The "avent" Of Christ 04

THE AVENT OF CHRISTMAS, PART 4

1 CORINTHIANS 13:13 (NIV) AND NOW THESE THREE REMAIN: FAITH, HOPE AND LOVE. BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.

INTRODUCTION: YOU WILL NOTICE IN THIS VERSE THAT IN OUR CHRISTMAS SERIES WE HAVE TOUCHED ON FAITH AND HOPE AS WELL AS PEACE. NOW WE MOVE TO TH TOPIC OF LOVE.

YOU SHOULD ALSO NOTE THAT THE WORD OF GOD DECLARES THAT LOVE IS THE GREATEST OF THESE QUALITIES/CHARACTERISTICS, AND RIGHTLY SO.

DEPENDING ON YOUR TRANSLATION THE WORD LOVE APPEARS BETWEEN 100 AND 300 TIMES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.

LOVE IS A CONSISTENT THEM THROUGHOUT THE CHRISTMAS STORY AND BEYOND!

GOD LOVED THE WORLD

JOSEPH LOVED MARY

MARY LOVED THE BABY JESUS

JESUS PREACHED LOVE IN THE GREATEST COMMANDMENTS

LOVE IS THE GREATEST OF VIRTUES

D.L.MOODY SAYS THIS – “FAITH MAKES THINGS POSSIBLE, …LOVE MAKE ALL THINGS EASY.”

TRANSITION: SO AS WE THINK ABOUT LOVE AND CHRISTMAS, I WANT TO LOOK AT THE WORD OF GOD, IN ALL ITS GLORY AS IT TALKS ABOUT LOVE.

I. THE PATTERN OF JESUS

a. JESUS TAUGHT ABOUT LOVE

i. GREATER LOVE HAS NO MAN THEN TO LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR ANOTHER

ii. DISCIPLES OF CHRIST WOULD BE KNOWN BY THEIR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER

iii. GOD’S GREAT LOVE WAS DISPLAYED IN THE SENDING OF HIS SON

iv. LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD/LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR

b. JESUS MODELED LOVE

i. GAVE UP WHAT WAS RIGHTLY HIS

ii. HEALED THE SICK, FED THE HUNGRY

iii. WENT TO THE CROSS

iv. INTERCEDES FOR US

v. IS COMING BACK

c. JESUS EXPECTS LOVE FROM US

i. REMINDER ABOUT LOVE – DOING WHAT IS GOOD BEST AND RIGHT

ii. REFLECTED IN OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOD – LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR, ….

iii. REFLECTED IN OR ATTITUDE TOWARDS OURSELVES

1. WHERE WE WALK

2. WHAT WE EMBRACE

3. WHAT WE VALUE

IN EVERYTHING I HAVE SHARED, WHAT SHOULD BE PLAINLY CLEAR IS THAT LOVE IS AN ACTION, NOT A FEELING. THIS IS WHAT ALLOWS US TO LOVE THE UNLOVABLE.

CHRISTMAS IS THE GREATEST ILLUSTRATION OF LOVE. IT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE EARTHLY MINISTRY OF CHRIST BY THE INCARNATION AND SETS IN MOTION EVERY EVENT TO THE CROSS, THE EMPTY TOMB, AND THE GREAT COMMISSION.

HOW DO WE EMBRACE THE LOVE OF CHRISTMAS, THAT GOD WOULD BOTH TEACH AND SHOW US?

II. EMBRACING THE LOVE OF CHRISTMAS IN THE EVERYDAY

1 JOHN 4:7-11 (NIV) DEAR FRIENDS, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER, FOR LOVE COMES FROM GOD. EVERYONE WHO LOVES HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD AND KNOWS GOD. 8 WHOEVER DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT KNOW GOD, BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE.

9 THIS IS HOW GOD SHOWED HIS LOVE AMONG US: HE SENT HIS ONE AND ONLY SON INTO THE WORLD THAT WE MIGHT LIVE THROUGH HIM. 10 THIS IS LOVE: NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD, BUT THAT HE LOVED US AND SENT HIS SON AS AN ATONING SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS. 11 DEAR FRIENDS, SINCE GOD SO LOVED US, WE ALSO OUGHT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

a. LOVE NEEDS TO BE A HABIT – LET US LOVE

i. WHAT THE MEANING BEHIND THE WORDS IS, LET US KEEP ON LOVING

1. THE HABIT OF THE CHRISTIAN IS TO BE LOVING

a. PRIORITIZE LOVING IN ORDER TO MAKE IT A HABIT. STRIVE TO DO LOVING THINGS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO YOU MIGHT FIND UNLOVABLE

b. PERFORM LOVING IN ORDER TO MAKE IT A HABIT. AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, LOVE IS AN ACTION. AND IN THIS CASE THE ACTION DEFINES THE ATTITUDE. WE CANNOT BE LOVING PEOPLE WITHOUT DOING LOVING THINGS

c. PICK UP ON THE LEADING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO MAKE TO MAKE LOVING (LIKE JESUS) A HABIT. AFTER ALL, WHO KNOWS BETTER THAN GOD WHAT IT TAKES TO DEVELOP HABITUAL LOVE IN OUR LIVES

WHAT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE IS THAT THE LOCAL CHURCH IS AT ITS BEST WHEN THE CHURCH IS LOVING; LOVING LIKE JESUS.

WHEN A CHURCH CHOOSES TO NOT LOVE LIKE JESUS, THE RESULTS ARE SEVERE

• WE DAMAGE THE REPUTATION AND GOODWILL OF THE CHURCH

• WE HINDER OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS THE MOST IMPORTANT GOALS OF THE CHURCH

• WE DEVELOP MEMBERS WHO ARE SELF-CENTERED INSTEAD OF LOVE-CENTERED

b. LOVING LIKE JESUS IS TIED TO OUR REDEMPTION

i. THE TEXT TELLS US THAT EVERYONE WHO HAS LOVE IS BORN OF GOD

1. LOVE IS A BY-PRODUCT OF SALVATION

a. ACTION

b. ATTITUDE

c. LOVING LIKE JESUS IS TIED TO OUR WALK WITH GOD

i. AGAIN THE TEXT TELLS US WHOEVER LOVES KNOWS GOD

ii. WE ARE ALSO TOLD THAT WHOEVER DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT KNOW GOD. LITERALLY, “NEVER GOT TO KNOW GOD”

iii. THE WORD KNOWS SPEAKS ABOUT A DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

1. WE HAVE SEVERAL KINDS OF RELATIONSHIPS