Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“Love Came Down at Christmas”
Dec. 07, 2014
Scripture
1 John 4:7-12
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who
loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not
know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us:
He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an
atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also
ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one
another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
Core Idea, challenge and summary
Core Idea: The greatest act of love in the history of the world is when God came
to us in the person of Jesus Christ.
Challenge: To exhort people to love because God first loved us.
Summary: Throughout history there have been great acts of love. One such act
was in 1936 when King Edward VIII abdicated the English throne to marry a
commoner named Wallis Simpson. Another example is Romeo & Juliet. When
Romeo comes upon an unconscious Juliet, he believes her to be dead. So he
drinks poison and kills himself. When Juliet wakes up, she finds Romeo dead
and, stricken with grief, kills herself. In the Bible, you have Jonathan loving David
enough to defy his father’s evil schemes to kill David. There are many more
examples of great acts of love. There is, however, one act of love that is the
greatest. The greatest act of love in the history of the world is when God came to
us in the person of Jesus Christ.
First John 4:7-12 describes this greatest act of love. It is the greatest act of love
for three reasons:

First: It’s the greatest act of love because it was committed by the One
who is love. God is love (Verse 8)

Second: It’s the greatest act of love because God directed this love
towards us, while we were in our undeserving, rebellious, sinning state
(Verse 10)

Third: God sent His own Son to die for us so that we can receive His
forgiveness and have a restored loving relationship with Him.
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Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“Love Came Down at Christmas”
Dec. 07, 2014
The world is in desperate need of love. Not the touchy feely kind of love that is
usually portrayed in literature and movies but the genuine kind given to us by
God. This kind of love is directed towards all people, not because we deserve it
but because it’s God’s nature to love.
This love was demonstrated on Christmas when God literally came to us in the
person of Jesus.
This love continued to be demonstrated when Jesus willingly went to the cross to
pay for our sins.
This love demonstrated its supremacy over sin and death when Jesus rose from
the dead.
This love is the most powerful force in the world. The power of this love was
unleashed through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We are called to use
this power to fight evil, resist oppression and work to make God’s kingdom more
of a reality on earth.
This Christmas let’s reflect how we might respond to God’s love. Let’s reflect on
how we might use God’s love to make a difference in this world.
Sermon
I.
Introduction: Throughout history and literature, there have been great acts of
love.
A. In 1936 King Edward VIII abdicated the English throne to marry a
commoner named Wallis Simpson.
B. Romeo & Juliet.

Romeo comes upon an unconscious Juliet, he believes her to be
dead. So he drinks poison and kills himself.

When Juliet wakes up, she finds Romeo dead and, stricken with
grief, kills herself.
C. Jonathan and David

1 Samuel 18:1-4 & 20:1-42

Jonathan loved David enough to defy his father’s evil schemes to
kill David.
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Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“Love Came Down at Christmas”
Dec. 07, 2014
D. The greatest act of love in history

There are many more examples of great acts of love. There is,
however, one act of love that is the greatest.

The greatest act of love in the history of the world is when God
came to us in the person of Jesus Christ.

II.
The greatest act of love is described in 1 John 4:7-12
First John 4:7-12 - This passage demonstrates that this act of love is the greatest
for three reasons.
A. First: It’s the greatest act of love because it was committed by the One
who is love. God is love

Verse 8: “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God
is love.”

God is made up of three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
 The 3 separate persons combine to make up the one true
God.
 To worship one is to worship all three because the three
make up the one true God

The three persons that make up the one true God have a perfect,
loving relationship with each other
 It’s God’s nature to love
 This is how we can say, “God is love”.
B. Second: It’s the greatest act of love because God directed this love
towards us, while we were in our undeserving, rebellious, sinning state

Verse 10 – “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved
us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. This is
love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son
as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
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Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“Love Came Down at Christmas”
Dec. 07, 2014

This love is unconditional – God loves us because it’s His nature to
love – not because we deserve it.
C. Third: God sent His own Son to die for us so that we can receive His
forgiveness and have a restored loving relationship with Him.

Verse 10 – “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved
us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. This is
love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son
as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

The one true God is made up of three persons: Father, Son and
Holy Spirit – To worship one is to worship all three because the
three make up the one true God
 God the Son gave up His Godly attributes so he can become
a human named Jesus. (Philippians 2:1-11)
o This occurred when the Holy Spirit came upon the
Virgin Mary and made her pregnant and when Mary
gave birth. (Matthew 1:20-25 & Luke 1:35-38 & 2:1-7)
o As a human, Jesus had to be perfectly obedient to the
Father. (He was able to do that because He was ‘God
the Son’ who became human).
o Also as a human, He had to depend upon the Holy
Spirit for His empowerment
o The relationship Jesus had with His Father is the
same type of relationship we should strive to have
with God. Jesus is our perfect example.
 In this way, “God so loved that he sent his one and only son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
everlasting life”
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Sermon Outline
First United Methodist Church of Sanford
“Love Came Down at Christmas”
Dec. 07, 2014
III.
The world is in desperate need of this love
A. Hopelessness, despair and confusion lead some people to mass killings
and suicide while others are caught in the clutches of addiction,
depression and domestic abuse.
B. Children are raised without fathers and single-moms must work two jobs
to make ends meet.
C. ISIS and controversial police shootings are major stories on CNN and
FOX News.
D. God, however, continues to offer this desperately needed love
IV.
God’s offer of His desperately needed love
A. This love was demonstrated on Christmas when God literally came to us
in the person of Jesus.
B. This love continued to be demonstrated when Jesus willingly went to the
cross to pay for our sins.
C. This love demonstrated its supremacy over sin and death when Jesus
rose from the dead.
D. God continues to offer this love through the ever-present Holy Spirit.

The Spirit makes us aware of God’s free offer of forgiveness
through faith in Jesus

As we walk in a relationship with God through faith in Jesus, the
Spirit changes our hearts and enables us to love the way God
loves.
V.
This love is the most powerful force in the world
A. We are called to use this power to fight evil, resist oppression and work to
make God’s kingdom more of a reality on earth.
B. This Christmas let’s reflect how we might respond to God’s love. Let’s
reflect on how we might use God’s love to make a difference in this world.
C. We love because He first loved us.
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