The Divine Story of Jesus and You: How to be a Love Agent in troubled times

Sermon Quick Summary
            The scripture text for today is from Matthew 5:43-48, which is Section 3.24 in your booklet, available at www.plusnothing.com. This scripture has Jesus’ teaching on loving your neighbors, even including enemies. Our world is in trouble. People are hurting, and we are in trouble. The United States is in trouble because our moral compass is deeply compromised. The Church today in America is in trouble; a lower percentage of people are attending churches than at any point in American history. Does God see and care about the trouble we are in? God knows and cares even when we do not understand how God will use events to bring about God’s ultimate purpose. Often, like biblical characters, we ask God, “Do you see the mess I am in?” God’s purposes for my life cannot be thwarted. Yes, God really does care. God wants us to trust divinity. With proper patience, we will see that God is in control. In responding to these difficult times, God has followers of Christ arm not with a weapon, but with more love. The five behaviors to help us love more effectively are: (1) Listen for clues that people are in pain. (2) Stop what you are doing at that moment because busyness kills compassion for others; you cannot follow Jesus and live a self-centered life. (3) Look past people’s behavior to see their value; if you want to be merciful and not judgmental you listen, stop, and look because attention is love. (4) Ask people what they need, not assuming you know.  Let that person set the agenda as you learn to ask questions to be a better love agent. (5) Do what you can do to help. Ask the person what you can do to help. When Jesus is showing love to people, Jesus used His ears, His eyes, His mouth with words, and His hands in touching them. A love agent resists systems that hurt people.

Our World is in trouble
            We are on the forefront of some very difficult days. We are in for some dark times.  Divides are growing deeper. Inequalities are growing wider. Challenges are spreading. We are in rough seas. A winter of global discontent is on the horizon. A cost-of-living crisis is raging. Trust is crumbling. Inequalities are exploding. Our planet is burning. Unfair food distribution is causing thousands to starve to death. Climate change is creating a crisis all over the planet. People are hurting, and we are in trouble

Our Nation, the USA, is in trouble
            Whoever wins the upcoming elections and whatever the terminology used, the democratic decline has already begun, and there are ramifications throughout society. There are certain changes in public attitudes, including vilification of members of the opposing party and widespread misinformation. There tends to be a decline in non-governmental institutions critical to a healthy society, such as an independent media, a vibrant education system, and an engaged civil society. All these symptoms of decline are present in the United States. Thousands of Americans would rather choose an authoritarian government over democracy.
            Today, we have lost our way because our moral compass is deeply compromised. Consumed with tribalism and individualism, we are dividing against one another in a cesspool of hate-filled rhetoric, biased legislation, and corrupt political leaders that tap into the deepest (and most racist) fears that we hold. We stand on the cusp between authoritarianism and freedom, between support for human rights and tyranny, between universal compassion and unbridled self-interest.
 
The Church is in trouble
            Forty million Americans have stopped attending church in the past 25 years. That is about 12 percent of the population, and it represents the largest concentrated change in church attendance in American history.  As recently as twenty years ago, the church seemed unassailable. Even those who did not profess faith in Christ generally maintained a respect for the church and its leaders. Fast forward to today, and the Church is in the crosshairs every day. A lower percentage of people are attending churches than at any other point in American history. Some are attending churches more concerned with increasing their numbers and capitulating to the culture than they are in equipping saints to fight the spiritual battles of our day. In 2019, the year before the pandemic, more Protestant churches closed than opened in the U.S.  In 2014, 4,000 churches opened and 3,700 churches closed, but by 2019, 3,000 churches opened and 4,500 churches closed.

God does see and care about the trouble we are in
            No verse in the Bible says the exact words, “God is in control.” Yet, as we read God’s Word, we see this demonstrated over and over. When things seem to be spinning out of control, at least in our opinion, God does know what is happening. The problem isn’t with God; rather, it’s with our inability to understand how God will use those events to bring about God’s ultimate purpose.

God wants us to trust divinity because God’s purposes for my life cannot be thwarted
          We read in scripture about messes and difficulties in people’s lives. Job had this figured out when he said, “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2, ESV).  We can then imagine biblical characters saying something similar to, “God, don’t You see the difficulty I’m in?”
          -Joseph and Mary had just enjoyed the visit of the magi who brought their gifts to the Christ child. Now God is telling Joseph to take his young family and flee to another country in the dead of night. Joseph could have said, “God, why this? Why now? This is a mess.”
          -Peter stood outside Caiaphas’s palace and watched his friend, the Promised One, as Jesus was led before His accusers. Peter could have said, “God, I’m frightened with all that’s going on. Do You see this mess?”
          -Paul, the converted persecutor of the church, the one who had evangelized on two continents, now sat in a Roman prison. Paul could have said, “God, this is a lonely and miserable place. Do You see this mess?
          -John, writer of the Book of Revelation, was exiled to the Greek isle of Patmos, a desolate place, because of his faith. John could have said, “God, this is a horrible place. I’m in a mess here!”
          Today, at this exact moment in time, our world is a mess. We have faced a pandemic, political unrest, acts of terrorism, economic upheaval, conflicts among nations, and natural disasters. Similar to the biblical characters, we may say, “God, this is a mess. Do You see what’s going on here?”
          Perhaps you are going through a time of personal turmoil and unrest. You may be experiencing financial difficulties, a wayward child, a broken relationship, a serious illness. You may feel you are facing this alone and ask, “Does God see this mess I’m in? Does He care?”
          Yes, God really does care. When doubts assail, when the enemy laughs in scorn, God wants us to trust Him. Remember the words of Job and remind yourself: “His purposes for my life cannot be thwarted.” God is working behind the scenes. God sees your mess, and God has it under control. Patiently wait and you will see.

In responding to these difficult times, God has us arm not with a weapon, but with more love
            We all struggle with how God wants us to respond in these difficult times.  God, consistent with the scripture, is telling us to arm ourselves not with a weapon but with more love. Matthew 5:43-48 teaches us, “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies. Pray for those who treat you badly. If you do this, you will be children who are truly like your Father in heaven. He lets the sun rise for all people, whether they are good or bad. He sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. If you love only those who love you, why should you get a reward for that? Even the tax collectors do that. And if you are nice only to your friends, you are no better than anyone else. Even the people who don’t know God are nice to their friends. What I am saying is that you must be perfect (complete), just as your Father in heaven in perfect.”
            Everyone needs love, but some need it more than others. In other words, become an agent of love. If there is anything the world needs now, it is hope stimulated by love. God has placed each of us in a position of influence. Are you using your influence to give people hope and love in these troubled times?
 
Five behaviors that may help us love more effectively
 
(One) Listen for clues that people are in pain
            If you're going to become God's agent of love you've got to start with your ear because love starts with listening. Love always starts with listening. People all around you are in pain. You may think that there is nobody around you that is in pain. They are in pain, but you're just not hearing it. It is people you work with, people you live with, and people you live next door to.  They may not be verbally shouting but they have pain.
 
(Two) Stop what you are doing at that moment because business kills compassion for others; you cannot follow Jesus and live a self-centered life
            If you are going to be a love agent, you must get used to being interrupted. It's in the interruptions, not the scheduled things, where love shows up. The number one destroyer of mercy is busyness. We can be too busy to care. busyness kills compassion. The more you take care of others the more God takes care of your needs.
 
(Three) Look past people’s behavior to see their value
            If you want to be merciful and not judgmental you listen, stop, and look because attention is love. In Matthew 9:36, it says this, "When Jesus looked out over the crowds, his heart broke, because they were confused, and they were aimless, wandering like sheep with no shepherd." When Jesus looked at people, He saw their need, He saw their pain, He saw their hurt, and He saw their brokenness.  Jesus was brokenhearted over the pain that people go through. When Jesus looks at your pain, he is brokenhearted, for He is looking with eyes of love.
            Is that the way you look at people? Are you looking at people with a critical eye? Do you look at people with an unconcerned or apathetic eye? Sometimes we look at people and don’t even see them. Do you look at them with an angry eye, or a prejudiced eye, or a bigoted eye, or any other kind of way that you look at people?
None of those things are going to transform people. When you look people in the eye, and you love them unconditionally, you help in transformation. The Bible says that when Jesus looked at the crowds, he was moved with compassion.
            To be a merciful person not a judgmental person, you've got to learn how to listen, stop, and look, because attention is love. It sounds really easy, but it's not. It is not natural. In the natural, when you walk into a room, you’re thinking, “How do I look?”  You're not thinking about everybody else, you're thinking about yourself. Am I going to get the best seat? Am I going to get to sit where I want to sit? Am I going to get to talk to the people I want to talk to?
            Compassion is what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We don't naturally walk into a room thinking, "Wow, I'm moved with compassion. Who has a need in here?"
            This is so hard to do is because sometimes people who need your love feel unloved.  People who feel unloved, are often, the people who get on our nerves and are often the most difficult to love. In fact, the less you've been loved, often the more obnoxious you are, because if you can't get love, you'll at least get attention. We've all seen this with kids growing up. Kids often think, if I can't get my parents love, I'll at least get their attention, and if that means getting into all kinds stuff I should not get into, at least, I'll get their attention.

(Four) Ask people what they need, not assuming you know; let that person set the agenda as you learn to ask questions to be a better love agent
            If you want to be a better love agent, learn to ask questions. Let the person you are talking with set the agenda. In Matthew 20:32, "Jesus stopped, and looked their way, then he asked, What do you want me to do for you?" This is an important question Jesus often asked. Jesus is basically letting that person in pain set the agenda. When you learn to ask questions, you're learning to be a better love agent, because you're not assuming things. Questions draw it out of people. "Counsel in the heart of man is like a deep well, but a man of understanding will draw it out" (Proverbs 20:5).
            The better you get at asking good questions to the people you work with, the people you interact with, and the people you live with, the better questions you learn to ask.
 
(Five) Do what you can do to help; ask another whatever you can do to help
            You've listened, and you've stopped, and you've looked, and then you've asked. For example, you ask that person at work, "How can I help you? You look like you're having a tough day today." You ask that person in the grocery store, "You look like you're having a tough time, how can I help you? What do you want me to do? Is there anything I can do for you?" Then, you do whatever you can to help.

Big Picture Conclusion
            The way you show love to people is to model how Jesus showed love to people on earth. Jesus used his ears, eyes, his mouth with words, and he used his hands as he touched.  A love agent not only serves people in tough times, but a love agent also resists systems that hurt people. For us today, that means we vote at elections.  We advocate for change. The love agent works to make a troubled world a little less troubled.
 
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS INCLUDING FAMILY GROUPS
Sermon Quick Summary
-Who are your neighbors and friends that you find difficult to love?
-Who are those that would be considered as your enemy that Jesus teaches you to love?
Our World is in trouble
-What evidence do you see that this fallen world has difficult days and is in trouble?
 Our Nation, the USA, is in trouble
-What evidence do you see that the United States of America is in trouble?
The Church is in trouble
-In America, in what ways does lack of respect for the Church and its leaders prevent the Church from correcting the world and the nation in trouble?
God does see and care about the trouble we are in
-With the fallen world in a mess and your personal turmoil and unrest, when have you thought about the difficulties and mess and asked God if God sees and cares?
In responding to these difficult times, God has us arm not with a weapon, but with more love
-What does it mean to be an agent of love?
-When God calls followers of Christ to be perfect, it does not mean lack of sin. When have you fulfilled God’s call to perfection by being under the control of God’s divine Holy Spirit?
(One) Listen for clues that people are in pain
-Why is listening to others in pain so important to being an agent of love?
(Two) Stop what you are doing at that moment because business kills compassion for others; you cannot follow Jesus and live a self-centered life
-Why is it so important to be willing to experience interruptions to allow for mercy and compassion?
(Three) Look past people’s behavior to see their value
-In what ways can you love with attention and compassion for those who are difficult to love?
(Four) Ask people what they need, not assuming you know; let that person set the agenda as you learn to ask questions to be a better love agent
-Why is it so important to ask another person what they want you to do for them?
(Five) Do what you can do to help; ask another whatever you can do to help
-After asking questions, why is action to help based on mercy and compassion so important?
Big Picture Conclusion
-Why is it important that a love agent follower of Christ resist systems that hurt people, including participation in the voting process?