Reclaim Your Love

1 John 4:7–21 CSB

7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us. 13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God—God remains in him and he in God. 16 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. 17 In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as he is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister.

1. God is the source of Love because God is Love

Storge - Familiar love

Philia - Love without romantic attraction (friend)

Eros - Romantic love

Agape Unconditional love

John 21:15–17 CSB

15 When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Feed my lambs,” he told him. 16 A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Shepherd my sheep,” he told him. 17 He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” “Feed my sheep,” Jesus said.

Verse 15 - Jesus asked do you Agape me more than these (the other disciples), Peter replied you know I Phileo

Jesus said Feed my lambs—little sheep (nurture them)

Verse 16 - Do you Agape me, Peter said, You know I Phileo you

Jesus said Shepherd my sheep—I hire you as a shepherd

Verse 17 - Do phileo me, Peter was grieved that Jesus asked him a third time do you phileo me, Peter said you know everything and know that I phileo you

Jesus said, feed my sheep—take care of the sheep, nourish and nurture them

Do you Agape (love) Jesus?

Do you just have great appreciation for what He does for you?

Reclaim Your Love

2. Love is Generous and Unselfish

It seems that Valentine’s Day is about the guy giving to the girl

Is it because the girl doesn’t love?

Love is generous and unselfish

John 3:16 NIV84

16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

God loved and He gave

We love and therefore must give

Romans 5:8 CSB

8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

God proves His love by sending Jesus to die for us

Love does not ask for your sacrifice, Love will sacrifice

Love looks for your benefit

3. Love is the fingerprint of Authentic Believers

We must love God

We must love our neighbor

We must love our enemies

We, most certainly, must love those who work with us in sharing the Gospel

John 13:34–35 CSB

34 “I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

The enemy divides

The enemy wants us gossiping about each other

Don’t look for the downfall of your colaborer, pray for their success

4. Love never fails

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 NIV84

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

Faith, Hope and Love remain, but Love is the greatest

Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts

Don’t pursue gifts to desire love

Love is an action verb

5. Those that Love are overcomers

Perfect Love drives out fear

Love can win the unbeliever

Love can restore families

Love can see the impossible

Love give the best

Love destroys the enemy

Reclaim Your Love