Archive for February 10, 2008

Love Your Neighbor

February 10, 2008 by PastorDave.

#302, Love Your Neighbor, Pastor David McIntosh, 02-10-2008

Text: Matthew 22:39

INTRODUCTION

We said we were going to talk about love throughout the month of February.
Last week we focused on the command that Jesus gave us to Love the Lord.
This morning we are going to focus our attention on another command Jesus gave us, to love our neighbor.
Share the story from “day 274” Home at last!”
It is this kind of willingness to look out for the interests of others as if they were our own, that Jesus speaks about here in Matthew 22:37-40 (READ THEM)

MAKE THE CONNECTION

The first connection we need to understand is that we can not love God and at the same time hate our neighbor. It is impossible to love God and hate people.
People who hold grudges, take offenses, and desire to get even with other people; but at the same time say they have a great relationship with the Lord have been deceived by their own hard hearts.
1 John 4:20, 21- “If anyone says, I love God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
James 2:8 – “If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing right.”
In the following chapter James went on to say, “With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness…My brothers this should not be.” (James 3:9,10)
Remember Jesus said that all the prophets & laws hang on these two commandments. They are connected, Love the Lord and Love your neighbor.
We need to make the connection that loving our neighbor is actually loving God.
Matthew 25:40 – “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for anyone of these least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

LEARN THE SECRET TO LOVING YOUR NEIGHBORS

The story is told of a former Miss America who hated some of her physical features. The problem was they were not features she could change; they were part of God’s design for her life.
Self-rejection is often caused by comparing our unchangeable characteristics to those of others.
In order to love & accept ourselves correctly we must be able to accept and thank God for our unchangeable features.
THEY INCLUDE: parents, birth order, brothers & sisters, nationality, ethnic origin, my time in history, basic physical features, life span, and gender.
If we reject or design, we also reject our designer.
If we reject the way God designed our lives we will ridicule and reject God’s design of others.
Share story of teenagers who reject themselves, divert attention by mocking others appearances or features.
WE CAN NOT FULLY LOVE OTHERS WITHOUT FIRST LEARNING TO ACCEPT THE WAY GOD HAS MADE US.
We can take a big step toward loving our neighbor by first thanking God for the way He has designed our lives.

LEARN HOW TO LOVE WITH WISDOM

A kind compassionate man thought he was showing love to his neighbor when after hearing of all the financial woes his neighbor said if someone would just co-sign a loan for him all his troubles would be over.
The kind man decided to co-sign the note in “love” for his neighbor.
Years later this man received an urgent call from the bank demanding immediate payment of $ 700,000.00!
Instead of alleviating financial pressure, this additional loan enabled the neighbor to mismanage even greater sums of money.
Showing love to a neighbor does not mean we always do what is being asked.
We always need the wisdom of God’s Word even when loving others.
A physical need may actually be the result of a spiritual need.
2 Timothy 3:16,17 – “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
In order to love our neighbors wisely, we must know the Bible and be skilled at applying its truths to our lives and to the needs of others.

LEARN THE NEW COMMANDMENT OF JESUS!

The story is told of Christian parents who were alarmed when their 17 yr. old daughter ran away from home.
There didn’t appear to be wrong friends involved & she wasn’t turning her back on God.
The 17-yr. old girl said she just couldn’t get along with her parents and claimed that nothing she did ever pleased them.
The parents explained that they had always been strict on themselves and strict in their training of their daughter.
What happened was through their commitment to “perfectionism” they relayed the message of “conditional love” to their daughter.
“We will love you as long as you measure up.”
They failed to understand the new commandment Jesus gave in John 13:34, 35 – “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Someone helped me with this verse. I never saw how it was a new command. But Jesus was commanding us to not love others has we love ourselves, but to love others as He has loved us!
Jesus loves us unconditionally.
He loved us when we hated him.
He loves us when we disobey him
He continues to love us even when we reject him.

EXAMPLES OF HOW JESUS LOVED “NEIGHBORS!”

He left the glory of His home to enter “our world” to help us.
He broke down barriers of age, status, and allowed himself to live poor.
He honored his parents and served his family as a carpenter.
He honored his neighbors by going to special events (weddings, funerals, feasts)
He gave what was truly needed to people who came to him (food, healing, counsel)
He spent long hours praying for those whom He served
He forgave his enemies and those who mocked him.

CLOSING

Jesus said to us, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Jesus is sending each one of us on a mission to love our neighbors!
What is an obstacle in the way of you doing this?
What can you do before the sun set today to take even a “baby step” in loving the people God has placed in your life?
Think about the people in your life (spouse, children siblings, parents, family members, friends, co-workers, boss, and neighbors) Jesus has ordained that these are the people He wants to love through you.
Lets ask God to fill us with his love, power, grace and desire to love others!