Reckless Love

Introduction

Question: Has anyone ever done something that was reckless at some point and time in their life?

I think it’s safe to say that just about all of us have done something reckless at some point and time in our life. And we certainly have looked back at those reckless things and said “What was I thinking?”.

And if we are honest for some of the reckless things we’ve done we’ve certainly thought “How did I survive that?”.

The definition of Reckless

Merriam-Webster: marked by a lack of proper caution; careless of the consequences

Cambridge Dictionary: Showing a lack of care about risks or danger, and acting without thinking about the results of your actions

So by definition to be reckless or to do something reckless is to throw caution to the wind and just do it!

In fact as a teenager you take what is called the

“Reckless Oath”

What is the “Reckless Oath”:

“I solemnly swear to do it now and take a vow of brain dead silence when Mom and Dad ask me why I did what I did later”

Now you might be saying I’ve never taken such an oath.

Understand that the Reckless Oath isn’t something you quote; it’s embedded in your DNA.

Let me give you one simple example:

When mom or dad ask “Why did you do it?” by natural impulse your response is “I don’t know.”

Please don’t feel disrespected; every teenager ever before you has lived by this oath.

But in all seriousness we have to admit that our choices can be reckless

Think about this:

According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry it says this about the brain of an adolescent when it comes to problem solving and decision making:

“It says that the adolescent brain works differently from the adult brain when it comes to making decisions or solving problems. The action of adolescents are guided more by the emotional and reactive [part of the brain] and less by the thoughtful, logical [part of the brain]”

Based on the stages of their brain development adolescents are more likely to:

act on impulse

misread or misinterpret social cues and emotions

get into accidents of all kinds

get involved in fights

engage in dangerous or risky behavior

In other words you are more likely to live by the old ancient saying

YOLO

It goes on to say that adolescents are less likely to:

think before acting

pause to consider the consequences of their actions

change their dangerous or inappropriate behaviors

In other words you are more likely to live by the rally cry of all teenagers to their parents from an old song from the BC ERA

IT’S MY PARTY I CAN CRY IF I WANT TO [OR IN THE MODERN LANGUAGE “IT’S MY LIFE AND I CAN LIVE IT HOW I WANT TO!!!]

But, I do want to highlight what the article concluded with. It said the following:

These brain differences don’t mean that young people can’t make good decisions or tell the difference between right or wrong.

You know whether its a good or bad decision your just not slowing down enough to consider the consequences

It goes on to finish by saying:

It also doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t be held responsible for their actions.

Reflection Point: Just because you didn’t think about the consequences doesn’t erase the fact that their will be consequences

But out of all the reckless things we can do in our young lives

The most reckless thing to do is to live as if sin has no consequence

To live like eternity is so far away because you live like being a teenager is forever

but again the most reckless thing you can do is to live as if sin has no consequences.

Which brings us to the theme for this Weekend

“Reckless Love”.

And when we say “Reckless Love” we are talking about God’s Love.

Now, you might be asking yourself

What does us making reckless decisions have to do with the Reckless Love of God?

EVERYTHING!!!

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

If you were born in the 80’s raised in the 90’s this verse was itchy skeetched into your brain.

This verse beautifully describes the heart beat of our salvation

What I love about this verse is that when you read it you have to wrestle with the weight of such a verse. Why?

It causes the soul to have to face the reality of the cost of God’s Love

Let’s put it like this

Our Reckless Choices brought about a display of God’s Love that any man, women, and even youth would certainly call Reckless: Sending Your Son to Die for Our Reckless Sinful Lives…Are you thinking this through God?

With that said we are going to break John 3:16 down into three parts over between tonight and tomorrow night.

Part 1: For God so loved the world…

Part 2: That He gave His One and Only Son…

Part 3: That whoever believes in Him Should not perish but have eternal life

Key Point 1: A Reckless Pursuit

John 3:16 [a] “For God so loved the world that He Gave His One and only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have ever lasting life”

Main Point: God’s love is Wide; it includes everyone even when we fell unworthy [This is because God’s love isn’t earned it’s given as a gift!]

Questions:

Would you prefer someone to tell you or show you that they have a crush on you?

What gives you the confidence to tell or show someone that you like them?

Why is rejection such a scary thing when it comes to letting someone know that you “like” them?

Discussion:

Why is rejection such a scary thing when it comes to letting someone know that you “like” them? You ever liked someone who didn’t like you back. I don’t know if you all do this now; but once a upon a time in a galaxy far far away we would write these little notes that said “Do you like me?” or “Would you go out with me?” Circle Yes Circle No!

And the most heartbreaking thing you could receive back is the NO being circled!

Better yet you ever had a crush? Not a celebrity Crush, but a person you see daily crush. Because celebrity crushes are easy.… but to see someone you have a crush on every day and you have no clue if they would circle yes or circle no upon your heart can be miserable.

You like them but you don’t know if they will like you back. You talk to your friends about them sometimes and most of the time and all of the time; in fact your friends try to get you to talk to the person but you’re sacred. It’s not like you don’t want to approach them and tell them in some way that you like them but you don’t want to be rejected.

Now many people who have crushes stay in the back ground. They would never approach the person they have a crush on. Crazy to think of such a thing.

But there are those who are willing to test the waters just a little bit. But how?

These individuals at least work up the nerves to test the waters to see if they are even interested in at least being in their presence. We walk around them more than we should looking really creepy; but thinking that we are not so obvious. We might even ask an awkward question. To try to break the ice

But for most of us we send someone in our place to speak for us. This is how I meet the woman who became my wife [tell the story]

And that is John 3:16… It describes how the Father sent His son on our behalf to talk to us and invite us into having a relationship with Him!!

But let’s be honest even for those of us who have accepted Christ as our Lord & Savior we reject God in certain areas of our lives.

We deny him access.

but he did this knowing that his son would be rejected then and would be rejected today.

Why? Because we are reckless…But it’s expected due to what the scripture says:

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

And if it is one thing sin is; it’s a rejection of God!

Your Rejection of Christ doesn’t stop God from pursuing you!

This is what makes His love so reckless to us. We wouldn’t continue to pursue someone that didn’t have any interest in us!

Romans 5:7 “For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—”

Romans 5:8 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Invitation:

As we go throughout this weekend I want to challenge you to reflect on what part or area in your life that you’ve rejected God in….

What have you denied him access to: if you can inside your notebook I want you to write that down what part of your life have you’ve denied God to access..

Key Point 2: A Reckless Gift

John 3:16 [b] “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life”

Recape

Last night we discussed the Reckless Pursuit of God.

Let’s see who was listening and taking notes last night. Can anyone give me one thing that they took away last night. Feel free to look in your notes if you have to.

One thing we did as we closed out our discussion from last night was to write down one thing that we deny God access to in our life. And many of you accepted the challenge to whisper that one thing to your small group leader.

And as we go through this next discussion I want you to keep that one thing in mind and that prayer in mind.

In fact write this verse down real quick:

Psalm 139:23 “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!”

As for Today we dive back into John 3:16 on our epic quest through our theme for this weekend which is “Reckless Love”. Let’s read it together:

John 3:16 ESV

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

The part of this verse we are focusing on this morning is “That He Gave His Only Son”.

EVERY BODY SAY HE GAVE…. HIS ONLY SON….

Questions:

Show of hands how many of you ever received a gift from someone that was disappointing and that you really didn’t want?

Can anyone name a gift they received that they really really wanted but didn’t get?

What makes a gift unwanted by you?

The most cruelest game to play during Christmas time is Dirty Santa…especially with gage gifts involved…

Even Secret Santa isn’t always a great depending on the person you get…

What makes a gift valuable? What factors play in making a gift special to you

Discussion:

I’m sure everyone in this room for the most part has received a gift from someone at some point in their life. But have you ever been given a gift and when they gave it to you they said something along the lines of “you’ve earned it”.

Or better yet it’s Christmas season, one of the major times for gift giving. Have you ever heard mom or dad say “Keep on acting up and I’m taking back all them gifts!”

If you’re giving me a gift why make the comment “you’ve earned it” or why threaten me with taking away a gift you bought for me if it is indeed a gift.

Let’s make it plain shall we:

A Gift that has to be earned isn’t a gift at all; it’s wages paid for a job done.

But an actual gift on the other hand… Lets get the definition shall we

According to Merriam-Webster’s College Dictionary: Something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation

Concise Oxford English Dictionary: a thing given willingly to someone without payment

In other words a gift is given with no expectation of getting something back.

Let’s not leave it to just dictionaries let’s back this up with book chapter and verse:

Romans 4:4 “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due.”

Even scripture let’s us know a gift earned is not a gift at all; it’s wages paid for a job done.

But let’s travel just a little farther down this road:

Because Motive of a Person is something we have to take into consideration

Once again let’s get book chapter and verse to guide us:

2 Corinthians 9:7 “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly[grudgingly/grief] or under compulsion [of necessity/pressured], for God loves a cheerful giver.”

If you don’t do it cheerfully or joyfully then it’s not a gift…

Well lets drive this home shall we…

Here is the Main Point: Main Point: Love gives sacrificially, not selfishly

John 3:16 ““For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son,

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

The Gift that God has freely Given to us is Eternal Life but it comes through Jesus… now we read that and we automatically go to “believe in his name” because he died on the cross for you… which is true but we have to wrestle with something first before we even get to that…

Now we get into the thick of it…

The average person goes to the store to buy a gift for someone

we exchange money for whatever that gift maybe

Keep in mind you only exchange money for something that you think is worth the value of exchange. But the thing about giving a gift from the heart is that even if the value of the item doesn’t match the monetary value you will still buy it.. Why? Because it’s a gift…

we take that gift and wrap it in a beautiful wrapping paper and even put a bow or a ribbon on it

we then take the time out to pick out a card that will go with it that we can place on top of the box or package… more so for decoration than for sentiment

We then hide the gift away until the proper time to give the person said gift.

Now we are no longer going into the thick of it… We are in the thick fog of the forrest

We love to say “God took his son wrapped him in sinful flesh for us”… Let’s go farther

God took his son already wrapped in sinful flesh and he wrapped it in pain, suffering, whips, beatings, bruises, thorns upon head, mockery of a purple rob, spit flying at his face, fist and open palms hitting him in his face.

And lastly he wrapped our gift in blood…

God’s gift was him taking his Son [His very Word] and sending him to earth to live amongst men

It’s not only that he was God in the flesh that made Jesus so valuable but it was the sin free life that he lived in sinful flesh and temptation that made him so valuable

The Father then would take his only son whose life of submission earned him the value to be used as a means of exchange in this transaction

Money for us holds value- that’s why people steal and kill for it

We take that money that holds value and we exchange it for something of equal value

How do we get money we work for it

The Son did the work of obedience that we will never be able to do!

And now the Father is ready to exchange his son for something of another value. Which is our sinful lives…

But wait a minute our lives because of sin cannot even begin to be equal to life and blood of Jesus.

Remember what we said: You only exchange money for something that you think is worth the value of exchange. But the thing about giving a gift from the heart is that even if the value of the item doesn’t match the monetary value you will still buy it.. Why? Because it’s a gift…

For God so Loved the World that He Gave His One and Only Son

Let’s make it plain: For God So loved the World that he was willing to exchange the greatest of value, His Son, for the lowest of sinners Me… Why?

Because it’s a gift… we didn’t earn it… we don’t deserve… It and it why the sacrifice of Christ seems so Reckless… Because we give gifts based on if a person has earned it… God gave the ultimate gift

Key Point 3: A Reckless Relationship

John 3:16 [c] “For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Main Point: Real hope comes with a reckless personal relationship with Christ

Questions

Romans 10:9 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Romans 10:13 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”