Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
December 7, 2003 - W0349

The greatest gift this season is the gift of love. Love, however, can be defined in many ways. The definition of love can be so vast. However, in the above scripture, the key phrase is ìgreater love has no one than this.î However, there can be lesser loves. In factÖ

In the Greek language a phileo love is a love of friendship. (Itís where the city Philadelphia or the city of brotherly love gets its name) A storge love is a love of a parent for a child. Then an eros love is a love between a husband and wife. And finally, an agape love is a love of choice; the type of love that God has for us. And that is the kind of love God wants us to learn.

Many times though, we learn about love from the world, television, and movies and settle for a mediocre kind of love. It teaches a selfish love all about pleasing our wants and needs. Moreover, what we really need help with is learning to love other people more. ìNow as to the love of the brethren Ö we urge you, brethren, to excel still moreî (1 Thess. 4:9-10). In other words, excel still more in your love for other people. That is why the Lord wants us to tap into a greater level of love.

ìÖ I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernmentî (Phil 1:9). God is saying that our love must not lack discernment and the knowledge of God. It is so easy to be caught up in learning a wrong kind of love because we are surrounded by it. In fact, there is an obsession in the media with sex and people tend to equate that with love. Now keep in mind that there is something that is beautiful and intimate with sex between a husband and wife and that has to be done in private. However, it is when you take it outside of a marriage relationship and in public that it becomes perverted and pornographic. Sadly, the world takes sex out of context and glamorizes it in such a way as to pervert it in order to make money.

On top of that, the devil wants you to think that the closer you get to God, the less you will enjoy the love God designed for us. Remember that the devil did not create anything. Instead he perverts everything. Thus, the closer you get to God the better you will understand Godís design. That is why if we get married with a wrong concept of love and settle for a mediocre kind of love, we wonder why our marriage breaks down.

I remember going to Mexico and buying a fake pair of Oakley glasses for $4.00. I knew it was a cheap imitation, but it looked good. However, no sooner I bought it, one of the lenses popped out.

And sometimes we too settle for a cheap imitation of love that will not sustain anything.

Instead, God wants us to learn a greater love, a love that is knowledgeable and has discernment. So, where can we obtain the most accurate model for the greatest level of love? The first is Ö

1. THE GREATEST LOVE IS THE LOVE GOD SHOWS TOWARD US.

God is saying to love one another as He has loved us. In other words, Heís saying, ìHow do I love you? Then love people the same way.î Thatís the greatest love of all when we can give it away. Oftentimes, we have an arrogant, selfish, condescending, religious type of love. Yet God asks us, ìHow do I love, care, forgive, and speak to you? Then do the same to othersì. And when you do that, instead of a cul-de-sac of Godís blessings, you become a conduit of Godís blessings.

In fact, the best prayer a husband can pray is, ìLord, tell me what you are speaking to my wife today. How do you love and encourage my wife and will you run those words through me?î

Then it comes through you, via your life. Likewise, the best prayer a Mom can pray is, ìWhat are you saying to my children to encourage and guide them? Lord, will you run that through me?î

Then we will be able to give away the greatest gifts of all, not Hollywoodís version, but Godís definition of love.

ìHusbands, love you wives, just as Christ also loved the Church Ö (Eph. 5:25). Be sure to remember that. Otherwise, our default will be a Hollywood love, or the worldís love. Weíll get married with an incorrect definition of love. Then weíll give a flawed gift or a leftover gift.

We have a society that is obsessed by recreational sex. Therefore, we can be caught up in that by justifying that everyone else does it. However, if we buy that lie, it will destroy us. So correct back to Godís word.

Therefore, the greatest love is the love God examples for us and it does not matter what the world does. We must stand in radical opposition to the egocentric trends that are around us. The Bible says that Christians must be the pillar and support of the truth. If we are diluted, what hope does the world have?

The Church is the hope of the world. So, we must say, we stand in stark contrast, without condemning or being condescending, but instead being committed to our Lord. So the greatest model is the love that God shows toward us. And it is not just a love of emotion or romance, but Ö

2. IT IS A LOVE OF CHARACTER.

Here God is defining love and notice that in each illustration there is a character quality. God is saying that love is character. We will love in a very shallow fashion, if we have a shallow character. That is why the best thing we can do for our spouse and children is to grow in character. The best way we can love our Lord is to grow in depth of character.

We often use anger and moods to punish or blame one another or even make excuses for our problems. However, the Bible says that is not love. So in order to grow deeper in love, we must understand and develop the kind of character this scripture describes.

All of us need to grow in character because it is essential to learning the greatest love of all. And in order to develop in character God teaches us that we must learn thatÖ

3. IT IS A LOVE OF COMMITMENT.

In our society and culture, commitment is a lost value. The media reports an array of spy scandals, corporate fractures, and fragmented families. Loyalties are broken all the time and commitment is outdated. However, we need to find that the greatest love of all. It is one of commitment. Jesus had an agape love. It is a love of choice and not dependent on how someone treats us or dependent on our expectations. And Jesus exampled this type of love even when abuses were hurled at Him on the cross. Jesus responded, not with condemnation, but instead ìFather, forgive them, because they know not what they are doing.î The continuance of Godís love is not determined by our response good or bad. Of course, the Lord delights when we please Him. Nevertheless, God chooses to love us, regardless. So when we can get to this level of love, we choose to tap into an agape love. And this is the type of love that changes the world.

The Bible says that we come to character by first experiencing tribulations, followed by perseverance. Then when we stay with it, character develops, and we then experience hope. Yet we often look at our life in these terms: We hope this or that works out, and then with a little bit of character, we know weíll hit tribulations and we have to just hang in there. Yet the Bible says the hope that will never disappoint is something that is birthed after tribulations. In addition, by persevering through it, we will build character. So character is formed after tribulations and perseverance.

ìFor you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promisedî. (Heb. 10:36) Therefore, through tribulations, we must persevere, and tap into a love of choice. Sure, it may seem easier to just drop out during times of struggle. However if we do not understand loyalty and commitment, we will never develop character.

Therefore, we must remember thatÖ

Only when you have that commitment settled will God give you the hope that comes through after tribulation, perseverance, and developed character. That is where Jeremiah 29:11 comes in, ìfor I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, theyíre not plans for your calamity, but for your welfare in order that you might have a future and a hope.î

In closing, the greatest gift this season is the love that God shows toward us. And learning the love of character and the love of commitment is essential if we are to change the world and its incorrect views of love. ìThis is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command youî. (John 15:12-14)

1. What are some of the areas in your life that require perseverance?

2. What is God calling you to be persistent about?

3. In what situation or relationship is God challenging you to live out John 15:12?

4. How do you usually respond when someone offends you? Today, will you love even when others attempt to hurt you?

5. How can the nature of Jesus - within you - make a difference in how you respond to others?

6. What most impacted you today and how will you be changed by it?

Thank you to volunteer writer, Alison McDonough for her commitment and perseverance in preparing this week's summary.