Tuesday 2 July 2013

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-15, John 13:34-35

Think about all the greatest love stories in our culture. Inevitably, despite some variations, the story goes roughly something like this: Boy meets girl. Boy falls in love with girl (and vice versa). Something goes wrong separating boy and girl. Boy fights to be with girl. Boy and girl live happily ever after.

 

I (Josh) always find these stories quite frustrating when some kind of difficulty or obstacle separate the boy and the girl but, despite my frustration, the love that the boy and girl have in the end is sweeter and richer because they fought to overcome it. Here's the big idea: when we are willing to fight for love, when love is not just some weak crush but a genuine effort and commitment, when it takes effort and a fight for the other person, the end result is much more valuable.

 

Jesus modelled this for us incredibly. When our sin was a great, insurmountable obstacle between us and God, Jesus fought to overcome the obstacle and make us right with God. Jesus fought with his dying breath so that we could be in a love relationship with God. And finally, in an incredible demonstration of God's power Jesus was raised from the dead to prove that the obstacle had been totally overcome. PRAISE GOD!!!

 

Jesus' love story doesn't stop there though, He continues to fight to make us more like Himself by confronting and dealing with sin in our lives. Jesus loves us enough not to leave us as we are, He continues to fight for us.

 

What does all this have to do with 1 Thessalonians? We are to love each other with this same kind of fighting, strong love. This is not just some airy-fairy, mamby-pamby love we have for one another. We must be willing to fight for each other, no matter what it takes. Paul gives us some examples as to what this looks like in our lives:

Þ We must to be willing to fight to protect the community of believers by warning those who are idle and disruptive;

Þ We must encourage those who are disheartened and broken;

Þ We must help the weak even when it costs us dearly;

Þ We must conquer our own frustrations and be patient with everyone; and

Þ We must always strive to do what is good for each other and everyone else.

 

When we love each other with this kind of self-sacrificial, whatever-it-takes love we are truly loving one another as Christ loves us. When we love each other like this the world will see and take notice. Imagine what God would do in our culture if we were willing to love each other this way.

 

Prayer:

Write down your prayer points in the space provided. Use today’s reading to help you get ideas.

Adoration:

 

Confession:

 

Thanks:

 

Supplication:

¥ Pray that God would grow in your heart and the hearts of all those in your church a deep, self-sacrificial love for one another. Pray that God would show you opportunities to serve and encourage other believers in your church. Pray that through this love that many in your community would come to faith in Jesus Christ.

¥ Pray for all those in your congregation who are married. Pray that God would enable them to serve and honor one another in love. Pray that they would be willing to fight for their marriages and that they would seek to serve God together.

 

 

Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. What would this sort of self-sacrificial love look like in your small group or family?

2. What would this sort of love look like in the church as a whole?

3. How can you help to foster and grow this kind of love in your church?