BIBLICAL LOVE

Do you love your wife the same way you used to love your girlfriend?

Do you love your children the same way you love your wife? How about loving strangers?

Do you love people the same way you love hamburgers?

To be a successful lover, you need to find out what God’s love is & then duplicate that!

I. What is Love?

A. What is the present world’s concept of love? I. What is Love?

B. What is the ancient world’s concept of love? I. What is Love?

B. What is the ancient world’s concept of love? 1. What was the basic idea of the original words? Give of yourself to satisfy someone else’ need! I. What is Love?

B. What is the ancient world’s concept of love? 2. Arao ( ἐ ράω = Give of yourself to get satisfaction in return! 2. Arao ( ἐ ράω) = Give of yourself to get satisfaction in return! I. What is Love?

B. What is the ancient world’s concept of love? 3. Stergo ( στέργω) = Give of yourself to your marriage partner out of duty! I. What is Love?

B. What is the ancient world’s concept of love? 4. Phileo ( φιλέω) = Give of yourself because of a relationship you have chosen! I. What is Love?

B. What is the ancient world’s concept of love? 5. Agapao ( ἀ γαπάω) = Give of yourself simply because the need is there! I. What is Love?

C. God’s love for you is ἀ γαπάω C. God’s love for you is ἀ γαπάω ! I. What is Love?

II. How is This Love Expressed?

I Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. II. How is This Love Expressed?

A. Love is expressed through patience - v4 II. How is This Love Expressed?

A. Love is expressed through patience. 1. Patience = slow to express your temper. II. How is This Love Expressed?

A. Love is expressed through patience. Ephesians 6: In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. II. How is This Love Expressed?

B. Love is expressed through kindness - v4 II. How is This Love Expressed?

B. Love is expressed through kindness. 1. Kindness = serviceable. Matthew 5:41 - If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. II. How is This Love Expressed?

B. Love is expressed through kindness. 2. Be zealous for your faith - but be balanced with love! (John 8:1-11) II. How is This Love Expressed?

C. Love is expressed through not being jealous. - v4 II. How is This Love Expressed?

D. Love is expressed through not bragging. - v4 II. How is This Love Expressed?

D. Love is expressed through not bragging – v4 1. What do you think about your own abilities & achievements? Romans 12:3 - For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. II. How is This Love Expressed?

D. Love is expressed through not bragging. 2. What does your prayer need to be? “Lord, help me to look at myself realistically!” II. How is This Love Expressed?

E. Love is expressed through not insisting on your own rights - v5. II. How is This Love Expressed?

E. Love is expressed through not insisting on your own rights. 1. Grace = showing favor to others - not being selfish. II. How is This Love Expressed?

E. Love is expressed through not insisting on your own rights. 2. I am responsible for what others think of my faith! II. How is This Love Expressed?

2. I am responsible for what others think of my faith! Romans 14:15 - If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. II. How is This Love Expressed?

2. I am responsible for what others think of my faith! Romans 14:15 - If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Romans 15:1 - We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves Romans 15:1 - We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. II. How is This Love Expressed?

2. I am responsible for what others think of my faith! Romans 14:15 - If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Romans 15:1 - We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves Romans 15:1 - We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Romans 14:21 - It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. II. How is This Love Expressed?

F. Love is expressed through not being easily angered - v5 II. How is This Love Expressed?

F. Love is expressed through not being easily angered - v5 Do you have a quick temper? II. How is This Love Expressed?

F. Love is expressed through not being easily angered - v5 Do you have a quick temper? James 1:19 - My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. II. How is This Love Expressed?

G. Love is expressed by rejoicing when truth is proclaimed - v6 II. How is This Love Expressed?

H. Love is expressed by believing in, hoping in & enduring the cares & burdens of others - v7 II. How is This Love Expressed?

Husbands - love your wives. Parents - love your children. Families - love strangers. Love in actions!