Introduction: Jn. 13:34-35 1 Jn. 3:18 (Jesus stressed the importance of love and spoke of what love can do. Love can critically change your relationships with your fellow man and with God. The kind of love that will do this is not the fairy-tale, whimsical, emotional frenzy that comes and goes but rather the Biblical attitude and action toward others. Love is not a feeling it is a decision and as such can change your life.)
Love Can Change Human Relations:
Rom. 13:10 (Love changes the way you treat your fellow man.) Gal. 5:13 (Love leads you to serve your fellow man.)
1. Forbear: Eph. 4:2-3 (Each has their own little ways and faults. Love leads us to tolerate such faults.)
2. Giving: Jn. 15:13 (Love leads you to sacrifice when your ways and faults irritate others.)
3. Forgiving: Prov. 10:12 (Love leads you to choose forgiveness rather than hatefulness and grudges.)
4. Peace: Prov. 15:17 (Love can end the "WW III" that goes on in many families. Story of man who changed to a kind disposition and gradually changed the entire family.)
Lead Jesus To Die For Our Sins:
Rom. 5:8 (God expressed his love by allowing Jesus to suffer as he did.)
1. For Israel: Isa. 63:9 (In spite of their evil, God loved Israel. When they hurt, he hurt. When you hurt, he hurts.)
2. Passes Knowledge: Eph. 3:19 (God's love for man is so great, it transcends the parameters of our imagination.)
3. Implores: 2 Cor. 5:14-15 (God's love pleads with you to love him and serve him.)
Lead You To Follow God:
I Jn. 4:19 (God's love compels us to respond by loving him in return.) Jn. 14:15 (If you love God you will keep his commands.)
1. Brings Great Peace: Ps. 119:165 (Loving God and doing his will make you at peace with God.)
2. Prosperity: Ps. 122:6, Rom. 8:28 (Loving God brings a kind of spiritual prosperity that brings ultimate success in the judgment.)
3. Reward: Ps. 145:20 (Loving God finally brings a heavenly reward.)
4. Be More Like God: Mt. 5:44-45 (Loving makes us more like the Father in heaven.)
Conclusion: 1 Cor. 16:22 (A life lived without love is tragic and is lost! "accursed, our Lord's judgment is coming")