we always think our father who art in heaven, that's over the Lord's prayer. That's the model prayer that he gives. This is the Lord's prayer. John 1723.

I pray he says that they may be one even as we are one. I am them and you and me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me right now that's reference. First of all to the Trinity, the Trinity, now I realize that there was a lot of things about the Trinity that are difficult to understand that many of us have trouble all of us have trouble with namely me to begin with. God is one God, but he exists eternally in three persons, and people here that I like what something the story got three different persons father-son Holy Spirit sound like there's a tribe of God. I know that's what it sounds like.

But the Scripture could not be clear, there's only one God got one plus one plus one equals three. I've heard it said that you should make of it is 1×1×1 that it still equals one. I don't know how it all works but I know were talking about God. I am talking about God. Your little pea brain. No offense should not be surprised that there some things about optional understanding closure by it blows your mind were talking about the nature of God.

God, he has eternally exist. It is three persons. But there is only one God, now even if we can't quite get our minds around that. We realize from that though is that what's this God has always existed in community.there is no God is never been a loner. There's never been a time when God was by himself. There's always been father-son Holy Spirit existing eternally together and got his always existed in loving relationships. We say that God is love. Love has to have an object so God's first love was there with in the Trinity becomes a model to us of how we are to love each other. That's very important is everything to talk about today is rooted in the nature of God himself right you still with me as you have heard you not thinking about it go from John seven think about four chapters. Now go back to John 13 you fly right over the top job 15 wave. John 1512 you go past been landed. John 1334 John 1334 Jesus takes us even a little deeper here.

John 1334 a new commandment I give to you, but you love one another, just as I have loved you, so you also are to love one another. By this will all people know that you are my disciples, if you have love one for another notice to dig down on this one.

I was asked some questions of what Jesus just said is nothing. It will give the heart of what he is talking on here first question I would ask of this text is in verse 34. Percival why is this a new commandment.

Leviticus 1918 you. Leviticus is the oldest book that the Jews have it. It's like the original charting founding documents. It's their constitution here. Leviticus 1918, said, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord Jesus is forget about that and say that this is a new commandment when in fact it was not. Of course not, you wrote Leviticus identity 18 in forget about it. What was new was the commandment to love each other. What was new was the standard, they would use to measure their love as I have loved you they were to love each other in the same manner and to the same extent that he had loved that word new can carry the connotation of revolutionary. This is my revolutionary commandment to you that you love one another in the manner and to the extent that I have loved you, so that's the second question, we would ask of Jesus statement. How did Jesus love us. How did Jesus love us.

Let me give you five ways that Jesus in John 13 has just demonstrated and expressed his love to them, take notes and encourage you write these down number one, he served them. He served in the whole context of John 13 you back a few verses you see the Jesus was just washed their feet which pretty well blew their minds right because the universal approach to power is that when you have power user to elevate yourself right you have the power of smartness. Then you use that power to get into the best school so that you can get the best job to make those money do you have the power of money. How do you leverage that power you leverage it to create a better standard of living for yourself to live in a nicer house to grab a nicer car to go to nicer places.

Do you have the power of our but how do you use that power use that power to control situations so they always exist for your benefit, but here Jesus is in John 13 with all those things right and he was plenty smart and creative universe. He had intelligence had plenty of money and he did not get this created a new universal.

No money has all the money needs.

He's got all the power the world is omnipotent, but at the end of his life is not using any of those things for self benefit. In fact he's taking those things and pouring himself out for that is not even using his power to control the situation so that he is protected. He's using his power to pour himself out of death so that they could be saved and as they want as he washed their feet in John 13. You'll see that he explains to them that this washing of the fetus disassembled the ultimate way he was going to serve them to spill his blood washed the dirtiest parts of them which was not their feet. It was there seven black consoles to his whole life he spent leveraging his power for their benefit. That was how he loved them, which leads me to number two leverage his abilities for their needs leveraged his abilities for their needs.

We going to number three, number three, he shared in their pain and their sorrow to felt right before the chapters in John chapter 11 there was a story where Jesus shows up at the tomb of Lazarus.

Lazarus is a friend of his who died when he gets to the tomb. Mary and Martha, Lazarus, his two sisters standing there outside the tomb and of course the weeping of the brother died and it says that when Jesus got there.

The shortest personal the Bible you notice, Jesus wept. Shortest personal the Bible. One of the most difficult. I think I understand because here's a question, why was Jesus weeping. Didn't he know that in just a few minutes Lazarus was good becoming out of the grave and everybody was having a party. If you knew that if you knew how the story was good and don't you think that he would, but I don't stop your crying out to fix this. No heat waves.

Why is he entered into their pain because you become one with him just like you say here in John 17. You become one, so that when they we pay waves, which means that when you go through pain. He weeps when your heart is broken image when you're lonely… Stated heaven shouting platitude to you about how one days are resurrected today and fix it since about pain he enters into it because just like the Trinity is one so that what one member of the Trinity because they're all God little difficult here because they're all God but one member of the Trinity is feeling the other would naturally feel because they mirror whatever the other was feeling is all one. Jesus even when he knows that in five minutes situations will be different. Even then he weeps because they do you have a broken heart. Are you lonely if Jesus Christ is entered into you then whenever you we weeps because he shares in your pain and sorrow he has made them is very right back to today's teaching in just a moment but first let me tell you about our latest resource for our Sunday life listeners our gift to you this month follows up right along with the program you know one thing I've learned is that our greatest joy comes not working overtime to impress God when were serving him from a platform of gratitude and the difference maker is the gospel.

This amazing gift that God has given us doesn't merely punch our ticket to heaven, but it does drive everything we do as believers need these lessons, you are hearing on the program personal eight session video Bible study.

This resource makes a great group Bible study so submit these truths with those that you live, whatever the study looks like we'd like to encourage you to reserve this curriculum sent today by calling 866-335-5220 or visit us online@jeanniegreer.com number four. He lived among them to live the moment he came close to standing heaven shout his love toward them with a bullhorn incarnated himself, which is a theological word incarnation, which is means he took on flesh and blood in the car and I am the flesh.

He was born into our pain, our poverty. In fact, he was born just about as poor as you could be born.

Reminder some of you grew up poor, but not one of you was born in a stable. Maybe I had actionable, less natural resources that I was born in a barn like I don't know the story you might get. You were probably born as poor as he was.

He was born as poor as you could possibly get because he was taking on himself the poorest of the poor and coming close to them. He got so close that he could be touched.

He could be interrupted can be betrayed with a kiss and as he came into our world and he got close to be shared or paid in our sorrow. There's a different kind of love that we experience than if he is at a distance. When I served as as a missionary in Southeast Asia. I noticed that the first year that I was there was very difficult to have relationships for two reasons. Relationships with the Southeast Asia people.

Number one is I could really speak the language right and when I got there, they drop me off, I can say hi my name is JD where is your bathroom my house on fire. That was the extent of my vocabulary right so that that that put a gap there. The other thing was because I was part of a team of Americans who did share my culture. I noticed that what I would do is I would kind every once in a while you got do these things out there. The Southeast Asia people that I would come back and I will circle of friendship and fellowship is taking place with my marriage and the about 910 months into my my time there something tragic happened and that is that my roommates came down with something.

We know how to describe it except that I could you not they discovered 103 kidney stones in his left kidney right which it doesn't work out well and so they made it back to about bad that they don't harvest any but bottom line was I was left by myself for about four months.

At that point there was no more. I did have a roommate.

Another team to go back to Annette forced me I should get out of that house and I begin to do life with the Southeast Asia people. I became a part of some of their families, your bony dinner was somebody who wasn't in America begin aware that he did with them figure out how to talk and suddenly my compassion for these people took on a whole different level in their knowledge of me in their compassion because I wasn't from a distance anymore talking to them about the love of God.

It was a close to them talking to them about their lives and that's what Jesus doesn't see. He lived among them. Number five little part of the 54 number 40 bridge the gap to get to them bridge the gap to get to the bank or something and all of a sudden there that wants to be with people like us, you want to be with people of your same education level. At the same your sense of humor, but at times from the same race of the same socioeconomic status, but usually enjoyed being around the most we have the most in common with. There was never a greater gap than that which Jesus overcame him coming to us right reversible. He was the creator.

He designed the nucleus of the atom told you some of you can't figure how to get the DVR quit flashing 12 o'clock midnight.

There's a gap between your abilities and gifts was rich. He was rich, but he was born into a family could afford medical insurance. He was perfectly holy and we were so simple that if we had appeared in the presence of the father God we would've been in simulated things in the overcame to come to come to us because it was long like God existed as a Trinity Trinity was his circle got hung out with other people who also got was God circle you left that circle and came in two hours for the purpose of including us in his these five things are probably what the apostle John wrote obviously the gospel John when he wrote first John 31 when he says behold what manner of love the father has given to us that we should be called children of God, not just the amount of God's love, not the fact of God's love.

What kind of love the father gave it was a serving. It was a self emptying and empathizing and coordinating gap bridging loss now go back to verse 34 there. Chapter 13 a new commandment I give to you that you love one another, just as I have loved you another question for us becomes does this describe our relationships to one another that list from the one he served us. Are you serving others. He served us as your life characterized by the service of others. We are constantly at this church always talking about the need that we have for people to serve on ministry dates right and you hear people you would not believe the comments I hear over the years I hear people say things like I hear many people say all well alternatives ministry young 345 kids are all got to get abroad all week, but I don't kids all week but the last thing I wonder when I come to church omelettes in the single people take care of the middle have any time with kids that's their role right then I have ever single people say while you know what kids are like, have kids.

The reason I don't have kids yet, I don't really like kids. These two people want to have to build tongue-in-cheek world, joking here. I can you think of a more un-Christlike attitude on either side than that I come to church because this is my time I come to worship a God who said that he came not to be served but to serve. This is how I worship him talk about the things I want things that I don't really want to do when you follow Jesus. It means that you pick up the town you begin to wash me to begin to serve others so much as ask another question is that your general attitude toward life. Are you using your power to go up to elevate yourself. Are you leveraging the power to go down. St. Augustine said that the church most different from the world in its attitude toward three things. St. Augustine 1500 years ago, said the church is most distinguish from the world by his attitude were three things money sucks about money sucks about his of the world was promiscuous with it. Sex stingy with its money and uses its power to self elevating give self-promotion.

He said the church. However, is not promiscuous with it. Sex. It's promiscuous with his money doesn't risk his means me just give it out everywhere for that matter that much to you what the world does a sex St. Augustine so that's what believers do with money because money is not that important to them so they do not everywhere to the promiscuous with her money, but there stingy with her sex because they know that God created after marriage and the marriage bed is holy and then they use their power back to elevate themselves and to serve themselves, and the leverage it for self-promotion, but faith use their power to serve just like Jesus did. What that means is that the most powerful among you the most wealthy among you, the most significant in status among you ought to be those who serve the most to be a follower of Jesus means that your life is characterized by service, so that's a good question for you to think about is your life or characterized by the world's attitude toward power for Jesus it's in your audit just kinda wake up and say I might have been somebody who prayed to receive Jesus, like a fire escape to get out of hell. But I have not become his disciple because to become a disciple means that you live as he lived. Until you're using your power. God is giving you the way that he used his you have really become his disciple number two. He leverages ability for our needs.

Again, I would just ask. Are you leveraging your life for others.

Here's a question what Jesus had leveraged his power for you the same with you leveraging your brothers, would you still be in your sense.

If Jesus leveraged his power and ability. The way that you are leveraging yours.

Where would you be if you give a lot of Christians receive Jesus, but they continue to leverage life for themselves diseases like a fire escape. And until you listen, you could have the answer God forth because you might be a fan of Jesus Christ. Mother prayed some prayer but you haven't become his disciple is a disciple is one who lives like he lives, our love for our world and each other has to be more than words its deeds. That's what first John 316 says, first John again. The writer, the apostle John. By this we know love me know.

Love because God articulated to us with the finest nuances of systematic theology is taught is Calvinism that help we know the love of God know we know the love of God because he explained it to us, but because he lay down his life for us.

We are delayed on our lives for our brothers. If anyone has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against them. How could God's love possibly abide in that person, little children, let us not love in word or adult, but in deed and in truth, not in taught but indeed here's a question what you're giving like you want to realize that God did not give you all that so that you could just leverage it for self-promotion. God gave it to you so you can port out for the kingdom of God. You leverage it for one another.

When you see somebody in need in our church do you respond without being told the guy who was living with his girlfriend gets convicted about that confesses that the small group but this is my girlfriend. I would have that will have the finances to be able to live apart. We we know we need to get married now. God taught us that the summer church will know what to do because we can afford it to one of our members as we come with me as I went to live with them for the four months until he got married while he was there living in the sky's house. This guy who opened his house and broke both of his ankles couldn't do anything around the house as a disguise living there now is able to serve a minister to that household. That's the church, loving and taking care of one another.

Galatian six tale of how Paul says it is a stupid old man, especially those of the household of faith, do good to all men, especially those of the household.

This is where love starts right here just one another church gives his children. Are you enjoying becoming a blessing to others.

You're listening to some it. Life Bible teaching ministry of Jesus career. We want to make sure you know about Pastor JD's new resource available right now it's the gospel via curriculum that goes along with our teaching series here on the program over eight weeks or sessions each time begins with video from Pastor JD and then based on that teaching still open your study guide and Bible and work through the questions and prayers for a gift of $50 this month will send you the DVDs and five study guides to get you started and for a gift of $75 will include 10 study guides, few friends join together in this study. Contact us today and we'll send you your copies when you generously gave to support this ministry, 866-335-5220 866-335-5224.

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Can JD Greer.com failure on the website. Don't forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter get ministry update information about new resources Street. Great way to stay connected with MetLife's right, she here.com hi Molly, that if it's encouraging you to join us again next time continue this study design turns Monday on the