The Expression of Love

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>The Expression of Love</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id410.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Waiting and Working"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id426.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Staying Connected To The Source"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>"The Expression of Love," </B><A HREF="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=www.biblegateway.com/bible?passage=John+14:15-31" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.biblegateway.com/bible?passag"><U><B>John 14:15-31</B></U></A></div> <div> <B>Berean Bible Church, November 2, 2003</B></div> <div> <I>Note: This series will be once a month on the first Sunday </I></div> <div> <I>in celebration of the Lord's Table in our church.</I></div> <bR> <div>      The famous New York diamond dealer Harry Winston heard about a wealthy Dutch merchant who was looking for a certain kind of diamond to add to his collection. Winston called the merchant, told him that he thought he had the perfect stone, and invited the collector to come to New York and examine it. / The collector flew to New York and Winston assigned a salesman to meet him and show him the diamond. When the salesman presented the diamond to the merchant he described the expensive stone by pointing out all its fine technical features. The merchant listened and praised the stone but turned away and said, "It's a wonderful stone but not exactly what I wanted." / Winston, who had been watching the presentation from a distance, stopped the merchant and asked, "Do you mind if I show you the diamond once again?" The merchant agreed and Winston presented the same stone. But, instead of talking about the technical features of the stone, Winston spoke spontaneously about his own genuine admiration of the diamond and what a rare thing of beauty it was. Abruptly, the customer changed his mind and bought the diamond. / While he was waiting for the diamond to be packaged and brought to him, the merchant turned to Winston and asked, "Why did I buy it from you when I had no difficulty saying no to your salesman?" / Winston replied, "The salesman is one of the best in the business and he knows more about diamonds than I do. I pay him a good salary for what he knows. But I would gladly pay him twice as much, if I could put into him something I have and he lacks. You see, he knows diamonds, but I love them."</div> <div>      There is a difference between knowing about something or someone and loving that something or someone. A husband can know all about his wife - her needs and desires and gifts and quirks. But that does not necessarily mean that he loves her in a way that shows her his love. </div> <div>      Many of us know the right things about Jesus. We believe the truth about him, and can answer questions about him, because we grew up hearing them in church and Sunday School. But Jesus asked for far more than our just knowing about him or believing certain truths about him.</div> <div>      Consider Jesus' expression of love for his disciples and for us. In John 13, Jesus washed the disciples feet; he served them in love (vss. 13-14). It was the same love that would lead him to serve them by his death (vs. 34, as he has loved us, we should love one another). John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world to such an extent that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him might not die eternally, but have eternal life. Jesus said in John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." He was about to lay down his life so that we might live. What is the only appropriate response to Christ's expression of love for us?</div> <bR> <div> <B>I. Express your love to Jesus by obeying him. </B>(John 14:15, 21, 23-24, 31).</div> <div>      Deuteronomy 6:4-5 says, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." It is the essence of the commands of God in both Testaments.</div> <div>      Be careful about the manner in which you do what you do. Obedience involves doing "neutral" necessary activities in a way that pleases Jesus. What kind of <I>attitude</I> do you having driving a car? Caring for your children? Doing your work at your job?</div> <div>      Note the example of Jesus with the Father in vs. 31. Jesus obeyed the Father as an expression of the love to the Father. He asks us that we give the same to him.</div> <bR> <div> <B>II. We do not have to love him at a distance. God comes to dwell with us</B>(John 14:16-17, 21, 23, 26).</div> <div>      Note vs. 23, God would "make his home" with us. It is the same word as "dwelling places" in vs. 2. Jesus went to prepare a home for us, but in the meantime he makes <I>his</I> home with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.</div> <div>      We need the help and influence of the Holy Spirit in order to respond with obedience to Jesus and his commands (in fact, the whole NT). We have a helper, but do we listen? Don't push Jesus to become merely a back seat driver in your life, whom you ignore. Read his word to get his promises and instructions (vs. 26). Pray to communicate with him. Be reminded of his presence. The more you read his word and communicate with him through prayer, the more you will have awareness of his presence with you. </div> <div>      When someone begins a new job, they usually receive on-the-job training and mentoring. You are learning an new skill, a new way of doing things, with a partner. The mentor won't do the work for you, but the mentor will tell you what to do. They will give you guidance and direction and training. When you wonder if you are doing it right, he can say, yes, that's the way to do it; or, no, try it this way instead. Jesus offers that kind of help for life itself, for every need, for every decision, for every action.</div> <bR> <div>      Christ expressed his love for us by dying for us to save us. We can respond by loving him in return, and we express this by following his commands. Fortunately, we do not have to love or obey him at a distance. We have his presence with us all the time.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2003, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>