Theme: God is love
Scriptures:
-
1 John 4:7-19
-
Psalm 40
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Ephesians 2:1-10
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Romans 5:6-11
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John 3:16-17
Objectives: (From the D6
Fusion Sunday School Lesson book)
Know:
God’s very nature is love, and His actions demonstrate what love is
like.
Think:
View love for God and love for others as the guiding principles of my
life.
Do:
Follow God’s example of love and demonstrate love as a way to draw
near to Him.
A1 Love
B1 Love is a choice, not an
emotion.
B2 It is seen by its actions
(private and public): 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a Love
is very patient and kind; love is not envious; love doesn't brag
about itself, is not haughty, Doesn't behave improperly, is not
self-seeking; love isn't easily aggravated, doesn’t keep a list of
wrongs, Doesn't rejoice in injustice, but rejoices with the truth,
Bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all
things. Love never ends…
C1 Does these verses describe
God’s love?
C2 How would you explain the
difference between God’s love for believers, the love of spouses,
parent’s love for their children, love to a neighbor, and love to
an enemy?
C3 What is people’s greatest
failure to understand what love is?
C4 Why do some people love
their dog more than their wife (or husband)?
C5 Does God love everyone
equally?
C6 Does God hate?
D1 Consider: Romans 9:13 Just
as it is written, "Jacob,
I have loved; Esau, I have hated."
E1 The context shows this to
be nations.
E2 Esau, the person, never
served Jacob, the person.
E3 The word hate is hate as in
Luke 6:22 NKJV - Blessed
are you when men hate you, And when they exclude you, And revile you,
and cast out your name as evil, For the Son of Man's sake.
D2 Consider: Amos 6:8 NKJV -
The Lord GOD has
sworn by Himself, The LORD God of hosts says: "I abhor the pride
of Jacob, And hate his palaces; Therefore I will deliver up the city
And all that is in it.
Thus, there are reasons for God to hate something.
D3 Some things God hates
E1 Pride: Proverbs 8:13 (GNT)
To honor the Lord is
to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil ways and false words.
E2 Sin: Revelation 21:8 NIV -
But the cowardly,
the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those
who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--they will be
consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second
death.
E3 Rebellion: Jude 1:11 NKJV -
Woe to them! For
they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of
Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.
E4 Unbelief: Mark 16:14 NLT -
Still later he
appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He
rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to
believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the
dead.
E5 Evil: Amos 5:15 NKJV - Hate
evil, love good; Establish justice in the gate. It may be that the
LORD God of hosts Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.
E6 Six things: Proverbs
6:16-19 CSB - The
LORD hates six things; in fact, seven are detestable to him:
arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a
heart that plots wicked schemes, feet eager to run to evil, a lying
witness who gives false testimony, and one who stirs up trouble among
brothers.
E7 If God hates these things,
what are we to do?
D4 Some things we are to hate:
E1 Hate what is evil: Romans
12:9 (GNT) Love must
be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good.
E2 Three things to hate: 1
John 2:16 NKJV - For
all that is in the world--the lust of the flesh, the lust of the
eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the Father but is of the
world.
E3 These evil things: Matthew
15:19 CSB - For from
the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual
immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander.
This is why a new heart is needed, for the original one cannot be
fixed. The heart is the deepest unconscious or conscious desire.
E4 Arrogant, narcisstic
pastors: 3 John 1:9-10 CSB - I
wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have
first place among them, does not receive our authority. This is why,
if I come, I will remind him of the works he is doing, slandering us
with malicious words. And he is not satisfied with that! He not only
refuses to welcome fellow believers, but he even stops those who want
to do so and expels them from the church.
The Lord Jesus hates these things, too. How do we avoid Diotrephes
type pastors? Have you ever met one?
E5 Our former life: 1 Peter
4:3 NKJV - For we
have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the
Gentiles--when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries,
drinking parties, and abominable idolatries.
F1 What does God think about
our past?
F2 Does the former lifestyle
lead us to heaven, forgiveness of sins, and fellowship with God?
F3 How can we hate these
things?
E6 Name some others things we
are to hate.
B3 Questions
C1 If God hates these things,
what are we to love?
C2 If we see our brother or
sister doing these things, how are we to love?
C3 If we see ourself doing
these things, how are we to love?
A2 1 John 4:7-19,
B1 1 John was given to help us
discern if we are Christians.
B2 What is the source of true
love?
B3 How did God show
(demonstrate His love)?
B4 How do Christians show true
love to each other?
C1 ...to our spouse?
C2 ...to our children?
C3 …to our parents?
C4 ...to our fellow Christians
in the assembly?
B5 How does God’s love
affect us and the judgment?
A3 Psalm 40,
B1 Of all the good things
taught in this Psalm, we will ask a few questions about these verses:
Psalm 40:6-11 NIV - Sacrifice
and offering you did not desire-- but my ears you have opened-- burnt
offerings and sin offerings you did not require. Then I said, "Here
I am, I have come-- it is written about me in the scroll. I desire to
do your will, my God; your law is within my heart." I proclaim
your saving acts in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, LORD,
as you know. I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of
your faithfulness and your saving help. I do not conceal your love
and your faithfulness from the great assembly. Do not withhold your
mercy from me, LORD; may your love and faithfulness always protect
me.
C1 You
have opened my ears
has the idea that we cannot understand God’s truth without God’s
grace. If He doesn’t give us understanding (opening our ears), we
will not understand. Sacrifice and offering is required according to
Mosaic Law. The Psalmist understood that this is ineffective.
D1 1 Samuel 15:22 NIV - But
Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than
sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
D2 Jeremiah 7:22-23 NIV - For
when I brought your ancestors out of Egypt and spoke to them, I did
not just give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices, but
I gave them this command: Obey me, and I will be your God and you
will be my people. Walk in obedience to all I command you, that it
may go well with you.
D3 The obedience required
today is to repent and believe the Gospel. Mark 1:14-15 Now
after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the
gospel of the kingdom of God, Saying, "The time is fulfilled and
the kingdom of God is near. Repent! Believe the gospel."
C2 I
desire to do your will, my God. Your law is within my heart.
Most consider this to be Messianic. The Lord Jesus said: John 4:34
NKJV - Jesus said to
them, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to
finish His work.
B2 What are some things we
learn from this?
A4 Ephesians 2:1-10,
B1 Why does God love?
B2 What is the difference
between God’s love and human love?
B3 What does grace and mercy
have to do with love?
A5 Romans 5:6-11,
B1 How does this verse help
understand agape
love: 1 John 3:18 - Little
children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and
truth.
B2 Why did the Lord Jesus die
for His enemies?
C1 It is His character: 2
Corinthians 13:11 NKJV - Finally,
brethren, farewell. Become complete. Be of good comfort, be of one
mind, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
And, 1 John 4:8 NKJV - He
who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
C2 For fellowship. Note, God
does not NEED to have fellowship, but He does want to: 1 John 1:3
NKJV - that which we
have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have
fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and
with His Son Jesus Christ.
C3 Because He is merciful:
Nehemiah 9:17 NKJV - They
refused to obey, And they were not mindful of Your wonders That You
did among them. But they hardened their necks, And in their rebellion
They appointed a leader To return to their bondage. But You are God,
Ready to pardon, Gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, Abundant in
kindness, And did not forsake them.
A6 John 3:16-17,
B1 How is giving up your only
begotten son showing love?
B2 What is the Lord Jesus
saying to Nicodemus?
C1 “I am the Son of God.”
C2 “If you believe in me,
you will be forgiven and be reborn.”
C3 Our good works are not even
mentioned, because they cannot save.
B3 Why was the Lord Jesus sent
into the world?
B4 How can seeing God’s love
help us to love others?
A7 Next week:
B1 Holy! Holy! Holy!
B2 Theme: God is holy.
B3 Scriptures:
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Exodus 15:1-21
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Revelation 4:8-11
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1 Samuel 2:1-3
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Isaiah 5:13-25
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Isaiah 6:1-6
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Joshua 24:19-28
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Ezekiel 39:1-24
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Leviticus 19:1-4
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Psalm 99
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Proverbs 9:7-12
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1 Peter 1:14-21
