All-Church Retreat January 2nd, 2009 Friday Evening Talk 2: KINGDOM VISION: Kingdom Offense: Love Talk 2: KINGDOM VISION: Kingdom Offense: Love

Outline of Talk 2 Review & Thoughts on New Birth Love intro Foundation Point #1: God’s Nature as Love Foundation Point #2: We ought to love one another Key Question #1: How do we love? Love Challenge #1: Love shows itself in deeds Love Challenge #2: Love sacrifices Love Challenge #3: Love involves your stuff

Review & Thoughts on the New Birth  New Birth connection to Kingdom  Connection to Practical Holiness  Obedience to God's Word in the everyday life.  The fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Our lives are marked with LOVE  New Birth connection to Kingdom  Connection to Practical Holiness  Obedience to God's Word in the everyday life.  The fruit of the Holy Spirit.  Our lives are marked with LOVE

LOVE INTRO What is the most important thing that you have to do next week? “A sour, ill-natured Christian, is like a lamb with a wolf's head! Or like a dove with a vulture's beak! If there be any one word which above all others should describe a Christian's character, it is that which represents his divine Father; and as it is said, that 'God is love', so should it be also affirmed, that a Christian is love...” John Angell James, 1822, Christian Fellowship What is the most important thing that you have to do next week? “A sour, ill-natured Christian, is like a lamb with a wolf's head! Or like a dove with a vulture's beak! If there be any one word which above all others should describe a Christian's character, it is that which represents his divine Father; and as it is said, that 'God is love', so should it be also affirmed, that a Christian is love...” John Angell James, 1822, Christian Fellowship

LOVE INTRO “ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. ” John 13:35 “ And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ” 1 COR 13:2 “ By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. ” John 13:35 “ And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ” 1 COR 13:2

1 John Lead in…  Basketballs in the pool; Jack in the Box RIGHT BELIEVING RIGHT LIVING RIGHT LOVING  Basketballs in the pool; Jack in the Box RIGHT BELIEVING RIGHT LIVING RIGHT LOVING

1 John 4: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

Foundation Point #1: God’s Nature as Love “ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God IS love. ” 1 John 4:7-8 “ LOVE IS FROM GOD ” and “ GOD IS LOVE ” contradiction? Verse 12, “ No one has ever seen God, if we love one another, God abides in us. ” That’s Heavy. It is God ’ s love, not imitation.

Foundation Point #2: We Ought to Love One Another verse 11 “ Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another. ” What does the “ ought ” mean?

We Ought to Love One Another (continued) INDICATIVE: What God has done and who we are in Christ. It defines us. Our identity. IMPERATIVE: How we live out this reality. “Moralism is becoming what you are not. Christian ethics is becoming what you are.” Allistair Begg Summary of two points: God’s Love---Our Ought

Key Question #1: HOW do people with kingdom vision love?  Francis Schaeffer “ Personal Peace & Affluence ”  Meeting the needs of others at great cost  Killer Quote: Love is God-centered-JP

1 John 3: By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. 17 But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

Challenge #1 to LOVE: Love Shows Itself in Deeds Verse 18, little children, “ Let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth. ” Not that talk is unimportant… Flesh and blood get off your rear…DEEDS!!! Story: Matt & Sandra

Challenge #2 to LOVE: Love Sacrifices “ We ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ” v. 16b Story: Green Bean Casserole Jesus died for you “I DIE”… “I don’t wanna…” “The softest pillow in the world is a clear conscience.” John Wooden

Challenge #3 to LOVE: Love involves your STUFF… 1 John 3:17 “ if anyone has this world ’ s goods and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does his love abide in him? ” Attention Wal-Mart Shoppers Alivia’s Birth Costs

KEYS TO LIVING THE TREASURE PRINCIPLE  1. God owns everything. I’m His money manager. We are the managers of the assets God has entrusted – not given - to us.  2. My heart always goes where I put God’s money. Watch what happens when you reallocate your money from temporal things to eternal things.  3. The greatest deterrent to giving is this: the illusion that earth is our home. We are citizens of a better country – a heavenly one. (Heb 11:16)  4. I should live not for the dot but for the line. From the dot - our present life on earth- extends a line that goes on forever, which is eternity in heaven.  5. Giving is the only antidote to materialism. Giving is a joyful surrender to a greater person and a greater agenda. It dethrones me and exalts Him.  6. God prospers me not to raise my standard of living but to raise my standard of giving. God gives us more money than we need so we can give – generously.  1. God owns everything. I’m His money manager. We are the managers of the assets God has entrusted – not given - to us.  2. My heart always goes where I put God’s money. Watch what happens when you reallocate your money from temporal things to eternal things.  3. The greatest deterrent to giving is this: the illusion that earth is our home. We are citizens of a better country – a heavenly one. (Heb 11:16)  4. I should live not for the dot but for the line. From the dot - our present life on earth- extends a line that goes on forever, which is eternity in heaven.  5. Giving is the only antidote to materialism. Giving is a joyful surrender to a greater person and a greater agenda. It dethrones me and exalts Him.  6. God prospers me not to raise my standard of living but to raise my standard of giving. God gives us more money than we need so we can give – generously.

1 John 2:15-17  “ this world ’ s goods ”…  15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions — is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.  Story: Rich Mullins  “ this world ’ s goods ”…  15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world — the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions — is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.  Story: Rich Mullins

Summary/Wrapup God Connection on top of 3 Challenges Pray God Connection on top of 3 Challenges Pray