Worship service 8/23/2020 click here
8/23/2020
The Full Extent of God’s Love
Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them…
God IS (Agape) Love – 1 John 4:8b
John 13:1 It was just before the Passover Feast. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved His own who were in the world, He now showed them the full extent of His love.
Luke 9:51-56 …the time had come for Him to be received up and He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem, and sent messengers ahead. As they went, they entered a village of the Samaritans, to prepare for Him. But they did not receive Him, because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem. When His disciples James and John saw this, they said, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” (cf-Mark3:17)
1 John 4:8-12 Whoever does not Agape does not know God, because God is Agape. This is how God showed His Agape among us: He sent His One and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is Agape: not that we Agape God, but that He Agape us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so Agape us, we also ought to Agape one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we Agape one another, God lives in us and His Agape is made complete in us.
The Notion To Turn From Christ Originates In The Devil
John 13:2 The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus.
Luke 8:11-12 The seed is the word of God, those along the path are the ones who hear and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.
God Is Sovereign Over All Circumstance
John 13:3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God and was returning to God;
Agape Is ACTION Not Idea
John 13:4-5 …so He got up from the meal, took off His outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash His disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.
Romans 5:8 …but God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Agape Love Isn’t Hereditary, It’s Learned
John 13:6-8 He came to Simon Peter, who said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with Me.”
Belief In The Lord Saves You His Agape Sustains You
John 13:9-11 “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. You are clean, though not every one of you.” For He knew who was going to betray Him, that was why He said not everyone was clean.
Agape Should Characterize His Disciples
John 13:12-14 When He had finished washing their feet, He put on His clothes and returned to His place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” He asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.
1 John 4:20-21 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? This commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
The Lord’s Blessing Is Realized In Emulating His Example To Us
John 13:15-17 I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.