Post on 23-Jun-2015
transcript
Love in Action
A man had two sons. The younger son told his father, “I want my share of your estate now, instead of waiting until
you die.” So his father agreed to divide his wealth between
his sons.
A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings
and took a trip to a distant land, and there he wasted all
his money on wild living.
About the time his money ran out, a great famine
swept over the land, and he began to starve. He
persuaded a local farmer to hire him to feed his pigs.
The boy became so hungry that even the pods
he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But
no one gave him anything.
When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself,
“At home even the hired men have food enough to
spare, and here I am, dying of hunger! I will go home to
my father and say,
‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called
your son. Please take me on as a hired man.’”
So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long distance away, his father saw him coming.
Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him.
The Father’s
Love
The Legal Model of the Gospel
God’s Laws
Human Condition
“All have sinned and
fall short of the glory of
God” (Romans 3:23).
Legal Consequences
“The wages of
sin is death” (Romans
6:23).
The Solution
“He bore our sins in
His body on the
cross” (1 Peter 2:24)
The Offer
“Whoever believes and
is baptized will be
saved, but whoever does not
believe will be
condemned.”
(Mark 16:16. NIV)
The Relational Model of the Gospel
Designed for Love
“Love the Lord your
God…. Love your
neighbour” (Romans 3:23).
Freewill Required
God is love, and all who live in love live in God,
and God lives in them.
(1 John 4:16. NLT)
Satan Exploited the Situation
"You will not die. For God
knows that when you
eat of it your eyes
will be opened, and you
will be like God..."
Genesis 3:4-5. RSV
Selfishness Replaced Love
For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind
of wisdom. Such things are
earthly, unspiritual, and
motivated by the Devil.
James 3:15 NLT
Serious Consequences
• Don’t know the love of God…
• Selfish
• Eternity
You lived in this world
without God and without
hope .Ephesians 2:12 NLT
The Solution
“He bore our sins in
His body on the
cross” (1 Peter 2:24)
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to
himself, no longer counting people's sins
against them. 2 Corinthians 5:19. NLT
Reconciliation
What about people who have right beliefs but
don't have love?
If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a
liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love
God, whom he has not seen.
1 John 4:20. NIV
What about people who love but don't
know God?
Dear friends, let us continue to love
one another, for love comes
from God. Anyone who loves is born of
God and knows God.
But anyone who does not love
does not know God — for God
is love. 1 John 4:7-8. NLT
I was hungry, and you fed me.
I was thirsty, and you gave
me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited
me into your home.
I was naked, and you gave me clothing.
I was sick, and you cared for me.
I was in prison, and you visited me.
Matthew 25:35-36. NLT
I assure you, when you did it
to one of the least of these
my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!
Matthew 25:40 NLT
For I was hungry, and you didn't
feed me. I was thirsty,
and you didn't give me anything to drink. I was a
stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home.
I was naked, and you gave me
no clothing. I was sick
and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'
Matthew 25:42-43 NLT
I assure you, when you refused
to help the least of these
my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help
me. Matthew 25:45 NLT
If we were measured
by our love, what size would
each of us be?