God's Love

Gary Bibles open to First, John chapter 4 is where we're going to be. We're going to talk about love this morning but the most important kind of love and that is God's love without God's love. What hope or what help would we have without God's love? How would we truly know how to love? People have a lot of questions of about God what is he like? And the best way to answer those is to look at Jesus. Jesus said in John chapter 14, that if you knew me you knew you would know my father. If you knew my father you would know me. I and my father are one.

The guy that I wished for you to know the guy that I want everyone to know, is the guy that Jesus revealed the god. This God is the father. He is good. He is generous. He is trustworthy. He is just Everything that he does is for your benefit in my benefit. It's not about him. Yes, he does. Want us to worship him. He wants us to worship him because of what that where's your brings to us? Not what it brings to him. He created the whole universe, he created everything that we see around us. He is God. And therefore, because of that, he put man on this Earth to to go forth to do the work that he wanted them to do. Any had a plan? Do you have plans to? Hey, if you do it this way, you will be blessed. He didn't throw that other site on, there's no. But if you do it your own way you're not going to be blessed because that's what comes from, not following through, on the things of God. But this morning, I want us to understand that God is love Who said that, will we find that John said that throughout the Bible? Many times and 1st John 2nd, John 3rd, John. He, he mentions the love of God. Assassin. John 1st, John 4:7 through verse 8. Say beloved let us love one. Another for love is of God and everything. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love, does not know. God for God is love. Let's pray this morning for this morning. As we open your word, I ask that you open our hearts and our minds, so that what you have for us individual? That was you have for us collectively, that's always my prayer. Every week is not about those around us, is good for them to hear that. It's father, what do you have for me? But it's also. What do you have for all of us? As we walk out of here, this morning as a body of Christ to send forth your love into this world, help us to do it, as you would have is to not as we think is best in our own lives. Father, you know, they need, you know, the burdens, you know, the hearts of each and every one here today, we ask that you supply. As you see, fit the blessings that come from. You cannot be numbered in cannot be outdone for you care, for your children, and you want to bless us with the greatest blessings of all. And you've done that. As we will see this morning and sending your son to a lost and Dying World guide us and directors in your path. Help us to put aside the busyness of our days, the busyness of Our Lives, the focus this morning on your love in Jesus name. We pray. Amen. What do you think of that statement? God is love. What comes to your mind? Is quite a remarkable statement, isn't it? God is love. God's love is not the same as the world's love. God's love is greater God's. Love is higher. God's love is not about himself. God's love is about others. The world's love for the most part is about herself. You know, when we might say that I I love this person. I've I love this girl, I love this guy. We we, we had those moments that we say that we have fallen in love, but the whole purpose for most of that is about ourselves, it's a need that we have. And yes, you and I need God's love, but his love is what has provoked produced in us and help us produce and others. The things that help this world going the right direction.

God's love is remarkable and John is saying that in, In this passage, you saying that for God's love is not a passing statement. It is who God is. Is what he's all about. It's not saying God loves. You saying God is love that agape. Love that covers all things that we in this world, don't really understand that true sense of law. That, that high ability of love, we have a difficult time with understanding the, the total sense of that.

But we see what God has done for us and sending his son and taking care of the needs. We, we see it to a point sometimes that we we forget the other aspect of that, a yes God is love, but he also is a god of wrath on the other side for those who reject him, and that's not something that he's looking down a bossy, let me destroy somebody, that's not his desire but when sin entered into the world, when sending his into our life, there is something that that takes place that removes us Gets between us and God and it's not God. Moving from us, it's awesome. Moving away from God, because we have allowed those things to enter in. God is love. It's his essential nature. God cannot be unloving because he is loved. John applies it to us. He applies it to you and me because God is love. Then we're to love one another and whoever does not love scripture tells us does not know God. I told her this morning before we even be began to get into The Mists of all of this. Ask yourself this question in your own heart in your own life. Is there somebody in my life that I have a hard time loving Is there somebody in my life that I have a hard time of it? If you can come up with that name, then you need to strive to show God's love to them even more to that individual because if you cannot love them, the way that you should. That's God. Would have you tow it? Hinders your love for others. The only way we could truly love one. Another is my putting God first by putting God in that right place. There's a story that I heard about a pastor, who one day the phone ring in his office and he answered it and is the young girl on the other end saying for the past year and she didn't go to that church. Had been to another church attending and she wanted to know if she could come and talk to the pastor. Is it may I come to your church and and talk with you? So she did. So this young girl goes to the church and talks with the pastor You still let me tell you, let me tell you my answer or my story. When she was in junior high, she got pregnant by a young man. The young man had no idea, no desire rather 2 or no interest in her or in the baby. She kept the baby decided to get her life back on track. So she started attending the church and that she was raised in. One day after being led by God she fell to to do this. She won't she goes to the her home. Pasture is his pasture, right? I think I have a story that I can tell that I could encourage the young girls in our church. Not to go down the path that I went down, but the follow God and to do good in their lives and trust God through it all not to get caught up in the sacks in the dating and all the things at that. The pressures that are on the young kids today. The edge of the pastor. Gave her soul to set her back. The pastor told her that I would never allow that. I'm afraid that your type of person might rub off on them. She was hurt. But she kept going to that church. The baby was born. She goes to the pastor after the baby was born and says Pastor. I'd like to dedicate my baby to the Lord. And the passwords answer to her was I would never dedicate an illegitimate child.

God's love, right? God's love. No, that is not God's love and yes it's true. So much so many times in our lives. When we give our testimony we tell about all the horrible things we've done and how God got us through that. And here we are today and our children are going to hear. They will look look mom up, Dad, or Brother songs of all the sisters also, they did it and they got away with it. They're doing okay today. So my answer my question for each and everyone of you old brother. So was her old sister so and so is this The sins that you have committed in your life in the past that you knew you shouldn't have done, but you have gone. They're there. Their, they're saying that they're completed your your through them. Here's a question. You can answer out loud. Did you get away with them? They always have consequences, don't they? There's always a consequence. So to say that we've got a way with them, know, we don't Send has a way of leaving a Mark or leaving a scar. That forever will be remembered by someone first and foremost by the devil. so when somebody is Redeemed, by the love of God, by the grace of God, When somebody is taking, if you will from the pits and put on the Mountaintop with. Shouldn't that be something that should be honored and praising and thanking God for, not the individual, but the work of God, why? Because God is what I see. So many times in our churches, we forget that extra step that we need to go beyond of our own convictions, our own thoughts, and get beyond God, to where God is. Get me on those parts where God is, remember the the woman caught in sin? Remember at some guys were gathered around, they were ready to Stoner and Jesus comes on the scene. Is it? Hey, what's going on? Well Master, we have to tell you. We got to tell you what this woman did. She was caught in since. So, here we are. We're all gathered around. We're going to Stone her. Put her to death because of the sin of adultery that she committed. Now, let's think about this for a second. If she was caught in sin committing adultery, there had to be a second party, a man. So, where at what is the second party is culpability in all of this all because he was a man, he could get away with it was the way they would look at it. We got four.

And Jesus just been down with all of them around with her, they're probably scared and and her knees. Not going to fret about losing her life and rice and us. And we don't know what he wrote, but we know what he said. The scriptures tells us that he said, he that is without sin, Let Him cast the first stone.

and when he looked up, All I saw was the woman standing before him. Kenny said woman, where are your accusers?

And she says Master, they're gone.

And he says to her, neither do I condemn you doll. And sin, no more. Not do things that we have to think about. In that statement was Jesus say they're okay. Well what you did was okay, that's not what he was saying. That's not what he was saying. Do we think that once she left Jesus, she never send again. What we would hope that to be true, but what about your life? Would that be true in your life? Once you met Jesus, have you never send again? I think we know the answer to that. We are human. We're prone to those things cancel. When, when this little girl goes young, girl comes into her. Pastor and shares her story, was it give her testimony and sort of direct girls away from Sex and dating kind of issues of the world and get their eyes focus on Jesus. And we Poo. Poo that. What are we doing? Are we showing God's love? Are we showing our own fear? Many times, we show our own fear in our convictions.

What was the name of that song that Samantha just sang? Great is the Lord. Do you believe that today? Do you believe he's great? Do you believe that scripture says greater? Is he that is in us than he that is in the world. And Jesus says, if I be lifted up, I will draw all men. All women, all boys, all girls to myself. Damn, I lifting up Jesus or in my lifting up myself.

In which sin in this world? Is worse than the other. Well, you look at those Ten Commandments of God, put up there. And now there's something that that adultery thing in that murder.

Well, you threw those out there but are those the only sense that he died for? No. Should have no other gods before me or that's the only send, usually the god that we had before him more important than him to us is ourselves. I'm going to do what I want as I like as I desire to do it, I'm not going to hurt anybody. Else is not going to affect anybody else but guess what? We don't know what other people are seeing in US. That might have a lifetime of effect on them. I know a true story of a Young Man. Who grew up in church, all of his life. I was taught by a Sunday school teachers in Taunton and told how to live and how to walk and how to talk all the things that they ought to be doing. You shouldn't cost you you shouldn't drink, you shouldn't do all these things. And one day that young man was out in the world living his daily life, cross his Sunday school teacher at a place where he heard him cursing up a Blue Streak if you will. Doing things that you shouldn't be doing saying things, you shouldn't be saying. And all of a sudden that thought that he had to what this man has been teaching me. He's not even living.

The Young Band drop down a church that young man quit doing the things that God had called him to do. That young man ended up dying at a young age, 18 years of age in a car accident. No fault of his own. He was coming home from work one night. Had a head-on collision with another car. That was trying to outrun the sheriff out of town, the same Sheriff that this young man would come into town at night and then sit in the car with him and ride around town with initials or to wind down from work. He would sit in the car with that. Sheriff go around town on his calls with him. That same, Sheriff was chasing another man out of town, the other man had his headlights off and runs head-on into this 18 year old boy. Patrick lied. How do you know that that 18 year old boy was my step brother?

18 years of age doing nothing wrong. Just wasn't going to church anymore. He got disenchanted. Why? Because of what he's off of this love of God and others what they say, and what they do, doesn't always match up.

Which A1 why are you sharing that story with me? Because I want you to understand, we got to get her eyes off of one another And our eyes on God. God. Is love. It doesn't say Joe is love, doesn't say Mary is love. It says God is love and will Everest Drive me to serve? God was trying to do the things that he wants us to do. If we put him first, the rest of this is going to fall into place as he Wills in our life and if I'm striving to throw his love out to others, his love, not my love. This agape, love. Not my kind of lover, you know what, it hears, the way I see it. Doing the best that we can God will honor and God will glorify that 1st. John 4:8 says, whoever does not love, does not know God, why? Because God is love. You don't know. Love you don't know God. Think about that. if you're not loving the way you should, then we're not serving God the way we should. I don't want anything to keep me from being a blessing to my family. I don't want anything to keep me from being a blessing to our my church. I don't want anything to keep me from being a blessing, the best blessing that I can be. I don't want to just be a partial blessing, I want to be the best that I can be for my Lord and My Savior Jesus Christ. I mean if you're playing on a sports team you don't go out there and do a partial job. He go out there and you give it your all, don't you just drive to you going through and you lay it on the, on the field, bring nothing back with you. Give it everything you got.

And when you give it everything you got, and if you end up losing the game, you know, you've done everything, you could do possibly in your might to help your team win. The same is true in our relationship with God. If I'm doing everything that I can for God, if I'm striving do everything for him. If I know that he is loved and I'm striving to be in love to the world that he wants me to be. I'm not leaving everything anything behind and when something over here as an 18 year, old boy killed in the head on car crashed. Then I could say OK Google. I gave it everything. I got But if I'm not and I wonder what else could I have that, we normally only wonder that what else could I have done, how could I have done something different, how can I administer it in a better way? How could I have helped get beyond that? Are the young girl that walk in Pastor? I'd like to share my story and I we we don't want you to share your kind of story around here. Imagine, imagine this morning if I just stopped right now to listen, we're going to we're going to have a testimony time of where you were and where you are. Where did God bring you from? And where you are today. Could you imagine the stories you've heard?

Look around. Some of you guys known each other for a long time. Hey man. You know, you know, some of the history. Guess what? We all have the same history. We've all been hewn from a pit. Scripture says, Right. We've been hewn from a pit of sin and when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ, we've been set on the rock of Jesus Christ. Is that love? I want to break out in song. I can't say if that is a lot of the old, there's no stars in the sky, The Sparrows can't play if that isn't love For God. So loved the world.

Who. The world who is that? Everybody. A man that person that you might have a hard time. Loving God loves. So who's right? And who's wrong? Well, God doesn't know him like I know him. You sure. The problem is God knows you better than you know yourself. Be careful. God is love. 1st, John 4:16. And so we know and rely on the love of God, that God has for us. God is love, whoever lives in, love lives in God, and God in them. You want people to see God in you, live in love live in love, doesn't mean we're not going to have a hard time to try those with one another. I guarantee you there are some days, my wife probably doesn't like me.

She loves me. But you might not like me someday, right? Cuz guess what? I think, I guess I could probably be a jerk. Is it your coffin in agreement or what?

Some days. God might not like us a man. But you know what he does. He loves us. Parents some days, you might not like your kids. But you love them. Right, you love them. I mean, how many times have you said in your life? I can't wait till you grow up and get out of here. Have kids of your own back just like you.

and they grow up and move out on their own, they have kids that act just like them. And you say, you know what, God is real? It's true.

No, we we see ourselves and those around us but what others need to see in US, is God. His love. The father lavishes, his great love on us. He calls us his children and it's true. If you know Christ as your lord and savior, you are a child of God. We are God's beloved children. Think about it. God calls you, his child.

He loves you.

It's a crazy kind of love cuz we don't truly understand it. You and I will do everything we can for our kids. We die for our kids and God did that for us. He sent his son Jesus Christ. In the flesh to die for us. He loves you like a parent, loves his or her children.

He's absolutely committed to your well-being. And do doing the best that he can for you.

Years ago, going up in church and in Texas would go door-to-door. Visitation And I was probably 16 years of age. The guy that I was with was in the military, he was probably 10 years older than me. So I'd make him 26. He's the older gentleman in the group, so I would let him do all the talking, but we went and knocked on this one door. And then Killeen Texas, Fort Hood Army base, you to go and knock on the same doors, every 6 months, and get new people in those apartments because they were moving people through the base very quickly. Back in those days when they were thinking about shutting Killeen was one of the, the army bases, they were looking at, maybe shutting down, they never did, but We will go knock on these doors. In this one door that we knocked on me. We got this option, the man who came to the door, and he's probably just like you. And me is Emma comes knocking on our door. If we're still talking to us about Jesus and my week, we don't want to hear anything about it. We got enough Jesus, we have enough love, right? You know, those people come knocking on your door. What we used to do that all the time and we knock on his door. And the first question is I were from Maranatha Baptist Church were here to, to talk to you about Jesus. And do you have a church home in some place that you're going to church summer? Say yes, I'm going to say no. Someone said, get down here. We don't have time. This guy is what I said. What what's it to you? What am I doing? What if I don't, what we're here to just share God's love with you or how do you know that, God loves me? Is God? Perfect. And Gary is auto answering some of these questions and do. What ya got is perfect in every aspect of life, Where is Godzilla's? Sure. Got its endless isn't got a jealous God. Yes, God is a jealous God. Isn't jealousy a son? Gary's light. Well, if I say yes, I'm going to fall, right? In this case trap is left. I've been raised in church, I'd heard this kind of talk before so the 16 year old kids steps. Forwards are well sir. Let me let me share with you this jealousy of God just like you as a parent or jealous for your kids is not for you. It's for your kids. You are jealous. You want the best for them. You want all the offerings that they can have presented to them in the same way, God is a jealous. God, he wants the best for you and for me, but yet he is not there. Say hey, you got to worship me and serve me because I said, so you can't worship anybody else because you know, that when we go in the other direction, it's not helping us is hurting us. So he wants the best for us. Just like we want to see our kids do well in school. We want to see him do well in life. We, we want them to see him whether they get wealthy or not, whether we want to see them, make it financially. We don't like when things trials and tribulations coming their way. That's the jealousy that God has your best interest as what he's jealous about. He wants the best for you. He wants the best for me, and the only way that we can have the best is by putting him in that, right, spot in that right place in our life, putting him in that top area. Number one, Too many times in our life, what happens? We move him down. We put ourselves up there. Okay. What's but I know what God wants, but I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to live my life the way that I want to live my life. And let me tell you as a teenage kid, I got into that part of life. I was more concerned in my life and pleasing my father Then I was in pleasing. My heavenly father. Because I could get away from my father, my Earthly father. I could be other places and he couldn't hear me. He couldn't see me. He didn't know what I was doing. but what I didn't realize, what I forgotten about, was that my heavenly father, Is with me as his child Everywhere I Go. He knows everything, I say he knows everything everywhere, I go. He knows every thought that I have

He knows me better than I know myself. And when I realized the opportunity in my life that I needed, not so much worried about my Earthly father and pleasing him. But worried about my heavenly father and pleasing him because God is love in. His love is for my benefit. Then if I'm being benefited by, it benefited by God's love and those around me. Will be benefited by his love as well. And what is greater? Then God's love.

Scripture says greater love has no man than this than a man lay down his life for his friend. And Jesus Christ, God In the Flesh. God Son lay down his life for you and for me there's no greater love than that. No greater love than for him willingly. Lay down his life. Yes he was taking he was beating he was fed upon. He was ridiculed marked all of those thing, all the pain and the suffering that he had to deal with. But when he went to that cross, they didn't have to throw him down on it, he laid himself down on it, he stretched out his arms for you and for me, and he looked up in the faces of those that were nailing, his, his feet, and his wrist to the cross, and he said, father, forgive them. What? They don't know what they're doing. His love for them, was greater than the pain of Sorrow the suffering that he was about to face for them. And yet the pain or sorrow on the suffering of the whole world. Was upon him. Your sin. Mice in the worlds and was placed upon him. You know why? Because he loved us. For God. So loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life. And that believing in him is not just a head knowledge of. Yeah, I believe that Jesus exist. I believe is he walked this world walk this Earth. Is having a faith in a trust in him. That when I call out to him, when I cry out to him, he hears me. And he knows what is best. But you know what? My problem is sometimes. I think that I know what is best to. And if God doesn't answer my prayers, the way that I think you should.

He must not be listening, right?

If God is not answering your prayers. A way that I think you said that he must not care. But God is listening and God is carrying. And he said, okay, Clyde here I got this path for you to go down this week. I want you to go down this path, you're not going to like it is not going to be comfortable, but you going to go down this path. This week for whatever reason, whatever, purpose, whatever comes out of it. But in all that you do and all that you say show forth the love of God, wherever you go. because when it becomes about me and not about God, we're giving second best of those around us. And I don't want to give second-best, I don't want to get second best to God. I want to give my best as part of the team for whatever reason, whatever purpose, whatever aspect to see that story about that, young girl.

Send came into her life. Yes, she corrected. She confessed her. Since she got back on track with God, she went and shared her story with her pastor and got poo-pooed by the pasture. For lack of a better word. Write down. No, we don't want that weed. We don't want centers in our church.

Not what he said, word for word, but it is what he said, isn't it? We don't want you telling other people that you're a center.

He that is without sin. Let Him cast the first stone. Why is it that we as Christians are so easy? The cast of stones.

But we, we talked about all the other times and we blame others for throwing a mattress.

Romans 5:8 close with this. The gods demonstrated his love towards us and that while we were yet. Sinners what happened? Christ died for us. When when we straightened up, when we started living, right? No. While we were yet, sinners Christ died for us, he died for you. He died for me. He knew us everything there was to know about his quinoa's. He knew me. And he loved me so much that he lay down his life for me. You're here this morning, you've never accepted Christ as your lord and your savior. If you do not know, if your life was the end of day that you spend eternity with God in heaven forever and ever. Today is the day to say yes to God, how can you really know? It's a faith walk. It's a faith that I've never been to Heaven. I'd never seen everything I read about it in his word. But even his word does not even come close to, what is really all about. But when I put my faith and trust in Jesus Christ, it's a hope that I have In the future that God has for me. John chapter 14, a goal to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again. Receive you to myself that where I am, there you may be also Let not your heart, be troubled. Neither Let It Be Afraid. God has a place for those who put their faith and trust in him. He is love. Do you trust him? Do you love him? He loves you. Father, we thank you. We thank you for the goodness of your word. The goodness of your love. I love that passes. All understanding a lot that we truly can understand but a love that stands steadfast and sure to our lives each and every day. But do you know the hearts of each one? You know, those who believe those who are struggling and those who are right on the fence? Help us to trust you. In all things to have a faith in you that you are loved. And that you are a God who sent your son to die in a cross. That whosoever will May Come. Even those that we may hate and yes, we know that we shouldn't. We shouldn't hate. We should love all. That, doesn't mean to overlook sins and not worry about those. Yes, there's a responsibility. There's a Culture in our world today to just live, however, we want. But if we live, as if you are loved because you are Then there's a blessing that will be bestowed upon us and that blessing then, pours out to those around us. Help us to put you first in all things. In Jesus name, we pray