Transcription downloaded from https://services.pcumc.org/sermons/27623/radical-love-memorial-day-2020/.

Disclaimer: this is an automatically generated machine transcription - there may be small errors or mistranscriptions.
Please refer to the original audio if you are in any doubt.


[0:00] à on and Oh bon Amen.

[0:56] Amen. Amen.

[1:56] Amen. Amen.

[2:56] Amen. Amen.

[3:28] Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Good morning, everybody. Happy Memorial Day. Welcome to worship at Pendleton Center and First United Methodist Churches.

[3:41] This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made.

[4:02] Let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made.

[4:17] Let us rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day. This is the day that the Lord has made.

[4:31] Let us pray. Holy God, we come to you to worship your holy name, and we pray that you will come and fill this time with your anointing, that we may experience your spirit powerfully, that you will be blessed by our worship of you and reveal to us your will and your way.

[4:52] Fill us with your abundance and your grace in Jesus' name. Amen. Now I'd like to invite you all to stand if you're able as we sing together For the Beauty of the Earth.

[5:03] Do you pray?work farewell To me we ask the Lord'sTS?

[5:22] For the beauty of the earth, for the glory of the skies, for the love which from our earth over and around us flies, Lord of all, to thee we raise, here's our hymn of grateful praise.

[6:00] For the joy of human love, brother, sister, parent, child, friends on earth and friends above, o'er all gentle, bonds and mind, Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.

[6:27] For thy church that evermore lifteth holy hands above, offering upon every shore the poor sacrifice of all.

[6:44] Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise.

[6:54] For thy selfless gift, give me back to the world so freeing him, for that great, great love of mine, peace on earth and joy in heaven.

[7:12] Lord of all, to thee we raise, this our hymn of grateful praise. The Lord be with you.

[7:25] And also with you. Please be seated. We do welcome you to worship along with us. We are so excited that you are all here. And we'd love to know that you're here with us. So please take a moment and fill out your friendship card.

[7:37] The friendship card is digital, so there's a link for it. So just click on that and fill out all the information. If we have your information, we just need your name, but we want to celebrate that you're here with us. And if you are new with us, put your information in there.

[7:50] We'd love to be able to get connected. We also have an opportunity on there to proclaim some of the blessings of what God is doing in your life. So put that down on there. And if you have any prayer concerns, mark that as well.

[8:01] And we make sure that we are praying over that. We have a whole team of people that are committed to praying over all of the concerns of our church family. Also, there is a link for a children's activity page that you can download.

[8:15] So if you have children or you just like to color yourself, you can download that. And that's available for this time during worship. We also want to make sure that in this time, we're not only worshiping together, but that we're also growing in our faith together.

[8:29] So there are opportunities for that, for discipleship and growing in our faith. And so the one thing is being able to be a part of the Facebook group. It's the Peace UMC Fellowship Group.

[8:41] So if you're on Facebook, I would encourage you to get involved with that. They're having music and devotions and prayers and all sorts of wonderful thing. And it's a time when people are gathering together as a community to be able to grow.

[8:55] We're also looking to start some small groups online, very small groups that would be like a covenant group to be able to grow in faith. And we would discuss scripture and how it's impacting your life and be able to support one another and pray for each other.

[9:11] So if you're interested in that, please contact the office. Because again, we want to just be there for one another. And we want to make sure that we're all having opportunities to grow in our faith. Also, we want to make sure that we have an opportunity to practice one of the things that is a vital part of our worshiping experience, which is to give back.

[9:32] To give back to God for the blessings of what God has already done for us. And so we have a time of offering where we give our offering back. And so there is a link there.

[9:43] If you would like to give online, you can just click on that. Or you can just send in your check to the church, whichever way you decide to do it. Just do it with a grateful heart because God has blessed each and every one of us so much.

[9:57] And so this morning, we're going to be hearing an offertory piece by Susan Wisseowicz. Thank you.

[10:57] Thank you.

[11:27] Thank you.

[11:57] Thank you. Thank you.

[12:27] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[13:02] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[13:13] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[13:24] Thank you. Thank you for these gifts. are giving a little different now, but Lord, your blessings are still the same. You remain the same yesterday, today, and forever. And Lord, we just lay these gifts into your hands.

[13:37] We'd ask that be used for your glory and for your kingdom. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. Hi, Junior Church. I'm so glad you're here to worship this morning. You know what we haven't done in a long time?

[13:58] We haven't prayed the way we usually pray at the beginning of Junior Church. That's because Pastor Sherry or Pastor Tom usually open the whole worship service in prayer.

[14:10] But today I want to remind you how we do that and let us have a special prayer for our time together. Now remember, there are lots of different ways that you can stand or hold your hands while you're praying.

[14:24] Remember, we can fold our hands and bow our heads. Or we can fold our hands this way or hold them like this. Sometimes we lift up our hands a little bit. Sometimes we lift them way up.

[14:38] You might even want to hold one hand inside the other one just like that. And you can bow your head and close your eyes.

[14:49] Or you can lift your eyes up as if you're looking up to where God is. Sometimes we kneel too, don't we? If you wanted to kneel down while you pray, you could do that too.

[15:01] So why don't you show me right now, how are you going to hold your hands when you pray? I think I'm going to hold my hands like this today.

[15:12] Oh, I see you holding your hands. That's great. Are you ready to pray with me? Here we go. Dear God, Thank you for sending Jesus to save us from our sins.

[15:30] Thank you for the Holy Spirit who always reminds us of everything Jesus taught us.

[15:42] Now help us to worship you real well. In Jesus' name we pray.

[15:55] Amen. Amen. Did you pray with me? I hope you did. And we're going to look at another prayer that we have been looking at over the weeks, one line at a time.

[16:07] Remember, the next line that we have in the Lord's Prayer says, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

[16:21] Wow. Lead us not into temptation. Have you ever been tempted? Do you know what being tempted means? It means that you're kind of feeling like you're drawn to do something that maybe you shouldn't.

[16:38] And so you want to resist that temptation and not do the thing that you shouldn't do. But sometimes we have trouble with that, don't we? I remember a time when I was a little girl and I was in the kitchen with my mom and I really, really, really wanted a cookie.

[16:57] She had really good chocolate chip cookies in the cookie jar. And I wanted one. And I kept looking at the cookie jar and looking at the cookie jar.

[17:08] And my mother said, No, you may not have a cookie right now. It's too close to supper time and you'll spoil your supper. But I really, really wanted a cookie.

[17:24] And I kept looking at the cookie jar. And I kept looking at the cookie jar. Did you ever look at the cookie jar and really want a cookie? I'll bet you did. Well, then I have to tell you that I did something I should not have done.

[17:41] I bet you know what it is. Yup. When my mother wasn't looking, I reached up and took the lid off the cookie jar and reached in and grabbed a cookie and ran out with it.

[17:53] And I went all the way up to my room and I ate the cookie. Then I felt very, very bad because I knew that I had not listened to my mother and she really wanted me to wait until after dinner to have my cookie.

[18:11] But I went and took it anyway because I was tempted. Well, I want to tell you something about God. God does not make us be tempted by anything we shouldn't do.

[18:26] God is the one who always helps us to keep from doing something that we shouldn't do. So when we're feeling tempted by something, what we need to do is look up to God and pray and say, Lord, I know I shouldn't do this.

[18:43] Please help me. Please give me the strength to resist this thing that I'm tempted by so that I will not do something that's naughty or wrong.

[18:56] I want to make sure that I always do the right thing. Well, when we ask God to help us, God will help us to always do the right thing because that's a way that we show God's love is in our hearts, isn't it?

[19:14] And I know you know this one. When God's love is in my heart, I can love everybody.

[19:26] That's right. Say it one more time. When God's love is in my heart, I can love everybody. That's right.

[19:37] When God's love is in our hearts, we can show other people, like our moms and dads, that we love them by doing the things we should do, the things they expect us to do that are the right things.

[19:52] So that every single move we make, wherever we go, whatever we do, it's always, always going to be a move that Jesus would want us to make.

[20:05] Now we're going to sing that song, Every Move I Make, and I hope you will always pray to God and trust that God will help you do all the right things.

[20:17] See you next time. We'll see you next time.

[20:48] Every Move I Make, Every Move I Make, I'm making you, you make me move. Jesus, every breath I take, I breathe in you. Every step I take, I take in you, you are my way.

[21:02] Jesus, every breath I take, I breathe in you. I breathe in you. I'm making you, you're my way. I'm making you, you're my way. I'm making you, I'm making you, I'm making you, so I'm making you, you're my way.

[21:14] Everybody come, I'm making you, you're going to walk you, I'm making you, Waves of mercy, waves of grace Everywhere I look, I see your face Your love has captured me Oh my God, this love, how can it be?

[22:05] Na, na, na, na, na, na, na Every move I make, I make it new You make me move, Jesus Every breath I take, I breathe in you Every step I take, I take it new You are my way, Jesus Every breath I take, I breathe in you Waves of mercy, waves of grace Everywhere I look, I see your face Your love has captured me Oh my God, this love, how can it be?

[22:53] Na, na, na, na, na, na, na Na, na, na, na, na, na Na, na, na, na, na, na Na, na, na, na, na, na Na, na, na, na, na, na, na Na, na, na, na, na, na Na, na, na, na, na, na Na, na, na, na, na, na, na Oh, oh, yeah As we move into our prayer time, I want to remind you that you can fill out a friendship card.

[23:24] And we'd appreciate that. It lets us know that you're here. It also has places where you can put your prayer requests, notes to the staff, whatever other information or questions that you might want to include.

[23:36] You need to go to PendletonChurch.org slash friendship card, or you can just click on the button that's on the website. As we're heading into our ongoing prayer vigil, which has been going on each week since we began broadcasting our church services from the church, we've had an ongoing prayer vigil, which is to encourage the people, to ask the people to please pray for the needs of the church and also for the needs of all kinds of folks.

[24:09] Right now, it's getting closer and closer to the time when Reverend Kathy Stengel and Reverend Scott Johnson are going to be coming in as the new pastors here.

[24:21] This is a very, very exciting time. It's also a time that is in need of prayer. We want to be praying for these folks. We want to be praying that they are able to do the work that God's called them to here well.

[24:37] So I want to look at Psalm number 5 and at verses 11 and 12. It says, Let all who take refuge in God be glad.

[24:49] Let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous.

[25:01] You surround them with your favor as with a shield. I know Pastor Kathy and Pastor Scott, and they are people who love God. They are true servants of the Lord, and we want them to come in strong.

[25:16] So would you spend this week praying that they will be protected and blessed as they do the preparation that's necessary for the time when they will be coming in here as your pastors?

[25:29] And now, with the concerns that you have on your heart, the concerns of our world, our culture, and this time, let's turn to the Lord in prayer.

[25:41] Heavenly Father, we do give you thanks and praise for the ability to gather together in worship.

[26:00] Lord, we know we're not all sitting in the same place, Lord, hearing each other's voices. But Lord, we are together. We are together in spirit.

[26:13] We are together with you. We are together with the same Holy Spirit that is with us, whether we're gathered in the same building or whether we're far apart, each in our own homes.

[26:27] Lord, we know that wherever it is we are, you hear and answer our prayers. And so we lift up to you now, Lord God, all of those people who are sick, who are infirm, who are injured, who are in need of healing in their spirits, their souls, and their bodies.

[26:50] We just pray in Jesus' name that you would draw near to them by your Holy Spirit, that you would fill them with your healing power, that you would knit bones back together, that cancer cells would be eradicated, that viruses and germs and bacterias that are causing harm would be flushed out of the systems of all of your people, Lord.

[27:17] We just pray that your people would be protected. And we pray that they would come to health and to healing. We pray that those who are struggling, Lord God, who are struggling with depression, who are struggling with losses, who are struggling with the uncertainty of what's happening, that they would be hurting, that they would be comforting, that they would be comforting, that they would be comforted in their hearts and their minds, Lord.

[27:43] Let them know that you are with them. Let them know that there are people who care about them. Help them, Lord, to find ways to cope with the circumstances as they are happening now.

[27:59] Lord, we pray for those who are grieving. There are many who have passed on from this place, Lord God. There are many who are going through big changes in their lives that are causing the feelings of loss and the feelings of grief.

[28:20] We pray in Jesus' name for comfort. We pray for peace. We ask that they would be filled with the knowledge that you are with them.

[28:33] We pray in Jesus' name, Lord God, for all of the people who are helping us to manage this time, to get through, for the people who are still in the grocery stores, for the emergency personnel, for hospital personnel.

[28:47] Lord, I know I could go through a whole list and I would still be leaving people out who are doing everything they can do to be there for the people that they need to be there for, to attend to the responsibilities they have to keep things going.

[29:05] We include in this our government officials, Lord, that they would have wisdom and know what to do, know how to lead and guide the people well. We pray in Jesus' name that your church, Lord, all of your different denominations, that we too would have wisdom as we're moving into this time where different kinds of activities, different kinds of workplaces can be reopening.

[29:32] We just ask in Jesus' name that we do it well, that we do it with care and concern for our fellow citizens, Lord, that we would take care with how we behave and seek to be people who demonstrate your love wherever we go.

[29:57] We pray, Lord God, for all of those who do not know you. We pray in Jesus' name that the light that shines in us and through us would be evident wherever we go, that they might have their hearts prepared or even prompted in some way to wonder about why we have the peace that we have, why we shine the light that we shine, and give us words, give us actions, so that we can let them know who Jesus is, so that they may be drawn closer to you than ever before by your grace.

[30:40] And now, Lord God, we pray for the rest of our worship service. We pray that as we sing songs of praise, as we hear the word of God spoken and the message that is coming for us this day, we pray that we would be blessed, that we would be transformed by being in your presence and by hearing from you.

[31:07] that we pray most, Lord God, that our worship would be a blessing to you. And so we pray together, as people becoming more like Jesus each and every day, the prayer that he taught us.

[31:25] And we'll pray it slowly, so that all of our friends, young and old, may join together with us. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.

[31:45] Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.

[32:18] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, forever and ever.

[32:42] Amen. Shall we hear from the word of the Lord? Good morning. Today's scripture comes from John, chapter 15, verses 9 through 17.

[32:56] As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands, and remain in his love.

[33:14] I have told you this, so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. My command is this, love each other, as I have loved you.

[33:27] Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends, if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business.

[33:43] Instead, I have called you friends. For everything that I learned from my Father, I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you, and appointed you, to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.

[34:00] Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command. Love each other. This is the word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Sometime back, I received in the name of our country, the bodies of four Marines, who had died while on active duty.

[34:23] I said then, that there is a special sadness, that accompanies the death of a serviceman, for we're never, quite good enough to them. Not really, we can't be, because what they gave us, is beyond our powers to repay.

[34:41] And so when a serviceman dies, it's a tear in the fabric, a break in the hole, and all we can do is remember. It is, in a way, an odd thing to honor those who died in defense of our country, in defense of us, in wars far away.

[35:01] The imagination plays a trick. We see these soldiers in our mind, as old and wise. We see them as something like the founding fathers, gray and gray-haired.

[35:14] But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives, the one they were living, and the one they would have lived. When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands, and fathers, and grandfathers.

[35:29] They gave up their chance to be revered old men. They gave up everything, for our country, for us. We owe them a debt we can never repay.

[35:42] All we can do, is remember them, and what they did, and why they had to be brave, for us. Every day, we make decisions.

[36:15] We make a calculation, regarding safety. The other day, my daughter came over, to visit me at the parsonage. One of those last visits, to see the home, where she grew up.

[36:29] And my wife came in, and said that my daughter, had chippy in her hand. Chippy is a chipmunk, that runs around in our backyard. I couldn't imagine, that she caught this, crazy little chipmunk, because I've never gotten, anywhere near it.

[36:41] But I found out, it wasn't chippy. It was, it was a little baby chipmunk. And she said, she found it shivering, and frightened. And she picked it up, and it was so happy, to have something warm.

[36:53] Someone to care for it. So she went to the store. She bought a little home for it. She spent the dollars, she really didn't have to spare. She spent the time, to take care of a chipmunk.

[37:05] The other day, I took my grandson, for a walk. He said that that, in some ways, was the first time, he's been out of the house. Now he has mowed the lawn, things like that. But I mean, to actually go somewhere.

[37:17] He says, I miss going somewhere, with you grandpa. So we walked down the street, went to the restaurant, picked up the meal, walked back, and halfway back, we sat down, on a curb, and ate lunch together.

[37:32] We make decisions. Somewhere along the line, somewhere in our history, some people made decisions, to give the ultimate sacrifice, to die, for our country.

[37:50] They chose to go to war. Today's Memorial Day. Verse 13 says, Greater love has no one than this, that they lay down one's life, for one's friend.

[38:03] This passage is about, Jesus and his love, and sacrifice for us. In verse 10 he says, 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.

[38:20] Remain in love with God. Remain in the love of God. That's what this passage is about. That's what our choices are about. That's what our lives are about.

[38:31] That real love is willing, to make the choice to sacrifice. The word in this particular passage, from Greek, is agape.

[38:43] We've talked about the different words, that are interpreted as love, in our culture. Agape love is a love, that is willing to give. To consider ourselves, less important, and to take care of the other one.

[39:01] Jesus loved us. My command is this, love each other as I have loved you. He loved us by putting us first, by making the ultimate sacrifice.

[39:16] He made a calculation. And he decided that he valued us more, he loved us more, than the sacrifice he would have to make.

[39:28] Why would God do that? Why does God love us? I know who I am. I know you know who you are. To think that a perfect God loves me that much.

[39:43] In verse 9, it talked about how the father loves the son, and the son loves the father. I remember my daughter, or my wife rather, when my daughter caught that little chipmunk, and she was concerned about the mother chipmunk.

[39:59] That little mother chipmunk is going to be looking for its baby. It's going to be so upset, because he can't find its baby. It's a chipmunk. I don't know how much feelings chipmunks have, but I know that mothers love their offspring.

[40:15] Even chipmunks. Romans chapter 8 says to us, Those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you receive does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again.

[40:28] Rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

[40:42] We are God's children. God loves us. And he chose us. Before we even deserve it, in verse 16 he says, You didn't choose me, I chose you.

[40:58] God chooses us before we ever choose him. In the Wesleyan faith we call that pervenient grace. The grace that goes before God reaching out to love us.

[41:10] To care about us. Not only before we deserve it, but before we even recognized it. God chooses us. In 1 John chapter 4, that beautiful passage, chapter about love, it says, We love because he first loved us.

[41:29] God loved us first because we're his children. We're his offspring. He created us. He loves us like a mommy or daddy loves their child.

[41:44] Simple as that. It's Memorial Day weekend. We just want to have some fun. We want to go to the beaches or go to the park or go to the cottage or have the friends over or get together and have a big picnic.

[42:01] Isn't Memorial Day the holiday when we celebrate the beginning of summer? It's supposed to be that way, but Memorial Day is really to remember that the sacrifice that others made is what gave us that fun day.

[42:20] Just as in this passage, it says, the sacrifice of Jesus leads to our joy. We receive joy because Jesus paid the price.

[42:33] Again, back in 1 John, it says to us, this is how God showed his love among us. He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love.

[42:46] Not that we love God, but he loved us and sent his son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. An atoning sacrifice, there's a separation between us and God.

[42:58] God is perfect. We're not. We're separated by that. You can't put that perfection together with that brokenness without making it all broken. But God paid the price to put that together through his sacrifice.

[43:18] You see, the natural state of people is joy. In the beginning, in the beginning of creation, when you read in the book of Genesis, it says everything was good. It was a time of joy.

[43:31] Not just a happy feeling like we get when we ride a roller coaster, but a joy, a deep, wonderful feeling that wells up from inside us that God gives us that we feel good.

[43:45] That's a natural state of people. That's what we're supposed to be. But we broke it. Our sin broke that natural goodness.

[43:58] And Jesus came to restore our natural state. To break through the brokenness. In verse 11, he says, I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

[44:17] Jesus gives us an overwhelming, complete joy that comes from within. And no one can take away our joy. He says that elsewhere in John. Because our joy isn't based on exterior circumstances.

[44:32] It's based on an interior relationship with God. but the way he did it was that he had to step into the brokenness and actually become broken.

[44:45] In 2 Corinthians, Jesus is talked about and Paul says this, we are Christ's ambassadors as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God.

[44:59] God made him who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus, who was perfect, became sinful.

[45:15] Became sinful. Stepped across that gap so that we could be reconciled. We could be brought together. The atonement to be made at one with God through the power of God.

[45:29] God calls us to be ambassadors to do what God wants. Now in chapter 16 there's a verse that a lot of people have quoted and it says, and whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

[45:45] Whatever you ask for, what would you ask for? If God were like a magic genie and you could have as many wishes as you want, what would be your first wish? I want to go to a restaurant and I want to eat in a restaurant without a mask.

[45:57] Maybe. I want a new car. I want some more money. I want to be able to just walk in the fresh air and say hello to people and not have them be afraid.

[46:12] Create the gap. God gives an answer to this in this very passage, in this very verse. Because it says, you didn't choose me but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit, fruit that will last so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.

[46:33] See, the answer is in God's plan for creation, the mission of God. Whatever we ask in God's name, in the plan of God, as ambassadors of God for what God wants, he will give us.

[46:50] If it's God's work, God will make it happen. If God has called you to do something, you cannot fail at it because God has gifted you to succeed. The reason we often fail in life is because we keep going off doing the things we want, not the things God wants.

[47:08] I fail a lot at what I try to do, but I've never failed at what God wants of me because he gives me whatever I need. Whatever I need.

[47:20] In verse 15, he says, I no longer call you servants because the servant doesn't know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends. For everything that I have learned from the Father, I have made known to you.

[47:33] We're partners with God. He reveals his plan, his intentions. He chooses us. I chose you, God says.

[47:44] He chooses us to work his plan for creation through us. To be a part of his mission. And the purpose, it said it in verse 16, did you hear it?

[47:57] It's to bear fruit. And the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and...

[48:07] Why does everybody remember self-control? Nobody practiced it. Another whole sermon, right? Number one on the list, did you notice? Love. 1 Corinthians says it, faith, hope, and love, these three.

[48:22] But the greatest of these is love. The mission of God is all wrapped up in the love of God. In verse 10, Jesus says, if you keep my commands, you will remain in my love.

[48:36] Just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. If you keep my commands, then I will be your God. Now when we hear that, we hear a legalistic thing.

[48:49] Like on the mountaintop when Moses brought down the Ten Commandments and he said to the people, if you keep the commands of God, I will be your God and you will be my people. Implying, of course, if they broke those commands, he says, see ya, nice knowing ya.

[49:05] But in this passage, when he says, if you keep my commands, we need to look at verse 12. He says, my command is this. The platinum rule, you remember it?

[49:17] My command is this. Love each other as I have loved you. Love each other as I have loved you.

[49:28] It's all wrapped up in the love of God and loving one another. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself.

[49:45] You see, obeying Jesus isn't about abstaining from inappropriate actions or staying away from sin, although that's the right thing to do. It's more about actively engaging in love.

[49:59] When Jesus told those commandments to a group of gathered people, particularly religious leaders, they wanted to justify themselves. They wanted to make themselves look right.

[50:10] And so they said, who's my neighbor? And he told them a story. He said, there was a man, remember this one? There was a man going down the road and he was set upon by thieves and the thieves beat him and stripped him and left him in a ditch to die.

[50:25] Along came a pastor and he looked at him and said, I'm a little too busy and walked on the other side of the road. Along came a member of the church staff.

[50:35] They called them Levites back then. And he saw the man and he also walked on the other side of the road. Maybe he was just following the pastor. I'm not sure. And the third person to come along was someone called a Samaritan, which doesn't mean much.

[50:48] Now, if you've been to my Bible study, you'll know the Samaritans were the people in the surrounding area that didn't quite measure up to what the Jewish people thought they should be. They believed in God. They tried to worship God in their own ways, but they didn't follow every little rule and cross every T and dot every I that the Jewish faith demanded.

[51:08] They didn't keep that legalistic rule. And so they shunned him. They kept away from him. They considered him to be unacceptable. You probably do that with some people ourselves.

[51:21] We all have our prejudices where there's certain people we just don't want to be around. So I want you in your mind to draw a picture of one of the people you think is probably the least kind of person you want to be around.

[51:34] And say they were walking down the street. They saw the man laying in a ditch. They went over and they cleaned him up and put him on their steed. They took him to the nearby Motel 6.

[51:50] They told the innkeeper, here's some money. Take care of him until I come back and if it costs you some more, let me know. And he said, who do you think was the neighbor? Who is the neighbor?

[52:05] The ones who felt that they didn't want to inconvenience themselves or dirty themselves or trouble themselves or maybe even break some kind of legalistic rule by helping this man or the one who went and helped the other person, the one who showed love.

[52:19] Verse 17, Jesus says, this is my command. Love each other. You want to know what God wants from you? Love each other. The mission of God.

[52:32] Jesus loved us by giving of himself, by sacrificing, and he calls us to love the way he loved, a radical love. Love is what we need.

[52:44] That's really, we all know that. The more love we'd have, the less troubles and struggles we'd have in this world. The world needs now is love, sweet love.

[52:57] The platinum rule, God commands us to be in relationship with each other. He says, that's what matters. Keep God's commands. Sacrificial love.

[53:10] Put others' concerns above our own. In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea with a glory in his bosom that transfigured you and me as he died to make men holy.

[53:33] Let us die to make men free while God is marching on we sing that song as like a patriotic hymn, but that was a song that the soldiers sang as they marched to their death so others could be free.

[54:00] The ultimate sacrifice. Giving our lives, laying it down is hard. Greater love is no one than this that they lay down one's life for one's friend.

[54:14] Giving your life can also happen without dying. Living your life for other people. Living your life for love of your neighbors, your friends, your family, the people around you.

[54:29] Living your life for love for God. in the past few weeks I've been to hospitals, I've been to hospice, I've done a funeral.

[54:46] Some people would say you're not supposed to do any of that. Well, I'm allowed to. There's limits. I wear my mask. I do what I'm supposed to do, but I'm not going to shy away from doing what I have to do for God because that's what God calls us to.

[55:11] Radical love. Not reckless. Not foolishness. I remember telling a family a few weeks ago at a funeral, I have to wear the mask. I can't hug and touch you because if I do, then I can't do this for the next family.

[55:31] Agape love is the key to this passage, to our lives, to the mission of God, to put other concerns above ours because of love. Now, the soldiers don't go to battle because they want to die.

[55:44] There are very many of them that are on a death switch. It's not a suicidal thing. They do it because they love their family, they love their home, they love their country, they love their life.

[55:57] What they're hoping is that by risking through radical love that somehow they can make others safe, set others free.

[56:13] What they really want, I was going to show you a little video and I thought you'd enjoy it, but I decided we didn't need to. You can look them up yourself. All these homecomings, that's what they live for. I've been to that. I've been in the hangar of the airplanes over at Niagara Falls when the troops come back from over in the Middle East after being on a tour of duty for months and months and months without their family and they come marching into the hangar and you see the families all go running to them.

[56:43] They wrap their arms around each other. That's what they're wanting. They want to come home to the ones they love. Jesus doesn't want us to remain in brokenness.

[56:57] He doesn't want us to be focused on sin, even on the sacrifice. He wants us to love. Being apart from the ones we love hurts.

[57:08] We have to make everyday decisions that are difficult. I know we want to worship together again.

[57:22] I want to do it as much as you. We want to be with our friends. We want to hug our grandchildren. We want to go out and play and enjoy life. But we're making small sacrifices and proper choices now so that no one ends up having to pay an ultimate sacrifice for no reason.

[57:45] The soldiers that march off to war when there's no purpose of the war we get enraged by that. And when we disrespect one another and a concern for one another we're doing the same thing.

[57:59] So we make small sacrifices now to avoid larger sacrifices because we really love each other. I was talking to some neighbors out at the lake just yesterday.

[58:15] They were on their porch. I was in the street. Normally I would walk up to their porch not necessarily on it but lean on the rail or such. I stood out in the street.

[58:26] We talked for about 15-20 minutes. It was safe. I don't imagine that they have anything physically wrong with them. I don't think I do have anything wrong with me either.

[58:37] We make that small sacrifice now so that in the future we can be together. God wants us to be one with each other.

[58:49] As the Father has loved you so I loved me so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. God wants us to be in love with him to be connected with him forever.

[59:03] Forever. And God wants us to draw close to each other and hold on to that love even if it means sacrifice so that in the end we can be together forever.

[59:21] John chapter 4 remember that? 1 John chapter 4 There is no fear in love but perfect love drives out fear. Love changes everything.

[59:36] Love one another. Love God. And love God will love you this day and into eternity.

[59:46] please stand if you're able.

[59:57] to love mine eyes that see the glory of the coming of the Lord he is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored he has missed the faithful life of his terrible swift sword his troop is marching on glory glory hallelujah glory glory glory hallelujah glory glory glory hallelujah his troop is marching on glory glory hallelujah glory hallelujah glory glory hallelujah is marching on.

[61:16] Glory, glory, hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah.

[61:33] His truth is marching on. In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea.

[61:44] With the glory in his bosom that transmits you and me. As he died to make men holy, set us die to make men free.

[61:55] While God is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah.

[62:07] Glory, glory, hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah.

[62:18] His truth is marching on. He is coming like the glory of the morning of the wave.

[62:29] He is wisdom to the mighty. He is honor to the brave. So the world shall be his footstool and the soul of wrong his slave.

[62:41] Our God is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah.

[62:51] Glory, glory, hallelujah. Glory, glory, hallelujah.

[63:03] His truth is marching on. He is singing on. He is hungry, hallelujah.

[63:21] He is hosting, hallelujah. Higher than the mountains that I face. Stronger than the power of the grace Constant through the trial and the change One thing remains One thing remains Your love never fails, it never gives up Never runs out on me Your love never fails, it never gives up Never runs out on me Your love never fails, it never gives up Never runs out on me Your love On and on and on and on it goes

[64:23] It overwhelms and satisfies my soul And I never ever have to be afraid One thing remains One thing remains Your love never fails, it never gives up Never runs out on me Your love never fails, it never gives up Never runs out on me Your love never fails, it never gives up Never runs out on me Your love In death, in life I'm confident of it By the power of your great love My death, in pain

[65:26] There's nothing that can separate my heart From your great love Your love never fails, it never gives up Never runs out on me Your love Your love never fails, it never gives up Never runs out on me Your love never fails, it never gives up Never runs out on me Your love Higher than the mountains that I face Stronger than the power of the rain Constant in the trial and the change One thing remains This one thing remains

[66:28] The Lord be with you Lift up your hearts Let us give thanks to the Lord our God It is right And it's a good thing Always to give thanks to God Especially since God is the one Who blesses us with his grace Let's turn our hearts to the Lord In our prayer of confession Dear God in heaven I have sinned I have not always loved you With all my heart Soul Mind And strength And I have not always loved my neighbor Who you created in your image Forgive me Lord Teach me to do what's right Teach me to love in the right way In Jesus name we pray

[67:28] Amen Jesus said that if we confess our sins And if we believe in our heart And we repent of our sins He will forgive us In the name of Jesus Christ Your sins are forgiven Glory to God Amen Today we come to live out our life with God As we come to the table As we come to the table As we come to the table As we come to the table We remember the table As we come to the table As we come to the table As we come to the table As we come to the table We are working on how we can figure out a way To be able to receive communion Even during this time when we're in exile God has invited us to give of ourselves back to him In so many ways Right now I want you to particularly be in prayer Be in prayer for the people of your church Be in prayer for your community Be in prayer that the coronavirus will go away And be in prayer that your church will be guided and strengthened In all they need to do If you're willing to help with any of the efforts That need to be done over the next few weeks

[68:30] We do appreciate if you would just give that information to the office So that they'll be aware of the fact That you'd be willing to clean Or to help with any other things you might think of If you have ideas Feel free to send them to us So that we can consider them And in the meantime Look around your community Look around your neighborhood Do something to love as God has loved you Do something to care for somebody Not because they've done something for you But because God has done something for you Go out and live a life as God calls you As God calls all of us To live according to his grace According to his mercy on us Shall we pray as he taught us And sang Our Father Who art in heaven Hallowed be thy name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done On earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses As we forgive those who trespass against us

[69:31] And lead us not into temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the kingdom And the power And the glory forever and ever Amen When I surveyed the wondrous cross On which the Prince of Glory My richest King I count but lost And more contempt of all And more contempt of all And more contempt of all And more contempt of all My pride See from his head

[70:35] His hands His hands His hands His feet Sorrow and love Glowing all down Did such love And sorrow meet All thorns compose So rich The crown O the wonderful cross O the wonderful cross It's become the night And I let I May truly live O the wonderful cross O the wonderful cross O the wonderful cross All who gather here

[71:37] By grace for near And bless your name Earth, O realm of nature of mine Through the whole realm Of nature of mine Rapper and offering Far too small Love so amazing So divine Devents my soul My life My all Love so amazing So divine That it demands My life My soul My all God is calling us to love As he loves That's a great love That's a great love Go out and find a way

[72:39]  Where you can transform The world By the love of God Being shown through you Remember the people around you Were all created In God's image So when you love them You're loving The one who created them Our heavenly daddy Go in the peace of God And may God go with you And God make you loving This day and forever Amen To be continued To be continued To be continued To be continued To be continued To be continued To be continued To be continued To be continued To be continued To be continued To be continued To be continued