The Fruit of the Spirit: LoveJohn 3:16-17

Galatians 522 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23

gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Love is a most common wordMost misused

It has broad meaningsWe love ice cream

We’d love to do somethingWe fall in love

Love or lust

Love is mostly misunderstoodMost of us think we know

exactly what it meansLeast practiced

The Bibles says…God loved

That love is unconditional and we can accept or reject it

Notice the order of events: God loved

If someone believesThey have eternal life

John 316 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

In the Old and New Testament it is love and not the law that serves as

a guiding principle of our faithIt is that love which motives us to

faithfulness

Mark 1228 One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

What we are describing is a deep love that seeks to brings us into

God’s fold and protectionWe are to love God deeply

A sincere appreciationA high regard

John 1334 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

We are told to love each other In the same way God loves us

How we care for one another reveals to some degree reveals who’s we are

If… you love

This is important!Our love, indifference or hatred…

Reveals our soulOur motivation

God’s love reveals his motivation

God loves us so much he does not want us to perish

To perish:Destroyed, ruined, face wrath

God does not want our lives to be wasted

Zechariah 816 These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other, and render true and sound judgment in your courts; 17 do not plot evil against your neighbor, and do not love to swear falsely. I hate all this,” declares the Lord.

The Lord wants us to love and do good

It is God’s essenceGod does not want us to plot

and distort and destroy

Hebrews 1024 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Instead of distorting and destroying…

we are to more toward love and good deeds

We are to worship togetherWe are to encourage one anotherWe are to love and be patient with

each other

Gangs are a family of sortsGangs rule by violence

Disrespect is met by deadly forceBut it is all done in the name of caring for each other and protecting territory

That “family” destroys each other

We are called to be differentOur family is not about competing

for powerWe are about protecting, serving

each other, caring and lovingThese are the things that show us and our community that we are

indeed God’s children