Pastor Sheldon Lacsina
July 20, 2014 - W1429

In this series about being victorious, we can only be victorious because of Jesus. Although we have different backgrounds and different time frames with Jesus, one thing that we find that remains the same is God’s love for us. His love never changes, His love remains the same, and His love never fails.

 Sometimes love can be taken for granted and the word used over and over. For example, you might say, “I love my car, or I love the smell, or I love ice cream. In our minds though, love has to look like something. But when the words “I love you” come to mind, we become scared of it because of our past. Maybe someone you loved left you and so you want to guard your heart and don’t really want to believe those words anymore.

 What then is God’s definition of love? In 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 it says that, “love is long suffering” (patient). That’s the first definition. The second is, “Love is kind.” Then continuing it says, “Love does not envy, does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in inequity but rejoices in the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things, and love never fails.”

 How many of us fail in our plans because it doesn’t start with the foundation of love? Rather, it starts with the foundation of what I want and what I want to see done. Oftentimes, families start on the wrong foundation only to break apart eventually. But take heart, for God can redeem families built on wrong foundations through His love as stated in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

 What does love look like? The Bible says that, “If I gave everything, everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it, but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.” (Cor. 13:3) Consequently love has to look like something. Otherwise, we gain nothing.

 Love should not be over busy with other things. In Luke Chapter 10 the Bible talks about Mary and Martha and how Martha was so concerned with the things that had to be done and asked Jesus to send Mary to help her. But Jesus said that Mary chose the good part by listening to His words, and it shall not be taken away from her. Thus, in your own family how do you define love?

In the Bible, Paul says that we must rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us and not on our own human efforts; because our human efforts, our achievements, and our possessions are simply garbage when comparing to what we have in Jesus.

There are times when we don’t understand what is happening in our lives. We feel, we hope, we trust, we get let down, and we get burned. But God in His sovereignty says to you who are spiritually mature to keep pressing on. He has something better for you but you need to go through this in order to obtain it. That’s the race you’re on. When you get there you will understand. But in the process, love has to look like something. Otherwise, who will the unsaved look for in love? How are they going to know what love is? Thus, we need to be the light to show the world what love looks like.

 When my dad left, as a child, I thought it was my fault. So I would write cards every day hoping that one day I could give it to him. But as time went by I stopped writing the cards and threw them away. Then when my dad died I didn’t care as I had no feelings for him. I did not know him. Then some time later, it hit me that I’m never going to see my dad again. And I thought why do we go through this when there’s only hurt in this world?

 Then I found Jesus and learned that there was a place called eternity. And as I was seeking God I wondered if there would be a way that I could see my father again one day? Reading the Bible it said that anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. I don’t know if my dad said yes to Jesus or not, but that was my hope.

 As I was thinking about my dad I read Phil. 3:16 and it tells us that we must hold on to the progress we have already made. I’m not going to be perfect and I will make mistakes. But nonetheless, hold onto the progress that has already been made. It’s not in vain.

 In 1 Cor. 14:1 it says, “Eagerly pursue and seek to acquire his love.” Furthermore, the Bible says in John 15:2 to be glad that, “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”

 One day as I returned from running, I entered the elevator all sweaty and smelly and at the last second everyone rushed inside and packed it in. I felt quite uncomfortable knowing that I could smell myself. As they got out I was thinking thank you Jesus.

 Then instantly the Lord spoke to my heart and said that’s how people feel when they come to church for the first time. God said, “They feel dirty, stink, and ashamed. If someone in the elevator told you hello how would you feel?” I said I would be fine with that. God continued, “And if they sparked conversation with you and made you feel welcomed how would you feel?” I would be ok with that. God replied, “But when the first timers at church walk by, you don’t even recognize them and you don’t look at them in the eyes because you’re busy looking at something else.” Love can’t be over busy. It has to look like something.

 I want to challenge all of us to look people in the eyes, even when we pass each other here.  I guarantee you there are people that have been serving in here for ten years, 15 years, from the very beginning, and you don't know their names.  And it's almost embarrassing.  It's like, “Eh, man, what's up buddy?  How are you?  Good.  All right.” Let love look like something. 

John 15:4-5 says, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you for a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine.  And you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.  Yes, I am the vine.  You are the branches.  Those who remain in me and I in them will produce much fruit for apart from me, you can do nothing. “

All the energies we have when we're investing in the Lord, sitting at His feet, I don't know how many times we continuously say devotions, devotions, devotions.  We sit at His feet, listen to His voice, but don't you close the book and say that we're done.  Devotions begin our time with the Lord, but it doesn't end when we close the book.  He says for you to look like love in this hurting world. 

As Jesus came and spoke to them, as Matthew 28 tells us, he said this:  “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.  Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the father and of the son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

God wants to do miraculous things through our lives.  It's going to start with love.  Love has to look like something.  So when we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 on what love looks like, I thought, wait a minute, it kind of sounds like Jesus.  You know, we can substitute Jesus' name in place of “love” in that chapter.  And I thought what does love look like from God?  That's the greatest model.  That's the simplest form of what love looks like, and it's really Jesus going to the cross.  He died for us.  That Jesus suffered long.  Jesus is kind.  Jesus doesn't envy.  Jesus does not parade Himself, doesn't puff Himself up.  Jesus is not rude to us.  Jesus doesn't seek his own.  He came to serve.  He's not provoked.  He thinks no evil.  He does not rejoice in inequity or when we do things that are not pleasing to Him, but He rejoices in the truth.  Jesus bore all things.  He believed in all things.  Jesus hoped in all things.  He endured all things.  In other words, Jesus never fails.  If you want to know what love looks like, look to Jesus and then remodel after him.  Amen.

 Questions:

1. What is God’s definition of love?

2. How can you show love to new members in the church?

3. Why does God cut off some of our branches and prunes other branches?

4. Why did Jesus say that Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken away from her?

5. Why is love sometimes taken for granted?