God’s Love… Our response

INTRO: Two meals. Two love stories.

Happy Valentines Day! My anniversary 43 years. Papa what happened to you?

My love story with Debbie. We were pals in high school. She was way out of my league.

She told me, she liked me. Like-Like. I don’t know why she decided to love me…But I am going to ride this horse for the rest of my life.

Who went out to dinner last night?

Who has given up on out to dinner on Valentines day? Geards. We went to Dallarama last night.

I want to take you to dinner this morning for valentines day.

Two dinners. / No waiting. / Great food. / special guest—Jesus himself. The best part! These are love stories.

Open to the Gospel of Luke-

BTW- Luke and meals. Going, coming, at.

Title: God’s love, our response.

1) God’ pursuing love. 2) Our pursuing Response!

I told my daughter what I was talking about, God’s love, and she said, “Isn’t that every Sunday.”

YES, That’s True, but today this is burning in my heart.

I hope to ignite you, and remind you that God’s love is vast, and amazing, and need to be constantly considered and pondered. The depth and brilliance of God’s love is like looking into a fine Dimond in th e bright sun.

God’s love is not a meme, or a slogan on a t-shirt, or refrigerator magnet, or a candy heart “Be Mine” or framed picture from Cracker Barrel.

God’s love is constant and complete! Some passages to remind us.

God’s love everlasting (Jer 31:3 ) I have loved you with an everlasting love.

Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Rom 8:38–39).

God’s steadfast love of God never ceases, Mercies never… (Lam 3:22–23).

God love is vast. (Ps 103:11–13).

Psalm 103:11–13 ESV

For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

Theologically, God’s love transcends simple altruism (Benevolence), encompassing his mercy, forgiveness, and grace. Greek terms to capture different dimensions of divine love appropriate to their contexts.

Agapē (ἀγάπη) – God’s unconditional, sacrificial love

Philia (φιλία) – affectionate friendship love

Eleos (ἔλεος) – mercy love

Charis (χάρις) – grace love

God’s love and justice converge in the cross, revealing a selfless divine character.

God’s love that gives everything, including his own son.

Let’s simplify this Love… say it with me.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Let’s simplify this again. Jesus loves me this I know, for the bible tells me so.

God’s love pursues us/ chases us down/ never gives up!

World religions are filled with gods, that the devotees must chase. Work to please. Penance, duty, human effort = acceptance.

Not so with our God, the bible reveals God reaching out to us.

Adam, Abraham, Israel, Judges, Elijah, ultimately Jesus, who pursues to this day— his grace, and mercy, and powerful hand to save!

God’s love is on the hunt for you! It seeks you. (I promised you dinner)

Jesus at dinner. Turn to Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.””

This is the whole theme of Luke

Luke 19, Jesus, trees a guy. Pursuit.

This is the story of Zaccheus, the vertically imparted dude. sort guy. we lad.

Just for the record, I am much taller than Zacchaeus was.

Read Luke 19:1–4 “He entered Jericho and was passing through. And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way.”

Zaccheus—Chief tax collector. He heard about Jesus. He wanted to see Jesus. Climbs a tree.

Climbing- Debbie holds my leg.

Read Luke 19:5–9 “And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.

And when they saw it, they all grumbled, “He has gone in to be the guest of a man who is a sinner.” And Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham.”

Luke 19:10 “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus, spotted him, knew his name, and invited himself into his life. Jesus chased after this man.

This is how Jesus works… You all have a story right? in some way, Jesus revealed himself, invited himself into our lives.

Zacchaeus recieved him Joyfully.

Do you remember when you recieved the Lord into your life?

In The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, (1687)illustrating this moment. As Christian arrives at the hill of Calvary:

His burden falls off - The heavy pack on his back—symbolizing the guilt and weight of his sin—suddenly loosens, falls from his shoulders, rolls down the hill, and disappears into the open tomb, never to be seen again.

He is overwhelmed with relief and joy- Christian stands weeping for joy, realizing that the burden he could not remove himself has been taken away by Christ’s work at the Cross.

He receives signs of assurance: Declare that his sins are forgiven. Replace his ragged clothing with new garments (symbolizing righteousness). Give him a sealed scroll to carry as proof of his salvation, which he must present at the Celestial City.

His journey changes direction- From this point forward, Christian travels not trying to earn salvation, but living out the journey of faith with the assurance that his forgiveness is already secured.

Zacchaeus what changed- “I give half of my wealth away. And restore to those who I have wronged.

This is - New life, new relationship, new motivation, New view of others.

This is fruit of changes. He was converted right down to the wallet.

All because Jesus love pursued him, and found him.

***Let’s try to understand this love. Why? This makes no sense.

That’s what “they” said. “they ALL”, grumbled.

Why does Jesus care?

We don’t think he should!

We don’t like that he does care.

Who is they? All! All the people? The tax payers? The towns people? The curious onlookers? The Apostles?

Why does God love and pursue us? Because we are worthy?

They were grumbling because they thought Zacchaeus was NOT worthy. Human scale?

That means maybe they though THEY were more worthy.

There are none worthy, no not one. Rom 2:23

Why does God love any. I want this to itch your brain.

God’s love is the mystery of the Universe.

Maybe we think that God loves and pursues us because we somehow are essential to God.

He is lonely. Or missing somethings. Or needs a project because He is board.

NO- God is perfect, and in perfect fellowship with his triune self.

God loves mankind because He is love, He created us for Himself, and He desires to redeem and restore us through Christ—for his glory.

This love rooted in His character rather than our performance.

God loved Zaccheus, for his own glory. God loves us for his own glory.

And we are fortunate.

Where does leave us? What do we do with this? How can we manage such a Staggering audacious mind blowing blessing.

***God’s love can not be understood, but it can be responded to.

John says it most clearly 1 John 4:19 “We love because he first loved us.”

The first meal… Jesus has come to seek and to save…

God Our second story is about our response.

Please turn over to Luke 7:

Jesus had been teaching, healing, ministering to people.

Just look at the heading in your bible-

Luke 7:36–50 ESV

One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

A Pharisee named Simon, invited Jesus to dinner. His name is Simon- Simon the leper.

A woman shows up- don’t know her name. She is called a sinner. Sinner woman.

BUT NOTE- I believe they both had an encounter with Jesus that changed them.

Simon the Leaper was not a leper- healing.

And the woman who was a sinner was not a sinner- because she heard and recieved Jesus. Let’s change her name- Forgiven woman.

They both demonstrate gratitude to Jesus.

Simon, host Jesus. Lavish dinner, 100’s of people.

The FORGIVEN WOMAN brings everything to Jesus. Her tears, her treasure, her worship, and her love to Jesus.

Simon, uses his outer words to ingratiate himself, but his internal words question Jesus and is sceptical of Jesus. He failed to wash his feet, anoint him, and welcome him.

The FORGIVEN WOMAN anoints him, breaks the oil on him, and whole place is filled with fragrance of the costly oil.

Who are we?

Are we Simon ex—leper? Jesus has done so much for me. I honor him, I tell people, “me and Jesus are like this”. I give to Jesus from my abundance. But some times Jesus takes things a bit to far. Does Jesus really know what he is doing? There is a line in my life, that mine, and his.

Are you the ex-Sinner Woman. Forgiven woman. I got nothing. Even what I thought I had was nothing. I was famous for my sin. I was proud of my sin. But I had a pit guilt and shame that was black whole in my heart.

Jesus tells of the Pharisee, and the tax collector. Lk 18:9-14

Jonathan Edwards. “I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great Savior.”

This idea echoes Paul’s testimony in 1 Timothy 1:15: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am chief.”

LOOK- I confess I have been both.

Simon- seen by men as one thing. But, hold back. Doubting the plan. Doubt- Why God. Why are you so merciful to that person (they are never going to change). Worshiping my watch—absent mindedly.

Forgiven Woman- My response to your love is complete worship. Give Jesus my best, my attention, my service, my wealth.

Jesus brings it home for Simon

Luke 7:36–50 ESV

And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.” “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The passage speaks for itself.

At one meal Jesus proclaims his mission. I have come to seek and to save the Lost. Lk 19:10

Jesus did it. He lived, he taught, he healed, he ministered.

He laidyed down his life fulfilling the Law and Prophets, and accomplished the impossible.

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”— Romans 5:6

At the another meal he says, She who is forgiven—for she loved much.

Aren’t we all forgiven much.

The question is…

Are you responding to Gods pursuing Love, with the seriousness and attention it deserves? Are we responding by pursuing God with your love.

I don’t mean a passive, off and on, emotional experience.

We must preach to our own hearts, and seek out the Simon love, and get rid of the conditional, doubting, me first love.

And install, and strive, and live in Forgiven woman love,—

Let’s end with… the love for God prescribed for loving him in the bible.

John 15:9–10As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love.

Mark 12:29–31 “Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Ephesians 3:17–19 “so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

1 Peter 1:3–9 “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

1 Corinthians 13:1–13 “ Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

One last romantic reflection. Song of Solomon ch. 2

Song of Solomon—

God’s love is not distant, hesitant, or conditional. His banner over us is love — not shame, not performance, not fear.

He has moved toward us, called us by name, invited us out of winter and into spring. Before we ever reached for Him, He reached for us. Before we were faithful, He was faithful. His love is declared, demonstrated, and unwavering.

So how do we respond to a love like that?

We respond with surrender. We respond with trust. We respond by saying, “I am my Beloved’s, and He is mine.” We lay down the little foxes that spoil the vine. We step out of hiding. We rise up and follow where He leads. When love this faithful calls our name, the only fitting answer is wholehearted devotion.