Building Relationships on the Foundation of Agape Love
Summary
Building a life and relationships on the foundation of Jesus Christ requires more than just a superficial understanding of love. Today, we explored the different types of love as expressed in the Greek language, which offers a richer and more nuanced understanding than our English word "love." We discussed phileo, storge, and eros, each representing different facets of love—brotherly, familial, and romantic, respectively. However, none of these alone are sufficient to sustain a marriage or any meaningful relationship. The love that truly transforms and sustains is agape—unconditional and sacrificial love, as demonstrated by Jesus Christ.
Agape love is the cornerstone of a life built on Christ. It is the love that God has for us, and it is the love that we are called to extend to others. This love is not just a feeling or a concept; it is an action, a commitment to love others as Christ loves us. In 1 John 3:16-18, we are reminded that love is not merely words but is demonstrated through actions and truth. This love rescues us from selfishness and enables us to love truly and deeply.
For those who are married, your relationship has the potential to be a living testimony of the gospel. It is a profound mystery that reflects the love between Christ and the Church. To nurture this, invest in your relationship with God, your spouse, and then everything else. Prioritize your marriage as a display of the good news of Jesus.
For those in a season of singleness, this time is a unique opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and to serve others. Singleness is not a deficiency but a chance to express God's love more broadly. Focus on what you can give in relationships rather than what you can get, and see this time as a gift to grow in love for God and others.
Ultimately, true love, as shown by God, rescues us from inadequate, self-centered love and empowers us to love others genuinely. By following Jesus' example, we can build our lives and relationships on a foundation that will endure.
Key Takeaways:
1. Agape Love as the Foundation: Agape love, characterized by its unconditional and sacrificial nature, is the foundation upon which we should build our lives and relationships. It is the love that God has for us and the love that we are called to extend to others. This love is not just a feeling but an action that requires commitment and sacrifice. [11:02]
2. Marriage as a Gospel Testimony: Marriage has the potential to be a living testimony of the gospel. It reflects the profound mystery of Christ's love for the Church. To nurture this, prioritize your relationship with God and your spouse, allowing your marriage to be a display of the good news of Jesus. [28:36]
3. Singleness as an Opportunity: Singleness is not a deficiency but a unique opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and serve others. It allows for a broader expression of God's love and should be seen as a gift to grow in love for God and others. [32:04]
4. Love in Action: Love is not merely a concept or feeling but requires action. It is demonstrated through our willingness to serve and sacrifice for others, following the example of Jesus. This love rescues us from selfishness and enables us to love truly and deeply. [05:56]
5. Prioritizing Relationships: In building a life on Christ, prioritize your relationship with God first, then your spouse, and then everything else. This order ensures that your life and relationships are grounded in the love and truth of Jesus, allowing them to thrive and reflect His love to the world. [17:42]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:30] - Introduction and Encouragement
- [03:45] - Prayer and Series Overview
- [05:56] - Understanding Different Types of Love
- [11:02] - Agape Love: The True Foundation
- [14:30] - Practical Insights for Marriage
- [17:42] - The Promise of Marriage
- [21:00] - Personal Story: The Pot Roast Debacle
- [24:15] - Challenges and Triumphs in Marriage
- [28:36] - Prioritizing Relationships
- [32:04] - Singleness as a Gift
- [35:00] - Love in Action
- [38:20] - Final Thoughts and Prayer
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
- 1 John 3:16-18
- 1 John 4:7-11
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Observation Questions:
1. What are the different types of love discussed in the sermon, and how do they differ from each other? [05:56]
2. According to 1 John 3:16-18, how is love demonstrated, and what does this imply about the nature of true love?
3. How does the sermon describe the role of agape love in building a life and relationships on the foundation of Jesus Christ? [11:02]
4. What practical steps are suggested in the sermon for nurturing a marriage to reflect the gospel? [28:36]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the concept of agape love challenge the common understanding of love in today's culture? [11:02]
2. In what ways can marriage serve as a living testimony of the gospel, according to the sermon? [28:36]
3. How does the sermon suggest that singleness can be viewed as an opportunity rather than a deficiency? [32:04]
4. What does it mean to prioritize relationships in the order of God, spouse, and then everything else, and how might this impact one's life? [28:36]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current relationships. How can you incorporate agape love into them, and what specific actions can you take this week to demonstrate this love? [11:02]
2. If you are married, what steps can you take to ensure your marriage reflects the gospel? Consider practical ways to invest in your relationship with God and your spouse. [28:36]
3. For those who are single, how can you use this season to deepen your relationship with God and serve others? What specific opportunities can you pursue this week? [32:04]
4. Think about a recent situation where you acted out of selfish love. How could you have responded differently with agape love, and what will you do next time? [11:02]
5. How can you prioritize your relationship with God in your daily life? Identify one habit or practice you can start or improve to strengthen this relationship. [28:36]
6. Consider the relationships in your life. Are there any that need to be re-prioritized according to the order of God, spouse, and then everything else? What changes can you make to align with this priority? [28:36]
7. Reflect on the idea that love is not just a feeling but requires action. What is one specific way you can put love into action in your community or church this week? [05:56]
Devotional
Day 1: Agape Love as the Foundation
Building a life and relationships on the foundation of Jesus Christ requires understanding and practicing agape love. Unlike other forms of love, agape is unconditional and sacrificial, mirroring the love God has for humanity. It is not merely an emotion but a deliberate action and commitment to love others as Christ loves us. This love calls us to move beyond superficial expressions and to engage in acts of service and sacrifice, reflecting the true nature of God's love. Agape love is transformative, rescuing us from self-centeredness and enabling us to love deeply and genuinely. [11:02]
1 John 4:9-11 (ESV): "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
Reflection: Identify a relationship in your life where you can practice agape love. What specific action can you take today to demonstrate this unconditional and sacrificial love?
Day 2: Marriage as a Gospel Testimony
Marriage is a profound mystery that reflects the love between Christ and the Church. It is a living testimony of the gospel, showcasing the depth and commitment of Christ's love. To nurture this sacred bond, prioritize your relationship with God and your spouse, allowing your marriage to be a display of the good news of Jesus. This requires intentional investment in your spiritual life and your partnership, ensuring that your marriage is grounded in love and truth. By doing so, your marriage becomes a beacon of hope and a testament to the transformative power of God's love. [28:36]
Ephesians 5:31-32 (ESV): "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church."
Reflection: How can you intentionally invest in your marriage this week to reflect the love of Christ? Consider one practical step you can take to prioritize your relationship with your spouse.
Day 3: Singleness as an Opportunity
Singleness is not a deficiency but a unique opportunity to deepen your relationship with God and serve others. It allows for a broader expression of God's love and should be seen as a gift to grow in love for God and others. This season provides the freedom to focus on spiritual growth and to engage in acts of service, reflecting God's love in diverse ways. Embrace this time as a chance to cultivate a deeper understanding of God's purpose for your life and to contribute meaningfully to the lives of those around you. [32:04]
1 Corinthians 7:32-34 (ESV): "I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife, and his interests are divided."
Reflection: In what ways can you use your season of singleness to serve others and deepen your relationship with God? Identify one specific area where you can focus your efforts this week.
Day 4: Love in Action
Love is not merely a concept or feeling but requires action. It is demonstrated through our willingness to serve and sacrifice for others, following the example of Jesus. This love rescues us from selfishness and enables us to love truly and deeply. By actively choosing to love others, we reflect the heart of God and participate in His redemptive work in the world. Love in action is a powerful testimony of faith, inviting others to experience the transformative power of God's love. [05:56]
James 2:15-17 (ESV): "If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."
Reflection: Think of a practical way you can put love into action today. Who in your community or circle of influence can you serve, and how will you do it?
Day 5: Prioritizing Relationships
In building a life on Christ, prioritize your relationship with God first, then your spouse, and then everything else. This order ensures that your life and relationships are grounded in the love and truth of Jesus, allowing them to thrive and reflect His love to the world. By keeping God at the center, you create a strong foundation for all other relationships, enabling them to flourish in a way that honors Him. This intentional prioritization is key to living a life that is both fulfilling and impactful. [17:42]
Matthew 6:33 (ESV): "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."
Reflection: Evaluate the current priorities in your life. What adjustments can you make to ensure that your relationship with God is at the forefront, influencing all other relationships and decisions?
Quotes
If we're going to use the right building materials to build our marriages and relationships, then there are some things that are going to transfer that are going to be true for those of us who are married and for those of us who are single. So before we begin building, I said we needed to have the right tools. [00:03:45]
None of these are able to sustain your house in order, but there is an element of love. The word, love, that we see primarily throughout scripture over and over and over again. The love that describes God, the love that describes his actions, the love that describes how we are to live and love one another is the word agape. [00:09:34]
Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth. What John is telling us here is that love isn't a concept. Love is a person, right? Love is not just some sort of romantic ideal that we buy cards around or set aside certain days. [00:10:52]
True love, God, rescues us from a inadequate, from our own version of love, from a love that's just focused on our own self-worth or our own needs or things like that. It rescues us from that selfish love so that we may love truly. So that our love for one another, for our love for our spouse, our love for those that we're dating, our love for the men and women that are around us in life, that it may be transformed into a love that looks more real. [00:11:02]
Real practical about our marriages. There's only one promise in all of Scripture about marriage, and it's found in 1 Corinthians 7, 28. It says this, but those who marry will face many troubles in this life, right? I want you to let that soak in, okay? That's the only promise God has given us about marriage. [00:13:05]
Only agape love is of a significant love to build your life on because it is based in God. It is demonstrated to us by Jesus Christ. So turn over one chapter from 1 John 3 to 1 John 4. [00:17:42]
John continues his discussion here on love. And here's what he tells us. He says, Dear friends, let us love one another because love is from God, and everyone who loves, has been born of God and knows God. Some of you who grew up in the church, you may have memorized this passage. [00:17:55]
Each and every one of us, those of us who are in Christ, the gospel of John says that if we're going to live the life in spirit and truth, if we're going to live the life that God has for us, then we need to be born again. We have a new life. We have a new life. We have a new life. We have a new life. [00:18:55]
When we look to where love comes from, it doesn't come from our feelings. It comes directly from the source, which is God. Our lives are to bear witness to God's love for the world. Our new lives in Christ bear witness to the love of God that God has for the world. [00:22:48]
Your marriage has the potential to display the gospel to everyone that you have in contact with because marriage is supposed to be good news there's a mystery to it right the apostle paul says that uh and the apostle paul says that when he looks to the relationship between the church and god that when a man and a woman leave their families to start a new family to be joined together with one another to submit to one another that there's some sort of profound mystery that is going on there that points directly to how god loves each and every one of us so your marriage has the potential to display that good news. [00:28:36]
Your kids follow behind your relationship between God and your spouse. I mean, it's your God, your spouse, and then everyone else, right? Including your kids. That's what I'm talking about. I'm the yes parent in our house. We'll go to the grocery store and it's like, hey, can we get this box of 45 Doritos? [00:29:06]
Maybe change your perspective from, okay, how's this relationship going to fulfill myself, and begin to think, okay, how can I serve others? I love the scripture that says Jesus came to serve, not to be served, right? Maybe you ought to change your perspective from yourself to serving others, and then think about not what you lack. [00:32:50]
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