God is Love pt 2

1 word so many different levels of love = confusing

With all the ways we love so many different things, do you think it is possible that we have lost the true definition of love altogether?

If we don’t figure out the reality of true love, then we’re bound to get confused

The truth is that love is not based on feeling

To find out what it is based on, we need to look in God’s word

God is Love

1 John 4:7–11 NIV

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Scripture clearly states that God is love

The better we come to know God, the better we will know and live in true love.

He demonstrates love with relationship in the trinity

God the Father, Son, & HS - a perfect dance, perfect rhythm

He did not create mankind so that He could find out what relationship was - He already had it with the trinity but He wanted to share what He had with humanity - to show us relationship and invite us in

Once we know love, we are called to love as God loves. 1 John 4:7-11

1 John 4:7–11 NIV

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

He showed us love and asks that we in turn show others that same love

But not so easy is it? Why?

When sin entered the world, it broke everything beautiful, including our understanding of love.

It threw us off rhythm - and now we hear a different beat constantly

Get what you want while you can

Everyone is out to get you

They will take your love and leave you with nothing

All the noise makes it hard to hear the rhythm at all - and so maybe we look around to see what the dance looks like

That is why is it easier to accept a warped definition of love based off the culture we live in

We can begin to believe lies:

Love has to be earned

love is a feeling

love is about what I get

Remember tho, when God created people, he invited us to join that beautiful dance of love (relationship) like He has with the trinity.

When we join that dance and love others, we get to experience true love ourselves

Jesus showed His Father love by obeying and sacrificing

Jesus didn’t obey to earn God’s love - He already had it

and so do we! God already loves you, there is nothing you need to do to earn it

Just as Jesus did, when we obey and sacrifice, we show love to God and others - LOVE IS A VERB

we sacrifice our needs for the needs of others just like Jesus

and we continue to feel God’s true love with us, a perfect rhythm

Conclusion:

God’s love and the world’s love is so different

God invites us to personally experience His perfect love and to share it with others.

If you haven’t felt His love - you can, all you have to do is ask Him. He already loves you and He is just patiently waiting for you to invite Him into your life.

Group Discussion:

How would you describe God’s love to a friend who imagines God to be angry, judgmental, or harsh?

The Father and the Son pursued one another’s glory, and in turn, each was glorified. Can this work in earthly relationships? How can pursuing someone else’s joy lead to your joy?

Where do you think we can do better as Christ followers to truly love those around us? What would that look like and how do you live that out?