February 24, 2008
Rev. Terry D. Campbell

Signs of Jesus’ Love
Romans 13:8 (NLT)  

“Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that! If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill all the requirements of God’s law.”

Signs are important.  They give us directions, make us aware of what is available that we might want, or help us see where to go.  But signs need to be well-worded!  These are actual signs seen in various buildings and locations:

Spotted on a toilet of a London office was this sign:

TOILET OUT OF ORDER. PLEASE USE FLOOR BELOW

In a Laundromat was this sign:

AUTOMATIC WASHING MACHINES: PLEASE REMOVE ALL YOUR CLOTHES WHEN THE LIGHT GOES OUT

In a London department store was this sign:

BARGAIN BASEMENT UPSTAIRS

In an office was this sign:

WOULD THE PERSON WHO TOOK THE STEP LADDER YESTERDAY PLEASE BRING IT BACK OR FURTHER STEPS WILL BE TAKEN

In an office was this sign:

AFTER TEA BREAK STAFF SHOULD EMPTY THE TEAPOT AND STAND UPSIDE DOWN ON THE DRAINING BOARD

Outside a secondhand shop was this sign:

WE EXCHANGE ANYTHING - BICYCLES, WASHING MACHINES, ETC.  WHY NOT BRING YOUR WIFE ALONG AND GET A WONDERFUL BARGAIN?

Notice in health food shop window was this sign:

CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS

Seen during a conference was this sign:

FOR ANYONE WHO HAS CHILDREN AND DOESN’T KNOW IT, THERE IS A DAY CARE ON THE FIRST FLOOR

Notice in a field, this sign:

THE FARMER ALLOWS WALKERS TO CROSS THE FIELD FOR FREE, BUT THE BULL CHARGES

Message on a leaflet read:

IF YOU CANNOT READ, THIS LEAFLET WILL TELL YOU HOW TO GET LESSONS

On a repair shop door was this sign:

WE CAN REPAIR ANYTHING.  (PLEASE KNOCK HARD ON THE DOOR - THE BELL DOESN’T WORK)

Signs are meant to help us do the right thing, not to mislead us.  Christians are to be a sign of Jesus at work, transforming and giving life.  As people see us, they either get the right impression of Jesus or the wrong one.  Remember Jesus told us in Matthew 5:16 (TNIV) -“’In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.’”

Love is a big thing with Jesus, the Bible and the Church of Jesus.  Jesus said, “Love one another as I have loved you.”  “For as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren you have done it unto me.”  The Bible tells us that the only debt we can never get rid of is the debt to love people.  It even says that love is the epitome definition of who God is.  While the church too often doesn’t demonstrate love in attitude or in action, still, we affirm that love for God and people is the key virtue we should manifest.

Love is a sign that God has been here:  When we live like Jesus, we Leave Our Victory Everywhere.  Salvation isn’t a private matter—It is personal and public in nature!  So let’s explore the signs of Jesus’ love.

Leave:

We are to leave kindness, goodness, blessing wherever we go.  1 John 3:18 (NCV) -“My children, we should love people not only with words and talk, but by our actions and true caring.” Christian love is more than just a warm, fuzzy emotion.  Jesus commanded us to “love.”  That moves us beyond feelings into the area of actions.

That is why we put the survey for Love INC opportunities in the bulletin.  To give you the opportunity to make known how you would be willing and able to “leave” your Christ mark through deeds of love in this community.  We need to know to whom to go as needs arise.  We can’t guarantee that you will get called tomorrow or next week or in six months.  We Christians can’t afford bruised feelings.  The sign of God needs to be ready to go up so that the world can see Him at work and begin to at least respect Him.

There are all kinds of ways to leave signs of Jesus’ love.  Teaching financial planning to people who struggle with using their money; building a wheelchair ramp, helping a child be a better reader or get practice doing arithmetic facts.

We need to be about living to leave the scent of Jesus’ love where we have been.

Our:

We are a part of a great army of people called to establish the presence and work of God throughout this world.  Together, Christians present a witness of the person of Jesus Christ.  Our unity in cooperation and purpose helps in that.

Jesus prayed for us in John 17:20-21-“’My prayer is not for them alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.’”

Christian inter-denominational and inter-congregational collaborations help the unbelieving world to have a better picture of the God of love.  Love In the Name of Christ is congregations banding together, big and small, United Methodists, Baptists, Non-Denominational, Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, etc, to produce that united witness of Jesus’ love.  We can celebrate that Bradley is a founding church in this movement of God’s love in Hancock County.

Victory:

2 Cor. 3:18-“And we, who with unveiled faces (open to be seen) all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”  Our lives are to reflect Jesus’ victory over self, sin and all that is evil in this world.  We are to show Jesus’ transformed life to this world.

2 Cor. 5:17-18-“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:”

1 John 4:19 (NLT)-“We love each other as a result of his loving us first.”  I show I have been loved by God by loving others.  I show I have been forgiven by God by forgiving others.  I show I have been blessed by God by blessing others.

Everywhere:

No limitations on where God calls us to do love.  In fact, John Wesley, founder of the Methodist Movement said, “The world is my parish.”  Not just in the church building, but show His love everywhere!  Not just with your family, but spread signs of Jesus’ love everywhere!  Not just when you are with your friends, but make His love seen EVERYWHERE!

“Pay all your debts, except the debt of love for others. You can never finish paying that!”  When can you stop leaving signs of our victory?  When do you want to start giving the wrong impression about the Lord?  When do you want to stop being humbly and awesomely grateful for all God has done for us in Christ?

What will you do now?

Christian, of what are you a sign?  When you leave a situation is the sweet and fragrant scent of Jesus’ love left there?  Is living  out Jesus’ love important to you?  I challenge us to choose frequently each day to be a sign of Jesus’ love by what you think, say and do.  Love In the Name of Christ.  Amen.

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