The greatest task of evangelism is glorifying the living God. The idea of glorifying means making something else larger than ourselves. This is the essence of evangelism; that God would become larger to others because of our efforts. Jesus, when he was on earth, was so effective for God because he sought to glorify God always. In John 13:31-33 he then challenges us to do the same.
In John 13:31-35 (NIV) we read, "When he was gone, Jesus said, 'Now is the Son of Man glorified and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.' "
The simple truth is that people do not need to see us. If people fall in love with Jon Morrissette and think, "Gee, Jon sure is great. Jon is so funny and so smart", it doesn’t truly matter for eternity. Jon Morrissette doesn't do the saving.Only Jesus Christ can save. So why would any one of us ever want to glorify ourselves? It does no oneany true good. The question before us is how can we make God the focus? How can we cause people to focus on God's greatness, God's goodness, God's majesty, God's holiness, God'srighteousness, God's love, God's truth, God's will, and God's purposes?
Francis Schaeffer, renowned apologist of the Christian faith, had this indictment against Christians. "We have failed to show the beauty of love, of Christ, of holiness." Again, we spend a lot of time making ourselves larger instead of glorifying God. How can we change this?
The essence of glorifying God.
In the Bible, there are two example of glorifying God that I find instructive for me. The first is John the Baptist's statement in John 3:30 (NIV). As his high profile ministry began drawing large crowds, John the Baptist had the humility to say of Christ, "He must become greater; I must become less." If only this could become our mission statement for ourlives! Imagine how much more effective we would be for God.
A second example is given about Jesus inPhilippians 2:5-8 (NIV). "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" Even though Jesus Christ was the Son of God, he saw his chief purpose as glorying his Father! He went to great lengthsto glorify God. He was even obedient unto death on the cross. A fundamental question for us then is how Christ can be magnified in our lives? How can I empty myself as Christ did? How can I expend myself for God's glory? How can I get out of the way in order to be used of God?"
In Colossians 3:1-4 (NIV) Paul says, "Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."
This is the reality in which we should live. We died. We no longer live. The life that animates our body is the very life of Jesus Christ, living and dwelling within us and through us. We are his hands and his feet. All we do is done to the glory of God.
Three questions concerning love: Who, how, and why?
One of the remarkable things we learn in John 13:34-35 is that love is the ultimate way to glorify God. This passage answers three questions for us. Who should we love? How should we love? Why should we love?
First, who shouldwe love? InJohn 13:34 (NIV) Jesus says, "A new command I give you: Love one another." At issue in this verse is who is the "other" that Christ commands us to love? Who has worth in God's eyes? Who is worthy of our life's energy and sacrifice? For Christ, this was the whole world, without exception. But who is it for us? It's been said that the opposite of love is not hatred. It's indifference. More on this thought in a few moments.
Second, how should we love? In John 13:34 (NIV) Jesus said, "As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Love is essentially self-emptying. It's truly putting others first and it is seeking the salvation of other people. We should love toward these ends, just as Christ loved. In the New Testament we discover that Christ's love was full of grace and truth. Francis Schaeffer says, "love without holiness is compromise and holiness without love is harsh." The genius of Jesus was to bring grace and truth together in his love for others. John 1:14 (NIV) says, "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth."
Third, why should we love? In John 13:35 (NIV) Jesus says,"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." The eternal stakes of the "if" in this verse ought to humble everyone of us. Francis Schaeffer says, "Love is the final apologetic." In other words, love is the ultimate defense of the Christian faith. Without true love, the world cannot be expected to listen to us. Without true love the world is justified in questioning our deepest beliefs and convictions. We are to be a loving church in a dying culture.
The story of the good Samaritan.
Up to this point we have been talking in more theoretical terms. But Jesus illustrates the kind of love he has in mind with a parable. Allow me to read the story and make a few brief comments throughout. The story of the good Samaritan is found in Luke 10:25-37 (NIV).
"On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. 'Teacher,' he asked, 'what must I do to inherit eternal life?' " In this verse, the expert in the law is rightly concerned about his own salvation andabout whether or not he possesses eternal life. But notice his focus. It is on his own life and his own salvation. Jesus' goal is to challenge the expert in the law to enlarge his concept of "other" so that he might love people different from himself.
" 'What is written in the Law?' he (Jesus) replied. 'How do you read it?'He answered: 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 'You have answered correctly,' Jesus replied. 'Do this and you will live.' "
Because he was a scribe, the lawyer was an expert in the law. He possessed immense Bible knowledge and answered Jesus correctly. You might say that he got straight A’s! Our love for God has a vertical dimension, but also a horizontal dimension. But as this expert would soon discover, love isn’t just about having the correct answer. Love is about having the correct lifestyle. It is about doing! Typically, like this lawyer, we don’t need new information or insight, but rather new hearts!
"But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' "
The issue wasn’t that this man, oreven us, doesn'tlove. The issue is thathis, and our,love isn’t wide enough. The expert foolishly attempts to justify the love that he did have before Christ. Instead he should have humbly sought God toenable him to love those beyond his comfort zone. The expert attempts to justify himself by throwing up a legal technicality. Who is my neighbor?
"In reply Jesus said: 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.' "
By way of note, Jericho had a lower elevation than Jerusalem, and not just geographically. To go to Jericho one had to walk down a steep descent of overthree thousand feet acrossseventeen miles. The journey was steep, treacherous, and dangerous. The road was frought with criminal activity. In traveling to Jericho a Jewish person would have felt themselves descending from their holy city in their calf muscles. A point needs to be made here that we don't find needs on our holy hills, in our spiritual Jerusalem. Rather, needs appear as we descend into the world. Jesus left the comforts of heaven and descended to meet us at our point of need.
This parable, of course, refers to the physical predicament of the stranger. In considering the needs of others we must ask about the situations of those we find along the roadways of life. What is their physical condition? What is their spiritual condition?Their spiritual condition is of much graver concern than their physical. To be faithful to Christ, we must be willing to respond to both.
"A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the placeand saw him, passed by on the other side."
The priest would have been unclean if he touched a corpse. In fact, he would have been unclean if even his shadow passed over the body! It was the tendency of these religious leaders and of many of us Christians to hide behind religious virtue to avoid living livesof religious virtue.
"But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.' "
Some quick notes about the Samaritan. He gained proximity by coming to where the man was. He saw the man anddemonstrated a keen understanding of the man's condition. He was moved with deep compassion by what he saw. But he did more than merely "feel" emotion. He took action on the man's behalf. He spent several days tending to the man's needs. He was willing to sacrifice and follow through with the man's needs. In other words, he didn't just make a one-time transaction.
Jesus finishes the story by asking, " 'Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?' The expert in the law replied, 'The one who had mercy on him.' Jesus told him, 'Go and do likewise.' "
Instead of justifying our love, the call this morning is that we humble ourselves and ask God help us love better, bringing him glory, and thus magnifying the beauty of Christ's love to a world dying in sin.