: Love each other

Bible: John 15:12~17 April 4, 2021

Title: Love each other. Sunday Morning Worship (Easter)

In 1956, there was an incident that turned American society upside down. Jim Elliott and five other Christian youths, who graduated from the prestigious Whitten College in the United States, went missing after entering a short-term mission to preach the gospel to the Waodani (Auca) people of Ecuador, South America.

Jim Elliot and his friends have prayed and prepared for the Ecuadorian Aucas in South America, who were disconnected from the world, to preach the gospel and save their souls. And together they went into that jungle area.

However, Jim Elliot and the young men disappeared, and the family prayed with tears for their safe return, but Jim Elliot and his friends were all stabbed and killed by the spear of the Aucas.

At that time, the U.S media made headlines about the incident under the title "What a waste!" meaning the promising young people have died in vain.

The widows ho lost all their husbands in a daze were frustrated. But the frustration lasted for the moment, they planned to enter the Ecuadorian jungle themselves to accomplish the tasks that their husbands could not accomplish. Ant they received jungle survival training, such as how to each grassroots and how to eat lizards.

Also, Jim Elliot's wife, Elizabeth Elliot, studied nursing for two years. And they entered the Auca tribe, in South America, Ecuador, where their husbands were stabbed to death by a spear. What is surprising is that the Auca tribe has a tradition of killing all men but not killing women.

They lived in the Auca villages and sacrificed themselves to the Aucas who killed their husbands. When babies were born, they received their babies, healed the infected wounds of the tribesmen, gave them parasite pills, and taught them new farming methods.

You all, the people of the Auca tribe were devasted by their lives. Through their dedication and sacrifice, the Aucas gradually changed. One by one, people who did not know Jesus began to believe in Jesus, and in the end, four pastors and one evangelist were produced among Aucas.

In time, the widows had to leave the Aucas. All the aucas, including the chief, were moved by their dedication, and when they were about to leave their tribe, the Aucas ask this question. "What made you guys go through this for us?"

At that time, Jim Elliot's wife, Elizabeth, replied: God loves you... God loves you, and my husband and his friends came here to let you guys know, and they died. So, I wanted to tell you guys this. God loves you. Jesus loves you. My dead husband, his friends, and us here, also love you. Hallelujah

It is Easter morning. Bless the people next to us, for Jesus has risen. Jesus' resurrection is our hope of resurrection.

It is Easter morning in 2021. The resurrected Jesus became the hope of mankind. It has also become an oxygen network for me and you who are worshiping this morning. Once again, I praise the resurrected Jesus and pray in the name of the Lord that you and I may be filled with the hope of the resurrection that overflows in our life.

Based on the text I read with you today, I prepared this remark with the hope that we will also live with such a desire for resurrection after thinking about the meaning of Jesus' resurrection.

I pray in the name of the Lord that the saints who came before the Lord on Easter morning will be filled with the hope of resurrection, and that they will realize what the meaning of Jesus' resurrection is and live according to the blessed words.

As we walk down the path of life, one thing we feel more and more is, how do we live our lives worth living? A valuable life, a worthwhile life, a rewarding life. The answer is in the Bible.

The Bible is a book full of all the values of good truth. The Bible is a book full of all kinds of rewards, satisfaction, and treasures such as gold and silver. So, when you discover the truth in the Bible, it is expressed as a treasure hidden in a field.

That is why the more you read and understand the Bible, the more you put it nearby, love it, and hope to live by the words written in it. Hallelujah Lets all read verses 12 to 13 together.

This is what Jesus shared with his disciples the day before crucifixion. Jesus spent his last hours with his disciples before death. If so, what Jesus said to his disciples in the face of death was in mind that he would die on the cross.

We want to meet a good teacher on our way to life. We want good words, good news, good information, and good teaching. However, if we mediate deeply on Jesus' teaching, it is too easy, and it is too simple, but the wave that resonate in our heart does not stop. Every verse of what Jesus said touches our hearts and the lingering feeling rarely cools down.

Why? It is because Jesus himself practiced the words he had said. We cannot help but be moved because you said so and practiced so. Jesus, who said that if one gives up one's life for a friend, there is no greater love than this, has died for us, who are his friends.

The definition of love that Jesus taught his disciples is a very simple but heart-deep truth that cannot be compared to any other definition of love. One reason why the truth penetrates deep into our heart is because it is the emotional teaching that Jesus gave as he practiced the truth he said in his life.

“Life makes love shine” “The practice of life defends the truth.”

Over the past week, you have probably had a lot of thought while fasting one meal a day. Being a good friend for your neighbors is something you can never achieve without sacrifice.

How can we recreate the life of Jesus lived by sacrifice? In fact, we only imitate, and if we think that we have imitated a little, we make a fuss about it. And if we think that we have imitated a little toto much, we scream....

The Apostle Paul explained the introduction of the practice of Jesus' love before giving up his life for his friends. Let's all read Romans 13:8-10 together.

Hallelujah

Prior to the practice of giving up one's life for a friend, Paul says, "Love does no harm to a neighbor." He also told the neighbors not to commit adultery, not to steal, not to covet, and not to do these things in advance if they love them.

An old man was fishing for trout, and a young man was with him. However, the peculiar thing is that the old man catches trout one after another, but the young man does not catch a single trout and is full of anxiety.

The young man asked the old man how he could catch trout well. Then the old man answers: First, don't look away, second, use the bait well, third, wait patiently, fourth, never miss out when the right opportunity comes, and he added one last comment.

He even said that the last comment is the core of trout fishing. It is "do it as it is". No matter how much know-how of trout fishing is theoretically known, it is of no use if it is not practiced. It has to be done.

No matter how much Jesus explains about the practice of love, it is useless if Paul, the Apostle, whom Jesus taught to abandon his life for his friend before crucifixion, does not practice it. Therefore, it can be said that the practice of those who have been fasting one meal for the past week this morning, thinking about their neighbors, and giving offering for each meal fasted, is very valuable.

Let's all read verse 14 together.

Hallelujah Amen

Why did Jesus ask us to practice love of laying down one's life for one's friend? This is what verse 14 says. “You are my friends if you do what I command.” Hallelujah

Friends have many characteristics in common. One of the most important characteristic is that they resemble each other. They share many similarities in their speech, thought, value, and behavior. Jesus wants to be friends with me and you. Jesus wants to be our good friend.

Then there should be some unknown resemblance of us to Jesus, and this resemblance is that we guarantee to lay down our life for our friend. Today's text said, "if you do what I command".

The words that Jesus revealed through the Gospels or through the Apostles and the Prophets can be collectively referred to as "What I command". It is the word of God. It is the revealed covenant. These are the promised words of the Bible. It means that if you act as commanded.

He said that if you follow the revealed Word of God. Jesus wants to be our good friend, and he gave up his life for his friends. He laid down his life without any condition. Hallelujah

Lay down your life for your friend, and "Do what I command".... It has an ultimate reason. What is this reason?

There is a faithful Christian grandmother who lives alone in the United States. This faithful grandmother's name is Grace Granner. Grandma Grace Granner lived her entire life in a single room alone.

However, She was an old lady who really helped poor and needy neighbors by saving each and every penny. The clothes she was wearing were neat, but they were purchased through a clearance sale.

Also, she lived all her life without a single car, and furthermore, when we looked into her household, there were rice cookers like an old antique TV, and coffee cups and plates of different colors in the kitchen.

She lived a frugal and modest life for herself, but she always took the lead in volunteering and giving offerings at the church. Furthermore, she always lived if she was responsible for the tuition of the students through anonymous lawyer and helped them. One day, she was called by God. The surprising fact was the will she left.

In the will that she left, she live her life with service and devotion to her neighbors in need, but donated the wealth she had saved her life to the alma mater. Surprisingly, all of her donations amounted to eight billion won. Hallelujah.

Who is Grandma Grace Granner? She is a good friend of Jesus. Perhaps, wouldn't Jesus welcome grandma Grace Granner when she entered heaven and introduce his good friend "Grace Granner" to those who first entered heaven today?

Hallelujah