The LORD's Day Service (Advennt 2025, "All-Powerful Love)
Edit sermon notes
Copy text
In the first advent God veiled his divinity to prove the faithful; in the second advent he will manifest his glory to reward their faith.
John Chrysostom
Hear the words of the Prophet Habakkuk as he expressed God’s faithful love back to him through prayer.
Habakkuk 3:17–19 LSB
17 Though the fig tree should not blossom And there be no produce on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail And the fields yield no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold And there be no cattle in the stalls,
18 Yet I will exult in Yahweh; I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.
19 Yahweh, the Lord, is my strength, And He has set my feet like hinds’ feet And makes me tread on my high places. For the choir director, on my stringed instruments.
God’s Love is…
A Love that Never Ends.
God’s love is eternal, without a beginning and without an end.
Hosea 2:19–20 LSB
19 “And I will betroth you to Me forever; Indeed, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in justice, In lovingkindness and in compassion,
20 And I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness. Then you will know Yahweh.
God’s love, like his character and being, does not change. It remains steadfast and unwavering.
Psalm 86:15 LSB
15 But You, O Lord, are a God compassionate and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness and truth.
Because God is holy, his love is completely separate and undiluted by the World.
Deuteronomy 7:7–8 LSB
7 “Yahweh did not set His affection on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples,
8 but because Yahweh loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your fathers, Yahweh brought you out with a strong hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.
A Love that Stands Out.
God’s love stands out because it is the result of His Covenant with all the saints of History.
Hosea 11:1–4 LSB
1 When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.
2 The more they called them, The more they went from them; They kept sacrificing to the Baals And burning incense to graven images.
3 Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them in My arms; But they did not know that I healed them.
4 I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love, And I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws; And I bent down and fed them.
Because God’s love is by His character and name, it is a patient love toward sinners.
Lamentations 3:20–24 LSB
20 Surely my soul remembers And is bowed down within me.
21 This I will return to my heart; Therefore I will wait in hope.
22 The lovingkindnesses of Yahweh indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I wait for Him.”
God’s love is a foundation for the redemption of the universe.
Hosea 10:12–13 LSB
12 Sow with a view to righteousness, Reap in accordance with lovingkindness; Break up your fallow ground, Indeed, it is time to seek Yahweh Until He comes and rains righteousness on you.
13 You have plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice; You have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have trusted in your way, in your abundant warriors,
A Love that Saves.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the one who fulfills God’s promises and delivers Salvation to the World.
Luke 4:18–19 LSB
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, To set free those who are oppressed,
19 To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
God’s powerful and perfect love brings His sense of justice into a well-rounded picture of His justice.
Galatians 5:14 LSB
14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
Galatians 6:2 LSB
2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
God’s love is the only qualifying love that is able to hold eternally those who place their souls and trust in Him alone.
Romans 8:32–39 LSB
32 He who indeed did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?
33 Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies;
34 who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.
35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction, or turmoil, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36 Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; We were counted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
God Displays His Love in the Incarnation.
John 1:1–5 LSB
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
Do you live under darkness, still?—Repent and confess your sins, and surrender yourself to King Jesus, who will lavish you with faithful love.
Have you back-slid from the path of light and life?—Repent and confess your cold-heartedness and return to the warmth of the Father’s love, mercy, and grace.
Does your love need encouragement and growth?—Share the love of God in a community of believers and be part of the family known as the Local Church.
