Title: Do You Need to Love Others More?
Text:
1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 (ESV)
9 Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more,
Observation:
One of the things that I admire about this group of people that Paul wrote to was how they got it, and how they got it in such a short period of time. If you want to read about how this church got started you can find it in Acts 17. Here is a brief excerpt to whet your appetite.
Acts 17:1 (ESV)
Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews.
Acts 17:4 (ESV)
And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women.
These new Christ followers embraced the gospel of Christ; they believed in the Word of God, and it made a difference in the way they lived. They were holy, and Paul encouraged them to be more holy. They loved one another, and Paul encouraged them to love more.
You can say about them as the hymn writer wrote, "Build your hopes on things eternal"; that is what these believers did. Notice what Paul said about them.
1 Thessalonians 1:3 (ESV)
remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
What are three things that the Bible says will outlast everything? Do you need more of these? Why not make the greatest of these Your aim?
1 Corinthians 13:13 (ESV)
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Let me encourage you to be like these first century believers in Thessalonica; learn to love one another more and more. If they could do it, we can do it.
John 15:12 (ESV)
"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
1 John 4:8 (ESV)
Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Prayer:
Father God, my dear Father, stir and convict our hearts until we are willing to love others, and if we are not willing, help us to be willing to be made to be willing to love others, and to love them in the manner that You have loved us. Father, if love abides in us, help us to work it out. In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
Romans 5:5 (ESV)
and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
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Matthew 4:4 (HCSB)
4 But He answered, "It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
Psalm 2:8 (HCSB)
8 Ask of Me, and I will make the nations Your inheritance and the ends of the earth Your possession.
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