Give Me Three Good Reasons to Express Love!
Intro:
1. ILL: Missionary Frederick Arnot throwing his body across a native’s body about to be attacked by a lion.
2. This man was willing to literally lay down his life for his brother! I Jn 3:16 - 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.
3. Why would anyone do that? Why love someone that much?
I John 4:16-21
I. v16 - Expressing Love Presents the Lord’s Life Through You
A. Expressing love is a sign that God is living in you.
1. Live (μένω) = to stay, abide, wait for, keep on, dwell.
2. Act 2:38 promises that God the Holy Spirit would come into a genuine believer’s life when they are baptized.
3. But how does the Holy Spirit “fill us” - take control of our lives? By spiritually breathing!
a. Sin is the barrier that stands between you & God.
b. I Jn 1:9 says you receive forgiveness as a believer when you genuinely confess your sin.
c. With your sin removed, you can ask the Holy Spirit to take control of that yielded area of your life! Lk 11:13 - If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
4. Expressing love acts like a gauge measuring God’s Holy Spirit presence in your life!
B. How do you express God’s love to others?
1. How did Jesus do it?
a. He healed a leper (Matt 8:1-3).
b. He healed the 2 blind men (Matt 9:27-31).
c. He fed the 5000 (Matt 15:32).
d. He cried over Jerusalem (Matt 23:37).
e. He taught those who were like sheep without a shepherd (Matt 9:36).
f. He raised Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11: 41-43).
g. He blessed little children (Mk 10:13).
h. He hung & died on a cross! (Jn 3:16)
2. v20 - Today, Lord Jesus uses you to love others by satisfying their needs. You show your love to God by being His instrument in showing love to others.
II. v17-18 - Expressing Love Takes Away the Fear of Judgment
A. v17 - Expressing love will give you confidence on the Day of Judgment.
1. Practicing love as a way of life will make love complete.
2. Complete (τελειόω) = bring to maturity, perfect.
3. Confidence (παρρησία) = courage, to speak unreserved or boldly.
4. Developing a mature love will give you this confidence at the Day of Judgment be cause you will be like Lord Jesus!
5. What is the Judge’s standard for righteousness?
a. ILL: The Judgment Scene (Matt 25:31-46).
b. Expressing love is meeting human need!
B. v18 - Expressing love casts out fear.
1. ILL: Shoichi Yokoi, a Japanese soldier, fearing execution after the war, fled to the jungles of Guam in 1944. He was found in 1972 - 28 years later!
2. He wasted a quarter of a century of his life because of fear!
III. v19-21 - Expressing Love Displays Your Gratitude Towards God
A. Have you ever wanted to return the favor to God for what He did for you on the cross?
1. v19 - We love because he first loved us. Our love is a result of Him loving us first!
2. v21 - God, then, commands us to express this love to others!
3. In fact, God says in v20, you can’t really love Him unless you are loving other people!
4. Lord Jesus said that love is the greatest commandment! - Matt 22:36-39
B. But - love must go beyond simply saying “I love you!”
1. Love is satisfying a practical need. Jam 2:14-17 - What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
2. This type of love is needed so desperately. ILL: Learn to Love.
So - why express love? Because God is love & your goal is to become like Him.
When you express love - you become more like God!
Love in your life becomes your measuring tool for your spiritual progress!
http://biblelifemessages.org/