Preached by Daniel Vance Sunday evening 01/17/2010.
Love Your Neighbor
Why is this important?
The command to “Love your neighbor” appears 8 times in the Bible.
A lawyer asked, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” Jesus’ response is to love the Lord, and our neighbors. Matthew 22:35-40
“On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:40
Why is this important?
Because Jesus first loved us!
“And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.” 1 John 4:16
Vs. 20 “… he who loves God must love his brother.”
Who is my neighbor?
LUKE 10:25-37
The Good Samaritan showed love to a man in need
Christ’s command is to go and “do likewise”
Jesus wants us to show love to those who are in need. Anyone could be your neighbor because Everyone has needs.
How do I love my neighbor?
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself ” Luke 10:27
As Yourself
We know how to love ourself, so apply that to others.
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. 1 John 3:18
Not only in word, but also in DEED.
Our actions should reflect our words.
Faith without works is dead.
Share Christ!
How will they believe in him whom they have not heard?
Lay down our lives for the brethren.
This is the kind of Love that Jesus showed to us.
But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? 1 John 3:17
With your finances
The good Samaritan used his money to help the man in need.
Go the extra mile
Look for ways to love you neighbor on a daily basis. Even in the small things.
Don't show partiality.
Your neighbors are not just the people that you know well.
Different Race
Different Social Class
People that smell weird
Even your Enemies
Be especially attentive to the widows and orphans.
Pure and undefiled religion …James 1: 27
And also especially to our Family in Christ
Galatians 6: 10
Your brothers and sisters in Christ should be the easiest to show your love to because you have common bond in Jesus.
The Rest
What is the Result?
knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord. Ephesians 6:8
Our true reward is in heaven.
Do good deeds for Christ and not for the praise of men.
Application:
We should follow Christ's commands to love our neighbor by:
Mat 5:44 – Loving and Those in need – even you enemies.
Mat 28:16-20 - Obeying the great commission and evangelizing – share Christ!
Mat 7:12 – Do to others, what you would want done to you.
Phil 2:4 - Looking out for the interests of others, and following the example of the good Samaritan.
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