5 THINGS: Love Yourself - October 12, 2025

5 THINGS: Love Yourself - October 12, 2025

INTRODUCTION

Do you have good neighbors? Are you a good neighbor?

Can you name some famous neighbors?

*Mr. Rogers Neighborhood in his sweater and sneakers … “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood … won’t you be my neighbor?”

*Dennis the Menace … “Helloooo Mr. Wilson!”

*Ricky & Lucy Ricardo … Fred & Ethel Mertz.

*Tim “the Tool Man” Taylor … Wilson.

Have you ever had trouble with a neighbor?

The story of the Good Samaritan is about neighbors, and it has all the elements of a movie: violence … crime … racial discrimination … hatred … neglect … unconcern … love … mercy.

Who says the Bible isn’t relevant to the modern world?

Ray Scott, “The Good Samaritan”, Sermon Central, October 26, 2004.

In this sermon series, I will be sharing with you thoughts on these issues.

The love of God - September 14, 2025

Love according to the Word - September 21, 2025

Love in the Kingdom - September 28, 2025

Love and righteousness - October 5, 2025

Love yourself - October 12, 2025

In Timothy Keller’s book, King’s Cross, he tells this story.

John Sommerville currently teaches history at the University of Florida. He has been carrying out an exercise with his students for years. He challenges his students with the following thought experiment.

Imagine that you see a little old lady coming down the street at night and she is carrying a great big purse. It suddenly occurs to you that she very little and frail and it would be incredibly easy just to knock her over and grab the purse. But you don’t. Why not?

There are only two possible answers. The answer of "shame and honour" culture is that you don’t do it because it would make you despicable person unworthy of respect. It would dishonor your family or tribe. People would despise you for picking on the weak. It would not be a strong thing to do and it is critical that strength be respected. That approach, the professor says, is self regarding. You are thinking almost entirely of yourself and your tribe. You are thinking only of honour and reputation.

The second option is that you would imagine how painful it would be to be mugged and how hard it would be for the woman if she depended on the money in her purse and it was taken from her. You ask youself, if I mug her, what will happen to her and what will happen to the people who depend on her. All else being equal you want her to have a good life that is safe, so you don’t do it. This is called the "regards for others" ethic which is utterly different from the "shame and honour" culture.

Professor Sommerville would ask his class, "All right, how many of you would take the purse and why not." No one would take the purse, and the reason almost totally is the regards for others ethic.

Then he would point out that they had choosen the Christian way of life.

The ethical system that dominated the world before Jesus was the "shame and honour" ethic and it did not work out for the poor very well.

The world is critical of the church but in the end we all want more of the other first ethic that Jesus is teaching here. In fact, most of us would say that the reason the world is a mess is because we have stopped putting others first. We have made all kinds of expections to treating people like Jesus taught here. We have fallen back into the shame and honour ethic and it is not working.

Don Berry-Graham, Sermon Central, January 24, 2012.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭34‬-‭40‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.””

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22‬:‭34‬-‭40‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

Love your neighbor as yourself.

I.  GOD LOVES US

A.  God demonstrates His love through Jesus.

‭‭John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

‭‭ John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

‭‭ Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  God loves us in our imperfection.

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

‭‭ Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

II.  WE MUST LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR

Josh Hunt tells this story.

I stepped outside my hotel room yesterday and saw a thin elderly woman taking small steps in a circle. She seemed to be mumbling. Our eyes connected. She said, "They left me here and I don't know where they have gone. I don't know what room I am in."

I held out my hand. She grabbed mine. I said, "Let's walk down to the office and see what we can find out." As we walked into the office, an elderly man was walking out. He began to gently scold her, "I told you to stay in the van. You were supposed to be in the van. What are you doing out here?" He thanked me and then explained that she had Alzheimer's.

Was she my responsibility? Was it my moral obligation to stop and help her? She wasn't my mother. Would I have been sinning to just get in my car and drive off?

I wouldn't want to live in a world like that, would you? I see in this passage the dream of a heavenly Father whose children are reasonable and kind and simply do unto others as we would have done unto us. You can't make enough rules to work for every situation. Just be reasonable. Just be kind. 

Just be decent. Just follow the golden rule.

Josh Hunt, Sermon Central, April 16, 2012.

A.  Loving our neighbor is part of the royal law.

James‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it. For he who said, “You shall not commit adultery,” also said, “You shall not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.”

‭‭James‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  The whole law rests on this ideal.

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.”

‭‭ Galatians‬ ‭5‬:‭13‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”

‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

III.  WE MUST LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR AS OURSELF

A.  We are not what we once were.

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

‭‭ Galatians‬ ‭2‬:‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

B.  We are lovable because of Jesus.

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

‭‭ 2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

C.  We fear because we lack love.

‭‭1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

‭‭ 1 John‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

CONCLUSION

Romans 12:9-20 NIV

“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.””

‭‭Romans‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬-‭20‬ ‭NIV‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

I have heard some say that we should do good to those who do us harm to bring pain and sorrow upon them (“heap burning coals on his head”). We are not to “repay anyone evil for evil.” This passage reminds us that vengeance is God’s, not ours. What are we to make of this “heaping of burning coals” then? We are to place the burning coals of love upon those who wrong us. Not so that we get back at them, but that they might get right with God.

A preacher named Mark Opperman tells this story.

Someone in Elgin, IL, once had a neighbor named Jack. Jack was a tough man. He worked hard, he drank hard, he fought hard, and he was harsh and gruff in his manner. Most people were afraid of Jack.

But this one neighbor got brave and said hello to him over the fence one day. He started a conversation with him, which was pretty one-sided at first. However, every chance he got, the neighbor started talking to Jack, and even went over and visited him in his house. He would sometimes bring him a fresh loaf of homemade bread that his wife had made, or a batch of cookies. He just tried to be neighborly and share the good things he had with him.

One day the neighbor, who was a Christ-follower, brought up the subject of heaven. He asked Jack if he believed in heaven. At first Jack said he didn’t want to talk about religion, and that was the end of the conversation. But a couple years later, Jack’s son was killed in a boating accident. The neighbor came over to tell Jack how sorry he was about the loss of his son. Overcome with grief, Jack just broke down and cried like a baby in front of his neighbor. The neighbor didn’t know what to do, so he just put a hand on his shoulder and let him cry.

Eventually, Jack started talking. He said that his son was the only child he had, and that he felt like he had failed him as a father. His son had tried to talk to him before about God and religion, but Jack told him religion was for people who were weak and who needed something to make them feel good about themselves.

So Jack asked his neighbor, "Do you think my boy is in heaven right now?" The neighbor replied, "If he was trusting in Jesus for forgiveness and was living His life for God, then he is certainly in heaven right now." Jack thought about that for a moment and said, "I hope he sees his mother there." The neighbor said, "Jack, there is no reason why he cannot see his father there too."

A few months later, Jack came over to his neighbor’s house and said, "I’m ready!" "Ready for what?" asked the neighbor. "I’m ready to get right with God," Jack said. They talked and the neighbor was able to lead him into a relationship with Jesus.

This neighbor had been praying for Jack for over three years. You can imagine his joy when he finally saw the answer to his prayers.

Mark Opperman, "The Joy of the Harvest" 1/12/2009, Sermon Central, February 10, 2009.

Only when we understand how much God loves us will we take seriously how much God loves our neighbor.

God loves you. God wants you to love your neighbor.  God wants us to love your neighbor as yourself

INVITATION

It is our custom to offer an "invitation" following the preaching of the Word.  You may want to follow Jesus.  You may want to proclaim your faith.  You may want to repent (stop doing ungodly things and start doing Godly things).  Perhaps you want to be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins     and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Possibly, if you have already responded to God’s call in these ways, you would like to become a member of Kenwood Church.  If you have been moved by the Holy Spirit to make a decision in your life, you can come forward now.  If you would like, I would be honored to speak with you following the service about what God is doing in your life.