Love Each Other

City Harbor Church – Hampden, Baltimore, MD

“Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my followers.” John 13:34-35

1 John 4:7-12

I. What does Jesus mean by saying, “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” John 15:12

A. Agape love – choosing to give a Jesus-kind-of-love to someone out of sincere appreciation and high regard.

“Love is faithful, patient, kind, rejoicing in the truth,

always: protects, trusts, hopes, believes the best, perseveres, never fails,”

Love does not: envy, boast, walk in pride,

treat people in ways that are: rude, self-seeking, or easily angered

Love keeps no record of wrongs.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

John 13:1, 4-5, 13-15

“love each other, work together” Philippians 2:2

“serve one another in love” Galatians 5:13-14

“Make every effort – unity” Ephesians 4:1-3

B. Giving love to each other.

“motivate each other, don’t neglect gathering, encourage each other” Hebrews 10:23-25

“Let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions.” 1 John 3:18

“Devote, fellowship, meals, prayer, work together strategically, worship together in big group, eat together in homes,” Acts 2:41-47, 4:32-35, 5:42

Community – the intentional development of meaningful relationships, based on God’s purpose/principles, resulting in each person having a sense of belonging, acceptance, and significance.

To belong:

• I’m a part of something where I can give and receive.

• I feel love, acceptance, and affection. I am cared for.

• I am not useless. I can make a difference. I am important.

We connect by gathering on weekends for worship, to receive and respond to his love.

We grow by meeting in small groups for prayer, learning, and sharing life.

We share by living like Jesus and sharing his love, everyday and everywhere.

Life Group: Get connected with life-giving relationships. Church works best when we are sharing life. Nobody stands alone.

II. What can we do this week? Be intentional about building relationships to best love each other.

1. Pray.

2. Think.

3. Make plans.

4. Set aside time, energy, and money.

5. Follow through.

6. Forgive.

7. Repeat.

III. What are the God-sourced benefits?

A. Joy – (cultivating) “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy.” John 15:11

“Jesus speaks of the joy we can have through him as we face life’s trials (Cyril), as well as the joy he has over us through the grace he has given us.” – Augustine

B. Community of Love – Jesus directs us to give love to each other. This includes being intentional to build relationships within the community of faith, our local church, and give the love of Jesus to each other. That is those people with whom you are following Jesus. People with whom you may develop misunderstandings, hurt, or offenses. This provides the opportunity to walk in the forgiveness of Jesus. This provides the opportunity to avoid gossip, passive aggressive communication, or talking with other people about the circumstance before having talked with the person involved. There is a tremendous benefit to building resilient relationships with a commitment to love each other!

IV. What should we do? (Big picture, wrapping up the series)

A. Spend time and energy to be with Jesus, available for His influence. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you” – John 15:4

B. Listen to Jesus. “my words remain in you,” – John 15:7 (pray the words of Jesus)

C. Love each other, the way that Jesus did (in motivation, mode, and method) with gracious humility “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” John 15:12

D. Walking out your spiritual life in community (out in the open) so that they may encourage your decisions to grow closer to Jesus. “Love each other in the same way I have loved you.” John 15:12