August 18, 2019, | Pastor Nathan Elms
https://firstchurchclt.com/notes/
1. God Is Spirit
God is a spirit being. Jesus described God in this manner.
God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).
2. God Is Light
The Bible also says that God is light.
This is the message we have heard from him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in him, there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).
3. God Is Love
The Bible says that God is love.
We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 John 4:16).
4. God Is A Consuming Fire
The Bible also describes God as a consuming fire.
For our God is a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29).
Of these images of God we can only know God through Love. This is the necessity of love.
This is the point of 1 John 4: 7-8
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
Gary Chapman's classic work The Five Love Languages.
The first idea is this: There are, basically, five ways that love gets expressed and recognized:
1. Through words of affirmation: "I love you." "You did a great job." "I'm proud of you."
2. Through physical touch: a hug, a held hand, a cuddle on the couch, or more.
3. Through quality time spent: a lazy breakfast, an afternoon outing, an unplugged evening, or vacation.
4. Through personal gifts: a piece of jewelry, sports equipment, an electronic gadget, something of personal value.
5. Through acts of service: a base covered, a chore done, some practical relief given.
The second key idea Chapman contributes is that each of us has one or more preferred love languages. In other words, most of us like all five of those modes of love, but we feel particularly loved when other people are using this or that language.
Here is Chapman's third lesson, and it's the most important one: When trying to love other people, we have a tendency to speak our language instead of theirs.
What is God’s Love Language?
God speaks every language. He speaks with the voice of many waters.
The important element here is that whatever love language you speak requires you to do something. Love requires action!
Love requires action.
It is not enough to feel something.
It is not enough to know something.
You must do something. For others.
James 2:16 New King James Version (NKJV)
16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does itprofit?
As St. Augustine and Martin Luther observed, sin is the curving of everything back toward ourselves.
But life, as God designed it, is meant to curve outward, the way he does. It is only as we learn to highly value others and live in an otherward direction that the whole interrelated system works as it should and greater flourishing emerges.
The mission of First Church is to give you an opportunity to turn love into action!
How do we do that?
1.) We invite you to worship. (Love God)
2.) We invite you to serve. (Dream Team, Serve Days)
3.) We invite you to grow. (Small groups, bible study)
4.) We invite you to give. (Time, effort, talent, money)
5.) We invite you to go make a difference in your world.
Summary: We want to be a Book of Acts Church -- That means we have to take action -- Do Something
(1 John 4:16)
