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Kinds of Love

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audio/mpeg iconKinds of Love
Sermon Date: 
Sun, 02/28/2010 (All day)

John 21:15-17 (NKJV)
 
So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Feed My lambs." 16He said to him again a second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love You." He said to him, "Tend My sheep." 17He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You." Jesus said to him, "Feed My sheep.

Introduction:
The last two messages I have brought to you have been on love. The first was on “what love is,” taken from 1 Cor.13:4-8. We learned that love (agape: God’s unconditional love) is patient, kind, does not envy, is not boastful, is not proud, is not rude, is not self seeking, is not easily angered, does not hold grudges, does not delight in evil, but rejoices in truth, and love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres. Love will go on forever. It will be our entrance into heaven. Last week I spoke to you about “who we are to love:” God, our neighbor, ourselves, and our enemies. Today, I want to continue with this series and speak to you about the “Kinds of Love.”

There are four different words used to express love in Scripture.

1. Agape (love of choice; God’s unconditional love). 1 Cor. 13:4-8 (NIV) 
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.

2. Philadelphos or Phileo (brotherly love). 1 Thes. 4:9-10 (NIV) 
Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.
 
3. Storge (family love). 2 Tim. 3:1-5 (NLT) 
You should also know this, Timothy, that in the last days there will be very difficult times. 2For people will love only themselves and their money. They will be boastful and proud, scoffing at God, disobedient to their parents, and ungrateful. They will consider nothing sacred. 3They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control; they will be cruel and have no interest in what is good. 4They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God. 5They will act as if they are religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. You must stay away from people like that. 

4. Eros (physical love). It is the word that erotic is derived from and is not used in the New Testament. It is a love of physical attraction and is valid when used between married couples.

There is abounding love. 2 Thes. 1:3 (NKJV)
 
We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other. 

1. Abounds: to increase, to overflow, and be full of.

We are to have fervent love. 1 Peter 4:8 (NKJV)
 
And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." 

1. Fervent: without ceasing, having or showing great emotion or zeal.

Our love is to be sincere. 2 Cor. 6:4-6 (NKJV) 

But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love. 

1. Sincere: authentic, genuine, real, true, and without hypocrisy or pretense.

Conclusion: In the English language we have only one word to express love but in the Greek language, they have four different words to express love. Agape is used as the love of choice and God’s unconditional love. They use Philadelphos or Phileo to express brotherly love. They use the word Storge to describe love of family. The word Eros is another Greek word for love that speaks to physical love but is not used in the New Testament. The Scriptures also tell us that our love is to abound, be fervent, and sincere. All of this is not possible without God working in us and changing our hearts, minds, and emotions. We can allow God to make changes in us or we can stonewall Him and harden our hearts. The choice is always ours to make. Today you have a choice to make. Make a good one. Allow God to make whatever changes need to be made that we are a people that love the right things in the right way.

Close: 2 Peter 1:5-8 (NLT)
 
So make every effort to apply the benefits of these promises to your life. Then your faith will produce a life of moral excellence. A life of moral excellence leads to knowing God better. 6Knowing God leads to self-control. Self-control leads to patient endurance, and patient endurance leads to godliness. 7Godliness leads to love for other Christians, and finally you will grow to have genuine love for everyone. 8The more you grow like this, the more you will become productive and useful in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.