Spark Notes (1/28)

Mark Vermeer gave a teaching based on the verse of the week, John 15:12, "My command is this, love each other as I have loved you". He focused on three "R's" - Realization, Revelation and Response.

Realization

What kind of love is this scripture talking about? A perfect love like Jesus who would do nothing outside of the Father's love.

We have to realize that we are deeply loved by a Holy Father. Ephesians 3:17-18 says, "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have power, together with all the saints to comprehend the length and width and height and depth of His love". This is an unlimited, perfect, sacrificial love. In John 3:16 we see that: "For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life." God sacrificed his own son to give life to us. 

Philippians 2: 6-8 says, " who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.". In 1 John 3:1, we read, "See how very much our Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are! But the people who belong to this world don’t recognize that we are God’s children because they don’t know him." 

We long to understand who Jesus was so we can continue to realize his love for us.

Revelation
Revelation shoes us the significance and importance of his command in John 15:12. Jesus didn't recommend, or suggest it as advice, but he commanded us. Just like when Jesus commanded the wind and waves to calm during the storm on the sea of Galilee in Mark 4. When this happened, the disciples were terrified! They had revelation of the power that Jesus has. In Ephesians 1:3, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit," we too, have the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Following revelation, we then Respond
1 John 4:20 says, "If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen." Who are our brothers and sisters? Who can we be loving better? Even strangers! Except it is sometimes easier to love a stranger for a moment by helping them out, but then what about the relationships in our families and close friends? How are those relationships? If we are truly loving, we should be giving the best gift - the love of Christ that leads them to a relationship with the One who loves more that we could ever love. This love of Christ in us should convict us to lead others to this love. Who can you be showing this love to today? 

To watch the full service, click here. 

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