The Christian Has Only One Rule - Love

Secular -

Today is all about love. So, I thought I would tackle the “9 Commandments Of Marriage” before we move on. Please note these are jokes.

Commandment 1. Marriages are made in heaven. But so are thunder and lightning.

Commandment 2. If you want your wife to listen and pay strict attention to every word you say, talk in your sleep.

Commandment 3. Marriage is grand and is worth more than 100 grand!

Commandment 4. Married life is very frustrating. In the first year of marriage, the man speaks and the woman listens. In the second year, the woman speaks and the man listens. In the third year, they both speak and the neighbors listen.

Commandment 5. When a man opens the door of the car for his wife, you can be sure of one thing: Either the car is new or the wife is.

Commandment 6. Marriage is when a man and woman become as one; The trouble starts when they try to decide which one.

Commandment 7. Before marriage, a man will lie awake all night thinking about something you say. After marriage, he will fall asleep before you finish.

Commandment 8. Every man wants a wife who is beautiful, understanding, economical, and a good cook. But the law allows only one wife.

Commandment 9. A man is incomplete until he is married. After that, he is finished.

Historical/Cultural Context -

The book of 1 John is one of the five books in the New Testament that was written by John the Apostle, brother of James. They were known as the sons of thunder. This letter was written between A.D. 85 to A.D. 100. First John was written to a church or group of churches in crisis—churches who were being attacked by false teaching. Some individuals who had once been associated with the church had accepted heresy and had left the church. After they left they continued to spread their false teaching to the church. They went so far as to organize and send out itinerant preachers to various churches with the goal of converting those in the churches to their beliefs. This created confusion and plunged the churches into crisis. In response to this situation, John wrote 1 John, following that up with 2 and 3 John. His goal was to stop this false teaching and to bring comfort to the Christians in these churches.

Biblical Text -

1 John 4:7–11 NKJV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

-[Prayer]-

Life Principle - For The Christian, Love Is Not An Option, Is A Hallmark Of Life, And Without Life You Can’t Have Christian Love.

Life Point- Christian Love Is A Hallmark Of A Christian Life

Exegetical -

1 John 4:7–8 NKJV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Homiletical -

I like how the NLT renders these verses:

1 John 4:7–8 NLT

Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Notice in this version they bring out the fact that the Greek word for “love” is a continuous act, not something that is stagnate, but a verb. An act of will, as it were.

He says “let us continue to love one another”

We have shown God’s love as Christians in the past, but that is not something we just stop doing. We must continue. The attitude of the Christian is not one of “I have done thus and such for so many years, it’s someone else's turn.”

Did God call you away from what He told you to do? If not, then He expects you to keep doing what He has called you to do.

Galatians 6:9–10 NKJV

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Now, John had just talked about discerning of spirits. Knowing the spirit of truth and of error

Discerning who is of God and who is not. He is still in that vein of thought.

How do we see if someone is of God or not? Are they showing love? Do they love one another? Are they walking in God’s love?

That is not to say you won’t get mad. Trust me, you will. I can recount many times when I got mad and expressed myself while I was in anger. Not meaning I cussed them out or anything, but I have a hard time when I am extremely irritated, not showing my irritation in tone and body language.

For example, I have found out this Friday that I absolutely cannot go down to the post office anymore and speak of an ongoing situation.

(Mailboxes)

I don’t want to be irritated about it, but I know that for me to not get upset I have to let Amanda deal with it.

The love that John is talking about here, is a lifestyle of love and giving. When people look at a body of believers do they see a loving welcoming church?

I don’t know of any church that would say that they are not a loving church.

I can tell you, though, that from an outsiders perspective, at some churches, they may see a church that isn’t loving.

My sister, when she was looking for a church years ago, visited 3 or 4 Baptist Churches where no one spoke to her or her family. They went in, sat down, and left without any human contact whatsoever. It didn’t matter if it was a small church, a large church or something in-between.

I don’t know of anyone who would say that our church isn’t loving. Everyone here, I know that if there was a need they would give you the shirt off their backs to take care of someone.

This doesn’t mean letting people use you as a door mat or to take advantage of you.

You know Paul had something to say about a lot of “churchy activities” where sometimes Christians come in and do things and it salves their conscious to think they are doing God’s work, but in reality if they have no love it means nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:1–13 NKJV

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 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. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Let it never be said of First Baptist that we look like church, but we do not show Love to one another. Let it never be said that this church is nothing but contention and strife.

Let me put that in today’s language. “Let it never be said that we ain’t nothin but drama.”

A this point in their church life the Corinthians looked like a church, sounded like a church but they weren’t nothin but drama.

Paul had some harsh words for people who play, what I call, the “church game.” He said:

2 Timothy 3:1–5 NKJV

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!

There may be a lot of people in the world and the church who are about what looks good. Who are about people’s talents and abilities. Whether that is music, public speaking, finance or whatever. Let me tell you this.

A person’s talents or abilities, in the world will make room for them when their character is not ready to go there.

1 Samuel 16:6–7 NKJV

So it was, when they came, that he looked at Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him!” But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”

This was in reference to David being anointed king over Israel.

Life Point - Only Through Life Can Christians Love

Exegetical -

1 John 4:9–10 NKJV

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Homiletical -

Notice the scripture says that we might live through Him.

This means that we are supposed to live life through the power of Jesus Christ, through a new lens.

A new way of looking at the world. When we are dead in our sins we look at the world through dead eyes.

We look at the world through a selfish, self-centered point of view. A view that is skewed and perverted from God’s worldview.

As a christian we grow in the grace of our Lord and we begin to see the world through a Biblical worldview.

This worldview isn’t just something you can pickup the Bible and just read it and then you begin to see through the lens of the Bible.

No, You must be born again.

John 3:1–19 NKJV

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things? Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness. If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things? No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

You know what happens when a sinner, who is not regenerate by the Word of God, tries to look through the lens of scripture?

They end up messing it all up! Because they can’t look through the lens of scripture because they are still looking through dead sinner eyes.

You must be a regenerate born-again believer to even begin to see the scriptures correctly enough to live the Christian life.

So the natural progression here is, if you know that you aren’t a true born-again believer what do you do to live and see through Living Eyes?

You and I are born into sin. We have all sinned and our sin separates us from Christ.

Romans 3:23 NKJV

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

But there is a hope. There is the work of Christ on the Cross.

Romans 6:23 NKJV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 Peter 2:24 NKJV

who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Have you ever told a lie? Ever lashed out in anger toward someone? If so, then you have sinned and, According to the Bible, you are a sinner in God’s eyes because you have rebelled against His law. He did say that were are not to lie, and to lie breaks His law.

Exodus 20:16 NKJV

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

If you have lied then you are subject to punishment, which is sin, and the wages for your sin is death. But we know that God has given eternal life. What will you do today with that gift?

It isn’t easy, it requires you to give up your entire being to Him. It requires calling upon on His name and yielding all that you are to all that He is. Let’s be honest though, is your life really so great that you don’t need someone to take care of that sin for you? For me the answer was and is No. What is it for you?

So how does one receive this gift of Jesus?

Romans 10:13 NKJV

For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Is that you today? Do you need to call upon the name of the Lord? Do you need Jesus to forgive your sins?

If it is you can Just say, “Jesus help!” Because it is about the intent of your heart not the words on your lips.

Or when the service ends we will have a time of response and I can introduce you to Christ.

Life Point - Love Is Not An Option For The Christian

Exegetical -

1 John 4:11 NKJV

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

Homiletical -

Love for the Christian is supposed to be not only a natural outpouring of the Christian Life, but a command to the Christian.

First, love should be a natural outpouring of a life filled with the communion between us and the Holy Spirit.

James 2:18 NKJV

But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

Galatians 5:22–23 NKJV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Notice the first characteristic of the fruit of The Spirit is Love.

Second, we are commanded to love one another, which should be easy if we truly belong to God and it is being poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

Romans 5:1–5 NKJV

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

We have been justified by faith and because of that we have access into this grace which we stand.

Because we have access to grace and are saved we rejoice in hope of the Glory of God.

This allows us to glory in tribulations

Glorying in tribulations produces

perseverance, character, and hope

Now, hope will never disappoint the believer because God has poured out His love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

Seeing this, we know that we have the Love of God in operation in our lives.

Now, if we have the love of God in operation within us, then the command to love should not be an overwhelming command for the believer.

John 13:33–35 NKJV

Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 15:12 NKJV

This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Mark 12:31 NKJV

And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Romans 13:8 NKJV

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

Romans 12:10 ESV

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

There are many more examples in the Bible of the command to love. I hope by this sampling you get the point.

We are to outdo each other in showing love and honor to one another.

Illustration -

Here are some things kids said when giving a definition of love.

“When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.”—Billy, age 4

“Love is what makes you smile when you’re tired.”—Terri, age 4

“Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.”—Elaine, age 5

“You really shouldn’t say ‘I love you’ unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.”—Jessica, age 8

“Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French Fries without making them give you any of theirs.”—Chrissie, age 6

Matthew 18:2–5 NKJV

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Life Principle– For The Christian, Love Is Not An Option, Is A Hallmark Of Life, And Without Life You Can’t Have Christian Love.

Call to Action – altar call….