Happy Valentines' Day 07
Happy Valentines’ Day 07 2/18/07
JOHN 3:16-17
val•en•tine
1 : a sweetheart chosen or complimented on Valentine’s Day
2 a : a gift or greeting sent or given esp. to a sweetheart on Valentine’s Day esp : a greeting card sent on this day
tribute
[1]
GOD’S VALENTINE TO YOU
THE BIBLE – GOD’S WORD
IT TOOK OVER 1,500 YEARS TO WRITE
IT HAS MORE THAN 40 HOLY SPIRIT INSPIRED HUMAN AUTHORS
IT WAS WRITTEN ON THREE DIFFERENT CONTINENTS
66 BOOKS
1,189 CHAPTERS
31,173 VERSES
774,746 WORDS
YET, IT IS A UNITY, WITH THE SAME MESSAGE THROUGHOUT
IT READS AS FOLLOWS
John 3:16 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
NOTICE:
It doesn’t say that God so loved the righteous
Pure
Holy
Sinless
Perfect
Ethical
Moral
Spiritual that He gave His only Son
But it says that because He loved the world
The lost
The unrighteous
The defiled
The unholy
The sinful
The imperfect
The unethical
The immoral
The fleshly that He gave His only Son
For God so loved the world
Rom. 5:6 6 ……. Christ died for the ungodly.
That whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life
Don’t think Christ could forgive or love you?
Abraham - an idol worshipper
Jacob - a deceiver
David - a murderer & adulterer
Naaman - a skeptic
Nebuchadnezzar - a boaster
The centurion - a military officer
Matthew – a tax collector
The Gadarene man - a demonic maniac
The woman that anointed & washed Jesus’ feet with her tears & hair - an immoral woman
The man on the cross next to Jesus - A dying thief
Peter - a denier of Christ
Saul - a persecutor of Christians
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
YES, ALL OF HEAVEN REJOICES WHEN YOU COME TO CHRIST
LUKE 15:10 10 Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
Let’s review a few things we are apt to need reminded of occasionally
After all isn’t that the reason we send Valentine Cards & Gifts –
As A Reminder of our Love for others
HE LOVED US FIRST
1 JOHN 4:19 19 …… He first loved us.
HE SOUGHT US
Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
ONCE WE HAVE ACCEPTED HIS OFFER OF GRACE
WE ARE BETROTHED TO CHRIST
2 Cor. 11:2 2 For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
HE PROMISES TO LOVE US, KEEP US, GIVE US JOY, PEACE, COMFORT
Song 2:4……. , And his banner over me was love.
His love is unquenchable. Song 8:7. 7 Many waters cannot quench love,
Nor can the floods drown it.
His love is indissoluble. Ro 8:35. 5 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
His is the love of adoption. 1Jo 3:1. Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!
Rom. 8:17 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ,…
His love is shed abroad in the heart by the Holy Spirit.
Ro 5:5. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
HE SHOWS US HIS LOVE BY SENDING HIS SPIRIT
Joh 16:7. ……, I will send Him to you.
HE GIVES US JOY
JOHN 15:11 11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.
NO ONE CAN TAKE OUR JOY
JOHN 16:22 22 …. your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.
HE HAS COMPASSION ON US
EX. 33:19 19 Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
HE GIVES US PEACE
JOHN 14:27 27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
PHIL. 4:7 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
HE GIVES LIFE
AND GIVES IT ABUNDANTLY
HE GIVES ETERNAL LIFE
HIS WORDS ARE LIFE
JOHN6:63 ….. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.
JOHN 10:10 I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
OUR LIFE IN HIM IS SECURE
JOHN 10:28 28 And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
HE COMES TO LIVES WITH US
JOHN 14:23 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.
WE HAVE NO NEED TO FEAR ANYONE OR ANYTHING
MT. 10:31 31 Do not fear ..
WE HAVE PROMISE OF THE LIFE THAT NOW IS & THE LIFE TO COME
HE HAS PLANS TO PROSPER US, PLANS OF GOOD NOT EVIL
OUR SIN IS FORGIVEN
Isa 38:17. 17 But You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption,
For You have cast all my sins behind Your back.
HE BESTOWS HONOR ON US
1 SAM. 2:30 But now the Lord says: …; for those who honor Me I will honor,
HE REWARDS US
HIS REWARDS ARE MORE VALUABLE THAN SILVER & GOLD
NO ONE CAN TAKE OUR REWARDS
HIS REWARDS ARE EVERLASTING
LUKE 12:32 32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
LUKE 12:33 33 …….., a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches nor moth destroys.
IS CHRIST YOUR VALENTINE, ARE YOU HIS VALENTINE?
HE’S NOT WILLING THAT ANY SHOULD PERISH
WHOSOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED
EVEN THOUGH YOUR SINS BE AS SCARLET THEY SHALL BE WHITER THAN SNOW
NUM. 6:22-27 The Priestly Blessing
22 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord 5lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’
27 “So they shall 6put My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”
OH LORD, BLESS THESE YOUR CHILDREN
----
esp especially
[1]Merriam-Webster, Inc: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Eleventh ed. Springfield, Mass. : Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003
5 Look upon you with favor
6 invoke
