Love Is The Chain That Binds (#709 in Songs of Faith and Praise)
1 John 4:7-11
"I Love" by Tom T. Hall
I love little baby ducks, Old pick up trucks, Slow moving trains, and rain. I love little country streams, Sleep without dreams, Sunday School in May, and hay, And I love you, too.
I love leaves in the wind, Pictures of my friends, Birds of the world, and squirrels. I love coffee in a cup, Little fuzzy pups, Bourbon in a glass, and grass. And I love you, too.
I love honest open smiles, Kisses from a child, Tomatoes on the vine, and onions. I love winner’s when they cry, Loser’s when they try, Music when it’s good, and life. And
I love you, too.
Now I don’t believe that’s a real good definition of True love.
Some members of the Family here at Atlanta Road had this to say about love.
Security – Like a warm blanket wrapped around you on a cold night.
A Yearning to put yourself out for what you love.
A warm feeling that you get every time he/she enters your thoughts
A Decision to make my wants and desires second to his/her wants or desires
A Unique Friendship
And My Favorite 1 Corinthians sums it up – Patient, Kind, Longsuffering, etc.. You know all that junk.
Our invitation Song today says in the 5th verse Love is the golden chain that binds?
But the Greeks had four words for love.
So what one is the one that binds?
I. Eros – A Brass chain.
From a distance it looks good but in reality it is cheep.
A. Eros is love based on physical attraction.
B. Eros says: "Show me a man or woman, and if he or she is beautiful by my standards, I will love him or her, and by loving him or her will appropriate the value that he or she embodies to myself for my enjoyment.”
C. "Dear John: Words cannot express the deep regret I feel at having broken our engagement. Will you please come back to me? Your absence from my side leaves a void, which no one can ever fill. Please forgive me and let us start again. I love you. I love you. I love you. Your ever adoring, Susie
P.S. Congratulations on winning the Big Lotto.
D. The Bible does not use the word Eros. –
However, it does not neglect this aspect of love.
1. In marriage, it is commanded and beautiful.
I Corinthians 7:2-3 let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. Let the husband fulfill his duty to his wife, and likewise also the wife to her husband.
2. Out of marriage it is ugly and sinful.
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.
F. Eros is a binding chain and is important but not the Chain that binds.
II. Storge (Stor – Gay) - the red chain.
A. Storge is love based on family ties, blood relation.
B. It is only used in the negative sense in the New Testament.
2 Timothy 3:2-4 For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.
C. Storge is seen in
1. Affection between parents and children, brothers and sisters
2. The phrase "blood!’ is thicker than water."
3. Brothers and sisters feeling mad at each other throughout the year and still showing up for the family reunion.
D. Storge is binding but it is not the tie that binds.
III. Phileo- the silver chain.
A. Phileo represents tender affection, "I like you."
B. This is the love of friendship.
1. There are differences between the love that we have for friends and the love that we have for mankind.
2. We can still love the church here at Atlanta Road and have a party and only invite certain members.
3. Jesus loved all of his disciples but had a special relationship with Peter James and John.
4. Jesus spent his leisure with Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, not with Herod and Caiaphas.
5. We choose our close friends by what we have in common, what we like, and who doesn’t get on our nerves.
C. Phileo is binding but is not the chain that binds.
IV. Agape is the golden chain.
A. Agape is the decision, commitment to treat other people right.
Matthew 7:12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.
B. Agape can be known only from the actions it prompts.
1. God to man.
Romans 5:8,9 Christ died for us while we were still sinners. This demonstrates God’s love for us. Since Christ’s blood has now given us God’s approval, we are even more certain that Christ will save us from God’s anger.
2. Man to God.
I John 5:3 This is love for God: to obey his commands.
3. Brothers and sisters in Christ.
John 13:35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
4. Husbands, wives.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it.
5. Christians to enemies.
Romans 12:20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
C. Agape is the chain that binds.
1. Agape described. I Corinthians 13:4-8 (NCV)
Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous, it does not brag, and it is not proud. Love is not rude, is not selfish, and does not get upset with others. Love does not count up wrongs that have been done. Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love patiently accepts all things. It always trusts, always hopes, and always remains strong. Love never ends. There are gifts of prophecy, but they will be ended. There are gifts of speaking in different languages, but those gifts will stop. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will come to an end.
2. In agape, we have
a. Security.
b. Predictability.
C. Choice, not circumstances.
3. The chain, relationship, is strong but can still be broken by breaking the commitment to God.
a. What about a marriage being broken by adultery? The chain was broken.
b. What about a " church split." The chain was broken.
Someone disregarded, abandoned, rejected the commitment, commands - love, be kind, be merciful, confront, rebuke, repent, confess, and forgive.
4. The chain will not be broken unless one or both parties break God’s will.
Conclusion:
The God-man relationship and the man-man relationship are broken by sin.
Seeking forgiveness for our sins can repair the break.
Love is the chain that binds.
1. Not Eros, although it is appropriate in the confines of agape.
2. Not Storge, although it is enjoyed in families but can only know its highest fulfillment when relatives also have agape for each other.
Not Phileo, although these feelings and relationships are enjoyable.
But Agape - the decision, commitment to respond to God’s love by to obey God and to treat other people right.
Once upon a time, two brothers lived upon little adjoining farms. One was single, the other was married. It chanced that a certain year the wheat crop was cut short by drought so that each man had barely enough for his needs.
One night the married man lay awake thinking of his brother. "The poor fellow is single and does not have the comfort and happiness of home as I do. He is worried about his harvest. I will get up and carry some sheaves into his field and when he sees them he will be happier. "
On the same night, the bachelor was sleepless and thinking of his brother. "The poor fellow is married, and has a host of burdens and cares that I do not have to bear. He is doubtless worried about his small wheat yield. I will get up and carry some of my wheat into his field, and when he sees it, he will be happier."
Out into the darkness of the night those two went, each lugging wheat into the other’s field. The moon came suddenly from behind a cloud, and they stood facing each other with wheat sheaves under their arms.
THIS IS THE POWER OF BROTHERLY LOVE! Each of us should strive to have and Show our brotherly love and respect for one another. Let us begin this day to give of our love as the Lord has given to each of us.
