Title: No Greater Love!
Text: John 15:13
Date: May 25, 2025

Introduction: Love is a word that is thrown around excessively in conversations. It is one of the most abused words in the entire dictionary. For example, we can “love” pizza, but we can also “love our parents.” On social media, we can express that we love what someone shares by using a heart emoji. Love can mean different things, at different times, to different people. Can we really know what love is? In the ancient Greek language, there are four types of love. There is:
— Storge love which is love that is shared between family members like that experienced between a parent and child.
— Eros love which is sexual love.
— Phileo love which is brotherly love.
— Agape love which is sacrificial love.
Agape love encapsulates the essence of unconditional, selfless, and sacrificial affection. It is distinguished from other forms of love by its focus on the well-being and betterment of others, regardless of personal gain.

On Monday we will celebrate Memorial Day. It will be a time for flags, outdoor activities, eating barbecue, ice cream, and watermelon. It will be a time of fun and relaxation. May it also, be a time to remember our text, which is very appropriate. In this verse, our Lord spoke of the greatest expression of sacrificial love. He said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Let’s consider three examples of sacrificial love. What are they?

I. Sacrificial Love: The

of the United States

II. Sacrificial Love: The

of the Declaration of Independence

III.Sacrificial Love: The

, Jesus Christ

Larry Gipson
First Baptist Church Oneonta