A Message of Love

1 John 4:7–12 ESV:2016

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

God Demonstrates His Love for Us

God Demonstrates His Love for Us

God Demonstrates His Love for Us

300 Quotations and Prayers for Christmas He Came to Gain Our Love

If our Redeemer had come to be feared and respected by men, He would have come as a full-grown man and with royal dignity; but because He came to gain our love, He chose to come and to show Himself as an infant, and the poorest of infants, born in a cold stable between two animals, laid in a manger on straw, without clothing or fire to warm his shivering little limbs.

God Demonstrates His Love for Us

In a movie that will remain nameless because it contains language that I cannot endorse, the lead character offers a prayer to “Dear Lord, Baby Jesus”. When others in his family tell him that Jesus grew up and became a man, he replies “I pray to Lord Baby Jesus because that is the Jesus I like best.”

The video that we just saw depicts how Jesus came for a purpose!

When we realized that the Babe in a manger lived a sinless life, and died to pay a debt he did not owe because we owed a debt we could not pay, and that He rose victorious over death and the grave, it prompts within us a sense of awe and and obligation of adoration.

We Express our Love for Him

One Cowboy’s Christmas

What kind of Christmas can there be And what for celebration

And what for celebration

Can some old lonesome cowhand have Who’s miles from civilization?

Who’s miles from civilization?

No place to hang a stockin’ No programs to attend

No programs to attend

No church or other function...Just days and nights on end!

Just days and nights on end!

The stock need feedin’ daily And with zero and below,

And with zero and below,

The water’s opened twice a day; On the range, a foot of snow;

On the range, a foot of snow;

Some of the cows with younger calves Must have constant tendin’,

Must have constant tendin’,

The fences and the old cow shed Need perpetual mendin’!

Need perpetual mendin’!

Then there’s the first-calf heifers To watch, with special care,

To watch, with special care,

‘Cause when one does decide it’s time Buck knows his place is there!

Buck knows his place is there!

And it seem there’s always one of them More fragile than the rest,

More fragile than the rest,

Maybe bred a mite too soon, And who’d have ever guessed...

And who’d have ever guessed...

That she’d have picked as Christmas eve The time for the event?

The time for the event?

But then, you know, when nature calls She don’t ask our consent!

She don’t ask our consent!

So old Buck just resigned himself To spend the night instead,

To spend the night instead,

With a heifer named “Maria” In that drafty old cow-shed.

In that drafty old cow-shed.

His coal-black longhorn herd-bull, “Old Jose” stood and looked

“Old Jose” stood and looked

As helpless as most fathers do When those events are booked.

When those events are booked.

And then, with two or three low moans That only mothers know,

Our Love for Others.

That only mothers know,

She birthed a tiny bull-calf, White as the prairie snow!

White as the prairie snow!

As old Buck sat and watched the scene, His thoughts raced back again,

His thoughts raced back again,

To the times his mama’d told him ‘Bout another Christmas when...

‘Bout another Christmas when...

Another special, spotless son Was born on Christmas day,

Was born on Christmas day,

To another special virgin, In a special sort of way!

In a special sort of way!

A lump came up in old Buck’s throat, His eyes filled up up with tears

His eyes filled up up with tears

As a crusty, tough,old cowboy’s thoughts Sifted through the years!

And, all alone, he closed his eyes, And slowly bowed his head;

And slowly bowed his head;

“Thanks, God, for sendin’ Jesus,” Was the simple pray he said.

And even now, if you watch close, Sometimes you’ll see a grin

Cross old Buck’s rough and weathered face…He’s in that shed again!

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Three Daughters

The story is told of a king who desired to know how much his three daughters loved him. The first two declared they loved him more than all the gold and silver in the world. The third said: “I love you better than salt.” The king was not exactly elated and attributed his youngest daughter’s reply to her immaturity. The cook, overhearing, left salt out of the king’s breakfast. Then the father awakened to his daughter’s declaration: “I love you so much that nothing is good without you.”

When we realize how much God’s love us, we find that this type of love influences everything we do. When Jesus washed the disciples’ feet His application was not - since I have washed your feet, then you ought to wash mine. He said “If I have washed your feet, then you ought to wash one another’s.”

We Demonstrate His Love to Others

The early Latin writer, Tertullian of Carthage, declared that the one thing that converted him to Christianity was not the arguments they gave him, because he could find a counterpoint for every argument they would present. “But they demonstrated something I didn’t have. The thing that converted me to Christianity was the way they loved each other.”

Throughout this evening and on into tomorrow, you may have unusual opportunities to show God’s love by giving, but also by serving and listening!

I realize that right now many of us are fighting the racing thoughts in our minds. Food yet to prepare, gifts to wrap, chairs to bring in from the shed, assembling all those toys that may be delivered down the chimney with “some assembly required”, stockings to stuff, phone calls to be made.

G. Curtis Jones, 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1986), 220.

It is rare that I will buy a whole album because of one song, but on exception has been the song “Breathe” by Johnny Diaz that you may have heard on Christian radio.

Alarm clock screaming bare feet hit the floor It's off to the races everybody out the door I'm feeling like I'm falling behind, it's a crazy life Ninety miles an hour going fast as I can Trying to push a little harder trying to get the upper hand So much to do in so little time, it's a crazy life It's ready, set, go it's another wild day When the stress is on the rise in my heart I feel You say just

(chorus) Breathe, just breathe Come and rest at My feet And be, just be Chaos calls but all you really need Is to just breathe

(chorus) Breathe, just breathe Come and rest at My feet And be, just be Chaos calls but all you really need Is to just breathe

Third cup of joe just to get me through the day Wanna make the most of time but I feel it slip away I wonder if there's something more to this crazy life I'm busy, busy, busy, and it's no surprise to see That I only have time for me, me, me There's gotta be something more to this crazy life I'm hanging on tight to another wild day When it starts to fall apart in my heart I hear You say just

(chorus) Breathe, just breathe Come and rest at My feet And be, just be Chaos calls but all you really need

Is to take it in fill your lungs The Peace of God that overcomes Just breathe Let your weary spirit rest Lay down what's good and find what's best Just breathe

(chorus) Just breathe, just breathe Come and rest at My feet And be, just be Chaos calls but all you really need Is to just breathe Just breathe

Because when you slow down enough to Breathe, you discover the pleasure of being present in other’s lives.

When we are present, we can demonstrate the Love God has shown to us and placed in our hearts for those that He loves.

In a moment we are going to sing “Silent Night” as we receive and pass the light of love to those around us.

I have found that when I people get hurried is when they tend to snuff out each other’s candles. So my hope for you is that we can slow down, and be present to both receive and give love.

A video will play that describes the power of light then I invite you to stand and receive the Light of the World.