Laid Down The ultimate football competition is about to take place later on today. People devote their whole lives to reaching this point, sacrificing their time and energy for the purpose of finally triumphing in this, the Superbowl of football. Getting to this level also means that many other teams and their players have been intentionally punished and defeated. Critical to winning at football is ensuring that someone else is being crushed beneath the strength and skill you have worked so hard to develop. The joy of your triumph requires the sorrow of another’s defeat. Those who have most perfected this trouncing of others for their own win are those who get to hoist the trophy, taking and giving glory. There will be those later on today who have perfected leaving it all on the field, laying down their own lives for the cause of conquest. There is another contest to be celebrated in a couple of days, though, where the ultimate laying down of life has a much greater reward than simply taking home the Lombardi trophy. The goal and the prize of this competition is inverted from most other battles, where the prize is dependent on lifting others up rather than crushing them. This clash occurs every day in many different venues, where love lays down what would mean winning a personal prize to offer someone a sacrifice of self for their betterment. The greatest example of this was demonstrated for us in Christ where He laid down His own life to ensure triumph for those who were actively working towards His own defeat. Knowing and living in Him will produce this same triumphant love to a perfection that eliminates the power of disabling and discouraging fear. And, faith is brought to life in this victory to produce the amazing works of God. Notes Inverted Quest John 15:12-13 12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. 13 There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. Me vs Them John 10:10-18 10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me, 15 just as my Father knows me and I know the Father. So I sacrifice my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep, too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen to my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. Their life dependent on mine laid down – requires more passion for theirs 17 “The Father loves me because I sacrifice my life so I may take it back again. 18 No one can take my life from me. I sacrifice it voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also to take it up again. For this is what my Father has commanded.” Christ’s demonstration Romans 5:6-8 6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. Followed example Ephesians 4:31-32 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Ephesians 5:1-2 1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. When perfected, fear for self is lost in love for others. 1 John 4:16-21 16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. 19 We love each other because he loved us first. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers. Overview: In competitive sports, the goal is to crush the opposition with superior strength and skill. In love, triumph comes when someone is lifted up and kept from falling. To ensure this, any opportunity for bringing them down for personal victory is laid down in deference to love. With every love-triumph is its further perfection over fear. Knowing God is experiencing His triumph of love over condemnation and demonstrating that same triumph to others. Prayer: Jesus, am so grateful for Your passionate pursuit of my triumph over sin and condemnation, that You laid down Your life so I could win. Fill me with the revelation of this so that I can also be driven to ensure this triumph in every person I touch. Show me how to lay down how I might rise above them to serve their discovery of You. Declarations: The very One who could have crushed me under His superior strength and perfection has laid down His life to ensure that I take home the prize. In the experience of His passion in my redeemed life, I am given a new view of competition, laying down my life to make winners out of others. There is no requiring this of others, only laying down of mine. In the development and perfection of love is complete deliverance over the fear of personal loss. I walk in love, also passionately pursuing the victory in others from my life laid down.