The Lord's Love
The sermon emphasizes the importance of loving one another, just as God loves us, and invites listeners to dwell in love and thereby dwell in God.
Mary Wilder Tileston preaches about the profound love of God and the importance of reflecting that love by loving one another. She emphasizes that by showing love to one another, we demonstrate that we are true disciples of Jesus. Tileston encourages the congregation to come to Jesus, who offers rest to those who are weary and burdened, and to find light, life, and compassion in Him. She highlights that dwelling in love allows us to dwell in God, who desires the happiness of all His creatures.
Text
Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought to love one another.
1 JOHN 4:11
By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
JOHN 13:35
Do I find love so full in my nature, God's ultimate gift,
That I doubt His own love can compete with it? Here, the parts shift?
Here, the creature surpass the Creator,--the end, what Began?
Would I fain in my impotent yearning do all for this man,
>And dare doubt He alone shall not help him, who yet alone can?
ROBERT BROWNING
"COME unto me," says the holy Jesus, "all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you." Beg of Him to be the light and life of your soul; love the sound of His name; for Jesus is the love, the sweetness, the compassionate goodness of the Deity itself; which became man, that so men might have the power to become the sons of God. Love, and pity, and wish well to every soul in the world; dwell in love and then you dwell in God.
WILLIAM LAW
The Lord's love is the love of communicating all that He has to all His creatures; for He desires the happiness of all; and a similar love prevails in those who love Him, because the Lord is in them.
EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Love
- The Nature of God's Love
- The Call to Love
- The Character of God's Love
- Communicating all that He has to all creatures
- Desiring the happiness of all
Key Quotes
“Do I find love so full in my nature, God's ultimate gift, That I doubt His own love can compete with it?” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“Love, and pity, and wish well to every soul in the world; dwell in love and then you dwell in God.” — Mary Wilder Tileston
“The Lord's love is the love of communicating all that He has to all His creatures; for He desires the happiness of all;” — Mary Wilder Tileston
Application Points
- We should strive to love one another with the same love that God has for us.
- We can show love to others by being kind, compassionate, and willing to help those in need.
- By dwelling in love, we can experience the power to become sons of God and find true happiness.