Introduction: What’s love got to do with it? a question by Tina Turner. How deep is your Love? a query by the Keith Sweat. “How much do I love thee let me count the ways” words proclaimed by a famous poet on her feelings for her husband. It seems like everyone is talking about love, but we find the world is a less loving place, just this past week we find about a mother that killed her five children. But what is love and how do we show love? So let us place this verse under the microscope of revelation and see what God has to say to us.
1. Why should I love?
A. Love is a commandment from God. Verse 11.
B. Love is a condition of life. Verse 14, we know that we have passed from life to death because we love.
C. Love is a characteristic of a child of God. 1 John 4:7,8. John calls us Dear children.
2. How do I love?
A. John first tells us what showing love is not. Just because you say I Love You is not showing love. Just because you write I Love you in a note is not demonstrating love.
B. John then tells us how to show love is through not talking it but walking it. Not just singing it but bringing it. John tells us that we show love through our actions (deeds).
C. John also tells us that we should not only show actions of love but we should be sincere about doing them. That is why John says in truth.
3. When should we love? Verse 17
When our brothers are in trouble, as the song goes “if my brother is in trouble so am I”. We should do more to help our brother and sister in trouble instead of writing them off.
Conclusion: How deep is your love is a question I want to ask of Jesus. I am remind of a poem that says: I asked Jesus, “How much do you love me?” “This much”, he answered. Then he opened up his arms and died.
