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1 John 约翰一书 3:18 – Scripture Reading

18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

18 小子们哪，我们相爱，不要只在言语和舌头上，总要在行为和诚实上。

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2025

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(Read Together)

A long time ago I remember being introduced to an older woman who grew up in the church. She served the church in different areas with her husband and ended up facing conflict. That conflict stuck with her to where she felt unloved and she found it hard to go back to the church. Eventually, she stopped going to church all together because she was not ever able to deal with that hurt and pain.

It wasn’t until our youth group went to her house to help them clean the property that she interacted with other believers. To see a smile on her face was rewarding. She got to experience the goodness of the church yet again. She was extremely appreciative. She never gave up on GOD, but she did give up on the bride of Christ.

Christians won’t always behave the way JESUS would want us to, sometimes we will make mistakes and hurt someone. It’s a good thing that we don’t worship the church, but that the church worship’s JESUS.

The Bible teaches us about confrontation, and forgiveness, and restoration… It for sure mentions Love being powerful.

Let’s look at 1 John 3 together to set the tone for our year focus on ‘Loving One Another”.

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1 John 3:16-20

16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?

16 主为我们舍命，我们从此就知道何为爱，我们也当为弟兄舍命。 17 凡有世上财物的，看见弟兄穷乏，却塞住怜恤的心，爱神的心怎能存在他里面呢？

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1 John 3:16-20

18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 18 小子们哪，我们相爱，不要只在言语和舌头上，总要在行为和诚实上。

2. To Love One Another… We Must Love Sincerely.

Our theme verse reminds us (the church) that we can for sure just give lip-service to the Lord sometimes and especially to each other… (Lip-service = flattery, words spoken but not truly meant)

Two of the Greatest weaknesses that can cause Christ’s Church to become in-effective is it’s “lack of love and forgiveness.”

1 Corinthians 13:1-8

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.

How can we say we are following JESUS well, if we don’t have a sincere love for brothers and sisters in His church?

Sometimes people will hurt us… Sometimes our circumstances may discourage us… Sometimes our own sin creates a messy situation… Sometimes its not intentional…

Will we love one another? Will we be angry and hold grudges against each other? Will we live in an understanding way with each other? Will we give the benefit of the doubt, that maybe we don’t know the full picture of that situation or person and therefore hold back our judgement?

The hardest thing against the testimony of Jesus is that we give lip service, but in our actions and convictions, we don’t love by the truth of GOD. These actions of love are so deep rooted in the truth of GOD and His love for us that we experience that it compels us to love others. Especially His church.

No greater way to see and show GOD’s powerful work than when He is working through His church to love each other. It’s a love that is not natural to humanity. It something experienced when in Christ.

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1 John 3:16-20

19 And by this we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.

19 从此，就知道我们是属真理的，并且我们的心在神面前可以安稳。20 我们的心若责备我们，神比我们的心大，一切事没有不知道的。

3. Loving One another… Is a Life pattern of a true believer.

Our salvation in JESUS is not based on how well we will perform or how poorly we love. Our salvation is based on the perfect work of the Perfect GOD and King Jesus. He is our savior.

But… A true believer in JESUS will have a love for God and for others around them. Our lives as believers are characterized by our love.

Thankfully if we struggle to love, our sometimes poor actions don’t remove our salvation, but our salvation in JESUS spurs us along to know love and show love to others… especially how we love each other.

This year lets work on this together.

We need each other. And although the church itself is not perfect, our Lord and Savior Who gave His life for the church thought it was worth it to do so. Are willing to give our lives to the Lord and for each other?

What are things the you need to give up? What are things that you need to make right?

Let’s allow the power of God to be on display among us, and to those looking in, through the way we love each other in action and truth.

Nothing can stop Gods Love shining through His church.