He First Loved Us
Fireproof Your Relationships 2
1 John 4:7-19
We are learning these days How to Fireproof Our Relationships. Throughout this series, I am going to give you practical tools and suggestions on how to be a better husband, wife, neighbor, and friend. But for this message, I want to point you to the source of good relational behavior.
"You cannot give what you do not have." BESIDES NEEDING TO GIVE LOVE, ALL OF US NEED TO BE LOVED. We’ve got to receive love before we can give it.
Principle # 1: When People Have Profound Experiences, They Want to Share Them.
When something good happens, you just wanted to share it with everyone.
John says, "Since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another" (1 John 4:12).
Principle # 2: An Encounter with God’s Love Is a Profound Experience.
When you experience God’s love, you naturally want to share that love with the people you love.
When you experience something profound, you naturally want to share it.
Principle # 3: Those Who Live Close to God Find That Their Love for Others Is Always Increasing.
John says, "God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in god, and god in him. In this way, love is made complete among us" (1 John 4:16-17).
When you get close to God, you will find yourself becoming more loving, and that’s the key to all relationships.
You get close to God when you hang out with Him, just like you’d hang out with any other friend.
If you want to get close to God, you have to receive Him into your life.
In the book of Revelation, Jesus says, "HERE I AM! I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK. IF ANYONE HEARS MY VOICE AND OPENS THE DOOR, I WILL COME IN AND EAT WITH HIM, AND HE WITH ME." – REVELATION 3:20
Once you’ve gotten close to God by opening the door of your life to Him, the key is to stay close.
Principle # 4: LOVE ELIMINATES FEAR.
"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment" (1 JOHN 4:18).
The Apostle Paul says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31).
The author of Hebrews says, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can human beings do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6, TNIV)
Principle #5…WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US.
We cannot give what we do not have, but once we have received love from God, if we stay close to Him, we just get better and better at loving people.
Illustration:
Love Dare Challenges:
The first is, receive God’s love if you’ve never done so before.
HUSBANDS: Every day this week, ask the Lord to show you one way to love your wife, and then do it.
WIVES: Every day this week, ask the lord to show you one way to love your husband, and then do it.
SINGLES: Make a list of 6 family members, friends or co-workers and assign a day to each of them. Then, every day this week, ask the lord to show you one way to love the person of the day, then do it.