Why Love?
Series: Why?
Opening Video: Real Love from sermonspice.
Thesis: Why did God choose the way of love? Because it’s a powerful force in the universe because it’s who He is! It’s His nature.
ST. VALENTINE'S STORY TOLD IN HIS WORDS:
Let me introduce myself. My name is Valentine. I lived in Rome during the third century. That was long, long ago! At that time, Rome was ruled by an emperor named Claudius. I didn't like Emperor Claudius, and I wasn't the only one! A lot of people shared my feelings.
Claudius wanted to have a big army. He expected men to volunteer to join. Many men just did not want to fight in wars. They did not want to leave their wives and families. As you might have guessed, not many men signed up. This made Claudius furious. So what happened? He had a crazy idea. He thought that if men were not married, they would not mind joining the army. So Claudius decided not to allow any more marriages. Young people thought his new law was cruel. I thought it was preposterous! I certainly wasn't going to support that law!
Did I mention that I was a minister? One of my favorite activities was to marry couples. Even after Emperor Claudius passed his law, I kept on performing marriage ceremonies -- secretly, of course. It was really quite exciting. Imagine a small candlelit room with only the bride and groom and myself. We would whisper the words of the ceremony, listening all the while for the steps of soldiers.
One night, we did hear footsteps. It was scary! Thank goodness the couple I was marrying escaped in time. I was caught. (Not quite as light on my feet as I used to be, I guess.) I was thrown in jail and told that my punishment was death.
I tried to stay cheerful. And do you know what? Wonderful things happened. Many young people came to the jail to visit me. They threw flowers and notes up to my window. They wanted me to know that they, too, believed in love.
One of these young people was the daughter of the prison guard. Her father allowed her to visit me in the cell. Sometimes we would sit and talk for hours. She helped me to keep my spirits up. She agreed that I did the right thing by ignoring the Emperor and going ahead with the secret marriages. On the day I was to die, I left my friend a little note thanking her for her friendship and loyalty. I signed it, "Love from your Valentine."
I believe that note started the custom of exchanging love messages on Valentine's Day. It was written on the day I died, February 14, 269 A.D. Now, every year on this day, people remember. But most importantly, they think about love and friendship. And when they think of Emperor Claudius, they remember how he tried to stand in the way of love, and they laugh -- because they know that love can't be beaten! (This comes from http://www.pictureframes.co.uk/Saint-Valentine.aspx).
Scripture Texts: I John 3 and 4:
1 John 3:1, 11-24
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him…
Love one another
11This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another.
12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.
13Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you.
14We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death.
15Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
16This 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.
17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence
20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God
22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
1 John 4:7-21
God’s Love and Ours
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.
10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.
15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.
16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.
17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him.
18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first loved us.
20If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Introduction:
Arsene Housaye states, “Tell me whom you love, and I will tell you what you are.”
Valentine and the legends around him all have to deal with a individual who willing showed how much he loved the Lord Jesus Christ and believed in love. The Christians in Valentine’s era knew what it meant to love Christ sacrificially even to the point of giving up your life for the sake of love. Valentine loved the Lord Jesus Christ with his whole mind, heart, soul and he used all his strength to demonstrate it to others. He modeled love and believed in love. He gave his life for the cause of love. Therefore his legend of love of Christ has lasted for over 1700 years. Anyone who looked at Valentines life and death would know who he loved.
Henry Ward Beecher shares this thought about love, “We never know how much one loves till we know how much he is willing to endure and suffer for us; and it is the suffering element that measures love. The characters that are great must, of necessity, be characters that shall be willing, patient and strong to endure for others. To hold our nature in the willing service of another, is the divine idea of manhood, of human character.”
Bernard of Clairvaux made a similar statement about love when he said, “What we love we shall grow to resemble.”
The term or label -- Christian -- designates a love relationship with Christ according to Webster’s Dictionary. To be a Christian means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and this person demonstrates the attributes of Jesus such as love, faith and hope. Jesus himself tells us that we will know his disciples by their love. So here we are on Valentine’s Day celebrating, and honoring this thing called LOVE.
T.S. - So let’s explore from the Bible and look into the topic “Why Love is God’s way!”
Hands on illustration: Light a candle to show the power of love!
I. Why would God choose the power of love to transform this world rather than just pure forcefulness?
a. The first reason is it’s because God is LOVE!
i. His character is love. All writers, speakers agree that love is the supreme characteristic of God.
1. The apostle John said, “God is love” I John 4:8
ii. The apostle John also said this about love - I John 3:11-23: This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. 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. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
1. Scripture is crystal clear on the one defining character trait which separates the Christian from the unchristian and it’s called love.
a. Christian love others – they do not hate others because this is sin!
iii. Kenyon writes:
1. God so loved he gave. Satan was so selfish that he sought to rob God and the human race of everything worthwhile (AND I EMPHASIZE LOVE). Selfishness is a robber. It has reigned without a rival through the ages. Now a new mighty force in has broken into the sense realm. That mighty force is love. It heads up in God. It is unveiled in Christ. It is becoming operative in us Love without the ability to use it would not be so good!
2. How Do We Know Love?
a. But how does man come to know that God is love? That love is because God is? That the love of God is not only available for any man to experience, it is available for any man to demonstrate? How do we come to know the true nature of love? By reading a book or embracing a particular philosophy or doctrine? Do we learn love from the Bible? From other human beings who expound it? Do we learn about the nature of love by practice? Is it an emotional or a spiritual exercise? It is all of these to lesser and greater degrees, but it is more...We can only learn of love as we learn of God. Jesus said, “...Learn of me.”There is no other way to learn of love. Quote from Eugenia Price.
iv. In reality love is the greatest and it is the primary way of God. Jesus demonstrated it to us in his death.
T.S. – God choose the path of love rather than forcefulness for his relationship with us. He gave us the ability to choose the path of love or the path of hate.
II. Secondly people are influenced more by love than by forcefulness.
a. Maxwell states, “Before, you can do anything else in the lives of others, you must show them love. Without it, there can be no connection, no future, and no success together” (Becoming a Person of Influence, page 40).
i. People need to see that you love them if you want to influence them.
ii. The Nazi’s tried to forcefully make this world do things their way and the world fought back and defeated them.
1. Love has changed millions of lives where as forcefulness has destroyed millions of lives.
b. This is why Love drove Jesus to the cross – to show the extent of his love for the world!
i. M. Scott Peck states:
1. “I cannot be any more specific about the methodology of Love than to quote these words of an old priest who spent many years in the battle: “There are dozens of ways to deal with evil and several ways to conquer it. All of them are facets of the truth that the only ultimate way to conquer evil is to let it be smothered within a willing, living human being. When it is absorbed there like blood in a sponge or a spear into one’s heart, it loses its power and goes no further.”
ii. Yancey states, “The healing of evil-scientifically or otherwise-can be accomplished only by the love of individuals. A willing sacrifice is required...I do not know how this occurs. But I know that it does...Whenever this happens there is a slight shift in the balance of power in the world. (What is so Amazing about Grace, Yancey, page 204).
1. Yancey adds “The cross redefines God as One who was willing to relinquish power for the sake of love. Jesus became, in Dorothy Solle’s phrase, ‘God‘s unilateral disarmament.” Power, no matter how well-intentioned, tends to cause suffering. Love, being vulnerable, absorbs it. In a point of convergence on a hill called Calvary, God renounced the one for the sake of the other”(page 205).
2. Buechner states, “Of all powers, love is the most powerful and the most powerless. It is the most powerful because it alone can conquer that final and most impregnable stronghold which is the human heart. It is the most powerless because it can do nothing except by consent”( God’s Treasury of Virtues, 53)
c. Maxwell adds “The length and breadth of our influence on others are directly related to the depth of our concern for them. When it comes to helping people grow and feel good about themselves, there is no substitute for love. Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers, understood the power of love to bring out people’s best and make an impact on their lives. He said, “There are a lot of coaches with good ball clubs who know the fundamentals and have plenty of discipline but still don’t win the game. Then you come to the third ingredient: If you’re going to play together as a team, you’ve got to care for one another. You’ve got to love each other. Each player has to be thinking the next guy.’”(41).
i. People are changed and delivered by the power of love.
1. Richard Nixon wrote in his book In The Arena about how right after he resigned from the Presidency and was in the hospital for surgery how he wanted to die. He was at his lowest point in life with no hope and severely depressed. Then one day a nurse came in and opened the drapes of his hospital room and told him to look outside. He saw a plane pulling a sign which read” GOD LOVES YOU, AND SO DO WE! Ruth Graham, evangelist Billy Graham’s wife had arranged for the plane to fly by the hospital. President Nixon states he experienced a turning point in his life. That expression of love gave him the courage and hope to press on and to recover.
2. People are changed by love because it’s a light in the midst of darkness.
a. Meskey states, “ Why love? Because it is the most unexpected act in this sinful world, for which Satan has no counterfeit. In a self-seeking, greedy world, where each person is his own god, where ‘charity begins at home’- and generally stays there- an unselfish act of pure love is the strike of a match in the looming darkness. It’s so different and so welcome that all who see it take notice. Although an act of love can be as quiet as a whisper-even anonymous-the act itself screams of God. This is God’s loudspeaker of truth to the world, and we are to display it visibly wherever we go. ‘Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth’ (I John 3:18). If a young woman entering an abortion clinic expects condemnation and you give her love...if a gay-rights activist tries to provoke you to anger And you respond in love...if an unbelieving relative attempts to destroy you, and instead of retaliation, you cry out in love, what will they see? They will see Jesus. He always matched His words with His actions. The world is all too familiar with, expects, and sometimes even prefers the hateful response. It never expects love “(Maxwell, 34).
T.S. – Love has changed more lives than forcefulness and God’s power lies in the act of love for another person. Love is God in action and we need to align with God and love.
III. Thirdly love is God in action and when we love -- we demonstrate who God is and
in the process we discover more of God!
a. Love is at the heart of Christ’s body His church – at least it should be!
i. The truth is the Gospel message is hinge pinned on Love!
1. I Cor. 13 “It’s the more excellent way! Because it’s God’s way and it reflects Him to others.
ii. Love is the sign Jesus gave us to flash to the world so others would see Him.
1. Love awakens the unbeliever to see God.
2. Hate does not awaken the world to God.
3. Judgment really does not awaken the world to God.
4. Condemnation does not awaken the world to God.
5. Love is what awakens this world and points them to God.
iii. When I first went to Outreach Church I saw LOVE and I experienced LOVE. Because I saw love then I saw God and gave my life to him! First Love then God -- Show love -- Show God -- watch and see lives changed!
1. I had people reach out to me in love at outreach – when I was kicked out of my house – Roland stepped up and loved me by giving me his bed in his dorm room. That act of love changed my heart and life.
2. I was a young man filled with hate and anger and love from God and His church changed me into a different person.
T.S. - This is why we must keep striking the light of love in the midst of darkness-- We must love and you might ask but how do I love?
IV. How to love God’s way?
A. 7 things you can do to let Love shine so others can see God!
a. Do away with judgmental attitudes.
i. Brodin states, “When I judge someone, I unconsciously feel superior to them. That keeps me from loving them” (43).
1. Truth is we are all prone to judging others -- if they do not do it the way I want it done -- then it’s wrong -- this blows out love - and promotes selfishness which blows out God.
2. I have had too many people come into my office with judgmental spirits on others and it’s sad – they look at the toothpick in another’s eye but cannot see the plank in their own.
ii. Sometimes we judge others motives and mishear, or miss-perceive, misunderstand and we jump to conclusions about others and this blows out love and blows out GOD!
1. Pharisees were always blowing out love and blowing out God because of their judgmental attitudes.
2. They had no love for the lost or for even other believers – they ruled by fear and intimidation. They had not love and Jesus ripped on them for their loveless attitudes toward others.
a. They had no compassion for others!
b. They had no respect for others people – imperfect people!
b. We must do away with fear because it blows out love and blocks a view of God
i. I John 4:16-18: “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”
1. Fear is an enemy to love!
2. Love will drive out fear!
ii. Love prompts us to take risks and have faith in God.
1. If you love God then you will take risks to love the unlovable. Why? Because the love you have received from God empowers you to love the scarred and marred ones.
iii. The fear of rejection prompts us into becoming secluded so no one can hurt us or reject. Therefore we never let anyone in close to us. Jesus knew he would be rejected but he loved any way and let people in!
1. John 13 – He washed the disciple’s feet – even Judas feet read the 1st few chapters of John 13.
2. He showed love even to the one who would betray him.
iv. The fear of commitment holds us at bay from giving 100% to spread of God’s Kingdom -- it keeps us from making full commitment to the cause of Christ.
c. Do away with selfishness it blows out the light of love and blocks a view of God.
i. The opposite of love is selfishness these two battle for your soul!
ii. When selfishness takes over sorrows explode, heartaches rip across the world, tears start to flow from pain.
1. Kenyon writes, “It has caused all the wars and other atrocities in which men take part.”
2. “Selfishness demands to be served and provided for by others -- it places the focus on itself not others. It uses words like “I”, “Me”, and “Mine”.
d. Do away with unforgiveness it blows out the light of love.
i. Love always forgives others - Paul wrote “Forgive each other, just as Christ God forgave you”(Eph. 4:2).
ii. Jones states, “Forgiveness means loving in spite of wrong. Love may see the sin in others, but love sees beyond what is offensive and loves anyway.”
e. Do accept others and the light of love will burn bright and others will see God.
i. Romans 15:7 “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you.”
ii. Jones notes, “A common accusation against Christians is that we reject others. Often it is true that in our opposition to an evil world we fail to follow our Master in His accepting attitude. We proclaim that people may come to Him ‘just as they are’, but then we do not accept them as they are perhaps we’ve forgotten who we were when He accepted us” (39).
f. Do serve others and the light of love will glow and they will see God
i. Jesus modeled this in John 13 when he washed the disciple’s feet and told them to do likewise because he set the example.
ii. Yancey noted that in this era this act was not even done by slaves because it was considered to be so degrading - Yet Jesus showed us we need to serve each other.
iii. Jesus washed their feet knowing that they would abandon him, betray him at his most trying time but love drove him to serve them in spite of what they would do. BUT in the end it was love that won them.
g. Sacrifice your life for the Kingdom of God and others will see the bright light of love and see God.
i. Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy (love), to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.”
ii. Mother Teresa wrote: We must grow in love and to do this we must go on loving and loving and giving and giving until it hurts --- the way Jesus did. Do ordinary things with extraordinary love: little things like caring for the sick and the homeless, the lonely and the unwanted, washing and cleaning for them. You must give what will cost you something. This, then, is giving not just what you can live without but what you can’t live without or don’t want to live without, something you really like. Then your gift becomes a sacrifice, which will have value before God. Any sacrifice is useful if it is done out of love. This giving until it hurts ---this sacrifice---is also what I call love in action.
Conclusion
Here is a thought on love by Gloria Gather:
His Love ... Reaching, Right from the beginning God’s love has reached, and from the beginning man has refused to understand. But love went on reaching, offering itself.
Love offered the eternal ... we wanted the immediate.
Love offered deep joy ... we wanted the thrills.
Love offered freedom ...we wanted license.
Love offered communion with God Himself ... we wanted to worship at the shrine of our own minds.
Love offered peace ... we wanted approval for our wars
Even yet, love went on reaching. And still today, after two thousand years, patiently, lovingly, Christ is reaching out to us today. Right through the chaos of our world, through the confusion of our minds. He is reaching ... longing to share with us ... the very being of God. His love still is longing, His love still is reaching, right past the shackles of my mind.
And the Word of the Father became Mary’s little Son. And His love reached all the way to where I was! --Gloria Gaither
Altar Call: How many really want to live and experience the more excellent way of love?
