This past weekend we had our Drawing Near to God conference. For those of you who are not familiar with our ministry, check us out. Our theme was unity, and as one of the keynote speakers, my topic was Christ’s love which is the basis for all true unity. It was His radical love for us that held Him on the cross.
Tina Turner wrote a song called: “What’s Love Have to Do With It?”
In 1984 it was the second biggest single in the US and in Rolling Stone magazine ranked in the 500 greatest song of all time! One of the lines says: “ love is just a second-hand emotion.”
So what was she saying? Coming off of a divorce from an abusive marriage, Tina was dumbing down love to a second-hand emotion. She was disillusioned with love. She had experienced a love that failed. Natural love will fail us but God’s love never fails.
What does God’s Word say about love?
That while we were yet sinners, dirty, messy, hopeless… Jesus died for us, picked us up and showed us what true love is; unconditional, agape supernatural love.
Natural love has a limited supply.
Agape love is limitless.
Agape love supersedes natural love.
- You can’t drum it up
- You can’t fake it
- You can’t pretend
- AGAPE love comes from the heart of God and never runs out
- Agape love never fails
Friends, we can try and fake it ’til we make it but in the long haul we will burn out. Abiding in the love of Christ, filling up with His love, is the answer. There is freedom when He loves through us. Selfless acts of kindness will be the norm and joy will follow. We can work ourselves to death trying to love others the best we can, but our love will fail. Only the love of Christ is sustainable.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. ( I Corinthians 13:4-8)
