Love or Liberties? - Pastor Travis New

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35)

“This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:12-14)

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. (Ephesians 5:1-2)


Have you taken the time to consider what these passages mean? How they practically apply, to your life? Have you considered how they apply the body of Christ? They’re all teaching us the same thing; to love one another even as Christ loved and continues to love us. But that raises a significant question for us doesn’t it? It begs us to ask; how did Christ love us? How does He continue to love us? The answer for that question is a simple one. He loved us sacrificially. He laid Down His life! For us! He endured the mockery of a trial, the scourging of sinful men, the long walk to Golgotha, the agony of the crucifixion, the full wrath of God and eventually death. For us! Brothers, Sisters, this is the love that these passages of scripture command us to emulate. We are to love one another sacrificially. Do you see that Christian? Do you see the clear command of your Savior?

It is to esteem the needs of others Philippians 2 puts it this way, “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

So, Biblical Love, Christ like Love, Christian love is to sacrifice your rights, liberties, and desires for the needs of others. Is that not what Christ did? “Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” Jesus humbled Himself! He didn’t count equality with God a thing to be grasped; He didn’t try to hold on to His divine rights or prerogatives, He laid them down, He laid them down to bring about your redemption, He laid them down to love you. Brothers, Sisters, if that is so, if that is the truest expression of Biblical Love why are we so quick to pursue our liberties? Why are we looking for our own? Why are we not considering the needs of our brothers and sisters in Christ? Why are they not more precious than our liberties? If we are called to love sacrificially, shouldn’t we be willing to give it all up for the sake of the church that our Savior bleed and died for?

Will you Christian? Will you consider your weaker brothers and sisters? Will you lay it all down and live selflessly for Jesus? That is what He commands, will you do it?

Living in Community: An Absolute Necessity for living out God's Plan for your life

When we first became Christians one of the blessed truths we came to know was that God had planned this all along for us. He lovingly planned to save us before He laid the foundations of the Earth. Yet, not only was it His plan to save us but also that we would know the joy of doing great works which He stored up for us.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.(Ephesians 2:10 ESV)

You see, God graciously planned special and noteworthy things for each of us to do in our lives. These are specific works that He designed for YOU and no one else. So, how do we know what these works are? How do we find out God's specific plan for our lives? One thing is for sure, it doesn't matter how many Bible searches you do, you won't find a chapter and verse with your name and mission spelled out. So, how is it that we come to know these "good works, which God prepared beforehand"?

I believe that the reason Paul didn't spell it out in the very next verse in Ephesians is because the people in the Ephesian church already knew the answer to this question. So to find the answer we've got to look at a letter that was written to some people struggling with this...Let's look at the book of Hebrews.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.(Hebrews 10:24-25 ESV)

What we find in this text from the Book fo Hebrews is simple: In order to be stirred up to "love and good works" we must "not neglect to meet together".

Community is a neccesity if we're going to walk in the good works God has planned for us. Surely, the works He's planned for you are not the works He's planned for me, but He's made it so that we need each other in order to find out what they are. Isn't that amazing!?! And no wonder that is the case, because the works you are called to do are NOT for you anyway. They are for others! God wants us to be servants of one another!

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:(1 Peter 4:10 ESV)

The bottom line is that if you are not involved in the church community you're never going to know what God's plan for your life really looks like. And if you never know what His plan looks like, then your not going to experience the blessing of living it. Join a Home Fellowship, invite brothers and sisters from church over to your homes often, serve in the church, this is the life God wants you to live.

Ken Hendricks
Worship Pastor