Share the Love - Discovering Your Spiritual Love Language, Part 1

Most Christians I mean struggle sharing your vague often because they assume there's only 1 Right Way to do it will guess what there's numerous ways to effectively share your faith and there's one that's made just right for you today to look at several different approaches to sharing God's love people you care about and you'll find that God is made you and he's designed you to share his love its natural, authentic, powerful, don't miss that's today welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge shipping group Living on the Edge features the Bible to this daily discipleship program continuing a series. Share the love by dispelling the myth that there's only one way to talk about Jesus. In fact, save each of our senses love allows us to naturally talk about after the teaching to join us here in studio with some additional insights about how this all works right now it's join him for his talk discovering your spiritual love language.

Second Corinthians chapter 51 to lean back in your seat when she can let your mind emotions all sorta get cured in one central spot.

I want you to think about what will come into your mind as I say, God loves you what thoughts come what emotions honestly. For some it's like peace and comfort, reassurance for others it's it's a fact. I intellectually believe it but I don't feel it very much were down deep.

I don't think he could really love me. I'm unlovable for others it's like this sentence. This truth, but it's nebulous, not concrete.

You can get your arms around it's okay he loves me but I want to experience it. And then there some of you but every time you hear God loves you. There's a response instantaneously of warmth and strength and power and a sense of fortitude that I can face whatever comes my way.

When ever comes my way, whomever comes my way. Circumstances and relationships because God loves me and is for me. Who could be against me.

That's what I long for in my life but I think were all on a journey there. Sometimes we think that it's just intellectual issue, but often we experience his love the most. When we needed the most. King David writes about his experience of God's love. This is a man who was promised to be king and finds himself dodging spears hiding in caves and having his life threatened, this is Amanda had more opportunity with God. But in a weak moment commits adultery and then get the contract murder set up and lives with that shame hidden for over year. But when David wants to talk about what his experience of God's love. It's not vague it's not nebulous. He writes in Psalm 103 the Lord is compassionate. He's gracious Lord, slow to anger, he's bounding, multiplying and steadfast loyal love, he would say in the midst of his failure. He doesn't deal with us according to our sins and doesn't reward us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is God's steadfast, loyal, unmovable love toward those who fear him, the apostle John when he was putting his arms around what it means to be loved by God, the last of the apostles on an island of Patmos.

All the others had been martyred. Life's been hard. Persecution is been real. His life threatened and he would write in first John four. There is no fear in love because perfect love casts out fear. We love because he first loved us.

When I try and get my arms around God loves Chip. Here's the statement that I go over in my mind. God loves you his love is constant unconditional, infinite, undeserved and always seeking your highest and best interests. I personalize that God's love for me is constant heat. God never has a bad day he's never moody. It's unconditional. He loves you when you blown it. He loves you and you're doing great.

It's infinite for reasons totally apart from anything you've ever done or ever will do.

He has chosen you and your the object of his affection. Your precious to him and he wants to express and always give you the very highest and best.

Often he gives us commands we don't like and ask us to do things that are hard and surrender in ways that are difficult out of his laugh to make sure we get the best in relationships to make sure we get the best the future because he's a father child and you matter God's love is a just passive, though it turns into traction and action when you really love someone, you gotta do something so the love of God's love forgives our sin is love removes her's shame. His love heals our wounds and diverse new life out of God's loving provides strength for today it out of his love, there's hope for tomorrow out of his love, he gives you power to change and break addictions and make radical changes because you know your secure because he cares because he won't let you down, and he gives peace to your soul sharing the love begins with experiencing it firsthand at this very moment, God deeply, passionately loves and wants to help everyone you know the God that I just described. The God forgave David of adultery and murder.

The God who John would say, in the midst of all of life, perfect love cast out fear that God deeply, passionately loves every person you know every person in your family every person in your neighborhood.

Every person at work every person at soccer practice and baseball practice every person you ride mountain bikes with every person you do software stuff with him and he loves them. He loves them. It's not if it's at this very moment. So ask yourself, how will they know he loves them, who will show them who will tell them segment is chapter 5 will pick it up in verse 17, because that's where most of us have lived something radical is happened were in Christ. So in verse 17 says therefore if anyone is in Christ is a new creation the old has passed away. The new has come. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting men's trespasses against them, and he's committed to us this message.

This message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors were his representatives were the bridge between his on failing, unconditional, steadfast, loyal love, and the people that we know all the hurts that they have just like us. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you, for Christ's sake, be reconciled to God. God made him Jesus, who knew no sin to be sin or a sin offering, so that we in him might become the very righteousness of God. What I want to talk with you about is how you can become a bridge to eternity. I want to help everyone in this room discover what I call your spiritual love language what I can tell you historically what I can tell you in terms of America is only about 1/10 or 2/10 Christians.

Followers of Christ, actively, intentionally and regularly share the love of God with other people and I think there's a reason for that.

I think some of us think there's only one what you can do it. The Bible doesn't give us just one way I'm getting give you six ways from Scripture, their six different love languages and there's none that are better than the others, but what I want you to know is there's imagine if you will like six different kinds of shoes in your foot will fit into a different kind of shoe there is a natural normal way that God has made you and prepared for you to share his love with other people and you don't have to be Billy Graham. You don't have to be Luis Palau you had to be n-gram lot you at the beach, Beth Moore, you can just be you and there's a way that fits your personality, the way God made you in the relationships that you have where you can share his love and want to go through them briefly and here's what I want you to do. I don't want you just to discover your spiritual love language. I want you to walk out here saying this week I'm going to take some steps to take this infinite undeserved love that I've experienced capacity on okay 00 do that again. Are you ready are all okay get out of 10. Let's go. Let's look at with six biblical love languages God gives us in one kind of church history and culture number one is what I call Peter's direct approach.

This approach is for those who personally have the spiritual gift of evangelism are often an outgoing, bold personality, they can clearly articulate to articulate the message of who Jesus is and you can often do this with people you never met you can boldly clearly share the gospel answer questions. Do it in a caring and non-pushy way with gentleness and respect.

And it just seems natural to you. This is acts chapter 2 Peter despite his personal fears.

All these people are now speaking in unknown languages, declaring the glory of God and the people say these people are drunk at beaver says no it's not o'clock in the morning and he steps up and does what he never dreamed he could do it. He says this one, whom you crucified is both Lord and Christ in the Scripture says they were pierced to the heart. What shall we do, he says repent and believe in the name of Jesus and 3000 people come to Christ. I don't think Peter ever saw himself doing but in that moment. It's a direct approach.

It's not just with large group member Philip Philip is walking.

God said I want to go in and there's this Ethiopian in the chariot and he's just listening and said you understand what you're saying because now how can I he gets up, he's never met him before.

Clearly, directly explains Isaiah 53 45. The man trust Christ and a few miles down the road is baptized in full.

There's some of you that are just gifted to clearly boldly talk to people, something you've never known and sometimes as an outgoing personality. Sometimes it's a spiritual gift of evangelism and sometimes you're an introvert with an unexplained ability and a love in your heart to share directly with people.

Unfortunately this I think has been sold as the way everyone needs ability. This, I don't think everyone's made to do that. I think this is 1 Very Important Way. But if we most of us if we stick that's how you have to do it. We think you know what, I don't think that's for me as someone wisely or at least astutely observed there's one thing that those who don't follow Christ and those who do follow Christ have in common.

They're both uncomfortable with evangelism. The strengths of this approach are communicate the gospel directly, concisely, often to lots of people, the weaknesses if not done with sensitivity. You can come off pushy and uncaring some people to come to have the seal he probably met one or two of them were there just pushy and over-the-top. Jesus loves you and you think and we made it.

Why don't like you write. Then there so could that be you on a scale of 1 to 10.

Okay every time I want you actually write down the number alignment is. I can't possibly imagine ever doing that 10 is that's me, that's great. A seven is that's certainly not me, but it sounds kind of exciting. I think I like to learn of three is if I came upon someone in a car wreck and they were dying. I think I would give it a whirl right so write down the number and write-down number five spiritual love language.

Number two is Paul's intellectual approach. This is approach for those who like giving logical and reasonable presentations of the faith they lay out sound explanation you like to work with concepts and ideas present a case often somewhat like a lawyer, would you allow the other person to ask questions, you supply them with answers through your relationship that you tend to like to study science, archaeology, prophecy, and you find yourself reading books on apologetics. This is acts 17 the apostle Paul actually is waiting for some of his friends to medium, and early in the book we find out he's getting kinda discouraged and so he's kind of loneliness walking around Athens and there's idols everywhere. I mean I got God for everyone everywhere, and here's a God. It says to the unknown God was collect in case we miss one.

Here's an unknown one and so he goes where the intellectuals hang out to Mars Hill.

The Stoics were there in the Epicureans or therein, and Paul just have compassion says can I have a word, yes. Because he and I notice you have this monument to the unknown God. I actually know him personally. Oh really would like to tell as you read their next 17 talks about the God who created all that there is in the God in whom we move and live and have our being in the God who can't be contained by anything is infinite and all-knowing and he begins to deal with and give rational answers to the intellectuals of his day. He was starts to quote some of their own poetry. Some of you have this ability to explain things to people you like to read people like Francis Schaeffer or J.P. Moreland or Norman Geisler or Ken boa or you've read Lee Strobel's book the case for Christ in the case for faith in you just find yourself you are looking at scientific journals in the latest thing coming out in archaeology and new discoveries. There's some of you. You are made to answer the questions that honest, genuine people with questions about could you actually not have to throw your brains in the trash and be a follower of Jesus and your answer is yes and the strength of this is you give people hope and you can talk to people in ways, a lot of us never could.

The weakness on this one is it. Some people get so excited about the answers they become a mini lawyer. I've been in places where people's all man I had this amazing conversation with this year. He was antagonist in common, atheist, may we have this debate and I said this and he said that not answer. With this and he said this, I answer that is colored while I really medium up. I showed them how right I was.

And I'm thinking I don't think that's the goal.

I think the goal is with love and gentleness to let him know how much you care and humility to say I think you have some very difficult questions that deserve clear answers shared in humility. That's what you all do. Could that be you a one I can never imagine doing that at 10, that's me which breakdown a number like don't do five at least 24 don't do five at least 26 what I want to do is only give you six snapshots for you to begin to think you know what maybe that's not my love language spiritually. But God has this this infinite love and he wants to share with these people and he's going to use me to build a bridge he's going I'm to be a conduit so I want to discover the way these made me to do it. The third love language is the blind man's testimonial approach.

This is a of an approach that is natural for people who like to share how God is change their life. It's just down-to-earth. Honestly telling someone. This is what God did in me. This is how my life is currently changing. Here's some of the honest struggles you're willing to be vulnerable that this is what Tresa did last week her message. She did shared her testimony to share. This is this is where I been. This is how God gave me strength. This is how God sustaining this is how he changed my life. It's just sharing what you've seen what you've heard what you've experienced. I get this from John nine stories about Jesus and the disciples in their walking along as her walking along. There's a man who's been blind from birth in the disciples with their presuppositions and faulty theology sake, Jesus could you tell us is this man blind because of his sin or the sin of his parents, presuming that anytime something bad happens to someone. It was because of their sin and Jesus goes wrong presuppositions. Neither God actually has a plan for this man for his glory and you can read the stories when I don't hardly want to like a great movie. I don't want to spoil it for you, but he takes mud and puts it on his eyes and tells him to go wash in the poolside loan in this man imagine was a little boy.

He's blind and he becomes a beggar.

He can't get a job and now he's been at the same corner forever and ever and ever and everyone seen them in the whole town and now we can see and people I mean he gets it is. Could this be the same guy and then the Pharisees and religious leaders learn about and they don't allow it.

A second, are you the same guy. Yes I am and so they don't believe them so they ask his parents and his parents are so afraid to get get kicked out of the synagogue, they say, will you what he said they just can't miss it, will we know this, Jesus is a sinner and how can you say the sky. This is great non-educated beggar speaking to the intellects of his day. All I know Sirs, I was blind but now I see whether he's a sinner or not.

I don't know, it just would seem to me that no one could ghettoize and seeing to the blind, unless God was with you know what your testimony is irrefutable.

No one can tell you, you have not had the experiences that you've had and just to say to people you know you don't have to have all the apologetics you have to bail able to articulate everything, but in a short conversation in a medium conversation, you can just share. This is this is my story. I got a lady who sent me an email this week was so encouraging to Senate to Tresa myself.

She said I have good friendships that I honestly never really taken the step to communicate Christ's love and so she decided I prayed after last week's message. I'm really going to do this in so one of the people that she knew she decided were having dinner and so at dinner she just ask a number of very specific questions and heard this lady story because I heard things I just had no idea about her life and guess what the lady that she turns that what your story. She said I found myself telling her about my life and what Christ, the done who Jesus is and that you and I could read between the lines in the email that maybe made this lady cut had a New Age view of Jesus, somewhere, somehow, and is this lady in our churches shared her story. The lady said, I've never heard anything like this in my life.

How many people in your relational network that you pass by you work with work you see as you take a walk with the dog or you know when you sit nearby.

The kids are playing baseball or soccer. You know you're on the elliptical or something at the gym and you kinda build a relationship. How many of them have never ever heard of the Jesus who you know who saved you and loved you and forgiven you in maybe the testimonial approach is how you could share one I could never imagine myself telling anyone. My story 10 you know there's a lot of things I can't do, but I can probably do this got right on a number of you back with just a quick reminder this message. Discovering your spiritual love language from his series, share the love, how to talk to anyone about God for lots of reasons we can be hesitant to talk about her faith. That's what you taught this four-part series to boost your confidence and hope you have spontaneous conversations about your relationship with Jesus. If you'd like to hear this message again the chipping remap is perfect for free access or one tab sharing of these powerful messages. If you prefer CDs take advantage of our honor discounts. Remember, the MP3s are always free. Just visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at triple late. 333-6003.

I'll be right back in just a minute and give you some practical application about how you can share the love, but let me ask you something. Who are you going to share love with. In other words, cooling your relational network you and your family who of your friends whose someone that comes to your mind that you think all I so long for them to know Jesus and then let me ask you are you can share the love with them and back. This entire series will give you the tools and equip you in a very natural way. Just the way God made you to build a bridge of relationship and share the gospel.

Share your story help people that don't know Christ actually become followers of Jesus, you see here Living on the Edge. We long to minister to you but it's way bigger than that. We want to equip you to make disciples. That's what Jesus told us to do equip God's people to do the work of ministry, and that's why in December. We do this match because when you support Living on the Edge. It not only ministers to well over a million people every week here and around the world but were creating tools like share the love so that normal regular ordinary people like you and me can learn to share our story can learn to share the gospel and can see family members and friends and coworkers be transported from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light. Thanks for whatever you can do during the season to help support Living on the Edge financially day want to tell them the special opportunity we had this December.

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333-6003 that's AAA 333-6003 and let me thank you in advance for doing whatever the Lord leads you to do will chip in your message today.

You were talking about different ways people share their free will, which is great. But regardless of the approach. A lot of people are afraid they're going to get trapped into a debate about the Bible or something else they might not be able to answer if that's what's stopping someone toward you say well one is when you begin to understand. Let's call it your evangelistic style or the way God has made you then what you begin to understand is that there is a way that you'll connect with people. That is very, very natural and very very winsome for you, but I would say the great majority of us as Christians were, like the blind man. You know it's like hey all I can tell you is I was blind but now I see. And there's joy in my heart. God change my marriage. I don't even know how it happened, like in my case, like it was three weeks later I stop cussing like what I just stop cussing. Wow. Okay, no one but I could've explained on I could explain anything to anyone, and if so what happens is you think I don't know enough and that keeps you trapped in song and say two things. One is this is what to say and to here's how to be prepared and help them even if you not ready to say it so number one just use the blind man's approach. Don't argue it if they say what about Bob… Bob and Bob, and here's what to say what you know what I really don't know much about that but I gotta tell you, Jesus is change my life. He loves me. And this is what's happened and then here's what I would say for a lot of people as can be.

I'm glad for you. But you know can I trust the Bible as it reasonable to believe that Jesus is the only way how the world can you really believe that those documents have been passed on from here and there. There's five or six major questions about the Bible and so I did a series called why I believe it's our number one seller and we have it in small group format audio format. I would encourage you get that listen to it or what I've seen lots of people do go.

Oh.

Listen to this one on why you can trust the Bible and let me handle that one for you.

I think it will give you confidence and be a great help moving forward. Super helpful. Thanks for that. All the serious chip just mentioned why I believe is our number one bestseller chip lays out what you can confidently believe that Jesus rose from the dead, that life after death is a fact that the Bible really is God's word and much more. You'll find these messages perfect for answering the questions your friends and family are asking why I believe is available in video and audio formats. There's a study guide that goes with it.

And as always, MP3s are free to order your copy. Just give us a call at AAA 333-6003 or visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org that's it for this program. I hope you will join us again next time. When she continues a series. Share the love.

Until then, this is Dave.

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