“Undergoing Construction: Growing In Love pt. 2”
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 10/20/24 (2nd Sunday Message)
hashtags:
#guidinglight #pastorjim #Faith #heart
#believer #surrender
#love #showinglove #loveofGod #loveofChrist #repentance #serving #forgiveness #Godworks #savedtoserve #overflow #protector #Expectation #worry #Favor #deliverance #listeningears #Godspeaks #blessings #servingGod #heartafterGod #treasure #complaining #God’speace
{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
We spoke last week on what things were like during the time of Noah.
The Lord saw there was one thing going in the earth… wickedness.
evil.
The Lord was grieved that he made man.
Not just because there was evil… but it was ALWAYS evil.his heart was EVIL all the time. No longer any more Godliness.
The Lord could no longer see any more good in his people. He could no longer see any more of his image in his people. What was God’s image?
Love
Why? God is love.
1 John 4:8 (not for screen)
8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. We are still undergoing construction.
We have talked about the blueprint of what love looks like.
How the Lord has loved us.
During our best times…he loves us. During our worst times…he loves us.
1 John 4:9-12
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. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
Since God has loved us.
We should love one another.
Message Title:
“Undergoing Construction: Growing In Love pt. 2”
What happened in the time of Noah…
there was a LACK of people who truly loved the Lord.
People loved themselves. Only evil all the time.
There are many comparisons to today.
Today there is generally a lack of love.
There are MANY examples of evil in the world.
People aren’t showing love.
People are treating each other any kinda way. People will treat you a certain way depending on:
what you wear.
where you went to school. the teams you support. how old you are.
if you are a male or female. who you’re voting for.
what you believe in.
We’re Living In A Selfish World Where People Wear Their Feelings On Their Shoulders
If you disagree with me…
we have to be enemies.
The Lord never intended it to be this way. And he has a message for his people.
Matthew 5:13-14
“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.
You are the salt of the earth. The Lord has a purpose for us.
He had a design for us! Out of all the earth.
We Were Created To Be Salt!
We are the thing that adds flavor to the world.
And what God has placed in you flavors the world.
Salt is said to be the single most important ingredient in cooking. Salt has a greater impact on flavor than anything else.
There are many things cooks may use in food prep.
But many will also just use simple salt and pepper. But at LEAST salt or the food would be bland.
Salt also preserves.
It keeps food from spoiling. You can pack salt on certain foods..
and it will prevent bacteria.
It can help prevent the decay process. Salt is used for MANY things.
If WE are called salt.
it’s for a reason!
We are supposed to be the SALT of the world!
The bible also says we are the “light” of the world.
We have to be doing more… More of what?
John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
“Love” one another…
…by this all men will know that you are my disciples…
…if you “love” one another. Stated 4 times in those 2 verses. This shows the importance of love.
Loving One Another Shows The World We Follow God!
Or at least it should.
There are multiple examples of the world “out loving” us. We’re supposed to be showing love.
Yet we don’t.
Do We Have A Problem Loving One Another?
We ALL can be better at it.
As believers we ALL can be better. We’re the salt of the earth.
But we don’t know how to love one another.
And THAT is a major problem.
We Can’t Begin To Love The World Until We Can Show Love To One Another!
Ever heard “Christians” are some of the most judgmental people? Ever heard the “Church” has worse people than the world does?
This means that some of us come to church regularly… but MISS the whole point.
You could be in this church… in other churches…
you could be acting like “God’s chosen” on social media. they know scriptures for everything!
but refuse to be patient with others! refuse to be kind.
refuse to help.
What does the bible say?
1 John 4:19-21
We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
The bible says people who can’t show love…
…don’t follow God.
And if you SAY you love God… but hate one another…
you are lying! That brings the question…
Do We Really Hate People?
Hate is a strong word.
it’s extreme.
It implies almost rage.
people kill one another over hatred. It implies the thought of them changes your mood.
Many of us look at the word hate and say “we don’t hate anyone!” but then you can see other translations of “hate."
Another way this is translated… is “love less.”
You might not “hate” someone…
but you might love them a little bit less.
Let’s add the translation to the original scripture just because.
1 John 4:20 (a) {insert}
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet “loves his brother less”, he is a liar.
Less than what?
Less than who?
When we say “love less,”
That means less than something.
It presents a condition that isn’t being met.
What’s The Standard For Love?
We already read the standard.
John 13:34-35
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Just like before
Jesus said we must love one another… AS I HAVE LOVED YOU
We Are Supposed To Love Others Just Like Christ Loved Us!
Now we have an example.
We talked all last week about God’s love for us. And now we see that we’re supposed to do THAT!?
For THOSE folks?
The people who might have wronged us.
The people who play in our face… and laugh behind our backs.
The people who get on our nerves EVERY Sunday and EVERY Wednesday.
That’s what we’re supposed to do??
Sometimes You Have To Forgive Before You Can Love Like God Wants!
Some of us have to do this… Because it’s the standard!
God demonstrates the GOD way!
And he did it for US!
Romans 5:8
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God didn’t just “do it.”
He DEMONSTRATED!
This is what YOU should be doing!
Many of us wronged God just this morning! and he STILL died for us!
he didn’t give us conditions on his love.
Yet we do it to each other!
If it’s time, money, kindness or encouragement, we should give sacrifices to one another also!
God Didn’t Forgive Us For Us To Not Show Love To His People!
We are supposed to be unified showing love to the WORLD! But we’re stuck trying to fully love one another!
We can’t salt the world…
cause we aren’t ready for that yet!
Matthew 5:13 (MSG)
“Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You’ve lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.
We are to love like the example God gave.
In Conclusion:
Jesus said that we show ourselves as HIS disciple… based on if we love one another.
Why?
because God IS Love!
There is no true love without God. There is ONLY true love with him.
When we show love…
we show he lives in us.
When we can’t…
we show we aren’t his disciples.
because it implies “God can’t do it in us” and we’ve lost our saltiness.
How can we love the world…
when we can’t love one another?
1 John 4:20
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.
Anyone who says they love God and hates their brother… you don’t know God.
and if you can’t love to the standard Christ said… you aren’t his disciple.
This means MANY of us have to grow in our love. not JUST for God.
but for one another.
Don’t lie to others…
don’t lie to YOURSELF! God won’t be mocked…
You Can’t Say You Love God And Not Love His People!
if WE would spend more time loving one another… the world would be different.
What is love?
1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Make a decision today to not let someone else be the reason we don’t have God in us!
