Love

What is love baby don't hurt me don't hurt me no more

Not going to be talking about the topic of love. What is love and in Western culture when someone says love we tend to immediately think of an erotic or a romantic type of love. That's what we've been conditioned to do as our society with our media. And the way things are presented to us. We immediately think of a man and a woman coming together and pairing off as a couple and with that comes expectations that are based of what we've seen in movies and television shows and and red and books and and various forms of media. Television to movies depict love is something that is deep that is profound that is mysterious and that no human could ever fully grasp what love is most the time love is described as some sort of intense emotion feelings of affection towards someone Psychology today published an article that called love I force that you could not control and it's are you something that you're not able to control but you rather you fall into it and you fall out of it it comes and it goes as it pleases it's it's mysterious in it, and it's a force. But this is not the biblical concept of love. The Bible tells us that love is an action love is an action. It is an action that we can control and and it goes far beyond those feelings of romance or feelings of eroticism in our passage of studies by John Holmes into focus on this idea of Love Now early on John the Apostle that the disciple he was not exactly the poster child to be talking about love and it is clear from the gospel accounts that early in his life. He was capable of behaving in the most narrow-minded unbending Reckless and impetuous fashion. He was volatile. He was Brash and in fact, when we look at Luke chapter 9 the they came into Sumerian the Samaritans do not welcome Jesus John and his brother James. They wanted to call down fire from heaven to destroy the Samaritans. That doesn't sound like the guy who was right about Now that's it. But thankfully John matured in his face and he matured and love and under the control of the Holy Spirit. His liabilities were changed into asset. So if you compare the old or the young disciple with the old patriarch and you see how much he's matured and his areas of greatest weakness developed into his greatest strength. He is an amazing example of what should happen to us as we grow in Christ allowing his strength the Lord strike to make us perfect in our weakness. So when we think of John today, we usually think of a tender-hearted elderly Apostle. He was the Elder Statesman of the church near the end of the first century. He was universally loved and respected for his Devotion to Christ and his great love for the Saints worldwide. That's precisely why he earned the title Apostle of love John stays here than an authentic Christian will love and radical ways. So this is one long section 1 long unit describing what perfect love is and saying that it's available to all and John list five reasons, the true Christians will live by love. Christian's love because God is the essence of love in order to follow the extreme example of God's sacrificial love the Supreme example of a sacrificial love and sending his son Jesus for us. We love because love is the heart of the Christian witness. We love because Mom is the Christians assurance and we love because love is the Christians confidence in time of judgment. We love originated in the father. It was manifest toward us is his son. And it is now demonstrated by his people through the power of His Spirit one cannot love God one cannot claim to love God without loving their fellow believer. John reminds us that I claim to love God is a delusion if it is not accompanied by an unselfish love for other Christians for our brothers and sisters in the faith so we can take a look at what John actually has said here first John chapter 4 verse 7 and 10 for now. Dear friends, let us love one another because love is from God and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

The one who does not love does not know God because God is love. God's love was revealed to us.

I'm sorry. I lost my spot God's love is revealed Among Us in this way. God sent his one and only son into the world so that we might live through him love consists in this not that we loved God, but that he loved his son to be the atoning sacrifice or your virgin may say propitiation for us for our sins.

I'm so the first thing I want to still see you tonight. Is that God defines love God defines love.

John Begins by stating we must love one another this is the the main point the key passage the key phrase of our passengers were studying life is a low should Define the people who have been redeemed by God and this love is different from what the world thinks of love the Greek word for love that the John is using in the Greek word in the Greek language is a Garmin I Gotcha Man from Olga payoh which is an ancient Greek literature is actually one of the rarest words that you can find. But when I look in the New Testament is actually one of the most common words we find. In English, we have just one word for love. We can say I love my children and that mean one thing to say is I love my wife and I mean something is a little bit different I can say I love pizza. That means something completely different. I love my dog something different. In Greek, you have Eros which refers to romantic love that words not appear in the New Testament. Nor does the word storge which is the Greek idea of familial type of love. The New Testament does use the word follia which we translate as love but refers to a rather a friendship or you may have heard of Philadelphia the City of Brotherly Love.

But here John doesn't use any of those words for love. He uses the word derived from agape. Does grape Supreme measure an example of agape? Is God's love this is the word that the John actually had used before in his gospel. John 3:16, perhaps the most common passage known to all Western Society is for God loved the world. He had got they the world in this way that he gave his one and only son or his only begotten son so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. What like this above all is a sacrificial love it is a sacrifice of the cell for the sake of others. Even for others who may care nothing at all for us. And even for those who may hate us. It is not a feeling but it is a determined active will the result in a giving of the self a self sacrifice. The term that is used here in the Greek. It's a present active subjunctive use of the word. In other words. It's it's use there as an exhortative. It is John encouraging his readers to practice sacrificial love. It should be a habitual practice for those who followed Jesus to sacrifice and love others and sacrificial way those who follow Christ. They've been born again. Jesus says that he must be born again and then in doing so we received the very nature of God since God's nature exhibits sacrificial love is one of his chief characteristics God's children should also reflect that love. Someone may profess to be a Christian but only those who dis play Love Like The Heavenly Father actually possessed his divine nature and are truly born again. So John points out the love of God has demonstrated to us and it's magnified for us in one great act and that is the sacrifice of his only begotten son. The Judgment of sin on the cross was the Supreme example of the love of God throws their report out his wrath non-us the Sooners that earned it but on his perfect, son. If you're my friend on Facebook you may have seen the article. I recently posted from AFA American Family Association about some words that were said on on CNN about about Christ. The perfect nature of Jesus Christ is under attack by those who are unfamiliar with the scriptures. They're claiming the Jesus was not perfect.

The world is not understand even that one of the basic principles of the Christian faith that Jesus was and is the perfect man. Yes. He was 100% man, but he is the epitome of what mankind should be. He's mankind without the effects of sin. He was 100% man, but in perfect good form and yet he is also one-hundred-percent D&T because he is the only begotten Son of God John uses his term we translate as we got to remind version says his one and only son and the gray gets mono Janice and John uses n to describe the unique relationship that Christ has to God the Father. Christ pre-existence and his distinction from creation the term emphasizes that Jesus is unique. Jesus is different from us. Jesus is different from the father. He is one-of-a-kind fully God. fully Man without sin John says the father sent this only begotten son to be the propitiation for our sins or or my version said a toning sacrifice for sins of this term for Asian refers to a mean of appeasement or satisfaction Hamilton Hamilton Hamilton is Big right now since it was recently released and so we were able to watch that end in the story of Hamilton. There are three major duels to take place because someone was slighted and there's a need for an appeasement. In fact, one of my favorite songs from the musical is the Ten duel Commandments that sets up for those of us not familiar with the rules of the duels what to expect to take place. Spoiler alert Hamilton is shot in his duel with Aaron Burr and he dies the next day that's historically accurate, but during the scene of The Duel 2 takes place between John Laurens and Charles Lee Lauren's shoot Lee in the side and Lauren's is Lee is forced to yield and Lauren's yells out. I'm satisfied.

The same is true for us. We are the ones who caused the fence. We called defense against God because we send against him. We went against his word. We went against his law we when he gets to the wheel. And it demands payment it demands and appeasement. It demands satisfaction.

And only thing that can satisfy.

is death We are Sinners by God to endure not only his death. But his Wrath. for all of eternity

Paul wrote the book of Romans chapter one for God's Wrath is revealed from Heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who buy their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

But then the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross takes place and satisfy the demands of God holding us for the punishment of sin. Also wrote this he made the one who did not know sin. That is Jesus sinless to be sin not to become a sinner but to be sent itself for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Jesus propitiate it really satisfied God's requirements Hebrews 9 translates a form that we have the same word for propitiation as The Mercy Seat Jesus became our Mercy Seat like the one that's found in the temples. Holy of holies where the high priest would go in and was flattered the blood of the sacrifice on the day of atonement in Leviticus 16. And then the spelling of his blood Jesus was the sacrificial lamb that took away the sin of the world. Yes, Jesus wasn't fact. Perfect when he was here on Earth, they still perfect cuz he's ascended at the right hand of the father. And that is the only reason why his death and Resurrection matters to us. If he was a sinner like the rest of us, we would still be up a creek. We would still be lost in our sin. But Jesus lived a holy imperfect life, he was without sin and he willingly died on the cross.

They were as imperfect as we are. He would have earned his own death but instead because he was perfect. He he didn't earn his death like we did but die to substitutionary death. That was not for his sin before ours and For All Mankind. To the claim that Jesus was not perfect is the claim blasphemy against what the scriptures teach us.

Dogs as this is how God demonstrated to us what love looks like he sent his only begotten son, perfect and glory to take on flesh like us. To live among us to be like us in every way except without sin. To die for us not just any doubt, but the cruel death of the cross. That is how God defines love.

So then where you got a challenge here? John says dear friends of God loved us in this way. We must also love one another no one has ever seen God and we love one another God remains in us and his love in us or his wife is making Fleet in US. This is how we know that we remain in him and he and us he has given us his spirit and we have seen him. We testified that the father has sent his son as the world savior.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God God remains in him and he in God and we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love and the one who remains in Love Remains in God and God remains in him. In This Love in This Love Is Made complete with us. So we may have confidence in the day of judgment because as he is so are we in this world? So John challenges will have to love like God love we need to love like God loves. John contends that the father sending his son in such a way obligates those who of us who call ourselves Christians both of us who have decided to follow after Jesus. We have obligated to follow this pattern of sacrificial love. Further this is the way to God is best seen in the world today. Nobody can see the father because he is invisible the only accurate physical aspect of God that has ever existed was Jesus Christ was present the flesh, but he is no longer physically in this world to manifest God's love toward us. The church is the only remaining demonstration of God's love in our time and it is through Us by the power of His Spirit of the father and the son work in our world today. We live in love and by the spirit that he is giving us if we abide in him and testified to Christ. Then we become the manifestation of the love of God to the world. No one can truly love without the spirit of God working in their lives. And the way we have the Sun or the have the spirit has to confess the son who was sent from the father of the savior of the world been the Holy Spirit lives within us and guide us in the love of God. We find security we find rest in the love of God. Dosage on September 17th at the world of God is made complete where has been perfected in us. It was not something we do but it is an act of God and the more we learn to abide in him the more he works his actual love through us. Jaws are suggesting the word reaching sinless Perfection here.

But that love matures in Us by the power of God that love is March by the confidence that we have in the face of judgement. We have seen ourselves become more loving of the people who don't like us. For those who don't care about us or for the even those who hate us, we can Rejoice that we've become more like Christ by the power of the spirit if we love them. Breath he is. So are we Jesus was God's son in whom he was well pleased. We are God's children co-heirs with Christ and the objects of his gracious goodness of Jesus called Godfather. So also may we since we have been accepted by his beloved Son? So we are to love like God that is our challenge.

Gun goes on to say there is no fear in love instead. Perfect. Love drives out fear because fear involves punishments are the one who fears is not completing love we love because he first loved us if anyone says, I love God and yet hates his brother sister. He is a liar for the person who is not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. Are we have this command from him the one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.

And so we see that love drives out fear and hate love drives out fear and Hate. John This Is Love from fear fear of dread Pierce Terror it is the opposite of the boldness that marks the ones that are mature and godly love. Love and fear are mutually exclusive. They cannot be together fear prevents you from loving and living bowling because there is a fear of punishment. How many Christians fear sharing the gospel because they are concerned that either the person that they're talking to is going to reject them and they're going to receive a social punishment because of their standing for Christ, or maybe you're like that's not my problem. My problem is I'm afraid that I'm going to say something wrong and the person is going to going to be driven further away from God and God's going to be mad at me and he's going to punish me for it. When you are well-loved govern your life, if freeze you to share the gospel without fear because love drives out fear and we can live in bold as because we already know that God loves us. Look what John says. Is verse 19 we love because he first loved us we love because he first loved us. We already know that God loves us. He doesn't want to punish us back. If you have made it clear enough already. He sent his son to take the pain of punishment that was due to us. But rather we can have love because he first loved us and demonstrated that love to us. And that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly us. We don't have to fear losing God's love because we didn't earn God's love. There's nothing we could do to earn God's love. There's nothing we can do to lose his love. Identiverse 20 he directly John directly refutes what the Gnostic teachers have been teaching these who claim to love God but demonstrate a contempt for the people of God. There's a genuine love for God the results and A Love For Those whom God loves the father loves his children. Produces love in the hearts of his people and the ones who claim to love Governor living practicing hate are not of God. They are false teachers there false prophets. They are not authentic Christians. If a Believer cannot love his Christian brother or sister whom they can see in the flesh. How could they possibly love a being that they cannot see with their physical eyes in order to love God, you must first learn to love your fellow Believers love for God love with people is bound. So tightly together that it is indistinguishable. So we are called To Love. So let me give you five keys to loving. What is an absolute of the Christian Life Jesus told his disciples in John 13 3435. I give you a new command love one another just as I have loved you. You were also to love one another by this. Everyone will know that you are my disciples. If you love one another Jesus left, no doubt that agape love the self sacrificial love is the Supreme art of discipleship to him. He's hot it he demonstrated it in Jesus. Teaching can be summarized like this. Number one love is a command love is command. Jesus clearly says I give you a new command love one another.

Love is commanded second love is already possessed by Christians at something that God works in our lives to produce if you have no love in your heart. Maybe you need to consider. Do I have a relationship with the one who gives love the one who is love love is already possessed by those who are Christians. Love is the normal Christian Living. It should be what marks our lives that should be the normal thing. If you see a Christian who is living in hate that should be a red flag that person has something weird going on in their life, either what they're saying and doing don't line up. So either they're not a Christian or they're not acting like one but love should be the norm of Christian Living.

Number for love is the work of the spirit is not something that we can produce ourselves right capable of doing this human beings have the capacity for love only in the power of the spirit only when God works. Otherwise are acts of Love really aren't they may appear to be But usually what that is is we're getting something out of it.

Number 5 love must be practiced to be genuine. Love must be practice to be genuine.

You can say that you love someone. Ann. Do it in practice. Jesus said you can't. Say go and be well peace upon you. Unlove you have to meet those physical needs. you have to work And do Deeds of love from a Heart of Love.

When we stray from the source of love, it's impossible for us to be loving. Self-giving love love the demands something of us love is more concerned with giving than in receiving is as rare today and Watchman many of our churches as it was in the ancient Church. the John challenges damage challenges us We have the spirit working within us allow the spirit to move to work acts of love. Love is an action. Not a feeling not a force. What a determined choice. to act in a certain way I self-sacrificial way just as God did for us the father sent his own son. Dial cross. If we practice that kind of love in our world today, the world will be turned upside down.

Let's go to the Lord in prayer of the clothes. Lord God it's a great challenge for us to rely upon your spirit. on you By the way, always try to go our own way and do our own thing, even when we claim to be followers of you. We still are wracked by the choices of sin to turn away from you in to do our own thing our own selfish thing instead of the selfless thing. God help us to have a lifestyle that is marked by sacrificial acts of Love Done in your name. Offer our Glory before the glory of the Sun. Whom you sent died on the cross is the ultimate form. of Your Love God we thank you for your mercy and Grace that you showered Upon Us in his sacrifice. Got to pray that it we would live this out this week. That we would love just as you've loved.

I pray this in the holy and precious name the son Jesus Christ. by the power of your Holy Spirit Hey, man.