3. The reading For This morning!
Ephesians 3:17-19
Ephesians 3:17-19 (NKJV)
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

4. In Remembrance of Me

5. Moving to PERFECTION in
Northside
Moving to PERFECTION in

6. Going onto Perfection

7. What It Means to Be A Christian?

9. God Working in Us

10. Letting God work in Our Lives (4)
Lesson 20
Letting God work in Our Lives (4)

11. What is love?
φιλέω, (phileō) – having affection as for a friend or brother Matt. 10:37, John 15:19
ἀγάπη (agape), high esteem, warm regard and interest in another, cherish Caring enough to sacrifice for what is best 1 Corinthians 13
Matthew 10:37 37  He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.
John 15:19 (NKJV) 19  If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

12. What is love? Matt. 22:37-38 1 Cor 13:13
Our motives toward God need to be pure – rooted in love!
1 Corinthians 13:13 (NKJV) 13  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Matthew 22:37-38 (NKJV) 37  Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38  This is the first and great commandment.

13. Why we love God
Romans 5:8 8  But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 John 4:8, God is love.
Love is His nature.
He created us with capacity to love
God demonstrated love, 1 John 4:9-10, Rom. 5:8
1 John 4:9-10 (NKJV) 9  In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10  In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:8 (NKJV) 8  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

14. Why we love God Eph. 3:17-19, the love of Christ passes knowledge.
Ephesians 3:  that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-19  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Eph. 3:17-19, the love of Christ passes knowledge.
We may not fully understand His love, but we can understand enough as we seek to know Him

15. Why we love God We are expected to love God Matt. 22:37-38
Deuteronomy 10:12 12  "And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
Deuteronomy 7:9 9  Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;
Matthew 22:  Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38  This is the first and great commandment.
1 John 4:16 (NKJV) 16  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
We are expected to love God
Matt. 22:37-38
1 Corinthians 8:3, “But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”
1 John 4:16
Deut. 7:9, 10:12.

16. Why we love God 1 John 4:19, “We love Him because He first loved us.”
We reach a point where our service to Him is not motivated by fear, rather through love! Gratitude, etc.
Then our service becomes a pleasure and not a chore

17. Our love for God We tell Him that we love Him
In our prayers and worship to Him, we declare our love to Him (cf. Psa. 116:1)
But is there more to loving Him than expressing it in words?
Psalm 116:1 1  I love the LORD, because He has heard My voice and my supplications.

18. Our love for God With all our heart
Matthew 22:37, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”
Not mere lip service (Matt. 15:8-9)
Loyalty & priority – Matt. 6:24, Luke 14:33
Luke 14:33 (NKJV) 33  So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Matthew 15:8-9 8  'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 9  And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' "
Matthew 6:24 (NKJV) 24  "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

19. Our love for God We keep His commandments
Deut 13:  you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the LORD your God is testing you to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. 4  You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him.
We keep His commandments
One way to show love is to obey (Not just out of fear, or compulsion)
1 John 5:3, 2:5; Deut. 13:3-4
Do our actions betray our love?
1 John 5:3 (NKJV) 3  For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
1 John 2:5 (NKJV) 5  But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.

20. Our love for God We love our brethren
1 John 4:  If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21  And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
1 John 5:2 (NKJV) 2  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments.
1 John 4:  Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12  No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV) 7  Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8  He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Our love for God
We love our brethren
If we love God we will love each other and show that love!
1 John 4:7-8, 11-12, 20-21, 5:2
Do our actions betray our love?

21. 1 John 4:19 (NKJV) 19 We love Him because He first loved us.
Our love for God
Demonstrated in our giving
God has given us much, what are giving back to Him?
1 John 4:19
2 Corinthians 9:7
1 John 3:17
Do our actions demonstrate our love?
1 John 3:17 (NKJV) 17  But whoever has this world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?
1 John 4:19 (NKJV) 19  We love Him because He first loved us.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NKJV) 7  So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.

22. Our love for God Keep yourself in the love of God Jude 21
Genuine love is enduring. We must remain faithful to Him!
1 Corinthians 13:8, “Love never fails”
Luke 9:62
Luke 9:62 (NKJV) 62  But Jesus said to him, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."
Jude 1:21 (NKJV) 21  keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

23. Considering God working in our lives, do we demonstrate our love toward Him?
Hebrews 6:10
Hebrews 6:10 (NKJV) 10  For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

24. Matthew 16:18