NT Puzzle - Love 2009.10.18
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Love is the most important thing in Christianity. It is greater than any gifts or faith if not accompanied by love. Love is patient, kind, and does not envy or boast. It is not rude or self-seeking, and keeps no record of wrongs. There are three Greek words for love: eros, phileo, and agape. Agape refers to supernatural, unconditional love like God's love for humanity. We are commanded to love God and our neighbors unconditionally. We cannot love through our own strength but through God's love and the fruit of the Spirit within us. We show our love for God through faith.
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NT Puzzle - Love 2009.10.18
- 1. Brent Trickett October 18, 2009
- 11. Brent Trickett October 18, 2009
Editor's Notes
- As we start putting together this New Testament puzzle we want to start with the theme of love in the New Testament. We could possibly spend the next 5 weeks just on love because it pops up all through the New Testament. Now most of us know that we should love but if you’re like me (I know I am) it’s not knowing that I should but knowing how to love that puzzles me.
- Paul tells us in 1 Cor that no matter what we do for God, if we don’t do it in love it means nothing. 1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Cor 13:1;3
- Explain 3 words We want to focus on God’s AGAPE love today. But what does that look like? 1 Cor 13:4-13
- 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails I want to share with you 5 points that will help us all learn to love with this kind of radical love. Someone shared these with me early on in my Christian walk because I found it really hard to love people. I worked as a bartender and I hated everyone, including myself.
- This is the good news of the Bible wrapped up in 2 verses. You see, God created us to know him personally and experience his love. But because of sin we are separated from God and are not able to experience his love and plan for our lives. In Romans 6:23 it actually says that the wages of sin is death. We are all under this death penalty. So far that is not good news at all. The good news is that God provided a way for us to know him and be restored in our relationship with God. Romans 5:8 says: But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Real love acts, and Jesus proved his love for us when he paid that death penalty for us. The only thing we can do is accept the free offer that he gives us to believe in him and accept that payment by giving our lives over to him. Until we begin that relationship with God we will we will never be able to love others with this radical love of God’s. If you have never trusted Christ with your life I’d like you to think about that as I speak today and if that is something you think God is asking you to do, all you have to do is ask Jesus to come into your life to forgive your sins and be your Savior and give him control of your life. . I’ll also hang around to talk with you after the service as well. Knowing God is the first step toward radical love. The second is that we are commanded to love
- One of the religious leaders once asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was. Jesus answered with this " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:34-37 I find it odd that we often ask what it is that God wants us to do but we don’t do the things that are right before us in the Bible. One thing that has really helped me is to realize that commands are not suggestions . When I think of loving God like this I often fail but two things that have helped me to learn to love God are I am filled with His Holy Spirit that enables me to love Meditate on God’s character If you learn to love God then the second command to love your neighbor just comes naturally. Our love of others actually testifies to how much we love God. I’m afraid though that even though Christians are commanded to love we are known for what we stand against rather than what we stand for. One of the main barriers between people and God we see on the campus is their perception of or their interactions with Christians. Four groups of people come to mind Homosexuals Atheists Evolutionists Pastors/Christian workers
- As long as we are trying to control our own lives we will always fall back into our old pattern. If I were to read 1 Corinthians again and substitute my name for the word love it would sound like this ,Brent is impatient, Brent says mean things Brent envies, Brent boasts, -- you get the picture I love my kids but when I’m not right with God I can be pretty impatient
- When we are right in our relationship with God we are able to love for him as He uses us. Notice it doesn’t say the FRUITS of the Spirit, this is a package deal. We all want to be known as this kind of person. It is only possible as we give more of our life to God.
- God never leaves us alone to do the things he asks. God always supplies the resources to do the things he asks. Closing. After I heard this message I asked God to help me love people for 2 weeks – God changed my heart Real love acts- Got a roomate that was hard to love, God used me to break through to his heart. Who are the 3 people God is calling you to love? How are you going to show your love this week? Samaritan’s purse shoebox? - Greg and Meaghan Whiteside saw a house burn down, acted by gathering stuff for their 5 kids Some of you might find this really difficult because you have been hurt. We will pray for and with you after the service.
- As we start putting together this New Testament puzzle we want to start with the theme of love in the New Testament. We could possibly spend the next 5 weeks just on love because it pops up all through the New Testament. Now most of us know that we should love but if you’re like me (I know I am) it’s not knowing that I should but knowing how to love that puzzles me.