We Love Because 1 John 4:19-21 Adapted from a Steve Shepherd sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/we-love-because-steve-shepherd-sermon-on-christian-love-148977.asp

1. We Love Because 1 John 4:19-21 Adapted from a Steve Shepherd sermon http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/we-love-because-steve-shepherd-sermon-on-christian-love-148977.asp

2. 1 John 4:19 NET We love because he loved us first. 20If anyone says "I love God" and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21And the commandment we have from him is this: that the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian too.

3. Because, because, because. There is always a “because” about things in life. We do this or that because of something else.A bumper sticker read: I owe, I owe, so it’s off to work I go!What’s your because? Why do you do what you do? Why do you work? Why did you get married? etc.

4. I worked at the airline because that’s who I was, a pilot, I flew airplanes. Whenever you meet someone what’s going to be the first thing asked? What do you do, where do you work? Isn’t it funny how who you are seems to be defined by your work? After my plane crash my view on who I was changed. Could it be this is why God allowed it to happen so my view could be properly focused?

5. Some here have multiple personalities. It depends when you catch Dewy as to who he is. Sometimes he the President of HRI, a lot of the time a cattleman, a wielder, a farmer, church Deacon, camp Board Member. But all the time a Christian! I wonder sometimes, and I’m sure he does too, why he has all these jobs and how he can juggle all of it? Surely one or two of the jobs bring in the money to live on & perhaps to support other jobs that are his passion.

6. My Dad always said he worked as a commercial pilot to support his habit of preaching.Why did you get married? That’s the way God made you. God made most of us to need a mate so when we become attracted to the opposite sex we often get married. And, of course, hopefully we love that person or as the world says, “We fall in love with that person.” And that’s why we get married.

7. Why do you do what you do? And why did you believe what you believe? And why do you love people like you do? In our text, John addresses the question: why do you love others? And then answers the question for us. 1- We love because of Him - motivation 2- We love because of His love - demonstration3- We love because of His first love - inauguration

8. WE LOVE BECAUSE OF HIM - MOTIVATION 19We love because he loved us first.Motivation. God is our greatest motivation or motivator.Columbus’ Goal: God Not Gold: August J. Kling, a specialist on Columbus, said: “Columbus’ use of the Bible is one of the best documented facts of his remarkable career, but it is one of the least known to the general public.

9. Columbus was a careful student of the Scriptures. He spoke Latin fluently and knew enough Greek and Hebrew to exegete biblical words. All of Columbus’ sailing journals give evidence of his biblical knowledge and his devout love for Jesus Christ.”

10. There is no denying that when Christopher Columbus first set sail across the ocean blue, it was God, not gold or glory, that directed his course. In his only book, Book of Prophecies, Columbus wrote: “It was the Lord who put into my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) to sail from here to the Indies...”

11. “I am a most unworthy sinner, but I have cried to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely...The fact that the gospel must still be preached to so many lands in such a short time—this is what convinces me.”How great is this? God, not gold apparently motivated Columbus. Don’t you wish all people were as motivated? If God was our motivating force in life we’d all do better and live better.

12. Think about your life now. What is it that you do or say because God is your motivating force in life? Is there anything that you do because of Him? What about going to church? I suspect that God is your motivating force. You know Him and want to know Him better and you fully recognize that He’s the one you’re going to see on the other side. And He’s the one who makes the other side possible!

13. Hebrews 10:22 NET let us draw near with a sincere heart in the assurance that faith brings, because we have had our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed in pure water. 23 And let us hold unwaveringly to the hope that we confess, for the one who made the promise is trustworthy. There it is. There’s the motivation for drawing near to God in worship. It’s because He who made the promise is trustworthy!

14. Colossians 4:1 NET Masters, treat your slaves with justice and fairness, because you know that you also have a master in heaven. I wonder how many bosses or managers treat their employees fairly and with respect because they recognize that they too have a Master in heaven? They should and that’s pretty good motivation for doing so.

15. Hebrews 13:5 NET Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, "I will never leave you and I will never abandon you." (Deu 31:6, 8) Here is motivation for becoming more content in life and with what we have: GOD WILL NEVER LEAVE US OR FORSAKE US. In other words, He has promised to provide for us so quit worrying about gaining more.

16. HE IS OUR GAIN IN LIFE! 19We love because he loved us first.And here’s why we demonstrate love to others. Because He loved us and loves us.That’s our motivation for loving others!

17. WE LOVE BECAUSE OF HIS LOVE - DEMONSTRATION 19We love because he loved us first. 20 If anyone says "I love God" and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

18. Demonstration. We love others because of the demonstration of God’s love to others. I might be able to do something if you show me how it’s done. Proverbs 27:17 NET As iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend. Have you ever sharpened anyone to do anything good? We are either a demonstration of good or bad.

19. 1 Corinthians 11:1 NET Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ. Paul knew he was following Jesus, so he did not hesitate to tell the Corinthian Christians to imitate his walk with the Lord. He knew the Corinthian Christians needed examples, and he was willing to be such an example.

20. In doing so, Paul was simply doing what he told his young associate Timothy to do: Let no one look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in your speech, conduct, love, faithfulness, and purity. 1 Timothy 4:12 NET

21. How few today are willing to say what Paul said! Instead, because of compromise and ungodliness, we are quick to say, "Don't look at me, look at Jesus." While it is true we must all ultimately look to Jesus, every one of us should be examples to those who are looking to Jesus. (Guzik)

22. It was said Bible College professor Don DeWelt got up every morning at 4am, 7 days a week for his devotional time with the Lord. Some of his students admired Don but thought that was a bit extreme. When we get older and want to work more and play less, we might like what he did and try to do it ourselves.

23. Philippians 3:17 NET Be imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example. 2 Thessalonians 3:9 NET It was not because we do not have that right, but to give ourselves as an example for you to imitate. 10For even when we were with you, we used to give you this command: "If anyone is not willing to work, neither should he eat."

24. If you want to motivate people to work then you go to work! Mark Twain said: Few things are harder to put up with than the annoyance of a good example.

25. When Gen. George C. Marshall took command of the Infantry School at Fort Benning, GA, he found the post in a generally run-down condition. Rather than issue orders for specific improvements, he simply got out his own paint brushes, lawn equipment, etc., and went to work on his personal quarters.

26. The other officers and men, first on his block, then throughout the post, did the same thing, and Fort Benning was brightened up. It’s called leadership by example. 19We love because he loved us first.God demonstrated the greatest love this world has ever known. He demonstrated His love for us in that Christ died for us. How can we not demonstrate love to others?

27. WE LOVE BECAUSE OF HIS FIRST LOVE - INAUGURATION 19We love because he loved us first. 20If anyone says "I love God" and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar, because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21And the commandment we have from him is this: that the one who loves God should love his fellow Christian too.

28. Inauguration. This is the idea of a beginning. The inauguration or beginning of some great happening.Did you ever invent anything? Ok, then how about start something good in someone else’s life? Your kids? Your grandkids? How many of your kids or grandkids do something good that you taught them by example?

29. We all know that both of Brenda and Dewy’s kids ride motorcycles. How did that happen? Who started that? I would guess that Dewy taught them about riding. He got it started and it’s not a bad thing. Of course, I know both Brenda and Dewy started them off in church too and that’s even better.

30. The large-scale, production-line manufacturing of affordable automobiles was started by Ransom E. Olds at his Oldsmobile factory in 1902. In 1901 Olds designed the Curved Dash Oldsmobile which sold for $650.00. It was this car, rather than Henry Ford's Model T, that was the first mass-produced, low-priced American motor vehicle.

31. Although the factory was destroyed by fire that year, the company still sold over 600 models of the Curved Dash. In 1904 sales were up to 5000 units. This concept was greatly expanded by Henry Ford, beginning in 1914. As a result, Ford's cars came off the line in fifteen minute intervals, much faster than previous methods, increasing productivity eightfold (requiring 12.5 man-hours before, 1 hour 33 minutes after), while using less manpower.

32. It was so successful, paint became a bottleneck. Only Japan black would dry fast enough, forcing the company to drop the variety of colors available before 1914, until fast-drying Duco lacquer was developed in 1926. This is the source of Ford's remark, "any color as long as it's black". In 1914, an assembly line worker could buy a Model T with four months' pay.

33. Both R. E. Olds and Henry Ford had good ideas and we have some pretty good transportation today as a result of their leadership. Aren’t you glad for the automobile you drive? It may not be the ideal car but it’s pretty good compared to what we all started with! Thank you, R. E. Olds and Mr. Henry Ford for starting some good! And thank you, God, for showing us first and foremost what true love is all about!

34. 19We love because he loved us first.HE FIRST LOVED US. God demonstrated love before any human ever knew it existed. God demonstrated love in the Garden of Eden and He’s been demonstrating it ever since and during every dispensation of time.

35. And He demonstrated love to you before you probably even realized it. He did it through your parents, school teachers, Sunday School teachers, etc. But now that we know what true love is there is only one option: We must continue to show it to others! To any and all!

36. The Home of God's Love is an non-profit Christian orphanage that is located in Taiwan. Founded in 1975 by Ted and Beverly Skiles, two strong Christians that saw that God was leading them to take care of children. Their main ministry is to provide a loving Christian home for children that cannot live with their family for some reason.

37. Here is what Ted wrote in an e-mail to a college friend. “Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land.” Proverbs 25:25 Thanks for your note of encouragement. We especially appreciate your prayers. Were it not for the prayers of the faithful, I’m sure we would have given up long ago. Thank you for remembering us before the throne.

38. Right now Bev has 17 infants and we’re expecting 2 more in the next day or two. I’m glad God knows how much she and we can take! Ted and Beverly Skiles are two wonderful Christian people who have dedicated themselves to demonstrating love on foreign soil! WHAT LOVE THAT IS! I wonder where they got it? No wonder. I know where they got it.

39. We love because. Why do you love anyone? More than likely, it’s because God’s love has touched your heart through someone else. Now we have only one option: LET’S KEEP ON SPREADING IT AROUND!