Love Comes from God
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The Early Church was a mix of Jews and Non-Jews
The Early Church was a mix of Jews and Non-Jews
They came from different backgrounds and beliefs, and John wrote for them.
They came from different backgrounds and beliefs, and John wrote for them.
Some had believed in Yahweh, some had believed in Zeus, and some may have believed in nothing at all.
Many were still coming to terms with who God was in Jesus Christ.
Many were still coming to terms with who God was in Jesus Christ.
John wrote to them about the principal characteristic of God of the Bible, Love.
In John 15, John wrote about the Gardener, the Vine, and the Branches.
In John 15, John wrote about the Gardener, the Vine, and the Branches.
God is the Gardener who tends the Vineyard with great care.
God is the Gardener who tends the Vineyard with great care.
The Vine lives because of the care of the Gardener.
Jesus is the Vine that spreads broadly through the field, growing branches outward.
Jesus is the Vine that spreads broadly through the field, growing branches outward.
The People of God are the branches who may bear fruit
The People of God are the branches who may bear fruit
Branches can only bear fruit by staying attached to the Vine.
Branches can only bear fruit by staying attached to the Vine.
The Vine lives because of the care of the Gardener.
The Vine brings sustenance for growing fruit.
The Vine grows the branches toward the light.
The Spirit moves through the Vine and branches, filling the fruit.
The Spirit moves through the Vine and branches, filling the fruit.
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Not Only is God love, but one who does not love does not know God
Not Only is God love, but one who does not love does not know God
The Father loved Jesus
Jesus, the Son, loved the Father & Us
We should love God (Father, Son & the Spirit)
We should love Others
Not just those who love, but also those who don’t love.
We were given the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of Love.
We were given the Spirit of God, who is the Spirit of Love.
All of humanity is alive because the Spirit has breathed into them
7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.
Humanity was tempted to think that God was not loving.
Humanity was tempted to think that God was not loving.
Humans question God’s love.
Humans question the power of love.
We are often misled about the power of love in our lives.
We are often misled about the power of love in our lives.
The forces of darkness are strongest among those who do not believe in the power of love.
The forces of darkness are strongest among those who do not believe in the power of love.
They might believe in the power of pleasure & pride.
They might believe in the power of pleasure & pride.
Pleasure becomes god when we believe in objects of our desire.
Pride becomes god when we believe only in ourselves or our own creations or weapons.
Some find no god, making no sense of the world.
Others claim that all things are god
It’s natural to ask where God might be when there seems to be so much wrong with the world?
It’s natural to ask where God might be when there seems to be so much wrong with the world?
Transition: No wonder people are so confused about who God is and what God is about.
Pruning a branch from a vine allows for something new to grow and bear fruit.
Pruning a branch from a vine allows for something new to grow and bear fruit.
Branches are not replaced
Branches are not replaced
They may grow in a different part of the Vine
They may even grow from the very place they were pruned.
Some branches may even be able to be grafted into the Vine and produce strange fruit.
Jesus demonstrated self-sacrificial love.
Jesus demonstrated self-sacrificial love.
God limited God’s self, not forcing on humanity God’s love.
God limited God’s self, not forcing on humanity God’s love.
By giving humanity free will
By God coming to be human in Jesus Christ
By giving us the choice to choose to believe and love
The Spirit of love within Jesus Christ is self-sacrificial love.
The Spirit of love within Jesus Christ is self-sacrificial love.
Not in the sense of worthlessness.
The Spirit of love made alive through relationships.
The Spirit of love made alive through relationships.
Placing others well-being over ourselves.
12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
Jesus gave the same Spirit of love to his disciples.
Jesus gave the same Spirit of love to his disciples.
Jesus breathed his Spirit on his closest disciples before he died. (John 20:21-22)
His Spirit blew upon all who were gathered on Pentecost, and made available to all whom believe. (Acts 2:2)
The Spirit of love is given to us as we believe that love is the only true, sufficient power of God, made available through Jesus Christ, which can save us.
The Spirit of love is given to us as we believe that love is the only true, sufficient power of God, made available through Jesus Christ, which can save us.
We are given assurance that we are his by and because of his Spirit within us.
As we continue in obedience to the Spirit of love of Christ, we can be assured Christ is with us. Holy Love.
We continue to bear the fruit of the Spirit by the same Spirit.
As more branches (people) being grafted onto the Vine, more fruit of the Spirit can be seen.
As more branches (people) being grafted onto the Vine, more fruit of the Spirit can be seen.
This is how others can know of God, by seeing the Spirit of love within us.
This is how others can know of God, by seeing the Spirit of love within us.
We love others not because others like us or love us, but because God first loved us.
We love others not because others like us or love us, but because God first loved us.
We live out of what we believe, and we believe that God is love.
We live out of what we believe, and we believe that God is love.
Love promotes abundant life.
God is love. We love others. As has been said, “the rest is commentary.”
God is love. We love others. As has been said, “the rest is commentary.”
