The love of God

Hymns: 134 506 514

Reading: -end

Introduction

One of the basic descriptions of what God is

Ultimate source of our salvation= love of God- reason for election.

Basic duty 10 commands summary - But what is it?

Feelings

Thoughts - Think about someone

Decisions - Choices about what we do with regards to someone.

Actions

Paul’s definition

Longsuffering- Kind

Not – self promoting, rude, touchy, evil thinking

It - Delights in truth rather than sin

It is – Forbearing, Positive, Enduring

10 commands

Love - Is sensitive to authority and position

Values life

Value sexual integrity

Values reality of personal property

Values speech integrity

Realises that these things imply the need for internal integrity of the heart.

This love comes from within the being of God!

There can be love before it is revealed!

Discovery of love….I love you!

Here there is the focus of the love of God the Father- the prayer is that this love may be with us each.

God is one God but within the being of the one God there are 3 distinct eternal persons.

There is an eternal love relationship at the root of the being of God in three persons.

But that love from within the being of God is now intimately connected to the creatures that he has made.

As the Son experienced the love of the Father in eternity past so the Son copies that love in his humanity.

The way we come to know this love is by God’s name (character and actions) being revealed to us.

Jesus declares his Fathers name and that results in his Fathers love coming to be in us.

The Father’s character towards us is revealed at Calvary- not sparing.

This love is poured out in us by the Holy Spirit

This love is revealed by a supreme gift coming from God!

Plan a great gift to someone…. But the gift is still yours until it is actually handed over.

“Delivered up” “Handed over” God delivered up and handed over the gift of his Son to this world…. We cannot see or fully comprehend what that meant- something in Abraham’s experience with Isaac.

East of Jerusalem – opposite the Golden gate on the slopes of Mt of Olives- public garden – park- favourite retreat of Jesus after a busy day in Jerusalem.

This was where he was delivered up:

Arrested - Public betrayal – bitter thing to be betrayed by a close and trusted friend. Abandoned by his disciples. The God- man was bound.

Delivered up to public humiliation and disgrace – course joking, slapped, spat upon, scourged – put into mocking play acts. Publically demonised- “character assassination” when you have power and control of the media you can make the crowds hate a truly good person – appearance was that his whole life and work and mission has ended in disaster and hopeless ruin- hour of darkness – hour of the triumph of darkness.

Delivered up to the death sentence- public hanging – God cursed death.

His Choice – God’s choice-

The love is demonstrated by the cost of the gift

We were given a gift once…when it was opened realised that it was a gift that we had given the previous year!

God’s love all packaged up in one gift given in the heart of the Trinity.

We see that Jesus voluntarily delivered himself up at his arrest – we see a great struggle in Gethsemane – Important to understand the reason for that struggle – important to measure the love that gave itself by seeing exactly what it gave itself to be – “An offering and a sacrifice” Not just a public joke and laughing stock- not just utterly humiliated publically.

Pitch and put

It was much worse.

Gift of something of infinite value – unspeakable gift.

The love of God with us is the same as the God of love being with us

Practical usefulness

Are your eyes opened to see God’s love to you? Look what he has done to demonstrate his great love – think how valuable and precious you must be to Him for Him to do all this

Are we daring to look- long and hard at this? Are we daring to believe it? Seeing God’s love is the way to be loving- The more we look the more we will mimic and imitate. The more secure we are in God’s love the more we will be loving

Pointers for Prayer

Sunday

John & Joan Joy

Summer clubs etc

Nancy & Margaret & Doris

Matt & Beth

Visitors