Expanding Your Love Limits
Intro:
1. ILL: Ampius - Larger.
2. We are proud of the fact that we are a loving, caring congregation.
3. We ought not to be complacent - but we need to expand our love.
4. One of the goals of the Christian life is to grow in love!
Philippians 1:9-11
I. v9 - The Extent of the Growth
A. It must overflow.
1. Abound more & more (καὶ μα̂λλον περισσεύῃ) = More than enough, excessive.
2. ILL: You turn the water on to do dishes & then get sidetracked. The water abounds more & more!
3. The goal is for your love to increase consistently & continually.
B. It must overflow in knowledge.
1. Knowledge (eπίγνωσις) = an enhanced knowledge based on your personal experience.
2. The first time you give unselfishly & sacrificially it’s hard to do - but the next time it becomes easier.
3. Each unselfish giving experience produces enough joy to encourage that same act of love next time.
C. It must have depth of insight.
1. Love, God’s style, is an intelligent act of your will.
a. When you see someone in need & try to satisfy that need, your emotions may not be that much involved - your emotions may follow the act of giving.
b. Most of us base our love on emotions - God bases His love on need!
2. Love, God’s style, is sacrificial.
a. We follow our Lord’s example.
b. The Father gave the most precious thing He had - His son.
c. The Lord gave the most precious thing He had - His life.
d. God wants you to be able to give whatever it takes to satisfy a need.
II. v10 - The Reason for the Growth
A. So that you can discover what really matters.
1. Establishing relationships count more than the accumulation of things!
a. Dad would give anything for little Billy not to be in prison - but did little to direct Billy in his formative years.
b. A woman is devastated by her divorce but did very little to build a relationship with her husband when she was married.
2. Our worldly society pressures you to have your priorities all messed up.
a. Do you spend as much time developing character in your child as you do making enough money to get him the things you never had when you were a kid?
b. Do you spend as much time studying the Word, praying & witnessing as you do in recreation?
B. So that you may be pure.
1. Pure (εiλικρινής) = comes from the words “sunshine” & “judge”.
2. The idea is that God wants to inspect you like a jeweler would inspect a diamond in natural light.
3. God wants you to continue growing into a pure image pleasing in His eyes.
C. So that you may be blameless.
1. Blameless (aπρόσκοπος) = someone who is not a rock in someone else’s path - Not causing someone to stumble. (Rom 14:13)
2. ILL: The Meat Eating/Observance Day Question in Rom 14:1-23. (Gen 9:2-3 & Act 10:13-16)
D. So that you would be ready for the Day of Christ.
1. The “Day of Christ” is His Second Coming.
2. ILL: The Judgment Scene (Matt 25:31-46).
III. v11 - The Means of the Growth
A. By allowing the Holy Spirit to produce the fruit of righteousness in you.
1. Gal 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
2. If you remain loyal to the Lord Jesus by obeying His word & trusting Him - He will produce the fruit!
B. The fruit that is produced is to be used for God’s praise & glory!
1. Eph 2:10 - For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
2. When you do the good works, you are praising & glorifying the Lord through your actions.
Are you ready to expand your love limits this morning. Think of ways to expand your love beyond its present level so God will be honored by your life!
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