1 John 4.7-11 God is Love

Sing Praise the LORD Praise the LORD and songs about Jesus Loved

Parents of young children listen to me. I would like to tell you the best thing that my mother ever did for me. My mother purchased cassette tapes of GT and the Halo Express. She played those tapes and played those tapes until I memorized those tapes on the comings and goings of the car. I will tell you what is so great about those story tapes. They are all set to music. All the music is scripture. You may like praise and worship or southern gospel, hymns or Christian Rap I don’t care you will never find something better for your children than GT and the Halo Express. I learned more scripture that way than I ever did with AWANA clubs youth group Bible School, or even the intense Bible memorization of Bob Jones University when I went there. 1 John 4.7-8 was one of those songs. I could sing it to you. I won’t they will ban us from YOUTUBE for sounds detrimental to the ear. But 1 JOHN 4:7-8 has been the thing that has haunted my memory when I needed it the most. There are times when I see a homeless man and bad thoughts come into my mind. I will tell you exactly what those thoughts are, “What is this guy doing, why doesn’t he get a job, this guy is a waste to.… Then all of a sudden the Holy Spirit reminds me of GT and the Halo Express. 1 John 4:7–8 “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” I bow my head and say sorry LORD. Help me to love better. To love like you, the devil tried to take my mind, but your Spirit set me back on course.

Some of you need GT and the Halo Express. You don’t have that built in restraint.

THAT VERSE is SOBERING.

HE THAT LOVETH NOT KNOWETH NOT GOD.....

You know for years that verse has made me go out of my way to talk to the person that no one will speak to. That verse has kept me loving people even when they don’t like me and I don’t know why. There are some people that don’t like me, and I am like I have no idea what I did to that person I love them. I know we won’t get along with every one but don’t let that be your fault. LOVE! It should be troubling convicting when you as a Christian thinks I can’t love that person. It seems like when ever I preach a message that is convicting to me and I take the scriptures for what they say someone will come to me after with am excuse that the devil has been placing in the their mind. Yeah, But .… This verse, let it sink in. There are no, yeah buts in the Bible. Jesus when he went to the cross, he didn’t say Yeah But, and began to list the reasons why you don’t deserve the cross. You may be saying Yeah, but I am not as bad as… Again. You are missing the point, you are.....When that song Praise the LORD. There is that very pointed line. The vilest offender who truly believes that moment from Jesus a pardon receives. I am the vilest offender, you are the vilest offender. and Jesus didn’t say Yeah BUT!

PHEW Are we ready for the Altar Call!

Love one another

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

The word Love appears more than 46 times in the book of 1 John and it appears 56 times in the Gospel of John and that doesn’t include 2 3 john and revelation. No wonder John is called the apostle of love. That wasn’t always the case. He is also known as the impetuous son of thunder for his attitude as a young disciple in Jesus rag tag group

JEROME the church father tells a story of the apostle John later in his life. This old man had to be carried into a fellowship of believers each week and he had a simple message for the young church, “Little children love one another” Finally after weeks of this one younger person asked John, Sir Why do you say this each week? John’s answer is simple, “Because it is the LORD’S command, and if only this done, it is enough!” Those are some simple words but they mean everything. Some people are so worried about what people wear to church. Others worry about if there is a drum set in church, the color of the carpet. My favorite is that song, “where we going to put the piano and who we gone get to play” It caused a church split. You want to know what you should worry about. Not the offering in the plate or the number of people in Sunday School. Worry about the LOVE OF GOD!!!!!

Jesus commands us to love.

John 15:12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

We are Christians we listen to Jesus. Did Jesus tell you what to where to church? Nope. Did Jesus tell you how to do VBS? NOPE! Did Jesus tell you to LOVE? Yes. So why aren’t you doing that. That’s like the NUMBER 1 Commandment of the Bible. So why do you thumb your nose up at people.

Love begins with God! (Love is of God)

Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

I just mentioned that John uses love over hundred times in his books. You don’t understand how rare that is. I have preached messages it get used a lot that God’s kind of love is Agape LOVE there are 4 greek words for love, there is phileto or brotherly love storge or familiar love, there is eros, or romantic love and there is AGAPE or sacrificial God’s kind of love. In research for this sermon I learned how different the Bible is from other Greek manuscripts. The Greeks used the word Eros a lot. The New Testament never uses it once. I didn’t know that. The word Agape, is God’s kind of love. and it is a rarely used word for Greeks, some people probably would have to have been taught the word but the Bible uses it liberally. In other words yeah sure you Love the Bills you love your girl friend, but God’s love is completely different. That kind of LOVE comes straight from the throne of God, Love originates with God, Love is twisted by the devil. But true love originates with our God.

Love was brought to us by Christ.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Love is Jesus dying on the cross. I know the devil wants the world to think that LOVE is something different. It isn’t! Love is taking something miserable that doesn’t deserve love and loving it to life.

We are born again in love.

Ephesians 2:4–5 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Without the love of God we would never be born again. The source text of being born again is John 3 with Nicodemus.

My wife and I were having a discussion one night. I asked her do you believe in God? I didn’t doubt that she did for a second. She looked at me and said OF Course. I had a reason to ask her this and it wasn’t for me. I see the evidence in her life. It was for her. I followed it up with Why? and than I asked her the same about Jesus. The reason I had was to help her grow, to have thought about it, when someone were to ask her that question. The reason I asked my wife this is because I have seen so much Christian Growth in her recently. And I was thinking about that verse Always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in you. About a week later she asked me the same question. It was such a good excercise for us as a couple. You couples may want to do this. I told her I believe in God for two reasons and the same is true of my Jesus! I believe in Jesus for an Evidential Empirical and ontological reasons.

She was like huh?

The evidence of God is all around us.

Experience tells us that there is a God.

Romans 1:19–21 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

I see God all around us. I could make the argument for intelligent design 7 ways to Sunday from the grandure of creation to the the intricasies of DNA. The evidence is all around us that we are a part of the grand design of God, but that doesn’t mean you know God. It means that you are without excuse before God. His fingerprints are everywhere, but what will you do with the evidence. I don’t even want to use this time to try to convince you that there is a God.

A Love relationship is how you know God.

2 Timothy 1:12 For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

There is a difference between knowing that there is a God and knowing God. I have said this before. My list of people that I am 100 % sure are going to heaven is short. Not because I don’t like to think about them in heaven, but because I don’t have an intimate relationship with them. A lot of people tell me that they are Christians but the evidence doesn’t back it up. I told you that I asked those questions of my wife Do you believe in God? I know that she loves Jesus and believes in Him. I see it in her actions and I have had deep heart felt conversations with her every single day. You can trick me for a minute, but I ask you do you know JESUS. Do you want to know the evidence LOVE.

Love is the evidence that you know God.

John 13:34–35 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.

I can’t say it enough six ways till Sunday. The LOVE of God is the evidence that you belong to Him. Do you have the love of God evidence in your heart.

God is Love.

1 John 4:8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Now remember God is light, God is life and God is Love! That doesn’t mean that our God is the emotion of love. That means that our God is character of supreme love. Love is what carried Him to the cross and Love is what carried Him to the Cross. This verse is so sobering to me. Love others. I will tell you this. I can only think of one person I hate. The devil! He is not someone I am told to love. I am driven crazy by some people, I am broken hearted over some and I need to work on that. This verse comes to my mind all the time. Good! It should come to your mind also.

Love and Forgiveness are sobering scripture.

Matthew 6:14–15 For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

If you know God, you forgive, you love. These verses should come to mind. God is love He came to forgive. His children are Christians that means little Christs that means that we should have the LOVE of God and we should be people that forgive. Memorize these verses if you struggle with that.

The birth of Jesus is a gift of love.

1 John 4:9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

In the Old Testament so often the greatest gift someone could be given was a child. We are pretty selfish today that we think of children as a burden. Women are taught conditioned today that the life inside of her is going to keep her from her hopes and dreams. Yes children are a mess. But I wouldn’t trade one of mine for a new car or a home or anything else. Children are a gift of love from God and the greatest Gift of Love is God sending His Son into the world,

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God.

John 1:14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John uses this phrase only begotten son of God for Jesus. It implies the unique relationship between Jesus and God. The greek word, monogenes which means one of a kind or only born. It reminds us that Jesus is uncreated eternally with the father. One of a kind special unique different Son of God Divine in Nature. I believe that John is setting the stage for what comes next.

Love is the cross.

1 John 4:10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Propitiation - Satisfactory Substitutional Sacrifice.

At the heart of the word propitiation or some Bible use the word atoning sacrifice is satisfied. When Jesus died on the cross, God was satisfied. I believe in the language John is using he had the imagery of Genesis 22 in mind

The cross was God’s test of Love.

Genesis 22:1–2 Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

I can’t get over those words, Take your son your only son who you love. God wanted Abraham and the world to know what the cross meant.

Take your Son you only son, the son who you love. Here’s the thing Isaac wasn’t Abraham’s only son. But he was the only one who would satisfy God because He was the Son of promise. Abraham loved that boy. Take him to the top of the mountain. Walk 3 days think about it for three days. I remember getting in trouble in school. Go sit in the office for 3 minutes and Mr Hanel is there on the other side of the door with the paddle those were the longest 3 minutes in all of creation. 3 DAYS!!!!! what that meant for Abrah..… No what that meant for God while Jesus was in the grave. But Abraham and God knew the end of the story, that child killed would be brought back to life. Because it is God who provides the lamb. Man when John the Baptist sees Jesus and says behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the World I get goosebumps because I picture Abraham on Mount Moriah. Lifting the knife into the air ready to plunge the knife into his son I understand. LOVE PROPITITATION! Because I understand Isaac deserved the knife but God was satisfied with the bull caught in the thicket. I deserve the cross I deserve hell. BUT THE LAMB! Instead of me on that Cross Carrying my own sin LOVE WON! Jesus took my sin with its guilt and shame, He died in my place. Come on Christian this is LOVE LOVE. God provided Jehovah Jirah God provided Love Love Love on a cross.

Love Like Christ.

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Now it really is time to get to the invitation. He who loves not does not know God for God is LOVE! Do you know God? Do you have the Love of God in your heart. He died so that you can be saved!!!!! If you don’t know Him let today be the day of your salvation. I am praying that today you will find salvation. Some of you need to work on love. You look down on people, Maybe because they are a different color, maybe because they don’t have a job. Maybe they smell bad. You feel convicted like I do about this verse. I want you to come here down to the altar and make a commitment. You loved me so I will love them. You aren’t afraid to memorize 1 John 4.7-8 and live it. He Loved you to the cross. He is the author of love. he is the origin of love, he is the example of love, He has commanded you to love and says you don’t know Him if you don’t love. That seems like a big deal to me. LOVE LIKE CHRIST LOVE WITH A CROSS!