How to Love like Jesus (even when its difficult) | Season 8 Ep 6

The final journey through our Twelve Disciples series culminates with John—the passionate apostle who unabashedly referred to himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." This bold declaration wasn't mere arrogance; it reveals a man who understood his core identity came from being loved by Christ.

The revolutionary nature of John's message cannot be overstated. Writing in a time when many believed God's love was restricted to a chosen few, John boldly proclaimed that salvation was available to "whosoever believes." His famous declaration in John 3:16 dismantles barriers of exclusion and invites everyone into relationship with God. This universal invitation remains profoundly relevant today in our divided world, challenging us to extend grace beyond our comfortable boundaries.

What would change if you embraced this same identity? Like John, you too can declare, "I am the one Jesus loves"—not because you've earned it, but because God's universal love includes you.

Transcript

Introduction to the Final Disciple

Speaker 1 0:00

Hey all, thank you for joining us here at Grab the Faith, where we try to grab the faith and run with it. Join us as we try to learn a little more, grow a little more and live a lot more. I'm your host, bobbi Gentry Goodwin. Stay tuned for this week's episode. Good evening, good evening, and thank you for joining me tonight as we finish our final disciple tonight. I'm excited. I did it, you did it, we did it. We went through this entire study, each and every disciple, just picking out some points of their life that we could study and get to know them a little bit better. So, are you proud of yourself? Because I'm proud of myself, okay, and I've learned a lot, and I hope that you have too. So we're going to be tasked with our final 12th disciple tonight and we are leaving off with some kind of disciple.

Speaker 1 1:06

I love this disciple, okay, and I know I said that about some of these disciples. Maybe I just love the word of God, let's be clear but I love this disciple because the wonderful thing about him that really just got me right from the beginning, not even in this study, but I love his name, is it? It's just that simple. You don't. Have you ever seen someone and something just about them that you like, even though you don't even know them? And that's how I feel about John, because my granddaddy name was John and his reputation preceded him. He was a man of love and anybody who knew him would speak to his loving and kind heart. And that's how I view John. So that's what we're going to be talking about, okay, because I view him from that lens that he is a loving disciple. As a matter of fact, he called himself the disciple that Jesus loved. Talk about a little boldness and swagger. Okay, so he was all about love and that is who we're gonna be studying tonight, the beloved disciple of John. Now, I, as I mentioned, my granddaddy, had that name and, listen, I think John is such a great name, right, but the name I love even more is Jesus. So as we talk about John, we gonna do a lot of talking, a lot about Jesus. So let's get into this study tonight. I'm gonna give you some facts right off the top. So, if you taking those, grab your pen and paper so you can grab some facts right off the top and then we gonna dance with him a little bit as we finish this disciple study.

Speaker 1 2:42

Now, one thing is clear as I read a study for this study tonight how much John just proclaimed that he was the disciple that Jesus loved. But what was clear to me was how much John loved Jesus. He had a lot to say about him and he was the author of not one book, not two books, but five books in the Bible. Okay, he read five written five books in the Bible, and the book that we're going to be talking about tonight is a dynamic book. So if you are new to the faith, if you want to learn about the faith, this is a great book to start with, because one of the things that John does and does it so well he champions the cause of Christ, he champions the love of Christ, he champions the sacrifice of Christ, he champions the miracles of Christ, he champions the deity of Christ. See, john wanted us to know who, exactly what we were dealing with, and I love that about him, because sometimes people show up and you think you're getting one version, but you're getting another version. Right, you're getting one version, and then 10, 10 weeks down the line, you seeing somebody else. Listen, john wanted us to know that Jesus showed up on the scene, his ministry three and a half years, and I want to say he wanted people to know you. What you see is what you get.

Speaker 1 4:19

Take a look at one of the most well-known Bible verses, which was penned by our disciple we're studying tonight, out of his own book, john 3.16. Now, are you familiar with John 3.16? Do I even need to read it? Okay, if you're not familiar, I'm going to read it. But most of us who love the Lord and who has been walking with the Lord, whether we knew or not, know this verse. And even those who don't even know the Lord know this verse. John 3, 16 says this for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son I'm reading out of the NLC now that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. You know that verse. What does that verse speak of? What does that? Let's pick our teeth a little bit as we get to that meter, that verse. What does that verse really mean? What does it encompass? Right there? From the start, it speaks of God's love. And so tonight we're going to be couching right there in a book that's written by our own disciple. Obviously we're going to be couching in the gospel of John. He wrote four other books but we're going to be couching in the gospel tonight, which is also known as the fourth gospel. There's three other gospels Matthew, mark, luke and the fourth gospel, which is John.

John: The Disciple Jesus Loved

Speaker 1 5:39

But this book of John is not like any other gospel. It is not a part of the synoptic gospels the other three and synoptic just means, you know, everything kind of aligns with each other. Everything kind of says the same thing but says it in a different way, different accounts, right, but this gospel has been held as one of the most theological gospels of all four. This gospel of John is unique and I know from reading this gospel it has so much good, good food in it. So when you get a chance, once we finish this disciple study, go on and read this book of John.

Speaker 1 6:33

This gospel is, oh my goodness, it's like a steak. Okay, let me just be clear. It's like a steak. And the one thing that I love about it the most not only this verse 316, because it was probably the first verse I learned in my life, but I also love it talks about in the beginning. So it brings us all the way back to Genesis. It ties it in that God is the creator and that the Trinity was there in the process, that there was God, that there was the father and that there was excuse me, there was God, there was the Son and the Holy Spirit, all in the beginning and all in this book. He starts off his writing letting you know about the Triune God. I'm already getting too passionate. I think I am. Okay, let me slow, let me slow down, let me slow down. Okay. So back to our study.

Speaker 1 7:33

So this book in particular was written to a universal audience, right? So when, as we study the Bible, you know certain books was written to certain audience. It's called context, right? So when you read in the Bible, you always got to keep it in the context. There's a historical context, there's a cultural context, there's all these different contexts, right? So in this book in particular, it was written universally. Mark wrote, most likely, they say scholars say, to the Gentile Christians in Rome. Matthew, scholars say, wrote his book to the Greeks, right, I mean, excuse me, to the Jews.

Speaker 1 8:05

So this book was written universally to highlight the deity of God. That's why it goes all the way back to Genesis 1 1, right, to let people know what you see is what you get, that God sent Jesus and Jesus is the Son of God and all of it was because he loved. So if you have your Bibles, come on and join me now as we couch in John, chapter 3, the gospel of John, because there's first, second and third John. We ain't going there. The gospel of John, chapter 3, verses 13 through 17,. Nlt version Okay, verses 13 through 17,. Nlt version okay.

Speaker 1 8:51

No one which says this. No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the son of man has come down from heaven. Now I could just couch right there because, listen, nobody has ever gone to heaven. But listen, god sent his son down to us. He came to get us saints, he came for us saints. Don't miss that that you can't go up there. But he sent his son down here so that we can go up there. How about that? Okay, I'm stuck on verse 13. I'm ready to shout already, but, okay, I'm calming down tonight.

The Universal Message of John 3:16

Speaker 1 9:22

No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of man has come down from heaven, the deity of God, that's what he's talking about right here. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness. That's a throwback to the Old Testament, the book of numbers. As Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the son of man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. For this is how God loved the world. He gave his one and only son so that everyone, everyone, don't miss that. That's important in our study tonight. That speaks to the relationship. Right, everyone can be in relationship with God. Everyone who believes in him that creates the relationship will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his son, the love of God. Now we're talking. God sent his son into the world not to judge the world right, not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. That is the gospel. The gospel, okay. Now, and who was sent into the world? Who are we talking about?

Speaker 1 10:48

We talk about John's close friend, jesus. How do I know he's John's close friend? Because he was a disciple. He was one of the 12 that we studied that was called by Jesus to work alongside Jesus, work alongside Jesus, and John in particular was in his inner circle, right Peter, james and John. That was Jesus's inner circle. Okay, now, this disciple, john. This disciple often referred to himself as the disciple Jesus loved. Okay, and that just makes me laugh. He often referred to himself.

Speaker 1 11:27

I am the disciple that. Now I know it's 11 other disciples, but I am the disciple that Jesus loved. How bold is that? But having walked with Jesus for a minute, having had him call my name, I can boldly declare the same thing. I get John, hear me, I get him. I am the person Jesus loves. Now I know he loves everybody, but I can stand flat-footed and bold and tell you, as sure as I'm sitting here, I am a person that Jesus loves. What boldness, what boldness that speaks to his relationship with Christ. What boldness that speaks to the goodness of Christ. What boldness that speaks to how he viewed himself in the relationship that he had with Christ. I get my brother John, you get him. I am the one that Jesus loved. Listen me and my sister argued about that for many, many years, right when my daddy was alive. I would say I'm the one that daddy loves, I'm his favorite daughter. He loves me the most, knowing full well he loved us all, but we each individually received his love.

Speaker 1 12:49

Now let's be clear Jesus loved all the disciples. So when you hear inner circle, you can start thinking oh, there's a hierarchy here, but let's be clear Jesus loved all the disciples. He had a plan and a purpose for all of them. That's why he called them and just as he loved them, he loves us, and he has a plan and a purpose for each of our lives. Do you know that tonight, that Jesus has a plan and a purpose for your life? Do you know that tonight, that he loves you in spite of you? Do you know that tonight, that you can stand flat-footed and bold and declare that you are the one that Jesus loves? Ain't nothing like it. Ain't nothing like it.

Speaker 1 13:39

We have learned week after week in these studies how God loves, how he is in relationship, how he champions, how he is, and that the one who was sent is the one that sins. He purposes see John 17 and 18 says just as I sent me into the world, just as you, he taught. This is Jesus talking. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. Them is us, them is the disciples.

Speaker 1 14:15

Jesus had a clear mission. What's your mission tonight? What is he sending you to? Just as God sent him, he's sending us. He is our example. What are you showing in your life about Jesus, are you showing Jesus's love, are you showing his compassion, are you showing his value of relationship? What are you showing? Well, john was showing some things and that's what we're learning about tonight as we talk about return to sender. See, john received God's love and he sent it right back to him.

Speaker 1 14:55

See these disciples. Their mission was to carry out the purposes of God and many of them did it. I'm not going to say all, because we had our study on Judas, but many of them did it where they were doing things individually or a select few, or collectively. What does that model for us? As we've studied these disciples, that we can preach individually, like Peter. We can hook up, like Peter and John did all over the Acts of the Apostles. We can even come together in groups, like the disciples did to feed the 5,000. All of it is to advance the kingdom of God and that's the beauty as we study John, that God allows us to know that serving him is a process. He is sending us, yes, but he's also equipping us through his word. That's why we studying tonight, because we see John and the other disciples go from students to teachers, from unsaved to saved, from milk to solid food, progressing towards sanctification. All my ministers, you know about progressive sanctification. It's not an overnight process, see. Salvation is a one and done, but growing in God is a process. That's why we're here to read the Bible.

Speaker 1 16:26

Anybody come to read and study the Bible tonight, to seek the face of the Lord. Anybody want to fast and pray, see, that's what I love about John in particular. We meet him at one point in scripture with his daddy's Ebony, but we end off with him in scripture in the presence of his father the father. See, we see a transition. We meet him on the boat with Zebedee and then we see him in the presence of the father in a vision from the island of Patmos in Revelation of the Father, in a vision from the island of Patmos. In Revelation, we want to return to sender. We want to start some place and end some place. If you didn't catch it, that's my topic for this Bible study tonight Return to sender.

Return to Sender: Reflecting God's Love

Speaker 1 18:04

John is transformed by God's love and he wanted us to know about it, to communicate universally in his book to the entire world that God is divine, yet he's also human, that God so loved the world that he also gave his son, and that not only that, but to be saved from death, we got to look up. We got to look up to Jesus that we might have eternal life. This relationship that has to be formed, john's identity and ministry encompass the love of God, all wrapped up in John 3.16. Listen and hear me clearly tonight as we move on in this lesson. We cannot miss what John is saying to us that we all could be partakers.

Speaker 1 19:14

That the love of Christ is not just for a select few. You know, the world wants you to think that. See, that's the division that the devil has placed upon us, that the love of Christ is just for a select few. The love of Christ is just for a select few. Listen, this universal gospel is here to let us know that whosoever believes, whether you black, white, yellow, brown, purple, red, it don't matter Whether you was rural, born in a city, whether you live on a farm or live in a high rise, it don't matter Whether you a boy, whether you a girl, whether you trying to figure it out, it doesn't matter. He loves you and he wants to be in relationship with you. So you can claim, just as John did I am the disciple, I am the one that Jesus loved. See, john proclaimed this despite his faults. John proclaimed this despite him asking silly questions.

Speaker 1 20:26

John proclaimed this despite his shortcomings, even the times he let Jesus down. He fell asleep in the garden of Gethsemane Can't y'all just watch with me? He fell asleep but he still proclaims I am the one that Jesus loves. I'm marveled at this, because sometimes I feel like I let Jesus down. Sometimes I feel like I'm not the person that he wants me to be. Oh, I'm getting emotional. Sometimes I don't show up like I need to show up for him. Sometimes I don't do what I need to do or he wants me to do. Sometimes I drop the ball. Sometimes I feel shame and guilt. Sometimes I get caught up in my trauma, stuck there. Sometimes I do. But it is such a privilege to read John's account that, no matter what, I am the one. I'm the one he sent Jesus for and you're the one he sent Jesus for. Don't miss that.

From Zebedee's Boat to Patmos

Speaker 1 21:31

Tonight, as we study this disciple who wants us to know he's a universal God here for everybody, from America to Australia to Antarctica, the whole world is going to be preached the gospel and then Jesus is going to come back. Listen, from working on that boat with his father and being around his mother Salome, to being called by God to his brother, to hanging out with Peter like Batman and Robin in the book of Acts, to even being at the foot of the cross watching the one he loved and the one he knew loved him die and charging him to take care of his mother. John still proclaims I'm the one. He had a relationship. Hear me tonight. Return that love right back to the center. He had a relationship, he knew the value of God's love and that's an important point tonight. Write that down. Know the value of God's love, that the sacrifice should not be in vain.

Speaker 1 23:09

John is a team player, taking on ministry with Peter on Jesus, mother laying hands on people. John is a team player for everybody because he's emulating his father. He's emulating Jesus out there making a dip. Can we emulate Jesus tonight? Oh, I, that's a word for me, cause sometimes, when I get set, I just need to remember who I am in Christ and who he's created me to be, not who the world say I am. Hallelujah, hallelujah. It's the love of Christ that makes me who I am. It's the love of Christ that got put breath in my love. It's the love of Christ that makes me who I am. It's the love of Christ that put breath in my life. It's the love of Christ that got me on here trying to talk to you tonight.

Speaker 1 23:55

John showed us, through his sacrifice and service, the same thing Jesus did Sacrifice and serve, washing those disciples feet. We see John saying in Revelation, chapters 1 and 9 chapter 1, verses 9 John, your brother and compassion, we all in this together. Thank you, john. We all in this together, john, your brother and compassion in the suffering and Kingdom and patient endurance that is ours in Jesus was on the island of Patmos because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. Why, why are you here? Why are you here? Why are you here?

Speaker 1 24:46

Saints Talk about sacrifice and service. We are the companions in the suffering. Even Jesus told us that we got to take upon his cross sacrifice and service. Now, I know that's bad words. These days, not too many is willing to sacrifice and service. Now, I know that's bad words. These days, not too many is willing to sacrifice and serve.

Speaker 1 25:09

We don't see legislation passed. We don't see people drive by people that are homeless on the street. We don't see people ignore the plight of the poor, the plight of the earth orphan, the plight of the immigrant. We done seen it all. That's the devil's plot to pitch us once against one against another. You deserve this and you don't, but god.

Speaker 1 25:34

But john is writing universally to tell about a god that says whosoever we all ain't worthy. Okay, calm, I'm getting passionate. God sent his son that we might believe. Look up. Just like it says in the text we read tonight. See, listen, when we were referencing numbers, those Israelites was dying in the wilderness from snake bites. They were dying in the desert, but God made a way. If you just look up, look up. We don't have to die in the wilderness separated from God. We can be returning to cinder if we just look up. Remember John Swagger as I'm grinding to the end. Remember John Swagger.

Speaker 1 26:30

I am the disciple that Jesus loves. If we interview John right now, yeah, I'm sure he will stick to this message. John, what was it like to follow Jesus? Listen, I'm the disciple that Jesus loved. John, how did it feel when Jesus charged you with the care of his mother, despite having his own brothers alive? I'm the disciple that Jesus loved. But what about that time when you fell short? But I'm the disciple that Jesus loved and he sent me and I'm going to model him and I'm going to model him, I'm going to model him.

Revolutionary Message for Everyone

Speaker 1 27:11

See, even back in those days, this gospel was revolutionary Because they scholars say, when they said, listen, jesus came, the Messiah is coming for a chosen people. There's a chosen people that are only in relationship with God. God is in relationship only with his chosen people. Even in the New Testament, the gospel, some people wasn't happy about those Gentiles, but John's wrote to the universal listen and I want you to hear me clearly that's still going on today. See, back in the day they was thinking some people wasn't worthy, they wasn't chosen. But, listen, they didn't get the full message that, yes, god has a chosen people. Those Jewish people was chosen first. He came to them first, but then he came to us, then he grafted us in that we all can return to center, that we all can be in relationship, that we all can be partakers.

Speaker 1 28:13

Listen, that's not so foreign today, because there are people who will tell you that you are not worthy of the love of God. There are people who will tell you that you can't be in relationship with him because of the lifestyle you're living. There are people who will tell you that you can't be in relationship with him because of the lifestyle you're living. There are people who will tell you today that because you're doing this, that or another, or you're from this group or that group, that you aren't, god doesn't love you. That is a lie from the pit of hell.

Speaker 1 28:41

Hear me clearly. Whosoever, clearly, whosoever I don't care where you live, what you're doing, or who, what or whatever. God wants to give you his love. If you would just receive it. He's not a man that he should lie, nor the son of man that he should repent. God is God. Don't you just get caught up in what people say or what they do. Look up.

Speaker 1 29:15

Okay, I'm going to stop now, because, listen, we are dying and listen from the Christian standpoint. We looking over people, letting them die by the wayside. Oh, I need to stop. But it's the truth. We are looking at our people that God has created and not giving them grace or mercy and not even thinking that they are deserving. That's a lie, hear me. Oh, my god, oh, I got to stop tonight. I got to stop. Jesus came for the world, he came for you, he came for I and he came for them. That's why john wrote this book. Don't you get stuck thinking in the same way that they were thinking back then.

Speaker 1 30:06

The Bible is a book of love, not condemnation. Stop condemning folks, oh my God. Well, I don't know where this is coming from. Nothing is in my notes. You know the old church say who am I talking to? I don't know, but anyhow, let's wrap up. I'm gonna wrap up with Romans 5 and 8. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this While we not while they, not while them, but while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.

Speaker 1 30:44

Ooh, what a credible word tonight. Ooh, my goodness, return a sinner. What a credible word tonight. Oh, my goodness. Return the sender, return your praise to him, return your love to him, return your adoration to him, return your heart to him. Tonight he sent his son for you. He sent his son into the world. We couldn't go up there, but he sent his son that we might go up there. I need to stop tonight. I'm stopping, I'm stopping, I'm stopping, but I want to meet him there. I want to tell him, just like John would I am the one you loved and I'm grateful for it. I am the one you love and I'm thankful for it. I want to go. Do you want to go? Well, look up, just believe. May God bless you and keep you always. Amen.