"Who Do You Love?"
Luke 9:28-36 February 14, 2010
It’s Valentine’s Day so I thought I would begin by giving you a gift that you can share with the
one you love. Dr. Gary Chapman says that there are five ways that we communicate our love to
one another. He calls them the five love languages.
Basically these are five ways that we show each other that we care. It’s important to know and
understand them. He says most marriages run into trouble because couples don’t always
communicate their affections in the same way. For example one person may think that giving gifts
is the way to show love. Their partner may think it is words of affirmation. Both show their love in
their own unique language and yet both may feel the other person doesn’t love them. Why? Because
they are looking for them to return that love in the same way they give it. She says, “He never buys
me flowers.” He says “She never tells me I look good.” Knowing all five ways that we express
love, allows us to begin to see the things our partner does as ways of expressing their love. So
what are these five love languages?
• Words of Affirmation
This is when you say how nice your spouse looks, or how great the dinner tasted. These words
will also build your mate's self image and confidence.
• Quality Time
Some spouses believe that being together, doing things together and focusing in on one another is
the best way to show love. If this is your partner's love language, turn off the TV now and then
and give one another some undivided attention.
• Gifts
It is universal in human cultures to give gifts. They don't have to be expensive to send a powerful
message of love. Spouses who forget a birthday or anniversary or who never give gifts to someone
who truly enjoys gift giving will find themselves with a spouse who feels neglected and unloved.
• Acts of Service
Discovering how you can best do something for your spouse will require time and creativity. These
acts of service like vacuuming, hanging a bird feeder, planting a garden, etc., need to be done with
joy in order to be perceived as a gift of love.
• Physical Touch
Sometimes just stroking your spouse's back, holding hands, or a peck on the cheek will fulfill this
need.
So if you are married, dating or seeing someone, think about what you look for in your partner
that tells you they love you. Then talk to them about it. You will be glad you did.
Now what’s true in our human relationships is also true of our relationship with God. Are you
doing things that tell God how much you love him? What are those things?
Regular worship
Benevolent giving
Acts of service
Faithful devotions
Quality prayer time
I am sure that someone has come up with an official list but the one thing that I think covers
them all is respect and honor. If you respect someone, if you give them some authority in your life,
if you allow them to influence you, then it says something about their place in your life. I like the
cute little story told about this little boy who was having a hard time sitting still on the airplane.
The plane was crowded and it was just about to take off when the five-year-old boy began to
throw a temper tantrum. His embarrassed mother tried to calm him down, but the boy continued to
kick and scream.
Suddenly, from the rear of the plane, an Air Force General slowly walked up the aisle. He stopped
beside the boy, nodded to the mother, and leaned down to quietly talk to the boy. He motioned
toward his chest, patted the boy on the head and walked away. As if by magic, the boy immediately
calmed down and quietly fastened his seat belt.
All the other passengers burst into applause. As the General slowly makes his way back to his
seat, one of the cabin attendants touched his sleeve. "Excuse me, General, but what did you say to
that little boy?"
The old man smiled serenely and said,
"I showed him my pilot’s wings, service stars and battle ribbons and explained that they entitled
me to throw anyone I want out the door of any plane I’m on."
It’s amazing how much people will listen to someone with authority and who can back it up with
the proper credentials. That’s the idea behind the story we’ve just read in Luke 9. It is commonly
referred to as the Transfiguration of Jesus. In this encounter on the mountain, God drives home the
fact that Jesus had the right kind of authority and the proper credentials to lead them. And it was
such a powerful lesson that it is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and Peter
refers to it in one of his letters.
With Peter, James and John as his companions, Jesus goes up on a mountain to pray. While they
are there, Jesus undergoes a transfiguration where his face begins to shine like the sun and his
clothes radiate with light. And as if that weren’t enough, two men suddenly appear and begin
talking with Jesus. One is Moses (the man who gave God’s Law to Israel) And the other is Elijah
(one of the greatest of the Prophets)
Peter is so overwhelmed by what he sees that he wants to turn this into a worship time. But just
then a thick cloud descends and a voice declares "This is my Son... Listen to him!"
Now, this wasn’t an accident.
This didn’t just happen.
This was pre-planned.
Jesus deliberately took His disciples up on the Mountain that day for a time of show and tell. And
He did it this way because He wanted to drive home to His disciples that He had the authority and
he had credentials to demand their attention. It set the stage for everything that would follow.
We are not going to go into it but our Old Testament reading today looks at Moses and his time
on the mountain. Something eerily similar happened to him when he went up the mountain and
came back down with the Ten Commandments. They could see that Moses had been with god
because his face radiated the light of God. He was changed and he forever more spoke with greater
authority.
Now this was important to Jesus. It was also the second time god had spoken. He also spoke at
his baptism. That time it may have been for John the Baptist’s benefit. God wanted him to know
that Jesus was the one.
In this case, it became one of those moments that the disciples would never forget. Jesus had
come into their lives and changed everything. Now they were getting the word that God had
something planned for them and that they should listen to Jesus.
If there was allegiance before that experience on the mountain, it was solidified in this encounter.
The disciples faithfully followed Jesus ever more closely.
Now that doesn’t mean they got everything right or that they were anything near perfect. But
from that moment forward their respect and their love was unquestioned. If there were love
languages for discipleship, the disciples knew them all.
After his death and resurrection they began to reflect on who he was and what he did and their
love grew even deeper. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 2:6-9
“Jesus, 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!”
Jesus was God. He had the power, the authority the credentials but He put all that aside so that
could come down from heaven and die for our sins to bring us forgiveness.
Using Chapman’s love languages, Jesus spoke them all.
• Words of Affirmation
HE told them they were his friends, his brothers, and that God had adopted them into the family. He
told them how much he loved them and how much he cared for them.
• Quality Time
He spent three years with them. He ate, slept and journeyed with them. He was at their sides all the
time.
• Gifts
Not only did he provide for their needs, he also gave his life for them. He died for the forgiveness
of their sins. When he said, “This is my body broken for you.” He literally gave his body.
• Acts of Service
He stilled the storm, he provided bread, he healed the sick, led, guided and protected them.
• Physical Touch
No doubt he hugged them and encouraged them with his arm around their shoulders. He touched
them as was the custom of the day.
Jesus showed them and us how much he loves us all. He did it in every way possible. There is no
doubt about it, after reading the Gospels, that Jesus loves you and me.
So my question today is a simple one. Do you love Jesus? If you answer yes, then how are you
showing it?
James says that we can’t be hearers of the word only, we must be doers of it. That means it is
easy to say I believe, I love you, I care, but the real test of your words is what you do.
Jesus said “if you love me, feed my sheep.” Jesus said, “if you have done it for the least of these,
you’ve done it for me.” Jesus said, “let your yes, be a yes.” In all these sayings, Jesus was calling
for us to put our faith into action. He was calling us to declare our love for him with what we do.
That means sending quality time with him in worship and prayer. That means giving gifts, not
just to the church, but to all good and worthy causes. That means reaching out to minister to the
sick, the frail, the elderly and the poor. It means being a physical presence to those who are hurting
and need to feel his compassion.
Jesus calls us, if we love him, to speak his language of love to the world around us. You see we
are called to be the body of Christ in the world today. That means we are called to be the physical
presence of Christ wherever we go.
I spoke briefly with Dr. Anthony Alessi on Friday. He is a good Christian. He had just returned
from Haiti and I asked him about it. He shared a few short stories and then he paused, and he said,
“It was a spiritual journey.” He didn’t go on to elaborate what he meant, but I can tell you. When
you work in those situations, like we did in Mexico and Appalachia or on Sundays at the Interfaith
luncheon, you get the feeling that you are not alone. As you work, there is a sense that Jesus is
working right alongside of you.
So who do you love? I pray that you will find ways to express that love. Whether it be to your
spouse or significant other… or to God the lover of your soul. Go out and declare your love with
the way you live your life. Amen.
Luke 9:28-36 February 14, 2010
It’s Valentine’s Day so I thought I would begin by giving you a gift that you can share with the
one you love. Dr. Gary Chapman says that there are five ways that we communicate our love to
one another. He calls them the five love languages.
Basically these are five ways that we show each other that we care. It’s important to know and
understand them. He says most marriages run into trouble because couples don’t always
communicate their affections in the same way. For example one person may think that giving gifts
is the way to show love. Their partner may think it is words of affirmation. Both show their love in
their own unique language and yet both may feel the other person doesn’t love them. Why? Because
they are looking for them to return that love in the same way they give it. She says, “He never buys
me flowers.” He says “She never tells me I look good.” Knowing all five ways that we express
love, allows us to begin to see the things our partner does as ways of expressing their love. So
what are these five love languages?
• Words of Affirmation
This is when you say how nice your spouse looks, or how great the dinner tasted. These words
will also build your mate's self image and confidence.
• Quality Time
Some spouses believe that being together, doing things together and focusing in on one another is
the best way to show love. If this is your partner's love language, turn off the TV now and then
and give one another some undivided attention.
• Gifts
It is universal in human cultures to give gifts. They don't have to be expensive to send a powerful
message of love. Spouses who forget a birthday or anniversary or who never give gifts to someone
who truly enjoys gift giving will find themselves with a spouse who feels neglected and unloved.
• Acts of Service
Discovering how you can best do something for your spouse will require time and creativity. These
acts of service like vacuuming, hanging a bird feeder, planting a garden, etc., need to be done with
joy in order to be perceived as a gift of love.
• Physical Touch
Sometimes just stroking your spouse's back, holding hands, or a peck on the cheek will fulfill this
need.
So if you are married, dating or seeing someone, think about what you look for in your partner
that tells you they love you. Then talk to them about it. You will be glad you did.
Now what’s true in our human relationships is also true of our relationship with God. Are you
doing things that tell God how much you love him? What are those things?
Regular worship
Benevolent giving
Acts of service
Faithful devotions
Quality prayer time
I am sure that someone has come up with an official list but the one thing that I think covers
them all is respect and honor. If you respect someone, if you give them some authority in your life,
if you allow them to influence you, then it says something about their place in your life. I like the
cute little story told about this little boy who was having a hard time sitting still on the airplane.
The plane was crowded and it was just about to take off when the five-year-old boy began to
throw a temper tantrum. His embarrassed mother tried to calm him down, but the boy continued to
kick and scream.
Suddenly, from the rear of the plane, an Air Force General slowly walked up the aisle. He stopped
beside the boy, nodded to the mother, and leaned down to quietly talk to the boy. He motioned
toward his chest, patted the boy on the head and walked away. As if by magic, the boy immediately
calmed down and quietly fastened his seat belt.
All the other passengers burst into applause. As the General slowly makes his way back to his
seat, one of the cabin attendants touched his sleeve. "Excuse me, General, but what did you say to
that little boy?"
The old man smiled serenely and said,
"I showed him my pilot’s wings, service stars and battle ribbons and explained that they entitled
me to throw anyone I want out the door of any plane I’m on."
It’s amazing how much people will listen to someone with authority and who can back it up with
the proper credentials. That’s the idea behind the story we’ve just read in Luke 9. It is commonly
referred to as the Transfiguration of Jesus. In this encounter on the mountain, God drives home the
fact that Jesus had the right kind of authority and the proper credentials to lead them. And it was
such a powerful lesson that it is recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and Peter
refers to it in one of his letters.
With Peter, James and John as his companions, Jesus goes up on a mountain to pray. While they
are there, Jesus undergoes a transfiguration where his face begins to shine like the sun and his
clothes radiate with light. And as if that weren’t enough, two men suddenly appear and begin
talking with Jesus. One is Moses (the man who gave God’s Law to Israel) And the other is Elijah
(one of the greatest of the Prophets)
Peter is so overwhelmed by what he sees that he wants to turn this into a worship time. But just
then a thick cloud descends and a voice declares "This is my Son... Listen to him!"
Now, this wasn’t an accident.
This didn’t just happen.
This was pre-planned.
Jesus deliberately took His disciples up on the Mountain that day for a time of show and tell. And
He did it this way because He wanted to drive home to His disciples that He had the authority and
he had credentials to demand their attention. It set the stage for everything that would follow.
We are not going to go into it but our Old Testament reading today looks at Moses and his time
on the mountain. Something eerily similar happened to him when he went up the mountain and
came back down with the Ten Commandments. They could see that Moses had been with god
because his face radiated the light of God. He was changed and he forever more spoke with greater
authority.
Now this was important to Jesus. It was also the second time god had spoken. He also spoke at
his baptism. That time it may have been for John the Baptist’s benefit. God wanted him to know
that Jesus was the one.
In this case, it became one of those moments that the disciples would never forget. Jesus had
come into their lives and changed everything. Now they were getting the word that God had
something planned for them and that they should listen to Jesus.
If there was allegiance before that experience on the mountain, it was solidified in this encounter.
The disciples faithfully followed Jesus ever more closely.
Now that doesn’t mean they got everything right or that they were anything near perfect. But
from that moment forward their respect and their love was unquestioned. If there were love
languages for discipleship, the disciples knew them all.
After his death and resurrection they began to reflect on who he was and what he did and their
love grew even deeper. The apostle Paul writes in Philippians 2:6-9
“Jesus, 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!”
Jesus was God. He had the power, the authority the credentials but He put all that aside so that
could come down from heaven and die for our sins to bring us forgiveness.
Using Chapman’s love languages, Jesus spoke them all.
• Words of Affirmation
HE told them they were his friends, his brothers, and that God had adopted them into the family. He
told them how much he loved them and how much he cared for them.
• Quality Time
He spent three years with them. He ate, slept and journeyed with them. He was at their sides all the
time.
• Gifts
Not only did he provide for their needs, he also gave his life for them. He died for the forgiveness
of their sins. When he said, “This is my body broken for you.” He literally gave his body.
• Acts of Service
He stilled the storm, he provided bread, he healed the sick, led, guided and protected them.
• Physical Touch
No doubt he hugged them and encouraged them with his arm around their shoulders. He touched
them as was the custom of the day.
Jesus showed them and us how much he loves us all. He did it in every way possible. There is no
doubt about it, after reading the Gospels, that Jesus loves you and me.
So my question today is a simple one. Do you love Jesus? If you answer yes, then how are you
showing it?
James says that we can’t be hearers of the word only, we must be doers of it. That means it is
easy to say I believe, I love you, I care, but the real test of your words is what you do.
Jesus said “if you love me, feed my sheep.” Jesus said, “if you have done it for the least of these,
you’ve done it for me.” Jesus said, “let your yes, be a yes.” In all these sayings, Jesus was calling
for us to put our faith into action. He was calling us to declare our love for him with what we do.
That means sending quality time with him in worship and prayer. That means giving gifts, not
just to the church, but to all good and worthy causes. That means reaching out to minister to the
sick, the frail, the elderly and the poor. It means being a physical presence to those who are hurting
and need to feel his compassion.
Jesus calls us, if we love him, to speak his language of love to the world around us. You see we
are called to be the body of Christ in the world today. That means we are called to be the physical
presence of Christ wherever we go.
I spoke briefly with Dr. Anthony Alessi on Friday. He is a good Christian. He had just returned
from Haiti and I asked him about it. He shared a few short stories and then he paused, and he said,
“It was a spiritual journey.” He didn’t go on to elaborate what he meant, but I can tell you. When
you work in those situations, like we did in Mexico and Appalachia or on Sundays at the Interfaith
luncheon, you get the feeling that you are not alone. As you work, there is a sense that Jesus is
working right alongside of you.
So who do you love? I pray that you will find ways to express that love. Whether it be to your
spouse or significant other… or to God the lover of your soul. Go out and declare your love with
the way you live your life. Amen.
Pastor Cal Lord's Recent Sermons
| Welcome to the First Baptist Church of Norwich 239 West Main Street Norwich, Connecticut Phone: 860-889-0369 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |