Sermon Notes - Love Is (August 2015)
by: Kenny Chumbley
God Is Love: Lesson #1 (Sermon notes – August 9, 2015) - I Cor. 12: 31 – 13: 3
- Corinth was a busy seaport city with universities and many progressive features, yet also known as the “city of love” with the temple of Aphrodite along with its priestesses (prostitutes) and homosexuality
- Paul started a church in Corinth and they were given spiritual gifts to help them grow and thrive, but although they were using these gifts, they had overlooked love which should be the main focus in their use
- I Cor. 13: 1 without love, we are like a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal
- “Love” in the English language has many meanings: we “love” fried chicken, or we might “love” snakes, and we LOVE God; so many meanings lessens our understanding of love
- 4 kinds of love in the Greek language
- Eros (not used in the Bible) – physical, sexual emotion
- Agape (I Cor 13 and I Jn 4: 7 – 11) tells us that God is Love – the highest kind of Love
- Indiscriminate – love for all; Mt 5: 45 tells us that God sends the sun and rain on all, not just good
- Giver and not taker – God’s love comes automatically; it’s not earned by us
- Not fed by emotions – God’s relationship with man is an objective one, not swayed by emotional reactions, but also connected to emotion of love
- Jesus wept over the sin in Jerusalem, the death of Lazarus, but yet loved His enemies
- Before Jesus left earth, He told His disciples to love one another as He had loved them
- I Jn 3: 1, Mt. 8: 27 – manner of love shown by Jesus
- 2 other types of love in future sermons
- I Cor. 13: 4 – 8 describes the characteristics of God’s love for us, ones that we should emulate in our lives
God Is Love: Lesson #2 (Sermon notes – August 23, 2015) - I Cor. 13: 1 – 8)
- God’s love is immeasurable and deep
- Rom. 5: 5 tells us the Holy Spirit floods our heart with love
- Not the touchy, feely kind of emotional love
- Doesn’t discriminate against anyone; God loves all men
- Not all our ideas will be in agreement in the church, but does allow for fellowship
- God is love and Christ’s life demonstrated these same characteristics of love (we are to follow in His (Christ’s) steps)
- I Cor. 13: 4 – 8 lists 16 qualities --- these are NOT commandments, but rather what we ARE to be in our lives
- Doesn’t deal with our relationship with God, but our dealings (love) for our fellow man
- Long suffering toward others (don’t retaliate for wrongs done to you)
- Rom. 12: 19 vengeance belongs to God
- Mt. 5: 3 blessed are the poor in spirit
- Kindness – partners with long suffering; Jesus displayed kindness just because (water to wine; feeding the 5,000, and restoring the ear of the soldier in the garden right before his crucifixion)
- Doesn’t envy
- Doesn’t boast about deeds done (such as the Pharisees did standing on the street corners praying)
- Isn’t proud Jesus wasn’t puffed up (as was the Pharisee in the parable of the Pharisee and publican)
- Isn’t rude or unseemly
- Doesn’t seek its own – “it’s more blessed to give than receive”
- Not easily provoked or easily angered
- Jn. 17: 22 states that the glory of God is an expression of love leading to unity of believers
God Is Love: Lesson #3 (Sermon notes – August 30, 2015) - I Cor. 13: 4 - 13)
- Love doesn’t keep a list of wrongs done to you by others.
- God knows all our sins, but yet He forgives us of all our iniquities, just as the prodigal son in Luke 15: 11 – 32.
- Characteristics of God’s love that we are to emulate in our lives:
- Rejoices in the truth (god’s truth and the realities of life), not in sinful deeds
- Bears all things, which also means to cover or protect, as in I Peter 4: 8 (love covers a multitude of sins)
- Keeps silence (protection) rather than doing harm; Jesus knew the hearts of all people, yet never singled them out individually and publicly named their sins
- Believes all things (not naïve or pessimistic), but thinks the best of everyone just as Jesus did with Peter by changing his name from Cephas to Peter (ROCK) even though Peter soon denied him 3 times. Jesus went on to say “let not your heart be troubled” as an encouragement.
- Hopes all things – God sees everything; we only see in part now, but in eternity will have all revealed
- Endures all things – patiently holding all the burdens that may come our way with our eyes on the prize
- Never fails – without love, we are nothing and our faith and hope are in vain
- Ephesians 4: 28 tells us not to steal, but goes further in that we are to work with our hands so we can give to others; go beyond the rule and demonstrate LOVE
- John 3: 16 God demonstrated His love for the world by giving His only begotten Son to die on the cross for our sins
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