God with Us Brings Love

Introduction:

In early 1965 Imperial records released one of the greatest songs and it didn't take long to hit number 1.

Hal David wrote the lyrics and the infamous Burt Bacharach wrote the music. Millions of people have enjoyed that beautiful song: “What The World Needs Now is Love.”

Now that I’ve mentioned it, you will probably be humming it all day. (Laughing)

It is estimated that over 100 million love songs have been written, possibly almost 65% of all songs all together. That’s a lot of love songs.

It’s no wonder since man has a fundamental need for love.

The great American Phycologist , Abraham Maslow theorized that LOVE and BELONGING are right in the middle of his “Hierarchy of Needs” behind the basic needs of food, water, air and safety. (Chart not displayed)

As we gather this morning, we come with a great need. We need love! All of us do!

We also come with great expectation! We want God to move in our midst this morning. Expectation is the breeding ground for a miracle!

Its the second Sunday of Advent and We join along with the ancient people of Israel who anticipated the coming of the Messiah.

We join in with the celebration of Jesus’ birth which would be God’s gift of love to the world.

He is the best Christmas present ever given and the Bible is the best love story ever written.

Let’s unwrap this present together starting with seeing:

Mary and Joseph’s Story is a Love Story

God has always been writing a love story. He began it long ago. But I want to focus on this young couple from Nazareth.

Joseph would have grown up with plans to take on the family business. He was a carpenter, likely the son of a carpenter. He was a good Jewish boy who wanted to grow up and serve God.

He had dreams of having a wife and children and serving God while he waited for the Messiah’s appearing.

He had reached the age where he would have caught the eye of many the young women in town. And it was Mary’s parents that would arrange for a meeting.

The ancient Jewish people like most of the world would be accustomed to arranged marriages.

The parents of the woman would propose to the man and he would then pay a dowry to the family. At this point they would sign a contract and would be married. However this marriage would be carried out in stages.

The couple would then get to know each other while still living apart. They would spend time together, learning about what makes them tick. The groom would at some point a year or so later lead a procession to the bride’s home to go and get her. At this point he would take her from her parent’s house and take her into his own and consummate the marriage.

There would have been such an excitement for the groom and for the bride as she anticipated his arrival. This may sound familiar to many of us because it is much like us waiting on Jesus’ return.

It probably sounds familiar because it is played out in the parable of the bridesmaids where 5 brides had enough oil and 5 did not.

Mary and Joseph may have followed a prescribed pattern for their relationship but it doesn’t mean that there wasn’t a great love story in the works.

Everything looked like it was beautiful! That is until Mary delivered the message to Joseph, “Uh, honey, I’m pregnant.”

This encounter surely put stress on this budding relationship.

God had other plans for Mary and Jospeh. He has a way of changing our plans too!

But this Love story wasn’t over because God still was working His plan.

He sent an angel messenger to encourage Joseph that what Mary was saying was all TRUE.

Not only was Mary not defiled but God had entrusted both Mary and Joseph to care for His very own Son.

What a blessing indeed!

Mary and Joseph certainly had a love story and had the awesome benefit of sharing in God’s love story. But we really don’t understand love. There is so much offered as a definition but I would like to offer that:

God is Love

I love the very first words in the Bible: In the beginning God…

You see, despite what many would try to convince us of, God created it all. Theologians give a fancy Latin name to that: Creatio Ex Nihilo, which simply means - “out of nothing, God created.”

I think there is a very important principle for people to understand in this: God did not need anything, but He created everything out of love.

Love is the creative force behind all that we can see and even what we cannot see.

The apostle John says it like this:

1 John 4:10–16 NLT

This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.

Love is God’s very nature. It is what compels Him to do everything and to create.

Love was there from the beginning.

Love was even there during the fall of man.

Love was, and still is, guiding all of mankind back to God.

Love is what caused God to make a covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that He would bless all mankind through him.

Love is what caused God to use simple humans like Joseph and Mary.

Joseph and Mary were favored of God and were used to be a part of God’s love story. They got to give birth and raised Jesus who is the visible image of God.

Not only is God love but….

God Gives Love

Mary was pregnant and Joseph had not slept with her.

The talk was going around and Mary was feeling the weight of all the accusations.

I cannot imagine how she must have felt being given the task of doing something so great for God, but no one would understand or believe it.

She left downtrodden and dejected. She had to get out of town and go visit relatives away. But look how God shows up when Mary arrives at her cousin Elizabeth’s house. .

Luke 1:42–45 NLT

Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

Just when Mary needed it, God gave her confirmation.

Oh what a meeting that must have been. Look at Mary’s response. (The Magnificat)

Luke 1:46–48 NLT

Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

God provided the love that Mary so desperately needed through her cousin, Elizabeth.

Lets not forget about Joseph. God sent the angel to give him some love too in the form of a supernatural word from an angel.

God can work in many ways. He is not confined to one or two ways. He has a multitude of methods to show His love.

But the most important way is through the sacrifice of His one and only Son of the cross of Calvary.

God’s love knows exactly what we need and when we need it.

God’s love is eternal, everlasting. And there is enough for everyone.

Where are you today? Have you recieved God’s love?

If you have experienced God’s love, He often uses His own to share His love.

God’s Love Through Us

Mary and Joseph did not have it easy but they allowed God to use them in a might way.

They trusted God and they let love flow through them.

They got to hold God in their arms.

I love the song “Mary Did You Know,” and one verse says: “And when you kiss your little baby, you’ve kissed the face of God.”

We have the opportunity to let God do His wonderful work of love through us too!

When we open ourselves up to God’s love, it grows and overflows.

Let us celebrate this Advent season by letting God’s love flow through us!

Love someone today in the love of the Lord!

Altar

I don’t want to leave without giving you a chance to respond.

As I said, God’s love is so big and far reaching that it is available to anyone and everyone.

It is a gift waiting for you to receive it.

Would you receive the gift of salvation today? Pray with me. Lord, I am a sinner who cannot save himself. I need you. Save me today and I will follow you for the rest of my life. I make you Lord and ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ Name.

The altars are open, we’d love to join you in prayer. Come and talk with God however the Holy Spirit is leading you.