Dwell on: Love
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Love, can you get enough?
Love, can you get enough?
Love is more than a splendored thing, love is God (1Jn4:8); love is what holds us together, man to God and man to man. All the world needs is love, right? RIGHT for God is love and God dwells in the heart of the believer and is displayed and demonstrated in how we live. (1Jn4:8; 1Cor13:13; Php4:8-9)
We have been dwelling on many different subjects but no greater subject is there than love.
13 But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Why no greater subject? I just mentioned it for God is love
8 The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
So of course that goes hand in hand with our series passage we have used.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
And the application
9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Insert love illustration - highs/lows (keep in 2-3 minutes)
Today we are looking at:
Love defined
Love demanded
Love developed
Love demonstrated
Love defined
Love defined
There are many ways love is defined and the English language does not do it justice with just one word. May we take a few minutes to define love from the dictionary and from the scripture.
Going from Merriam-Websters
As a noun
Strong affection for another
Attraction based on sexual desire
Affection based on admiration, benevolence
A warm attachment, enthusiasm, devotion
As a verb
To hold dear
To feel a lovers passion, devotion, tenderness
To like or desire actively
To thrive in.
In Strong’s Lexicon there are four words that the bible uses or inferences that we should know.
Eros - Carnal sexual love, reserved for marriage (Heb13:4; 1Cor7:5)
4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.
5 Stop depriving one another, except by agreement for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer, and come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
Philia - Brotherly love (Jn11:3)
3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
Storge - Family love (inferred only) used as a compound word with Philia in (Rom12:10)
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
Agape - Love that desires the greatest good, highest good (Jn3:16; Jn15:13)
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
and add
13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
As we go we will develop this, love is more than a splendored thing when it comes to Agape and Philia since they are both used so much in the scripture.
Agape love: it is active, it is good will, it is commanded
Philia: That which is freely given, not commanded nor forced, from a heartfelt decision. Philia is also found to be commanded in the scripture.
Agape according to Thayer’s and Strong’s can in some scriptures be defined as brotherly love, affection”
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
So by definition we see the same definition of two words used in the scripture in which we have the command (or in some demand) for love to be given. So without further delay may we move to that now
Love commanded
Love commanded
Command: to give an authoritative order. Love commanded is it for your good or someone else? YES it is both. May we reflect, may we dwell on, ponder, meditate upon love that we are commanded to give.
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Commanded to love God (Mk12:30; Mt10:37)
Commanded to love one another (Jn13:34-35)
Commanded to love our families (EPh5:25; Eph5:28-29; Tit2:4)
Commanded to love our neighbor (Mk12:31; Mk12:30)
Commanded to love our enemies (Mt5:44)
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Commanded to love God (Mk12:30; Mt10:37)
We are commanded to love God
30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
In that verse it is Agape Love, and how about some philia love?
37 “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
Commanded to love God (Mk12:30; Mt10:37)
Commanded to love one another (Jn13:34-35)
34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Love one another and you prove you are His disciples. This kind of love is affectionate and is demonstrated for and to each other.
Commanded to love God (Mk12:30; Mt10:37)
Commanded to love one another (Jn13:34-35)
Commanded to love our families (EPh5:25; Eph5:28-29; Tit2:4)
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
Then just a few verses later add
28 So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; 29 for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church,
Wives to love their husbands and their children (even if their husbands act like children)
4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
So love God, love each other, love husband, love wife, love children. Now that brings us to our next one.
Commanded to love God (Mk12:30; Mt10:37)
Commanded to love one another (Jn13:34-35)
Commanded to love our families (EPh5:25; Eph5:28-29; Tit2:4)
Commanded to love our neighbor (Mk12:31; Mk12:30)
31 “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
No greater commandment, love God, love your neighbor.
30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’
Whew, that is a whole lot of love isn’t it. But love is not always easy, it maybe difficult, hard, and does not make sense sometimes for look at the next one.
Commanded to love God (Mk12:30; Mt10:37)
Commanded to love one another (Jn13:34-35)
Commanded to love our families (EPh5:25; Eph5:28-29; Tit2:4)
Commanded to love our neighbor (Mk12:31; Mk12:30)
Commanded to love our enemies (Mt5:44)
44 “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
Love crosses all barriers, breaks down all walls. Where we are weak, love is made strong in Christ. Love can be developed so that we reflect Christ who dwells in us.
Love Developed
Love Developed
To develop something; we all need to develop so may we start with a proper definition first: de·vel·op; verb; grow or cause to grow and become more mature, advanced, or elaborate.
(insert falling in love slide here) - insert illustration; you don’t fall in love, you make a decision, you develop love, it comes with determination and dedication and it is a demonstration of Gods love in you.
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Love is developed and taught to us by God (1The4:9)
Love is developed and exemplified by Christ (1Jn4:9-10)
Love is developed and demonstrated by God (Rom5:8)
Love is developed and taught by Christ (1Jn3:16; Jn11:3; Jn11:5; Jn13:1)
Love is developed and taught by Paul (Eph5:1-2, Php4:1)
Love is developed and taught by Peter (1Pt122; 1Pt2:17)
Love is developed and taught by other disciples (Tit2:3-4; 1Tim4:12; 2The1:3)
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Love is developed and taught to us by God (1The4:9; 1Jn4:9-10)
9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
Now that is great brotherly, philea love
Love is developed and taught to us by God (1The4:9)
Love is developed and exemplified by Christ (1Jn4:9-10)
9 By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. 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.
God teaches us to love one another, teaches us how to do it by His own demonstration of it
Love is developed and taught to us by God (1The4:9)
Love is developed and exemplified by Christ (1Jn4:9-10)
Love is developed and demonstrated by God (Rom5:8)
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Again, love exemplified by God in JEsus, love is taught and demonstrated to us by Jesus. No better or greater example can we find than His willingness to die for us.
Love is developed and taught by Christ (1Jn3:16; Jn11:3; Jn11:5; Jn13:1)
16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
His willingness demonstrated there but also in how he loved his disciples
3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”
It was common knowledge of Jesus love
5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.
It was developed in Christ’s demonstration of how He love His Apostles
1 Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
He loved them, even when they faltered. Jesus teaches us to love one another by not only His Words but by His actions too.
God taught us, Jesus displays for us and teaches us but that is not all.
Love is developed and taught by Christ (1Jn3:16; Jn11:3; Jn11:5; Jn13:1)
Love is developed and taught by Paul (Eph5:1-2, Php4:1)
1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.
Paul taught how we are to walk in love and the intended results of doing such. Paul also demonstrated and exemplified this kind of love for us.
1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved.
Paul was not alone either, we already had God, Jesus now Paul, and we can add to that. Gods love story, the Bible, has many examples of love defined, love developed. Here is another.
Love is developed and taught by Christ (1Jn3:16; Jn11:3; Jn11:5; Jn13:1)
Love is developed and taught by Paul (Eph5:1-2, Php4:1)
Love is developed and taught by Peter (1Pt122; 1Pt2:17)
22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
He also spoke, taught on Philia love too
17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.
But it was not just the apostles, it was the disciples too, the followers of Christ, you know, in other words the Christians
Love is developed and taught by Christ (1Jn3:16; Jn11:3; Jn11:5; Jn13:1)
Love is developed and taught by Paul (Eph5:1-2, Php4:1)
Love is developed and taught by Peter (1Pt122; 1Pt2:17)
Love is developed and taught by other disciples (Tit2:3-4; 1Tim4:12; 2The1:3)
3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,
Older women, teach younger, encourage younger to love husband and children. But more so, even the young can demonstrate, exemplify love
12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.
Even whole churches (bodies of believers) can do it
3 We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;
In our transformation through the renewing of our mind (see Rom12:1-2) to be more like Christ, we can develop heartfelt affection for one another. And when we do we can take that brotherly love, affection, and add a dose of our love for the greatest good for someone (Agape love) and come to this scripture (not on your outline)
7 and in your godliness, brotherly kindness, and in your brotherly kindness, love.
Godliness, kindness and love! - ah no greater thing; when we demonstrate agape love for one another the heartfelt affection (philea) love will follow as a result
9 Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
God not only teachers us to love one another, then he asks us to do it, to demonstrate it.
Love Demonstrated
Love Demonstrated
Love demonstrated was God’s love exemplified in sending Jesus (see Jn3:16). But that was not the only demonstration we see, here are just a few.
Love demonstrated in God’s sacrifice for us (1Jn4:10)
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.
It was not only demonstrated in God sending the sacrifice it is exemplified in the sacrifice
Love demonstrated in the sacrifice itself (1Jn3:16; 1Jn3:17-18)
16 We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
It was demonstrated in deed and in truth
17 But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.
Love demonstrated in obedience (1Jn5:2-3)
2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome.
Love demonstrated, instructed, displayed is easily found here (1Cor13:4-8)
4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.
True love is patient, king, humble, polite, it bears all things, hope all things, and desires the best for the other person (Agape love). For true love never fails for it is the Christ that is in you that does it, that develops it and demonstrates it in you and through you.
So, again, what is love? It is heartfelt affection toward God and toward man; it is coupled with wanting, desiring the best for everyone. We can continue to learn, continue to grow, continue to develop love through God’s Word and through God’s people. May we always be reachable and teachable and then willing to share it.
A closing thought and passage
22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
God’s love letter has been given to us; God’s love has been demonstrated to us through this love letter.
(invitation slide 1)
God invites all to share in His love for mankind, for His creation, He invites us to love one another with brotherly love and with agape love.
If you have purified your souls, great, love one another, if you have not had your soul purified by the blood of Christ, by the washing of the water now is the time to come and be born again of water and Spirit in baptism.
(invitation slide 2) song (exit slide)