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The True nature of Love

The True nature of Love. The true nature of Love.

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The True nature of Love

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  1. The True nature of Love

  2. The true nature of Love • During this time of season, many look at the birth of Christ as a sign of God’s love. But there is more to love than a birth. Christ’s death, burial and resurrection are true examples of love. Many think and speak of love only in a “positive” way, ignoring the painful, dark side of love. While we are told to be exhorters(Hebrews 3:13), God also chastens those whom He loves(Hebrews 12:6). !

  3. The true nature of Love • While there is no evidence that Jesus was born on December 25, there is ample evidence of His death, burial, and resurrection. I hear it said the reason to celebrate this time of year is that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” The Bible says nothing of this. But the Bible says we are to celebrate His death, burial, and resurrection every time we meet(Luke 22:19;1 Corinthians 11:24,25). We celebrate His love for us. So, Let's Talk About... LOVE! 1 Corinthians13:1-3

  4. The true nature of Love 1 Corinthians13:1-3 • “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove all mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” • When we read the rest of the chapter we see many things that love is and is not. Whole sermons could be preached on each description. But what kind of love is Paul talking about?

  5. The true nature of Love • Four Greek Words For "Love" • A. "Eros" Sensual or passionate love. • B. “Stergein" Family affection; Romans 12:10 kindly affectioned. • C. "Philia" Friendly affection. Peter used this in John 21:15 • D. "Agape" An attitude of mind that actively seeks the best interest of the one to whom it is directed, even if self sacrifice is necessary. "Agape" will be under consideration.

  6. The true nature of Love • I. The Old Testament Required Love - Deuteronomy 6:5; 10:12 • Jesus Added A New Dimension - John 13:34; 17:23 • John 13:34-”A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love another.”

  7. The true nature of Love • II. Agape" describes... • A. The Son's love for the Father. John 14:31 • B. God's love for man. 1 John 3:1 • C. Jesus’ love for man. Ephesians 5:1-2 • D. Man's love for God. Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30 • E. The Christian's love for others. I Peter 1:22; Mark 12:31 • Mark 12:30-31 • 30 “ ‘And you shalllove the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

  8. The true nature of Love • III. "Agape" Is More Than Ordinary! • A. It is not necessarily mutual; i.e., the ability to love those who may not love us, such as our enemies. - Matthew 5:44 • B. This kind of love may require self-sacrifice. – Galatians 2:20 • Galatians 2:20-”I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me. And gave Himself for me.”

  9. The true nature of Love • IV. How Is This Love Developed? • A. It's a matter of EDUCATION. It's a matter of learning what the Bible says about love and the characteristics of it. - 1 Thessalonians 4:9 • B. It's a matter of DETERMINATION. Once we learn, we must determine to activate it in our lives. - James 1:22 • C. No One Can Make You Love God. It Must Come From "Within". John 5:42 • D. Its a matter of IMITATION. God and Christ serve as the examples. Matthew 5:44; l Peter 2:21

  10. The true nature of Love • V. The Characteristics Of God's Love • A. It Is Giving - John 3 : 16; James 1 : I 7 • B. Sacrificial - I John 4:9-10 • C. It Is Universal - Matthew 5:45; John 3:16 • D. It is undeserved by man - Ephesians 2:1-5 • E. It is Constant - Romans 8:37-39

  11. The true nature of Love • Let’s remember that there is a “dark” side of love. A parent who loves, disciplines, and so does God(Proverbs 13:24; Hebrews 12:5-11). We must speak the truth in love(Ephesians 4:15). The truth may not always be pleasant, but must be said. • There are those who say to only speak positively, in love.

  12. Is Positive Preaching truly showing love? • Positive outlook in life is refreshing. Christians should gladly anticipate the hope of eternal life. Romans 5:1-2, 11. We are told to rejoice 1 Thessalonians 5:16 • Our society's attitude abhors anything negative.

  13. Is Positive Preaching truly showing love? • A. "Don't solve problems if it requires conflict. Overwhelm them with positive action only.“ Society's influence eventually permeates the church. Materialism. "Positive only" attitude. Division in the 1950-60's reflects the conflict with this attitude. • B. Attitude illustrated. "lt's good to make someone feel good." "It's bad to make someone feel bad." "Emphasize the positive in the Bible and avoid the negative." "Negative preaching is a system of legalism." • C. Preaching emphasized momentary, emotional restoration rather than eternal salvation. lf members felt good, they must be pleasing God. SO,..

  14. Is Positive Preaching truly showing love? • WHATEVER it took to create this emotional euphoria-food, entertainment, social gatherings, or simply avoiding the pain applying sound doctrine was justified. "After all, how can positive emotions develop from negative preaching?” • D. RESULT: Less Bible knowledge. Unable to defeat false teachers. "Easier to compromise or slander-" New Testament pattern for the church violated. People feel saved while living in sin. Ultimately, there is no wrong, therefore, no caution against sin. You can be nice to sin with compromise, but sin will NEVER be nice to truth. We see this now with other religions and philosophies being used. Buddha’s teachings is considered equal with God’s teachings in some denominational churches.

  15. Is Positive Preaching truly showing love? • E. Standing for nothing and anything. “We don't' want to be negative.', • Remember-”He who stands for nothing will fall for anything.” The Bible condemns fence sitting(Matthew 12:30) as well as those who are false teachers.(2 Peter 2:1) • It’s like grass blowing in the wind. It has no strength to stand on its’ own.

  16. Is Positive Preaching truly showing love? • A. Society creates Politically Correct terminology. Change "sin" and "evil" to "alternate lifestyle ie. homosexuality, living together without marriage, fornication glorified. • B. Church: Don't publicly challenge "false religions" or "false doctrines" or call one a "false teacher" who teaches false doctrine. Yet, these will turn around and adamantly criticize and malign those who openly defend the truth. Talk about negative. Call sin "opinion" and defend it under Romans 14. Soothe the emotions with "drama" preaching without addressing spiritual problems. Preach partial truths to avoid confrontation. Preach truth, but don't apply lest feelings get hurt. (social drinking, dancing, immodest apparel, church discipline). Don't convict sinners in their sin. Some will say, "We need more positive and less negative preaching.,' Or Accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative. ‘ Or “Preach the man, not the plan” • The problem: positive and negative are subjectively defined. Whose definition? Yours? Mine? Or God?

  17. Is Positive Preaching truly showing love? • They forget- without the man, there is no plan. Without the plan the man wouldn’t have had to come to die. • The Bible and "positive" preaching. • A. Warns against positive only preaching. Jer 8:4-12;2 Pet 2:1-3,18,19; 2 Cor 11:12-15 • B. Negative preaching does what positive cannot. Most understand positive statements of doing good. Gal 5:23. Does God ever warn against doing good? DOING GOOD HAS NEVER BEEN A PROBLEM. However, people CONSTANTLY need warning against evil, because evil CONSTANTLY tries to get them to sin. • C. It is in the arena of the "negative" where sin will be defeated.

  18. Is Positive Preaching truly showing love? • God's idea of positive preaching is determined by it's results, not by how it sounds!

  19. Is Positive Preaching truly showing love? • A. God's idea of "Positive" Preaching". • 1. "Positive'' preaching instructs and informs. • 2. "Negative" preaching warns against sin which destroys positive preaching • 3. "Negative" preaching produces "positive" results by preventing sin. • 4. "Negative" preaching helps one understand evil without having to experience it. (Example: drunkenness, lying, stealing, adultery).

  20. Is Positive Preaching truly showing love? • B. So what is the difference?: • 1. Positive truths instruct, encourage and edify. = POSITIVE • 2. Negative truths warn, convict and prevent one from sinning. = POSITIVE • 3. Favoring one over the other defeats the power of both. = NEGATIVE • 4. Positive only, neglects valuable warning and rebukes. = NEGATIVE • 5. Negative only neglects full instruction and encouragement. = NEGATTVE All of God's truth produces 'positive" results when preached and obeyed.

  21. Is Positive Preaching truly showing love? • A. Adam and Eve-Genesis 2:16-17 • B. Israel, mostly negative laws, Deuteronomy 10:1-4,12-13; 5:7-21,32-33 • C. All scriptures, positive and negative, must be proclaimed to produce POSITIVE results. Positive "only" will always produce negative results-see our nation. • 1. Jesus magnified "positive" with "negative" Matthew 15:7-20; 22:34-40. (Remember, Law and Prophets were mostly negative) • 2. 2 Timothy 4:1-5, preaching both positive and negative=POSITIVE. • D. The whole counsel of God. 2 Tim 4:1-5; Acts 20:27; 1 Cor 4:17 • E. Positive power of negative instructions. Job 5:17-18; Jer 36-38; 2 Cor 7:6-11 Heb12:3-11; Acts 2:22-24, 41-47 • F. Heart of God's grace, Titus 2:11-12, positive and negative.

  22. Is Positive Preaching truly showing love? • True, Positive Preaching is not accomplished until preachers and Christians declare and live the whole counsel of God. • A. To emphasize the positive over the negative produces NEGATIVE results. • B. To emphasize the negative over the positive produces NEGATIVE results. • C. To teach a balance of both will produce POSITIVE results. • D. Preaching the whole counsel of God is always POSITIVE PREACHING. • Positive Preaching exhorts us to better service.

  23. Becoming Better Exhorters • 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12. Exhort (parakaleo) - "To call to a person. to call on, entreat. to admonish, to urge" (Vine, 217); to console, encourage, strengthen, instruct, teach. cf. l Timothy 4:13 ; Romans 12:8 • “And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.”-Hebrews 10:24

  24. Becoming Better Exhorters • WIIAT WE MUST USE TO EXHORT • A. Source of Our Exhortations: The Gospel – l Thessalonians 2:24; 2 Timothy 4:2; l Corinthians 14:3 • B. Effective Exhortation Does Not Come From: • l. Fables (fictitious, invented stories) – 2 Timothy 4:3 • 2. Error 1 Thessalonians 2:3 • 3. Oratory wisdom, philosophy or tradition of men l Corinthians 2:1.4; Colossians 2:8 • It MUST come from God’s Word and no where else!

  25. Becoming Better Exhorters • II. PURPOSE OF EXHORTING ONE ANOTHER • A. Instruction - Acts 13: 15; 15:3 I • B. Persuasion - Acts 13:43; 2:40; 11:23; 2 Corinthians. 8:4 • C. Strengthen - Acts 14:22; 11:23 • D. Comfort (consolation, encouragement) - Philippians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7, Hebrews 6: 17- 18 • III. RIGHT &WRONG WAYS TO EXHORT – l Thessalonians. 2:1-12

  26. Becoming Better Exhorters • IV. TRAITS OF THE EXHORTER (ie. Barnabus)- Acts 11:22-24 • A. Considers His Brethren - 11:22 (Phil 2:3,4;2 Cor 11:28-29; Heb10:24) • B. Assesses the Situation & Praises Whenever He Can 11:23 (2 Tim.4:2) • C. Avoids Hypocrisy -Acts 11:24 (Mt 7:1-5; l Tim 4:15-16) • D. Full of the Holy Spirit - Acts 11:24 (Acts 6:3; Eph 5: I 8; Gal 5:16,18,22-25) • E. Person of Faith - Acts 11:24 (2 Cor 5:7)

  27. Becoming Better Exhorters • V. ACCEPTING EXHORTATION • A. Assess if it is Truth-Acts 2:40-41;17:11 • B. Receive & Use it to Grow Stronger in Christ - Acts 11:24,26 • Conclusion: Love Is an Indispensable Quality Of The Christian's Life. - 1 John 5:3 • How Much Do You Love Him? 1 John 5:3; John 14:15; Mark 16:16 • John 14:15-”If you love Me, keep My commandments.”

  28. Conclusion • Jesus tells us in His own words, to obey His Will, proving our love. He commands us to… • Hear-Matthew 13:23 • Believe-John 6:35 • Repent-Luke 13:3 • Confess-Matthew 10:32 • Be Baptized-Mark 16:16 • Be Faithful until death-Revelation 2:10

  29. Conclusion • What if we stumble in our work of love? • God’s Word provides the answer. • Repent, confess, pray. For public sin to confess publicly. Acts 8:22, 2 Corinthians 7:10, James 5:16 • What can we learn from this lesson? Love is dependent upon Christ. He calls, we should answer.

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