BEING LOVED WITHOUT END

MAY 4TH 2003

NOTHING IN ALL THE WORLD IS MORE MEANINGFUL TO US THAN BEING LOVED!!

WE LOVE BEING LOVED - - NOT JUST BEC OF WHAT THOSE WHO LOVE US DO FOR US, BUT BEC OF THE SPECIAL FEELING WE GET BY SIMPLY KNOWING THAT WE ARE LOVED!!!

AND THOUGH IT MAY BE TRUE THAT HUMANS ARE CAPABLE OF GETTING BY IN LIFE WITHOUT BEING PERSONALLY LOVED AND DELIGHTED IN BY OTHERS…………

WE ALL WANT TO BE LOVED!!!

AND THIS IS NOT AN ACCIDENT…….

THIS IS NO EVOLUTIONARY DEVELOPMENT OF OUR EMOTIONS!!!

WE WERE MADE THAT WAY BY A GOD WHOSE WHOLE PURPOSE FOR CREATING US (MANKIND) WAS TO HAVE A LASTING RELATIONSHIP OF MUTUAL LOVE AND AFFECTION WITH US. 

FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE COSMOS AND ALL THE WAY THROUGH UNFOLDING ETERNITY……..THE SINGLE GREATEST HALLMARK OF GOD’S TOUCH IS LOVE!!!!

AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS BEC GOD IS MORE THAN MERELY A FEELING OR A FORCE OR AN ATMOSPHERE OF LOVE…….

LISTEN DEAR ONE…………HE IS LOVE PERSONIFIED…….LOVE INCARNATE

 IN 1 JOHN 4:8,16 WHERE YOU HAVE TURNED TO IN YOUR BIBLES IT SAYS……..

THE ONE WHO DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT KNOW GOD, FOR GOD IS LOVE……….AND WE HAVE COME TO KNOW AND HAVE BELIEVED THE LOVE WHICH GOD HAS FOR US.  GOD IS LOVE, AND THE ONE WHO ABIDES IN LOVE ABIDES IN GOD, AND GOD ABIDES IN HIM.”

GOD IS A KNOWABLE PERSONA.  HE IS AN ACTUAL BEING WHOSE SUPERNATURAL ATTRIBUTES AND CHARACTER ARE ALMOST BEYOND HUMAN COMPREHENSION……

BUT DISTINCT AND CERTAIN!!!

GOD IS NOT JUST LOVE…….BUT HE IS ALL THE TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE ELEMENTS IN HUMAN EXPERIENCE!!!!

WHAT IS TRUE OF LOVE COMES THE CLOSEST TO DEPICTING WHAT IS TRUE OF GOD!!!!

LOVE EXEMPLIFIES GOD’S ESSENTIAL CHARACTERISTICS.  

LOVE DEFINES HIS NATURE….

LOVE SHOWS US HIS MOTIVES AND HIS DEALING WITH MAN THROUGHOUT ALL TIME!!!!

AT ONE POINT WHEN MOSES WAS WONDERING ABOUT GOD AND WHAT HE WAS……….HE ASKED THE LORD TO REVEAL MORE OF HIMSELF……..

TO SHOW ENOUGH OF HIMSELF SO THAT MOSES COULD REGISTER ON BY HIS OWN SENSES THE NATURE OF GOD IN A WAY THAT WAS UNDERSTANDABLE!!!!

AND THE LORD AGREED TO ‘PASS BY’   WHERE MOSES WOULD BE HIDDEN IN THE CLEFT OF A ROCK  (EXODUS 34:5-6).   

MOSES WANTED TO KNOW WHAT SORT OF GOD HE WOULD BE FOLLOWING.

THE MIRACLES HE HAD WITNESSED IN EGYPT HAD CONVINCED MOSES OF GOD’S POWER,…….

THERE WAS NO DOUBTING THAT….

BUT MOSES WANTED TO KNOW HIS WAYS!!!!!  (EXODUS 33:13)……

MOSES HAD SAID AT ONE POINT….”I PRAY THEE….IF I HAVE FOUND FAVOR IN THY SIGHT…..LET ME KNOW THY WAYS….THAT I MAY KNOW THEE…….SO THAT I MAY FIND MORE FAVOR IN YOUR SIGHT!!!!”

MOSES WANTED TO KNOW GOD’S WAYS…

HE WANTED TO KNOW THE FULL TRUTH ABOUT THE GOD OF HIS FATHERS….

WHAT WAS GOD LIKE?

HOW DOES HE CHOOSE TO REVEAL HIMSELF?

WHAT IS THE NATURE OF HIS GLORY?

AND THE LORD’S RESPONSE TO MOSES IS REALLY REVEALING IN EXODUS 34….

THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE….

THE GOD OF PLACES UNSEEN…..AND SEEN….

THE GOD OF GLAXIES AND SOLAR SYSTEMS…..AND EVERYTHING EVER CREATED…..COULD HAVE JUST ABOUT DECLARED ANYTHING ABOUT HIMSELF…..AND IT WOULD HAVE BLOWN MOSES OR US RIGHT DOWN!!!

IMAGINE IF YOU WERE TOLD TO DESCRIBE YOURSELF IN A HANDFUL OF WORDS…….

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY ABOUT YOURSELF THAT YOU WOULD WANT RECORDED FOR ALL TIME???

WOULD YOU MENTION YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS……….IN SCHOOL….AT WORK…….

THE SIZE OF YOUR FAMILY……….?

WHAT BOAST COULD YOU TRUTHFULLY  MAKE ABOUT YOURSELF?

LOOK WHAT THE LORD TOLD MOSES::

THEN THE LORD PASSED BY IN FRONT OF HIM AND PROCLAIMED, ‘THE LORD, THE LORD GOD, COMPASSIONATE AND GRACIOUS, SLOW TO ANGER, AND ABOUNDING IN LOVINGKINDNESS AND TRUTH; WHO KEEPS LOVINGKINDNESS FOR THOUSANDS, WHO FORGIVES INIQUITY, TRANSGRESSION AND SIN”!!!!!

THERE YOU HAVE IT!!!!

THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITIES ABOUT THE LORD AS HE IS PASSING BY AND REVEALING HIMSELF!!!!

COMPASSIONATE

GRACIOUS

SLOW TO ANGER

ABOUNDING IN LOVING (MERCIFUL) KINDNESS

ABOUNDING IN TRUTH (AND TRUSTWORTHINESS)

MAINTAINING LOVING (MERCIFUL) KINDNESS

FORGIVING

LISTEN…

LOVE PROMTED GOD TO CONCEIVE US………AS MUCH AS IT PROMPTED YOUR PARENTS TO CONCIEVE YOU!!!!

THAT LOVE WAS NOT JUST A GENERIC LOVE FOR A SPECIES…..

HE DID NOT MAKE ALL OF US SO THAT HE COULD HAVE LOTS OF HUMAN BEINGS MILLING ABOUT LIKE SO MANY PETS!!!!

IN FACT THE CONTRARY IS TRUE!!!

HIS LOVE IS SUCH AN INTRINSIC PART OF WHO HE IS……

IT IS SO COMPELLINGLY CREATIVE….

SO ANIMATING AND LIFE GIVING IN ITS MAKEUP……

THAT IT GENERATES HIS LONGING FOR RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE PERSON AFTER ANOTHER!!!!!!

EVERY PERSON……(*NO MATTER HOW THEY APPEAR TO US ON THIS SIDE OF THE CROSS)….

EVERY PERSON……. IN THE WORLD IS BORN OUT OF A UNIQUE LOVE AND YEARNING IN THE HEART OF GOD!!!!!!

GOD DID NOT WAIT EVEN…UNTIL AFTER WE WERE BORN TO LOVE US….

HE LOVED US AND KNEW US BEFORE WE HAD A PHYSICAL EXISTENCE. 

WHILE WE WERE STILL IN OUR MOTHER’S WOMB……GOD WAS AT WORK MAKING US…..AND FRAMING US AND THE DETAILS OF OUR BEING TO MATCH A DESIRE THAT WAS ALREADY IN HIS HEART!!!

IN OTHER WORDS……GOD STARTED WITH WHO AND WHAT HE WANTED YOU TO BE…..AND THEN HE FOLLOWED THAT ‘BLUEPRINT’ IN THE 9 MONTH PROCESS OF FASHIONING YOU.

HE ARRANGES EVERYTHING OF GOOD FOR US OUT OF HIS LOVE TOWARD US!!!

GOD’S LOVE IS FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING THE PSALMIST TELLS US….AND THAT MEANS HIS LOVE FOR YOU PREDATES YOUR EXISTENCE - - -BEFORE YOU HAD ANY CHANCE TO EARN IT OR TO DESERVE IT!!!!!

GOD’S LOVE ARRANGES THINGS!!!

GOD’S LOVE ARRANGED QUITE A PLACE FOR ADAM AND EVE (BEFORE THEY WERE CREATED)……

EVERYTHING THEY COULD EVER WANT OR NEED WAS IN THE GARDEN OF EDEN….

IT WAS A LAVISH LAYOUT!!!

THEY WERE GIVEN STEWARDSHIP OVER ALL OF CREATION AND FREEDOM TO PURSUE THEIR INCLINATIONS (WITH CERTAIN ONE EXCEPTION).

THE GARDEN OF EDEN IS A PICTURE FOR YOU AND I OF THE SORT OF PLACE GOD WANTS TO MAKE FOR US!!!

IT WAS NOT A TINY, SPARE OR SECOND HAND PLACE.

THE ACCOMMODATIONS WERE NOT SPARTAN……..

AND ONCE WE REALIZE JUST HOW GREAT EDEN WAS…..AND GRASP THE FACT OF WHO MADE IT (GOD) AND WHY (FOR US TO ENJOY)…..WE GET A FEEL FOR WHAT GOD HAS IN STORE FOR OUR FUTURE!!!

BUT THE ENEMY CONTINUALLY CHALLENGES YOU AND I TO CHALLENGE WHAT GOD SAYS TO US AND WHAT HE ARRANGES FOR US.

JUST AS THE ENEMY TEMPTED ADAM AND EVE TO DOUBT GOD’S MOTIVE FOR SETTING CERTAIN THINGS IN PLACE THE WAY HE DID, SO THE ENEMY TRIES TO CONVINCE US THAT GOD IS TRYING TO WITHOLD SOMETHING GOOD FROM US WHEN HE TELLS US HOW TO LIVE!!!!

THE BETTER WE TRULY KNOW GOD AND HIS LOVE……THE BETTER ABLE WE WILL BE TO RESIST THE LIESE THAT COME AT US!!!!

AND THAT FIRST LIE BASICALLY SAID….”GOD WANTS TO KEEP YOU FROM WHAT YOU REALLY DESIRE…..WHAT WILL COMPLETELY SATISFY YOU” 

HE LOVES YOU…..BUT YOU HAD BETTER NOT RELY ON THAT LOVE…..AND ARRANGE THINGS YOURSELF…..AND LOVE YOURSELF….AND LOOK OUT FOR #1 FIRST!!!!

THAT LIE WILL COME AT YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE WITH THE LORD!!!

IT MAY TAKE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT FORM OR RELATE TO OTHER MATTERS THAN WHAT YOU EAT OR SE……BUT IT WILL TRY TO GET YOU TO TURN AWAYS FROM THE LORD’S COMMANDS AND HIS LOVE!!!!

SO WHENEVER WE FIND OURSELVE THING ALONG THOSE SAME LINES…..WE OUGHT TO COMPARE WHAT THE FIRST COUPLE ENJOYED IN EDEN WITH WHAT THEY ENDED UP HAVING AFTER THEY BOUGHT INTO THE LIE!!!!!

MANY TIMES YOUR WALK WITH THE LORD…..YOU WILL BE DRAWN DOWN A PATH OF THOUGHT THAT QUESTIONS WHETHER OR NOT GOD STILL LOVES YOU (ESPECIALLY AFTER YOU HAVE DONE SOME HORRIBLE THINGS)……

THERE ARE MANY OTHER REASONS WHY HE WILL NEVER STOP LOVING YOU, AND WE WILL LOOK AT THEM…..

BUT FROM THE OUTSET….LET THIS SIMPLE TRUTH GIVE YOU A WEAPON AGAINST THE INEVITABLE LIES THAT WILL COME YOUR WAY:::

YOU WERE LOVED BEFORE YOU WERE ANYTHING!!!

“LOVED” WAS THE FIRST ATTRIBUTE OF YOUR BEING”

THIS IS WHAT THE BIBLE MEANS WHEN IT SAYS…..”HE (GOD) FIRST LOVED US”!!!!   (I JOHN 4:19)

BEFORE OUR RACE EXISTED….

GOD’S LOVE MOTIVATED HIM TO CREATE US!!!

BEFORE YOU AND I CAME INTO BEING BY HIS HAND…..

HE HAS ALREADY LOVED US!!!!

GOD’S LOVE HAS HISTORY TO IT

IT ISN’T A LOVE FOR US THAT HE DECIDED UPON RECENTLY!!!

LIKE HIM……..HIS LOVE HAS BEEN FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING!!!

BEC OF THAT LONG-STANDING AFFECTION AND LOVINGKINDNESS TOWARD US……GOD  HAS DONE SOME WONDERFUL THINGS FOR US!!!!

JEREMIAH 31:3 - - I HAVE LOVED YOU WITH AN EVERLASTING LOVE ….THEREFORE WITH LOVINGKINDNESS I HAVE DRAWN YOU”

DEUTERONOMY 4:37; 7:8    “BECAUSE HE LOVED YOUR FATHERS (AS BAD AS THEY WERE) THEREFORE HE CHOSE THEIR DESCENDANTS AFTER THEM……..AND HE BROUGHT YOU OUT OF EGYPT WITH HIS PRESENCE AND HIS MIGHTY POWER!!!”

HE BROUGHT YOU OUT WITH A MIGHTY HAND AND REDEEMED YOU FROM THE HOUSE OF BONDAGE FROM THE HAND OF PHAROAH KING OF EGYPT!!!”

TITUS 3:4-5 - - - -  “WHEN THE KINDNESS AND THE LOVE OF GOD OUR SAVIOR TOWARD MAN APPEARED……NOT BY WORKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH WE HAVE DONE….BUT ACCORDING TO HIS MERCY HE SAVED US…..THROUGH THE WASHING OF REGENERATION AND RENEWING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT!!!”

THAT’S WHAT HE’S DONE FOR US!!!!!

GOD ABOUNDS IN LOVE…..

IT SPILLS OVER OUT OF HIS HEART AND FLOODS TOWARD EACH OF US PERSONALLY AND PROFOUNDLY.

HAVING SET HIS AFFECTIONS ON US…..HE HAS AN INSATIABLE DESIRE FOR US.

IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE WANT TO SPEND THE REST OF OUR LIVES ON EARTH WITH THE ONES WE LOVE…

GOD…….YOUR GOD…

WANTS TO BE WITH YOU FOR ALL OF HIS LIFE……AND THAT MEANS FORVEVER!!!!

IT CAN SEEM ALMOST ACRILEGIOUS TO PUT IT THIS WAY…

BUT GOD IS ADDICTED TO YOU AND ME!!!!

HIS CRAVING FOR US IS INTENSE AND ALL-CONSUMING….

EVERYTHING ABOUT HIS LIFE IS FOCUSED ON HAVING US IN MUCH THE SAME WAY THAT PEOPLE BECOME CONSUMED BY VARIOUS PURSUITS AND SUBSTANCES!!!!

THAT IS WHY HE COULD NOT BEAR THE PROSPECT OF ETERNITY WITHOUT US!!!

WE ARE NOT JUST A SIDELINE INTEREST OF HIS…

A WAY FOR GOD TO IDLE AWAY THE EONS!!!

WE ARE NOT JUST AN OCCASIONAL HOBBY HE TAKES UP IN MOMENTS OF DULLNESS OR BOREDOM…..

WE ARE …..INSTEAD………………THE SINGLE……CENTRAL FOCUS OF HIS HEART…..

THE WHOLE REASON HE MADE THE WORLD!!!

WONDROUSLY DRIVEN BY HIS UNDYING LOVE FOR YOU AND I …..

AND MOTIVATED BY HIS RICH MERCIES…..

HE EXCHANGED WHAT WAS MOST PRECIOUS TO HIM…..

HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON…….AS A RANSOM TO WIN OUR RELEASE FROM THE CLUTCHES OF DEATH!!!!!

JOHN 3:16 TELLS US THAT GOD ‘GAVE UP’ HIS ONLY SON…………AND WHEN YOU USE THE ANAOLOGY OF ADDICTION……..

THAT GOD IS WONDERFULLY CONSUMED WITH US…….THAT HE CANNOT GET US OUT OF HIS SYSTEM OR OUT OF HIS HEART………..

WE UNDERSTAND MORE FULLY THIS VERSE IN JOHN 3:16!!!!

IT’S NOT JUST A SINNERS VERSE…….

IT’S A CONSTANT REMINDER TO US WHO KNOW GOD………AS TO HOW VERY MUCH HE LOVES US!!!!!!

THAT ACT OF SACRIFICE MANIFESTED FOR ALL TIME THE VAST HEIGHT, WIDTH….AND DEPTH OF GOD’S LOVE FOR YOU AND ME!!!!

GOD LOVED THE WORLD THAT MUCH!!!!!!

WHEN GOD TELLS US TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL OUR HEART, MIND, SOUL, AND STRENGTH……..(DUET 6:5)….

HE’S NOT JUST SETTING SOME STANDARD FOR AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF PERFORMANCE…..

HE KNOWS HOW LOVE IS SUPPOSE TO WORK!!!

HE UNDERSTANDS THAT THE MOST FULFILLING KIND OF LOVE - - - -THE SORT WE LIKE TO HAVE WITH OUR SPOUSE FOR INSTANCE………

IS TOTAL…..AND ABSOLUTE!!!!

WE DREAM ABOUT A RELATIONSHIP IN WHICH WE LOVE ANOTHER PERSON WITH THE TOTALITY OF OUR BEING!!!!!

AND ANYTHING SHORT OF THAT IS TOTALLY UNSATISFYING!!!!

LOVING GOD UTTERLY IS FAR MORE FULFILLING THAN JUST LOVING HIM A LITTLE BIT!!!!

OR LOVING HIM WHEN WE ARE IN CHURCH…..AND WE ARE REMINDED TO WORSHIP….AND EXPRESS OUR LOVE….

IT’S A LOVE THAT IS MORE THAN…….LOVING HIM ONLY WHEN WE WANT HIM TO DO SOMETHING FOR US……OR PERFORM A MIRACLE ON OUR BEHALF!!!

HE WANTS US TO BE AS CONSUMED WITH HIM…….AND LOVE HIM…..AS MUCH AS HE LOVES US!!!!

THE MAIN REASON HE TELLS US TO LOVE HIM WITH ALL OUR HEART, SOUL, MIND AND STRENGTH IS BEC GOD HIMSELF LOVES US WITH ALL HIS HEART, SOUL, MIND AND STRENGTH!!!!!!

HE IS TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH US!!!!!

HE HAS MADE SURE THAT NOTHING WILL EVER AGAIN BE ABLE TO SEPARATE US FROM HIM…..AND FROM ALL THE LOVE HE HAS TO GIVE US!!!!

NO DISTRESS…….NO DISMAY OR AGONY IN OUR LIFE WILL HAVE THE POWER TO PUSH US BEYOND THE REACH OF HIS LOVE!!!!

WHATEVER PAST WE END UP HAVING…….

WHATEVER FUTURE STRETCHES BEFORE US……

REGARDLESS OF ANY AND ALL SPIRITUAL FORCES ARRAYED AGAINST US…..

GOD WILL STILL……..AS ALWAYS……LOVE US!!!!!

 THE APOSTLE PAUL SETS FORTH THE CONDITIONS……THE VOW OF GOD…….WHEN WE MARRIED HIM…..(SO TO SPEAK)…….

OF HIS LOVE AND COMMITMENT TOWARD US!!!!

ROMANS 8:35-39

Romans 8:35-39 (NLT) 

    Can anything ever separate us from Christ's love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or are hungry or cold or in danger or threatened with death? [36] (Even the Scriptures say, "For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.") [37] No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

    [38] And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. [39] Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

These words were written to a church that would soon undergo terrible persecution. In just a few years, Paul’s hypothetical situations would turn into painful realities. It was almost as if he was prophecying here……. He probably didn’t know the full extent of all that would take place in the future……just like we don’t!!!!

This passage reaffirms God’s profound love for his people. No matter what happens to us, no matter where we are, we can never be lost to his love. Suffering should not drive us away from God, but help us to identify with him further and allow his love to reach us and heal us.

have you ever worried that something has happened to separate you from god’s love……

i have good news for you today…….he is passing by your way…..to show you again the depth of love and feeling he has for you!!!!

have you ever felt far away from him…….especially after you have done something…..that you know is wrong?…..or immature…….or selfish?

i have good news for you today………..he is passing by your way……

to show you again the depth of his love and his comapassionate grace………..

that he is very slow to anger……….and abounds in lovingkindness toward you…….

and listen…

who forgives inquity…..transgression and sin!!!!!!!

have you ever been so depressed or overwhelmed by the stuff of life that you forgot to even think about god?????

worship has become a chore…….

church has become a weekly obligation and function instead of a time to gather corporately and sense his presence and love toward us???

well i’ve got good news for you today……..

he is passing by your way…………

to once again proclaim to you…………..that he keeps loving you and loving you………..and does not forget you……

and that even though your feelings tells you it is impossible for god to still love you after all that’s happened……

the bible declares out of god’s own mouth………….

that it is in fact impossible……………..

did you hear that……..impossible..

for god ever to change his mind about you!!!!!!!

he loves you!!!!

loves you in fact to thousands of generations!!!!

and that nothing you can think up…….nothing that can be imagined of any evil or force….

can ever separate you from his love!!!!!!!

that’s how much he loves you and i!!!!!

and he is passing by again this way today to declare and proclaim that love!!!!!!

and it would only be appropriate that we in turn would stand today and love him back!!!!!!!