What's Love Got To Do With It? (Linton Hall Sermon)

·43 min·4 clips

Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders reveals 10 marks of genuine love, including tears, warnings, and a final goodbye.

The episode opens with a prayer for Preston and Meg, emphasizing community support during suffering. The speaker welcomes the congregation, joking about the cold weather and referencing Chris Berman's 'frozen tundra' phrase. He introduces the sermon topic: love, based on Acts 20, which he calls one of the most practical and heart-wrenching passages in the New Testament. A humorous video clip about romantic miscommunication contrasts with the biblical view of love. The speaker explains that Acts 20 depicts Paul's farewell to the Ephesian elders after three years of investment, describing them as 'brothers in arms'. He frames the discussion around 10 marks of genuine love in a gospel-shaped life, warning against a moralistic 'try harder' approach. The first mark is presence, highlighting how modern distractions like phones can hinder it. The second is action directed toward serving God, not just following one's heart. The third is humility, defined as thinking of oneself less, rooted in identity in Christ. The fourth is compassion, involving emotional engagement. The fifth is faithful endurance, staying engaged when things get hard. The sixth is an eternal perspective, illustrated by personal stories of divine appointments, such as on a ski lift or at a wedding reception. The seventh is Spirit-yielded obedience, even when it leads to difficult decisions like Paul leaving Ephesus. The eighth is mission-driven intentionality, exemplified by Jim Elliott's missionary sacrifice in Ecuador. The ninth is speaking the truth in love, as Paul did for three years. The tenth is unselfishness, with an emphasis on generosity. The sermon concludes by pointing to Jesus as the perfect example of these marks and encouraging reliance on God's grace rather than self-effort.

As heard by us

A sermon on secure identity in God and the love that grows from it.

Love is presented here as a practice formed by humility, first through prayerful care for Preston and Meg, then through a wider vision of the church as a spiritual family where believers do not suffer alone.

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Why you'd press play

When your worth feels tied to what you achieve, press play for a sermon that points you back to God-given security.

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