What is Love?
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Handout
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him.
10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other.
12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.
14 Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God.
16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
18 Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.
19 We love each other because he loved us first.
20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?
21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
What is Love?
How do you define love?
Love, love, love… We hear the challenge over and over again to love. This passage lists many reasons why we should love. But, What is love?? If the Beatles are correct that “All we need is love” then we had better know what love is so that we can know if it is all we need.
Quotes from kids
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 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
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." Bobby - age 7 (Wow!)
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate."
Nikka - age 6 (we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
"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
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." Cindy - age 8
"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
"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." Mary Ann - age 4
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." (Now THIS is love!)Lauren - age 4
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." (what an image!) Karen - age 7
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross." Mark - age 6
"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
And the final one...
Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing I just helped him cry."
The Greeks listed 4 types of love
Eros, Philo, Storge, Agape
The Greeks listed 4 types of love
Eros (erotic between husband and wife)
Philo (friendship)
Storge (Familial/motherly/fatherly love - think Stork)
Agape (unconditional love). This is the highest expression of love and was not always valued or cherished. This is God’s love for us, and the love we are called to display towards others.
What does love have to do with St. Valentine?
Not much on one hand, but on the other hand, he is a great example of the love/agape/charity we are commanded to display.
St. Valentine was martyred for his faith on February 14, 269 ad (ish). There are many Valentine persons, and what exactly he did is not fully known as there is a lot of traditional/urban legend/myth associated with him.
However, we do know that there was a bishop/priest named Valentinus (or Valentine) who was martyred around that time. It is believed that he, at one point in time, was under house arrest under Judge Asterius. He had befriended Judge Asterius and would discuss his faith. The judge challenged Valentine to pray to God and have God restore the eyesight of Judge Asterius’ daughter. Valentine prayed, laid hands on her, and God restored her sight. The judge converted to Christianity through this act of love and devotion. Later, Valentine was arrested again and was sent to appear before the Emperor, Claudius II. CLaudius also took a liking to Valentine, but ordered Valentine to be executed/beheaded, when Valentine began to try and convert the Emperor.
Before his death, it is said, that Valentine wrote a note to Judge Asterius’ daughter and signed it, “From your Valentine.” Supposedly this is where we get the tradition of Valentine’s cards.
He is considered the saint of bees/beekeepers, epilepsy, and courtship/the affianced/engaged. The reason for his use with LOVE is because it is believed that he allowed young Christians to be wed, and would perform their marriages, when, at that time, it was forbidden by the Emperor so that young men would be more available for us in the military.
That’s what the states reason was, but I believe there are different reasons. Christians have a value they place upon the marriage bed. We keep it pure. Let’s speak boldly. Christians do not have sex until they are married. Therefore, Christians do not procreate until married. When Christians procreate, the Christian faith grows. So, what is a simple way to keep the Christian faith from growing to the next generation? Keep Christians from procreating. How do you do that? You forbid marriage because they won’t procreate until they are married.
What does the story of St. Valentine have to do with love?
Well, on the one hand, not much. It’s not the tell of young love like Romeo and Juliet. But, on the other hand, it is a tale of God’s love that is willing to break all the rules to be shown to the world. Out of LOVE/charity St. Valentine risked his life/lost his life to make sure people knew the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. He befriended people who hated that message and was willing to pray for them. And, he was willing to show love in tangible ways by praying, laying on of hands, and seeing that God would restore people’s eyesight.
So, back to our question. What EXACTLY is love?
What does the Bible say about Love?
The Bible says a lot about love!
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
But, our passage from 1 John helps us too
7 Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. 8 But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9 God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. 10 This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
11 Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.
16 We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 17 And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.
19 We love each other because he loved us first.
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. 7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. 8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Scripture makes it clear that TRUE LOVE is sacrificial.
It is giving up what we WANT so that others can have what they need! It is a demonstration of God’s love for us.
13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
This is the type of love we are exhorted to show/share
34 So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”
The world will know we are God’s people by how we LOVE
- a sacrificial love. A love that is tangible. A love that is not only spoken about, but lived out.
John and Tina and their neighbor
He would use his tractor to clear their driveway
He invited them to ride his sleigh that was led by his draft horses
He loaned them, for 2-3 years, the continual use of his old tractor - it would stay at their house and they used it as their own
Who do you know that is an example of this love?
What would it be like if we loved like that?
What would it be like if we loved like that?
If we loved our spouse in a way that gave up what we WANT so she could have what she needs
If we loved our neighbor enough to loan, indefinitely, our hedge trimmer
If we loved our children enough to put them first.
We say we do, but do we really. Do we love our children enough to put them before staying at work late? Do we miss t-ball, or recitals, or other events because we are too busy loving other things before our children?
If we loved...
Remember what John instructs!
20 If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? 21 And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.
May we embody LOVE
May God breath his Spirit upon us - the Spirit that we read about in 1 John 4:13
13 And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us.
May this Spirit call us out of the death of apathy and bring us ALIVE into a life known as LOVE!
May we COME ALIVE as God breath’s His Spirit upon us and as we love!