The Heart of Christmas "Love"

Intro

This morning we will discover the true heart of Christmas....If you were to peel back all the layers of what Christmas is…why Jesus came to this earth…at the very center you would find LOVE.

Love…We all desire to be loved. I can say with great confidence....WE ARE ALL LOVED

Turn to 1 John 4

Illustration about love:

In his book Written in Blood, Robert Coleman tells the story of a little boy whose sister needed a blood transfusion. The doctor had explained that she had the same disease the boy had recovered from two years earlier. Her only chance for recovery was a transfusion from someone who had previously conquered the disease. Since the two children had the same rare blood type, the boy was the ideal donor.

"Would you give your blood to Mary?" the doctor asked. Johnny hesitated. His lower lip started to tremble. Then he smiled and said, "Sure, I would do that for my sister."

Soon the two children were wheeled into the hospital room--Mary, pale and thin; Johnny, robust and healthy. Neither spoke, but when their eyes met, Johnny grinned. As the nurse inserted the needle into his arm, Johnny's smile faded. He watched the blood flow through the tube.

With the ordeal almost over, his voice slightly shaky, broke the silence. "Doctor, when do I die?" Only then did the doctor realize why Johnny had hesitated, why his lip had trembled when he'd agreed to donate his blood. He'd thought giving his blood to his sister meant giving up his life. In that brief moment, he'd made his great decision. Johnny, fortunately, didn't have to die to save his sister. Each of us, however, has a condition more serious than Mary's, and it required Jesus to give not just his blood, but his life.

Jesus was born to die, and He did just that, BUT He arose from the grave victorious and is now seated on the throne making intercession for you and me!

(Slide of a Heart) ❤️

If someone asked you so show them what love looks like, what would you say?

How would you describe it?

Transition:

I want to paint a picture of the greatest love ever told

This is what love looks like!

1 John 4:10

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

(Prayer)

To get a clear picture of what love is we must know that....

I. Man’s Love Lacks

“Not that we loved God”

Love is not defined by man’s love

We can not have perfect love because we are not perfect

Jesus didn’t save you because of your love for Him

Often we prove that we do not love him.

A. Man’s Love is Conditional

We have a tendency to only love something when we get something in return.

B. Man’s Love has Limits

As much as we want to love without limit, our love has limits.

ILL: Go Kart as a kid....go as fast as I could go....it had a limit…I wish I could go faster...

Our love also has a limit.

Our love for others is limited.

Our love for God is limited.

C. Man’s Love is Tainted

Isaiah 64:6 - But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

As much as we believe our love is pure, it has been tainted by sin.

Romans 7:18 - For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

God didn’t love you because you were worth loving.

God didn’t love you because you were going to give Him so much in return-many people give him nothing in return.

Man’s love lacks!

We are tainted by sin! We are limited because we are man! Our love is conditional...

We are sinners and deserve the punishment for sin....

Romans 5:8 - But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

And this brings us to the love of God:

II. God’s Love Exceeds

“he loved us”

Love is defined by God’s Love

A. Unconditional

God loved the unlovely

God’s love is not based on the other party.

He has that Love that never asks anything in return.

B. Unlimited

There is no limit on God’s love.

The love of God

The limit of God’s love was tested

How far was Jesus willing to go in his love for you?

We will see just how far Jesus went in a few moments but we can know that God’s love for you is unlimited.

There are no limits to God’s love

Romans 8:35, 38, 39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Conclusion

God loves you.

Jeremiah 29:11 KJV - 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

He doesn’t think I’ll thought towards you. Thoughts of peace and love He doesn’t want you to spend an eternity in Hell. That’s not God’s plan for you.

Romans 8:39 - Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:16 - For God so loved the world,

love imbalance

his love is not conditional

III. God’s Love Displayed

“sent his Son”

True, Pure Love is displayed by God’s love

This is love in action

The limit of God’s love was tested

How far was Jesus willing to go in his love for you?

A. His Birth

Would you be born for man? I will.

And so Jesus was born:

Matthew 1:21 KJV - 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.

B. His Suffering

Would you suffer for man? I will.

Isaiah 53:5 KJV - 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

C. His Death

Would you be willing to die for man? as they nailed his feet to the cross

Would you be willing to die for man? as they nailed his hands to the cross

Would you be willing to die for man? as they raised the cross upright.

Would you be willing to die fore man? as Jesus struggled to breath.

At any time Jesus could have called 10,000 angels, to destroy the world and set him free.

Would you be willing to die for man?

YES! I am willing to die for man

John 19:30 KJV - 30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

God’s love has no limits

This is the birth of Jesus

The reason why we celebrate Christmas

John 15:13 - Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends

The love of God was displayed at Christmas and his love is what redeems us...

IV. God’s Love Redeems

“To be the propitiation for our sins”

To know the redeeming love of Christ, First we must understand:

A. There is a Great Debt for sin

Romans 6:23 KJV - 23 For the wages of sin is death;

The payment that you owe for your sin is death.

This isn’t even speaking of the death of your body.

You are a trinity. You have a body, soul, and spirit.

When you die your body turns to dust, the Bible says your spirit returns God who made it, but your soul will exist forever.

Your soul is the real you.

You are a soul, your body is your house, and your spirit connects the two.

When you die, “give up the ghost,” give up the spirit, you are separated from your body. And you will exist for eternity.

Because of your sin, your payment is death:

Revelation 21:8 KJV - 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

God’s holiness demands this payment be fulfilled.

The debt you owe and I owe is great: It’s an eternity in the lake of fire

B. There is a Great Intercessor for Sin

“to be the propitiation for our sins”

Our debt was great, the Great Judge, God Himself points his finger at you and condemns you guilty.

Guilty, the hammer is dropped.

The punishment is the death penalty. An eternity of hell fire.

“Judge, can I pay with works?” NO

“Can I pay with religion?” NO

“Can I pay with sacrifices?” NO

“Is there anyone that will help me?”

God replies, “Only one person can take your place, the perfect Son of God.”

You look at this son of God, sitting next to the judge.

He stands, He looks at you with a tear in His eye, He says, “I love you.”

Why would he love me you wonder! I don’t even know him.

Jesus turns to the Judge, “I’ll take his place. I will give my life for His”

The Judge asks, “You will give your life as a propitiation for his sin?”

Jesus answers, Yes.

The Judge agrees. This payment will be enough.

And so Jesus is put to death. Not for any sin of His (he has none) But for your sin and mine.

The Judge now declares you are redeemed.

The payment for sin has been paid in full.

I told you I would describe love to you... this the ultimate picture of love. This picture of love was painted in blood.

1 John 3:1 KJV - 1 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

Galatians 2:20b and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Romans 3:23-25 KJV - 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

The love of God can redeem you!

His love is greater than all our sin!

Conclusion

This is what love looks like....

1 John 4:10

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

This verse gives us the greatest definition of love in the entire universe.

This picture of love is painted with blood

He didn’t do it because of our love for Him (This is the reason he did it. HIS LOVE, NOT OURS) -his love is not conditional!

Because often we prove that we don’t love God.

Sent his son (The birth of Jesus)

Jesus is the only ONE who could save us from our sin

Why? to be the propitiation (HIS LIFE, NOT OURS)

For our sins (OUR SINS, NOT HIS)

This picture of love is painted in blood

Invitation

You are loved

God loves you and gave his life for you

He want to give you the greatest Christmas present -His presence in your life.

You owe a great debt....a debt for your sin....one that will take you an eternity to pay for.

But Jesus, on Christmas day, was born for you…to save you from your sin. He died to save you from your sin. He rose to save you from your sin.

So how can you accept this gift from God?

Acts 16:30-31 KJV - 30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.