Sermon

This time I want to touch on the theme of love. Just a touch because we could talk about love forever. It’s February, when on Valentine’s day lots of people show their affection and love in different ways. Some people give flowers, some give candy and some give heart shaped jewelry. However some write love letters…

I want to start today’s sermon with a love letter to God I found.

„my merciful Lord, I want to be closer to You because sometimes I feel I am lost. Don’t push me away, listen to my prayers. I want to be obedient to You. So that You’re not ashamed of Your disobedient child. I get so much love from You. Sometimes I crucified You although I love you so much. Forgive me! I am weak and powerless. I am grateful that Your tolerance and love forgive me again and again. Only in Your strength can I become the person You want me to be. Help me so that Your sacrifice should not be in vain! Always You loving child.”

We receive from our Heavenly Father so much unconditional love. He forgives us again and again. He teaches us to love and leads by example. He teaches us love through the Living Word because we can always take the Christian handbook – the Bible – and read countless times about love.

We read in 1. Corinthians 13: 1-3 ” Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 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, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.”

God’s word clearly tells us. YOU WITHOUT LOVE ARE NOTHING! WE ALL WITHOUT LOVE ARE NOTHING! Then God revealed to us a wonderful secret that is also a promise – LOVE NEVER ENDS!

  If we want to prepare an excellent meal, we take a recipe book and measuring cup. We carefully read the recipe, measure the ingredients and mix them together. Following the recipe. We are happy and proud if the food is delicious. If it fails though we tend to blame the recipe, ingredients, dishes or oven, but rarely ourselves…

When we want to have a wonderful relationship, we should be just as careful and read everything that God tells us about love first. Only then we can recognise TRUE LOVE because:

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”1. Corinthians 13: 4-7

Many of us know of this scripture. But do we Christians know it by heart? Do we stop at every word after the introduction ” love is ”? Do we ask ourselves important questions: “Am I patient?Am I kind? Do you take a deep and careful look at yourself regularly? Can you then honestly look into Jesus’s eyes and say:”I am not envious. I am not egotistical. I am not irritable.”? And so to the last word “endures all things.” . Do you endure everything? I definitely don’t. I struggle with my lack of love for people. I sometimes win, but often I lose the fight. I am still tirelessly praying for the help and guidance from the Holy Spirit in my struggle with myself.

The christians “recipe book for life” – BIBLE says it all. Indeed there is everything. How to build a relationship with our Heavenly Father and fellow human beings. How to build a family, how to raise children, how to take care of your soul and body. How to work honestly and much more.

You found out today – christians “measuring cups” is LOVE!The question to check yourself is:”DOES I HAVE ENOUGH LOVE? Did I, today, feel and show enough love to fellow human beings?” Because a truly loving person does not talk about love, they feel it in their heart. Love must be seen in our daily lives, because love is a verb. When we don’t control ourselves, it becomes clear who we really are and what our love is. It can reveal whether we obey God’s instructions. 1 John 4: 7-8 ” Beloved, lay us love on another :for live is good :and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. Know that who doesn’t love will not be recognised by God because God is love.”

I have no doubt that everyone wants to love and be loved. Love is about all. It can correct and organize people’s lives. Loving people fill their surroundings with love. They do the work of love. They serve in love, because… Do you remember?

LOVE IS VERB! LOVE IS A ACTION!