What does it mean to love my NEIGHBOR?
1 John 4:7-8 ESV
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Whoever loves others has been born of God & knows God.
Whoever does not love others does not know God, because God is love.
“Our love for [one another] is an indicator of the place God is holding in our hearts.”
– John Piper
How we treat others is an indicator of how we’re REALLY doing loving God.
So, then…
Who is my NEIGHBOR?
Genesis 1:26-27 ESV
26 Then God said, “Let us make man [humanity] in our image, after our likeness…
And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them.
Every person that God has created in His image, after His likeness, is my NEIGHBOR.
1 John 4:20-21 ESV
20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot [how can he] love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
“Love your NEIGHBOR as yourself.”
Jesus is talking about every, single, human relationship in your life.
Proverbs 29:18 ESV
Where there is no prophetic vision [revelation] the people cast off restraint, [are discouraged]
but blessed is he who keeps the law [instruction].
Inspiration without Instruction leads to Discouragement.
MEN →
This means loving your wife like Jesus loves His bride.
WOMEN →
Loving your NEIGHBOR means loving your husband…
Children are also your NEIGHBORS.
Love your NEIGHBOR
Loving your spouse & your kids is loving your NEIGHBOR.
Who else is my NEIGHBOR?
Our mission is to invite people into Life with Jesus.
This is Jesus’s mission.
Are there people in your life that don’t yet know Jesus?
Matthew 9:35-38 CSB
35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every [kind of] disease and every sickness [kind of sickness among the people]. 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then [Jesus] said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. 38 Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.”
What does it mean to love my NEIGHBOR?
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