[1] #268 Still Learning, Sunday 02-11-2007

~ Theme: What are some lessons God wants to teach us about loving one another – the Family of God? (lessons from philadelphia)

~Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10

Introduction:

1. One of my most memorable classes in school wasn’t in a classroom, but was in a garage: Industrial Arts with Mr. Benson in 7th grade.
   1. “There’s the right way, the wrong way and Mr. Benson’s way.”
   2. Life consists of what I think is the right way, the wrong way and God’s way.
   3. If I’m going to get along with God I need to learn God’s way. (Good thing He’s willing to teach us!)
2. The Apostle Paul taught converts the way of God.
   1. Paul had one them he kept coming back to … love.
   2. Besides God, love is the most misunderstood word in the world.

Text: 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10

1. Now about brotherly love (philadelphia).
   1. This word in Greek literature almost always referred to the mutual love of brothers, sisters of the same family.
   2. In the New Testament, Philadelphia means the love of fellow believers in Christ … we have the same Father.

We need to keep learning to keep loving.

What are some lessons God wants to teach us about loving one another – the Family of God? (lessons from philadelphia)

1. Learn to receive love so you can give love. (You can’t give what you don’t have.
   1. We tend to look for love around us. (It’s natural)
   2. We enter a friendship just looking to be loved.
   3. We enter a marriage just looking to be loved.
   4. We enter a church just looking to be loved.
   5. We must look for love from the One above us. (If we could only see how loved we are by God.
   6. Paul addressed the Thessalonians as those, “loved by god.”
   7. “For we know, brothers, loved by God, that He has chosen you.” 1 Thessalonians 1:4
   8. To receive God’s love gives us His ability to love. “and so we know and rely on the love God has for us.” 1 John 4:16
   9. We can love even if love isn’t coming our way.
   10. Marriage is a ministry of giving love, forgiveness.
2. Learn to be motivated by love.
   1. There are so many motivations … to help others or get involved in ministry.
   2. We can help because of guilt.
   3. We can help for hope of recognition.
   4. We can help out of sense of duty.
   5. All of these motives are shallow and short term.
   6. The greatest motivation is love. “We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love …” 1 Thessalonians 1:3
   7. It’s better not to do something than do it without love.
   8. The Lord will help us in our decisions. “Simply let your yes be yes and your no, no.” Matthew 5:37
3. Learn to love in spite of stuff.
   1. We are all woks in progress.
   2. Some leave the fellowship because of “being offended”.
   3. Give people some slack. (There’s only one Divine, we’re all da branches.)
   4. God uses the “stuff” in others to grow us.
   5. It’s amazing how fertilizer underground produces fruit above ground.
   6. A church community is filled with irritating, imperfect, frustrating people … what an opportunity!
   7. We can learn how to forgive and overlook faults.
   8. We can learn how to reconcile.
   9. We can learn how to speak the truth in love.
   10. Don’t quit God’s school … Graduation is coming!

Conclusion: A little boy was coloring a “picture of God.”

1. Paul told the Thessalonians, “you do love … yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.”
2. Let’s keep coloring, let’s keep receiving God’s love, and learning how to give it away.
3. Jesus said, “Greater love has no person than this, that a person would lay down his life for another” … Jesus died for you, for me … we can love.