The Unrelenting Love Of God Series

The Unrelenting Love Of God

#LoveIs

HEY – anybody out there excited, pumped, grateful for the ‘Reckless Love Of God?’

I would like to begin today by reading some words that God breathed and the Apostle Paul put to paper 2000 years ago to the church in Corinth.

NOW – there is a good chance that you have heard them before in church our at a wedding… 1 Corinthians chapter 13 beginning in verse one…

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. – 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

Prayer

OKAY – welcome the church! And welcome to week one of our brand new series simply called ‘Love Is…”

A few years back researchers asked the following question to a group of 4-8 year olds, "What does love mean?"

NOW - the answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.

SEE - what you think…

Rebecca (age 8)

When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore so my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.

Billy (age 4)

When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You know that your name is safe in their mouth.

Chrissy (age 6)

Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.

Terri (age 4)

Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.

Bobby (age 7)

Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen.

Nicky (age 6)

If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a somebody who you hate.

Tommy (age 6)

Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.

Jessica (age 8)

You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.

Wow…

Talk about some depth, insight and pictures as to what love is…

NOW - love is probably the most misunderstood word in the world.

AND - part of the problem is that we use the same word to describe a lot of different things "I love…

My wife, pizza, football, my country,

YEAH – this one word ‘love’ gets tossed around more than a football in the Super Bowl… so much so, that in some ways it has lost it’s power and meaning…

NOW – the Greeks didn’t have that problem because they had more than one word for love… Basically that had 4 words…

• Phileo ‘ fee leo’ (brotherly love, friendship)

• Eros (passionate or sexual love)

• Storge (parental or family love) and

• Agape

NOW - the word agape was not used all that much in ancient literature but it is all over the NT.

IN FACT - 92% of the time you find the Word love in the NT it is the Greek word agape… which describes

(a selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love of the will)

IT’S - A love that is not dependent on there being any lovable qualities in the object being loved. IT’S - love when it is undeserved. IT’S – the kind of love that Paul describes for us in 1 Corinthians 13…

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

– 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

NOW – next week we are going to start unpacking Paul’s definition, in a conversation simply called, ‘Love is patient.’

BUT THIS MORNING – I want us to talk about ‘The Unrelenting Love Of God.’ Because as the apostle John wrote in his first letter…