Untitled Sermon

Called To Leave A Legacy Of Love

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.

14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

To begin with this is a massive text with the Key verse being verse 18. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.I want us to get on board the Old Ship Of Zion and embark on a journey of Love, and leaving a legacy of Love.

I’ve been pastoring the Shiloh MBC for 20 years and the central message is that we have to Love one another. Love in the Greek vernacular is the word Agape. It literally mans to be benevolent and have good will.it means to be affectionate with the Love of God in your heart. Because God is Love.

This portion of scripture is designed to help understand the Nature of God

God is Spirit John 4:24

God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth. God is not flesh and blood. an God is not limited by our time or space. God created it all so he can operate as He chooses.

God is Light 1 John 1:5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. This refers to God’s Holy Nature, because light is a symbol of holiness and darkness is a symbol of sin.God can not sin because he is Holy.

and then God is Love but love is not necessarily God. Love does not define God but God defines Love. God’s Love is a holy love and His holiness is expressed in love. Christian Love is a special kind of Love its poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Love Comes From God

The text says 7 Dear friends, we should love each other, because love comes from God. From the first sermon at the Shiloh Church in Port Allen until now, I’ve been teaching and preaching that we should love one another, because true love comes from God. and the rest of verse 7 says Everyone who loves has become God’s child and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. Folks if you see somebody come into the church and they are hell bend on being mad and disruptive and combative and plain old evil then, that’s not God’s way. because verse 9 says This is how God showed his love to us: He sent his one and only Son into the world so that we could have life through him.

Brothers and sisters if God sent Jesus and Jesus sacrificed His life for the sins of the whole world then we need to know that that’s real love. Look at verse 10 This is what real love is: It is not our love for God; it is God’s love for us. He sent his Son to die in our place to take away our sins.

Jesus did for us what nobody else could do for us and we couldn’t do it for ourselves. It’s the depravity of mankind. Mankind doesn't not have the ability to save himself/ herself. So we needed a savior a kinsman redeemer We needed Jesus the Christ.

Part II Love One Another 11 Dear friends, if God loved us that much we also should love each other. 12 No one has ever seen God, but if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is made perfect in us. The true indicator or barometer to be able to measure what a person’s true nature is, is if they love their neighbor as their own self. Jesus said love your neighbor as yourself and that will prove that you love God. Listen brothers and sisters Love is one of God’s communicable attributes. and it’s our genuine love that we show that will be our legacy of love. When we exhibit kindness mercy sacrifice and compassion we are thus creating a legacy of love.

The term Agape is real. because God’s Love is authentic through His Son Jesus Christ.us.

God’s Spirit In Us

13 We know that we live in God and he lives in us, because he gave us his Spirit. 14 We have seen and can testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God has God living inside, and that person lives in God. 16 And so we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love.

God is love. Those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.