Sunday Praise & Worship 10:00
Christian Education - 10:00 - Casual Dress - Loving Childcare
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Key verse: 1 John 4:12 “No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.” The word, love, has been overused and abused so much that we hardly recognize its radical nature anymore. Just think of how often people say, “Don’t you just love that?” with “that” referring to some inanimate object like a song or an outfit or a television show. Yet, the passage we read today from 1 John reminds us of the profound nature of love whose source alone is God. Together with 1 Corinthians 13, this love passage reveals to us the depth of God’s love and encourages us to respond to that love by loving God and others in return. This message applies as much today as it did 2000 years ago.
Scholars call this First Letter of John a General or “Catholic” Epistle, with
“epistle” meaning letter and “Catholic” meaning universal. So, the author did
not write to a specific community but to all Christians. In fact, some scholars
debate whether to classify it as a letter at all, since it lacks the formal
salutation and closing of letters of the day. Instead, they suggest it falls
more readily into a sermon category, especially since the author focuses on
proclaiming the Good News, exhorting followers of Jesus to live the Good News,
and encouraging these followers to continue to walk in the truth. As a sermon, 1
John offers an extended commentary on the Gospel of John, repeating many common
themes with more depth and complexity. Even today’s passage about God living in
us points back to John 15 where Jesus instructs the disciples to live in him as
branches live on the vine. Because of its basis on the Go Our passage today begins with love. Although our translation uses the words, “Dear friends,” the original Greek implies the more archaic “Beloved,” meaning those who are loved. So, even from the beginning the author reminds us that we are loved by God. Understanding and accepting God’s love for us provides the foundation of all faith. Without it, faith turns into a futile attempt to earn God’s love and our attempts to love each other founder. All love comes from God and our ability to love others also comes from God. When we love, we demonstrate that we know God and belong to God. If we don’t understand that the first time, the author inverts it to emphasize the point: if we don’t love, we do not know God or belong to God. Of course, God loves us anyway, even before we know how to respond. In Methodist theology, we call this “prevenient grace” because it comes before we can respond. God shows this love for us by sending the Son into the world so that we can have eternal life. (See John 1:14 and John 3:16.) The author defines this as real love, a sacrificial and creative love which adopts us as children and which takes away our sin. So, sin is a refusal to love others as God loves us. Therefore, we not only receive God’s love; we also become agents of God’s love as we love God and others in joyful response to God’s love. This love also serves as a sign of God’s presence, since we cannot see God but we can see the love God’s children share. In following Jesus’ example, we offer true love, sacrificial and creative, putting the best interests of the ones we love above our own needs. This kind of love brings joy and pain as we become vulnerable to each other and share life together. But, as we love one another in this way, we experience God’s love among us more deeply and it becomes a witness for the world that eternal love is not only possible but is the only real love that exists. As we allow that love to sink into our very soul, we long to respond in love. How can we love God in return? We can spend time with God, listening for what makes God happy and doing those things with love. As we get to know God more, we begin to see things from God’s perspective and we begin to love the ones God loves, feeling compassion for those who are hurting or lonely. Over time, we learn to put those feelings of love for God and for all of God’s creation into words and action, which we call “worship.” Worship then spills over into our whole lives as we love God with all of our heart and soul and mind and strength and love our neighbor as ourselves. In this way, we truly give glory to God. Questions for Reflection 1—How do you experience God’s love for you? List some concrete ways that you see that love in your daily life. Think of a time you felt most loved and remember that all love comes from God. Spend some time letting this love sink in: Jesus gave his whole life to you, because he loves you. 2—How do you let God’s love live in you? How do you spend time with God, getting to know what God loves and delights in and what makes God happy? What one concrete step can you take to spend more time getting to know God and God’s love? 3—How can you love God in return? List some ways that you can show your love for God. When you serve others, does it feel like an obligation or a joyful response to God’s love? How can you love others with God’s love? Again, list one concrete way that you can be an agent of God’s love, a sign of God’s presence in this world. 4—How did the Holy Spirit speak to you in worship today?
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of John, 1 John emphasizes God as a provider and loving parent, whose love lives
in us and produces in us a loving response. In other words, the author links
moral conduct with religious experience, reminding us that we cannot live love
without living in the love of God.