Loving Each Other Sincerely
1 Peter 1:21-2:3
Love is a commandment from the beginning. We know we are supposed to love. We want to love, but it doesn’t always come naturally. So we often try to manufacture love.
How is it possible to love our brothers and sisters sincerely?
v.22 cleansed from our sins when we accepted the truth of the Good News
No boundaries between us, so we can love sincerely. We need to begin seeing our church family members the way that God sees them. He sees them cleansed.
LOVING SINCERELY MEANS TO . . .
1 Peter 1:22 GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT
Fervent or intense love: athletic term means “to strive w/ all of one’s energy”
Love is a choice not a feeling. You have to strive for it with all of your energy. You have to secure the love so that you can give it out.
Where does this intense love come from?
v. 23 for you have been born again . . . your new life will last forever b/c it comes from the word of God.
People and their beauty fade like wildflowers, grass, flowers, but word of Lord will last forever.
Loving intensely comes from a radically different perspective-- a forever perspective. This is an eternal perspective.
New birth is the only way into God’s family.
New birth is the only way to live in God’s family.
Loving in an insincere fashion comes from living out of the “old life.” That’s not real love.
This calls for a change of clothing.
LOVING SINCERELY MEANS TO . . .
1 Peter 2:1 CLEAN OUT YOUR CLOSET
What do you clean out?
Malicious behavior
Pretending to be good
Hypocrisy
Jealousy
Backstabbing
You can clean out the closet, but you have to replenish the supply or you will have nothing to wear.
How do you replenish?
LOVING SINCERELY MEANS TO . . .
1 Peter 2:3 HIT THE BOTTLE
Alcoholics hit the bottle b/c they have addicted themselves.
Our bottle: milk of the word.
We are to crave the pure milk from God’s word.
Discussion Questions
Have you ever faked love or been less than sincere with someone?
What makes sincerity so hard with a church family?
Can you think of an illustration of intense love contrasted with shallow love?
Can you think of a relationship in your life that would benefit from God’s intense agape love or the forever perspective of eternity?
Which of the five closet clutters do you have the most problems with (Malicious behavior, Pretending to be good, Hypocrisy, Jealousy, and Backstabbing)?
Can you think of an illustration where one of the closet clutters kept you from loving the way you should?
In what ways do you think the Bible is like milk?
Do you crave God’s word like you should?
What destructive bottles do people drink from and organize their lives around?
Pastor Vinnie Cappetta, PhD
faithandreality@aol.com
faithandreality.com
