Last week I spoke on Jesus’ Vision of the church as a community that was centered around Jesus. A community where individuals both within and without are being challenged by Jesus with the question: "Who do you say that I am?" And that people are transformed - as the truth about Jesus is revealed to them by their Father in heaven.

We also talked about our role in making Jesus known – that it is the Father’s job through the Holy Spirit to change people – that it was our role to just bring Jesus’ presence where ever we go.

It was in that context that I was excited about you bringing Jesus’ presence to the Air Show. In that context, you don’t need to hand out tracts – you just hand out hot dogs. And pray that the Father would be revealing the Son to them. I think this is great!

This week we are going to look at Jesus’ Vision for the Church as a community of brothers and sisters who love each other so much – that the world stands up and takes notice. And even though this passage doesn’t mention the word church, it is clear that Jesus is speaking to all of his disciples in this passage.

Let’s cover this time in prayer

Heavenly Father – Our ears are still ringing from all of the noise in our lives. Our eyes are overly stimulated by the carpet bombing of advertising we see in one week. Quiet our hearts and minds to receive Your word today. And by your grace, help me to speak it.

Some of you may be catching on to my style of reading and studying the Scriptures. Many years ago I was taught to dialogue with God about His word. And that dialogue usually begins with:

What do you mean here?

This week is no different. What’s so new about loving one another? Why is this a new command? The Old Testament Law in Leviticus 19:18 instructed the Hebrews to love their Jewish neighbors as they love themselves – so what’s new?

It seems that Jesus is raising the bar for the standard of love. The second greatest command "Love your brother as you love yourself" has been replaced with a new command that says "Love your brother as I have loved you. And even though our love for ourselves is far ahead of the way we normally love people, it falls way short of Jesus model of love.

I think one of the ways that Jesus loved the disciples was by exhibiting total acceptance of them. When people came to Jesus – they experienced unconditional acceptance. Jesus made some of the most despised people in Israel feel welcome in his presence. Lepers, tax collectors, Samaritan women of ill repute. These are people that no one else would have anything to do with. And Jesus hung out with these people. He was rightly accused of being a friend of tax collectors and sinners. But they loved to be with Jesus. The Gospel of Luke records that the tax collectors and sinners flocked to be with Jesus. He loved them by making them feel accepted.

You know tax collectors in Jesus’ day were not like IRS auditors. These were Jewish brothers who were working for the hated occupying Roman government and cheating as well. A tax collector was not even allowed in the synagogue. Yet Jesus stayed at the house of Zacchaeus the chief tax collector and even made Matthew the tax collector one of his twelve. And Jesus somehow knew how to accept the people without accepting their sin. He didn’t make it a pre-condition for Zacchaeus to give back what he had swindled before he went and had dinner with him.

I experienced this acceptance of Jesus first hand several years ago. I have never shared this story in public before.

I was at a Promise Keeper’s meeting in the Hartford Civic Center with my two son-in-laws and oldest grandson. Just as the worship began (and I wasn’t particularly liking the worship – it was too loud), I found myself tangibly in Jesus' presence. I couldn’t see Him. But I knew He was there and I was with him. What surprised me about this encounter was how I felt while I was there. Something deep inside me knew that I was accepted. That I was somehow, at a deep level, okay. With that encounter, I knew that I was deeply changed / I have become more comfortable with who I am because I know of Jesus’ unconditional acceptance.

I also knew that I had never experienced anything like that before. We, the church, don’t do that very well – i.e. treat people with total acceptance. Jesus’ Vision of the Church is that we would be a community that would love as He loved and that people who encounter the church will feel a level of acceptance that will transform them.

We don’t do this very well – but when we do it is incredible.

A number of years ago in a college town in the Northwest, there was a very proper Presbyterian Church. Everyone came to church dressed to the hilt. It was very formal. The ushers were all very successful businessmen who wore white gloves.

A college student had recently become a Christian through a campus ministry and decided to go to this church. He arrived late and the sermon had already started.

When he stepped in the door, he found that the church was packed. So he looked around and walked right down the aisle in his t-shirt, cutoffs, sandals and long hair.

You can imagine the tension as he walked right down in front and sat down right at the foot of the pulpit.

After a minute or so, one of the ushers started down the center aisle very slowly and properly. You could cut the tension in the place with a knife. The pastor kept speaking although no one was listening – except the young man.

Down the center island came this usher. When he gets to the young man, he just sits on the floor next to the young man and listens to the sermon.

Wow. I wish I could be like that.

Why is acceptance so important? Why was it such a vital part of the way Jesus showed his love?

I believe that in part, it is because God created us with a God-shaped hole in our heart and that all of us – all of us are looking for love to fill that hole.