Sunday, December 22, 2024 sermon notes
There is an old campfire song that the words go like this:
Love is something is you give it away
Give it away, give it away
Love is something if you give it away
You end up having more.
It’s just like a magic penny;
Hold it tight, and you won’t have any;
Lend it, spend it, and you’ll have so many
They’ll roll all over the floor.
Love—all around us today the world is trying to define for us what love is. It is everything, they say, from loving your car to pizza, to your family and whatever else you want to label it with. As Christians, we need wisdom in this world to differentiate between what’s true and sincere and what we need to avoid.
Our faith, and how we define love, is based on the Scriptures.
2 Timothy 3:16-17: All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
1 Timothy 3: 14-15, Paul states that he is writing Timothy instructions, “Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”
I. Love Comes Down—It is what Christmas is all about.
A. The source of Love
1. I John 4:7: Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
2. I John 4:16: And so, we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.
3. Karl Barth, a 20th Century Reformed theologian, bases everything he teaches on the premise that GOD IS AS GOD ACTS.
a. We learn to know who God is, His character, by the things He does.
B. This Christmas season we celebrate the deepest love act of God—sending Jesus Christ, as the Savior of the world.
a. John 3:16-- 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.
b. In order for humankind to be reconciled to God there had to be a sacrifice for sin that satisfied the justice of God.
c. Romans 5:6-11, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”
d. I John 3:16, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
C. It is an established fact that God is love. God is the source of love by which we receive into our lives His abundance of grace and mercy.
a. Romans 5: 5, “And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”
b. In turn, the love of God that is poured into our hearts has to have an outlet.
II. Love Goes Out
a. As we receive the love God has for us into our lives, our first and primary response is to love God back.
i. The first of the commandments is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
1. John 14: 21, 23-26, Jesus is expressing that it is the Holy Spirit residing in us that helps us to follows the commands of Christ. “Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.” Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me. 25 “All this I have spoken while still with you. 26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
ii. The Holy Spirit takes the words of God and brings understanding into our lives so that we can walk in obedience to the commands of God.
iii. So, our love response is to God first, but there is a second part of it.
b. Jesus said in Matthew 22:37-39, “Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
c. But how does this walk out in our daily lives? In Matthew 5:43-46, on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes a powerful statement, ““You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?”
d. Jesus challenges us to love the unlovely, to love those who do wrong, to love period!!! Loving does not mean approving of behavior, but it is loving others through the love of God that resides in each of us.
i. This week on Tuesday and Wednesday myself and others from churches in the area were able to see love extended…not only to each other but to those of great need within our area. 76 families were served in love with food and gifts…expressing to them as they came and left to have a Merry Christmas and trusting that the love shown to them through action would speak to their hearts.
e. I John 4:16-5:5, “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus.
f. In I John 3:18 it says, “Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.”
III. Conclusion
a. The Apostle Paul provides further instruction for us in Romans 12:9-2—these are the actions of love for each of us to practice day in and day out in our lives, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[a] Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[b] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.” In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[c] 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
b. Love is a choice—it is a choice to receive the fullness of God’s love into your life and it is your choice to express that love through loving each other.
c. A Christmas Story (anonymous)
CHRISTMAS IS FOR LOVE
Author Unknown
Christmas is for love. It is for joy, for giving and sharing, for laughter, for reuniting with family and friends, for tinsel and brightly decorated packages. But mostly, Christmas is for love. I had not believed this until a small elf-like student with wide-eyed innocent eyes and soft rosy cheeks gave me a wondrous gift one Christmas.
Mark was an 11-year-old orphan who lived with his aunt, a bitter middle-aged woman greatly annoyed with the burden of caring for her dead sister's son. She never failed to remind young Mark, if it hadn't been for her generosity, he would be a vagrant, homeless waif. Still, with all the scolding and chilliness at home, he was a sweet and gentle child.
I had not noticed Mark particularly until he began staying after class each day (at the risk of arousing his aunt's anger, I later found) to help me straighten up the room. We did this quietly and comfortably, not speaking much, but enjoying the solitude of that hour of the day. When we did talk, Mark spoke mostly of his mother. Though he was quite small when she died, he remembered a kind, gentle, loving woman, who always spent much time with him.
As Christmas drew near however, Mark failed to stay after school each day. I looked forward to his coming, and when the days passed and he continued to scamper hurriedly from the room after class, I stopped him one afternoon and asked why he no longer helped me in the room. I told him how I had missed him, and his large gray eyes lit up eagerly as he replied, "Did you really miss me?"
I explained how he had been my best helper. "I was making you a surprise," he whispered confidentially. "It's for Christmas." With that, he became embarrassed and dashed from the room. He didn't stay after school any more after that.
Finally came the last school day before Christmas. Mark crept slowly into the room late that afternoon with his hands concealing something behind his back. "I have your present," he said timidly when I looked up. "I hope you like it." He held out his hands, and there lying in his small palms was a tiny wooden box.
"Its beautiful, Mark. Is there something in it?" I asked opening the top to look inside. "
"Oh you can't see what's in it," He replied, "and you can't touch it, or taste it or feel it, but mother always said it makes you feel good all the time, love makes you warm on cold nights, and safe when you're all alone."
THIS IS THE LOVE OF GOD IN CHRIST. A LOVE THAT FILLS YOUR HEART AND KEEPS YOU SAFE WHEN YOU FEEL ALONE. IT IS A LOVE THAT WHEN RIGHTLY EXPRESSED FILLS NOT ONLY YOUR HEART BUT THE HEARTS OF THOSE YOU ARE TOUCHING WITH THE LOVE OF CHRIST.
LOVE—ITS LIKE THE MAGIC PENNY, IF YOU HOLD ON TIGHTLY, IT DOESN’T GROW, BUT IF YOU GIVE IT AWAY, YOU WILL HAVE SO MANY THEY WILL ROLL ALL OVER THE FLOOR!
LOVE CAME DOWN TO YOU AND ME, AND THIS ADVENT SEASON REMINDS US OF THAT LOVE. BUT IT IS A LOVE THAT IS NOT TO BE HELD SELFISHLY, BUT ONE TO GIVE TO ALL AROUND YOU, AND AS YOU DO, YOUR HEART WILL CONTINUALLY BE FILLED WITH THE LOVE OF GOD, FOR AS YOU GIVE IT OUT, THE HOLY SPIRIT FILLS YOU RIGHT BACK UP AGAIN. THERE IS A CONTINUAL FLOW--
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