This is Love
1 John 4:7 – 12
I. Intro
A. Illustration: George Matheson was only fifteen when he was told that he
was losing what little eyesight he had. Instead of giving up, Matheson
immediately continued with his plans to enroll in the University of
Glasgow, and his determination lead to his graduation at age nineteen. But
as he pursued graduate studies in theology for Christian ministry he
finally lost his sight. His sisters joined ranks beside him, learning Greek
and Hebrew to assist him in his studies. He pressed faithfully on. But his
spirit collapsed when his fiancée, unwilling to be married to a blind man,
broke their engagement and returned his ring. He never married, and the
pain of that rejection never totally left him. Years later, as a well-loved
preacher in Scotland, his sister came to him announcing her engagement.
He rejoiced with her, but his mind went back to his own heartache. He
consoled himself in thinking of God’s love which is never limited, never
conditional, never withdrawn, and never uncertain. Out of this
experience he wrote these words:
O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths it flow
May richer, fuller be.
B. Last week: Repentance and change – because of love never be found in
this world
C. Love that this world knows and understands is very uncertain because
most of the time it's comes based on condition
D. Divine love, that agape love that God is, is the only love that comes with
true hope, not only that, but that kind of love should be the goal of every
believer, follower of Jesus Christ
E. To be an influence in this world for Christ, you first have to learn to love
as Christ loved – that is the standard of love
II.
Standard of this Love Explained
A. The Children's song: “Beloved, let us love one another”
B. REFER 1 John 4:7
i. Agape Greek word used in passage for love; used in active sense - …
let us be loving one another … everyone who is loving has been born of
God and is knowing God
ii. “Love” John is speaking of here is an active, continuing, unconditional
love – most basic, elementary description of God's divine love
C. Disadvantage in English language, our word “love” in-descriptive, too
vague; have to use better descriptors to differentiate which type of “love”
we're expressing (Ex. Love my wife vs. love my job or children or best
friend)
D. In Greek, 4 basic words used for “love”
i. Phileo – friendship; get to know someone, enjoy being around,
eventually you develop a close friendship
ii. Storge – affectionate, family; parent for children or children for parent
or sibling love
iii.
Eros – romantic, sensual love; between husband, wife; Male to
female says, I like you – Female says, I know, I like you too – Male says,
No, I really, really like you; feeling moved from just phileo to eros
iv. Agape – not love comes from this world; not based on emotion but
based on decision, choice; most deepest level of love; it's sacrificial and
unconditional; only way to truly come to know and understand this
love is to truly know God
E. When John and Christ say let us be loving one another, not talking about
having a certain emotional feeling towards one another, they're talking
about a personal choice, decision on the part of every person to
sacrificially, unconditionally love one another
F. John 13:34 (NIV): Jesus said
34 "A new command I give you: Be loving (ongoing, actively) one another. As
I love (in the present tense) you, so you must be loving (ongoing, actively)
one another.
G. To be loving unconditionally means, I am loving you no matter what you
may think of or do to me, no matter how you may feel about me
H. To be loving sacrificially means, I am loving you no matter what it may
cost me
I. So, the standard of love is God's divine love, which is the love shown and
demonstrated in Jesus Christ
J. Understanding this standard of love makes us realize we can't meet this
standard just on our own because this standard of love comes from God
K. REFER 1 John 4:8 – Whoever is not loving (according to this standard)
does not know God
III.
Example of this Love
A. REFER 1 John 4:9, 10
B. In all of Jesus' instructions for living, there is not one that He didn't
practice Himself – He is the example for ALL of life
C. We always talk about practicing what we preach – Jesus the only one that
has truly done that; the only ultimate true model of unconditional,
sacrificial, agape love
D. Romans 5:8 (NIV)
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still
sinners, Christ died for us.
E. This agape love of God that He demonstrated, showed to us by sending
His Son, Jesus to die for us is accessible to us: Romans 5:5 (NIV)
5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into
our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
IV.
Test for this Love – Test for Us, Not for God
A. REFER 1 John 4:11, 12
B. The test for this divine standard of love is not how much we love God (v.
10), but the love we show for others (v. 11)
C. If loving God is our greatest purpose, then loving others is the second
greatest; loving God and loving others is a package deal, can't be chosen
separately
D. There is a very simple test to determine how devoted a follower of Christ
someone may be: READ v. 20
E. Passing the test for this love is determined by our actions: 1 John 3:16-18
(NIV)
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.
And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.
17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no
pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in
truth.
F. If we truly KNOW God in our spirit, not just with our head, then we will
be loving people; a Christian is a little Christ and we are to imitate our
Master and act like our Savior
G. God has ordained two basic institutions – both based on relationships –
family and the church (family of God); God designed us to be relational
and interactive with each other
H. One of the fruit of the Spirit is love; if you don't love people, your
brothers or sisters in Christ – the church, then you have to ask yourself,
“where is the fruit?”
V. Close: The Application of this Love
A. ASK: Look at people sitting near you (not just family), do you agape
(unconditionally, sacrificially) love them this morning? Do you love them
the way Jesus loves them? Would you give of yourself for them?
B. Lucian, non-Christian Greek writer living during 2nd century said of
Christians: “It is incredible to see the fervor with which the people of that
religion help each other in their wants. They spare nothing. Their first
legislator Jesus has put it into their heads that they are brethren.”
C. St. John the Evangelist repeating of Agapomen allelus – Let us love one
another; answer to why – Because it is the Lord's command and if that
alone is done, it suffices; ASK: What do you say?
D. All have different likes and dislikes
i. Some like more lively worship, others more conservative – Agapomen
allelus (Let us love one another)
ii. Some are from more the Presbyterian (liturgical) tradition, others
more the charismatic - Agapomen allelus (Let us love one another)
iii.
Some young church leaders have new ideas, while others want to
preserve tradition - Agapomen allelus (Let us love one another)
E. But first to unconditionally, sacrificially love one another, we have to first
unconditionally, sacrificially love the Lord
F. THIS IS LOVE