CHRISTIAN LIVING - GOD IS LOVE

GOD IS LOVE

God is love.

God is here for us.

Yes, He is a righteous God and can have nothing to do with sin – but He provides a way out of sin and through His love – redemption.

One of our guiding verses today – John 3:16 starts with For God so LOVED the world.

The devil has convinced many of us that God is a kill-joy, an angry God, a distant God not caring about what goes on down here, but God so loved the world.

How do you treat God – do you focus on His love or only on His provision?

Zach Williams’ song – The Heart of God – says – there is only love in the heart of God – no room for shame in His open arms, beauty from ashes – come as you are because there is only love in the heart of God.

We can get so caught up in the don’ts that God says – the rules and forget the heart behind them. Like a father slapping a child’s hand as they reach for the hot pan on the stove or a mom yelling at her child when they start to run across the street and a car is coming.

God’s safety parameters are not to limit joy and not have fun – but to keep us safe -

Let Us Pray

God is Love

Ephesians 3:14–19 – For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

John 3:16-17 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

I. THE BREADTH OF GOD’S LOVE

“For God so loved the world.”

A. Powerful love—

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 – 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. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

Jeremiah 31:3 – the Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.

Proverbs 10:12 – Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses

1 John 4:7-8 – 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.

B. Patient love—Romans 5:8 – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

John 13:35 – By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

1 John 3:18 – Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

John 15:13 – Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

C. Pardoning love—Ephesians 2:4–5. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

1 Peter 4:8 – Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

D. Perfecting love—1 John 3:1 – See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Romans 8:38-39 – For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

II. THE LENGTH OF GOD’S LOVE

“That he gave His only begotten Son.”

A. Praying Son—Luke 22:39–46 – And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

B. Peaceful Son—John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

2 Corinthians 13:11 – Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.

C. Purging Son—Hebrews 9:22 – Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

1 John 1:7 – But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

D. Powerful Son—Matthew 28:1–3 – Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow.

John 11:25–26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

III. THE DEPTH OF GOD’S LOVE

“That whosoever believeth in him should not perish.”

Of all the words in the Bible, the word “whosoever” is perhaps the greatest. It includes all! The rich, poor, young, old, ignorant, intelligent, black, white, red, yellow, etc.

A. Requirement—Romans 10:13 – For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Something to do—calling upon the name of the Lord. We must be willing to confess our sins—

1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

B. Reception—John 6:37 – All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.

John 1:12 – But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,

C. Repentance—2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

It is God’s plan that none be lost. He wants all to repent and be saved!

Romans 2:4 – Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

IV. THE HEIGHT OF GOD’S LOVE –

“But have everlasting life.”

A. Provision for this life—Isaiah 53:5 – But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.

2 Corinthians 9:8 – And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.

Philippians 4:19 – And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

B. Pleasure of this life—John 10:10 – The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

1 Timothy 6:17 - As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.

C. Promise of this life—John 11:25–26 – Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 5:24 – Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

How are different after hearing God’s message for you this morning?

How has God’s Word – God’s Love impacted you this morning?

What did God either remind you of or bring to light to you this morning?

How are you being challenged by His message this morning?

Let us pray!