Truth is timeless. What we will look at this morning is relevant for all the seasons of our lives.
Rom. 14:19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
1 John 3:1-3
3 Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.
1. How many times are we to Look?
It’s a standing invitation - So let’s look again, and again, and again……
YOU are the object of ALL of God’s love.
Can I twist your arm today? - Go ahead and look again and again and again….It will only do you good.
Big: His love reaches down into our life AND His love brings us up and out.
Illustration: ‘Walk around the room. Love on people with the Word.’
2. The more we look the more we see. Of His great love and we realize & see how He has changed us.
His love received has the power to Change EVERYTHING about our lives.
The Love of God is amazing. It’s Bigger than we realize. It’s deeper than we thought possible. It’s scope has yet to be fully seen. It’s big. It’s bigger and it’s greater still.
3. God made us to overflow with His love.
He gave it to us at New Birth.
Rom. 5:5 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.
Now, may we grasp it & know it.
Phil. 1:9-11 9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, (that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ) 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—Goto the glory and praise of God.
Eph. 3:14-19 14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom every family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
4. The so that. So that we may love well.
John 15:12-13 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
Thought: ”We sing the (beautiful) praise chorus, 'It's all about you, Jesus.' Who are we kidding? It's all about Jesus—as long as it's in a service I like, in a building I like, with people I like, with music I like, for a length of time I like. At some point, 'Take up your cross and follow me' changed into, 'Come to Jesus and he'll make your life better.'"
Eph. 5:1-2 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love (live the life of love), as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Here is the measuring stick for love: that we lay down our lives for others, for our neighbor, for our friends, for our family, for my wife, husband….. that we don’t have to be first, that if I help someone else succeed – then I am a success. If I reach out, If i’m a connection point, If I build up, If I encourage, If I pray with and for. If we obey - we are a success.
Let’s think about this in the context of our Local Church.
What reveals our Health & Strength as His people?
How well we love one another.
People are hungry & thirsty for Jesus relationships.
Example: I remember when we had the opportunity to bring Justus into our home. The Lord asked me - do you have room in your heart for Him?
When you add children to the mix of marriage and family what’s it do? it changes things
- it makes your life a bit more messy
- it effects your money
- it effects your time
- it effects your space
NPC, Friends & Family, Do we have room in our heart for more people?
1 John 3:23 And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
This: - it makes your life a bit more messy
- it effects your money
- it effects your time
Paul taught us that Lord’s Table is also very much about How we love one another.
1 Cor. 11:29 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.
We are to “Be Discerning.”
Discerning - “To recognize or understand as being distinct”; “ to recognize or perceive clearly”
To not be discerning is:
- Not recognizing or understanding as being distinct.
- Not recognizing or perceiving clearly.
Counting something as common.
-His body broken for us/His blood poured out for us.
-The body of Christ - His church.
One way we can miss it ‘discerning the Lord’s body’ is in our relationships or our ‘one another’s’- the weight of the ‘one another’s - the Lord’s body - How we value the church - local & global. The way we treat one another.
This is such a vital part of the Faith that we possess. And such a big deal in touching people with the gospel. It’s huge in connecting with People and helping people connect. Jesus said it this way:
John 13:34-35 34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
The church isn’t perfect because WE are here. Yet He still has a plan.
Heb. 10:24-25 24 Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.
Think of ways to encourage one another to outburst of love and good deeds……
- Look around: meet a family or someone you don’t know
- Be aware of people
- Be Kind, Be friendly
- Need a friend? Be a friend
- Ask them to lunch or dinner
- Make the first move
- when we have smaller events: Come
- first wednesday meal & n.o.w.: Come
- if you came once - come again
- put yourself in a position to grow - connect to people, be here, serve, stretch…
- serve on a team: greeters, ushers, etc.
The church family is a redemptive family. We reach out, We forgive, we repent, we encourage, we speak words of grace, we help one another. This is church.
Be quick to forgive. Be quick to repent. We are loved by God. He loves us extravagantly.
We have this extravagant love to give.
Agapomen Allelus
Saint Jerome recounts that Saint John the Evangelist, living in Ephesus in his extreme old age, would be carried with difficulty into the church by his disciples. He had no strength for lengthy exhortation, but could only say, “agapomen allelus" ("let us love one another"). At length, the disciples and church members who were there, wearied by the repetition, asked, “Master, why do you always say this?” He replied “Because it is the Lord’s command and if that alone is done, it suffices.”
“John, why do you say?” "Agapomen Allelus”
1 Cor. 13:13 No abides faith, hope and love but the greatest of these is love
1 Cor. 14:1 Make love your great aim and quest in life….
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you that you love one another
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