Valentine's Day 2024

INTRODUCTION: WELL, HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY SUNDAY, AS TODAY IS THE SUNDAY BEFORE VALENTINE’S DAY. OH, AND DON’T BE TOO QUICK TO RUN OFF AS WE HAVE A SPECIAL GIFT FOR YOU ALL AS A REMEMBRANCE OF SPENDING VALENTINE’S SUNDAY HERE AT BETHANY.

VALENTINE’S DAY, ALSO KNOWN AS SAINT VALENTINE’S DAY, HAS AN INTERESTING ORIGIN. IT INITIALLY BEGAN AS A CHURCH HOLIDAY ON FEBRUARY 14TH TO HONOR MARTYRS OF THE FAITH—SAINTS WHOSE NAMES WERE VALENTINE OR VALENTINUS. THE FIRST RECORDED VALENTINE’S NOTE WAS SENT BY A PRISONER NAMED VALENTINE, WHO WAS IN LOVE WITH A GIRL. THESE HEARTFELT NOTES DATE BACK TO THE MIDDLE AGES.

WHILE THE MEANING AND CELEBRATIONS OF VALENTINE’S DAY HAVE EVOLVED OVER TIME, IT REMAINS A SPECIAL DAY TO EXPRESS LOVE TO THOSE WE HOLD CLOSE.

AS WE CELEBRATE THIS DAY, LET’S REFLECT ON SOME BEAUTIFUL BIBLE VERSES THAT AFFIRM THE ESSENCE OF LOVE:

1 CORINTHIANS 13:4-8 “LOVE IS PATIENT AND KIND; LOVE DOES NOT ENVY OR BOAST; IT IS NOT ARROGANT OR RUDE. IT DOES NOT INSIST ON ITS OWN WAY; IT IS NOT IRRITABLE OR RESENTFUL; IT DOES NOT REJOICE AT WRONGDOING BUT REJOICES WITH THE TRUTH. LOVE BEARS ALL THINGS, BELIEVES ALL THINGS, HOPES ALL THINGS, ENDURES ALL THINGS. LOVE NEVER ENDS.”

1 CORINTHIANS 16:14 “LET ALL THAT YOU DO BE DONE IN LOVE.”

1 JOHN 4:8 “ANYONE WHO DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT KNOW GOD, BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE.”

1 PETER 4:8 “ABOVE ALL, KEEP LOVING ONE ANOTHER EARNESTLY, SINCE LOVE COVERS A MULTITUDE OF SINS.”

COLOSSIANS 3:14 “AND ABOVE ALL THESE PUT ON LOVE, WHICH BINDS EVERYTHING TOGETHER IN PERFECT HARMONY.”

1 CORINTHIANS 13:13 “SO NOW FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE ABIDE, THESE THREE; BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE.”

JOHN 15:13 “GREATER LOVE HAS NO ONE THAN THIS, THAT SOMEONE LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS.”

JOHN 13:34-35 “A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE TO YOU, THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER: JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, YOU ALSO ARE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER. BY THIS ALL PEOPLE WILL KNOW THAT YOU ARE MY DISCIPLES IF YOU HAVE LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER.”

GALATIANS 5:13-14 “FOR YOU WERE CALLED TO FREEDOM, BROTHERS. ONLY DO NOT USE YOUR FREEDOM AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE FLESH, BUT THROUGH LOVE SERVE ONE ANOTHER. FOR THE WHOLE LAW IS FULFILLED IN ONE WORD: ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’”

JOHN 3:16 “FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD, THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON, THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.”

1 JOHN 4:19 “WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US.”

WHETHER YOU’RE SINGLE OR IN A RELATIONSHIP, REMEMBER THAT GOD’S LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL AND INDESCRIBABLE. LET THESE SCRIPTURES ENCOURAGE YOU TO CELEBRATE LOVE, FOR VALENTINE’S DAY CAN BE CELEBRATED BECAUSE OF GOD’S GREAT LOVE. SHARE THESE VERSES WITH THOSE YOU HOLD NEAR AND DEAR!

AND OF COURSE, THERE IS OUR TEXT OF THE DAY

1 PETER 4:7–11 THE END OF ALL THINGS IS NEAR. THEREFORE, BE CLEAR MINDED AND SELF-CONTROLLED SO THAT YOU CAN PRAY. 8ABOVE ALL, LOVE EACH OTHER DEEPLY, BECAUSE LOVE COVERS OVER A MULTITUDE OF SINS. 9OFFER HOSPITALITY TO ONE ANOTHER WITHOUT GRUMBLING. 10EACH ONE SHOULD USE WHATEVER GIFT HE HAS RECEIVED TO SERVE OTHERS, FAITHFULLY ADMINISTERING GOD’S GRACE IN ITS VARIOUS FORMS. 11IF ANYONE SPEAKS, HE SHOULD DO IT AS ONE SPEAKING THE VERY WORDS OF GOD. IF ANYONE SERVES, HE SHOULD DO IT WITH THE STRENGTH GOD PROVIDES, SO THAT IN ALL THINGS GOD MAY BE PRAISED THROUGH JESUS CHRIST. TO HIM BE THE GLORY AND THE POWER FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN.

TRANSITION: SO THIS MORNING, I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT WHAT YOU CAN LEARN FROM THE BIBLE ABOUT LOVE.

I. WHAT OUR TEXT TELLS US ABOUT LOVE

a. OUR TEXT TELLS US THAT BEFORE WE CAN LOVE HORIZONTALLY, WE MUST BE ENGAGED VERTICALLY

i. WE MUST BE CLEAR-MINDED AND SELF-CONTROLLED.

ii. IT IS ONLY AFTER THIS THAT WE CAN BE LOVING TOWARDS OTHERS.

b. CLEAR-MINDED

i. HAVING A SOUND MIND

ii. THE IDEA IS THAT OUR MINDS ARE BALANCED IN OUR WALK AS A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST

iii. BALANCE IS NO MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHEN ONE IS TRYING TO LEARN TO RIDE A MOTORCYCLE.

1. BALANCE ON A MOTORCYCLE IS ACHIEVED WITH MOTION AND FOCUS

2. WHEN YOU ARE OVING FORWARD AT SUFFICIENT SPEED YOU ARE ABLE TO BALANCE ON THE CYCLE EASILY

3. BALANCE IS MAINTAINED WHEN YOU ARE LOOKING MORE TO WHERE YOU ARE GOING THAN WHERE YOU ARE.

iv. FOR THE FOLLOWER OF CHRIST, PART OF OUR LOVE FOR CHRIST IS FOUND IN OUR BALANCE WITH HIM

1. FIRST, WE ARE MOVING FORWARD. TIS COMES IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, BUT EACH WAY WE MOVE FORWARD SHOULD BRING US CLOSER TO HIM.

2. SECOND, WE NEED TO BE LOING TO WHERE WE ARE ULTIMATELY GOING, NOT WHERE WE ARE, ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS I FOUND TO LOSE MY BALANCE ON A MOTORCYCLE WAS TO LOOK DOWN AT THE TIRE. BUT THE EASIEST WAY FOR ME TO MAINTAIN MY BALANCE ON A MOVING CYCLE WAS TO LOOK FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.