Bible Study Notes 2000
Abounding In Love 02 May 2000
1 & 2 Thessalonians
A. The Thessalonian church as an example of love
"But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia.” 4:9,10
B. Different aspects of love
1. “brotherly love”
"But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you,...” 4:9
2. "love for one another"
"for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;..." 4:10
3. “labour of love”
“...remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father,...” 1:3
C. Going deeper...abounding in love
1. "make you increase"
"And may the Lord make you increase..." 3:12
2. "abound in love"
"and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you,..." 3:12
3. "very highly in love"
"And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves." 5:12-13
D. The factors needed to abound in love
1. The need for faith
"...your work of faith and labour of love." 1:3 (cf. 1 Th 3:6, 2 Th 1:3)
2. The need for God to teach us.
"for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;..." 4:9
3. The need to pray for a deeper kind of love
"And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all,..." 3:12
"Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God..." 2 Th 3:5
Let's be challenged to cultivate the kind of love that God looks for. Let's really learn to abound in our love for one another.