Series: The Importance of…
The Importance of Love Matters
INTRO: How important are things in your life? What do you hold as precious? Today, I want to start a series on IMPORTANCE. I want to look at things that are important. Today, is Valentine’s Day. Today I want to look at the importance of LOVE in our lies.
I missed you last Sunday…I know this will sound selfish, but I did not miss the snow that visited us last weekend.
1 Corinthians
13:1-13(NKJV) 1Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could
remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and
though I give my body £to be burned, but have not love, it profits
me nothing.
4Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does
not parade itself, is not puffed up;
5does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked,
thinks no evil;
6does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;
7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures
all things.
8Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they
will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there
is knowledge, it will vanish away.
9For we know in part and we prophesy in part.
10But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in
part will be done away.
11When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I
thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I
know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.
13And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of
these is love.
Love is truly special. It is something worth holding onto. It helps us overlook deficiencies and helps others overlook ours as well.
When we look at this scripture, we see…
It IS important – 1-3
It lasts – 4
It is kind – 4
It acts right – 4,5
It is not so touchy - 4
It cheers us on – 6, 7
It is strong - 8
It is the best - 13
First let us see how love permeates…
Proverbs 22:6(KJV) 6Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
The Man could not get back into the house
I would not want to be in a world without love.
Did you know that when we pass over “Jordan” or die and go to be with the Lord, we will be in the presence of Love?
On the other side of this, if we die and are separated from God – in hell – we will be in the absence of ALL LOVE!
Think about this.
Luke
11:11-13(KJV) 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a
father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a
fish give him a serpent?
12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your
children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit
to them that ask him?
Proverbs 27:10(KJV) 10Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
Proverbs 17:17(KJV) A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 27:17(NKJV) As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.
Ephesians
5:22-33(NKJV) 22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the
church; and He is the Savior of the body.
24Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let
the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church
and gave Himself for her,
26that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water
by the word,
27that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having
spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without
blemish.
28So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he
who loves his wife loves himself.
29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes
it, just as the Lord does the church.
30For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
31“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
32This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the
church.
33Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own
wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her
husband.
Romans 8:17(KJV) 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.
Ephesians 2:19(KJV) 19Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
1 Thessalonians 3:12(KJV) And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:
1 Peter 1:22(NKJV) 22Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart,
John 15:13(KJV) 13Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 13:1(NKJV) 1Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end.
John 15:9(KJV) As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
John 15:12(KJV) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Love brings…
Greater happiness
Better outlook in life
Improved future
Gary Marcum – New Beginnings Church – 021410am