Love

Introduction:
  1. Friday was Valentine's Day, and one thing connected with Valentine's Day is candy hearts.
  2. Love is a very important thing.
    1. Between husbands and wives.
    2. Parents for children.
    3. Children for parents.
    4. Between brothers and sisters.
    5. For our fellowman.
    6. For God.
God, in His word, has commanded us to love.
  1. Love God (Matthew 22:37-38).
    1. What does it mean to love God?
      1. Not just an emotional feeling.
        1. One should emotionally love God:
        2. For He first loved us - I John 4:19.
        3. He provides for us - James 1:17.
      2. But, it must go beyond emotional love.
        1. Not just with the heart, but with...
        2. Soul.
        3. Mind
      3. We need to love God completely:
        1. Emotionally.
        2. Mentally.
        3. With all of our being and ability.
    2. Loving God in this way...
      1. Moved those in the Bible to do certain things.
        1. It moved Noah:
          1. To live a godly life in an ungodly world.
          2. To build an ark because commanded him to.
        2. It moved Abraham:
          1. To leave the land of his fathers as God commanded.
          2. To offer up his son as God told him to.
      2. Loving God should move us to do certain things.
        1. To take the gospel to the world - Mt.28:19.
        2. To teach others - II Timothy 2:2.
        3. To do good unto all men - Galatians 6:10.
        4. Worship Him - John 4:23.
        5. Not just love in word, but in deed/ truth - I John 3:18.
      3. The church desperately needs members who love God.
        1. For there are multitudes who need to hear the gospel.
        2. There are classes that need to be taught.
        3. There are people who need help.

  2. Love Neighbor (Matthew 22:39-40).
    1. On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets.
      1. If we love God...
        1. We will do all that He has commanded to do.
        2. We will refrain from all things that are sinful.
      2. If we love our neighbor...
        1. We will not do any ill to our neighbor - Rm.13:10.
        2. We will always seek his best interest.
        3. We will help any way we can..loving them as ourselves.
      3. In so doing all of the law (old or new) will be fulfilled.
        1. Matthew 22:40.
        2. Galatians 5:14.
    2. But, who is my neighbor - Luke 10:25-37?
      1. The lawyer asked this wanting to justify himself.
        1. He knew what the scriptures said (28).
        2. But, he had not lived up to it, so he possed this question to try to justify himself.
        3. Jesus told him the parable of the Good Samaritan, and then asked him...who was neighbor to this man?
        4. The man, in his answer (37), said that he needed to love "all men," and Jesus told him to go and do it.
      2. Who is our neighbor?
        1. All men!
        2. We need to love all men:
          1. Other races - John 3:16.
          2. Our enemies - Matthew 5:43-48.
          3. Fellow sinners - I Corinthians 6:9-11.

  3. Love brethren - John 13:34-35.
    1. We are to love one another.
      1. God puts great emphasis on our loving one another.
        1. John 13:34-35.
        2. Romans 12:10.
        3. I Thessalonians 3:12.
        4. Galatians 5:13.
        5. Ephesians 4:2.
        6. Colossians 1:4
      2. As a matter of fact it is commanded - John 13:34-35.
        1. It is just as much a command as any other command.
        2. And, we have been commanded to do all things whatsoever He has commanded - Matthew 28:20.
        3. We shall be judged by whether or not we have done all things whatsoever He has commanded - John 12:48.
      3. In so doing we show the world
    2. But, brethren many times do not show love for one another.
      1. The brethren in the church at Corinth were divided over who had the greatest gift (I Corinthians 12).
        1. Those with tongues thought they had the greatest gift.
        2. Those with the gift of prophecy = the greatest gift.
        3. Paul told them the greatest thing is to have love (I Cor.13).
          1. W/O love all these things are worthless (1-3).
          2. Love is essential for us to have (4-7).
          3. The greatest is love (13).
      2. Many times the church today does not show love.
        1. Brethren get mad (stay mad) over little things.
        2. Some brethren continually take little jabs at one another.
        3. Other brethren will not talk to one another, and sure wouldn't help one another.
        4. I have even heard brethren call one another names.
        5. Is that thy type of love Jesus told us to have for one another?
      3. We ought to love one another, not just because we are commanded to do so, but...
        1. Because we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
        2. Because we need one another, so we can help one another resist Satan.
        3. Because we need to encourage one another when the world abuses us.
        4. Because we have the same hope.
        5. Because we are going to spend all eternity together.
        No wonder God put such an emphasis on our loving one another.
Conclusion:
  1. There are other things we could say about love:
    1. How husbands are to love their wives.
    2. How wives are to love their husbands.
    3. How mothers (fathers) are to love their children.
  2. But, for this morning let us focus on how we need to:
    1. Love God (heart, mind, soul).
    2. Love Neighbor as ourselves.
    3. Love Brethren.
  3. And, let us not forget how much God loved us in sending His Son to die for us.