Love Well 1 John Series

Video Transition: Love Anthem - Skit Guys

Series: Love Well in 2022

Love Well - 2022 series

Thesis: To be able to love well means I have to embrace the 4 letter word, “Love” in its original definition and its created application – Because that word “Love” has been twisted and distorted by this world – But the true meaning of love goes back to God’s meaning of love!

Scripture Text:

John 13:34-35: Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

1 John 4:7-10: 7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Introduction:

LOVE’s original definition is spelled out in Scripture - “God is love” says 1 John 4:8 or to reverse this thought “Love is God” God created and defined what Love is and what it should look like and act like. John 1:1 tells us Jesus and God are one which implies that Jesus is God’s love manifested in the flesh – in other words a recognizable expression of love in the flesh that all can see, touch and model (See 1 John 1:1-4).

As we explore the definition of “Real Love” so we can “Love Well.” We discover the word love being used in all kinds of contexts and an in connection with all kinds of things or objects:

For example:

• I say, “I love Dunkin Donuts Coffee” which I do! Some may disagree and say, “I love Starbucks Coffee!” I am not a big fan (Sorry).

• I say, “I love Giordano’s Pizza” another person would say, “I love Luminate’s Pizza.”

• I say, “I love donuts” another would say like Arnold Schwarzenegger, “Never eat a donut – they are bad for you!”

• I say, “I love White Castle cheeseburgers!” my wife says, “I hate White Castle cheeseburgers!”

• I say, “I love oatmeal!” my wife says, “Gag!”

• I say, “I love wilderness survival shows” my wife says “Why?”

• In a given day we may say, “Love you” to our kids, spouses or even a friend! We may even tell our pets “I love you!” We may or may not get a response from them though.

• I say, “I love going out to eat alone” my wife says “No way I will never go out to place to eat alone!”

WHAT'S Real love got to do WITH using the word love in these many different contexts or applications?

• If you “Google” the word love, and you have to be very careful doing this, you will find all sorts of websites focused on love: I discovered 11,150,000,000.

o Here are some examples that you will find:

? I love Dogs.com

? I love Cats.com (Although this one is a plea to spay or neuter them – I ask the question do you really love them if you do this too them?)

? I love Cheese.com

? I love Lucy.com

? Betterlove.com

? True Romance Dating Service.com

? Love Test.com

? Matchmaker.com

? The Love Calculator.com

• On this site you type in your name and your mates name and it gives you the odds of your relationship lasting. John Harvey the person I pulled this statistic from said “Alana and I got 41%.” I was scared to do with Kathy and my name!

o The interesting observation from all these sites is love is seen as almost an entirely human endeavor – it’s really portrayed as an emotion.

? Contributed to sermoncentral.com by: John Harvey edited by Michael McCartney for this message.

The truth is you cannot love White Castle Cheeseburgers like you do your kids or even your spouse – well at least this not a good idea right? I suppose you could, but I don’t think that would go over well with your spouse or your kids! They are two different views or objects of love.

If you look up the word love on dictionary.com this is what it says:

o a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

o a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

o sexual passion or desire.

If you keep searching the word love you will discover around 28 different definitions of this word love.