It Is Not About The Cards, The Candy, Or The Gifts; It Is About Each Other;

Love Is About Each Other;

Part 2 - Sharing Love In Our Lives

INTRO: Love could well be considered one of the greatest forces in our lives. Yes I know there are many other ones, but many of them are harmful…GREED, AMBITION, HATRED, etc.

What good is something if we do not share it? If I have all the talent in the world and never use them… What does it matter? If I am filled with love, how can I not let it help others, be part of others' lives? How can we stifle love? We not only need to be filled with and full of love, we need to share it with everyone we encounter in life.

I have four questions I want to deal with today…

First, I want to just answer…
1. What good does love accomplish in our lives?

We care for others through love.

We give to others because of love.

We gain others in our lives because of love.

We grow within ourselves because of love.

Second, seeing the advantages of love, and sharing love, I want to answer.

2. How should we show or share love with others in our lives?
It will come…
Sincerely from the depths of our hearts or being-

Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation [hypocrisy]. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

It will show up…
Unselfishly, with no expectations of personal gain. -

Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

It will blast us…
Fervently, with vim and vigor. - not because it is our duty.

1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

It will be seen…
Unexpectedly, when others think not, nor deserve. -

Deuteronomy 10:19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

God's Word shows our love should be…
Brotherly, as pleasing to God.

John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

And, my third question…
3. Just how important is love?
First have no doubt about it…
It is great.

1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.

Most will not know, it…

It increases our faith. - Rituals do not help faith, love does

Galatians 5:6 For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love.

Need something from God, ask. Did you know…

It comes to us through the Spirit. - If you want to ask the Holy Spirit for something great in your life, ask for more love.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Glad we can be that…

It brings the fullness of God into our lives. -

When we have God's love in our hearts we can be filled and used by Him.

Ephesians 3:17 - 19 ¹⁷That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; ¹⁹And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Happily….

It adds unity and harmony to our lives. - this is a great blessing. It is like a catch 22 - the more love we have the more harmony we gain. The more harmony we gain, the more love we have. Bring it on!

Colossians 3:14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

In fact we must understand…

It is key to a godly life. - We cannot truly serve God effectively without love in our hearts and actions.

1 Timothy 6:6 - 12 ⁶But godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. ⁹But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. ¹⁰For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. ¹¹But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. ¹²Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

And, number four…
4. Is sharing the love that God has given you important to you?

Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 021906am