Virtue Signaling: Love Like This

November 14th, 2021/Riverside & Lookout

Story: Calderon’s Baby

Intro: Virtue Signaling

Passage: 1 Peter 3:8-9 CSB

8 Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble, 9 not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.

Pray:

Background:

The author of 1 Peter is Peter. One of Jesus' twelve disciples and among the inner circle of Jesus' closest companions. He’s writing to Christians that are experiencing persecution and suffering. A theme in 1 Peter is hope in the midst of suffering. Throughout this letter Peter is outlining for the believer how they are to live amidst trials, suffering, and persecution. Peter's words are from a place of both deep conviction and profound experience.

The audience is debatable, but it is believed to be mostly Gentile believers. Peter is acknowledging that they are a part of God’s family and they are chosen. He addresses how believers are to behave and relate in different social and economical circumstances, but then in this text he speaks directly to ALL Christians at ALL times. He gives us some fundamental and practical ways that we are to love one another.

Title: Love Like This

Big Idea: If you are a part of the family of God, this is how you are to love your brothers and sisters.

Main Points:

1. 5 Practical Ways To Show Love To Other Christians
   1. 8 Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble
   2. “Do not owe anyone anything, except to love one another, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” - Romans 13:8 CSB

   3. Like-minded - This love is evidenced by a unity of mind

      1. Unity does not mean uniformity; it means harmony in diversity.
      2. “Unity does not mean uniformity; it means cooperation in the midst of diversity.” - Warren W. Wiersbe
      3. “If, then, there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 make my joy complete by thinking the same way, having the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.” - Philippians 2:1-2
      4. Members of the body of Christ MUST work together in our differences and even celebrate our diversity for the advancement of the Gospel. We may differ on methods, but we must align on the message of Jesus Christ!
      5. Story: Agenda 1 Retreat
      6. In a world divided, we need a church united.
      7. Not all methods are biblical, but there is plenty of room for diversity in the church.
      8. “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.” - an old Christian saying (often traced to Rupertus Meldenius)
      9. Unity, diversity, and love are critical components to understanding the Spirit’s work in the body of Christ.

      10. “I have never yet known the Spirit of God to work where the Lord's people were divided.” DL Moody

          4. Sympathetic - Another evidence of love is sympathy, a sincere “feeling for and with” the needs of others.

      11. I want to slow down, put myself in other people's shoes, listen to their stories, and do my best to understand their lives.

      12. When you live with sympathy and empathy, then you go from gossiping and slandering people to protecting and celebrating them! You go from a hater to a slayer!

      13. “15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.” - Romans 12:15

          1. When you hurt, I hurt! When you cry, I cry! When you praise, I praise! When you celebrate, I celebrate!
          2. Somebody look at your neighbor and say “We’re in this together!”
          3. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.
             5. Love - seeing and treating one another as family

      14. We aren’t like family, we are family in Christ

          1. Since you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth, so that you show sincere brotherly love for each other, from a pure heart love one another constantly. - 1 Peter 1:22
          2. “Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” - 1 Peter 2:17
          3. “Above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins.” - 1 Peter 4:8 2. Jesus not only demonstrates the greatest level of love in laying down His life for ours. He also challenges our understanding of love in relation to those around us. 3. “27 “But I say to you who listen: Love your enemies, do what is good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” - Luke 6:27-28 4. Question: How are you showing love to those that hate and curse you? 5. Say to yourself: Today I choose to pray! I choose peace, forgiveness, and love. Today I choose to bless! 6. Story: Neighbor who cussed me out. Praying for him while cleaning up my yard. Retaliating against people who are rude.
             6. Compassionate - Compassion alludes to kindness and sympathy, but there is something deeper, something more profound in its meaning.

      15. The origin of the word helps us grasp the true breadth and significance of compassion. In Latin, ‘compati’ means “suffer with.” Compassion means someone else’s heartbreak becomes your heartbreak. Another’s suffering becomes your suffering. True compassion changes the way we live. - Compassion Int.

      16. “We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.” — Dietrich Bonhoeffer
      17. In Boulder there are a lot of accomplishments, a lot of trophies and degrees on the wall, a lot of followers on social media, a lot of PR’s to celebrate, but how many of you know that there’s people hurting all over this room and all over this city!

      18. We’ve got to peel back the layers of reality and see people not for what they do or what they will do for you, but who they are and what they might be going through!

          7. Humble - putting others first and celebrating others’ success

      19. “5 In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.” - 1 Peter 5:5

      20. “12 Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.” - Colossians 3:12-13
      21. Humility looks good on you!
      22. Let’s look now at the author again, Peter. The reckless, domineering, and arrogant disciple now bearing witness to a life of humility, compassion, and love! Imagine the patience and sympathy of Jesus!
      23. Humility leads to sympathy, compassion, unity, and love, because the focus is not on you! The story is not about you! There’s something bigger that God wants to do through you than what you want to do for others!

      24. Story: Visiting Agritopia in Phoenix

          1. “You can live an excellent life if you live by honesty, humility, and hard work.” - Jim Johnston
             8. Question: Are these 5 characteristics true of how you treat other believers?
             9. “The church is like an embassy in a foreign land. It’s where the rules and ethics of eternity operate within history.” - Dr. Tony Evans
          2. When you give a blessing, you are living out the blessing God has called you to inherit.
             1. 9 not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.
             2. Revenge is not the way of Jesus. Retaliation has no place in the family of God. We’re not at war with each other, we have a clear enemy and it’s not your brother or sister in Christ!
             3. If you are spending the majority of your time comparing, competing, criticising, or controlling other Christians, then you either have too much time on your hands or you have lost sight of the mission of God! Come back to your cause! Come back to your calling!
             4. Pray for their healing, pray for their deliverance, pray for their family, pray for their breakthrough! Prayer changes both your posture toward them and the future of your situation.
             5. There is power in prayer!
             6. Let’s be ambassadors for MERCY. Let’s be dealers of BLESSING. Let’s be known as a people of faith, hope, and LOVE!

Closing: We need a breakthrough in how we treat each other. We need a breakthrough in how we love one another.

The Witness Factor

“By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - ‭‭John‬ ‭13:35‬