1. The Love of God Eph 3:14-19

2. Introduction What is love? – An intense feeling of deep affection – This feeling is cannot be felt by touch – This feeling is in the mind Different types of love – Love of family (Storge)Storge – Love of friends (Philia)Philia – Intimate love (Éros)Éros – Unconditional love (Agápe)Agápe Three used in the Bible – Philia, Storge, Agape Paul writes about the love of God in four dimensions – Breadth, Length, Depth, Height

3. The Breadth of Love How broad or wide is the love of God? – The love of God embraces the entire world – John 3:16 Every race! – Matt 28:19 God is the of all men – Mal 2:10 In Christ there is no discrimination or distinction in the benefits of Gods love – Gal 3:28 Mans love is too narrow and only extends between his race or family – In Christ there is no in difference in how much God loves – Spiritual difference (Jew nor Greek) God so loved the…. – Social difference (Bond or free) – Sexual difference (Male or female)

4. The Length of Love Love is a part of the nature of God – I John 4:8 – It is limitless and endless. It can only be measured by eternity It extends to the eternal past Rev 13:8 – Gods love has been present before the creation of the world – Ps 90:1; Matt 25:34 Love is extended by God in the present – God endures despite our misbehavior II Pet 3:9 – Seen in what God bestows James 1:17a; Matt 5:45 – This is unlike our love The love of God reaches toward the future – James 1:17b – God is immutable – Rom 8:38-39

5. The Depth of Love Gods love is deep! – God so loved the world – How degraded and sinful is the human race yet God still loves – Eccl 7:29 Gods divine love reaches the vilest and most evil person in the world – Gods love can be measured in the sacrifice that he made for man – God gave his son (Abraham was willing to offer Isaac) The love of God condescends to mans low estate – Christ was more concerned with serving and saving man more than his reputation – Phil 2:5-8 The love of God suffers – Rom 5:8 (shame, humiliation, torture, and death) The love of God forgives – The alien sinner and the backslider. It takes more to forgive the backslider

6. The Height of Love Gods love reaches high and has lofty expectations – The purpose of Gods love is so that He can save man and give him eternal life – Read II Cor 5:14-15 The love that God has for man sometimes is hard to be comprehended – Read Rom 5:6-8 Gods love is extended to man so that He might lift us up to heaven and dwell in His presence – Ps 144:3

7. Are We Loving the Bible way? Do we love God as much as he loves us? – Love is not saying but doing – I John 5:2-3 – I John 3:18 – John 3:16 Do we love our brother as much as God has loves us? – I John 4:20 – I John 3:12 – I John 3:16-17 Loving my brother is by demonstrating – James 2:15-16 Loving God is by obeying – Mark 16:15-16