This month we are looking at the Spirit in the Ministry of Believers.
We will be thinking about how the Holy Spirit operates in us, how the Holy Spirit gifts and enables us, how we allow the Holy Spirit to use us to minister to others.
This morning I want us to focus on one of the fruits of the Spirit that really shows the state of our hearts - I want to talk about LOVE.
The bible tells us simply and clearly that “God is Love.” (1 John 4:8).
The list of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 begins with LOVE - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control
Why is love first on the list? Probably because without love the other 8 characteristics of the Spirit of God can not be fully present in our lives.
We need to love. We are commanded to love.
As Deuteronomy 6:5 says “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength”
Ah, Deuteronomy - Maybe your thinking, Old Testament - Old Covenant - we are New Testament Christians, we live by Grace not by Law...
ALL It’s a nice thing to aspire to, but not essential.
Sorry - wrong answer - wrong grasp of scripture. Listen to the words of Jesus in (Matthew 22:36-40)
Jesus was asked the question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” And Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, you shall love you neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
Jesus is clear and emphatic. We are to“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength - and we are to show Love to others.
Actually, depending on your point of view, it gets better - or worse - if you look at the original Greek. In Greek the word translated love in this passage is Agape – Unconditional love.
The word translated Love in this passage is Agape and God requires us to give back Agape love to Him and to the world we live in.
“…You shall Unconditional Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” Matthew 22:37
“…You shall Unconditional Love your neighbour as yourself.” Matthew 22:39
There is such an importance placed on this commandment that Jesus tells us:
“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:40.
Do you see that Love is important to God?
The Apostle John wrote: in 1 John 4:10 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
John also wrote:
“For God so Loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, thatwhoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” John 3:16
Love is important to God. Love is one of the fruits of the Spirit.
Do you demonstrate God’s love to others?
Do you unconditionally show love to others?
Do you love your neighbour as yourself?
The Church at Corinth was filled with people who had become Christians because they had responded to the idea that God actually loved them and sent His only begotten Son.
They knew what love was - because God had loved them first.
But, after they’d been Christians for a while…
it seems that they began to forgot what love was all about.
Paul writes an entire section of his letter to them to describe what love meant to God: 1 Corinthians 13 is so poetic and eloquent and precise that it’s one of the best known sections of the Bible.
So many people love this chapter is because it does such a powerful job of answering the question: What is love?
It seems like everyone who’s ever read these words agrees:
YES… THAT IS WHAT LOVE IS ALL ABOUT!
Let’s look at the first eight verses:
1 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. 2 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. 3 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. 4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails. (1 Cor 13:1-8)
Do you value the Love of God? Do you understand that the most important fruit of the Spirit you can have in your life is Love?
Love is your most valuable possession.
The agape unconditional love of God is your strength in times of weakness, your hope in times of despair, your glory in times of difficulty, your best when life throws you the worst.
The love of God is everything.
God places His love in our heart through the person of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit.
Agape is love in it’s highest form. It is the divine demonstration of love.
When that love is in your heart it sweeps away hatred, malice,deception and unforgiveness.
Paul makes it clear, agape is a matter of personal choice not a matter of personal strength or of personal ability.
You have a personal choice to allow God to love through your life.
No matter what is done to you - you can allow Christ to love the world through you.
Here is another truth, Spiritual gifts are meaningless without love.
The work of the Holy Spirit brings gifts into the lives of those who place their faith in Jesus.
Those gifts are given so that we are able to serve God -- not in our ability -- but with the ability He gives us.
We cannot serve God without having His love living within us.
Paul says without love: I am nothing.
In essence, without the divine love of God within us, we are empty.
Just because you are breathing does not mean that you are really living.
Far too many people settle for merely existing rather than living.
If you do not have the love of God living within you, you are just existing and not living in the fullness of the Fruit of the Spirit.
As Christians, we are called to bear fruit, to be ready to serve God whenever or wherever He sends us.
Our efforts can never amount to anything more than self without the power of God’s love as the driving force in our lives.
So, Are you living in God’s love?
Are you allowing the fruit of love to develop in your life?
Do you know the Victory of the Love of God?
God’s love is more than just talk, it is action.
The Apostle Paul does not give us a long dull definition of love - he gives us the formula for victorious living.
Actually Paul seems to be asking an unstated question:
How should a Christian behave?
Are you a patient person?
Love is patient
The word that Paul uses here refers to the way we deal with people.
Paul says that we are to be patient with other people. That can be hard at times can’t it.
No matter what people do or say.
No matter how others have treated us we are to be patient with them.
Are you a kind person?
Love is kind
The word kind means to show favour to others to move beyond hurt and injury.
Paul shows that love is the strength of grace that allows us to be kind and forgiving.
Are you an envious person?
Love does not envy
This is not having feelings against others because of what they have - spiritual gifts, position, abilities, possessions or anything else.
Love is not begrudging but rather shares in the joy of others.
Are you a boastful person?
Love does not boast
Paul says that love does not brag or seek recognition. The behaviour of love seeks to give, to recognize others, to honour others and appreciate when others succeed.
Are you a proud person?
Love is not proud
The word here for proud means to be puffed up or conceited.
The behaviour of love means not comparing yourself to others and believing that you are better than they are.
Love is humble and seeks the best.
Love is not rude
Love does not act in a way that is disgraceful or brings shame to the name of Jesus.
Love treats people with respect.
Love means controlling both our tongues and our actions toward others.
Love is not self seeking
The Greek word that Paul uses here literally means to worship yourself.
In our modern world so many people have become so full of themselves.
The simple reality is we are to seek to serve others, not to be served by others.
Are you a person who is easily angered?
Love is not easily angered
Paul uses the word that means quick tempered or being ready to take personal offense.
Love does not allow the emotions to control and it does not become angry without cause.
Are you a person who dwells on what others have done to you in the past?
Love keeps no record of wrong
This means we are not to continuously focus on the wrongs that we have suffered against us.
Focussing on past problems and issues leads to resentment and bitterness.
Love endures evil and keeps its focus on the truth.
Love – keeps no record of wrongs.
As well as being patient, and kind and a whole host of other things – love is also forgetful!
‘Love - keeps no record of wrongs’
A husband asked his wife,
“Why are you always reminding me of my past mistakes?
You told me you would forgive and forget.”
The Wife answered,
“Well, I don’t want you to forget that I have forgiven and forgotten.”
That’s the way we are. We keep those records.
We keep them and we make sure that they are written with permanent ink – and in triplicate!
It’s hard for us to forgive and forget.
But love, true Christian love, keeps no record of wrongs.
True love is forgetful. I’m not suggesting it is easy - but it is possible.
Often we think of forgetfulness as a weakness, as a problem - but there is a time when forgetfulness is an absolute necessity.
Our challenge is to forgive and forget.
We don’t keep records of wrongs.
God does not keep that score in heaven and we’re not supposed to keep that score here. It’s the way of God and it’s the challenge for Christians.
Is it possible to remember people without remembering their sin?
Is it possible to remember people without remembering the wrongs that they have committed, against the world, against society, against you?
We remember people we always remember the mistakes that they made, the hurts that they caused.
Paul says that ‘Love – keeps no record of wrongs He says that love is forgetful - love is forgiving.
That’s the challenge of the Christian faith.
That’s the challenge of the type of love that Jesus calls us to have for one another.
That’s the fruit of the Spirit in operation in our lives.
Love does not delight in evil
Paul says that love does not take pleasure in doing what is unrighteous.
If we have the love of Christ within us, the ability to do what is wrong still exists but we will make ourselves miserable doing so.
Love rejoices with the Truth
Love rejoices when the truth is finally discovered and when it is victorious.
The reality is that we can rejoice in all situations because when the truth of God is within us we always have victory.
Love always protects
Love has the power to cover every area of life and to give strength to support every area of life.
Love gives us the supernatural strength to stand and cover the faults of others.
Love always trusts
The word Paul uses here means to have a perfect trust. Love gives us an ability to have a divine trust that helps us to see God’s work in our lives.
It also gives us the ability to see the best in others.
Love always hopes
literally Paul says that love never loses hope and has every expectation of finding triumph.
Love refuses to accept failure and has bright hope for the best.
Love always perseveres
Paul uses a military word here that means to withstand an attack.
This means that the love of Christ is our strength and acts as our fortress during attack.
Love endures every assault that comes against it and stands firm until the victory is won.
The love of God gives us the ability to love even in the most difficult of circumstances.
Love never fails
Paul closes the definition of love with a bold statement that love never fails.
The love of God is always successful.
The power of our lives is found in the reality that Christ’s love gives us the ability to succeed.
Love describes the very character of Jesus and if we want to become more like Him we must allow His love to penetrate the deepest corners of our hearts.
Are you willing and open for the Holy Spirit to come and fill you with God’s love?
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Let me close the sermon with a reminder of the words of Romans 8:37-38
What can separate you from God’s Love? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-38)
Notice all of those things that do not have the ability to keep the love of God from your life.
• The love of Christ is more powerful than life itself, death cannot even keep it from us.
• The love of Christ is more powerful than spiritual beings, even the most diabolic plot from Hell cannot keep it from us.
• The love of Christ is more powerful than time itself, even when time comes to an end the love of Christ will remain
• The love of Christ is more powerful than mortal strength, even the greatest power on earth cannot keep it from us.
• The love of Christ is more powerful than any distance, even the deepest of depths or the highest of heights cannot keep it from us.
• The love of Christ is more powerful than all of creation, absolutely nothing in all of the universe can keep it from us.
This list looks all inclusive but there is one thing that can keep you from the love of God that is found only in Christ Jesus - you.
You are the only thing standing between the love that falls from Heaven and your need.
You are the person that keeps you from experiencing it’s awesome power.
You are the one that can accept the filling of the Holy Spirit - you are the one that can operate in His love, in His Power.
Are you living in God’s love?
Do you want to demonstrate the love of God in your life?
Are you willing to allow the fruit of love to develop in your life?
The choice is yours.
Let me encourage you to live in His divine love and in the Power of the Holy Spirit.
