What's Love Got to Do With It? (2)

Why is love so important in the body of Christ and how do we practice it. Today we continue our series Humanoid - with our message “What’s Love Got to Do With It”.

1 John 3:11–19 NLT

11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous. 13 So don’t be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them. 16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.

There is a popular song that came out in 1984 by the great Tina Turner called “What’s Love Got to Do with It”. in which she tells the story of how we need to be careful to not let our emotions get us blinded to what we think is love, and that really it’s a second hand emotion. Tina who had faced years of abuse from her husband Ike, sang the song with such passion that it landed her a No. 1 on the Billboard and 3 grammy’s! But why was it such a popular song? because people could relate to the song.

Well John begs to differ, in that he points out some important thoughts about love that we as believers need to know.

1 John 3:11–12 NLT

11 This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. 12 We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was righteous.

Murder is in the heart, if the love of God does not truly reside.

From the very beginning of time since the fall of man, murder and hatred has laid dormant in every person. Cain committed this heinous crime first because of jealousy, envy, insecurity, pride and a lack of obedience.

Genesis 4:3–7 NLT

3 When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift to the Lord. 4 Abel also brought a gift—the best portions of the firstborn lambs from his flock. The Lord accepted Abel and his gift, 5 but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected. 6 “Why are you so angry?” the Lord asked Cain. “Why do you look so dejected? 7 You will be accepted if you do what is right. But if you refuse to do what is right, then watch out! Sin is crouching at the door, eager to control you. But you must subdue it and be its master.”

When you chose sin over sanctification your choosing slavery over salvation

Cain allowed his sin nature to control him and he chose to not control it. Always stop and decide what your consequences of your actions will bring before you invest into your actions. Will this cost me more then I can afford? Will it hurt those around me? As a follower of Christ, how will this reflect upon my Lord and Savior? Always count the cost! You can’t afford to allow your anger to control you.

Pray and ask the Lord to direct your steps. 10 times out of 10 the Lord is going to direct you the right way and in the end you will be grateful you listened to him.

John is pointing out that right here in our fellowship with other believers there are those who belong to Satan. Just because you see them in church worshipping, giving, and practicing all the religious rights, doesn't mean they are for the body of Christ. They could be an agent of Satan.

A couple of years back sister Mayo and I watched a TV Series called “The Americans”. Fantastic series based on some truths. In which a couple was sent to America from Russia acting as spies. They had infiltrated American life so deep that even they began to question their allegiance. But their handlers would check in on them and put them back on track. This went on for years and slowly but surely they began to slip further and further into the hole of American life until finally they cracked and realized they had to get out of America and Get back to Russia.

Your allegiance will always be dictated by the actions of your heart

Jeremiah 17:9 NLT

9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?

Now I know some of you are saying well I’m not that bad Pastor P! But I want you to notice that is a question that the author is asking. Why is it a question, because he wants you to think about your sin sick self.

But I love the Lord Pastor! I really do. I believe you. But so did David and look at what he did.

2 Samuel 11:14–17 NLT

14 So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. 15 The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.” 16 So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy’s strongest men were fighting. 17 And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.

Here is a man after Gods own heart, but yet his heart is one that is after the father of lies, deceit and murder. How does David overcome this treachery? He repents and God’s grace and mercy prevails, but he reaps what he sowed. David’s house saw jealousy, envy, rape, lies and murder from that day on. That was the tree he planted. But even through all of that he chose to serve God and God chose to love him and accept him still as his son and this is what John is referring to when he says we must love and not hate our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior.

Notice the word “Our” Not just mine, Not just yours but Ours! He is OUR heavenly father.

1 John 3:14–15 NLT

14 If we love our brothers and sisters who are believers, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. 15 Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them.

John is painting and image here to convey a message through an illustration of life and death. A strong message but still a message. You’ve got to get this one, because very few will ever put into practice murder, it’s not profitable short or long term. But John throws this caveat into the mix “Anyone who hates another brother or sister” is a murderer at heart.

John 15:12 NLT

12 This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you.

Listen my friend Hate is the opposite of Love, Just like Oil is the opposite of Water. They can not mix. If you set fire to oil and try to toss water on it to put it out, it’ll spread and cause the fire to burn worse then in one concentrated spot. No, you extinguish the fire by suffocation. This is what Christ is saying to us all as his followers. Smoother them in love my friend. Don’t try to put on the fake facade of love because down deep inside is the burning of the oil of hatred and just throwing water on it will only make it burn out of control. until the very foundation of what we as followers of Christ preach will be burned away. Leaving no hope for a hopeless lost world.

1 Corinthians 13:1–3 NLT

1 If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. 3 If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.

My friend love covers a multitude of sins.

1 Peter 4:8 NLT

8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

People in the church will get on your last nerves, people in the church will drive you crazy, but in the end John is saying look past their faults and love them after all it is a command of our Father God. Otherwise you really don’t belong to God but you belong to your true father Satan. (The Accuser of the brethren)

1 John 3:16–19 NLT

16 We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person? 18 Dear children, let’s not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. 19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.

This last point is probably the hardest one that John points out, He calls us to be the example for all to see. Listen Jesus was the example for all to see. He was humiliated in front of the world! He was beaten and crucified to the point of death and we are called to take up our cross daily and follow Him if we are truly His. there are those who will profess to be but when it’s time to lay down your life literally and spiritually can you? Will you? John then points out in verse 17 of what this example should look like. Let me read 17 again.

1 John 3:17 NLT

17 If someone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need but shows no compassion—how can God’s love be in that person?

Listen C2, Ctab and friends this is why we do families feed, the clothing boutique. and partner with a host of other believers to make a difference for the kingdom of God starting with our very own and then outwards.

17 is hard to swallow because most of us have more then enough. But yet we chose to be selfish, we chose to look like our previous father, why because sometimes fragments of his DNA still lurk in our hearts.

John poses this question, but then he presents an opportunity for us to show our love through our actions, verse 18. Just like a true son or daughter, our actions will prove our love.

Your actions of love towards others will dictate your love toward God

You want to impress God, impress others. Let me say that again. You want to impress God impress others.

Proverbs 14:31 NLT

31 Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker, but helping the poor honors him.

I want to close with this thought. There are those who have never given and you profess to be children of God. There are those who give grudgingly, and you profess to be children of God. There are those who give with a cheerful heart and they profess to be children of God. Which ones really are children of God?

Your actions will drive the determinations for others to see

You want people to think you are.... then be who you say you are.

Newsweek Magazine had a cartoon several years ago of a starving man in front of an empty bowl. A man with a big cigar was pouring out a sack of words to fill the bowl. We need more than just talk, we need to take action.

1 John 3:19 NLT

19 Our actions will show that we belong to the truth, so we will be confident when we stand before God.

Let’s close with prayer.