LOVE IS BASIC BUT THE GREATEST
Last week we looked at getting back to the basics of Christianity. Staying with that theme in mind today, love must be included in getting back to those basics. Yes, I have spoke on love twice since 2007, but we will take al little different approach to the most basic word but one
that has the deepest impact.
Please look with me at today’s Scripture focus:
1st Corinthians 13:1-13
When we talk about the basics one should know that Love is God’s plan. This has been shown throughout the history of the Bible from the time of creation, to the gift of His Son Jesus, to Jesus allowing Himself to be crucified for our sins, to the resurrection, to the loving promise of Jesus’ return through the Second Coming to take His Bride who are the Christians Home for Eternity in Heaven. This is love my friends. As it states in verse thirteen, “But the greatest of these is love.” (Holy Bible, NIV) This goes to show that God’s plan was, is, and always will have LOVE abound in it.
The greatest subject in the Bible is Love. One may suggest otherwise but God is LOVE.
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Love is a subject that in one way or another will affect you personally. Love has life changing power as evidenced by Jesus Christ who is the love we are speaking of today.
*LOVE has the power to change your attitude. You have the choice each day to make it a day for yourself or a day for God. A day for God will put a smile on your face and change your attitude to LOVE.
*LOVE has the power to change your marriage. Remember if you are married that your marriage should be founded on Biblical Christian principles, and foremost Godly Love alone.
*LOVE has the power to change our church. God allows us to worship Him here as a fellowship of Christian Believers. If we fail to show God’s love here at this Church, we fail God’s plan to harvest the lost and drifted away.
*LOVE has the power to change your future. If you accept Jesus Christ the biggest gift of love ever, you have sealed your eternity in Heaven with Him. Thus you have changed your future into the Love of God.
Three areas of God’s love will be looked at today/
1. The first area is God’s Love For Us.
Please look with me at 1st John 4:7-12
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When we look at this passage of Scripture as in 1st Corinthians, the biggest and most resounding theme and greatest news on both passages is GOD LOVES US!
We can see that through God’s love He gave us His Word through the greatest and most promising love letter of all the Bible.
God loves each and everyone of us, sinner alike regardless of background, race, and so forth, and that is exactly how a Christian is suppose to and must love all.
Looking back at verse 8 of 1st John, John is saying, “God is love”, not “Love is God.” This is very important because even though we are speaking of love being the greatest thing today, one must realize that the greatest thing about love is God. God love is so great that when we did not love Him, He still loved us and still loves us today and forever. How great God’s love is, and that is what we must show and be here at this Church.
2. The second area of God’s love is God’s love in our hearts.
We know the basics of how when one accepts Jesus as their Savior that the love of God is abound in our hearts. And once we have Jesus as our Savior we should let that love flow through us to others. But, often we fail to do so. But, we must remind ourselves that Jesus Christ loved even those who were difficult to love. See family even those
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folks that you may have no love for because they are difficult you must love them. He loves the sinner which is us, Jesus loves everyone every single person.
We can see the love of Jesus but how can one see the love of God in our hearts. The love of Christ in us should be recognizable by our patience and kindness. Folks should see our love not our toughness we like to put on and not our anger we have when things don’t go or way. People should see us as never selfish, and many times within the church one can be seen as selfish over the way one acts when someone fails to close a door to a room, or spills a drink on the floor and we get all bent out of shape, yes we should be clean about God’s building here but things do happen, we must remember the selfishness we display about God’s church building does run folks off, we don’t own it God does. And we should be just like Jesus and be quick to forgive and not hold grudges against others but in most churches USA this is what kills the fellowship and locks the doors. We must we must forgive family. And even more we should always see the best in everyone, and not the faults. We are not to look at faults of others, but we do so often, did you see what so and so did or has done, I am going to respond to you with a no and then I am going to pray for you because you cant learn to stop judging and then I am going to tell you I love that person Christ loves that person, and I love you as well. This my friend is how others can recognize the love of Christ in our hearts.
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3. The third area is God’s love in the Harvest. So many times you hear me speak of the fields being ripe for Harvest, and it is still today and the harvest is us going out and bringing in the lost and drifted.
When we read 1st Corinthians 13:1 it stated, “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” (Holy Bible, NIV)
Family I want you to think for a moment. Love is more important than all the Spiritual gifts in the church body. Now some of you may have found what your spiritual gifts are from God, some may not have found them as of yet or you may still be in the fact finding process. But, even though many people have many different spiritual gifts, even though you may not know what yours may be, listen carefully now, LOVE is available to every single Christian and God expects us to show His love and that it must extend to the harvest. Not just some Christians are called to love BUT ALL, not just some Christians are called to help in the harvest, BUT ALL.
Jesus is very specific when He calls us to go to the lost world with His love. What Jesus is saying is that we must get into the fields that are plentiful and show the lost the love Jesus Christ has shown us.
LOOK WITH ME AT MATT. 28:18-20
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This passage is the point that Jesus basically sat His Disciples down and said, in my own words here. You have gone and shown the Jews my Love and My Word. But, now the time has come for you to go out to tell the whole world not just the Jews about the Love I have for them and the Saving Power I have for them, as He died for all not just some. Family if we don’t show love to all to all the ends of the earth than all of our witnessing efforts will be pointless. If I don’t show love as a pastor and as a preacher than all my words are just noise. If you can not show love in everything you do in this church than all you are doing is making pointless noise. And if you leave from this building on Sundays and live a different way than you show here all your witnessing also becomes pointless. All witnessing without love is worthless my friends. And we can go further. All tithes and offerings we give back to God and it does not come from the heart then you are making a bad investment.
It is love that reaches out and brings results, it is that love of Jesus Christ that reaches more people than any logic we may have, it is that love of Christ that reaches more people than any tact, than any training programs we have, and it is that love of Jesus that reaches more people than any argument about whose religion is right, because the love of Jesus Christ is better than all these things.
Folks, we say this place is full of love, we have people come and visit and say they feel the love of everyone and Christ in the walls, but we must start doing more than saying this
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place is full of love we must reach out as the Great Commission of Jesus Christ states and love people as Jesus loved and still loves, and through the power of Jesus Christ not us, that love will make all people what they ought to be and that is saved by the Power, the Blood, and the Love of Jesus Christ.
In conclusion when you feel down and we all know that this happens from time to time, look at the love of Jesus, what Jesus did for each of us on the Cross, which proves the love of God for all. And finally, ask Jesus Christ to shine through you so His love may reach all.
