True Love in the Home

5 1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

1 Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2 and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

3 But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

4 Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving.

5 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person—such a person is an idolater—has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.

6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

Introduction:

The Sunday School teacher asked each child to identify a favorite Bible character.

A few moments of silence ensued while the boys and girls mulled this over. Then a small voice demanded: “How much would you give me not to love my big sister?

Sometimes we can find love in our homes, sometimes we can’t...

The Sunday School teacher asked each child to identify a favorite Bible character.

“Mine is King Solomon,” declared a little girl.

“And why is that?” asked the teacher.

“Because he was so kind to ladies and animals.”

“Who told you that?” asked the startled teacher.

“Nobody told me. I read it myself in the Bible,” said the girl. “It says Solomon kept seven hundred wives and three hundred porcupines.”

I wonder if we understand what love really is...

True Love can be hard to come by.

Story of Jr. High

You Lost Me

The traditionalist view of sex wants to keep it out of sight, sweep it under the rug, or sometimes view it as dirty. The individualist view, in contrast, wants to make sex the centerpiece of personal fulfillment. In the young person’s journey these two views are in competition, and do they feel like the Church has helped them develop a healthy view of human sexuality.

Hugh Heffner’s Story

Contrast between his Father and Him - Repressive vs. Anything Goes.

The Problem with anything Goes - Effects of the Sexual Revolution.

Hugh Heffner himself - The purpose was to free women through contraception, but the result was often more men free from consequences to exploit women. Heffner a virgin till marriage - hurt because his wife had an affair, so is with Heffner in the middle of women sex objects is freeing to women?

Sex Trafficing

Paul Ties - Sexual Immorality, impurity and Greed - These are all loves of Idols - Definition

And he says it should not even be mentioned amongst Christians - Is this about repressiveness?

Sexual Immorality = Summary of Which is short-list.

Adultry, Incest, Child Sacrifice, Homosexual acts, Bestiality, During a women’s menstrual cycle (giving the woman limits), in Religious rituals

We today might include - pornography as it orients our mind towards objectification of the other for our gratification.

Sexual imorality is not the only idol though - we make idols out and greed out of - money, stuff, drugs, ideologies, anything that would serve our self-interest to the expense of others.

How Idols mess us up - They consume us, they become more important and control our lives above others, and therefore make God and others unimportant - just tools for fulfilling our own desires which will not satisfy.

The Law of Diminishing returns

This type of “love” is not really love. It is about how can I use you or others to gratify my own selfish cravings, desires, etc...

But there is a different kind of Love that God has shown us.

God’s Home is a Home of Love.

“The gospel is this: We are more sinful and flawed in ourselves than we ever dared to believe, yet at the very same time we are more loved and accepted in Jesus Christ than we ever dared hope. This is the only kind of relationship that will really transform us,” (Timothy Keller, The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with Wisdom of God, 73-74).

Share the Gospel Story - The Story of God.

English Standard Version Chapter 2

2 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

The Lexham English Bible Chapter 2

4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 5 and we being dead in trespasses, he made us alive together with Christ (by grace you are saved), 6 and raised us together and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that he might show in the coming ages the surpassing riches of his grace in kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them.

This Love Is so incomprehensible it is hard to even describe.

Those who have received this love - Some have had a foretaste

Some know about it because of Jesus’ sacrifice - but believe even if they do not feel it.

The Book of Revelation Describes it this way - that of light, and no need for sun. It is a love that energizes, empowers, is constant, and indescribable.

Two things for our discussion about how this Love has to bear on how we love in our homes.

It moves from the heart of God to us. It is sacrificial, it is for us and all creation, so that we can be the best God intended us to be “His Workmanship.” Therefore it is not for the gratification of his consumption. - It is therefore life-giving, not life-taking.

It is unconditional - It is not on the expectation that we be good or bad, or that we conform to some expectation, but out his immeasurable riches of his grace.

If you want this kind of love, all one has to do is receive by Faith - It is offered to you.

But, you may say, it is not unconditional, what about that part of those who practice sexual immorality/impurity/Greed not inheriting the Kingdom part?

Great Question: God’s Kingdom is a Kingdom, a home if you will of this true unconditional, self-sacrificing love. And as such his home must exclude the idolatrous love, that love that is destructive to others, and his creation. It can not come into his Kingdom.

God’s Unconditional love is for those who struggle with these things, but If we love them more than God, if they are our god, then god let’s them be our god, and they consume us - God does not let us bring them into his Kingdom and bring their destructive power, so those people who do not receive God’s true love that transforms them, and strips away these destructive loves from their life will be outside the Kingdom - This is what we call Hell.

To Be sure, God offers us true love, better than anything or anyone has to offer, and purer than any love we have experienced in this world.

C.S. Lewis - The Weight of Glory and Other Addresses, pp. 1-2

Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.

How does that translate into our homes?

A Home of Love is a Home that Loves Like Jesus.

Paul calls us to...5 Therefore become imitators of God, as beloved children, 2 and live in love, just as also Christ loved us, and gave himself for us an offering and sacrifice to God for a fragrant smell.

That is to live God’s story in our homes. And in our relationships for that matter.

To do that well, we must know God’s love, Soak in God’s Love, Grow in his love, learn from his love, then act out his love - Listen to him, and do what he says to do in our homes

This is Serving in Christ’s name

1. This I Am Second testimony from skater Brian Sumner is a powerful illustration of how dying to himself and giving his life to Jesus saved his marriage and family: http://www.iamsecond.com/seconds/brian-sumner/.

One significant way to die to ourselves is to choose to love our family members the way they most enjoy being loved, even if it is not our favorite way to show it. This site lays out the five love languages, the common ways people are wired to receive and give love. The site also includes a short quiz to discover our own and our kids’ love languages: http://www.5lovelanguages.com.

Conclusion:

discuss with their spouse or significant other the following Car Ride Question on the car ride home from church: What is one way I can be less selfish in our relationship?

1. While the focus of this message is how can be applied to families, those who are single can still benefit from this message. In light of this passage, how should they treat their parents? Their siblings? Their family members in Christ?

Reference the Reformed Confessions: The Reformed Confessions are statements of faith written to clarify the Gospel at times when the Church was in crisis. Heidelberg Chatechism: Q&A 1, 87, 90, 105-109, 114 Belgic Confession: Articles 20, 23 Canons of Dort: Head II, Article 2