Morgan Teruel: Thanks for tuning in to the Sandals Church podcast. Our vision as a church is to be real with ourselves, god, and others. We're glad you're here, and we hope you enjoy this message.
Melody Workman: I wanna ask if you can remember the first time that you ever thought you were in love. For me, it was the 4th grade because I like to get a jump on things in life. And it happened to be picture day and just you need to know, my mom took picture day serious for us as kids. We looked good. In fact, I have my 4th grade picture to show you how I came ready for picture day.
There I am. I know. I know. But just but just take note of the dress is pressed. The hair is curled.
The the lip gloss is dabbed. The bow is tied. I came ready. Unfortunately for my kids, I wasn't as good as my mom. And I can't tell you how many times when they were little we'd be pulling up to school and they'd go, mom, it was picture day.
And I'll be like, you're being raised in a church where the vision is to be real. Go be who you really are. That's how you really look. But on this particular day in 4th grade, I had I sat next to a kid named Angelo, names have been changed for privacy purposes. And, we were partnered together and I really didn't care much for Angelo to be honest.
There were just things about him that bugged me, like he was always late and so our row never got to go to recess first because we can never have everybody on our row be on time. Get your ish together, Angelo. He he always came down the aisle to his seat and looked like he'd spilled something on his shirt, his hair was always a mess, whatever breakfast he had was always like sitting in the corners of his mouth. And so even though our desks were supposed to be connected, I was always pulling mine over a little bit like I am not with him. Okay?
That's what I wanted people to understand. But we get to picture day, and it starts out like every other day, and I I see Angelo get in late, and as he comes down the aisle, I do this and then I do this. Something happened to Angelo on picture day. He had a clean white crisp shirt on that had been pressed. His hair had been gelled down.
There was no leftover breakfast in the corners of his mouth. He came around to get in a seat, my man was wearing cologne. And all of a sudden, I started feeling something a little different for Angelo. And that day went different because of how I felt. Angelo always could play kickball.
I never played kickball but that day I was in line. Right. My lunch, never had a seat for Angelo. I made room. Said here.
Afternoon reading group, I always picked a different partner. But on that day, I said, Angelo, you're my partner. I didn't I just made sure he understood. But then I started to notice that all the other girls in my 4th grade class, they were noticing Angelo too. So I said, you know what I need to do?
I need to stake my claim. As we're nearing the end of the day, this is how I used to text in the eighties nineties kids, listen up. I wrote a little note on a piece of paper, wrapped it up tight, put it in his desk. The note said, Angelo, I love you. Oh.
Do you love me? I put I put myself out there. And I waited a few moments, I mean, I I remember I do look good today, so the note came back into my desk, it said, yes. We were in love. We were in a relationship.
And now, I had to figure out how to be in 4th grade and be a wife. I had so much to think about. And I went home that night, and I did my homework, and I got up the next day, and I I didn't look as good as picture day, but I looked good because I'm in a relationship now. It's the right thing to do. And I go to my seat, and again, he was late.
I'm like, that's something we're gonna have to work on. But he came came down the aisle and it wasn't picture day anymore. He wore the same white shirt, but it looked like he has SpaghettiOs for dinner. The crusty oatmeal was back in the mouth crevices. The hair, like, he hadn't showered because half of it was gelled, but the rest was bed head.
And I didn't love him anymore. So my desk went back to being pulled over. Kickball came and I said, I'm good. Lunchtime came, I I was I had my peeps. Reading group, I'm like, no, I have a different partner today, and then a note came back to my desk the end of the day and it said, do you love me still?
And I wrote no. Because I didn't. What do you want from me, Angelo?
McKay Vandenberg: Sandals Church, thank you so much for joining us today. Before we jump in today's message, I just wanted to invite you to partner with Sandals Church in the work that we are doing. One way that you could do that is by giving financially at give.sc. Now, let's get back to our message.
Melody Workman: And that sounds ridiculous, but I was also 9. Okay? So it is ridiculous because I was a child, because that was a childish way to think about love. But listen, these are real definitions of children when they were asked to define love. You ready?
This is Carl, age 5. He says, love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving clone and they go out and smell each other. Emily, age 8 says, love is when you kiss all the time. And then when you get tired of kissing, you still wanna be together and talk more. My mommy and daddy are like that, and by the way, they look gross when they kiss.
When Emily's older, someone should tell her how that gross kissing brought her into existence, but Mark, age 6 says, love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross. That's how kids define love. And it's funny, but I wonder if I even went around this room or came to your campus or wherever you're watching and say, how would you define love? I wonder what you would tell me. In fact, as I was prepping for this message, I just started to look through so many resources of love definitions, and I compiled everything I read into this one sentence.
And this is the definition, not from children. It said, love is a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person. We might go, yeah, that sounds right. It makes sense because look at celebrity culture, 2 actors are just on the set and they just fell in love. They fell into a strong feeling and a year later, they fell out of love because they fell out of a strong feeling.
Know that the Corinthians who Paul was writing first Corinthians to, this definition of love made sense to them. You need to understand that the city of Corinth was a city known for sexual sin. Lots of prostitution. Think of a modern day Las Vegas, New York, and LA. And Paul had gone into Corinth, he had planted this church with young new believers and they were bringing some of that Corinth into the church.
And that's what Paul is addressing in first Corinthians. And we've spent the last few weeks with pastor Fredo and pastor Matt and Christina going through what love is and love isn't. And I just envision Paul writing first Corinthians 4 through 8. This this beautiful poetic, love is patient, love is kind, and he's writing all of this to the Corinthians. And then I envision that he sort of pauses and he thinks for a moment about how do I make this make sense?
And when we get to 1st Corinthians 13 11, I want you to listen to what Paul writes. He writes this, when I was a child, that word means infant or an immature one, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. Of course, you did. Of course, I loved silly when I was in the 4th grade, I was a child. But when I grew up, I put away childish things.
Another virgin says, when I became a man, when I became an adult, when I became a grown up, I've put an end to childish things. You know what Paul is communicating to the Corinthians? Some of your ideas and attitudes and behaviors around love are childish and you need to be done with them. The question I have for us today is, what if some of our ideas about love are childish and we need to be done with them? Point number 1 is this, Jesus wants me to put away my childish ideas and behaviors about love.
Listen, I was in the grocery store a few months ago and I was behind a woman who was older than me. You said, why does that matter? I don't know, it just does these days. And she picked up a magazine that had Travis and Tay Tay on the cover. It's not just the young folk all wrapped up in this love story.
And as she began to read through the magazine, she became visibly emotional. And she turned and looked and she said, it's the way he just supports her. And I was like, are you alright? Should should I hold your milk so you can have a moment? But we watch that.
Right? We watch this love story and we think about the lyrics. You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess. It's a love story. And we go, yeah, that's true love.
Isn't that true love? My question is I don't know. Is that true love? Where do you get your definition of love? Where do I get my definition of love?
As a follower of Jesus, what is the standard of love And is it any different than what we see around us? Where did Paul get his idea of love that he was introducing to the Corinthians? Because I have to tell you, what he was introducing to them was radical. It was next level love. It was mind blowing love based on their behavior and what they understood, and Paul didn't make it up.
Paul got this idea of love from Jesus himself. So we go back to the book of John, John 13 where Jesus is sitting with his disciples before the crucifixion. They have no idea what's coming. And listen to what he says in verse 33. He says, dear children.
Now let's pause right there. That word in the Greek literally is technia. It means little child. She's just being condescending? Is she being rude?
I I I'm just trying to be real with you. If I'm called into a meeting with other leaders and directors and pastors from Sandals Church, and pastor Mack and then he goes, okay kids, I might be a little offended. Now I'm not gonna tell him that he can do whatever he wants, but I'm just saying, in my heart, Jesus isn't being condescending though. He's not being rude. What he's about to tell them is really really hard.
He's being gentle, he's being tender. He tells them, I will only be with you a little longer. That right there is hard for them. What do you mean Jesus? But it gets harder.
Listen to what he says in verse 34, I'm giving you a new commandment, love each other. They say that's not new, we know the law, he keeps going. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Now up to this point, Jesus has loved them well, but they don't know how Jesus is about to love them. They have no idea.
He's about to show them the ultimate love demonstration and then he says this, your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples. This new commandment of love, this new idea, this radical idea of love, it's the only love that can change the world. That's what Jesus is saying. But you know what I'm here to tell you today? This is the only kind of love that can change your world.
That's right. Your marriage, your family, your relationships is this kind of love that Jesus is talking about, and here's what Jesus is talking about. Pastor Matt introduced us to this idea a few weeks ago. It's agape. It's agape.
Pastor Matt told us there's 8 Greek words for love and agape is the noblest of them all, and that is the word he's using in John 13, and that is the word that Paul is using in 1st Corinthians 13. And I want you to listen to how a theologian describes agape. Biblical Agape is the love of choice. The love of serving with humility. The highest kind of love.
The noblest kind of devotion. The love of the will. It's an intentional conscious choice. It is not motivated by superficial appearance. Sorry, Angelo.
Emotional attraction or sentimental relationship. Agape is not based on pleasant emotions or good feelings that might result from a physical attraction or a familial bond. It chooses as an act of self sacrifice to serve the recipient. This is agape and that is beautiful. Right?
Yes. But it's really hard. That's right. Really hard. In fact, it's so hard that Jesus knew telling the disciples, this is gonna actually blow their minds, but also this, Romans 5:8 is where we learn that this is how Jesus has loved us.
He has loved us. Romans 5:8. This is from the message version. Jesus presented himself for the sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway.
Listen, we can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice, but hold on. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his son in sacrificial death while we were of no use to him whatsoever. Amen. Wow. You hear that?
Yes. You read that, you receive that, and you say thank you that you have loved me this way. Here's the definition for Agape that you can remember. Here it is, your deficiencies don't determine my devotion. Your deficiencies, your flaws, your inadequacies.
Man, let me tell you, I know about Melody's deficiencies. I can stand here and tell you how I failed my husband, failed my kids, the sin that I go back to after I've confessed it, The struggles that I have on the day to day and yet Jesus says, Melody, I know that too. And your deficiencies don't determine my devotion. Your deficiencies don't determine Jesus' devotion. He knows and he stays.
But listen, that's not where it ends. We throw up our hands and give him a hallelujah when we hear that, but you know where it changes? When Jesus says, now that you've been loved by me, I'm telling you to go love like me. This is radical. This is hard, but please note this wasn't a suggestion.
Jesus didn't say something I want you guys to consider once I'm gone. Jesus said a new commandment I give to you. How we love demonstrates how we obey. I'm I wonder though in that moment with the disciples how they responded to this. You just have to envision Peter.
Right? You can just always envision Peter. I'm sure he's looking around, guys, you got it? Love each other. Mhmm.
K? Everybody got it? A few a few chapters later, Peter gets his the very first love test and he fails miserably. Do you know Jesus? I don't know him.
I've never seen him in my life. Like But I love following the journey of Peter in the gospels because he gives me so much hope. Yes. Think about think about the things we know about Peter. Jesus walks on water.
Peter says, me too, he sings. Sweet little children running to Jesus. Peter's like, nope. Peter became a bouncer in the moment. Jesus is getting arrested in the garden.
Peter's like, not my Jesus, cuts a man's ear off. But one of my favorite Peter, like, what? Is the mount of transfiguration where Jesus like, the bible says he takes Peter, James, and John up and Jesus lights up like a human glow stick in front of him and Moses and Elijah come down from the presence of God. Peter, James, and John don't know what to do and what to say and Peter goes, how about we make y'all some tents? Like, what, Peter?
I just wonder You know, here's what I think of Peter. I think Peter was what I call a blurter. He just blurted. He thought it, he said it. Maybe you know someone like that, maybe it's you.
But when my daughter was little, she was a blurter. She thought it, she said it. And one day I was after church, I was a pastor's wife, I'm standing in the lobby, I'm trying to soul care this woman with genuine sincerity. She is telling me something she's been through, she is struggling, she is crying, I've got Addie propped on my hip, I'm I'm tenderly just got my hand on this woman's shoulder listening to her, I mean she's weeping you guys. And she finally takes a breath and I'm just just holding the space with her And Addison goes, how come you're a lady and have a mustache?
There's no recovery from that. She spoke clearly. I wish in that moment she had bad speech or something, but she didn't. There were so many times when Addie was growing up where I would say, oh, Addie. And I just wonder if there were times with Peter where Jesus was like, oh, Peter.
But let's be real. If my journey of following Jesus was put into the most famous book ever and millions of people got to read it, I can't tell you how many times you'd say, oh Melody. If your journey of following Jesus was for everybody to see But guess what? Peter's deficiencies didn't determine Jesus's devotion.
McKay Vandenberg: That's right.
Melody Workman: And the very last conversation that Peter and Jesus have before Jesus really is about to peace out, John 21, listen to what Jesus says to Peter. They're at the beach after breakfast and he asked Simon Peter, Simon, do you love me more than these? Yes, Lord, Peter replied. You know I love you. Then feed my lambs, Jesus said.
He repeats the question, Simon, son of John, do you love me? Yes, Lord, Peter said, you know I love you. Then take care of my sheep, Jesus said. And the third time he asked him, Simon son of John, do you love me? And it says Peter was hurt that Jesus was asking the question again.
He said, Lord, you know everything, you know that I love you and Jesus said, feed my sheep. What would that conversation look like for you? Melody, do you love me? Lord, I love you. Melody, do you love me?
Love is action, not emotion. Every time Jesus asks Peter, he gives him an action which is to say, if you love me then you will do this. My question is, what does your life say about what you love? How would you answer that question for Jesus? Here's point number 2, real love leads to real sacrifice.
You wanna know if you love somebody? You can measure the depth of your love by your willingness to sacrifice. Culture says, you're ready to love when you're ready to compromise. Jesus says, you're ready to love when you're ready to sacrifice. I love that in this day, in this modern technology world we live in, that all these people's ring cameras are catching so much real life that's on YouTube for public consumption.
And a few months ago, I was watching this man and his wife, they were from the South, they had real southern accents like like my dear mom and they're walking out to their car and you can just hear them talking, he's carrying something, she's got some sort of pet carrier in her hand, he's like, I need to wash my car And then all of a sudden out of nowhere, this animal runs up and starts attacking his wife and this man doesn't pause, He throws whatever's in his hand, he he runs around the van, and he grabs, he doesn't even look to see what it is. He grabs this animal off his wife, she's screaming, and he's running out and he gets to the front yard and he goes, it's a bobcat. This man is holding a bobcat and he like hurls it across the yard and runs back to his wife. He It's not funny but it's hysterical. But I'm telling you that man didn't pause.
Something's attacking his wife, he's going right there. He picked up that animal not knowing if it was feral, if it was rabbit, he went for it. Why? Because he loves her. He will sacrifice himself for her.
A few weeks ago, I see a video of a woman in Cabo, apparently at Cabo, bulls can roam the beach. Yeah. And, she's like letting the bull look in her bag like, lady it's a bull. Okay? And people around her, you can hear them saying, what?
Leave him alone. You're putting yourself in danger, you're putting us in danger, and in a split second that bull turned and started bucking her all across the beach. Again, it's not funny but I have a problem left. But here's the truth, nobody stepped in for her. Why?
They don't know her. They don't love her. They said, we told you not to do that. Real love leads to real sacrifice. John 15 13, no one has greater love nor stronger commitment.
The word commitment is important than to lay down his own life for his friends. Teenagers and young adults, I wanna talk to you for just a moment and I want you to hear me say this, I love you and I am for you. I've got a 20 year old, an 18 year old and a 17 year old right now. So I feel like I have some perspective into where you are. But I see something dangerous happening and not just out in the world but in the church.
Some of you are pursuing or in relationships that you just aren't ready for. Other people that you just aren't ready for. You are infatuated with the idea of love but you don't yet possess the character to love someone that get way that God intended them to. And in that, you're conflating love with a lot of other ideas. I love him.
No. You're obsessed with him. I love her. No, you love the attention you get from her. I love them.
No, you love the physical pleasure you are receiving from them. And here's why that's so dangerous because at its core, that is elevating getting over giving and giving is what love is. So you know what some of you need to do? You need to wait. You don't yet possess the character and I wanna tell you something, you're inflicting more damage than you think you are.
How many of you in here have a car? You have a car, raise your hand. Alright. How many of you keep your hands up? How many of you would give the keys to your car to an 8 year old?
The only hand up anywhere is an 8 year old's because that sounds like a great idea to them. But it wouldn't matter to you if that 8 year old 8 year 8 year old said to you, no, I've been watching people drive and I feel like I can do this. I play video games. You don't understand, man. I got this.
You're not handing the keys to your car to an 8 year old but we're handing keys to hearts to 14, 15, 16, 17 year olds all the time who don't know what they're doing and there's crashes happening all around us. When I was a teenager, you guys, I thought I was so ready. I mean, I thought I was ready in 4th grade. And one night, I was frustrated with my dad and he was frustrated with me because I was trying to hurry into a relationship. I was a lot you guys, you can probably imagine that.
But I never forgot what my dad said to me that night. He said, Melody, God has great plans for your life if you would just be willing to wait. I want you to hear that wisdom today, young person. God has great plans for your life if you will just be willing to wait. But married people, what does your love look like when she gains weight?
When he loses his job? When they get sick or you get bored? When the idea of I can't wait to fall asleep in your arms turns into, bro, you sound like a freight train the way that you snore. And your circumstances change and then so does your love.
McKay Vandenberg: That's right. Yep.
Melody Workman: Listen. And when we aren't feeling it anymore or we're not getting our way, we quit or we cheat or we hide or we complain or we give this silent treatment and we stop trying because the foundation of our love is immature. It's weak. It's childish. It's 4th grade picture day kind of love.
And that's not what Jesus is calling us to. That is not what Jesus has commanded us to. Listen. Here's what Jesus is saying to us. To love like a grown up means to give up.
Not to give up, but to give up my rights, my preferences. I'll love you if I'll love you when. I'll stop loving you if. Look at what he says to Peter in John 21/18. He's talking to Peter.
Notice the reference. He says, I tell you the truth, Peter. Peter, when you were young. See how Jesus keeps going back to childhood? You were able to do as you liked.
You dressed yourself, you went wherever you wanted to go, but when you are old, Peter, he says, you will stretch out your hands. Peter, you will give up and others will dress you and take you where you don't wanna go. Do you know what Jesus is doing? He is predicting the way that Peter will die for the gospel. Peter goes from the disciple that denied him to the disciple that dies for him.
Peter, the guy that always got it wrong, was always messing up, bailed when Jesus needed him most. He grew up in his love and gave his life which was the ultimate sacrifice. There is a lesson from Peter's life that Jesus wants us to learn and this is so important for the church today. Please don't miss this. Spiritual infancy is where we're meant to start but not stay.
We aren't meant to stay infants and childlike in our faith. We are supposed to grow up. Peter grew up and I'm asking, are you growing up in your faith? Do you see change in your life spiritually? Can you look back and go, I used to think that way but I don't think that way anymore.
We don't think anything of watching a baby drink from a bottle, But if your kid walks in the middle school and comes home and said, bro, Bobby had a bottle at lunch. We might send a note to the teacher. It's like when I go to Starbucks and they try to hand me a sippy cup, I'm grown. Okay? How though?
How do we grow up? You know what's beautiful? You know who's gonna tell us how to grow up? Peter himself. After all that time with Jesus, we go to 1st Peter, it's the end of chapter 1 in verse 22, look what he's talking about, he's talking about love.
So now you must show sincere love to each other. As brothers and sisters, love each other deeply with all your heart. How Peter? How do we do this? Look at the beginning of chapter 2.
Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. And then he says, cry out for this nourishment. Don't be satisfied to stay little in your faith. Don't be satisfied to be a malnourished, unloving Christian. Paul says that to Paul says this to the Corinthians.
Jesus says this to Peter. Peter says this to us and listen church, here's what we cannot miss. To grow up in your faith, means to grow up in your love. Which means, if you are not growing up in your love, you are not growing up in your faith. You say, but I serve every week.
Thank you. Please don't stop serving, but how are you loving? I've been through rogo school. Bless. How are you loving?
I lead worship. Amazing. But how are you loving? If you are really growing up in your faith, then you are growing up in your love. You cannot read the new testament and pull those two things apart and growing up in your love means putting away childish things.
I wonder if you can remember toys or things that you played with when you were a child. This right here, was my cabbage patch kit I got when I was 6 years old. My 6 year old little hands put this outfit on her, same pacifier. I loved this doll, my mom went to great lengths to get me this doll, but one of my favorites. I don't know how many of you were into dress up but my daughter loved to play dress up.
In a matter of moments, she could be a Disney princess, right? Some of you guys in here, you remember having the fast car. I used to hear my son, vroom vroom vroom all the time up and down the stairs, hit me in my head, everything else. Blue hair Barbie, I didn't have one with blue hair but you know, it's 2024 and just loved brushing my barbie's hair pretending that, you know, one day I'd have a dream house on a school teacher's salary too and that was nice. Or superheroes, you knew you you felt mighty, you felt strong, they would battle each other and whoever you were would win.
You remember, right? What were your child favorite childhood toys or things that you play with? Is that going through your mind right now? But now imagine this, imagine if you showed up today or you're watching us online from a campus, and I was giving this sermon in a princess dress up costume. You might be like, I don't think it's Halloween.
I'm pretty sure it's If I was going through my points pushing my Cabbage Patch Kid in a baby stroller, If I started racing cars, you would be slightly concerned and you should be. You might be like security, like what's happening at Sandals Church? Because as great as these things are and as great as these things were, I've outgrown them. They're childish, It would be strange. It would be absurd.
The question for us to as we grow up in our love is, when does this become absurd to us? Because first Corinthians 13 says, love isn't selfish. When do we stop walking around with so much of this? Because we realize, this is what kids do. Kids hold grudges, but not devoted followers of Jesus.
Or this. It just has to be your way, like a kid on the playground. Who in your life is suffering because you still lose your temper? You're childish in the way that you love because of your anger. When do we get to the point in our life, where we go, I've I should have outgrown all this stuff by now.
Who in your life is hurting or suffering because of your unwillingness to put away your childish behaviors and attitudes about love? If you've ever moved, then this box is familiar to you. And actually, 10 years ago this week, was when Adam and I got on a plane on the east coast and came out to the west coast to contemplate moving to a church called Sandals. And I remember going home and we had 2 kids at the time telling Elijah and Addison that we were gonna move and at first they were nervous and excited, but then reality hit when we started bringing the boxes home. And I remember one day I went into Addison's room and I was gonna start boxing everything up and she said, can I help?
And I said, sure sweetie. And she just starts putting everything in the box. And I said, no baby, we can't take everything. She goes, why? This is all my stuff.
I said, I know baby, but we have to put everything in our house onto a moving truck and that moving truck isn't as big as this house, we're gonna have to get rid of some things. And I remember big tears filled her eyes. She didn't wanna leave anything. This was all her stuff. Even the broken toys, even the clothes that didn't fit, it all was hers.
And as gently as I could, because I love her and I'm her mom, I sat with her on the floor and we we grieved a little bit together, but then I started trying to cast vision for Addison, for what was to come, that she was growing up, that she was getting bigger, that there's just some things we didn't need anymore. And I wanna tell you something, Jesus is gentle with you and with me. When he begins through the Holy Spirit to poke on us and tell us what childish behaviors and attitudes about love we need to put away. He sits with us. Maybe your pride isn't something that you wanna be, it's just what you saw in your dad or your mom, so it makes you strong.
Getting rid of that makes you feel weak over vulnerable and Jesus is saying, I'm gonna help you put that away. I can't forgive because of what they did. And Jesus is saying, I know what they did, but I have forgiven you, and I'm giving you the power to forgive them. I just, I want what I want, I want it my way and Jesus say, I know. I know that and I love you and I'm gonna help you.
I'm gonna sit here with you and we're gonna grow together because that's not who I want you to be. Maybe you grew up around anger. Maybe it's all you know. Maybe just you have a short fuse and you don't wanna be like that anymore. And Jesus is saying, I can help you grow in love and patience.
And as a gentle father or mother would, he helps us take all of these things that we have outgrown that don't fit us anymore that won't fit with where we're going. And Jesus is saying, it's time to put away childish things. I have something so beautiful for you, so incredible for you that if you will trust me and you will let go of that and you will cling to me, I will take you places you've never been. I will create in you a person of love that you never thought you could be. But Jesus can do it.
And I want you to imagine with me for a moment if everyone in Sandals Church decided that at the end of this series, we were all going to collectively be done with our childish things. What could happen in the world around us if we decided that today, today, as hard as it might be, but through the power of Jesus, you're gonna take your first step into your new future, putting away who you used to be, but knowing that's not who you are anymore. In just a moment, if you're watching from a campus, I'm going to have the campus host come up. But as you've been listening to this, I want you to think, what might Jesus be tapping on right now to say, hey, it's that. Who in your life is hurting or suffering because of the childish idea or behavior about love you're holding onto?
What relationship might you lose if you don't change? Jesus, because he is love, is ready and willing today to help you put that away and move into becoming the person he's called you to be. Jesus, I pray that today, we would open ourselves up to you, we would open up our hearts, and we would say, God, let's pull out the moving box and you show me what I've outgrown, and then God, would you give me the power and the strength to be done with it? Knowing that we can only do this through your strength, we don't possess this strength on our own. Jesus, would you make us people of love, people of agape?
Would we become the best ambassadors for love that the world has ever seen? Because we know in our heart of hearts that without your love, we would be nothing. But you love us this way and you're calling us to love others with a full sacrificial love. And because we've been loved by you, we want to love like you. In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.