Greater love Challenge 3

Love Your Enemies

The Greater Love Challenge – Part 3

Greet the people – It IS good to be back together

· OCCUPY SERIES – we asked a question --- WHAT DOES THIS GENERATION NEED FROM US?

· 1. THE REVEALED TRUTH OF JESUS MUST NEVER BE COMPROMISED!

· 2. WE MUST ENGAGE WITH A GREATER LOVE

· We began in Matthew 24

MATTHEW 24 :11Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

· That Greek word for grow cold – PSYCHO – Love will grow psycho!!!

· ANOTHER rendering of that phrase is that LOVE WILL BECOME INACTIVE!...LOVE WILL BECOME INACTIVE

· The Days are not conducive the God kind of Love flowing into the culture

The Body of Christ we must fight to LOVE Biblically in a culture that doesnt

I saw this on someones Instagram story

“Be soft, do not let the world make you hard, do nlot let pain make you hate. Do not let bitterness steal your sweetness”

MATTHEW 22.

· 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which isthe great commandment in the law?”37 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 the first and great commandment. 39 And thesecond is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

· THE WHOLE LAW, ALL THE WRITINGS OF THE PROPHETS – ARE SUSPENDED BY THESE 2 COMMANDMENTS LOVE GOD AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR

• Last week we dealt with the question HOW DO I LOVE GOD?

You must LOVE THE LORD - AGAPAO - You must have great affection towards, loyalty towards, care for - THE KYRIOS - THE LORD - THE MASTER - THE SUPREME IN AUTHORITY

WITH YOUR ALL - WHOLE - COMPLETE -

SOUL -LIFE

• Again we have the conceptions about love and what it is and how it feels and how it should be done - whereas the Bible can present a much more layered perspective?

• How do I love God?

• Well guess where it BEGINS - With HIS LOVE - 1 John 4.19

The New King James Version (Chapter 4) 19 We love Him because He first loved us.

• The Scripture is clear - the only way we could Love God - is first by being the recipients of His love - OUR LOVE towards Him is the response to His love towards us

• SO Practically How do we Love God according to the Scripture?

• 1. Obey His commandments -

•Jesus and Peter example

• Can you see the pattern here - It’s not what we say “You know I love you Jesus” …NO IF YOU LOVE ME - FEED MY SHEEP - FULFIL YOUR PURPOSE, WALK IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT!

• 1 John 5.3

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome

• 2. Loving God involves Love Jesus - 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. (Jn 8:42)

• 3. Love for God must be Expressed

• Love MUST BE EXPRESSED

• a) Delight in worship and in God’s House

The New King James Version (Psalm 27) 4 One thing I have desired of the LORD, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD, And to inquire in His temple.

• One of the dangers of the Pandemic is that Believers may detach their love of the House from their expression of LOVE towards God!

• B) We express our Love for God with a Love for God’s Word

The New King James Version מ Mem

97 Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.

Jeremiah said - 16 Your words were found, and I ate them, And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart; For I am called by Your name, O Lord God of hosts (Je 15:16).

• TO INCREASE IN A GREATER LOVE FOR GOD - YOU MUST DEVELOP AN APPETITE FOR HIS WORD!

• C) Your Love for God is expressed in SELF SACRIFICE

• JESUS - TEACHING ABOUT THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

.33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. (Lk 14:33).

• D) Your Love for God is expressed in your Giving -

3 Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver(1 Ch 29:2–3).

• WHEN we give it is an expression of our love towards God! David said I love God so much I have given over and ABOVE

The CHURCH IN MACEDONIA - ABOUND IN THEIR GRACE OF GIVING - They gave even beyond their ability…WHY???

8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others. (2 Co 8:8)

IT WAS A SINCERE LOVE THEY HAD FOR GOD AND OTHERS — IT CAUSED SUPERNATURAL GIVING EFFORTS IN THEIR LIFE!

• E) TO LOVE GOD YOU HAVE TO LOVE OTHERS - 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. (1 Jn 4:20–21

ONE WHO LOVES GOD - MUST LOVE HIS BROTHER

Our Love for God must be expressed and there is great benefit to us in LOVING GOD

the Psalmist revealed in Psalm 91

The New King James Version (Psalm 91)

14 “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;I will set him on high, because he has known My name.15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;I will be with him in trouble;I will deliver him and honor him.16 With long life I will satisfy him,And show him My salvation.”

(The Fruits of Love (Psalm 91:14–16))

“Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore”I

.—I WILL DELIVER HIM. The first fruit of a surrendered heart is salvation. Freedom from the guilt and power of sin. The law is fulfilled in one word, “Thou shalt love.” David set his heart on God; see how God delivered him! (1 Sam. 17:50). So with Joseph, Daniel, and Paul.II.

—I WILL EXALT HIM. “Set him on high” (v. 14). After salvation comes exaltation; or rather, to be saved is to be exalted: taken out of the fearful pit. If we have been crucified with Christ we have also been raised together with Him.III.

—I WILL ANSWER HIM (v. 15). What an inspiring promise this is! Let your requests be made known unto God. Here is His own assurance that if you have set your love upon Him, He will answer you. If love to Him is our motive, then we shall not ask amiss (Jas. 4:3).IV.

—I WILL BE WITH HIM. This is the promise of His fellowship in the day of our trouble. If He is with us then we can fear no evil (Ps. 23). God knows that His abiding presence is a continual necessity for guidance, strength, and victory.V.

—I WILL HONOUR HIM. We honour Him by setting our love upon Him. So “Them that know Me I will honour” (1 Sam. 2:30). Seek the honour that comes from God only; and His special favour will be manifested in your life (John 12:26)VI.

—I WILL SATISFY HIM. He shall be satisfied with “length of days” (marg.), which, to us, implies the privilege of everlasting joy and service. Our days upon the earth, if lived in His love, will be as long as are needful for the honour of His name. He gives to His own eternal life, and they shall be satisfied when they awake in His likeness.

Now today we want to deleve into that love for OTHERS - Love your Neighbour as YOURSELF

We established in this teaching that your neighbour can mean anyone you come into contact with in your day to day life

We have an obligation as recipients of Gods love to love others!

In John 15.9 - Jesus said as the Father has loved me so I have loved you - Continue in MY LOVE!

I was thinking about the time when Jesus said that LOVE YOUR ENEMIES

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Enemy

The natural inclination of all people is to hate their enemies. Some have even misconstrued God’s law to teach hatred.

Jesus turns this upside down in the Gospels

Matthew (Chapter 5)

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? 48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

How many of you have enemies?

I was thinking that its probably unlikely that many of us have enemies per se…but we sure do have people that we dont like that much ....We there is a Godly obligation as sons of the Father to emulate the standard of His Love!

Jesus prayed for His enemies - forgive them Father they dont know what they are doing!!

Some of them do KNOW! Still pray for them

Enemies should be

1. Loved. Mat. 5:44.

2. Prayed for. Acts 7:60. (Stephens example)

3. Assisted. Pro. 25:21, with Rom. 12:20. (if your enemy is hungry give him bread and drink)

4. Overcome by kindness. 1 Sam. 26:21.

5. Rejoice not at the misfortunes of. Job 31:29.

6. Rejoice not at the failings of. Pro. 24:17. - Do not rejoice when you enemy falls and dont let you heart be glad when they stumble!

7. Desire not the death of. 1 Kin. 3:11.

Solomon in his wisdom did not desire the death of his enemies and recorded that as noble

8. Curse them not. Job 31:30.

9. Be affectionately concerned for. Psa. 35:13.

And in the parable of the Good samaritan - even someone you may consider as an enemy should be loved as a neighbour!

NOW there were 4 concepts about the kind of LOVE that we love our neighbour with as SONS OF GOD

1. Tough Love -Real Love is corrective

The Lord disciplines those he loves” (Heb. 12:6 NIV). A.The Lord disciplines his children because he loves them and wants the best for them. He is looking out for their good

CORRECTION IN LOVE ALWAYS HAS REDEMPTION AT THE END OF IT

RESTORATION AT THE END OF IT

The church has gone the wrong way because we correct with judgment and call it LOVE

A part of a loving community is the freedom for corrective love to be displayed!

2. Tender Love - Gods Love is Tender

Tender Love“For thy lovingkindness is good: turn unto me according to … thy tender mercies” (Ps. 69:16).A. God’s love is not only tough but it is also tender. He cares, understands, and “is touched with the feeling of our infirmities” (Heb. 4:15).B. God’s love, mercy, and grace are extended to all people in all places, at all times.C. Emulate God’s tender love. Heed his words: “Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another” (Eph. 4:32).

3. Trustworthy Love - LOVE SHOULD BE FAITHUL - STEADY - ENDURING

“I have loved thee with an everlasting love” (Jer. 31:3).

A.This is the opposite of a culture where Love is waxing COLD

B. God’s love is trustworthy. He keeps his promises (see Eph. 2:7).

C. We should be steadfast and dependable also, loving “in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

The New King James Version (Chapter 3)

18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth

4. Love is triumphant - LOVE NEVER FAILS

The New King James Version (Chapter 13)

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away

We sometimes value the other things way more than LOVE

BUT THERE IS A VICTORY IN LOVE THAT YOU WONT EVEN FIND IN PROPHECY, IN KNOWLEDGE!

we need to love some people till they see that your love never fails

This kind of love needs commitment from us ----- DO YOU COMMIT TO LOVE LIKE GOD?

TO EMULATE HOW HE LOVES US AND LOVE OTHERS THE SAME WAY!