Love is a Verb: Stergo

February 21, 2016

Love is a Verb - Stergo

Family Love

Love is one of the most important themes and most repeated theme in the Bible. If you can boil the entire Gospel down to one word, it would be love.

The word "love" shows up:
319 times in the Old Testament,
232 times in the New Testament

So what does love mean?
If you look in an English dictionary, you’ll find things like:

“feeling an intense feeling of deep affection”
“feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone”
“caring deeply for someone”
“to find pleasure in”

The New Testament was written in Greek, and Ancient Greek has 4 root words for love:

Agape - God’s love for us, our love for God, selfless brotherly love
Phileo - deep friendship, very emotional love
Eros - sexual passion, intimate love between a married man and woman
Storge - natural love, usually between parents and children or family members

Today we are going to be looking at stergo love

1 John 3:1
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

What is Stergo?
Stergo - to have a benevolent interest in or concern for, love, feel affection for

Jacob’s love for Joseph was stergo.

What Stergo is not.
Astorgos: hardhearted, unfeeling, numb, void of affection

Romans 1:29-31
29 They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.

2 Timothy 3:1-5
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.

Joseph’s brothers love toward him was astrogos.

Stergo is mostly clearly seen at the baptism of Jesus:

Mark 1:9-11
9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

Presence: The Father is present with his son (The Spirit and the Voice).

Affirmation: The Father identifies with his son (You are my Son).

Affection: The Father communicates his love for his son (You are my beloved Son).

Delight: The Father expresses his delight in his son (You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased).

Blessing: The Father imparts the Spirit to his son.

In what way do I offer my presence to others in my family?

How can I affirm my relationship with others in my family?

What practical was can I show or communication my affection for my family?

Who do I delight in? Do they know? How can I show them?

What can I do to bless my household this week?

We reflect the fatherly love of God the Father when we offer our presence, affirm, show affection, delight, and bless our children, our spouses, and our household.

 Communication Card

1. Even if I don't have my own kids, I will be a part of helping to support the parents of the children of living faith so they grow up knowing a supportive church family.

2. I will discuss with my spouse how we can better be intentional with our kids.

3. I will be intentional to show my family my affection and affirmation this week.