I said that I love you. But I lied

I said that I love you. But I lied

(KJV 1900)

1 John 3:18 KJV 1900

My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Allow Me To Begin By Asking You To Indulge In A Moment Of Silent Reflection., Have You Ever Looked At Someone Straight In The Eye And Said, "I Love You", And You Knew Without A Doubt That You Were Lying? Have You Ever Attempted To Persuade Someone That You Were Going To Remain Loyal Under Any And All Circumstances, When You Knew That As Soon As They Turned Their Backs, That Would Be The End Of Your Loyalty? Have You Ever Allowed Your Mouth To Get In Front Of Your Heart? Have You Ever Allowed Your Emotions To Outrun Your Courage? Have You Ever Expressed Your Love With Words And Then Found Yourself Unwilling And Unable To Back Up Those Words With Action?

This Is A Serious Matter. The Word Love Is Perhaps The Most Misused Word In Our Language. People Throw It Around So Loosely That It Has Lost Some Of Its Meaning. When People Tell Me That They Love Me, I Like To Feel That They Believe In Me And That If I Should Get Into Some Kind Of Trouble, I Could Depend Upon Them To Stick By My Side. But Some People Will Tell You That They Love You And At The Very Same Time They're Telling You This, They're Planning Your Destruction.

But Then, There Are Those People Who Say They Love You, 'And While They're Saying It, They Really Feel That They Do. They Don'! Realize That Real Love Has To Be Tested By Trials And Tribulations. They Don’t Realize That Real Love Sometimes Has To Be Tested By Fire, .And If It Can't Stand The Trials Test, The Tribulation Test And The Fire Test, It Just Might Not Be Love.

There Are Those Who Have What I Call A "Fair Weather" Love. It Will Last As Long As The Sun Is Shining, It Will Last As Long As There Are No Clouds In Sight And No Storms In The Forecast. .It Will Last As Long As There Is No Threat Of Danger... It Will Last As Long As I ‘M Enjoying The Blessings Of Wealth, Peace And Prosperity.

But When The Tide Turns In The Other Direction; When The Winds Of Confusion Begin To Blow; When The Hurricanes Of Disappointment Blow In And Strip Us Of All Of Those Things We Felt Were So Important, Our Love Will Sometimes Fade Away. That's What I Call A "Fair- Weather" Love.

But 1st Corinthians, Chapter 13, Says That Real Love Is Patient And Long-Suffering. Real Love Will Cause One To Be Loyal No Matter What The Cost.

You Know When Jesus Was Speaking To His Disciples In The Upper Room, He_ Told Them That True Love Was Connected To Their Willingness To Obey His Commandments He Said It In Plain And Simple Terms: "If Ye Love Me, Keep My Commandments." When I Think Of That Statement, It Dawns Upon Me That On Many Occasions, Most Of Us Have Told Jesus That We Loved Him, But In Reality, We Were Lying.

Consider The Fact That Jesus Told Us To Love One Another, To Forgive One Another, To Turn The Other Cheek And To Go The Extra Mile. These Were His Commandments To His Disciples Who Were In The Upper Room With Him And These Are His Commandments To Those Of Us Today Who Label Ourselves As Christians. Therefore, When We Sing, "O How I Love Jesus," And We Refuse To Speak To The Person Seated Next To Us, We Are Really Saying, "Jesus, I Said I Loved You, But I Lied." When We Sing Songs Like, "My Jesus, I Love Thee," And "More Love To Thee, O Christ," And We Refuse To Forgive Someone Of Some Wrong Which Was Committed Against Us, We Are Saying, "Jesus, I Said I Loved You, But I Lied." Ah, Let Me Make It Plain; When We Sing Songs Like, "I Love The Lord, He Heard My Cry, And Pitied Every Groan"... When We Sing It With Utmost Fervor And Enthusiasm And Then Go Outside After The Benediction And Indulge In Character Assassination Of One Of Our Fellow-Members, We Are Saying. "Jesus, I Said I Love You But I Lied

In Our Text Today Let Us First Considers John As He Gives Instruction To The Church About Christian Living. Much Of And 4 Tells Christians About The Nature Of Christian Conduct Among The Congregation Of The Saved, Which He Described As The Brethren, And In The World.

The Essence Of All Of His Instruction Was To Say To Christians That There Are Two Ways Love Is Expressed One In Words Another In Deed.

John Placed Very Little Emphasis On Love Professed In Words, THATS Not Supported By Actions.

John De-Emphasized The Importance Of Simply Saying "I Love You", But He Does Not Imply That We Should Not Say It. Words However, Must Be Put In Their Proper Perspective And Are Meaningless If They Are Not Backed Up By ACTIONS.

John Said We Must Love In Truth. For Loving In Truth Means To Love In Sincerity And With Pure Intent.

Finally John Suggested That Not Only Must Love Contain The Element Of Truth But It Must Also Withstand The Deeds Test. Hear What He Says Once Again: "Let Not Love In Word, Neither In Tongue; But In Deed And In Truth."

How Do We Love In Deed?

John Said Real Love Doesn't Just Talk, But It Responds In Time Of Need. In Verse 17, Just Above Our Text Verse, John Points Out That If We Have Material Possession Or Money At Ourt Disposal And See Another Person, Especially Another Christian In Need And For Whatever Reasons We Refuse To Help Him, Then The Love Of God Is Not In Us.! Because Love Is Expressed In Deeds.

There Is An Old Saying That Goes "A Friend In Need, Is A Friend In Deed.", Which Means When A Friend Is In Trouble It Is Time For Me To React In Deed."

When A Brother Has Death In The Family.. He's A Friend In Need, And It Is Time For A Friend In Deed! T When A Brother "Has Stickiness And Incurs The Expense And Inconvenience Of Hospitalization, He Is A Friend In Need, And It Is Time For A Friend In Deed.

Where Can You Go To Find Such A Friend?.

We May Go To Our Parents But They Can Only Go So Far!

We May Go To Our Husbands Or Wives But They Can Go Only So Far!

We May Go To Our Best Friends, But They Can Go Only So Far!

Where Can We Find Such A Friend?

I Heard A Song Writer Declare: "What A Friend We Have In Jesus, All Sins And Grieves To Bear! What A Privilege To Carry Everything To God In Prayer. Can We Find A Friend So Faithful, Who Will All Our Burdens Share. Jesus Knows Your Every Weakness, Take It To The Lord In Prayer!"

If You Are Looking For A Good Example Of Real Love.

I Suggest That You Consider Jesus Because He Is Interested In, Us And He Has No Other Purpose! For Says "For God So Loved The World That The He Gave His Only Begotten Son That Whosoever Believeth On Him Should Not Perish But Have Everlasting Life."

Consider Jesus* Because One Evening He Picked Up An Old Cross

Consider Jesus Because He Made And Knows All About You And He Believes In Your Ultimate Worth And Good.

. Consider Jesus Because He Is Willing To Spend Time With You Anytime You Are Ready. I Heard A Song Writer Declare "..And He Walks With Me And He Talks With Me And He Tells Me I Am His Own, And Joy We Share As We Tarry There, None Other Has Ever Known."

Consider Jesus Because When Jesus Says "I Love You" He Means It He Is Not Just Saying Empty Words, But They Are Words Backed Up By Deeds. I Hear Him Declare "There Is No Greater Love Than This, That A Man Would Lay Down His Life For His Friend."

Consider Jesus Because He Showed What Real Love Was All About!