THE STRENGTH OF AGAPE
12-13-09
PASTOR LES SANDERS
MILFORD ASSEMBLY OF GOD
I. AGAPE IS ITS OWN CAUSE
A. BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE,
1. LOVE IS ETERNAL.
2. NOTHING CAUSED HIS LOVE TO BE
3. NOTHING CAN CAUSE HIS LOVE NOT TO BE.
B. GOD’S LOVE – AGAPE –
1. IS IT’S OWN INFINITE REASON,
2. IT’S OWN DIVINE CAUSE,
3. IT’S OWN ETERNAL SOURCE.”
C. “AGAPE NEEDS NO MOTIVATION OUTSIDE OF ITSELF TO LOVE, AND TO KEEP ON LOVING.”
1. GOD'S LOVE IS ETERNALLY TURNED ON!
a. BY NATURE WE WOULD TURN OFF,
b. AS SINNER WE’RE A BIG TURN OFF.
c. GOD’S GAVE HIS BEST WHEN WE WERE AT OUR WORST (lost).
RM 5:8 8But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.
D. WHAT REASON DO WE NEED TO LOVE?
II. AGAPE IS NOT AFFECTED BY ETERNAL STIMULI BE IT POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE.
A. EVERYTHING IN US WAS ABSOLUTELY WRONG.
1. NOTHING WAS JUST RIGHT!
2. NOTHING! BUT GOD! BUT AGAPE!
3. AGAPE NEEDS NO JUST-RIGHT CONDITIONS OUTSIDE OF ITSELF TO BE ABLE TO LOVE AND KEEP ON LOVING.”
B. ARE YOU A LOVER OR WHAT?
1. TAKE THIS WEEKS NEWS OF TIGER WOODS.
2. TV POLE 43 TO 57% VIEWS HAS NOT CHANGED.
3. DID YOU GET ANGRY?
4. HOW WOULD AGAPE LOOK AT THIS?
Luke 6:37-38 ( NCV ) 37“Don’t judge other people, and you will not be judged. Don’t accuse others of being guilty, and you will not be accused of being guilty. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and you will receive. You will be given much. Pressed down, shaken together, and running over, it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.”
C. FORGIVE ME,
1. IS SOMETHING I AM SAYING MORE AND MORE
D. AGAPE IS SELF-PROPELLED,
1. INWARDLY MOTIVATED,
2. SELF SUSTAINED.
E. BECAUSE I LOVE YOU OR “I LOVE YOU BECAUSE.”
1. AGAPE IS ITS OWN CAUSE,
2. ITS OWN REASON,
3. ITS OWN SOURCE,
4. CHRISTIAN LOVE IS: “BECAUSE I LOVE YOU.”
DEUT 7:6-8 6You are holy people who belong to the LORD your God. He has chosen you from all the people on earth to be his very own. 7The LORD did not care for you and choose you because there were many of you—you are the smallest nation of all.8But the LORD chose you because he loved you, …
F. GOD DID NOT CHOOSE YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE SO DESIRABLE,
1. THE LORD LOVED YOU, HE CHOSE YOU
2. FINDS YOU DESIRABLE
G. WHAT IS NECESSARY TO STIMULATE YOU TO LOVE?
III. AGAPE IS ITS OWN ETERNAL REASON, ITS OWN ETERNAL STIMULUS TO KEEP LOVING US.
Jeremiah 31:3 ( KJV ) 3The LORD hath appeared of old unto me,saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
A. BECAUSE GOD LOVES US HE WOES US.
1. NOT BECAUSE HE SEES OUR POTENTIAL,
2. NOT BECAUSE WE’RE SO SPIRITUAL,
3. NOT BECAUSE WE’RE FAITHFUL TO HIM.
4. GOD DOES NOT LOVE BECAUSE OF ANYTHING, OTHER THAN HE LOVES.
B. GOD’S AGAPE IS PERFECT, WE HAD TO GROWN.
1. AGAPE IS A GIFT AND A FRUIT
2. GROWING IN CHRIST AND THEREFORE GROWING IN AGAPE.
Gal 5:22 ( KJV ) 22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
3. HE PUT HIMSELF IN US NOW HE NEEDS TO TAKE CONTROL!
GAL 5:24 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do.
C. THIS IS WHY WE DON’T UNDERSTAND AGAPE!
1. IT’S BEYOND OUR NATURE,
2. WE DON’T WANT TO GIVE UP!
D. WHAT KEEPS YOU LOVING TODAY?
IV. AGAPE DOES NOT REQUIRE BEAUTY, IT DISCOVERS IT.
A. WHEN WE STOP DISCOVERING WE STOP SEEING:
1. WHAT PEOPLE GIVE TO OUR LIVES
a. THE JOY, HAPPINESS, EXCITEMENT,
b. REASON TO KEEP ON
c. INEXPRESSIBLE WHAT LOVE REVEALS
B. WHEN FRESH LOVE COME INTO MY OFFICE:
1. NOTHING I CAN SAY WILL CHANGE THEIR MIND,
2. THEY LOOK OVER A GREAT DEAL OF FAULTS,
1 Peter 4:8 ( KJV ) And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity (agape) shall cover the multitude of sins.
3. LOVE CAUSES THEM TO SEE LIFE IN ROSE COLORED GLASSES,
C. THIS CHRISTMAS LOVE IS GOD’S, JESUS BIRTHDAY GIFT TO US,
1. THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING,
2. THE GIFT THAT IS ALWAYS THE RIGHT COLOR AND SIZE,
3. THE GIFT THAT HAS ENOUGH THAT WE CAN SHARE IT WITH OTHERS,
4. THIS IS A GREAT FEEL GOOD GIFT,
D. IN THIS SEASON WHERE SO MANY ARE DEPRESSED!
1. BECAUSE THEIR LOVE IS OUT OF BALANCED,
2. THE FOCUS IS ON THINGS, AND GREED,
3. NOT ON TRUE LOVE.
E. IF WE CAN LOOK THROUGH LOVE
1. THE EXTERNAL PRESSURES OF LIFE WILL HAVE LESS POWER,B
2. LOVE REALLY IS ENOUGH AND SUFFICIENT,
F. LOVE IS ONE OF THOSE GIFTS THAT GIVE BACK AS YOU GIVE IT:
Luke 6:37-38 ( NCV ) 37…Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and you will receive. You will be given much. Pressed down, shaken together, and running over, it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.
1. IN LOVING OR IN GIVING WE JUST GET MORE TO LOVE AND GIVE
Acts 20:35 ( KJV ) I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said,It is more blessed to give than to receive.