The Church: The Conduit of God's Love

June 14,2020 Matthew 22:34-40

Ecclesia: a called out assembly

#God is love. Love is not what God does. Love is Who God is.

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.1 John 4:16

One cannot truly know love without first knowing God.

#We were called out of an old way of loving. The world’s love is performance-based.

For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.Luke 6:32-33

The world’s love is emotion-based.

The world’s love is convenience-based.

#We are called into a new way of loving. God’s love is unconditional.

For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:38-39

God’s love requires action.

God’s love is inconvenient.

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.1 Corinthians 13:4-7

#All love flows from the heart of God. We must love God first to truly see His heart.

No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.1 John 4:12-13

Once we experience the love of God, we can love others appropriately.

#If we love God, we will love our neighbor as we love ourselves. The standard of our love for others is how much we love ourselves.

For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:Ephesians 5:29

Love is always others-focused.

This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.John 15:12-13

Love for God and hatred for our fellow man cannot coexist.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?1 John 4:20

#Love for mankind was displayed at the cross.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.1 John 4:10

Love does not allow me to exclude those that are not lovely.

Love does not allow me to exclude those that behave inappropriately.

Love does not allow me to exclude those that are different from me.

Love does not allow me to exclude those that believe differently than me.

If people will know God’s love, it will be because we showed it to them.

You can disagree with people and still treat them with love, kindness, and respect.

We fulfill the Great Commission by fulfilling the Greatest Commandment.