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Love is Central in Christianity 

1. Introduction – Family

• Help Moving, Cleaning out Shed, Food, Driving around town for Rental Return
• Thanksgiving
• 1 hr. 30 min sermon – Lost hour due to Daylight Savings Time.

2. Discussion

1. John 3:16 – God’s gift to man
1. Football games
2. Disasters

2. I John 3:16 – Man’s Response
1. Often we forget this verse
2. Salvation has expectations

• Salvation is a gift of God – it is free.
• Free Car – Ask Attributes – Expectation is use or waste.  We can waste Salvation.

3. Love is the essence of God

1. Without love it is impossible to know God. – I John 4:8
2. Without love we really cannot see Him – Dirty Glasses
3. Without love we cannot please him – Nothing more than robots, made us to be in his image

4. Love means expression

What are Faith, Works, and Giving without Love?  Nothing!

1. Love climaxes (reaches its highest point) in giving.

• First day on Job preacher talks about giving
• Elders are saying keep going!

1. Giving is the supreme evidence of the love of God.

• Speaking of giving of ourselves
• John 13:35

2. Very Human to focus on duties and ceremonies

• These can be done without self-surrender
• There is no substitute for Love

Love must be expressed via I John 3:16 – “lay down our lives” 

2. Two Verses Regarding Our Expression of Love for one another
1. I John 4:7-12 – God’s love is perfected in us
2. Rom. 9:1-3- Paul’s self-sacrificing love

5. Do Not Become Distracted

1. Matt. 22:36-40 – Greatest commandment given to man – Love!
1. Real Love is obeying the will of God…. Jn. 14:15.. However…

• We can keep many commandments and not please God.

2. A Great threat to our Souls is to become distracted and neglect love
1. Matt. 23:23 – Scribes and Pharisees Rebuked!
2. Love was pushed from the center of their life for God.
3. Rom. 12:1 Tells us to make our bodies a “living sacrifice”

• A “Loving Sacrifice”

6. Substitutions for Love

1. Keeping certain commands, but without love for fellow Christians
1. Attendance – Attend for self, rather than brothers and sisters.

Ex. Love for your Job… McDonald’s employee…

2. Teens attend and encourage and bring others!  Don’t just come to please folks.

2. Holding Scripturally correct views, but not following them.
1. Setting our minds on what is pure and holy

Ex. Knowing a television promotes sinful behavior, watching anyway.

2. Jam 4:17 - To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

3. Giving non-sacrificially
1. Average worshipper gives between 3 and 4 % of income.

• More could be given, but don’t want to do so.
• Giving?  “Bah, humbug!  Are there not enough prisons for the poor?  Let them go there or die and decrease the surplus population!”

4. Giving Money to Ease Conscience
1. Money is often easier to give than time and personal attention

• Don’t want to go to senior center – Uncomfortable
• Don’t have time to be a class teacher

5. Resolving to do good instead of doing it

1. This isn’t good when it comes to diets, nor is good when it comes to serving God.
2. Acts 20:35 -  Action is better than Resolution.

6. Justifying ourselves based on others actions

1. “I do just as much as anyone else around here”
2. Parable of the pounds (Luke 19)– Entrusted according to our abilities, not others.
3. We will not be awarded for achieving mediocrity.  Our actions must come from heart.

7. Doing Good works

1. Love for God is not a numbers game.  “I do more than anyone”

• I visit, I give 20%, I teach, I clean, I paint, I, I, I…
• This is pride speaking, not love.

8. Loving in Word and Not Deed

1. I John 4:19-20
2. Mark 7:11-13

7. Closing

1. Love is Central to Christianity

1. Demands response
2. Expression of our hearts
3. Love is God’s perfection in us.
4. There are no substitutes for love.

2. Gen. 3:1-5 – Even had it wrong

1. To truly become like God, we must love.
2. John 14:20-21

What about you today?  Do you know Love?  True Love?  Godly Love?

Without True Love, we will be Truly Lost.