Love
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1 John: Love
July 28, 2013
Introduction
This morning, we are continuing our series on the book of 1 John. Over the summer months, we are working our way verse by verse through the book of 1 John. We started this sermon back in May, and we are going to wrap up this series in the next couple of weeks. Here is the plan for August on Sunday mornings. The first two Sundays in August, we will finish up 1 John. Then, the third Sunday in August which is the 18th, we will have Right Direction back in concert.
But we have to finish first John first. Today, we are back in chapter 4. Let me recap the previous two sermons from 1 John. Two Sundays ago, we looked at chapter 3 and the word we used to describe chapter three is confusing. Last Sunday, we looked at the first six verses of chapter 4, and the word we used to describe those verses was mysterious, very strange sermon last week as we studies about the spirit world. Today, we are looking at pretty much the rest of chapter 4, and the word to describe the sermon this morning is practical. Today's teaching is one of the most practical and important in all the Bible.
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Illustration: Passing on the Shrimp Basket
That's what John is doing here with this teaching on Love Each Other. He heard this teaching from Jesus. The teaching is so important, so vital in the life of a believer that John is now trying to pass it on to the church.
If you are keeping track, this is the third time time that John tells with this teaching in 1 John with this being the most detailed look at the teaching. In this section of the 1 John, John explains why and how we are to love each other.
1. Love starts with God.
End of v. 8, v. 16
The scripture does not read. Love is God. The Bible says, "God is love." Love starts with God. That statement is culture shock. We have evolved into a culture that doesn't need God. It's sad to say but the mindset of our culture is that we don't need God. We don’t need God tell us what to do and not to do. We don't need God tell us how to live our lives. We don't need God to save us from sin. We don't need God.
But here is reality. We need God. We need God to save us from our sins. We need God to help us understand and show us what love really is. Instead of God influencing our idea of love, our idea of love has been influenced by the world. In many ways, our idea of love is apart from God and his love.
We love selfishly. What can I get out of love? How does love benefit me? We love conditionally. I will love you as long as you love me. I will love you as long as you don't hurt me. I will love you as long as things are good and smooth. I will love you as long as you you meet certain requirements. We love conditionally. We love discriminately. We tend to love people who are in our social class. We tend to love people who are look us. Those that are not in our social class or those that don't look like, we are quick to discard them.
Our idea of love has been influenced by the world. Here is what John is saying is this passage. We need to throw our idea of love out the window. Love starts with God.
Illustration: Something not working -- start from scratch. Destination 2000
Our idea of love doesn't work. We have to start over with love. Love starts with God. God's character and nature shows us what love is all about.
2. God showed us what love is.
v. 10
God doesn't just claim that he loves us. God showed His love for us.
Illustration: Claiming to do something, then proving it (Ethan and the Monster Burger)
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
How did God show his love for u? He sent His son to die for us. In v. 10, do you see the word "propitiation"? Big Bible word -- it means that Jesus died in our place. We are sinful. We deserve death. We deserve condemnation. But God loves us. He sent His son to die for us.
Love in our culture is selfish; God's love is selfless.
Love in our culture is conditional; God's love is unconditional.
Love in our culture discriminate; God's love is universal.
Love in our culture is self promoting; God's love is sacrificial.
Selfless
Unconditional
Universal
Sacrificial
Chris Tomlin
Amazing Love
I’m forgiven because You were forsaken,
I’m accepted, You were condemned.
I am alive and well, Your spirit is within me,
Because You died and rose again.
(Chorus)
Amazing love,
How can it be
That You, my King, should die for me?
Amazing love,
I know it’s true.
that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Love starts with God.
God showed us what love is all about with Jesus' death on the cross.
3. In response to God's love, we should love others.
v. 11
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
God loved us. We should should love others. It should be that simple. Are we a people of love? The answer is not simple.
The word says that Christians are not loving. Christians are hypocritical not loving. Christians are judgmental not loving. Christians are critical not loving.
The other side of the coin: Christians are very loving.
During the first 100 years of America, most school were operated by church. Churches loved children and wanted to see children have an education. Most of the first hospitals in this country were started by churches. Churches love people and wanted to see the sick cared for.
YMCA
YWCA
The Red Cross -- All started by Christians.
The church in America has wonderful heritage of loving people and that continues today. Southern Baptists are the third largest disaster relief effort in the world. The ultimate goal of Disaster is to show the love of Christ in the midst of disaster and despair. Southern Baptists give over 5 millions dollars every to feed the hungry. For over a decade the WMU has been working on the Pure Water, Pure Love to provide cleaning drinking water all over the world. We feed the hungry, we get clean drinking water to those without out of love.
I challenge you to find a more loving church in Bogalusa in SABC. This is a loving church, that cares about its members. I have experienced the love of this church and watched so many others experience the love of this church.
Coin: The church is not loving, the church is loving. Some in the church are loving; some in the church are not. Can only answer for yourself. Each of us needs to be a person of love -- loving people, caring for people.
Showing God's love is difficult for us because it is opposite of what our culture says about love. We have to throw our ideas of love out the window and love others the way God loves each of us. If you are a Christian, you are capable of loving others like God loved you.
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.