God’s Great Love

God’s Great Love

John 3:16-18

Theme: God teaches us three characteristics of His love

Welcome to Mountain View Baptist Church! Welcome also to our First Time Guests. It is an honor to have you attending today. Please be sure to connect with us.

February has been the month for us to remember love ever since I can remember. I suppose valentine day is the reason for this reminder. While love is an emotion, it is more than an emotion, it is a commitment. Commitment is a dying value in the Bible. Many are looking for love but they are looking in the wrong places.

Several years ago, Janet and I were driving on Interstate 80 when we saw a huge plume of smoke in front of us. It looked like a grass fire or something or a car on fire. When we got to the scene, there was a car upside down and another car on its side. Fortunately, nobody seemed seriously injured, but the accident looked very bad. Strange, you could not see the accident for the smoke.

There are times in the Christian life where many events and life clouds what is underneath the smoke of activity.

Underneath all the smoke of church life, the heart of the matter: God loves the world.

During our fall mission conference we learn about man’s greatest need, but here we see the way God’s greatest need is met: God loves the world.

The famous puritan writer Thomas Brooks aid, “The only ground of God’s love is His love. The ground of God’s love is only and wholly in Himself. There is neither portion or proportion in us to draw His love. There is no love nor loveliness in us that should cause a beam of His love to shine upon us.”

John 3:16 may be the most quoted and recognized verse in the Bible. Have you ever meditated on it? Have you ever considered it meaning to you personally?

“God’s love is like an ocean; you can see its beginning, but not its end.” (unknown)

As we get to the Biblical root of God’s love, we learn three characteristics.

Characteristic 1 . . .

God initiates love

True love started or began with God. Love is God’s work in our lives.

“We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

His nature and character is centered completed in His love.

“Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.” (1 John 4:7–8)

All authority for love begins and comes from God. He is the love expert, the love counselor and the love Creator. If we are to understand love, we don’t go to the love counselors of the world, we don’t go to the music of the world, or the Hollywood stars of the world, or stories of the world or the movies of the world or the songs of the world. We are to go to God in the Bible.

Please notice the world “so” speaks of the degree of God’ s love-an eternity of meaning which leaves us in contemplation, wonder, and praise.

“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.” (1 John 3:1)

His love has no strings and is far beyond what man can and will ever do. The highest form of love describes God’s love which is a commitment which goes beyond expecting anything in return. God loves you right where you are but this doesn’t mean God approves of sin or rebellion. He loves you as a person.

When this verse says He so loved the world this does not mean trees, grasses or animals. The world spoken here is mankind, you and me.

“For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” (John 6:33)

Mankind is in desperate need of God’s love. The people of Australia, New Zealand, Africa, China, and the entire world are under the judgment of God. God reaches out in love to help these people who are in need.

Characteristic 2 . . ..

God demonstrates His love

His selfless attitude

God sees the condition of man and chooses to do something for him. His love motivated Him to the leave the splendors of glory to come to this earth for us. He was willing to give up the comforts and splendors of glory to come to this earth.

“Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:6–8)

Isn’t it strange how God is willing to do all of this for us, and Christians are unwilling to attend church on a regular basis or read their Bible or even pray or give anything to God?

His sacrificial act

Jesus came to die for us. No love can be greater than One who would die for a person.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

“Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

The ultimate proof of love is a person who will die for you. True love, God’s love is sacrificial, not seeking something out of it for themselves, but to be concerned for the other.

If God loves you so much that He was willing to die for you, would you be willing to live for Him? Would you be willing to be faithful to church? To give to the Lord?

Characteristic 3. . . .

God presents His love

When we receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, we are given the hope of escaping the judgment of God on mankind for sin. We are given the hope of ternal forgiveness forever v.18.

Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness as the song writer says. This life He presents to us is the only life which can change our eternity. He gives us a purpose and meaning for our existence.

In fact, the Bible says: “When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:4)

Some will say my life is sports or music or art or philosophy or reading or history or science. God says a believers life should be Christ.

Because of His great love, He delivers us from this evil present world. He came to save us from our sins which means we do not let sin bind us and destroy us.

Are you bound by the power of sin? Are you in the grips of sin today? Jesus can free you from the penalty and power of sin. If you have never accepted Jesus Christ, you can today. Will you come to Him today? Will you let Him be your Savior?

If you are a Christian, why would you go back to the world? Why would you turn from His love to be bound by the wiles of the devil? There is no love greater.

The song writer Frederick Lehman says it best “The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell, it goes beyond the highest star, and reaches to the lowest hell, the guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win, His erring child He reconciled, and pardoned from his sin. Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies of parchment made, were every talk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above, would drain the ocean dry; or could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky”

God loves us more than we can imagine or comprehend. Look not to the world for love. Jesus is the place of true love. Today will you take time with God and for God.