NJ - Love that Last – “ABIDING IN HIS LOVE”

Love that Last – “ABIDING IN HIS LOVE”

Intro:

Good morning church today we begin the theme of “LOVE THAT LAST”. I have titled this message ABIDING IN HIS LOVE. Throughout this message we will be focusing on how we can know God though love, how we can see God through love and the completion of Love through God. Can you open your bibles to the book of 1John and in a moment we will be reading from chapter 4. Lets pray.

Pray:

Father I thank You for Your goodness in our lives. I pray that as we study Your word through this month that we will get a greater understanding of Your love towards us and how we can abide in this love. We pray that Your Holy Spirit will bring revelations of Your word to our lives. Amen.

Read a couple of the children’s answers below.

What is love

A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, 'What does love mean?'

The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined. See what you think:

'When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.' Rebecca- age 8

'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.' Billy - age 4

'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.' Karl - age 5

'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.' Chrissy - age 6

'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.' Terri - age 4

'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.' Danny - age 7

'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss' Emily - age 8

'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate,' Nikka - age 6

'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.' Noelle - age 7

'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.' Tommy - age 6

'My mommy loves me more than anybody You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.' Clare - age 6

'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.' Elaine-age 5

'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford.' Chris - age 7

'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.' Lauren - age 4

'When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.' Karen - age 7

'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.' Jessica - age 8

Lets read 1John 4:7-19

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, 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. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. 17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Point 1

Knowing God Through Love

· Love originates from God. - 1John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

· Jesus is God’s love manifested for us. - Romans 8:37-38 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,

· To know God is to know his love. - Proverbs 8:17 I love those who love me, And those who seek me diligently will find me.

Point 2

Seeing God Through Love

· Gods love is perfected in us when we love others – 1John 4:11-12 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

· Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. - Matthew 5:8

· God sent His Son Jesus for our sacrifice. - John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Point 3

We are Completed in Gods Love

· We have nothing to fear because we have Gods love. Perfect love cast out all fear. – 1John 4:17-19 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

· God’s love is complete, abiding in His love - John 15:9-13 “As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.

· The first and great commandment. Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is thefirst and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Conclusion:

In finishing today’s service we have only just scratched the surface of the topic “Love that Lasts.” We have looked at knowing God through Love, Seeing God through love and We are completed in Gods love. Over this next month as we study this theme our aim will be to get a greater understanding of Gods love and the importance of it in our lives. It is Gods love for us that shows us how we are to love others. I put a challenge to you this week to let Gods love flow through you onto others and see their lives impacted for Christ. Lets pray.

Ask the worship team to come back up.