Staying True To God And His Love - Introductory Lesson

Tween And Up

Matthew 22:36 - 40

Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

 This is the first and great commandment.

 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

 John 13:34 

A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love 

one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Opening Prayer:

Let Us Pray In Agreement

Father God, We come before you with praise, thank-you for your Great love with which

you have loved us.  Thank you for coming to this world, to save undeserving people like us.

You are the true light that shines in the heart of all those who believe.  Help each one here to learn

and retain the Truth of your Word.  Teach us how to love others and teach us how to love you.

In Christ, we pray this. Amen

Before we go forward into teaching this lesson I have a couple of announcements.  Be sure to pay attention and take notes so that you will be prepared to answer some questions at the end of this lesson.  Be sure to keep all your notes from week to week until the conclusion of this series.  You will use those notes to prepare for our "BIG DAY BIBLE BEE".    There will be prizes though I have not made up my mind yet what the prizes will be.  Please do not interrupt with any questions until we are open for discussion.  Thank-you.

Staying True To God And His Love

1 Corinthians 13:13

And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. 

When the bible says charity it means to love.  We've heard it said the following way, many times.  And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.  Love is so important that it involves the two greatest commandments.  The first and greatest commandment is to love God with our whole heart.  The second greatest commandment is to love others as God has loved us. 

Valentine's day,  the way the world celebrates it really has nothing to do with God.  It encourages relationships between young people before it is really necessary.  Many times it may even lead to an unwanted pregnancy.  In this careless world, millions of babies have been slaughtered because of the whims of worldly love.   That's why I have taught children to make God their valentine.  The bible teaches us to love Him with our whole heart.  Young people are vulnerable and need to put a guard over their heart and life.  God has somebody for them, and running ahead of God can cause a young person a lot of pain and sorrow.  It is important to learn, that as Christians we need to wait on God's will and purpose, especially when you are young in search of a wife or husband.   We are living in a day that young people need to hear that God made one man and a one woman in the marriage establishment.   That establishment is God's will, any other set up of marriage is not biblical and is sinful in God's site.  God wants young people to avoid any other physical relationships before the day of marriage - with the one that God has for them.   This is not the first time I've talked to young people about these things.  Years ago, I set up a pro-life exhibit in our Junior II department, over 25 years ago and talked about kids keeping their lives pure before God and waiting on the right person for marriage.   They were able to learn how a baby was formed in the womb and were taught that the killing of babies is murder.  I've taught many kids throughout these years about this crime.  This is real, you wanna know what's real?  The heartbeat of a little baby - they say is not living.  When they say that, It is obviously a lie.  If its heart is beating it is living! If it is growing it is living!

Now after saying these things, that have to be mentioned these days, what does this have to do with love?
God tells us in His Word.  If we love Him, we will keep His commandments.
John 14:15 ¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 15:12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Love is not killing innocent babies.  Love is not going against the marriage establishment that God has set up from the beginning.

Now if we have done these things, does that mean that God does not love you or me?  We will talk about this during the lesson as we go.

Valentine's day can be used in uniting the family and teaching others what real love is. That is our goal because many people today have been taught that love is something totally different than what the Bible teaches.

I've started this introduction, talking about the greatest of all the commandments. These two commandments involve all ten commandments.  By knowing the ten commandments we become aware of what sin is.  When we understand that we are sinners, is when we can truly understand the love of God.

Now that we have talked about the greatest commandments.  I would like to turn our focus upon one of the greatest prophets of scripture.  This may be very surprising to you that we would mention a Baptist as one of the greatest mentioned in scripture.  He is the only one mentioned in scripture as the greatest of prophets born among women. Believe it or not, the message that John the Baptist preached was a message of love.  John preached against unfaithfulness in the marriage relationship.  He preached repentance from all sinful lust.   He lived a life of sacrifice and he preached the truth in love and he was hated for it.  People hated John and spoke to him and about him with viperous tongues.  That's why John called them vipers, but in the same breath, He explained, that He was trying to tell them something very important. He wanted to tell them about Jesus.  John the Baptist introduced to the world the Greatest Love Of All.  A love that goes beyond all human reasoning, beyond all human understanding.  Jesus is the light in which we can see the love of God.

Not too long ago we celebrated Christmas and we sang the songs of Christ's birth, the birth of God's only begotten, Son.  There has never been a greater Valentine to people.  There has never been
a bigger, I Love You than the day God himself came down to earth.  He came to live among us and to die for us.  He came to provide salvation to all who believe. Jesus taught people how to love each other, how to be faithful and how to love God.

We also learn what love is not. love is not lust, love is not betrayal, love does not come easy, love is not selfish, love does not purposely hurt someone, love is never evil. love is not misleading,  The world's love is not God's kind of love.

In conclusion, I speak of Jesus, twelve years old, already very knowledgeable of scriptures, a tween,
in the synagogue teaching the teachers.  He was still under the authority of His parents.  He was becoming a leader.  He grew in favor with God and man.  He knew right from wrong and He knew the right kind of love.  He obeyed the authority of his parents and He loved them.  They knew when He was born that He was the Messiah and He would lead a different kind of life. I'm not sure why this Incident was mentioned in scripture out of everything Jesus did, but one of the things that came to my mind is that Jesus was missing for three days.  His parents sorrowed after him for three days. They searched for him for three days without any modern day technology. "They had to ask people, "Have you seen my Son?  Will you help us find him?   Jesus was without sin and is called the spotless lamb of God in scriptures.  So we know the reasons for this happening is to teach us something.  Maybe it was for more than one reason, one being parents who loved their child and sought after Him until they found him and to teach us that it was nearing the time that Jesus would certainly have to leave them to do the will of God the Father.  Joseph and Mary definitely loved Jesus and cared for him.

We've been given the example of love through Jesus.  The word of God teaches us what real love is and it also teaches us what empty love is.

Let us be true to God and his love.  If you as a Christian, have drifted into the world and its view of love, return now to your first love. God is merciful and will forgive.  Repentance is of the Lord, if you are willing, the Lord will restore you to a right heart and mind.   You know what?  God tells us, to restore such a one in the spirit of meekness.  We know then, that God's love seeks to restore those that have drifted away.  He does not throw his babies away.  He has never left you... you left him and he wants you back, just like the prodigals father who was so joyous to see his wayward son return home.

God is love and there is no greater love than His.

Father God, I pray that you will work a miracle of love in someone's heart today.  Someone who feels unlovable, Someone who needs to know your forgiveness.  I pray they will learn of your great, great love.  I pray Father, that you will use this introductory lesson in the heart of those listening. If anyone here has never trusted you as Saviour,  I pray you would open their heart today to understand your Word.  You are the Greatest Valentine Lord - There is No Greater Love  Than Yours.  Thank-You God, for loving us help us to love you more.  Bind Satan and his evil devices.

In Christ Jesus Name I Pray - Amen

 2 Corinthians 7:10

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.

Romans 2:4 

Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

 Ephesians 2:4 

 But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us

Luke 7:28

For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Luke 2:43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.

Luke 2:46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.

 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.

And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.

 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?

  

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