Activating First Love Series Blog
In this next series, still talking about First Love, we will look at activating love.
Revelation 2: Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works;…
To activate means to make active or operative; to reinstate, trigger, motivate, or stimulate. Over the next several weeks we will look at how God wants us to move from a passive position when it comes to love (accepting things as they are); to an active position (taking the initiative).
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Love That Covers (A Multitude Of Sins)
Activating First Love
Sermon: Activating First Love: Love That Covers (A Multitude Of Sins)
Lesson Text
1 Peter 4:7–8 (KJV)7 But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. 8 And above all things have fervent charity (love) among yourselves: for charity (love) shall cover the multitude of sins.
James 5:16 (KJV)16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
1 Corinthians 13:13 (KJV)13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Introduction
Activating “First Love” is about making a paradigm shift from being Passive to Active, from Submissive/Docile to Assertive, and from Reactive to Proactive.
Last week we looked at Perfected Love (Marking Perfect Love from the Role Model, Making Perfect Love from the Mentor, and Working Perfect Love from the Coach)
Today we will continue our journey of activating first love by looking at Love that Covers.
1 Peter 4:7 (NLT)7 The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers.
Matthew 24: 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Have you noticed that our world, especially social media, is about exposing each other’s failures. A whole industry has risen on social media from people who specialize in exposing prophets, bishops, pastors, and church folk (content creators or social media influencers).
Last week on my Podcast, I discussed a scenario of if your mate was unfaithful years ago, but repented before God and was now faithful, would you want to know?
Now I know the philosophy behind most people's thoughts, we shouldn’t cover bad behavior up.
Matthew 18: 15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
The question I have is, who benefits from all this exposure? Is God glorified, or is the church of Jesus Christ harmed?
The issue is not about covering up the sin of your brother (although that happens), it’s about covering up your brother who may have gotten caught up in a sin.
Genesis 9: 20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: 21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father’s nakedness.
1 Peter 4: 8 (NLT) 8 Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.
The truth is we all have sinned, we all have failures, we all have offended each other, but do we have enough people with enough love to cover our nakedness until we can get it together.
Series and Sermon: Activating First Love: Love That Covers (A Multitude Of Sins)
(Love That Covers From Above, Love That Covers From Within, Love That Covers From Without)
I. Love That Covers From Above (Highest Priority)
1 Peter 4: 8 And above all things have fervent charity (love) among yourselves: for charity (love) shall cover the multitude of sins.
In order to have a love that covers, we must cover each other from above. We must make love our highest priority.
Revelation 2: 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
First love here does not simply imply that Agape love is first and above all forms of love, but that it is first and above all things!
As Christians and church goers, too many of us have missed the message of prioritizing love.
We prioritize our gifts, titles, talents, and positions. We prioritize our things, money, wealth, accumulations. We prioritize our significance and importance. We prioritize our emotions, feelings, and how we are treated. We even prioritize our holiness and righteousness.
If we are to cover each other, our love must be above all at the highest priority!
John 13: 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
Love above our gifts, talents, and positions: 1 Corinthians 13: 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
Love above things, money, and wealth: Mark 8: 36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Love above even our holiness and righteousness: Isaiah 64:6 (KJV)6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
1 Corinthians 13: 13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity (love).
II. Love That Covers From Within (Deepest Passion)
1 Peter 4: 8 And above all things have fervent charity (love) among yourselves: for charity (love) shall cover the multitude of sins.
A love that covers must also cover each other from within. We must make love our deepest passion.
Fervent Charity here means deepest love or passion. This is about our desires, hunger, and thirst. It is also about our lusts, urges, anger, and rage.
When a person says that they love you, do they love you, or do they love what you do for them, what you give them, how you make them feel.
If what they love is what you do, what happens when you stop doing it, you stop giving, you no longer make them feel what they used to feel?
What happens when you make them angry, hurt, disappointed, or frustrated.
When people give up on God, it’s usually because God is not doing what they expected.
If we are to cover each other, our love must come from within with the deepest passion!
Matthew 22: 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
Love from within with our prayers: James 5: 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Love from within with our affection: Colossians 3: 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.
III. Love That Covers From Without (Multitude of Forgiveness)
1 Peter 4: 8 And above all things have fervent charity (love) among yourselves: for charity (love) shall cover the multitude of sins.
● Love Covers from Above with the highest priority
● Love Covers from Within with the deepest passion
● Love Cover from Without with a multitude of forgiveness
Matthew 18: 21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Too many of us have put limits on our love based on what people do to us:
● For some of us, people have one time to fail us, and we’re done with them.
● Others, we will give them three strikes, but then they are out of there.
● Yet others are like people, we will give them the number of fulfillment.
If we are to cover each other, our love must come from without with a multitude of forgiveness!
Love from without because we’ve been given compassion: Lamentations 3: 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Love from without because we’ve been given goodness and mercy: Psalm 23: 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
Love from without because we’ve been given the power: Philippians 4: 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Midweek Study Lesson Plan (Sermon: Love That Covers (A Multitude Of Sins))
Lesson Text
● 1 Peter 4:7-8; 1 James 5:16; 1 Corinthians 13:13
Sermon Outline
I. Love That Covers From Above (Highest Priority)
II. Love That Covers From Within (Deepest Passion)
III. Love That Covers From Without (Multitude of Forgiveness)
Questions: (What was your main takeaway from this message?)
I. Getting to Know “Me”
1. Would you rather always have perfect summer weather and experience no winter, or keep the seasons, with the summers scorching hot?
2. What’s something God is doing in your life right now that you can’t fully see yet?
II. Into The Bible
1. In 1Peter 4:8, “fervent” carries the idea of being stretched out, constant, earnest, extended, which emphasizes the nature and consistency of love. In James 5:16, “effectual fervent” points more toward active, energized, working power, which emphasizes the active effectiveness of prayer. What differences do you notice between fervent love and fervent prayer in these passages, and how does each one function within the text?
2. Looking at 1Peter 4:7-8, James 5:16, 1 Corinthians 13:13 together, what do these passages emphasize about the importance of love, prayer, and relationships among believers?
II. Life Application
1. Reflection: Why do you love the Lord?
2. Consider whether love forgives before, at the time of, or after an offense. Could it be at more than one of these times?
Perfected Love (Please Be Patient, My Love Is Not Done Yet)
Activating First Love
Sermon: Activating First Love: Perfected Love (Please Be Patient, My Love Is Not Done Yet)
Lesson Text
Psalm 37:37–38 (KJV)37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. 38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
1 John 4:18–21 (KJV)18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. 19 We love him, because he first loved us. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Psalm 138:7–8 (KJV)7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. 8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
Introduction
Last week we completed a 3-part miniseries on the three faces of love:
● EROS LOVE: Emotional Love that’s a gift from God to give to each other
● PHILEO LOVE: Affectionate Love of friendship that is closer than a brother
● AGAPE LOVE: Sacrificial Love of God that is his very nature and is given to us
In this next series, still talking about First Love, we will look at activating love.
Revelation 2: Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works;…
To activate means to make active or operative; to reinstate, trigger, motivate, or stimulate.
Over the next several weeks we will look at how God wants us to move from a passive position when it comes to love (accepting things as they are); to an active position (taking the initiative).
Today we want to activate First Love by looking at it from the perspective of Perfection.
In our lesson text John uses this term “Perfect Love.”
Perfect here is from the Hebrew word “Tawm,” which means complete, perfect, one who lacks nothing. It is translated as being complete, sound, upright, blameless; the attainment of maturity!
Why does the process of Love bring us Stress, Suffering, Trouble, and Drama?
Why do the issues of Love create issues of Anxiety, Worry, Panic, and Fear?
Why do the results of Love leave us feeling Empty, Discontent, and Unfulfilled?
We will answer these questions in today’s message, but they all boil down to the fact that our love has not been perfected. It has to take us through a process to reach maturity and completeness.
But just because we have not reached perfection yet, we should never allow perfection to be the enemy of the good. In other words, don’t let our pursuit of perfection prevent us from accepting the good that we have achieved along the way.
Today we will look at three things that will help us perfect our love, the Role Model, the Mentor, and the Coach! The role model to emulate, the mentor to advise, and the coach to lead.
Series and Sermon: Activating First Love: Perfected Love (Please Be Patient, My Love Is Not Done Yet)
(Marking Perfected Love, Making Perfected Love, and Working Perfected Love)
I. Marking Perfected Love (The Role Model)
Psalm 37: 37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
The first key to perfecting love is marking or modeling it! We need a role model – someone whose behavior, example, or success others can emulate.
Why does the process of Love bring us Stress, Suffering, Trouble, and Drama?
We find love, but soon thereafter we argue, fight, have conflict, drama, and stress.
We lose our passion, become discouraged, become bitter, and even sometimes we cross the line between love & hate.
The reason for this is because we mark the wrong love!
Ps 37:38 But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off.
Where do we learn how to love? From whom do we learn how to love?
Why are we falling out of love? Why is our love not working? Because we are marking people who know nothing about love!
Luke 6: 39 And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?
Marking Perfect Love Leads to Peace
Psalm 37: 37 Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace.
The “perfect man” is one who is perfect toward God in that he trusts God and rests upon His salvation. The end of the upright man is peace. God will see to that.
1 John 4: 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
Perfect Love is Love that is Complete in God!
Perfect Love is Love that is Mature in God!
Perfect Love is Love that is Peace in God!
Philippians 4: 6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
“Marking Perfected Love Brings Peace”
II. Making Perfected Loved (The Mentor)
1 John 4: 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
The second key to perfecting love is making it! We need a mentor – a trusted advisor who guides and supports the less experienced, providing wisdom, experience, and honest feedback.
Why do the issues of Love create issues of Anxiety, Worry, Panic, and Fear?
When Love is imperfect, it causes us to live in fear.
1 John 4: 18 … because fear hath torment.
This fear will manifest itself in multiple forms; sometimes through insecurity, lack of trust, disappointment, apathy, frustration, and heartbreak.
We fear the unknown, we fear things will never get better, things will get worse.
We put up walls and barriers, we don’t want to be hurt again, all because of fear.
This fear is real, but it’s based on the past! Past hurts, past disappointments, past anger, past betrayals. But the behaviors of the past produce fears in the present.
Making Perfect Love Cast Out Fear
A mentor teaches us and gives us the power to overcome our fears.
1 John 4: 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: …
Imperfect Love produces fear, but Perfect Love casts it out!
2 Timothy 1: 7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
And when we fear, we are not being made perfect in Love.
So how do we make perfect love that casts out fear? By increasing our faith!
God is Love, and without faith it is impossible to please God. The more you increase your faith, the more you are made perfect in love.
With Perfect Love, we cast out fear of insecurity because God will never leave.
With Perfect Love, we cast out fear of betrayal because we put our trust in God.
With Perfect Love, we cast out fear of heartbreak because God is a healer.
Marking Perfect Love Cast Out Fear
III. Working Perfected Loved (The Coach)
Psalm 138: 8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
The final key to finishing imperfect love is working perfect love. We need a coach – someone who guides and trains one to achieve specific goals; providing instruction and motivation to help one reach their full potential.
To have perfect love, we must let God perfect that, which concerns us by working on us.
Why do the results of Love leave us feeling Empty, Discontent, and Unfulfilled? Why do we feel Unhappy, Restless, Meaningless, Exasperated?
We feel this way because Love isn’t finished yet, it’s not matured yet, it’s not perfected yet. It needs to be worked.
Psalm 138: 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me. 8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands.
John 9: 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
“Please be Patient, God is still Working on Me, Still Working on my Love, Still Completing My Love, Still Maturing My Love, Still Finishing My Love”
God will Perfect our Love by Working your Joy: James 1:2–4 (AV)2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
God will Perfect our Love by Working our Patience: James 1:3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. 4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
God will Perfect our Love by Working what he Started: Philippians 1:6 (AV)6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Midweek Study Lesson Plan (Sermon: Perfected Love (Please Be Patient, My Love Is Not Done Yet))
Lesson Text
● Psalm 37:37–38, 1 John 4:18–21, Psalm 138:7–8
Sermon Outline
I. Marking Perfected Love (The Role Model)
II. Making Perfected Loved (The Mentor)
III. Working Perfected Loved (The Coach)
Questions: (What was your main takeaway from this message?)
I. Getting to Know “Me”
1. What is the most memorable piece of “mom advice” (or threats) you grew up with? (For moms: what is a memorable piece of “mom advice” (or threats) you tell your children?)
2. What is a good thing happening in your life right now? What makes it good?
II. Into The Bible
1. In 1 John 4:18-21, what contrasts does John make between fear and perfect love?
2. According to Psalm 37:37-39 and Psalm 138:7-8, what does the text say about the upright, the wicked, and the Lord’s actions toward His people?
II. Life Application
1. Where in your life do you feel you are striving in your own strength, and how can you invite God’s love into that struggle?
2. Does loving some people feel exhausting or joyful right now? After hearing Sunday’s sermon, what are some practical ideas for you to refuel your joy with God’s joy this week?