Jesus prepares His disciples for His departure by giving them a new command to love one another, promising to return for His people, and declaring that He is the way, the truth, and the life. Our love for one another should set us apart and show the world that we belong to Jesus. We can live with hope and confidence, knowing that Jesus will return for His Church. Because Jesus is the only way to the Father, we can trust Him completely for our salvation and eternal future.
This sermon’s focus is on what is called the “Theology of Place”. God has placed each of us in this time in history exactly where he has placed us for a reason and we need to be reaching out to those that God has placed around us. (Acts 17:24-27)
The 2nd week in this year’s Advent Messages we look at the gift of Love and how transformative love requires knowing god personally, is counter-cultural, unites the Body of Christ and changes the World.
(1 John 4:7-12)
The next 7 messages from Revelation will cover the 7 churches individually. Up first is the Church of Ephesus. They received compliments and had 3 good things going for them; they worked hard, refused to give up and didn’t tolerate false teachers, but Ephesus also received a criticism related to rekindling their love for one another, and Ephesus received a caution, namely repent!
This passage (familiar to most) describes and encourages living in a Kingdomly way that impacts every area of our life.
As we continue with Part 2 in 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 we specifically focus on verses 11-12. Paul is helpful here in affirming that love is observable. While it is good for us to declare we love the body God has given us, we must also demonstrate we do as is detailed in verse 11. Paul goes on to share in verse 12 that such demonstrable love makes a difference both externally (to outsiders) and internally (us who are already a part of the family).
In Part 1 of this sermon on 1 Thess. 4:9-12. The call to love one another within the body of Christ is the central. From this text we will look at the details Paul relays about this all-important love we must show our brothers and sisters. Paul is adamant that such love is neither optional nor individually defined. Instead, Paul makes these things clear about love.
It is not all that uncommon for Paul to break out into prayer in his letters and/or to mention what he has been praying and continues to pray for these Jesus-followers he loves so dearly. Here he does just that. As a result, we can learn a thing or two from his prayer.
Often, when we think of the biblical theme of “love” we run first to God’s love for us. That is good and right. Then perhaps we will mention our love for Him, which is also good and right. However, by His design, biblical love isn’t just defined as “His love for us” and “our love for Him.” It also includes our love for one another or, to put it another way, the church. Paul loved these people (the church at Thessalonica). Through the things Paul conveys here, it is clear that this love was not abstract but quite concrete.