2016.02.14.Sermon.God is Love
William Akehurst, HSWC
1 John 4:7-21
GOD IS LOVE
It's not that HE HAS love but rather that HE IS LOVE.
GOD IS LOVE. WE HAVE LOVE.
Illus: Marriages – are they for love alone? – Love vs. Arranged. Both can work out, because LOVE is a choice.
We have the choice to Love.
But what will blow your mind is this...GOD "IS" [emphasized] LOVE.
Everything about God IS Love.
This is why HE wrote the book!
This is why HE sent HIS Son
For HE IS LOVE and LOVES Each and every one of us regardless of who we are or what we have done.
Do you know LOVE?
Can you Love others as GOD loves each of us?
GOD IS LOVE...
1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
GOD IS LOVE and LOVE IS OF GOD. Therefore we love, because we have CHRIST in our hearts.
We know LOVE because GOD IS LOVE.
1 John 4:7-21
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
GOD IS LOVE and HE MANIFESTED THAT LOVE TO US and sent HIS only SON-JESUS (John 3:16)
9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
GOD IS LOVE and we love GOD because HE FIRST LOVED US.
10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
GOD IS LOVE and we need to love others.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
GOD IS LOVE and HIS love is perfected in us in that GOD DWELLS IN US.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
GOD IS LOVE and dwells in us because HE GAVE US HIS SPIRIT
13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.
14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world.
15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
GOD IS LOVE and we can experience HIS PERFECT LOVE.
18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
GOD IS LOVE and we LOVE BECAUSE HE SHOWED US HOW TO DO SO.
19 We love him, because he first loved us.
GOD IS LOVE and we must love the unlovable.
20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
FOR MAN, LOVE IS A CHOICE, AND A COMMAND BY GOD HIMSELF
Deuteronomy 6:5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
BUT WE ARE GIVEN A CHOICE - "IF"
Deuteronomy 11:13 And it shall come to pass, IF ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,
Deuteronomy 19:9 IF thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:
SO WHAT DO YOU CHOOSE?
GOD IS LOVE AND LOVES HIS CREATION
John 3:16 (KJV)
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
GOD IS LOVE and will go and has gone the distance for us.
John 10:17 Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
GOD IS LOVE so LOVE and BE LOVED
John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
GOD IS LOVE and desires us to love also
John 15:9-10
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
GOD IS LOVE and expresses HIS GREAT LOVE for us
John 15:11-13
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
GOD IS LOVE and people will identify us by that love
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
GOD IS LOVE and has placed that love in us by the HOLY GHOST
Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
GOD IS LOVE and celebrated HIS LOVE for us, by giving of HIMSELF on our behalf
Romans 5:8 But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
GOD IS LOVE and nothing can separate us from that love which is in Christ Jesus our Lord
Romans 8:35-39
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
GOD IS LOVE and HIS LOVE shall be with you
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace shall be with you.
2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.
GOD IS LOVE and it shows by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:22-23
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
GOD IS LOVE and its an extraordinarily great love by which HE loves us
Ephesians 2:4-10
4 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
GOD IS LOVE and wants us to be rooted and grounded in that love
Ephesians 3:14-19
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
GOD IS LOVE and captures and directs our hearts to HIM. We learn love, by the LOVE of GOD
2 Thessalonians 3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
GOD IS LOVE and has an abundant measure of faith and love through JESUS
1 Timothy 1:14-15
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
GOD IS LOVE and has given us that spirit of love
2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
GOD IS LOVE and JESUS came to earth because of that great love.
Titus 3:4-7
4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
GOD IS LOVE and calls us HIS children
1 John 3:1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
GOD IS LOVE and WE CAN UNDERSTAND HOW GREAT HIS LOVE IS, BUT THE EXAMPLE OF HIS SACRIFICE FOR OUR LIVES.
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
GOD IS LOVE and we are commanded to love and be obedient to HIM.
2 John 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.
GOD IS LOVE and we must choose to keep in that love
Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
GOD IS LOVE and HE disciplines us.
Revelation 3:19-20
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
GOD IS LOVE.
WE CAN ONLY IMAGINE.
