Lovedocument
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God calls the church to belong (connect with God and each other), grow (pursue discipleship), serve (be like Jesus), and share (spread the gospel). The document discusses belonging in depth, defining love as God's love for humanity. God's love is perfect, powerful, permanent and a gift demonstrated through Jesus. The church is called to show this same selfless, sacrificial love to others.
Lovedocument
- 1. Our Identity God calls the church to do four things: BELONG (connect to God and to each other as the church), GROW (pursue discipleship), SERVE (to be the hands and feet of Jesus), and to SHARE (fulfilling the great commission of bringing the gospel to the world). B.E.L.O.N.G. (Connecting to God and to each other as the church) L (Love others the way God loves us) KEY VERSE: 1 John 3:1 How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And this is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know God. 1 John 3:1 The love God is 1. Pure 2. Perfect 3. Persistent 4. Powerful 5. Permanent Everything God does is done in love. The first place anyone must begin is belief that the scriptures are inspired (God-breathed) and serve the purpose of preparing us for our purpose. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-‐edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 I. Defining Love A. God is love God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16 B. Paul’s Description of love in action. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-‐seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
- 2. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together (1 Corinthians 13:3-7). And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). II. The Love of God is: A. Lavished Upon Us How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him (1 John 3:1). B. Poured Out upon us And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us (Romans 5:5). C. Deep so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ (Ephesians 3:17-18). D. A Gift “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). E. Sacrificial But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). F. Amazing However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
- 3. G. Purposeful And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28). H. Conquering and Permanent No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:37-39). III. The Priority of love: A. Fulfills the law The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:9-10). B. Greatest Command Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38) C. Builds Up We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (1 Corinthians 8:1). The context is that the church is arguing over the issue of food offered to idols. Their arguments over the issue are causing division and hurt. Paul’s point is the use of knowledge without love leads to arrogance and division. Love is the key ingredient in resolving disputes. D. Faith expressed in love For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (Galatians 5:6). Again, a key dividing issue among Christians in the first century church was whether or not a Gentile (non-‐Jew) had to be
- 4. circumcised in order to be a Christian. Paul’s points to faith that must be expressed in love. IV. Love others the way God loves us by A. I am to love my neighbor The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law (Romans 13:9-10). B. I am to love my enemies But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked (Luke 6:35) C. I am to increase and abound in love May the Lord make your love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else, just as ours does for you (1 Thessalonians 3:12) And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight (Philippians 1:9). D. I am to speak the truth in love Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ (Ephesians 4:15) E. I am compelled by the love of Christ If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again (2 Corinthians 5:13-15) F. I am to bear with others in love Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2). G. I am to love deeply
- 5. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8) H. I am to walk in love And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love (2 John 1:6)