Pursue Love

Pursue Love

Theme: A proactive behavior unto God

INTRODUCTION

A. There really is no greater subject in the entire world than love.

1. That said, some talk about it seemingly to the exclusion of other vital areas of our walk in the

Lord.

2. Conversely, some refrain from talking about it or do not talk about it enough for fear that it may

promote of stigma of “soft preaching.”

B. Truth be told, everything we do should be founded upon love.

1. God, whom we seek/pursue, is love.

2. The greatest of all God’s laws is based upon lo ve.

3. Every behavior flows from love.

4. Because love is enduring.

I. PURSUING LOVE

A. You cannot have a relationship with God or man strictly from a standpoint of knowledge.

1. We know that knowledge without love “puffs up.” 1 Cor. 8:1

2. Knowledge is perfected, however, when love is pursued. 1 Cor. 8

B. You cannot please God just because you have “gifts” bestowed upon you from Him.

1. Such gifts without love are equated with vanity (without profit or substance). 1 Cor. 13:1-3

2. Gifts become beneficial to all, however, when love is pursued.

C. In other words, love must be pursued first and foremost to have a proper relationship with God and

man: cp. 1 Cor. 12:31

1. By earnestly seeking Him with faith. Heb. 11:6

2. By shining our light before men. Matt. 5:16

3. When worshipping Him with all our heart. Matt. 22:36-40

II. THE PRACTICAL PURSUIT OF LOVE

A. It is good to know that we should pursue love, but what does it look like? 1 Cor. 13:4ff

1. It is a kind of patience that is practiced for the benefit of the souls of others and/or self. Cp. Matt.

18:26, 29; Heb. 6:5; 2 Pet. 3:9

2. It is the kindness that is exemplified in the “Golden Rule” by lovingly treating your neighbor as

you would your own life. Matt. 22:39

3. It is the type of sincerity and genuineness in believing the best what is said, or in the events that

take place, or the action of an individual.

4. It is the kind of hope that expects that all things will work out for the overall good. Cp. Rom. 8:28

B. This practical love is contrary to the worldliness that exists within us:

1. It is easy to be patience with another person who does not try our patience or does so once in a

while. But, how about a person who tries you on a regular basis?

2. It is easy to be loving and kind to a person you like, but how about someone who doesn’t like or

mistreats you?

3. It is easy not to believe the worst in what someone says, or about how events will turn out.

4. Because the flesh that dwells within us, we who are spiritual must pursue the love that will

transform our lives into the children of light.

CONCLUSION

A. It is important to understand that talking about the love we need to pursue within our lives is quite

easy.

B. But this type of love is so difficult because it is contrary to the selfishness that exist in so many of us.

C. Let us genuinely pursue this type of love and see the blessings that flow from it