40 DAYS OF LOVE SERMON SERIES:
LOVE THAT LASTS
22 March 2009
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to 1 Corinthians 13
4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8. Love never fails.
-- this morning, as we finish our series on the 40 Days of Love, our key verses are verses 7 and 8
-- notice how many times Paul uses that word "always" in these verses -- love "always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres"
-- Paul is making a point here -- "Love never fails" -- love always surrounds you -- it always lifts you up -- it always is there for you -- love will never let you down
-- but, is that true? -- do we always experience God's love in our lives in this way? -- do we always give out God's love to others in this way?
-- it's no secret to any of us that it's hard to maintain this type of love -- there are times in our lives when we just seem to run dry -- when God's love seems distant -- when God seems distant -- and when giving love to others is the farthest thing from our minds -- this happens for a couple of reasons
-- first, it's just like the seed that landed on the rocky path and in the bad soil in Jesus' parable about the sower -- if we're not careful, the cares and worries and troubles of this world and the actions of the evil one will snatch away God's word and God's love and keep it from growing in our hearts
-- and secondly, another reason why it's hard for us to maintain this type of love in our life is because we are continually giving it away -- as Christians, when we are filled with God's love, we naturally want to give it out to others -- we minister to them -- we serve them -- we love them -- we give to them -- over and over and over
-- just to give you a physical picture of what's going on -- it's kind of like we're this cup -- we start out filled with God's love to over-flowing -- and then we give a little to this person -- and a little to this person -- and a little more to this next person -- and before long, we find out that our cup is starting to run dry -- eventually, there's not enough love in our cup to sustain us, much less to give out love to others
-- and that's when we start to feel like we are distant from God -- distant from God's love -- distant from others -- it's those times in our lives when we are empty that we just can't offer up love for others, and we find ourselves getting irritable and short-tempered with those around us and selfish in all we do
-- in order to always experience God's love in our lives -- in order to experience this overwhelming and all-encompassing and protecting love and give it out to others -- we have to stay connected -- we have to continually go to the source of love in order to be refilled and renewed and refreshed so that love is constantly flowing in our life like a river of living water
-- the question, then, is how do we do that? -- How do we stay filled with God's love? -- How do we keep our cups filled to overflowing so that our love lasts -- so that we can continue to love others as God loves us?
-- the answer to these questions is not some great big secret -- it's written down right there in the Bible for all to see -- and it's demonstrated through Jesus' example to us
-- basically, in order to maintain a loving heart -- in order to have a love that lasts -- both for us and for others -- we have to develop healthy habits in three areas of our lives -- our bodies -- our minds -- and our spirits
-- so, this morning, if you would, turn over to Deuteronomy 6 with me and let's start looking at this concept of being renewed, revived, and refreshed in God's love by developing healthy habits in these three areas
II. Developing Healthy Heart Habits
-- verse 1
1. These are the commands, decrees and laws the LORD your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess,
2. so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the LORD your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life.
3. Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, promised you.
-- a lot of people have a misconception about Christianity and about Jesus -- they tend to think of Jesus as nothing more than a fire escape -- a plan that you have to get out safely at the end -- they think that church is just about what you're going to do when you die
-- that's the way a lot of people approach church -- that's the way a lot of people approach Jesus -- that's the way a lot of people approach evangelism -- we like to ask the question, "If you were to die today, would you go to heaven or hell?" -- but that's not the real issue -- that's not why Jesus came
-- as He tells us in John 10:10, "I came that you might have life and have it abundantly" -- and we see the same thing here -- God's love for us is not just about heaven and hell -- it's not just about getting ready to die -- God's love has to do with living
-- it says right here that we should follow God's path -- we should follow His commands and His decrees and His laws so that we might enjoy life with Him and with those around us -- not just that we might live -- but that we might "enjoy" life
-- it is only by following God -- by staying filled with His love -- by constantly giving out His love to others -- that we live life to its fullest -- that we live a long and abundant life
-- so, how do we do this?
-- verse 4
4. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.
5. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
-- as I said earlier, there are three areas that we have to consider in our lives -- that we have to maintain in our lives -- if we are to remain connected and filled to overflowing with God's love
-- Verse 5 tells us that we are to love God with all our strength -- that's physical strength -- that's our body
-- we are to love God with all our heart -- that's our emotions -- as some translations put it, that's our mind
-- and, finally, we are to love God with all our soul -- that's our spirit
-- body, mind, and spirit -- these are the three connections that we must maintain in order to keep God's love fresh and flowing in our lives -- let's look at these separately as we consider how to maintain a loving heart
1. We need to develop habits that refresh us physically -- that keep our bodies fit and functioning -- it's no secret that when we are sick or run-down or physically tired, we just don't feel like loving others in the same way we do when we are in top condition
-- when I first started in the ministry, Kim and Brooke couldn't understand why I always took a nap on Sunday afternoon -- but after spending time preparing sermons and Bible studies and preaching at two services every Sunday, I get physically drained -- I need to refresh my body -- I need to renew my strength
-- and I've found that for me, one of the best ways to do this is to get more rest -- I'm just like all of you -- we're just constantly on the run -- grabbing a meal when we can and not making an effort to take care of our bodies -- and even though I sometimes feel guilty about doing it, I have found if I just stop and rest and take a short nap, I wake up refreshed and renewed
-- along those same lines, I've found that my body works best when I eat healthy meals -- when I eat a balanced diet -- when I get regular exercise -- when I have those three things working in my life -- rest and diet and exercise -- I find my strength is greater and that I am more able to do things with God and for others
-- 1 Corinthians 6:20 says to "honor God with your body" -- Psalm 127:2 says it is vain to rise early and stay up late and to spend all your time toiling for food -- it says that God causes those He loves to sleep
-- the first thing we need to do to maintain a loving heart is to take care of our bodies and develop habits that refresh us physically
2. We need to develop habits that recharge us emotionally -- that keep our minds and our hearts fit and functioning -- living in this world today takes a toll on our emotional health -- and as we give more and more of ourselves to others, we need to stop and refill our emotional love tanks
-- I had a friend who just poured herself into her ministry -- she lived for others -- she took their pains and troubles and trials onto herself and just bore them for the people around her -- she just gave and gave and gave -- but, the problem was, she never took time to refill her emotional love tank -- and one night, she just broke down -- she ran out of gas -- and was over-whelmed with all of that pain and emotion that she had been bearing for others
-- she hadn't taken time for herself -- she didn't recharge herself emotionally -- and she found herself unable to love and minister to anyone -- it took time for her to recharge and to reconnect and to get back into the swing of things
-- we have to be careful that we don't let our emotional love tank run dry and that we don't let it get filled with the wrong type of emotions -- there are just so many times you can watch the news and not get depressed -- there are just so many times you can help someone with problems in their lives without getting cynical -- and so we need to take time to recharge our emotions
-- there's three ways to do this -- first, we need solitude -- in Mark 6:31, when Jesus' disciples were starting to run low and get over-whelmed by the ministry they were doing, Jesus told them to come with Him to a quiet place to get some rest -- this is why God commanded us to have a Sabbath -- not a time to just physically rest -- but a time to get away by ourselves with God -- a time to reconnect with Him and to let Him recharge us away from the hustle and bustle of this world
-- secondly, we need recreation -- we need to re-create ourselves -- we need to find something that energizes us -- a hobby -- a sport -- something that interests us -- that entertains us -- that can help refill us up in a healthy way
-- and, finally, we need laughter -- I read a study the other day that said that we don't laugh enough -- that kindergarten kids laugh over 300 times a day but that adults laugh no more than 17 times a day -- the study went on to say that laughter dissolves tension and stress and anxiety -- it boosts our immune system -- it reduces pain -- it improves our ability to deal with life -- this study said that we need to laugh more -- laughing can recharge your emotional tank
-- after a long day at work, I like to come home and watch sitcoms on the tv -- I am emotionally and physically drained -- and I have found that if I watch a short comedy or listen to a funny show on the radio that I am a lot more refreshed than if I come home and watch the news
-- in order to maintain a loving heart, we have to recharge ourselves emotionally
3. Finally, we need to develop habits that renew us spiritually -- we can never forget the source of our love -- we have to intentionally spend time with God daily and let His Spirit renew us and revive us -- in Romans 12, Paul tells us that we will be transformed by the renewing of our mind -- by the renewing of our spirit
-- don't forget, Christianity is not about dying -- it's about living -- it's about being renewed and experiencing God's love and power in our lives now -- not just in the future after we die
-- in John 15:5, Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." -- we need to go back to the Source on a daily basis -- we need to stay connected with God
-- we do this in three main ways -- first, through having a daily quiet time with God -- a time when we get alone with Him and just spend time in His presence -- reading His word -- praying -- and listening for His voice in our lives
-- secondly, we do this by participating in a small group or by spending time with a mentor -- we need others in our lives to help pull us along -- to pick us up when we fall -- to encourage us to keep going
-- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! -- Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? -- Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."
-- finally, we need to spend regular time in corporate worship -- in worship with others -- we need to come together on a regular basis and join together as one people and one church and lift our voices and hearts up to God in worship -- to pray with others -- to participate in the sacraments
-- it takes all three of these -- a daily quiet time -- small groups -- and worship -- to renew ourselves spiritually
III. Closing
-- as we close this series on the 40 Days of Love, one thing stands out -- the quality of our relationship with God determines the quality of every other relationship we have -- if we are going to love others as Christ loved us -- if we are going to share with them God's agape love and become people of love and life -- then we are going to have to have a quality relationship with God
-- we are going to have to develop the habits that are needed to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and strength -- we are going to have to intentionally keep our cups filled so that we might let God's love overflow from our lives to those around us
-- as I close this morning, let me encourage you to go back through your notes for these past six weeks and to look at the path to a deeper love relationship with God -- we've covered a lot of ground in this study -- some of it was familiar -- some of it may have been new
-- but one thing is certain -- you are only going to get out of this what you put into it -- and if you just put these lessons out of sight and out of mind, you are not going to develop the loving heart that Christ wanted us to
-- God calls us to love Him and to experience His love now -- to live the abundant and full life that He called us to live here -- and the only way to do that is by developing and maintaining hearts of love as we seek to love Him with all our heart and soul and strength and as we seek to love our neighbor as ourselves
-- let us pray
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