The Father's Love Revealed in the Son (1 John 4:7-12)

Well, good afternoon and Merry Christmas. It seems a little early to say, Merry Christmas couple days away. But this is our Christmas service, this Sunday and we're finishing up our Advent season, the four themes of Hope, and peace and joy. Now culminating in love here, and so we'll be in first John chapter 4 today. And we want to look at the Father's Love that's revealed to us in Jesus. So I want to start with a phrase that I heard my mentor, Frank Griffith say over and over again. And I know you've heard me say it at times, the Eternal Sun became the incarnates son so that we might become adopted sons and daughters. The Eternal Sun became the incarnates son so that we might become adopted Sons and Daughters. That's at the heart of the gospel. And what is that reveal? Well, according to our passage today, it reveals the love of God, that he would give his son so that we might become sons and daughters and a part of his family and a part of his kingdom. In fact, the first John starts, similarly, to the Gospel of John that we heard earlier. It starts with John writing that, which was from the beginning, that which we've heard which we've seen with our eyes, which we looked upon in touch with our hands, concerning the word of life. The life was made manifest and we've seen it, and we testify to it, and we Proclaim to you, the eternal life, which was with the father and made manifest to us that which we have seen and heard we Proclaim to you. So that you too may have fellowship with us. And indeed, our fellowship is with the father and with his son, Jesus Christ, that idea, Fellowship communion. That's sweet, isn't it? That's what we desire. These holiday seasons is for the family to gather, to have times together that are memorable, that are enjoyable, that are gathered around the table, sharing stories and love, and in friendship and building memories. In what the gospel tells us is that the father loved us so much. He gave his son so that we would be a part of his family sharing in those memories sharing in those experiences of the father's joy and pleasure in US. And that's quite remarkable. Which is why the Advent themes of Hope, and peace, and joy, and love exist is because the goal of our Salvation is to be with God forever. The goal of our Salvation is to be welcomed in the presence of God for him to make his home with us. And this new this Earth is going to be transformed into a new heavens and a new Earth in a male. Mentioned it in Jason, mentioned it before that, we celebrate, not just the first coming of Jesus at Christmas this season. We celebrate his second coming as well, when he makes everything right.

Let me read 1st, John 4.

if I can get there in my Bible,

Wanting to let me down here, I was wanting a smooth transition and it didn't happen. Did it first John 4 verse 7? I'll try to read this without singing it like a children's song. Beloved, let us love one. Another for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows, God, anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God is love in this. The love of God was made manifest Among Us. That God sent his only son into the world so that we might live through him in. This is love, not that we have loved God, but that he loved us. And sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins beloved of God. So, loved us. We also ought to love one, another no one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. And by this, we know that we abide in him and he and us because he's given us his spirit. So, This afternoon. I want you to know and experience The Father's Love today in Jesus. That would be my heart's desire. That is you sit there as you hear from the scripture. As you hear from God, that you would know. And experience The Father's Love today. As it's revealed in Jesus, his son. And and what we see in this outline is that infinite's eternal love is fundamental to the nature of God. God is love.

And that's instructive to us because very often we don't think of that when we think of God very often we think God is holy God is going to punish me for my sin. God is righteous. He's all-powerful he's Almighty and all those things are true. But fundamental to his nature is that he is loved. And how does he demonstrate this? How much has he loves you? Well. He's giving you his son. And he's giving you his Spirit. That's what John says here in first John chapter 4. The father demonstrates his love for you. And that, while you were still in Disobedience to him, he gave you his son, his best and he gave you his Spirit, his best. In other words, he gave you himself. This is what the father does. This is who the father is. And that's what we see in versus seven and eight are first point, who the father is God is love God. The Father. The first person of the Trinity he is loving all love is from him. In fact, John says, it's a fundamental description of the father. He says, in verse 7, love is from God. And in verse 8, God is love And he says, beloved let us love one another. So he's got the application right up at the front sometimes we save the application for the end of the sermon, but he's got it right there in the front. Let us love one. Another will why Well, because love is from God. All love is from God and anyone who does not love, does not know God, because God is love and verse 8. But whoever were back in. 47 loves has been born of God and knows God. It's interesting in the construction of that sentence. What John is saying is that, if you love one another, if you are obedient to this, command to love one another, it's evident that you already have been born of God. You already have experienced new life that Jesus brought, and you currently know God, that word know, is in the present tense of emphasizing. We continue to grow in our knowledge of God has we love one another no one who does not love then as a stranger to God. In fact, another wonderful verse in this letter. 3:1 see what kind of love the father has given us that we should be called children of God. And so we are John knows that if he tells his listeners you want to know what kind of love the father has for you. He's called you his children. He knows your gut is going to say why I don't know about that. That's true, doesn't seem right and so he says end, so you are Believe it. This is an incredible truth. The father is the one who's given this kind of love to us that we should be called children of God. And so we are In fact, we could go so far as to say the New Testament name for God, the name that should be on our lips. When we pray is father. That's the name. Jesus used when he prayed in the garden. And that's the name. He taught us to pray, isn't it? Our Father in heaven, Hallowed, be your name. So isn't it interesting that that the very way that we're now to approach God and we're to talk to God and were to pray to God? Nothing is wrong to say God Almighty maker of heaven and Earth. There's nothing wrong with that but Jesus taught us that in this new covenant relationship. We are children of God. And so we should say father Father answer these prayers of mine. Father, Hear My Cries in my sorrow in my suffering.

No, I've spoken on this before but very often, the reason we don't feel this at the deepest level of who we are is because we have a misconception about God. As father, we either tie it to what, you know, some have said that the Old Testament. God, he's distant and wrathful and he was just ready to Nuke. Everybody off the planet and it took the New Testament. God, Jesus to talk him off the ledge and sort of say, hey, don't nuke everybody. I'll die for him instead but that's not the gospel. the gospel says God the father so loved the world, he gave his son The father's, the one who initiated this. Love this salvation. He's the one all love comes from him. Love is from God.

Perhaps, it's because you have unhealthy views of your own Earthly father. In a room this size I wouldn't be surprised if someone would have had a father who was not a good father, perhaps your father was cold and detached or angry in abusive or absent altogether will God. The father is not a father like that. He's not like an Earthly father. He's a perfect Father. In heaven. Human, fatherhood is always flawed and no human father as good as they are as the best of dads. No human father is perfect. But God, he is a perfect father. He's the type of Father, we would all dream of having. He's the one that all Earthly father should aspire to be like Jesus, understood this and Matthew 70 said, even if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your father who is in heaven? Good give good things to those who ask him. You see this is at the heart of the Gospel at the Heart of Christmas at the heart of what we celebrate. Jesus in a manger is the love of God, the love of the father, he has loved you He's loved you. Love is not an abstract concept. Here it is. Concrete action. John's going to go on to explain here in 1st John 4 verse 9. This is the second point with the father has done in Christ. In this. The love of God was made manifest Among Us. God sent his only son into the world so we might live through him. So the father has revealed himself to be the Eternal Father of the Eternal son. The Father's Love Has Gone public. It's made manifest. Its now in lights. At the manger at Christmas, that the it moved over there. Over there at the manger at Christmas, that baby. That is a demonstration of the Father's. Love going public in the world. God so loved the world. He gave his son that whoever believes in him, might not perish but have eternal life. Consider for a moment to give her the Father. The greatness of the Father's love comes shining through the length of father is willing to go for the sake of the world. When it when John 3:16 Says God. So loved this world. He's not talking about the dirt. He does love the dirt, he created it. He's talking about the Fallen condition of this world, that is a mess. Talking about the evil. The the Fallen nature of this world, that's in Rebellion against him. And he so loves this world instead of judging them, he gives a son It's an incredible. That's the context of John 3 and consider the gifts his son. This demonstrates the greatness of his love. He gives his best. He gives his son. And the offer, consider the offer in John 3:16 that whoever believes will not perish, but have eternal life that he gives his son. It's for anyone. You think you've seen too much? You think you've messed up too badly? You think you're outside of the ability of God to save. It's not true. Whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life. This is an offer for everyone. This is why we started the church. This is why we planted it is because we believe God has those who are to be saved in Benicia, in the God loves Benicia, and he loves the people here, all of them, there might be something you don't like, but God loves them.

Verses 10 and 11. He's made a way to know him through his son. 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 beloved of God. So loved us. We ought to love one another. No verse 10. It's it's a glorious verse. This demonstrates, the greatness of the Father's Love begotten as we weren't seeking him. We didn't love him. Think about yourself before you were Christian or if you're not a Christian here today, do you have a love for God? Did you have a love for God before you were Christian? No. We might have respected him, we might have believed in him considered he's the maker of all things, but love him. No. Back. The Bible says we, we hated him because every time he showed up made a mess of Our Lives, messed up our plans that exposed, our sin is what we heard in John 1, the light exposes the darkness like lifting up a rock and all the bugs crawling out.

Before we were Christian that's what God did to us. His word did to us every time we read it or heard it or every time we we heard about God or heard about his character, it was like we wanted to put that rock back down and don't disturb the bugs in my life.

And yet, what this verse says is, this is love, not that got that, we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. So his love is so great, he loved us when we didn't love him. That's pretty incredible, isn't it? You know, you would only think that a family member would do that grandma would do that. That's what Grandma's do they love us? When we don't love them. This is what the father does. This demonstrates his love that he loved us when we didn't love him. And he loves us in such a way that he sent his son to do something and this word propitiation. It's got so many syllables. I can't even count that high. I was educated in Vallejo so propitiation five, I think. Is that right? I could be right. What does that mean? The great word, some of your Bibles, might say satisfaction. It's good translation. What is Jesus satisfying about the father? Will this word propitiation is a little bit more specific than satisfaction? It means that Jesus has satisfied the righteous requirement of God's character. What do I mean by that? One, the verse that says he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. to satisfy our sins to satisfy the Judgment that comes because we disobey God I think is one of the greatest misunderstandings about the gospel, sometimes we think that sin is just merely breaking a rule. And we have a lot of laws. I don't like a lot of our laws. I think a lot of our laws in America are dumb.

Buy softub a them. But then when I break them because I think they're dumb, I'm not really feeling that bad about it. Especially if I don't get caught.

Or because or if I think that the police can't enforce that law.

Betsy breaking God's law. Sending is not merely breaking an arbitrary law. It's offending a person. See, this is much more like this picture of a house and House Rules. Well, your Earthly parents may have house rules that when you break them, it's not merely just disobeying some random rule, it's offending your parents. Going against their conscience. It's frustrating them. It's angry them. It's it's making them sad, disappointing them all sorts of reasons. Why offending a person breaking the rules of finding a person that that picture will God is our Father in heaven. And when we break his law, when we sin, it's not merely some arbitrary rule, speed, limit, enforced poorly, This is a finding a person. Finding the character of a person. This one who's loved us. And yeah, what he does is he sends his son to be the satisfaction of that. The propitiation of that. What does that mean? All the broken laws, all of the broken rules. All of the offending of a person is satisfied in Jesus, It's gone. It's washed away. Which means then forgiveness can be granted. It's not incredible. That's a good news of the Gospel. This is why Jesus when he walked on the earth he said come to me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.

Have you felt worn out by life. Have you felt so weary and heavy because of your sin and your poor decisions, and the consequences of them, come to Jesus. In him, you find rest for your soul. Why? Because all of those sins are taken away and nailed to the cross and they remove from you so that you will never bear them again. And in their place. What God has given, you is his son and what the father does, is he gives you the righteousness of his son, when you believe. What a glorious thought. I've use the illustration before, but it's Christmas time. You probably have new credit card debt. You don't have to lie, lying to send it's okay. But wouldn't it be wonderful if someone would take the red? If that credit card debt? And then go ahead and pay it for you. You say hallelujah. But even better. What if someone said Not only am I going to remove your credit card debt? I'm going to take that and I'm going to put a positive amount in your bank account. You would say glory to God in the highest and on Earth, peace and goodwill toward men. This is good news. What happens at the cross. What happens? Because of the giving of Jesus, is that the father, when you place faith in Jesus, he removes your sins from you. And he gives you the righteousness of Jesus, which is why, when the father looks at you, he no longer sees your sin. He sees the righteousness of his son and he says you're a child of God.

This is verse 10. In this is love. You see the father's not merely doing a bank transaction? Which is why that illustration fails at points? The father is demonstrating his love for you. He created you, You're Made In His Image. And he loves you and he gave you his son so that you could have his image renewed and you and you could be with him forever in his family, and be a child of God. This is the good news of the Gospel. Amazing love. How can it be? That's why John said, back in chapter 3 that he sent his son to take away, our sins verses 5, and to destroy the works of the devil. In verse 8, this is what God is doing. So the sending of God son is the revelation of God's love manifest among us. This is another words how God shows his love and indeed, it's the very essence of Love itself. First 10 in this, the love of God, verse 10 in. This is love. It is not our love that's primary but God's. It's free. It's uncaused, it's spontaneous. And all of our love is a reflection of that. It's why the obvious application. Is we love one, another We ought to love one another.

The proper response is love, love for God. And love for one another, until we come to this second gift of the father, what the father is doing in Us by the holy spirit, in verses 12 and 13, no one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in Us in his love, is perfected in us and by this, we know that we abide in him and he and us because he's given us his spirit. Now, their inverse 12. No one has ever seen. God that the word hear it. Implies a careful observation, a closer scrutiny. No one has ever seen God in his unveiled, Essence, glory, and majesty. And indeed, as finite creatures were unable to look at God, it would be our death.

But as we heard in John 1:18, Men have seen Christ, who is the Incarnate God, man? No one has seen God at any time, but the only begotten God, who was in that the father's side. He has made him known. So we've seen his glory John, one says Glory Full of Grace and Truth Network Grace and true that phrase It's cars. Kyle Athey in the Greek. It's it's translating a Hebrew expression from the Old Testament. In Exodus, you remember the story when Moses he's frustrated with the people, because he went up to the mountain, he got the Ten Commandments while he's gone. They decided, you know, while the What's the phrase while the cat's away, the mice will play. Thank you, appreciate that. And and what do they do, instead of worshipping God? While Moses is gone, they decide to build a golden calf. And Aaron's got a bunch of excuses. He was in charge and he's like, I don't know these people, you know, they just told me to take this gold and throw it in the fire. In this cap popped out. I don't know how that happened. So Moses and his anger breaks the Ten Commandments you've seen the Charlton Heston movie. If you're old enough, and he breaks it and goes back up the mountain, to talk to God. God says, you know what, Moses, I'll wipe them all out and start over with you. How's that sound? Moses says, no. I'm going to intercede for these people. I'm a pray for them. Unless you go with us, we will perish. But would you God, would you keep your promises? I will owe. And by the way, God would you show me your glory? And no one can see God and live. And yet Moses the same. God. Would you just Show Me Your Glory? I need to get a glimpse of your glory. So I don't grow weary in well-doing here until God says, okay and he sticks him in a in a cave in the cleft of a rock and he hides in there and as God passes by, he Reveals His name is Glory to Moses. And what does he say? The Lord the Lord gracious and compassionate abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. And Hebrew has said in the mess in the Hebrew, which is translated in the New Testament by grace and truth. Which is incredible because what John said and John one that we heard red is that the word became flesh and tabernacled Among Us. Dwelt Among Us tabernacled among us and we beheld his glory glory. As of the only begotten of the father full of grace and truth. What was John saying that Glory that Moses saw The Fading backside glory of God, is he passes by the glory? That was in the Tabernacle. The pillar of Fire by day. The pillar of cloud By Night the glory that I met with Moses in the tent of meeting. So that Moses walked out in his face was shining the glory of God manifest among his people, that they knew God was in their presents. John is arguing That Glory we saw in Jesus, he's full of grace and truth. He's full of steadfast love and faithfulness will. What does that say about God? God is love and his steadfast love. His has said his Covenant, keeping love is in spite of the sin of the people, it's in opposition to it, he's faithful to me. Even when they're unfaithful to him, that's why the New Testament. Translated is Grace, its undeserved. It's not what you earn its what you get as a gift and Christmas is the best illustration of that, isn't it? The best gifts are not the ones that are obligatory. Write the best gifts aren't at the gift exchange. Thank you. All prior complaining about gift exchanges this year and you're like, do I get a gift card and mail it in, you know, it kind of do my worst effort at this gift exchange or do I give a thoughtful gift? Well last year I got, you know, a terrible gift in exchange for the gift I gave. Well, that's not the heart of Grace, that's the opposite of Grace know the gifts that are the best of the ones that you don't expect to receive the ones that are shocking and surprising. And you think what have you thought of me? You gave me something because of your love for me. And you did it not under obligation and not under compulsion but simply because you care for me and you say thank you. And you rejoice This is what the father has done. He gave us Jesus. He gave us his best. He gave us the spirit so that we would never be alone. So that we would be conformed into the image of his son. This is what he gave and it's all of Grace. What's also true sits faithfulness a mess. That word a mess in Hebrew is a wonderful word. That means faithful will. God is true because he always keeps his promises and when someone always keep their promises, what do we call them faithful? And what did God promise to do? He promised to send a messiah a hero that would undo everything that was broken in the fall? He promised to send a savior in a hero who would fix our lives. In fact, he would fix the whole world and make all things new. And what Christmas tells us is God keeps his promises. He sent his son and he's sending him back again. He's given us his Spirit as a down payment and pledge of that promise. No, I want you to know and experience The Father's Love today in Jesus. How much has he loves you? Will Paul in Romans 8 says if he didn't spare his own son how he not with him freely, give you all things.

Are you tempted to believe today that God has forgotten about you? Maybe the circumstances of your life for such. But the suffering is such that you think maybe God's forgotten about me? Maybe, I'm not important enough in the kingdom, mean the father's. Got a lot of people to pay attention to

what Christmas tells us is God cares about you. He loves you, he gave his son for you. He gave you his spirit so that you would never be alone, you would never be orphaned. You would never be abandoned. Behold what manner of love. The father has given to us that we might be called children of God and so we are Our response to this truth is Drawing Near to experience this Fellowship in communion and love. And as I said at the beginning, these Advent hope themes of Hope and peace and joy and love their tied to fellowship with God relationship with God. Hope I have a hope that all of God's promises are yes and I'm going to be in his presence forever. And he's never going to disappoint that I have peace. With God. The Father. I have peace because Jesus has propitiate. It satisfied, my sin. Joy. I'm a part of God's plan to make all things new and I'm going to be in his presence forever, and that is the greatest joy, because that his right hand is fullness of joy. And it is right. Hand are Pleasures forevermore in. Oh, by the way, who's in his right hand? Jesus is seated at the right hand of the father interceding for us as our high priest ruling and reigning is our King and he's coming back to get us and love. I have everything we've been talkin about today. See, during this Advent season, we don't just celebrate his first coming at Christmas. We celebrate his second coming to make all things new. John also wrote the Book of Revelation. I'm spoiler alert, I'm going to read you a little bit of the last chapter. Of the Bible. Spoiler alert. I didn't get enough of a laugh there. Come on people that work with me here. Verse 1, the angel showed me the river of the Water of Life. Brightest Crystal flowing through the from the Throne of God and of the Lamb, through the middle of the street of the city. Also on either side of the river, the Tree of Life. With its 12 kinds of fruit yielding, its fruit. Each month, the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the Nations, no longer will there be anything accursed? But the Throne of God, and the lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship Him. And listen to verse for, they will see his face. And his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more, they will need no light of lamp or sun for the Lord. God will be there light and they will reign forever and ever Jesus. When he comes back, he's going to make all things new. And we're going to be in the presence of God forever. And I don't know what verse for means entirely theologians. Don't know entirely, there's lots of debates about what it means to see his face. But at the very least, we all agree on this. What was impossible because of sin? No man may see God and live now. In Jesus, it's possible to be in the presence of God before his face. And not only live, but Thrive and experience, full Miss of joy and Pleasures, forevermore and serve and worship forever day and night. In fact, if you turn back one chapter, look at this here verse

Call. Where do I start verse 3? I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, Behold The Dwelling Place of God is with, man. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes and Death Shall be no more neither shall there. Be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore for the former things are passed away and he who was Seated on the throne said behold I'm making all things new and he said, write this down these words are trustworthy and true. That's a father speaking. He's saying these promises. That picture is trustworthy and true and he said, to me, it's done. I'm the alpha, the Omega, the beginning, and the end of the Thirsty, I will give from the spring of the Water of Life without payment and listen to verse 7. The one who conquers will have this Heritage. I will be his God and he will be my son. That's the same language that we heard in 1st John 3. Let's behold what manner of love. The father has given to us. That we should be children of God and so we are totally hurt in John 1 to those who believe he gave the right to become children of God. This is culminated at the end when God says to the one who conquers and overcomes you're going to be my child forever. You're going to be in my presence, wherever you're going to be in my house forever. That's why Jesus Promised when he was going away that he was preparing a place for us that where he is, we would be also. And in our father's house are many rooms. He says, I don't know if there's a football field. Audio, Adrenaline believes there's a big big house with a football field, but we do know. That we will be in the presence of God and you know what that demonstrates. His love for us, that he's loved us and that he keeps his promises and that his love will never fail. The Eternal Sun became the incarnates son so that we might become adopted Sons and Daughters. Father, thank you for this time. Thank you for this truth.

Remind my brothers and sisters that they are not alone. But they've not been abandoned that they've not been forsaken. But that you love them. You hear their prayers. You give them what's best. You've given them, Jesus. You've given them the spirit. How will you not spare the rest of your riches? We've been blessed with every spiritual blessing. In the Heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Oh that we would know how high and wide and deep and long. Your love is father, so that we'd be filled with all your fullness.

Help us to see it. Help us to know it, help us to experience it by your spirit. The spirit of God shed abroad. Your love into our hearts and so father, would your spirit do that today? remind us that we have been loved that we are loved and we will be forever loved I ask this in Jesus name, amen.