HOW TO KILL LOVE?
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I. INTRODUCTION:
A. What is happening around us? What duties do I have to God and to others? Do we care? No one in their right mind would kill love, for killing love comes by accident and a lack of effort and planning.
B. Are we going to be like a possum that runs into the road? The possum gets scared and freezes and plays dead?
The next thing you know, he is really dead.
Laying in the middle of the road is not a smart thing.
Revelations 2:2 I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars.
Revelations 2:4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
C. How many divorces will occur in the next five years?
How many people will drop out of church and do their own thing?
How many teenagers will run away from home?
How many students will drop out of school?
How many ministers will leave the ministry?
II. LOOK AT THE NEWS?
A. In Lancaster County Pennsylvania on November 13, 2005 a shocking event occurred. A church couple named Michael and Kathy Borden were killed right in their own home.
Kara Beth, their 14 year old daughter had an 18 year old boyfriend, named David Ludwig.
They were home schooled and were active in a good church.
David pulled out a gun, killed both Kara’s parents and ran from the law.
Later the two teens were caught in Indiana.
How could Kara Beth go from a loving daughter to this?
B. The same week a young teenager stepped into his school in Campbell County Tennessee and pulled out a gun and shot and killed the assistant principal and he shot the principal and another assistant principal there.
C. The same week in Florida, two teenage girls got in a fight. The next day when the girl got on the school bus her friend shot her in the chest. Now she will live, but their lives will be forever changed?
D. What is happening?
Are we killing love? Or are we seeking revival?
Can we change the events by changing hearts?
III. I WANT TO TELL YOU THAT NO ONE PLANS ON KILLING LOVE. WE DO NOT ABUSE LOVE, WE NEGLECT IT.
A. Abuse:
***Improper or excessive treatment
***Misuse to damage or injure
***To attack even if just by words
B. Neglect:
***To give little attention or respect to
***To leave undone or unattended through carelessness.
***Ignore
***Giving insufficient attention to something that has a claim for your attention.
C. NEGLECT CAN KILL JUST AS MUCH AS ABUSE!
IV. IT IS HIGH TIME FOR CHANGE.
A. John the Baptist would be accepted in few religious circles today. John was very blunt and to the point. John would tell the King, the Preacher, and anyone that would listen, that it was time for change.
Luke 1:17 And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elias, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
B. WILL YOU ARISE AND GET PEOPLE READY.
The Lord is coming.
C. This week I talked with a precious young boy. He is very faithful in his church. This boy loves his church and his family very much.
The boy cried and said, My Mom and Dad would go to Hell if Jesus comes soon. I must get them in church for my little brother’s sake.
My heart broke for this lad, I talked to his Mom and Dad, they said, We know, our son preaches to us all the time.
GOD HELP US GET ALL THE PEOPLE READY.
V. PRIDE KILLS LOVE.
A. When we refuse to listen, we will always kill love.
B. The greatest act of love is not a kiss,
listening is the greatest act of love.
Proverbs 13:10 Only by pride comes contention:
but with the well advised is wisdom
VI. LITTLE EFFORT? LITTLE LOVE?
SEEMS WE WANT A TV LIFE STYLE, EASY COME, EASY GO?
EVEN A DEAD FISH CAN SWIM DOWN STREAM.
GOD DEMANDS EFFORT FROM HIS CHILDREN.
A. Peter and Jesus needed money to pay their taxes ---
Jesus didn’t give Peter the money, JESUS SAID GO FISHING.
Take the first fish you catch, open it’s mouth, and take the money and pay the taxes.
B. The little woman had an issue of blood 12 years.
She was tired and weak.
She had to press the crowd.
Who touched me? Jesus said.
C. Four men had to carry the sick man to Jesus.
And when they got there they could not get to Jesus.
They had to climb the wall, and lift the man.
D. Jesus spit in the dust, and put mud in the blind man’s eyes, and told him specific directions.
It was not easy for the blind man to go wash.
E. At the wedding where they ran out of wine,
Jesus commanded them to get between 150 to 180 gallons of water from the well. It was not a hose,
it required great effort.
VII. TO BELITTLE ANOTHER IS TO BE LITTLE!
WORDS CAN HURT.
A.We used to say: Sticks and stones may break my bones,
but names can never harm me. This is not true, words hurt.
I Thessalonians 5:11 Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another,
B. As you lift another, God will lift you!
VIII. RAZOR BLADE TONGUES CAN CUT THE LIFE
OUT OF ONE’S HEART.
A. LOVE GIVES SOFT ANSWERS
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turns away wrath,
but grievous words stir up anger.
B. You can never recall words and hurts the tongue cause.
IX. STRIFE, FIGHTING, ARGUMENTIVE, NAGGING ATTITUDES
CAN KILL LOVE VERY QUICKLY.
Proverbs 17:1 Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than an house full of sacrifices with strife.
Proverbs 26:20 Where there is no wood there the fire goes out: so where there is no talebearer, the strife ceases.
X. ANGER KILLS LOVE!
Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city.
XI. THERE IS AN ETERNAL LAW:
HATRED NEVER CEASES HATRED.
A. FORCE AND VIOLENCE CANNOT CEASE HATRED.
B. LAWS AND RULES CANNOT CEASE HATRED.
C. HATRED CAN ONLY CEASE BY LOVE.
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strifes:
but love covers all sins.
XII. THE LACK OF CORRECTION KILLS LOVE.
CORRECTION IS NOT BAD.
Proverbs 9: 8 Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee:
rebuke a wise man, and he will love you.
XIII. THE LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OTHERS CAN KILL LOVE!
Proverbs 2:2 So that thou incline your ear unto wisdom,
and apply your heart to understanding.
XIV. A CONTENTIOUS SPIRIT KILLS LOVE.
Proverbs 26:21 As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.
A. Contentious:
***Likely to cause quarrels and disputes and arguments
***Discord
B. Some people seem to thrive with contention
XV. IF YOU DON’T LIKE WHAT YOU ARE GETTING,
CHANGE WHAT YOU ARE GIVING.
A. Don’t feed off other peoples dysfunctions, allow God to stretch us and grow us to new levels of love and service for others.
B. ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS ABOUT LOVE?
1. What is love? How do we grow love? How do we impede love?
2. How do we measure love? Do you ever evaluate your love to see
where you are developing dangerous habits?
3. Do you ever make plans to improve your love systems?
4. Do we hold our hearts accountable?
5. What is necessary to maintain love?
6. Is there a difference in maintaining love and love thriving?
7. What do you do to keep love growing?
8. How does one kill love?
XVI. HOW DO YOU DEFINE LOVE?
A. DO WE LOVE? DO WE PROMOTE LOVE?
B. WHAT IS LOVE?
***A strong affection for another arising out of kinship or personal ties.
***An attraction based on sexual desire: affection and tenderness felt by lovers
***An affection based on admiration, benevolence, or common interest.
***A warm attachment, enthusiasm or devotion
***Unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another
***Brotherly concern
***The score of zero in tennis
***To hold dear: cherish
***To feel a lover’s passion
***To take pleasure in
***To thrive, passion, desire
XVII. LET US IDENTIFY SOME LOVE KILLERS.
A. NEVER SHARE, NEVER COOPERATE.
B. BE IMPATIENT, AND LIVING FOR THE NOW!
C. BE MEAN SPIRITED AND NEVER ENCOURAGE OTHERS.
D. BE SELF CENTERED AND SELFISH.
E. BE SELF FOCUSED, What is in this for me?
F. BECOME GRIDLOCKED ON FAULTS OF OTHERS.
G. REFUSES TO ACCEPT MY CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES.
H. DEMANDING, MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY.
I. UNFORGIVING AND RECALLING THE PAST. STAY BITTER.
J. I DON’T HAVE TO CHANGE, YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE ME?
K. BE RUDE AND SEE HOW MUCH LOVE YOU SPREAD?
L. BRAGGARTS WITH LOUD ARROGANT BOASTINGS NEVER
PROMOTE LOVE.
M. Without discipline, effort, and work love will always grow cold and indifferent.
Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue.
God help us to grow greater and greater in love,
may we identify what kills loves and avoid them.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.
Kyfingers@aol.com
