Messes and Masterpieces: "Love in Action" 1 John 3

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Messes and Masterpieces: "Love in Action" 1 John 3:11-18 5-26-19 2 Corinthians 13:5 – “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”

2 Timothy 1:7 – “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Galatians 5:22-23 – “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

I. The hatred of the world and the ________________________________. (1 John 3:11-15)

1. The Hatred of the World John 10:10, John 8:44, Proverbs 29:10, John 15:18, Matthew 5:21-22, Revelation 21:8

2. The Love of the Church

II. Christ’s actions enable our ________________________________.

(1 John 3:16-18)

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 – “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”

“The true test of a Christian’s love is not his words (loving with ‘words’ or ‘tongue’) but his willingness to sacrifice for the sake of his brother…to love ‘with actions and truth’” (David Walls and Max Anders)

1 John 4:19 – “We love because he first loved us.”

Loving Others with God’s Love: 1. Pray. 2. Pay Attention. 3. Proclaim the Gospel. 4. Provide for those who are where you cannot be. 5. Publish the needs to others.

Deuteronomy 15:7-8 – “If among you, one of your brothers should become poor, in any of your towns within your land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart or shut your hand against your poor brother, but you shall open your hand to him and lend him sufficient for his need, whatever it may be.”

James 2:15-17 – “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

Faith Sheet May Memory Verse: 1 Peter 2:9 – “You are…a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Weekly Memory Verse: 1 John 3:16 – “By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.” Weekly Reading Plan: 1 John 1-3, Psalm 141, Deuteronomy 27 Messes and Masterpieces: "Love in Action” Going Deeper This Week 1. How would you define love? How do the people you love know that you love them? How do words, feelings and actions all contribute to the expression of love? 2. What are some changes God has made in you since you have become a Christian? 3. Read 1 John 1:7, 2:5, 3:14, 4:13 and 5:2 and discuss these passages about “knowing” you are born again. Do you see these in your life? 4. Read Galatians 5:19-23. How have you seen the Spirit’s fruit of love worked out in your life? 5. What are some things that might prevent you from showing God’s love to others? 6. What are some ways you can act in love for the benefit of your community? Pray for our community.