Advent Week 4- Love
Advent 2024 • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 21 viewsWeek 4 of the Advent Series for 2024
Notes
Transcript
Scripture Reading
Scripture Reading
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
What is Love?
What is Love?
Dictionary.com
Noun
a strong feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, such as for a parent, child, friend, or pet:
a profoundly tender, passionate affection, often mingled with sexual desire, for another person:
Verb
to have a warm personal attachment to or deep affection for:
to have a profoundly tender, passionate affection, often mingled with sexual desire, for (another person).
The Bible
Paul said in 1st Corinthians 13:4-6
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Patient
Kind
Does not envy
does not boast
not proud
not dishonoring of others
not self seeking
not easily angered
keeps no record of wrong
does not delight in evil
rejoices with truth.
This is love. actually God is love 1John 4:7-8
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
The bottom line is this, that God is love.
If you are not loving then you do not know God.
Love Is The Great Commandment
Love Is The Great Commandment
Jesus us has just had an altercation with the Sadducees so the Pharisees come to try and trap Him asking about Marriage in the Resurection.
We pick up the story in:
Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
Love God with all your
Heart
The heart is the part of us that desires things.
It is the place where we dream, and wish
It is the part of us that holds our emotions
That is why Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
If we are going to love God with all our heart then we need to love him above what we want.
Soul
The soul is where we worry and stress, it is where our hopes and joys are kept.
It is where allow the burdens of this life to be to much for us.
That is why Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Mind
The mind is the center of thought
it is the center of our free will and decision making process
That is why Paul said in Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
You see if we are going to love God with all our Heart, and Souls, then we have to set our Minds on Him and love him with our minds as well.
Love Is the 2nd Greatest Commandment too.
Love Is the 2nd Greatest Commandment too.
Look at the rest of the passage from Matthew 22:39-40
And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
You see it is not just loving God, but loving others as well.
Remember John told us in a verse re read earlier that if we do not love we do not know God.
If we are loving God with our whole hearts, souls, and minds then we will love others.
But loving others does not mean we
Give them what ever they
Agree that what ever they do is right and good
Let them walk all over us
No loving others means we tell them the truth.
It means if they are living a life style contrary to the Word we tell them.
But that does not mean we beat them over the head with it.
It is not the topic of every conversation.
We make our position known but then we let the HOly Spirit do His work.
We are called to be light and Salt, not God demolition crew.
That is what to many Christians are, is a demolition crew.
We are going to rip the evil out this world.
Well the way I read my Bible the Evil is hear until Jesus comes and establishes His earthly kingdom.
We are not hear to rip the evil and wrong from the World, but to show people that Jesus loves them despite what they have done.
And that Jesus is willing to forgive them and save them if they are willing to come to Him.
After all that is our verse of the week for Advent is all about.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
God Loved the World
I tell you what replace the World with your name.
John 3:16–17 (NIV)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
You see Jesus did not die for faceless masses
he died for you, because He loves you.
Wrap Up
Wrap Up
Have you accepted Jesus love in your life?
If you have what are you doing to share that love with others?
Remember the greatest commandment is to
Love God with your whole
Heart
Soul
Mind
And to love others as yourself.
