Amazing Prayer 3 - Rooted and Established in Love

Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21; 1John 4:7-21
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love . . . Ephesians 3:17b (NIV)

I. Drawing from God’s love

A. We Know God’s love (1Jn.4:16a)

1. “Jesus loves me this I know . . .”

2. Know= by personal experience (!)

3. Know=be completely certain of

B. We Rely on God’s love (1Jn.4:16a)

1. Rooted in Love=love is our source of life

2. He is the vine we are the branches (Jn 15)

3. We rely on nothing else!

C. We Live in God’s love (1Jn.4:16b)

1. Lives=remains, dwells, abides, stays

2. We live our lives “swimming” in His love

3. There is no life outside of God’s love.

A. We love Because He loves us (1Jn.4:19)

1. Not so that He will love us!

2. We can’t love unless we know His love

3. Our response to His love is to echo it!

B. Love is made Complete among us (1Jn.4:17)

1. Because God lives in us (v.16b)

2. Because we become like him (v.17b)

3. So we love fearlessly (v.18)

C. Love Fulfills the law (Romans 13:10)

1. When we love we do God’s will

2. Love your neighbor as yourself

3. Building on God’s love, we love others

A. We Live in love (1Jn.4:16b)

1. Are we filling a role, or are we in love?

2. Enthralled, Joyfully devoted, infatuated

3. Amateur Christians out of love, not need.

B. With all our Heart . . . (Mark 12:30, e.g.)

1. It starts with our heart, not our head

2. Without requiring understanding

a. Tho not an enemy of it!

3. All our heart=no competition

C. “Do You love Me?” (John 21:15,ff)

1. Jesus question to Peter. The one thing that matters.

2. The one question He asks of all His disciples.

3. He comes for love, not mere obedience

God’s love for us is our Source and Foundation of a Life of love.

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