“Love One Another” – 1 John 3:11-18
1 John 3:23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.
1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
1 John 4:12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
There is nothing more powerful than one person allowing the love of Christ to live through them to the point that it impacts another. Nothing will help you share the love of Jesus with your family like deciding to truly, deeply, authentically love them yourself.
I. Love Shares
1 John 3:11-13 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother’s righteous. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
Love is the “genesis” or the beginning of a life of faith.
Mark 12:29-31 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Love identifies our connection to Christ.
II. Love Substantiates
1 John 3:14-15 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.
Luke 6:32 For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.
Romans 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
When we seek to live out our love for Christ it gives evidence to the fact that He is indeed working in our lives.
III. Love Serves with
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
The prime example of Christ’s love is His sacrifice on the cross.
IV. Love Sees and
1 John 3:17-18 But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
We are to love “in deed and in truth.” The word deed in the language of the New Testament is “energeo.” It means investing energy and work in a relationship. The term “truth” implies speaking of that which is right. And when it comes to our desire to share Christ, we must invest before we invite. We must walk the walk before we talk the talk.
Here is a simple process to use in inviting your family and loved ones to church this Easter:
1. Pray – Decide who you will invite and begin to pray for them and your conversation.
2. Prepare – Think of what you’ll say and what parts of the day may relate the best to them.
3. Provide – Give them a flyer or forward the info from our social media. All the times and events are there for them.
4. Promise – Comfort them by promising to pick them up or to meet them out front by the tent. Assure them you’ll sit with them and maybe even promise to have them over for lunch!
5. Praise – Know that regardless of their response, you have faithfully done all that Christ expects. Our part is simply to be investing and inviting.