Love Came Down

Intro

- We are all taught what love is/ how to love others

o As Christmas is just around the corner, I know many of you are searching for that perfect gift to show those important people in your life just how much you love them!

o It is crucial that we understand how we can show love to others, otherwise we can get ourselves into a lot of trouble!

- Love is another one of those words that can be hard to define, especially in our world today. In many ways, it has been carelessly used to describe a wide range of emotions and actions, which makes it all the more difficult to find it’s true meaning.

- Many in our world are seeking “True Love”- but what is it?

o To some, it’s that feeling in your stomach, a strong physical or emotional attraction, maybe it’s just a perfect match of two people’s personalities

- My goal this morning if for us to look at what true love really is as God defines it.

- This Christmas season, In a world that has all but lost the meaning of true love, we must point others to its source as we celebrate the greatest expression of love our world has ever known, the coming of Jesus our Savior.

- Read 1 John 4:7-12

True Love is Found in God (7-8)

- If we are looking for the meaning of love in anything other than God, we are going to be continually disappointed

- In fact love is so closely tied to God that this verse says…

A. Love is an indicator of our relationship with God (7)

1. If we love, we know God

2. If we don’t love, we don’t know God

3. John is not saying that through loving others, we know God

a. But rather that true love is evidence of our relationship with God, because love comes from him

4. We also must not misunderstand this statement to mean that someone can know God without placing their faith in him, simply by showing true love to others

a. We all know people who do not claim to be Christians who show genuine love- sadly there are times that non-Christians show love better than us

b. But John made it clear earlier in this letter that a true Christians shows both belief and love

(1) 1 John 3:23 Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us.

B. God is the source of love

1. All true love comes from God

2. Sun illustration- heat radiates from sun so love radiates from our God- fills us

C. God is love

1. Not just “God loves”

2. He is love- it is his character

3. only God can be completely loving

True Love is Displayed by God (9-10)

A. He makes the meaning of love known to us

1. We are always looking for examples of how to do things the right way

Illustration- watching Doug apply drywall mud- Landon cutting open the coconut- or perhaps it’s watching the men in the hallmark movies to see how they do it!

B. God not only models love for us in his character, but he has given us a clear example of what true love out to look like

1. He sent his only Son (John 3:16)

2. Love was manifest in the person and work of Jesus

a. He was the propitiation, or atoning sacrifice, for our sins

C. God’s love is…

1. Active

a. Not a feeling

b. 1 John 3:18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Illustration- saying “I love you”

c. Because of his love, he saw our need and did something about it- he sent his Son

d. How do we SHOW our love to others- what do we do when we see needs around us?

(1) In the church, in our community?

2. Sacrificial

a. He gave up his only Son

3. Unconditional

a. Not because we deserve it or are good people

True Love is Commanded by God (11-12)

A. The motivation for loving others is found in God’s love for us

1. Because he loved us, we ought to love others

2. When we truly understand what he has done for us, it changes our lives! So much so that we can’t help but show love to those around us

B. This begins by loving each other (the church)

1. John is writing this to the church- “beloved, let us love one another”

2. John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

3. If we cannot show love to our brothers and sisters in Christ, how can we hope to show God’s love to the lost world around us?

C. When we show true love to others, God’s love, it gives them a glimpse of who He is

1. No one has seen God, but they do watch us closely

2. When we love others, it shows Gods very presence in our lives and his working to shape us into the people (end of verse 12)

3. We are conduits of God’s love to the world

Christmas lights illustration

Conclusion

- As we enjoy this Christmas season, we must remember to show true love to those around us. A love that is active, sacrificial, and unconditional. A love that finds its source in our God and flows through us so that others might see him.

- As we celebrate Christmas, we are celebrating the greatest expression of love ever shown. God sent his only Son so that we might have life through him.

- My prayer this morning is that you know that love

So What

- Is God’s love your blueprint for loving others, or have you allowed the world to define how you love?

- Are you loving others actively, sacrificially, and unconditionally?

- When non-Christians look at your life, do they see the love of God flowing through you?

- This Christmas season, are you rejoicing in the love that God has shown to you?

o My prayer this morning is that you know that love