Love Like Jesus Loves the Church

Minister Joaquin Chavez

Ephesians 5:25-33

25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33 However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. 

Love God      Walk in Love/Light       Love everyone as yourself         That love flows to all relationships.

Love by example and people will follow. 

5:2 walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us

1 Timothy 4:11-12

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 

2 Timothy 3:10-11

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.

Love the way Christ does.

5:21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. 

John 5:19-21

19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will.

John 5:30

30 “I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 

1 Corinthians 13:1-7

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends.

Submit to Christ to love others the right way.

-       Submission is for us to help people be holy. 

-       Not about following people’s orders

-       We submit to God’s plan for that person. Our actions follow that plan.

-       We must let our personal feelings go in order for Christ’s love to go.

2 Timothy 2:22-26

22 So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, 25 correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. 

Applications:

-       Memorize 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

-       Any time you don’t know what to do, recite the words of 1 Corinthians 13:1-7. 

-       Then ask God and Christ what you should do next.

-       Look over the list and see what areas you struggle with. Work out a plan with a trusted friend or leader to improve in that area so you can better love your people.

-       Pray for the strength of Christ to help you love all the people he has put in your life the way he wants you to. 

Questions:

1.     Who are some people you have seen that have served as great examples to love someone like Christ does?

2.     Do you want to be able to love the way it is listed in 1 Corinthians 13:1-7. 

3.     Do you feel that you deserve that type of love and so does everyone else? What can you do to grow your ability to love?

Make every second count. Make every breath count. Use every breath to fuel you to love like Christ.