--MESSAGE--

Real Love II

God gave us the capacity to live life fulfilled in our service to others.

III. 2 Proverbial Traits of Christian Character in Relationships and a Chief enemy

a. Honor

b. Humility

c. Offense

Example

We see Paul setting out on another missionary trip with his team, which includes this guy named John Mark, a.k.a. Mark.

Acts 12:25 TLB
Barnabas and Paul now visited Jerusalem and as soon as they had finished their business, returned to Antioch, taking John Mark with them.

Mark suddenly leaves in the middle of their travels, but we don't know why...

Now Paul wants nothing to do with Mark and we understand why. Mark got scared and ran...

But at some point, Mark must have reconciled with Paul, because later in Paul's ministry, he says...

Conclusion:

Matthew 18:1-10 TPT
At that time the disciples came to ask Jesus, “Who is considered to be the greatest in heaven’s kingdom realm?” [2] Jesus called a little one to his side and said to them, [3] “Learn this well: Unless you dramatically change your way of thinking and become teachable like a little child, you will never be able to enter in. [4] Whoever continually humbles himself to become like this little child is the greatest one in heaven’s kingdom realm. [5] And if you tenderly care for this little one on my behalf, you are tenderly caring for me. [6] But if anyone abuses one of these little ones who believes in me, it would be better for him to have a heavy boulder tied around his neck and be hurled into the deepest sea than to face the punishment he deserves! [7] “Misery will come to the one who lures people away into sin. Troubles and obstacles to your faith are inevitable, but great devastation will come to the one guilty of causing others to stumble! [8] If your hand clings to sin, cut it off and throw it away. If your foot continually steps onto sin’s path, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better for you to enter into heaven crippled and maimed than to have both hands and both feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. [9] And if your eye is always focusing on sin, pluck it out and throw it away. For it is better for you to enter into heaven with one eye than to be thrown into hell fire with two. [10] “Be careful that you not corrupt one of these little ones. For I can assure you that in heaven each of their guardian angels always sees the face of my heavenly Father.”

Because...

1 John 3:16-24 MSG
This is how we’ve come to understand and experience love: Christ sacrificed his life for us. This is why we ought to live sacrificially for our fellow believers, and not just be out for ourselves. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear. [18-20] My dear children, let’s not just talk about love; let’s practice real love. This is the only way we’ll know we’re living truly, living in God’s reality. It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. [21-24] And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him. Again, this is God’s command: to believe in his personally named Son, Jesus Christ. He told us to love each other, in line with the original command. As we keep his commands, we live deeply and surely in him, and he lives in us. And this is how we experience his deep and abiding presence in us: by the Spirit he gave us.