What Is Love?

Introduction

Good morning. If you will, open in your Bibles with me to 1 Corinthians chapter 13. 1 Corinthians chapter 13, as we discuss this morning, what is love. There are all kinds of definitions of love that are good, that are bad, and that are frankly somewhere in between. And so I thought we’d begin this morning with some experts. Several children were asked about love and marriage and to give advice and how people in love act. I want to read you some of these experts’ opinion. On love and marriage, Ava, who is eight years old, said one of you should know how to write a check. Because even if you have tons of love, there’s still going to be a lot of bills. How people in love act, Brad, age eight, said lovers will just be staring at each other and their food will get cold.

Other people care more about the food. And two people with good advice about love, Ricky, age seven, tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck. And my personal favorite, good advice about love from Aaron, age eight. Men take this to heart. Don’t forget your wife’s name. That will mess up the love. You see, to children, love is a concept of two people. Of course, the survey is funny. It’s taking opinions of kids about marriage. But love goes far beyond marriage, and we know that. We know as Christians, 1 Corinthians chapter 13, when we read that love is kind, love is not boastful, that’s not just about a marriage relationship. Love in the New Testament is primarily focused on how all of us treat one another.

In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, note the strong warning, though. We remember verses 4, 5, 6, and 7, but note the warning and some of the context that Paul gives before even getting into this important section of Scripture. In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, amidst his discussion of spiritual gifts, Paul says, If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clinging symbol. And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all that I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.

No matter what powers the people may have had, what spiritual gifts they may have enjoyed, whether they did something in all faith, or note the extreme warning in verse 3, even if we were to give away all that we have, certainly in action we consider to be loving. If I were to live deliver up my body to be burned, certainly the ultimate sacrifice, but have not love. Paul says in verse 3 very clearly, I gain nothing. It makes this discussion on what is love all the more important, does it not? As we consider this morning what the world says about love, how God properly defines love. Why do we struggle with showing love? And finally, of course, how can we do this better? First of all, I want to ask you for a moment to think about a Bible passage about love.

I’m going to give you just a moment. You know I talked fast, so it truly is just a moment. Think of a Bible passage about love. If you were to think of those, I’m going to get you started and go in and say, 1 Corinthians 13 is going to be on the list. But can you think of another Bible passage about love? Maybe you thought of John chapter 3 and verse 16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Maybe you thought of Ephesians chapter 5 and verse 25. That’s the section where Paul deals with Christ and the church and husbands and wives. He says, Husbands, love your wives.

John chapter 13. Maybe you thought of verses 34 and 35, or maybe you didn’t know where this passage was, but this is where Jesus says, A new commandment I give to you, love one another as I have loved you. Maybe you thought of 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Maybe that of Romans chapter 5 and verse 8, but God demonstrates his own love towards us and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Maybe you thought of 1 John chapter 4, verses 7 to 12, a great section on love we’ll examine this morning, where it says, simply, God is love. Maybe you thought of that passage, or maybe you even thought, maybe your mind went to the negative, Matthew chapter 5 and verse 43 and 44.

Arguably the most difficult facet of love found in the New Testament, you are to love, yes, even your enemies, as Jesus says clearly in the first two verses of those listed. You know what’s interesting about all of these verses? I don’t know if you can see the white very well. All of these verses, when the word love is found in the Greek text, we hear all the time about all the different Greek words for love. But when you look at the New Testament, all the main passages, by and large, that you will look at that talk about love is from the Greek word agape. It’s the Greek word agape love. And no, this is not necessarily romantic love. It is not any of the other words, it’s not brotherly love.

This is a certain particular type of love. Why do we think of these passages? I’m willing to say that of one of the seven passages listed, our minds went to at least some or all of those. Why are we so drawn to love? Because society says love is what’s mattered. Love is all that matters, in fact. Love wins, you may have seen on banners. Love is all that matters. The truth is society truly defines love as simply a feeling. Webster’s even, yes, I’ll be that guy. Love is defined by Websters as a strong affection for another. That’s the primary definition listed. And it’s okay for words to have different meanings. But the problem is society also backs up that strong feeling definition with the idea that love is a feeling that you can fall into, and most importantly, that you can fall out of.

1. True Love Is Modeled by God

The question is, is that how God defines love? And is that how God expects us to show love? What is agape love? Shortly put, you might say that it’s active goodwill. This is if you were to look up some Greek stuff that no one’s really always interested in until you need to know it. You might find this definition, active good will. First of all, I want to define love in three ways. First of all, I want to turn to that first John chapter 4 passage and see that true love, biblical love, this type of agape love, is modeled by God. If you turn with me to 1 John chapter 4, note how many times the word love is found in just these six verses. 1 John chapter 4, verses 7 through 12.

1 John chapter 4, verse 7. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us that God sent his only son into the world so that we might live through him. In this love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in us, and his love is perfected in us. Over and again in the section, you see the word love primarily used is the Greek word agape here.

When we see in verse 8, of course, that’s the headline of this passage, we see because God is love. We know what love is because God has first shown us love. And how did he do that in verse 9? In this, the love of God was made manifest. Here’s what we need. You always say, give me an example. What do you mean? Here it is in verse 9. How do we know love? How do we know the love of God? That God sent his only son into the world, and we know how that ends. He sent his only son into the world to die on the cross for our sins. And he did so as verse 9 maintains, so that we might live through him. Love is modeled by God as is going to be sacrificial, as we’ll see in a moment.

But notice in verse 10 in this is love. Not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. Verse 11 is very important. Beloved, if God loves us, we also ought to love one another. If we’re going to recognize that God is love from the previous verses, if we’re going to recognize the sacrificial nature of God’s love, verse 11, John reaches an important point, a startling conclusion for me that matches Paul’s back in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, that we must show love, not just to a significant other, but to who? To all men. The love of God is manifest to all. It’s made available to all through his son. So likewise we must take that model.

That is a model that is for all, that is a model that is sacrificial. Remember Romans chapter 5 and verse 8, perhaps you want to turn to it, but just break down the verse. But God demonstrates his own love towards us. How does God show his love? In that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We learn two things about love from that section. First of all, love is modeled by God. And when we break down that model, we see two important attributes of it. First of all, it is a sacrificial love. And secondly, that it is a love that is for all. We don’t often think that. We don’t often take it that way, but that’s the way the scripture reads. Remember in Romans chapter 5 and verse 8, at what point did God demonstrate his love towards us?

At what point was his love made manifest? While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. That is that we were enemies, that we were hostile to the cause of Christ. We’ll expand on that passage later this morning. But in Matthew chapter 5, turn there with me, perhaps the most startling passage. Matthew chapter 5, the hardest love to show. Matthew chapter 5 and verse 43. What’s the problem with love? How do we define love? How do we understand love? Stay with me this morning as we read verse 43 and see this ultimate test of true discipleship. In Matthew chapter 5 and verse 43, Jesus says, You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

For he makes the sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Verse 48 concludes, you therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. When we think about what love that God expects from us, what type of love is it that Paul is writing in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 that will define a little bit more as we move towards the conclusion of the lesson? What is love? It is what God has shown us. What has God shown us? A sacrificial love that while we were enemies of the cross of Christ, while we were sinners, God sent Jesus to die in our place. And not only did he die in our place, he died for all who would humbly seek him.

2. Love Is Not Optional

As John 3, verse 16 said, those who show true belief in him. This is what love is. But as we know from 1 Corinthians chapter 13, and we know from Matthew chapter 5, not everyone is going to show true love. And the problem is it’s not just those mean people out in the world who do that. It’s sometimes me. It’s sometimes us. And yet Jesus says, if you’re to be his disciple, you are to show love for one another. Why do we struggle to show love? In the same passage in Matthew chapter 5, I think sometimes we view love as optional. You notice Jesus doesn’t see it that way. Read verse 43 and 44 with me again. You have heard that it was said, you shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.

But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Do you see the wiggle room there? I don’t either. Jesus says we are to pray and love even our enemies, even those who persecute us. There’s no wiggle room for a lack of love. The truth is, if I’m honest, why do I sometimes have a difficult time loving? It’s because I withhold love from people I feel don’t deserve it. And while we know that that’s wrong when if I were to tell you, I’m not going to show love because this person doesn’t deserve it. Maybe you’ve been like me before and you’ve had a thought or two like this. That person was rude, that person’s mean, that cut me off, they stole from me, they did this or that.

And what do we think? I need to shower them with love. Not exactly. The human response is if someone steals from you, you do what? You want to steal back, you want to get even. But note a couple verses earlier in Matthew chapter 5. Note in verse 38 what Jesus says about retaliation. You have heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. But I say to you, do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. True love that we must show. True love defined by God, modeled by him, that’s sacrificial and for all, recognizes love is not optional regardless of how somebody else treats me.

That doesn’t just go for people we don’t like, though. Can we be honest and say sometimes the people that we treat the worst are our own family? The people that we should or do love the most? How does that happen? Certainly we could do a lot of psychology and say, well, we let our guard down and we know they’ll take it and you name it. But certainly we know that’s not right. So how does it happen? Why does it happen that the people we love most, we often show the least amount of respect and love towards? Might it be because we truly think at that time we know that they’re better and they don’t deserve it in that moment. My wife, my husband, my kids, my family doesn’t deserve my love because I’ve reached out and reached out and tried and tried, but they reject me at every turn.

3. Sacrifice Is Love, and Sacrifice Is Hard

They don’t take my help, they demand it. And so I’m tired of offering love. That is active goodwill towards others. A sacrificial love that puts their needs first before mine. A love that says it doesn’t matter how I am treated, but if I’m going to be like God, I will treat with love, as I want God to treat me. You see, there’s a big difference when we stop viewing love as optional or as if it demands some sort of requirement of another to act loving back. Love is not optional. Love is necessary for all, just as we want God to feel that love towards each and every one of us. Consider, secondly, with me, why do we struggle? Because the bottom line is sacrifice is love, and sacrifice is hard.

In John chapter 3 and verse 16, how did God show his love? He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever should believe in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. That’s a wonderful verse for us as Christians. But do you know who that’s difficult for? God who sent his son. Jesus, who in Matthew chapter 26 was praying before the crucifixion, three times, let this cup pass from me. But Jesus’ idea of love was true, that it must always be submissive to the will of the Father. Three times Jesus prayed, not my will, but thine be done. Love is submissive to the will and the model of the Father. Love is sacrifice. In Luke chapter 9 and verse 23, note what Jesus says about sacrifice. In Luke chapter 9 and verse 23, a passage we often don’t think about of love, but it lays the principle that love is founded upon.

In Luke chapter 9 and verse 23, Jesus says, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow after me. Can I suggest this morning that sacrifice is hard, but even harder than that, I promise you we will never show love if we don’t first deny ourselves and walk towards Jesus. We will never make it apart from showing love towards Jesus. Oftentimes atheists will comment that there’s plenty of good things done by people who are atheists. I’m not denying that in the weeks following the hurricanes in Texas and Florida, and our many brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico who are struggling to the nth degree this very morning as we speak and worshipful things. But true love is from God.

True love is modeled by God. Someone who rejects God will not understand and be able to practice and harness the love that God demands of his followers. That might be an easy message for Christians. But the truth is if I’m going to follow God, if I’m going to know who God is and want that God’s love and want that God’s blessings and want the sacrifice of Jesus, then Jesus says, here’s the cost of following me. Deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow after me. Love is hard. Because sacrifice is giving up, by definition, something of value. And Jesus says, you aren’t just to sacrifice something or some things, but your life. And you are to do so how frequently, how often? Daily, for all.

Do we see that Jesus closes loopholes on love? It is for all. It is to be shown at all times. And the truth is, sometimes we struggle with love, not because we don’t understand, not just because in human weakness we view it as optional. But because reaching out and showing love to people who aren’t right in front of me is uncomfortable, hard, and takes a lot of extra work. In Galatians chapter 6, turn with me there. The truth of the matter is I struggle with this, perhaps as many as anyone here. Galatians chapter 6 is a hard command to fulfill, but it’s founded upon love. I will only reach out, I will only show this type of concern and care if I show love. In Galatians chapter 6 and verse 1 says, brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness.

Keep watch on yourself lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. If I ask myself this week, how have I shown love? This month, how will I show love, both retrospectively and forecasting out? Do we have a plan for love? Or do we hope just to kind of help whoever happens to cross our path and come before our eyes, and even then we’ll make a judgment on how we help, how we show love. The only way to be pleasing to Christ, to be a disciple of His, to show love as God has first shown us what love is, is to have a ready and willing spirit that understands that love takes sacrifice, to understand that there will be a price to pay, and that I have to be on the lookout to show that love.

Consider 1 John chapter 3, a passage we’ll conclude on this morning, but that’s not the end of the lesson. Don’t get too excited. In 1 John chapter 3 and verse 16, note how John says we will know love. 1 John chapter 3 and verse 16, by this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. But if anyone has this world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth. Love is Christ. God is love. If we are to be Christian showing love, what how does it act?

How does it manifest in verse 18? In deed and truth. This is where it’s hard for me. How about you? When we think about why we struggle to show love, I don’t think it’s a lack of understanding of the Greek word. I don’t think it’s a lack of knowing that there are Bible passages about love. I don’t even think it’s always about misunderstanding how often we’re to show it. I think we struggle to show love because it takes constant thought, constant planning, and a heart that says, Not my will, but thine be done. How are then we going to show love? If we know what God expects of love, that is active goodwill towards one another, love that is sacrificial, love that is for all, and how often is it to be practiced at all times?

4. God First Loved Me

We have to deny ourselves and take up our cross daily, following after Jesus. I’ll conclude the lesson with three simple points. How do we improve in showing love? First, love is God, first love me. Look in Romans chapter 5. I said we’d come back there, and here we are. Note the state that humankind was at when God sent Jesus. Note the words in verses six, eight, and ten. You think you know somebody at work that’s hard to love? You think someone in your family’s hard to love? We all have those stories. Of course, I’m the center of some of those stories in my family. But in Romans chapter 5 and verse 6, for while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die. But God shows his love for us, and that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since therefore we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. Do you know what that the scriptures by Paul and by John say the same things? It’s because love is from the same source. Love is only defined by God. True love is only practiced by those who follow after and understand how God is loved.

How did he love? Notice in verse 6 for while we were still weak, when we were weak, God sent Christ to die for us. In verse 8, how did God show his love for us when? In that while we were still sinners. And in verse 10, practicing Matthew chapter 5 already with his own life, if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God. You see, time and again we are described as weak, ungodly, sinners, and yes, even enemies of Christ. It’s at that point that God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. Jesus felt persecution at degrees we will never feel. Jesus had to suffer not only being apart from God, knowing what that is like, but to come into our form that is beneath him and to be crucified on the cross by men who most certainly were not acting out of love.

And yet sometimes we find it within us to say, I can’t show them love. Or love isn’t required of me at the moment because you don’t understand how they treated me first. You don’t know what it’s like. The truth is, Jesus does know what it’s like. In Hebrews chapter 4, verses 14 through 16, what do we learn about Jesus? We do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses. Jesus was tempted as we are. Jesus was tempted beyond what we are in ways of persecution. And what did he do? He fulfilled the law of Christ. In 1 John chapter 4, God showed us what love is. He showed us love first, that Jesus died that we might live through Christ. This is what love is sacrificial.

5. I Have to Put Myself Aside

And that means that I have to put myself aside. Consider 1 Corinthians chapter 13, the passage we began with this morning, and consider the section that we most often recognize. Verses 4 through 7. 1 Corinthians chapter 13, Paul has already emphasized in the first three verses how crucial it is to have and show love. And then he tells us what love is. In verse 4, 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Love is patient and kind. Love does not envy or boast. It is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. We know from verse 8 that love will win.

Love will make it as defined by God. But note verses 4, 5, and 6, and tell me if there isn’t some selflessness that Paul is saying to get out of your system. Verse 4, love is patient. You know what makes me impatient when people don’t act the way I think they should? Have you ever been on I 4? That happens a lot. Visitors, be careful. As you think about I 4, as you think about driving, as you think about being in lines, you think about being in your own family. People don’t do what we think they should. People don’t even do what we know they should. And yet, verse 4 says, love is patient. I have to put myself aside. Secondly, love is kind. Love does not envy or boast.

Is it easy to be kind to those who are unkind, those who are mean, those who are even persecuting us? It’s not simple at all, but love does. Love conquers all. Jesus says, we are to love our enemies. We are to pray for those who persecute us. Jesus expects a love that transcends. Love does not envy or boast. That is the very elemental aspect of selfishness and pride. That is to boast about what I can do. To be envious of what someone else has because I want it or feel that I deserve it. That is selfishness at the highest regard. Love in the end of verse 4 is not arrogant. Love is not rude into verse 5. Arrogance lumping in certainly with pride. Love is not rude.

Love is concerned with the feelings of others. Love is concerned of the feelings of others, even if we don’t agree with them politically. Love is concerned with how people react to Christ. Love is concerned about what matters. And the truth is, when I stop showing love is when these fights often happen. Because as you know, as they always say, how many people are involved in a fight? It always takes two to be involved in that type of problem. Verse 5 continues, it does not insist on its own way, selfishness. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love is sacrificial. Love is selfless to the highest degree. And we know that because God showed selfless love first.

Jesus showed selfless love for me. He died in my place. That is love. And when Jesus is defined in Romans chapter 5 as one who died for us while we were sinners, I know that my obligation to love transcends saying a few nice things. It means going out of my way to put somebody else first. And anything short of that is a failure. Love is not just concerned with big picture actions, but when you look at verse 4, that love is kind. At the end of verse 5, love is not irritable or resentful. Verse 6, love does not rejoice at wrongdoing. This isn’t just big picture actions. Don’t come away from the lesson this morning and just say, I need to be nicer to people. That’s not what love is.

6. Love Takes Opportunities

Love involves being nice. Love certainly is kind, but love is sacrificial. Love says, I’m not going to handle that person rudely. I’m not going to treat them rudely because I’m going to treat them like Christ does. I’m going to treat them the way I want God to look at me that is forgiving, that is loving, that is merciful. And we know that because God first loved us. That is love. Sacrifice for all. Consider one final point with me this morning. Love takes opportunities. If I’m willing to improve in my love, I’m going to recognize every day what I need from God. And that is that I need his love. I need his kindness. I need a gentle spirit. I’m going to recognize I have to put self aside.

And there’s no substitute. There’s no five-step way you can take to be selfless. You have to commit that if I want to be with God, I have to be like him. I have to be holy as he is holy. I have to be perfect as my heavenly father is perfect. I have to put self aside. But one thing we can do right now is to take and make opportunities. The first step of that, of course, is to take what is in front of us. And when you go back to 1 John chapter 3, is that not exactly what John says? In 1 John chapter 3 and verse 17, again, if anyone has this world’s goods, if you have something of value and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?

The answer is it does not. True love takes the opportunity. It sees a brother in need, says, I have the ability to help, so I will, case closed. I don’t decide whether they merit my favor. I don’t decide whether I have enough. I decide, can I help them? I will help them, because that is love. And when we start practicing this, when we recognize how God loves us, when we learn to put self aside, when we take our opportunities, we will actually have the spirit of love that we’re supposed to have. In Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2, how are we to live not only as living sacrifices, but transformed by the renewal of our mind, transformed how? Transformed where, conformed to the image of his son.

Transform into putting God first, others before self, and that’s a new life. But in the meantime, I’m going to look out for every opportunity to show love. And I won’t just take the ones that walk in front of me. I’m not only going to take the opportunities, I’m going to make them. In verse 23 and 24 of this chapter, and this is his commandment that we believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ and love one another just as he has commanded us. Whoever keeps his commandments abides in God and God in him. And by this we know that he abides in us, but the Spirit whom he has given us. We’re gonna take our opportunities to love. We’re gonna make opportunities to show love because that’s what Christians do, because that’s what Christ did.

Love is Christ. God is love. That doesn’t define them in totality. It doesn’t mean that God isn’t just, it doesn’t mean that we can disobey him but just have love. But that our sacrifice is to be laced with, covered in, and founded in a love that only God can provide. Allow me to add one final point as we conclude this morning. In James chapter 1. Turn there with me to James chapter 1. When I look out the world, I may not have the simplicity that some of our younger kids who had some wonderful quotes about love had. Although I do know enough to know to not tell my wife she looks like a truck. There’s a lot of difficult things in showing love. James 1 and 19 might be the most practical way that we can start showing love today.

Know this, my beloved brothers. Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath or anger. For the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. We have a society that is abandoning God, and so abandoning love and even abandoning communication. We refuse to listen. And a refusal to listen is a refusal to love. Because love is selflessness. Love is sacrifice. A refusal to listen is selfish. It says, I know what’s right, I know the fix to mankind’s problems. You don’t, you’re wrong. James 1 and 19 says, what again? Be quick to hear. Be slow to speak. Be slow to anger. Our love will only begin by recognizing who God is, what God has done for us, and how Jesus has already paid the price for our sin and a sacrifice of love for all man.

Conclusion

Now it’s our job to do the same. Can you improve in showing love? I know I sure can. I know we all can. Until we’re with God, until we’re like Him, we will improve. We will need to improve, but we can work together. We can show love. We can look out and watch out the world because Christians can do great things when we model ourselves after God. Let’s be the church. Let’s be the people that God demands. Let’s show love today. If you’re here this morning and you have not shown love, if you have not submitted to God, you don’t recognize truly what love is. But know that God has shown love. He sacrificed Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. And you can live with him.

You can live through the death of Jesus. If you come forward this morning believing that he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, confessing Him as Lord of your life, King to be followed. Repent of your wrongdoing and turn to a life of righteousness, love, and submission to God, being baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. Or maybe you’re a Christian here who hasn’t shown love, who’s been caught up in the world that shows only hate, only rudeness, only arrogance. Recognize that we can be restored. We need to be like God. Therefore, let us be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. If we can help you in any way, come forward now as we stand and sing the invitation song.