God’s Love and Ours
Richard Hardy / General
1 John / Brothers of Jesus / 1 John 4:7–21
Introduction
There's nothing you can do that can't be done.
Nothing you can sing that can't be sung.
Nothing you can say, but you can learn
How to play the game
It's easy.
Nothing you can make that can't be made.
No one you can save that can't be saved.
Nothing you can do, but you can learn
How to be you in time
It's easy.All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.
Love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love, love.
All you need is love, all you need is love,
All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.
Explanation
The Beatles - despite their lifestyle at the time and what they thought "Love" was - they got the lyrics right. In fact, I would say that without love we are in big big trouble.
1 Co 12 -- We are parts of 1 body.
1 Pe 2 -- We are all stones in His house
Ecc 4:10 -- Pity the one who falls and has no one to help him up.
Throughout this series I have asked us to examine ourselves for one majore thing - are we acting in love? We have talked about how love for each other is the big litmus test of how we are doing in our walk with Christ. Today we explain why.
Propositional Statement
›READ PASSAGE
The New International Version Chapter 4
God’s Love and Ours
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first loved us. 20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
3RD AND FINAL RETURN TO THEME OF LOVE
1.1 Jn 2:2-11 the warning:
The New International Version Chapter 2
Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sisterq is still in the darkness. 10Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.
2.1 Jn 3:11-18 further intensity about not having hate.
The New International Version Chapter 3
Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
3.1 Jn 4:7-21 This final section begins by describing to us the nature and expression of the God’s love, both in terms of His expression of it, and in terms of our expressing it.
AgapetosAgapeoAllenon
1.Beloved
2.Love - definintion
3.one another - a call for mutual reponsibility NOT a command for reciprocal love.
a.We love even if we are not loved back. How we are treated has nothing to do with our responsibility to always love.
b.let - allow, permit (its already there, its in you, take courage and let it happen)
God is love
1.Declaration of His nature
a.There is nothing that he does without love at the center
b.Its how nothing can seperate us from His love -- its all he is.
2.If he resides in us his nature will shine through us.
a.Born of God - bear, birth
b.We will not be perfect in this as we started and infants and grow towards maturity but have not made it yet.
Love Acts
1.God sent his Son for our sake
2.Regardless of our actions, feelings etc
3.Our love will seek the benefit of others and does not require reciprocation.
All Because of Him
1.Our love is an evidence of our relationship with Him.
a.He live in us and we live in Him
2.How do we know
a.We have His Spirit
b.We testify that Jesus was sent to be the savior
c.We acknowledge Jesus is the Son of God
d.We know and rely on that Love
i.When the going gets tough we know Christ is for us
3.Living in Love is possible because we live in God
4.This love provides an assurance of our salvation
a.It drives out fear.
b.fear of punishment which does not exist because Christ did everything and took all the punishment
5.We love because he loved
a.not a reason but to love but and explanation how it is possible to love
b.a reason why it is impossible to stay in hatred
c.Must love
i.an encouragement - if you stay with God it is easier to love to increase relationship with Him -- love your brother.
Conclusion
we have heard the command
we repent of any lack of love we have shown
we are greatful that you lead and guide us toward you and eachother.
Page 1. Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:00 AM August 28, 2016.