The Price is Right

As we come to the last service of the year, this is a natural moment for reflection. We think about what we gained… What we lost… What we celebrated… And what we wish we could undo.

The Apostle John brings us back to the only measuring stick that actually matters:

“Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God…” (1 John 4:7)

Before we evaluate the year, before we evaluate the world, before we evaluate others— God evaluates everything through love.

Not sentimental love. Not cultural love. But love that comes from God, because God Himself is love.

1 John 4:7–21 NKJV

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. 13 By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

1 John 4:7–21 NKJV

17 Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19 We love Him because He first loved us. 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

I was watching a documentary of some the cartels of some countries where

They were being interviewed by a Foreign journalist,

That is itself is ironic, because, these cartels threaten to kill and have killed local journalists

for publishing the same stories they are seemingly eager to advertise about their morbid pride & commitment to killing anyone who tries to interfere with their drug business or territory

It's completely ludicrous but

Jesus tells us the heart of man is wicked.

- Is Life Cheap?

I remember seeing a movie scene once, where two men were in a hostile part of the world, and one warned the other,

“This is not like the States, ‘Life is cheap here.”

In other words, they could be killed for no logical reason, just to be killed

Subliminally, it assumes this type of thing is only outside of the USA

Only in hostile places, like Asia, the Middle East, or even Latin America

That stuck with me for a long time.

Being Fearful of being someplace where life is considered cheap, many decide against traveling all together

Then I realized, we don't have to go far at all to be where life is believed to be valueless

As a matter of fact, we know the USA is among the highest murderers of unborn of unborn babies

Just behind two Communist nations, Russia, & China

Russia is almost half Russian Orthodox, & China is an Atheist Country

What’s our excuse?

Right here in the United States, we are passing our babies through the fires of Molech In the name of the god of personal freedom, young age, Selfishness, life-inexperience or whatever other reasons we can come up with to justify it

We have men today, who prefer to play video games instead of providing for themselves or for the children they produce, that narrowly escape the abortion option

They have been slammed them in the face from our government practically begging them to kill their unexpected children.

We have a growing number of young ladies who have been convinced that their lives will be RUINED & not enriched if they go through the pregnancy

TV shows, musicians, teachers, etc, are all in on it!

Generations ago it was considered a disdain on a woman who couldn't conceive

Now, a woman is considered disdained if she decides on keeping her child.

A recent article told of a man in Iran who paraded around the neighborhood the severed head of his young 17 yr old wife whom he killed in an honor killing

Whom this pedophile actually married when she was just 12 yrs old.

That was in Iran, far from here,

Right here In the USA, we have men murdering their families, and women dumping their babies in trash bins, or otherwise disposing of them

That's what you do with trash!

Not a human life!

- The Value of Trash

I used to criticize our home because we spend money on stupid things

We spend money on things, that we are going to throw in the trash.

For instance, Trash Bags,

How clever are the companies that try to convince us their bags are the best?

Because, in essence, we are spending our money to throw it in the trash

Fireworks, for the 4th of July.

I never buy fireworks at my house, Why?

Because it seems ridiculous to burn money

If I go and spend $100, on fireworks, aside from some noise and color,

It's essentially the same as taking a $100 bill and lighting it on fire It all turns to smoke,

Trash bags have a purpose,

They hold things together but the bag itself, no matter how super duty or quasi-fancy it smells and how well it holds liquid, it too is going in the trash

So, you bought it, to throw it away!

So, my point is.

Even the things you buy, to throw away, have some sense of value!

Trash bags, for its purpose, and fireworks for entertainment

So, if the things that are MADE to throw away have some intrinsic value

How much more value should a human life have?

I’ve known of people, you probably do too, that would spend thousands of dollars to fix a broken leg on their little dog.

Or hundreds on a play-land for their cats,

But wouldn't give a nickel to someone in need.

I know of people who would spend all kinds of money on family entertainment Vacations, sports, & toys through the week

But come to church on Sunday and put $2 in the offering.

It's the same principle, isn't it?

Invest heavily on a momentary personal gratification, that is here today, gone tomorrow

But hardly will you invest anything on your eternal gratification

So, you know things have value,

We have just lost our ability to correctly appraise them

Boy, I sure am glad that God doesn't feel that way, aren’t you?

The Bible tells us that we of ourselves are worthless.

Even at our best, we aren’t even as valuable to God as a filthy rag

Isaiah 64:6 NKJV

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.

Jeremiah 17:9 NKJV

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?

- Are We Trash?

So, we can easily see that if anything, we, who are alive and are conscious

Are the things of no value.

God would be justified by throwing us into the trash

Have you ever lied?

What do you call a person who lies? A LIAR!

Have you ever stolen something no matter how big or small?

What do you call a person who steals? A THIEF!

Have you ever used God’s name in vain? The Bible calls that blasphemy.

1 Corinthians 6:8–11 NKJV

8 No, you yourselves do wrong and cheat, and you do these things to your brethren! 9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

THANK GOD for that!

Though we were sinners yet he loved us

- God Loves Us Anyway

Do you know why God did that for us?

Even though we, being evil, and despicable, He loved us anyway? Why?

Because you and I were made in the IMAGO DEI

In the Image of God we were created, Male and Female

We were made in the express image of God, and do you know who God is?

God is Love

1 John 4:16 NKJV

16 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

So, then if we are made in the image of God, we should look like the image

- Made in The Imago Dei

We should act like we were made in the image of God,

It's easy to forget that truth, especially when the world around you doesn't love you.

Especially when you are surrounded by

people who have deeply hurt you

And people who continue to disappoint you

And by people who continue to depend on you

And by people who continue to reject you

And by people who may never decide to love you the same way you love them

And by people who are your enemies.

And people who sure don't make it easy for you to love them,

And even people who don't want you to love them

Yes, it's very easy to forget that you are valuable too.

It is very easy to forget that you are more valuable than the pets you spend money trying to mend

You are more valuable as yourself than the money you spend trying to be something you don't need to be

You are more valuable than trying to fix something that you cant fix

Because you think it will make you more valuable

You are already valuable

You are already lovable,

We know this because even though we were in our sins yet, he still loved us.

Romans 5:8 NKJV

8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Jesus died on the cross for you all those years ago knowing, you would be born

- Jesus Died For Us Still

Knowing all those things you have done,

and He did it anyway Because He loves you.

So, because He loves you, love your neighbor as yourself

Even those who have deeply wounded you

Even those who dislike you

But especially those who love you in Christ

Especially those who love you and depend on you

Especially those who also, Love the Lord

Because Romans tell us the wages of our sin was death.

The price we had to pay.

And the price is right, according to the law

But then Jesus came and looked at you and me and said,

“Yes, they are worth it to me. I will pay the price. If the price I have to pay for them is my life. Then the Price is right! I’ll pay for they are worth it to me.”

The price is right!

What should we do in response to this love?

We should Love as Christ loved us.