Why Love

Why Love

1cor 13

John 15:12-17

John 3:16-21

John 21:15-19

1 John 4:7-21

Matthew 5:43-48

Romans 5:6-11

Today’s subject has the greatest potential for Joy in our lives and the greatest potential for pain. Way back in June, I had a sermon on “The Nature of Love” from 1 Corinthians 13. I talked about how the Greeks had 3 words for love, Phileo, Eros, and Agape. These words are often intertwined to the point where we have all three going on at the same time. Ideally in marriage all three are present.

Our world is also confused to where one necessitates the other, I feel warm fuzzy connections with you (Phileo) so I must have sex with you, (Eros). And on the other hand, some want to experience sex, (Eros) without any emotions (Phileo) or responsibility, (agape).

Remember this song?

Oh well, I'm the type of guy who will never settle down
Where pretty girls are, well you know that I'm around
I kissed 'em and I loved 'em everywhere I went
I hugged 'em and I squeezed 'em Then I ran for president.

 

Oh well, there's Flo on my left and then there's Mary on my right
And Janie is the girl well that I’ll be with tonight
And when she asks me, which one I love the best?
I tear open my shirt and I show "Rosie" on my chest

 

How messed up are people in our world? There are people who say I love you so much that I have to shoot you and a school full of children because you don’t love me back.

Because of the Pain it can cause emotionally some people choose to not love at all. To isolate themselves to avoid the hurt and pain that came come with love.

Oh yeah, I’m the type of guy that likes to roam around
I’m never in one place, I roam from town to town
And when I find myself a-fallin' for some girl
Yeah, I hop right into that car of mine and drive around the world

So, with the potential for so much harm; Why Love. Why not stay isolated.

I could just say because God says you must, as we saw in our scripture today. But why would God demand this of us?

1.      Genesis 2:18 “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make a helper fit for him.”

a.      God designed us physically and emotionally to be together.

b.      If we do not have love in our life we are incomplete, something less than whole.

2.      1 John 4:7-21 “God is love” “for He who does not love his brother or sister who he can see, cannot love God who he does not see.” Anyone that does not love does not know God.”

a.      Love is such a part of God that we can never know God unless we open up to love.

b.      We can not understand God unless we have love in our life.

3.      John 3:16 “for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son”

a.      God knew the price was worth it, and paid it for us.

b.      John 15:12&13 God chose to experience it.

 

Romans 5:8 “God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

To be all you can be, choose to love.

To experience God’s presence, choose to love.

To experience the greatest joy in life, choose to love.

To know God in His fullness, choose to love as He did.

Therefore, even though I am not good at it, and even though it hurts, I will choose to love.

Know God! Choose to love