Agape Love: The Spark That Reignites the Church

Introduction

For a year and a half, Flore Legouis has been leading the Hillsong Lausanne campus with her husband Matthieu. This Sunday morning, she comes to share the Word at Hillsong Paris; the church she calls home. She arrives with a simple image: a match and a fire, and one word in the background: agape. That unconditional, sacrificial love that God pours into our lives; not only for us, but so it can flow through us to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Her message is a very practical call: watch over this love, refuse to let it grow cold, and take the initiative of reconciliation when it wavers.

Message Outline

1. A Strange First Mention: A Love That Can Grow Cold

• The very first time the Greek word agape appears in the Bible, it is not to celebrate something beautiful; it is to warn about something that can grow cold.
• In Matthew 24, on the Mount of Olives, Jesus describes the signs of the end times: wars, famines, earthquakes, false prophets.
• In verse 12, he says: “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.”
• That word love is agape. Jesus is speaking to those who have already tasted it, those who know the Church; and he warns them that the tangible expression of this love can grow lukewarm.

2. The Church: A Hope for the World That Cannot Be Replaced

• Despite wars, poverty, and the disorder of the world, Flore remains convinced that the Church is the hope of humanity; the instrument God uses to manifest his kingdom on earth.
• She quotes Andy Stanley: “Jesus is the hope of the world, and the local church is the vehicle through which that hope is expressed to the world.”
• She also quotes Bill Hybels: “Nothing on this earth has greater potential to change lives and accomplish kingdom work in your community than your local church.”
• Despite its imperfections and our mistakes, the Church has a key role; and this is not just about a Sunday gathering, but about every disciple, you and me.

3. Power Without Love: Paul’s Warning to the Corinthians

• In 1 Corinthians 13:1–3, Paul writes to a church rich in spiritual gifts but also divided, proud, and immature; rivalries, misuse of gifts, chaos in their meetings.
• His message is direct: speaking all languages, having all knowledge, a faith that moves mountains, making enormous sacrifices; without love, it counts for nothing.
• “A lot of power but little character.” You can be spiritually impressive and be completely off the mark.
• Paul puts what truly matters back at the center: gifts impress, but love transforms.

4. Loving Even When It Is Not Comfortable

• In John 13:34–35, Jesus says: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.”
• The Bible does not say “love one another if you agree” or “love one another if you feel like it.” It simply says: love one another.
• Three practical questions to ask yourself: Do my words toward others reflect the love Jesus has for me? Does my attitude resemble Jesus’ attitude toward me? Are my thoughts about others aligned with the kingdom of heaven?
• Flore points to a form of persecution rarely named: the discrediting of the Church in today’s society. “Why go to church if I can watch the services online? Why go back if someone hurt me?” In the face of this, she believes the Church will flourish more than ever.

5. Two Stones, One Spark: The Flint Illustration

• Before matches existed, prehistoric people made fire using flint: two different stones struck together to produce sparks that fell on dry materials; then a gentle breath turned the ember into a flame.
• The illustration is simple: those two stones are us; you and your brother, you and your sister in Christ.
• We have different perspectives. We clash. But when love is present, those frictions produce sparks.
• Differences are not bad. The problem is when we refuse to let God work through them.
• “We let God shape our characters so that the fire of God can be made and God can breathe through it.”

6. The World Says One Thing; 1 Corinthians 13 Says Another

• 1 Corinthians 13:4–10 describes agape love: patient, kind, not envious, not proud, not self-seeking, not easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, forgives all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
• The world says: “If it costs you too much, leave.” 1 Corinthians 13 says: love is patient.
• The world says: “Take care of yourself first.” 1 Corinthians 13 says: it is not self-seeking.
• The world says: “React. Don’t let people walk over you.” 1 Corinthians 13 says: it is not easily angered.
• The world calls that love, but God calls it something else. What God calls love is the very opposite of what this world has taken from us.

7. The Cross: A Vertical Movement That Becomes Horizontal

• In Matthew 22:37–39, Jesus gives the greatest commandment: love God with all your heart, soul, and mind; then love your neighbor as yourself.
• These are not two separate commandments; they are one single movement: loving God transforms the way we love others.
• The cross illustrates this: vertically we love God; horizontally we love others.
• “The love of God is lived in private, but it is proven in public.” Everything starts with God, but everything is seen in our relationships.

8. Taking the Initiative of Forgiveness

• Flore shares an experience in Mexico five years ago, at a youth gathering: a pastor had issued a reconciliation challenge at the end of a message on forgiveness.
• She felt at peace, convinced she had no conflict with anyone. Then, at the end of the service, many people came to ask her forgiveness; not because she had consciously hurt them, but because wounds she was unaware of were present.
• That moment triggered a work of restoration in her life that lasted for years.
• Matthew 5:23–24 is clear: if you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar, go first and be reconciled with him, then come and offer your gift.
• The Bible does not say to wait for others to come and ask forgiveness. It does not say to demand apologies. It says: take the initiative, forgive, seek reconciliation.
• “Let go. Do not demand the debt someone owes you, because Jesus did not demand the debt you owed him. On the contrary, he paid it all.”

Key Takeaways

• Agape love does not come naturally in our everyday relationships: Jesus himself warns that it can grow cold in many people.
• Spiritual gifts without love are worthless; Paul wrote this to a church that was rich in gifts.
• Our differences with our brothers and sisters are not a problem: handled poorly, they wound; handled with love, they produce sparks.
• Love is not an emotion; it is a decision; and a decision determines a destiny.
• Forgiveness does not wait for the other person to take the first step: Jesus did not demand our debt; he paid it all.

Personal Application

1. Do my words toward my brothers and sisters in Christ reflect the love Jesus has for me?
2. Does my attitude toward them resemble the attitude Jesus has toward me?
3. Are my thoughts about others aligned with the kingdom of heaven?
4. Is there someone in my church, my family, or my circle I should go ask forgiveness from this week; without waiting for them to take the first step?
5. Am I choosing patience rather than frustration when a brother or sister does not understand or keeps making the same mistakes?

Bible Verses Cited

• Matthew 24:3–14
• 1 Corinthians 13:1–3
• 1 Corinthians 13:4–10
• John 13:34–35
• Matthew 22:37–39
• Matthew 5:23–24

Further reading

• Church Small Groups: How to Create and Grow Them
• Encouraging participation in small groups
• How to Train a Small Group Leader

Frequently Asked Questions

What is agape love, and why is it so central to this message?

Agape love is that unconditional, sacrificial, selfless love; very different from eros (romantic love), philia (friendship), or storge (family affection). Flore Legouis highlights a surprising fact: in the Bible, the very first appearance of the Greek word agape is found in Matthew 24, where Jesus warns that this love can grow lukewarm in many disciples. This message therefore calls every disciple to watch over this love in their relationships; not only in the vertical relationship with God, but also in the horizontal relationship with brothers and sisters in Christ.

Why compare Christians to two stones clashing together?

Flore draws on the prehistoric technique of flint: two different stones, struck against each other, produce sparks that land on dry materials. A gentle breath is then all it takes to turn the ember into a flame. This image says two things. First, our differences in the Church are not a problem; they are even necessary to produce the spark. Second, when agape love is present between two believers who think differently, every friction becomes an opportunity for God to rekindle his fire. The real problem is never the difference: it is the refusal to let God work through it.

How can I practically take the initiative of reconciliation?

Matthew 5:23–24 gives a very practical instruction: if you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift at the altar, go first and be reconciled with him, then come back and offer your gift. The Bible does not say to wait for the other person to take the first step. It does not say to demand apologies. It says: take the initiative, forgive, seek reconciliation. Flore shares an experience in Mexico where many people came to ask her forgiveness for wounds she was not even aware of having caused. That moment triggered a work of restoration in her life that lasted for years. As she reminds us: love is not an emotion; it is a decision. And a decision determines a destiny.