HOW TO OBEY THE NEW COMMANDMENT

INTRODUCTION

THIS MORNING OUR TEXT IS FOUND IN 1 JOHN 2:7-11 AND THE TITLE OF MY MESSAGE IS, “HOW TO OBEY THE NEW COMMANDMENT.”

FIRST JOHN IS A LETTER THAT SPEAKS MUCH ABOUT LOVING GOD AS WELL AS LOVING ONE ANOTHER.

A MAN ONCE WROTE THIS LOVE LETTER TO HIS GIRL FRIEND.

WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS HOW MUCH I REGRET HAVING BROKEN OF OUR ENGAGEMENT. WILL YOU PLEASE COME BACK TO ME? YOUR ABSENCE HAS LEFT A SPACE NO ONE CAN FILL. PLEASE FORGIVE ME AND LET US START ALL OVER AGAIN, I NEED YOU SO MUCH.

YOURS FOREVER, BOB.

P.S. BY THE WAY, CONGRATULATIONS ON WINNING THAT MILLION DOLLAR LOTTERY.

HERE IN OUR TEXT WE FIND HOW THAT OUR FELLOWSHIP WITH GOD IS ALSO BASED UPON OUR LOVE FOR ONE ANOTHER.

TODAY SOME PEOPLE USE THE WORD LOVE TO REFER TO ALMOST EVERYTHING.

SOMEONE MAY SAY THAT THEY LOVE A CERTAIN KIND OF FOOD WHILE AT THE SAME TIME SAY THAT THEY LOVE THEIR HUSBAND OR WIFE.

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT GREEK LANGUAGE THERE ARE ACTUALLY THREE DIFFERENT GREEK WORDS THAT REFER TO THREE DIFFERENT KINDS OF LOVE.

1. AGAPE- SACRIFICIAL LOVE.


2. PHILEO- FRIENDSHIP LOVE.


3. EROS- EROTIC LOVE.

THE GREEKS ALSO HAD TWO WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE WORD "NEW."

ONE MEANS NEW IN TIME. THE OTHER MEANS NEW IN QUALITY.

YESTERDAY, I PERFORMED A WEDDING CEREMONY HERE AT OUR CHURCH.

THERE IS AN OLD SAYING THAT APPLIES TO THE BRIDE THAT CAN ALSO BE APPLIED TO OUR TEXT.

IT IS, "SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW, SOMETHING BORROWED, SOMETHING BLUE."

HERE IN OUR TEXT JOHN SPEAKS ABOUT THE COMMANDMENT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS SOMETHING OLD AND SOMETHING NEW.

THE COMMANDMENT IS OLD BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING THAT GOD HAS ALWAYS COMMANDED.

BUT, THE COMMANDMENT IS ALSO NEW.

THE COMMANDMENT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER IS NOT NEW IN TIME, BUT IT IS NEW IN QUALITY, BECAUSE WHAT JESUS DID ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY CAUSED IT TO TAKE ON A NEW MEANING.

AS WE EXAMINE OUR TEXT TODAY I WOULD LIKE US TO SEE HOW WE CAN OBEY GOD’S NEW COMMANDMENT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER BY DOING THREE THINGS.