Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday morning, Feb. 12, 2006, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia. For more outlines, including zipped files of outlines from previous years, click on the link at the bottom of this note, and go to our website:

LESSONS FROM THE LORD ON LOVE

By Michael D. O'Neal
Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church
Albany, Georgia

Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:1-10

Text: 1 John 4:8

1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

Introduction: The world emphasizes love as much as it emphasizes anything, but it doesn't have a clue about true love.

When I was a kid, there was a popular rock song called "What the World Needs Now." Its message was that love would solve the world's problems.

People are hungry for love, but as an old country western song said, they are seeking for it in all the wrong places.

The only REAL love, LASTING love, and PURE love comes from GOD. If you don't know God, you don't know real love. If you aren't practicing God's love, you aren't practicing true love.

LESSONS FROM THE LORD ON LOVE

  I. THE PROOF OF THE LOVE OF GOD FOR MANKIND

1 John 4:9-10 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

See also John 3:16; Rom. 5:8

     A. God Saw Your Need

     B. God Sought You Out

     C. God Sacrificed His Best

Note: That love is not enjoyed until it is properly received

 II. THE PORTRAYAL OF THE LOVE OF GOD IN MARRIAGE

Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

Man's love for his wife should picture that love of Christ for the church. Therefore,

     A. It should be godly

     B. It should be giving

     C. It should be guaranteed

III. THE PERVERSION OF LOVE BY MAN

2 Timothy 3:1-5 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Men and women are perverting the true meaning of love today by:

     A. Loving self
        1. 2 Tim. 3:2
     B. Living in sin
        1. Heb. 13:4

     C. Lying with the same sex
        1. Lev. 18:22

     D. Leaving their spouses
        1. Matt. 19:6

  IV. THE PRACTICE OF LOVE TOWARD THE MASTER

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

     A. Submitting to Him
        1. A wife's duty to her
           husband is to submit
           to him - Eph. 5:22
        2. The main duty of love
           to one over you is to
           voluntarily submit to
           his authority - family,
           church, job, etc.

     B. Serving Him

     C. Speaking about Him