Love…Christ Style
A sermon for Christ’s Church at Monticello January 28, 2007
Gregg A. Nydegger

1 John 3:11-20 (NIV
11    This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12    Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother.  And why did he murder him?  Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.
13    Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
14    We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers.  Anyone who does not love remains in death.
15    Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
16    This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.  And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
17    If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
18    Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19    This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence
20    whenever our hearts condemn us.  For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

John 13:34-35 (NIV)
34    "A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
35    By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Luke 23:34a (NIV)
34    Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)
8    Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.

How not to treat our brother: the example of Cain

Genesis 4:1-9 (NIV)
1    Adam lay with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.  She said, "With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man."
2    Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.
3    In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the LORD.
4    But Abel brought fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock.  The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
5    but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor.  So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
6    Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry?  Why is your face downcast? 7    If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?  But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."
8    Now Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let's go out to the field."  And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9    Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he replied.  "Am I my brother's keeper?"

Hebrews 11:4 (NIV)
4    By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.  By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings.  And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

John 8:44 (NIV)
44    You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire.  He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him.  When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28 (NIV)
21    "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'
22    But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.  Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin.  But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
27    "You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.'
28    But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

Matthew 5:10-11, 17-20 (NIV)
10    Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen and understand.
11    What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him 'unclean.' "
17    "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?
18    But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.'
19    For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.
20    These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.' "

Titus 3:3 (NIV)
3    At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures.  We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another.

Isaiah 1:16a-17b (NIV)
16b    Stop doing wrong,
17a    learn to do right!

John 15:12-13 (NIV)
12    My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
13    Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

John 10:11, 15, 17-18 (NIV)
11    "I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

15    just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.


17    The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again.
18    No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.  I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.  This command I received from my Father."

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 (NIV)

1    If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
2    If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3    If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing


Luke 3:11 (NIV)
11    John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."

James 2:14-17 (NIV)
14    What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save him?
15    Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.
16    If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
17    In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Galatians 6:10 (NIV)
10    Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.




Let’s pray.

    Copyright 2007 Gregg A. Nydegger