When Will Love Become Contagious In Our Lives?
INTRO: Love do we have enough? Is it the right kind of love?
John 15:9 - 17 9As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.11
These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.12
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.13
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.14
Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.15
Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.17
These things I command you, that ye love one another.When…
Love is exalted above our own causes
Love will help us to seek other's needs before our own
1 Samuel 20:30 - 34 30Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother’s nakedness?
31
For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die.32
And Jonathan answered Saul his father, and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain? what hath he done?33
And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David.34
So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and did eat no meat the second day of the month: for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.Love will even cause us to make great sacrifices
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Love will cause obedient behavior
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Love will bring to life the golden rule
Matthew 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Love will accomplish great things
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. - NKJV
When…
Love is enhanced in our daily walk
We will love honestly
Romans 12:9 Let love be without dissimulation [hypocrisy]. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
We will pray for those we love
John 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
We will love greatly even without great cause
1 Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
We will love with purity and passion
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:
And when…
Love is exampled by God and Christ
His love should cause our love to bubble out onto others
John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
His love was lasting and unchangeable, as should be our love for others
John 13:1 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.
His love should be compelling towards us and ours to others
2 Corinthians 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
He loved us though we far form loveable - ditto towards others
Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Ephesians 2:4 - 5 4But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
5
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)We should walk with a Christlike love for others to see and know
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
So, I thought, "What is a Christlike love?
Sacrificial or giving
Protective or safeguarding
Honest or pure
Enduring or lasting
Complete or best
Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 012107pm