God's Valentine

God’s Valentine

Scripture Reading: 1 John 4:7-11

1 John 4:7-11 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. [8] He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. [9] In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.[10] Herein is love, not that we 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 ought also to love one another.

Scripture Text: 1 John 3:16

1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

Introduction:

Webster defines valentine as, “a gift or greeting sent to someone (special).” It almost always contains a message of love or affection that the sender has for the receiver. God has sent to this world a valentine, a message of the love He has for all mankind. From the very beginning God has expressed and manifested the great love He has for man. God expressed His love----

---in the very act of creation.

---when He said, “Let there be light.” He knew that nothing could live without light. Science teaches that light is independent of the sun. It was created before the sun. God prepared the earth for man before He created him.

---when He saved Noah’s family from the flood.

---He preserved a seed so man could be spared and replenish the earth.

---when He sent Jesus to be born of a virgin and become a human.

---love caused God to become man.

---in the life of Christ on earth.

---Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.

---in the death of Christ.

---John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

---in the resurrection of Christ.

---John 14:19 ....because I live, ye shall live also.

I. Expressions of God’s Love.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Ephes. 2:4-5 [Living] But God is so rich in mercy; he loved us so much [5] that even though we were spiritually dead and doomed by our sins, he gave us back our lives again when he raised Christ from the dead--only by his undeserved favor have we ever been saved--

II. God Expects the Church to be Carriers of His Valentine to the World.

A. We are to send a message of love to the world.

1 John 4:11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

1 Cor. 13:4-7 [GW] Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn’t jealous. It doesn’t sing its own praises. It isn’t arrogant. [5] It isn’t rude. It doesn’t think about itself. It isn’t irritable. It doesn’t keep track of wrongs. [6] It isn’t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. [7] Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up.

B. Our valentine message to the world must be a message of ....

1. Patience. (v.4a,7a)

a. We live in a world of tense impatience. We are impatient with waitresses, store clerks, family members, and even ourselves. We have a great need of patience.

1 Thes. 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.

Hebrews 10:36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.

Illustration: A young man, a Christian, went to an older believer to ask for prayer. "Will you please pray that I may be more patient?" he asked. The aged saint agreed. They knelt together and the man began to pray, "Lord, send this young man tribulation in the morning; send this young man tribulation in the afternoon; send this young man...." At that point the