Admittedly, there are not very many good 3-D movies out there. But they are making more of them and when you find a good one, it’s usually worth the price of admission. Why? Because we suddenly see things on the movie screen that we don’t normally see. When that happens, the picture comes alive. Sometimes we need to see things in the Bible in the same way in order to get the deeper meaning. Hopefully, we will see this very old message in a new way this morning–as if we were seeing it in 3-D for the first time.

We will start with the definition of the word “Love.” Biblically speaking, love is one of the most misunderstood and most talked about words used in our Christian expressions. The first problem begins with the modern definition of the word love in English. Many dictionaries begin the many and varied lists of meanings with this: “Love is an emotion.” By far, the most widely used form of the word love is while we are thinking of it as a noun. An emotion. Generally a feel good moment, thing, or person. When using love this way, we are looking at it from the perspective of how does (blank) make me feel. If I feel good enough, then I say I love (blank).
But this is not how the Bible itself defines love. Take a look:

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails.

–1 Corinthias 13, 4-8a, NIV, ‘84

Love’s 3-D’s:

1. Love is a DECISION.  We do not often have a lot of say-so in whom we are attracted to.  But we can definitely choose whom we love!
2. Love requires DISCIPLINE. Practicing things like patience, kindness and not being self-seeking (or selfish) requires a lot of work!  These things do not come easily to most of us.  When I was younger, my grandmother told me I needed to pray for patience.  I told her I didn’t want any!
3. Love is DIFFICULT. The practice and the wishing will not make it so.  When we try to love someone, at some point we will fail.  We have difficulty understanding that.  We usually think of the other person as the one who fails.
4. Love is an action VERB! And here is the root of our problem!  We often think of love as “the way we ‘feel’ toward another person.”    But when we think that way, we are being “self-seeking” or “self-serving.”  We say we love someone when we feel good about being around them.  This emotion is more closely related to lust than love.  Lust is what we get–love is what we give.  As soon as many people stop “getting” in a relationship, then they want out.

So, what are we to do with this information? How do we live out Biblical love? It’s one thing to begin understanding love as a verb rather than a feel-good emotion, but it’s entirely another to figure out how Jesus would have us put that new-found knowledge into practice. If we are truly followers of Jesus, then we must figure out how to follow Him in the most important area:

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”

–Jesus, (John 13:34, NIV, ‘84)

So, how exactly, using love as an action we take, rather than an emotion we feel, do we go about loving others the Jesus wants us to? Let’s look:

27“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ‘sinners’ lend to ‘sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

–Jesus, (Luke 6:27-36, NIV, ‘84)

• Jesus tells us to love those who do not love us!
• Another way to say this is that we are supposed to do things we may not like doing for people we’d rather not be around!
• It’s not about us! It’s about Him and them!