Mirror, mirror, on the wall, do I show God's love to one and all?

This is a sermon I did a few years back and thought it would be a good reminder for this Valentine's day. Hope you enjoy it.




WHAT DO YOU SEE WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR? WHAT DO OTHERS SEE WHEN THEY LOOK AT YOU? I HAVE A TITLE FOR MY MESSAGE TONIGHT. IT’S MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL, DO I SHOW GOD’S LOVE TO ONE AND ALL?

I WANT TO READ SOME SCRIPTURES TO YOU BEFORE WE GET STARTED. I’M GOING TO GO KIND OF FAST, SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO JUST WRITE THEM DOWN.

SOL 8:6 ; JOHN 15:12-13; JOHN 21:15-17; ROMANS 5:5; ROMANS 12:9; ROM 13:8; I COR 13; I TIM 1:5; HEB 13:1; I PET 2:17; I PET 4:8; I JOHN 3:14;

I COULD GO ON AND ON. IN FACT THE WORD LOVE IS WRITTEN IN THE BIBLE 342 TIMES. DO YOU THINK GOD IS TRYING TO TELL US SOMETHING?

SINCE IT’S SUCH AN IMPORTANT WORD, I FIGURED I WOULD LOOK IT UP IN THE DICTIONARY AND SEE WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT IT. I BROUGHT MY WEBSTERS WITH ME TONIGHT SO I COULD TELL YOU WHAT IT SAYS ABOUT LOVE. (READ DEFINITION)

WELL, THERE SURE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS. BACK WHEN I WAS A TEEN THEY HAD THESE LITTLE BOOKS OUT TITLED “LOVE IS…”
LOVE IS NEVER HAVING TO SAY YOU’RE SORRY……LOVE IS A WARM FUZZY KITTEN……LOVE IS A CUP OF HOT CHOCOLATE ON A COLD WINTERS NIGHT….

ACTUALLY, LOVE IS THE MOST MISUSED WORD IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE. IN FACT, IT WAS ALREADY BEING MISUSED BACK IN KING JAMES TIME. IN 1 CORINTHIAN 13 THE ORIGINAL WORD SHOULD HAVE BEEN TRANSLATED TO LOVE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE MISUSE OF THE WORD THEY TRANSLATED IT TO CHARITY.

IN THE BIBLE THERE ARE FOUR DIFFERENT KINDS OF LOVE MENTIONED. EROS; WHICH IS PHYSICAL LOVE. THAT’S THE TYPE OF LOVE WE HAVE BETWEEN HUSBANDS AND WIVES.

STORAGE; IS FAMILY LOVE, THE LOVE WE HAVE FOR OUR RELATIVES.

PHILIA; WHICH IS WHERE PHILIDELPHIA, THE CITY OF BROTHERLY LOVE GETS ITS NAME IS AN AFFECTIONATE LOVE. IT IS THE LOVE WE HAVE FOR OUR FRIENDS.

AND THEN WE HAVE AGAPE, WHICH EVERYONE THAT IS A CHRISTIAN HAS HEARD OF. AGAPE LOVE IS A LOVE OF CHOICE. SUCH AS GOD’S LOVE FOR US, OUR LOVE FOR HIM AND OURS FOR OTHERS. THIS IS THE TYPE OF LOVE THAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.

WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, I HAD AN ENGLISH PROFESSOR FROM VIET-NAM. HE WAS NOT A CHRISTIAN. HE SHARED WITH US A STORY ABOUT FRIENDSHIP. IN VIET-NAM A PERSON CONSIDERS THEMSELVES FORTUNATE IF THEY HAVE A FRIEND. IF THEY HAVE MORE THAN ONE THEN THEY ARE TRULY BLESSED. HERE WE MEET SOMEONE AND CONSIDER THEM OUR FRIENDS, IN FACT IF WE WERE ASKED WE WOULD PROBABLY SAY THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS. BUT IN VIET-NAM THEY DON’T CALL A PERSON A FRIEND UNLESS THEY ARE WILLING TO LAY DOWN THEIR LIFE FOR THAT PERSON.

SOUND FAMILIAR? IF NOT, IT SHOULD. LET’S LOOK AT JOHN 15: 12-13. NOTICE THAT THIS ISN’T A REQUEST, THIS IS A COMMAND. WE AREN’T TOLD WE SHOULD LOVE OTHERS. IT SAYS, THIS IS MY COMMANDMENT!

THE LORD STARTED DEALING WITH ME ON THIS THE NIGHT WE HAD SERVICE AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. YOU COULD FEEL THE LOVE IN THE BUILDING, BUT DID WE TAKE IT WITH US AND CONTINUE IN IT? ARE WE NURTURING IT AND ALLOWING IT TO GROW INTO THE LOVE WE WOULD BE WILLING TO LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR OTHERS?

EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE WE’LL HEAR OF SOMEONE WHO RAN INTO A BURNING BUILDING TO SAVE SOMEONE, OR SOME OTHER HEROIC FEAT. BUT THE LOVE THAT GOD WANTS US TO HAVE IS SUCH THAT WE WOULD BE WILLING TO RISK OUR LIVES FOR THE SAKE OF OTHERS.

I KNOW A LADY WHO IS A VERY DEAR CHRISTIAN SISTER, BUT SHE ALSO HAPPENS TO BE LIKE MINNIE MISHAPS. SHE’S ALWAYS COMPLAINING. I MEAN, IT’S TRUE THAT SHE HAS SOME SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS. AND SHE IS GOING THROUGH A HARD TIME WITH HER MARRIAGE….AND THERE IS A STRAIN ON HER FINANCES….BUT EVERYTIME I CALL HER, THAT’S ALL I HEAR ABOUT…… QUITE FRANKLY, IT’S DEPRESSING TALKING TO HER, SO….I DON’T CALL HER UNTIL THE HOLY SPIRIT MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE BECAUSE OF MY NEGLECT.

LOVE? GOD WANTS ME TO BE WILLING TO LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR THIS PERSON? I DON’T EVEN LIKE TO PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL HER, AND HE COMMANDED ME TO BE WILLING TO LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR HER??

OH, DON’T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT…… LIKE YOU DON’T HAVE ANYONE IN YOUR LIFE LIKE THAT….AND YOU JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT…

THIS IS MY COMMANDMENT, NOT A REQUEST, NOT A SUGGESTION, BUT A COMMANDMENT.

THEN I STARTED ASKING MYSELF, I SAID, “SELF, “ WELL, WHAT ELSE AM I GOING TO CALL MYSELF? I SAID, “SELF, WHY WOULD IT BE SO HARD TO LAY DOWN MY LIFE FOR SOMEONE ELSE?” AND SELF SAID, “ BECAUSE YOU ARE AFRAID OF DEATH.”

WELL, WHO ISN’T? WE SHOULDN’T BE. TURN TO PHIL 1:21-24. SEE, WE SHOULDN’T FEAR DEATH. WE SHOULDN’T ENCOURAGE IT EITHER, BECAUSE WE HAVE WORK TO DO HERE STILL. BUT WE SHOULDN’T BE AFRAID OF IT.

THE LORD STARTED REMINDING ME OF THE HALOCOST. IF WE WERE IN THE SITUATION THEY WERE IN, HOW MANY OF US WOULD BE ABLE TO REMAIN STRONG ENOUGH TO OFFER SHELTER TO OUR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS, EVEN IF IT MEANT PUTTING OUR OWN LIVES ON THE LINE? OR WHAT IF SOMEONE STARTED COMING TO CHURCH THAT HAD AIDS? HOW MANY OF US WOULD WELCOME THAT PERSON INTO OUR HOMES AND FEED THEM FROM OUR TABLES?

YET WE ARE ASKED TO BE WILLING TO LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR THEM.

I HAVE FOUR DOGS. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FOND OF DOGS. MINE ARE LIKE MY KIDS. DO YOU REALIZE THAT DOGS HAVE GRASPED THIS MESSAGE? THEY HAVE DOGS THAT ARE TRAINED TO DO NOTHING BUT PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR PEOPLE, BUT MOST DOGS WOULDN’T HESITATE TO GIVE UP THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR OWNERS.

I KNOW….THAT’S FAMILY, AND MOST OF YOU WOULD GIVE YOUR LIFE FOR YOUR CHILD, OR SPOUSE, BUT THE BIBLE MENTIONS THAT TOO. LET’S GO TO MATTHEW 5:43-48. I KNOW YOU’VE ALL READ THAT BEFORE, BUT WHEN YOU PUT IT IN THE CONTEXT THAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IT SHEDS NEW LIGHT ON IT, DOESN’T IT?

SO….WE KNOW WE ARE SUPPOSE TO HAVE THIS KIND OF LOVE, AND WE KNOW IT’S A LOVE OF CHOICE, BUT HOW DO WE GET IT?

LET’S GO TO ROMANS 5:5. SO IT’S BEEN POURED INTO OUR HEARTS BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, SO HOW COME WE DON’T SEE THE RESULTS OF IT?

LET’S GO TO GAL 5:22-23. OK, SO THIS IS ONE OF THE FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT. WHEN YOU FIRST PLANT A SEED, DO YOU GET FRUIT? NO. WE HAVE TO CULTIVATE IT. NURTURE IT. GIVE IT PLENTY OF WATER AND FOOD. AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE IT GETS THE SUNSHINE IT NEEDS.

WE TAKE SUCH GOOD CARE OF THE FRUIT TREES BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR SPIRITUAL FRUIT? IT NEEDS TO BE WATERED BY THE LIVING WATER, (JOHN 4:10) IT NEEDS TO BE FED THE WORD OF GOD. AND IT NEEDS PLENTY OF SONSHINE. WE NEED TO BASK IN HIS PRESENCE. THEN WE’LL START TO SEE THE RESULTS OF HIS LOVE GROWING IN US.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAUSE OUR SPIRITUAL FRUIT TO STOP GROWING IS THE WAY WE TREAT OTHERS. (MATT 7:1-5)

THE REASON WE TREAT OTHERS LIKE THAT IS BECAUSE OF SELF WILL. BUT SELF WILL IS A NEGATION OF LOVE TO GOD.

GOD WANTS TO RELEASE HIS CHARACTER IN YOU. HE WANTS YOU TO LIVE FOR HIM, BUT HE ALSO WANTS YOU TO HAVE HIS LOVE IN YOU, TOWARDS OTHERS. (HEBREWS 13:1 TELLS US TO LET BROTHERLY LOVE CONTINUE. I PETER 4:8 TELLS US ABOVE ALL THINGS HAVE FERVENT LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER, FOR LOVE WILL COVER A MULTITUDE OF SINS.

THE LOVE WILL GROW WHEN WE START PRAYING FOR SELF TO DECREASE, SO HE CAN INCREASE.

WHEN JESUS GAVE HIMSELF TO BE CRUCIFIED, HE MADE A COMMITMENT TO US. HE SENT US THE HOLY SPIRIT TO BE WITH US FOREVER, AND HE IS FOREVER INTERCEDING FOR US WITH THE FATHER. WHEN WE ASKED JESUS TO BE OUR LORD AND SAVIOUS, WE MADE A COMMITMENT TO GROW UP TO BE LIKE HIM.

I KNOW WE AREN’T PERFECTED, AND WON’T BE TILL WE REACH HEAVEN, BUT WE ARE SUPPOSE TO BE TRYING TO BE LIKE JESUS. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT IN OUR CHRISTIAN WALK. MOST PEOPLE WILL SAY IT’S FAITH, BUT I WANT TO CLOSE WITH THIS, I COR 13.

MIRROR MIRROR ON THE WALL, DO I SHOW GOD’S LOVE TO ONE AND ALL?

very good message

Happy Valentines day