Loving Like Jesus

February 15, 2016 | by: Lars Haglund | 0 Comments

Posted in: Sermon Questions

PARTICIPANT'S GUIDE FOR COMMUNITY GROUP GATHERINGS
Sermon: Loving Like Jesus - February 14, 2016
Speaker: Pastor Anthony Orzo
Sermon Questions Prepared by: Pastoral Resident Lars Haglund

Main Passage: John 13:31-38.

Cross Referenced Passages: Deut. 6:5, Lev. 19:18, Matt 22, John 17.

Sermon Questions Guide: Before beginning read the main passage. Then, in each section, read the sermon notes and take a moment before discussing the sermon questions.

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In the first part of Pastor Anthony’s message he talked about the origin of God’s love and how it’s been revealed to us.

  • He explained how God’s love does not have a starting point. Meaning, “Scripture teaches us that God is pre-existent. Love is one of God’s eternal attributes. It isn’t just something He does, it isn’t just an emotion, God’s Selfless, Sacrificial, never-ending, perfect love is one of the things that makes God, God.”
  • As the first part of the talk was unpacked, it was said “God’s perfect expectation for what true love is intended to be was first revealed to us in the teachings of the Old Testament.” Then, “in the New Testament God’s Love was further revealed to us when Jesus became a man and dwelt among us.” In that, Jesus shows us that “true love, pure love, genuine love, stems from the eternal and unchanging nature of God.”

1. With that said, is this the first time you have fully understood God’s true love like this? If so, please explain. If not, please share with the group when you first grasped this. Then discuss how God’s true love for you in Jesus defines your love and relationship with Him.

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Moving into Jesus' relationship with His disciples and the backdrop for our text, Anthony described that Jesus “is speaking to His disciples, because He’s pretty close to His crucifixion.

  • He explained, “because Jesus loves them, He’s preparing their hearts for what is to come and what their priorities need to be after He’s gone… Jesus is at the place in His ministry where He’s focusing on the Involve me part. What he’s inviting them to be a part of is experiencing and sharing the love of God!”
  • “Up until now, the Disciples had mostly been watching how Jesus loved people, but that’s all about to change… Jesus reminds them that the apex of everything He Is, Has said and done is rooted in loving others, because He is loved by His Father. He then passes that responsibility to carry God’s love to the world, on to them!”

2. How does what you do in your life, being defined by God’s love, help people to “see and believe in your Father in Heaven”? Talk about some examples. Maybe even share with the group a time when you saw this in someone else and were encouraged.

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In the second part of the talk, Anthony described two ways that “this love teaching is a place where Christians are unfairly judged?”

  • He used an example where someone at RCPO was serving our community at an event to help recovery addicts and heard a bystander say, “I guess not all religious people are bad.” Anthony then described, “that was clearly an off-handed compliment that revealed a deep-seated stereotype some people have that says all religious people are bad!”
  • "This stereotype is common, but unfair on a number of levels.” Two were mentioned in the message. “First it lumps all religious people into one category… and second, it seems to imply that just because you’re religious you won’t be a loving person.”

3. Has there ever been a time when you heard these arguments or objections that generalized all Christians into this category? If so, please be specific and where did it fall in the levels described above. How does this story help you to see that it was because “our people chose to love others in Jesus’ name, that it caused the bystander to question her belief”?

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In the last part of the talk, Anthony described two dimensions that according to Jesus are the evidence of His love in your life.

  • “The first evidence of Jesus’ love in your life is when you desire to love other Christians in the same way Jesus first loved you. Our love for each other is supposed to be a direct reflection of God’s love for us. This mark of love Jesus talks about is why Scripture repeatedly tells us not to treat the Church family lightly. Because of this, you should naturally want to love and care for those people and have them love and care for you!”
  • “The second evidence of Jesus’ love in your life is when you desire to love people who are very far from God. As Christians we are called to deeply love each other and celebrate the body of Christ, while simultaneously letting that love spill over into the places God has planted us where His love needs to be shown to others.” In other words “Our love for each other becomes a contagion that leads others to God’s love!”

4. Has there ever been a time when you neglected the Church family because you felt it was optional or something you’d get around to? If so, how does the fact that Jesus loved you first help you love one another in the Christian family? Please explain.

5. How can we together as God’s people at Restoration help each other to love others that are far from God? Please explain some specific ways that you can encourage one another individually and as a Community Group. Take a few moments to talk through the BLESS next step. [i.e. When loving others that are far from God, begin with praying for them. Then listen to them, eat with them, serve them in a tangible way and share your faith with them.]

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Conclusion Discussion: “Is your life marked with the same type of love Jesus had in His own life? What is God saying to you about how you answered that question and what do you intend to do about it?” Share with the group is you feel comfortable. If not, spend some time in prayer over the next few days about your answer.

 

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