Loving People

Behavior in inevitable.  It reflects what we value.

Those who worry that too much focus on the goodness and grace of God will make us to inward focused and isolate us from people do not fully grasp either what it means to do this or the kind of impact it has on our lives. 

Those who worry that getting involved, genuinely and graciously in the lives of others (without any concern about what is in it for us) will somehow draw us away from the God we serve have not yet fully understood what Jesus is getting at when He reminds us that it is in the midst of doing this that we encounter Him.  "As much as you have done this for the least of these, you have done it to me." 

Certainly inward focus can be spun into self-centeredness, and service into a kind of busyness that deadens our awareness of God, but neither of those options are what Jesus invites us to.  As is illustrated in the metaphor of the Pitcher, Cup, Saucer and Plate, that has long been used to describe the flow of ministry that we have been intentional about pursuing as a church family, we are called to a life that flows out of a God sustained inner fullness which makes meaningful connections with each other possible, and which extend the embrace of family to those in our community and world. 

This week, Pastor Saul explores the second part of the statement that summarizes our mission -- Loving People

To Listen to Pastor Saul's sermon again, click here. 

* (If the media player in this link does not work [we've been having a little trouble with it lately] try clicking here.)

Scripture Passages for Further Reflection

Luke 10:25-37 (TNIV)

25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 

    26 "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"

    27 He answered, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' [a]; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' [b]"

    28 "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."

    29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

    30 In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33  But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii  and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.

    36 "Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"

    37 The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him."

       Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."

John 15:9-12 (TNIV)

9 "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.

1 John 2:3-11 (TNIV)

    3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4 Those who say, "I know him," but do not do what he commands are liars, and the truth is not in them. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God  is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

    7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

    9 Those who claim to be in the light but hate a fellow believer are still in the darkness. 10 Those who love their fellow believers live in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11 But those who hate a fellow believer are in the darkness and walk around in the darkness; they do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

Stuff To Think About:Loving People . . . who could argue with that!  Of course that is what we believe.  Jesus seems quite clear that it is a natural, expected, and even central aspect of what it means to follow Him.  And it doesn't even sound all that unreasonable, at least until it comes to actually doing it.  As you think about the sermon, and reflect further on the texts to the right, here are a few questions to consider: