Advent 2018 - Love

Advent time does Advent season is the idea of of arrival arrival of Jesus we came in was born as a baby but then came and he lived a perfect life without send the diet on the cross and rose again, and we think of during Advent. Also, we think about the second coming of Christ and we time of celebration in our stadiums have been hope peace joy and love as I think of all these things these are all things that we all seek and pursue we all seek. Hope we all desire and see, we all desire and seek. Peace. Well desire and seek joy, we all desire and seek love and see if these are all things that are characteristics of who God is it were made in His image as it were created along and desire those things. Those things are only fully Matt and found. In our God's for Jesus Christ as we talk about love that's so true with love as well. I think it when you think about love it. It's not really easy thing to be able to describe someone who never experienced love and you trying to explain what love is it's hard to use words to express love or even just to show love it. It's one of those things that you can say, but it needs to be demonstrated love is something that has to be flushed out to be able to understood. It's more than words words are just not enough to to be able to describe love or even though it to fully show live. I think a lot of times it's through something where there's sacrifice. There's a giving there's effort behind love love was shown to us earlier this week. We were at the office and invest and Lisa, where's Lisa invasive they came by with this big thing of cookies a Big Ten. What is a 10 it was like a box of cookies, but it was a gift of love all this time to make these cookies and then gave up eating those cookies. So they weren't there was a giving up in an effort in this again. We see this we see this all the time. It's serving in loving but every so often we see something that is just Supernatural us a sort of love. If it's not normal that the world would look at and say that is just not normal. And we're amazed that type of love again since I mentioned her already won since she said maybe a month month-and-a-half ago had given a testimony up here in front of our church of a demonstration of love as she'd forgiven and Uncle already forgiven him years ago, but just recently it's spoken is able to verbally forgive an uncle who had abused her when she was a child and she just spoke that the only reason she was able to forgive us because of the the Forgiveness of Christ and when your testimonies like that I'm just forgiveness that is undeserved and love it just Supernatural not the kind of love that we can have we understand the love that we've been given.

In Jesus Christ, and that's what this time of year. Christmas is truly about understanding is Hope and peace and joy left on complete in Christ. So this morning as we think about that we think about love where to look at the John the 1st 1st John 1st, John 1st, John today where to look at chapter 4 which in your Pew Bibles that's on page eleven twenty-five. So 1st John 4, but John threw out first John Gotti speaks about love and he's talking about a lot of it's in contact with these Takis right into these churches and he's giving them evidence in their life of how they would know that their followers of Christ one of those shoes. When is that? They lost that they love one another as they shoot evidence that they are followers of Christ just some verses from 1st John and that before we get to our passage ever going to look at a little bit more in-depth but these are some verses from 1st John. This is First John chapter 2 verse 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light and in him, there is no cause for stumbling. The 1st John 3:1. So what kind of see what kind of love the father has given us that we should be called children of God. And so we are how we see the part work all these children. And so we Are Who We Are 1st John 3 11 for this is the message that you have heard from the beginning that we should love one another again this call the love of where follower of Christ and we're in Hip then we're going to love one another and then do that 1st. John 3:14 an example of love when we know we know that we have passed out of death into life because we have because we love the brothers cover does not love abides in death in this example that were new and Chryslers love 1st, John 3:16 by this we know by this we know love but he lay down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for brother swear this example of love that Christ came. He lay down his life in this example and then 1st John 3 verse 23 through 24, and this is his Commandment that we believe in the name of his son Jesus Christ and love one another just as he's commanded. Is it called where call the Believe In Christ we are called to love one another scissors theme throughout John. We see this in first John. It's a huge saying he's saying that followers of Jesus Christ those who've experienced the love of Christ are those who are marked by love where people that are are going to demonstrate love. We're going to love one another and we're not going to do it perfectly will do it in an imperfect way. Anybody here. We see that cuz John. Riding them. He's riding to these believe in Satan remembering reminding them say, hey love one another love one another as you reminding them and pushing them to that we need to do that cuz we don't always we don't always love each other. Well, unfortunately even the church becomes. A Time the poor example of love for growing This Love that needs to be continued to be growing and Perfection and going to look more like Christ and growing in that when we fail at that. We even see in first gen at that there is forgiveness and there is hope is he even wrote at the very beginning of first Johnny just speaking about our sin and struggle with sin. He says if we get if we confess our sin. he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and they said but if anyone of you sends We have an advocate with the father Jesus Christ. The righteous we have is out of it with this one that when we do sin, we love not not well at all we come and we confess our sin in Christ to pay the penalty for our sin is Advocate and he gives us his righteousness. So there's hope to be a look at this lovely. Think about this. Love. John is speaking about it's not one is that one that we can muster up in our own strength or just around and goodness within we can love like this. That's not how it is. We need to look to another source for this love. We need to look to the perfect example of this love. Embracing that we might be able to better love and pour out our love on other people. So that's what we'll see today in 1st John 4 Arena do cut look at verses 7 through 212. And in this we see this call. There's a command to love then what is that source of our love is were called to do that. What's it the perfect example of this love and then goes back to what is the fruit of the love Witch is obedience of loving servant to look at all these things this morning first look at 1st, John 4:7. First part of that. We're going to see this call it even say a command to love it because he's his beloved begins uses this word and the stone of just love to those. He's riding toys riding to those who have him experience the love of God and those were to show that love and he tries to them is beloved their brothers and sisters in Christ. He can write to them in this way and I was thinking about that how even when we've been overseas in Ecuador in in China when my language wasn't very good and I wasn't able to communicate well, but I would meet someone who is a follower of Christ and they were just be this knitting of hearts and they would just love and embrace me and just like there's 11 and even know anything about me, but they just knew I follow Christ indeed. There's this love that you can say beloved to another brother or sister in Christ. tasted that the love of Christ and then he calls them he says love one another love one another in this love one. Another will see it's not based on how much you you share in common with that person with Hobbies you have if you like to do sports teams, or even if you have the same ethnicity of the same background or none of those things are the basis for a love for one another maybe even people that just drive you crazy, but in Christ for called it to love one another And we'll see what that source of that love is as we continue on it. He calls us. to lie those who've been loved by God through Christ who gave himself for us recover love one another and again if this was easy if there was a super easy who wouldn't have to write it. He wouldn't have to write it over and over to love one another but we need it. We need to be reminded of it. We need to look again and again back to the gospel in the truth of Christ and his love and and he's a while up in us and so we might not do this well, but were called to do and we're going to grow in it and John. Is he wrote you thinking of the words of Christ? And he knows that love is is just Paramount. It's Supreme importance for a believer in for the church at we love one. Another in the Gospel of John was John also wrote the Gospel of John.

NN chapter 13 verses 34 and 35. This is what Jesus said. He said a new commandment I give you that you love one another just as I have loved you. You are also the love one another and how is he loved them? Is it worth see that cry? She died in a place to lay down his life and love one another as I have loved you by this all people will know that you are my disciples. If you have love for one another the world will know that you are followers. My followers cry says if you love one another so course this is of supreme importance. Our relationship should be marked by love for one another. Love demonstrates. The love of Christ has been given to us. And cuz I think about this guy do I pray and I think about for us as our church is those who gather here to Derby Hill that we might be a people that love sacrificially love with it in that those who are part of our church, but love where the Lord is planted us that people may be in our neighborhood in our workplace are in our neighborhood around Derby Hill that we sacrificially love one another.

Arabia people that weep with one another and rejoice with one another there aren't aren't self-seeking in our relationships with other people that were not easily put off or just as easily embittered by one another but that we love that were long-suffering that as we were setting and James before the Advent season that we are quick to hear and slow to speak and slow to become angry and where people that are marked by love. People that see the love of God in us and through us. Then John continues in we see the source of love. extended verse 7 second party says for For love is from God. Whoever loves has been born of God and knows God anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love it. Love it. Love is from God. And God himself is love. He's a source of Love is the author of love love is rooted in his very nature. You can't separate love out of God and his character is still have the god of the Bible a true God of who he is. God is love and all that he does. Reflects that love even his judgment and is Justice reflect his love and even throughout creation to his General Grace To Creation. We see that people seek to find love experience love even in this broken world. The God is love. but at the same time

we don't always understand God's love and we don't always understand his actions. And oftentimes what is best for us and what we desire are two different things and we wrestle through those things and everything with our are kids made with kids or grandkids or nieces or nephews. There may be things that you tell them or encourage them. Are you tell them not to do or you tell them to do and sometimes they get angry at you and just going to grieve your heart cuz you know that you're trying to do what's best for them and try to be loving for them at this is our children. So it's hard for them to understand all of our actions in her ways these often that's true as well for god, who knows and he can see the full picture what's going on? As I was thinking about this I thought about that too couple months ago a friend Ralph Helm and he was actually here last week and he works for the local Baptist Association in helps pastors and churches in and I say about talking with him. He several years back his daughter when she was in her twenties. She was tragically killed in a car accident and he shared a lot about that shirt a lot about wrestling through that struggle with me in and then later I was thinking about that as I was trying to encourage someone else and we were texting back and forth about this is experience and Understanding God's love in that and this is what he text text it to me cuz I was talking with him about these things. He said a woman asked me. How God allowed my daughter to be killed in a car wreck? He said I said I said I often don't understand what got it was doing it in that time. As I have grown as a Christian, I look at how God is love me before the moment and since the moment. God isn't the author of evil only good he could have prevented his own son's death and yet he didn't. Men Ralph rights. He says in our case. Our daughter's husband got saved at the funeral daughter's husband placed his faith in Christ at the funeral. This is daughter. So we don't always understand what's happening and the moment but we can see the love of God before and after we called the trust him even in that moment of what he's doing.

Then we also see a nice few versus right here that we see that. Those of us who know and experience the love of God through Jesus Christ that we should be marked by love this love. It's the same sacrificial love not expecting something in return type of love. Where do reflect the love of Christ and to love one another even if it's in perfect in the way we do it? Imany gives us this true example the truest example of love that we seeing Jesus Christ verses 9 through 10 verse 9 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. So you're done towels. That's clearly how the love of God became manifest how it became visible how he demonstrates tangible. He demonstrated his love toward us. He sent his son Jesus to the world. Maybe I read that verse maybe maybe how do you think of a different verse in the Gospel of John one? That's just one that a lot of people know whether they've grown up in church or not is John 3:16 Says for God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life for God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world. But in order that the world might be saved through him then Romans 8:32. Hope all rights, and he said he who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us all how will he not also with him graciously. Give us all things to see in this picture that Jesus. He willingly came as we studied and Mark he didn't come to be served, but it came to serve and he came to give his life as a ransom. For many also Marquis that he came to seek and to save the Lost. We see that Jesus. He came as a Good Shepherd to see in the Gospel of John Eddie came to lay down his life for the sheep. And even as we read in in 1st John 3 verse 16 by this we know love that he lay down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. So this is example that we're giving a Jesus he came and he took upon flash you stepped into creation, which was under and still is under the the curse is broken this to send any he left all the glories of Heaven to take upon human flesh that grows weary that girl is tired that feels pain that experience is suffering. And this is really what we think of during this time of Christmas Eve Christ came. He was born as a baby helpless babe a baby that would need to be changed that we need to be fed became an auction Melody. And is he was born he wasn't born in a nice clean smelling hospital. If there were over there wasn't that even in that tay but not in a clean home that was swept and ready and prepared for Mary but born in the combination of livestock and the smell than all the cleanliness that come with livestock. Thinking about this week. Joanna Jonathan have they had their baby and Joanna called and said can you help us with the kids at the hospital and how crazy would have been if she said she said I'm actually not at the hospital. I'm at a local Ranch. They have this little setup told that it's been Nativity package and its really great and I like you are cuz you know who would do that, but hear God we're taking all of this and he chose the Nativity package. In the smells that all come with that and sayings but Jesus came to take about all suffering and experience and show us that he came and humility and he understands our suffering in our weakness. I think I'm Joseph. there at the birth Send Jesus have his adopted son Jesus and Josefina Carpenter. I'm sure I would I would have can only imagine that the furniture in his home that he made by hand and if baby was coming you would probably make a crib for that baby Randy. I give you a ride but instead he had to go and look for a Manger to clean out a feeding trough and put clean. Hay on it and lay the baby and it's only imagine in his mind. He said this is the Messiah The King and I put them in a Manger just think what's going on at this is God's plan is showing us how we came to those who are weak and needy the broken to the Lost. He came in humility. He came that we would have a savior who understand their suffering. We don't come to him and string but we come to him in the we don't come to him in our own righteousness our own works, but we come up at open-handed empty-handed. And he pours out his love upon us. What a gracious Miracle are Miracle of his grace poured out upon us and he calls us his children. John Sisson, so we are

this week. I don't know if you've been walking through and reading some of the Advent devotional. We had that Paul Tripp book that we gave you guys one of the devotionals. He wrote this this week. He said we should celebrate we should be celebrating this willingness of the one who was God Almighty to leave the Splendor of Glory to take on the normal limits in Frailty of the human body and tender the daily realities of what it means to live and a terrible broken world is the definition of love. CC this definition of love The Source example of love to Jesus came that he lived a perfect life without sin with all the weight of Temptation yet without sin for us.

verse 10 in this is love not that we loved him but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins. So Jesus said he continued and continued on to obedient even to the Cross willing to die to take Upon Our punishment. I said that he was our propitiation. What does that word mean? It's a big word. That means it's idea that that sacrifice that atones for since she paid for our sin. He was at right payment the perfect payment for our sin. the Justice kid behind So Jesus came he took a boner Sandy took a bond our shame it took about our stain. He took Upon Our guilt. He took Upon Our needy took about a broken helplessness and in that he demonstrates the depth of God's love for us. Willing to die horrible deaths and receive the Judgment of God. And it's a part from our good works. It's the part from us showing love to him when we were quite unlovely. He loved us. What is Romans in Romans 5:8 and sza God demonstrate his love for us that while we were yet sinners. We were Sinners over enemies while we are apart from him. And now he has nothing to do with him. He died for us Christ died for us. Let me for we move on and look at the last part looking for 9 again in it the end of her sinuses so that we might live through him. So we came and died not because of your not because we loved him but because he loved us and he died in her place so that we might have life that he might give us life that he might breathe life into our weary tired Soul than do our bodies that offender times are rabbits with sickness and pain and they give us Life True Life True Fellowship true relationship with their creator with God. That we might know hope that we might truly know peace that we might truly know joy that we might know his love he came that. We might have life.

We're reminded that. reminder that this morning I'm finally. Finally we see. You see the fruit of Love see the fruit of experiencing loving it really brings us back to that command not call. To love one another verse 11 through 12 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. So Johnny conclude that God loved us in this way sending his own son to die for us while we were unlovely and while we were his enemies we should be fuel that should fuel us to love one another. Let's you're producing lots of love toward one another. I should continually go back to the love of God continue to go back again and again and again to the gospel that is that the good news that Jesus came that he came and became man that he took upon all our punishment and sin then he rose again Victorious over death and send this should fuel us to love one another. Says we ought to love one. Another Pastor John Piper. He writes this about this we ought to love. He says he means the way fish art to swim in water in Birdseye to fly in the air and living creatures got to breathe and peaches out to be sweet and lemons ought to be sour and hyenas not to laugh and born-again people ought to love. It's Who We Are

So then also are loved it becomes visible example, this manifestation is demonstration of our God to the world. That they can see him to our live. It's it clearly represent the gospel and we love one another and then able to speak of the truth of the the life the death in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

To this morning as we think about this this may maybe maybe that you come this morning you I have never really experienced the love of God. I don't even know what you're talking about in this is hard for me to grasp and think through a may this be this Christmas season even today be the first time for you even to sit in Bryson to feel and experience the love of Jesus Christ.

The message of Jesus Christ, is he preached Lista to repent and believe in that the word repent means to turn from our sin and turn to God and it's also needs a relationship. It means reward in Christ. Call the believe that he indeed did common was born as a baby and lived a perfect life and died in our place in Rose against that we might have that forgiveness of all of our sin and being right relationship with him and then we might be called children. and so you are Encourage you this morning. She's not trusted and giving your life to Christ to do that or if you just need to talk about it with someone encourage you this morning to find me or someone else here and more than willing to talk to you more about what it means to follow Christ rotunno Chrysler to know his love with this morning and maybe that you've experienced is love a thousand times over might you not forget. May you be reminded again the love of our God But you embrace it look again and again and remind yourself that the truth of the Gospel.

And also might we be a people who love and even pray that's true our love and throw words as we seek to make Jesus not ignorable that we will be able to see family rescued. They will be able to see families in this coming year who give their life to Christ and they fined for the first time hope and peace and joy love and we pray that may we be that type of people as well with one another and let's pray.

Father God we thank you.

Time for us to imagine and understand the weight of Christ leaving all the glories of Heaven to be born laid in a manger and then die a death of a criminal in our place. But then Rise Again Victorious and may we just daily go back to these truths be reminded to love one another reminder that you are loved would help us in this help us to grow in this help us to to grow an art intellectual understanding but in an understanding in our heart and our soul of the truth of your love and that you do call us your children. It's so we are if we trust in Jesus Christ, But I pray this morning. Is there any that I have not yet experienced the love of God May their heart be drawn to you. Turn to You Place their faith and you find life. What helped us to grow is it people to love one another with in Derby Hill and within those who are in our family those in our neighborhoods in our workplaces Lord, help us to grow that we might see you rescue families. That they might have life and you pray this in Jesus name. Amen.

Well this morning we we were. This morning we respond.

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