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Biblical references in Gahanna-Jefferson Church of Christ's nondenominational sermon outlines are linked directly to text of the King James version of the Bible. Bible quotes you hear in the streaming audio may be from the New King James version of the Bible.
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Introduction.
1. The apostle Paul was a man who loved his brethren
a. He loved his CO-WORKERS -
Philemon 1-2
b. He loved the CONGREGATIONS he worked with -
2 Corinthians
11:28
c. Because of his love, he was willing to give of himself and become close to
them - 2 Corinthians 12:14-15
2. The passage in
2 Corinthians 12:15 indicates that sometimes Paul's affection was
one-sided; he elaborated on this in
2 Corinthians 6:11-13
a. Paul's heart was "wide open" towards the Corinthians -
11
b. But their love for him was "restricted" -
12
c. His exhortation, therefore, was "be open"! -
13
Body.
I. WHY WE NEED HEARTS WIDE OPEN?
A. BROTHERLY LOVE IS A MARK OF TRUE DISCIPLESHIP
1. Note what Jesus said about brethren loving one another in
John
13:34-35.
2. Such love would be a visible sign by which the world would know Christ's true
disciples
3. People with "restricted hearts" would have a difficult time displaying a
visible love!
B. BROTHERLY LOVE IS AN INDICATION OF SPIRITUAL GROWTH
1. Peter lists brotherly kindness (and love) among those graces involved in
growing in the knowledge of Jesus Christ -
2 Peter 1:5-8
2. Whereas having a "restricted heart" is an indication of:
b. Or spiritual ailments (short-sighted, even to blindness) -
2 Peter 1:9
C. BROTHERLY LOVE IS AN ASSURANCE OF OUR SALVATION
1. It is one way that we know
we have passed from death to live -
1 John 3:16-19
2. The one who truly loves is
one who is born of God -
1 John 4:7-8
3. Having "restricted hearts" would not be very reassuring in light of such
verses!
II. WHY SOME HAVE RESTRICTED HEARTS
A. IT MIGHT BE DUE TO IGNORANCE
1. Some Christians may not have been give proper follow-up
2. Their follow-up may have been unbalanced
a. With an emphasis upon the externals
b. To the neglect of the internals
3. This cannot be our excuse
any longer -
1 John 4:20-21
B. IT MIGHT BE THE RESULT OF SPIRITUAL AMNESIA
1. As Peter indicated in
2 Peter 1:9
2. Which occurs when we:
a. Forget God's love for us in purging us from our sins -
2 Peter 1:9
b. Do not apply all diligence -
2 Peter 1:5,10
3. With the passing of time, we may simply forget how important love is in the
mind of God -
1 Corinthians 13:13
C. IT MIGHT BE WE HAVE SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET
1. Some people refuse to get close to others for fear some hidden secret may
became known
2. If we have such skeletons in the closet, we had better get rid of them!
a. For they will eventually become known -
Numbers 32:23
b. It may be now or later, but it will come out
- 1 Timothy 5:24
3. With skeletons removed, we won't mind how well people know us
a. Besides, no one is
perfect, and we can use the help brethren can give -
Galatians 6:1-2
b. Of course, this requires that brethren be trustworthy and not gossip!
D. IT MIGHT BE WE HAVE A FEAR OF GETTING HURT
1. Loving does involve the risk of rejection
2. Paul experienced rejection,
not only at Corinth, but also at Rome -
2 Timothy 4:16
3. But the joy of true fellowship and love can more than make up for the few
times some may reject us
a. The apostle John had experienced both love and rejection
- 3 John 1-4, 9-11
b. But if he had never taken the risk of running into a Diotrophes, he would
have never found a "Gaius"!
E. IT MIGHT BE THAT TRUE CONVERSION HAS NOT TAKEN PLACE
1. As indicated before,
brotherly love is an assurance of salvation; similarly, it is an
indication of true conversion! -
1 John 3:14-15
2. Unfortunately, some people simply go through the form of conversion
a. Conforming, not converted
b. Out of convenience, not conviction
c. When this happens, there is no life to begin with!
3. Those with restricted hearts might need to examine themselves
a. A process that all
Christians should undergo periodically -
2 Corinthians 13:5
b. While there are reasons why true Christians may not love as they should, we
can't discount the possibility that the problem may be more serious!
III. SUGGESTIONS FOR HAVING HEARTS WIDE OPEN
A. LET GOD'S LOVE TEACH YOU
1. This is what enabled the Thessalonians to excel in love
- 1 Thessalonians 4:9
2. So take to contemplate upon God's love for you!
a. As manifested through the blessings He has bestowed upon you
b. Especially the blessing
of being His child! -
1 John 3:1
c. And the blessing of Jesus
as our propitiation -
1 John 4:9-10
3. This will help motivate us
to love as we ought -
1 John 4:9-11
B. NEVER BE CONTENT WITH THE PRESENT STATE OF YOUR LOVE
1. Paul did not let the
Thessalonians rest on their laurels -
1 Thessalonians 4:10
2. The key idea is to increase
more and more; or as Peter would say, abound -
2 Peter 1:8
3. So we need to look for more people and more ways to express our love
C. LOVE TAKES TIME, SO TAKE TIME TO LOVE
1. Take advantage of opportunities to be with brethren
a. Accept invitations
b. To people's homes, potlucks, church services, gospel meetings
2. Make opportunities to be with brethren
a. Offer invitations
Conclusion.
1. What is the condition of our heart?
a. Is it restricted, suffering from spiritual hardening of the arteries?
1) Where the love of God is hindered from freely flowing?
2) By the plaques of ignorance, selfishness, hypocrisy?
b. Or is it wide open?
1) Where God's love flows freely
2) Nourishing not only our own lives, but the lives of those around us!
2. For those who may not yet be Christians
a. Consider God's love for you, which is wide open in Jesus Christ
- John 3:16
b. Why not open wide your love for God by keeping His commandments? -
1 John 5:3,
John 14:15
-- Don Treadway,
December
2002 --
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