Filled Like A Phillipian (How To Love More)

*Disclaimer- I apologize if I don’t have the correct citations, please contact me if I may have inadvertently quoted someone inappropriately. I give anyone anywhere full use of this sermon in any format for any application with or without citation of me. Its all God’s word. If it blesses you and you want to use it- please do. Would love an email or a facebook connect to let me know, but not required. If you’re a tired pastor having long week- preach this thing word for word with no citation. I don’t care. I just want to help other pastors.

Filled like A Philippian (How to Love more)

Phil 1:9-11 9 And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God

1. Love abound more

• When Paul says “that your love may about still more” what that says to me is that the Philliipian church was loving, but there was still room for improvement

• It wasn’t that they weren’t loving, it was that the love that they had and were experiencing, wasn’t a destination, it was a lifestyle that they were to lead

• The idea that you can’t have a maximum to your love, but that even once you’ve experienced and given love, that the love shouldn’t stop there, but should be ever increasing and ever growing

• 1 Thessalonians 3:12 And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you

• Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife,But love covers all sins

• This is a theme throughout the letters of Paul- Love love love

• Now- let me throw you for a loop here- many people don’t think about this when it comes to bible interpretation- but WHO the verse is being written to is very important to understand our application.

• MOST of the scriptures about love in the Pauline letters are written to people IN the faith to people IN the church

• Many people outside the church want to take those verses and have them talk about our love for outsiders, but the truth is, many times that is not the application

• I’m not saying we shouldn’t love outsiders, or enemies but don’t make verses say what they don’t

• Outside- Luke 6:35 But love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return;

• Inside-1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins

• Love is a central theme to our experience as Christians. It defines who we are. Its our calling card

• We must always season everything we do, speak and believe with love, if we don’t we’re not living as NT Christians

• What does it mean to you?

• Increase your love!

• Don’t ever let yourself begin to believe that you have arrived when it comes to the area of love

• Now- I want to make it clear- we are supposed to be loving, and to love but its NEVER at the expense of truth or morality

• This is where Christians get very confused. Love is an action it is not a doctrine. We are to be loving, but we are not supposed to suppress the truth of the Gospel

• Here’s the deal- we learn to love from the scriptures- so we can’t take them only when it comes to the scriptures, we must live and apply all of them to our lives

• How do we abound in love?

• Connect more- Relationships are the way that love transactions happen. If you are not in relationship with people you cannot truly love them. This is costly and painful

• Serve more- You must get out of your comfort zone and put yourself in situations that force you serve people and populations that you do not gravitate towards.

• Sitting in mtg at UGM- I just want to be obedient to the word- Going to com dinner- Forcing myself

• Give more- when you give- it gives you a sense of love like you’ve never experienced. It breaks the stingy selfish spirit- it beats it up

2. Approve things that are excellent

• 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent

• Henry- The truths and laws of Christ are excellent things; and it is necessary that we every one approve them, and esteem them such.

• The call of the Christian from Paul in this verse is that they would find the doctrines of God pleasing.