Four Aspects of Love--Part Two
Notes
Transcript
Handout
INTRODUCTION:
INTRODUCTION:
1. Our first responsibility is to love God with all our heart , soul, mind, strength.
29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
A. This means that we are to love God with all that we are.
2. Our second responsibility is to love our neighbor as ourselves.
31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
A. This means that we are to love everyone.
3. In the process of loving God and everyone around us there are two more aspects of love.
A. Love Brother
B. Love Enemy
BODY:
1. Loving God is our first responsibility but in order to do that we must love our brother.
19 We love Him because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
A. We see our brothers all the time if we can’t love them how can we love God
1. God takes this one step further we are not even to be angry with our brother without a cause.
22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.
A. This anger without a cause is related to the same thing in judgement as murder.
B. This anger is so dangerous because it can murder congregations with backbiting and stabbing.
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!
1. Sometimes we forget as we endeavor to love the world to love our brothers.
10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
A. Jesus came to his own but his own would not receive Him.
11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.
B. These were his fellow Israelites—His brothers and they nailed Him to a cross.
14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death. 15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him. 16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
C. We need to remember to love our brothers because when they become enemies it can kill a congregation.
D. But when we love them it can cause a congregation to explode because love will cover a multitude of sins.
8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
E. Love will draw us together as a family.
19 Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,
1. Once we are drawn together nothing can remove us from His hand.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2. Love Enemy.
44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,
A. This is something that is hard for them to understand because it was different than their common understanding.
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
1. The common understanding of how to live is not how Jesus lived.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
A. The way that Christ lived His life would solve all our problems today.
1 Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, 2 fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. 4 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. 5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.
2. The idea that runs throughout the bible is to turn enemies into friends by living a godly lifes.
21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.
A. Notice how David treated his enemy.
12 They reward me evil for good, To the sorrow of my soul. 13 But as for me, when they were sick, My clothing was sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting; And my prayer would return to my own heart. 14 I paced about as though he were my friend or brother; I bowed down heavily, as one who mourns for his mother. 15 But in my adversity they rejoiced And gathered together; Attackers gathered against me, And I did not know it; They tore at me and did not cease;
3. And then we can help those friends find salvation in God.
19 Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.
4. This is accomplished by never returning evil for evil
17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Conclusion:
1. Loving God can will fix all of humanities problems.
2. Loving our neighbors will fix the world.
3. Loving our brethren will fix church.
4. Loving our enemy will make the church grow.