“Love is Heart Work” 1 Peter 1:22-25 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. Forever// Chris Tomlin Verse 1 Give thanks to the Lord our God and King His love endures forever For He is good, He is above all things Pre Chorus (PC) His love endures forever Sing praise, sing praise Verse 2 With a mighty hand and outstretched arm His love endures forever For the life that's been reborn PC Chorus Forever God is faithful Forever God is strong Forever God is with us Forever Verse 3 From the rising to the setting sun His love endures forever By the grace of God we will carry on PC Chorus (x2) PC(x2) Chorus(x2) “Forever” Music and words by Chris Tomlin © 2001 worshiptogether.com Songs (ASCAP)/sixsteps 7 Music (ASCAP) (both admin. by EMI CMG PUblishing). CCLI License# 1748657 Responsive Scripture Reading // Matthew 5:1-14 READER Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And He opened his mouth and taught them, saying: CHURCH Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. READER Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. CHURCH You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden Before the Throne of God Above// Charitie Lees Bancroft & Vikki Cook Verse 1 Before the throne of God above, I have a strong and perfect plea A great High Priest whose name is Love, Who ever lives and pleads for me My name is graven on His hands, My name is written on His heart I know that while in heav'n He stands No tongue can bid me thence depart (x2) Chorus Hallelujah, My life is found in Jesus Christ Hallelujah, For I am His and He is mine Verse 2 When Satan tempts me to despair, And tells me of the guilt within Upward I look and see Him there, Who made an end to all my sin Because the sinless Saviour died, My sinful soul is counted free For God the Just is satisfied To look on Him and pardon me (x2) Verse 3 Behold Him there the risen Lamb, My perfect spotless righteousness The great unchangeable I Am, The King of glory and of grace One with Himself I cannot die, My soul is purchased with His blood My life is hid with Christ on high With Christ my Saviour and my God x2) Verse 4 I bow before the cross of Christ, And marvel at this love divine God's perfect Son was sacrificed, To make me righteous in God's eyes This river's depths I cannot know, But I can glory in its flood The Lord Most High has bowed down low And poured on me His glorious love (x2) “Before the Throne of God Above" Words and Music by Charitie Bancrft & Vikki Cook © 1997 Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP)Used by permission. All rights reserved. CCLI License# 1748657 The Love of God// Lehman, Nehori, & Lehman Verse 1 The love of God is greater far, Than tongue or pen can ever tell It goes beyond the highest star, And reaches to the lowest hell The guilty pair bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win His erring child He reconciled, And pardoned from his sin Chorus O love of God how rich and pure How measureless and strong It shall forevermore endure The saints and angels song Verse 2 When years of time shall pass away, And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall When men who here refuse to pray, On rocks and hills and mountains call God's love so sure shall still endure, All measureless and strong Redeeming grace to Adam's race, The saints and angels song Chorus Verse 3 Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade To write the love of God above, Would drain the ocean dry Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky **Chorus (x2) ** “The Love of God” Words and Music by Frederick Martin Lehman © 1917 Public Domain CCLI License No.1748657 **SERMON NOTES ** This morning, we are going to continue our series called Summer of Love. Our prayer as a church family is that God would produce in us a deeper inward compulsion to love. We want to actively and aggressively pursue that together. We want an inward God-given compulsion to love others the way that God in Christ has loved us. Pursue Three Holy Ambitions Regarding Love: Three things to pray for as a Christian in the face of the harsh realities of life in a fallen and hostile world. (1 Peter 1:22) “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,” (1 Peter 1:22) Philippians 1:9 “And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment…” Notice that “purified” is complete. Our souls are purified when we respond by faith to the gospel and without that purification, that deep heart change, we could never love one another deeply. Deep love for one another is an overflow of the transforming power of the gospel in our lives. It’s changed hearts that love the way that Christ loved us. In 1 Peter 1:18-21, Peter says “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited by your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” Having pure hearts are a gift of God through the gospel that enables us to live out this life of faith, hope, and love that God has redeemed us to live. So, we need to make the focal point in learning to love others to be the ongoing transformation of our hearts by the gospel. So, pray these three things: 1. Increase the Purity of My Love “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Matthew 5:8 “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully.” Psalm 24:3-4 “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners,and purify your hearts, you men of double mind.” James 4:8 Psalm 51:10 reads “Create in my a clean heart, o God, and renew a right spirit within me.” If we really want to grow if we really want our love to grow, we have to not only come by faith initially to have our hearts made pure in the gospel initially but continually. We continually need to come by faith for the searching and purification of our hearts. Acts 15:9, “God made no distinction between us and them, but purified their hearts by faith.” We consign ourselves to plateaued growth in Christ if we yield to pride and fear and hide our sins. We grow as we own up to being real sinners, not theoretical sinners. All of us, as Christians, acknowledge generally that we are sinners. Rarer is the Christian who opens up to another about exactly how he or she is a sinner. But in this honesty, life blossoms. Walking in the light is killing the preening and parading, the mask-wearing, the veneer, the keeping up of appearances. It is collapsing into transparency.” (Dane Ortlund) 2. Increase the Sincerity of My Love “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,” (1 Peter 1:22) “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.” (1 Peter 2:1) “Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.” (Romans 12:9-10) There is a world of difference between the principle of loving your brothers and sisters in Christ and the actual reality of truly and genuinely loving your brothers and sisters in Christ. How often do we find it hard to love others fully because we are annoyed by their faults or quirks? How often do we resist loving others because we don’t feel like we are being loved? It’s interesting how when Jesus teaches his disciples to love he combines the hallenge of loving others with the danger of fault-finding and hypocrisy in our own hearts. “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:27-36) “He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” (Luke 6:39-42) We really need to pray this summer that our lip-service love would be our heart love for others. Who do you love principally not sincerely? 3. Increase the Fervency of My Love “Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart,” (1 Peter 1:22) John 13:1 “Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end.” There is something about having someone in the family that is tenacious in their love for Christ and in their love for you! Every family needs that someone. This world needs people who are tenaciously devoted to loving God and to loving their neighbors. That changes and holds together communities whether they always recognize it or not. This is what we need to pray. Make me that person. Make me like you Jesus! Especially, when things get hard or messy! II. Believe One Holy Truth: God Will Finish What He Has Started In You Through His Word. “since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable,through the living and abiding word of God; for ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’ And this word is the good news that was preached to you.” (1 Peter 1:23-25) You were born again by God planting something imperishable in you by means of His Word and that Word is living and abiding. God’s Word which created life out of nothing will produce in you the life and the love which He has saved you to possess. The Word of the Lord endures forever because the Lord of the Word endures forever. Ask God to use His Word to examine your hearts: Jon Bloom writes: “But none of us will prayerfully press into loving God with our entire beings, or loving our neighbor as ourselves, until we see clearly our profound lack of such love — how much we need to be filled with the Spirit of Christ in order to love like Christ. We will likely keep comparing ourselves against the low-bar of one another, and often feeling like we’re doing relatively okay, until we invite the Spirit of Jesus to examine us. His questions always penetrate deeper.“Do you love others as I have loved you?” “Do unbelievers know you are my disciple by the way you love the Christians I have given you to love?” Ask God to sustain and grow your love through His Word: “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” John 15:7 Trust God to complete His Work In You: “We know this because “those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. . . . And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:29–30). MY Notes: Sing// David Zimmer & Nathan Stiff Verse 1 Did you draw a breath as the dawn awoke? And does your heart still beat? Is the mighty Word of the living God Upholding you? Then sing, oh, sing Verse 2 Has the Father's love filled yourlongingheart Withgrace for everyneed? Come and layyour burdens at Jesus' feet And find new strength to sing, oh, sing Chorus 1 Morning and evening, everything breathing Must sing, oh, sing All of creation rise up and praise The King of kings and sing Oh, we must sing Oh, we sing Verse 3 Has the Son of God died to take away Your sin and set you free? Has the Conqueror trampled over death? Is Christ enthroned? Then sing, oh, sing, oh Chorus 2 Morning and evening, everything breathing Must sing, oh, sing All of creation rise up and praise The King of kings and sing Everything with life and breath, oh, will sing We will sing Verse 4 On the final day when the Lord on high Returns in majesty We will bow in wonder before the Lamb And evermore the saints will sing Yes, evermore the saints will sing Chorus 3 Morning and evening, everything breathing Must sing, oh, sing All of creation rise up and praise The King of kings Morning and evening, everything breathing Must sing, oh, sing All of creation rise up and praise The King of kings and sing “Sing” Music and words by Nathan Stiff and David Zimmer © 2024 Sovereign Grace Worship/ASCAP, Sovereign Grace Praise/BMI (adm. by Integrity Music) Sovereign Grace Music, a division of Sovereign Grace Churches. All rights reserved CCLI License# 1748657