Everlasting Love

Everlasting Love 1 Chronicles 16:28-36 Did Adam and Eve ever have a date? Nope, they had an apple! What did the flame say to his buddies after he fell in love? “I found the perfect match!” Did you hear about the bed bugs who fell in love? They’re getting married in the spring! Valentine’s Day is this week, and besides some corny jokes, here are some neat facts I read earlier. Every year, more than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolates are sold across the country. On average, every year, around 9 million people buy their pets a Valentine’s day gift. February 14th is the second-largest card giving day of the year, just after Christmas. It’s estimated that this year over 1 billion cards will be exchanged around the world. Teachers actually receive the most Valentine’s Day cards, followed by kids, mothers, wives, then girlfriends. And Hallmark, besides making a never-ending supply of romance movies, has been mass-producing Valentine’s Day cards since 1913. Whether you like Valentine’s Day or not, nevertheless, it’s a day where millions of people show their love towards one another. It’s a time to let those closest to you know just how much you care and how much they mean to you. And that’s what today’s Scripture is saying. It’s about showing God how much you care about Him by praising His Holy Name. Now today’s Scripture is only part of a psalm. Now you may be thinking that only the Book of Psalms contained the psalms, but there are other praise songs throughout Scripture. Actually, today’s Psalm is comprised of 3 other psalms. This entire psalm is full of thankfulness to the LORD. And the verses for today’s Scripture contain the heart of this psalm: worship & love. Verse 28 says, “Ascribe to the LORD, all you families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.” “Ascribe” means to “give.” No matter where you live or what you do, you are to give the LORD your praise. “Ascribe to the LORD glory” through your life. Let your actions and words continually praise God. “Ascribe to the LORD strength.” In Hebrew, the word for strength carried with it the meaning for boldness. How do you live your life strong in the LORD? Boldly praise Him. As Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “Give thanks in every circumstance, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” It’s when you boldly give God the glory that your relationship with Christ is strengthened. When God’s way is your way, then in every way and every day will be a continual praise to God. If we attempt to do the same for our spouses, giving them praising, honor, and boldly showing our love through words and actions, how much more should we ascribe to God? The first part of verse 29 tells us to, “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His Name.” We love our spouses, our children, our parents, as we should. But God should be our main love! By placing God first, then His love flows from His throne of grace, through us, thereby reaching others. Remember, the Bible says, “God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the Name above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow.” When we bow before God, we “Worship the LORD in the splendor of His holiness,” as verse 29 says. 36 million boxes of heart-shaped chocolates may be given on Valentine’s Day, but when you “bring an offering and come before God,” the only offering God desires is you. Just like after a rough day, or an emotional day, or after a long military deployment, the only thing desired is you. King David realized in Psalm 51 that God “doesn’t delight in sacrifice or burnt offerings.” God just wants you, including all your brokenness, because God loves you. When we stop to think about just who God is and how much He loves you, we can begin to “Tremble before Him,” as verse30 says. “The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.” God cannot be shaken. So maybe our “Trembling before Him” isn’t so much trembling out of fear, but out of a realization of His greatness. You know, when I first met my wife, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I trembled around her. I introduced myself with shaky hands. My voice trembled as I built up enough courage to ask her out. And before every date, I would tremble with excitement and anticipation of seeing her. I wanted to spend all my time with her. And the more I learned about Jackie, the more I loved her. And anyone who has ever proposed knows how much you trembled when you got down on one knee. Likewise, Moses, when he encountered God at the burning bush, also trembled. In Acts 7:32 Stephen recounts Moses reaction to meeting God and says, “Moses trembled and dared not to look.” You see, trembling can be a good thing. So when’s the last time you trembled before God? The closeness you have with your spouse is the kind of relationship God desires from you. God Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, wants you! In almost every society throughout the centuries, gold has been the standard of value. It’s a gauge of value and a sign of purity, blessing, and excellence. The Bible even illustrates that the New Heaven is adorned with streets of pure gold. And many wedding bands are made of gold. We can say the same thing about praise. Praise is a common denominator. What’s interesting is that one word used often for praise, “Hallelujah,” is commonly pronounced the same in every language! Heaven is and will forever be filled with praise. And your wedding ring is a continual praise of your wedding vows made in the presence of God and man. Gold and praise have much in common. But as much value people place on gold, the value of knowing God is greater! When two become one, there’s seemingly nothing impossible or out of reach. Problems are tackled together. Just like when you become one with Christ, He becomes bigger than your circumstances. Being one with your spouse and one with Christ changes your perspective and your way of living. Worship is to be the lifestyle of the believer! Psalm 63:3 says, “Because Your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.” Psalm 66 adds, “Say to God, ‘How awesome are Your deeds! So great is Your power!’” When you exclaim, “The LORD reigns,” in verse 31, then “the heavens rejoice and the earth is glad,” because God is in control! The power of praising God is seen in the next two verses, and verse 34 reveals why God is to be praised. “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever.” In his classic book, Knowing God, J. I. Packer gives a beautiful explanation of God’s love: “What matters supremely is not the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it – that God knows me. I am graven on the palms of His hands. I am never out of His mind. All my knowledge of Him depends on His sustained initiative in knowing me. I know Him because He first knew me, and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me; and there is no moment when His eye is off me, or His attention distracted from me, and no moment, therefore, when His care falters.” That’s unspeakable comfort and peace is it not! Knowing that God loves and watches over you is cause for praise. Nothing surprises Him even if it surprises you. Surprises can happen. I heard of one guy who told his friend, “I proposed to her and would have married her if it hadn’t been for something she said.” “What did she say?” his friend replied. “No.” Romantic relationships come and go; people can be in love one day and out of love the next. When love is approached selfishly, relationships are abandoned when there is no longer any benefit. This can even happen in friendships. If selfish love easily ends, then it must be unselfish love that endures. We know from the Bible that Jesus is the ultimate example of selfless love. Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross because of His great love for us. This is a love that gives preference to others and always seeks for their best. It’s unselfish love. Let me give you an example. The violent grinding of brakes and the harsh squeal of skidding tires suddenly died as the car came to a sudden stop. Young Eddie picked himself up from the rough pavement where he had been thrown, and looked wildly around. Susie! Where was his little sister? Eddie was holding her hand when they began crossing the street. The next moment, he turned and saw Susie under the car that had just hit them. Her eyes were closed, and a dark stain was spreading slowly across her white sweater. It seemed like an eternity before sirens announced the arrival of help. Susie was quickly examined, gently placed on a stretcher, and put in the back of an ambulance. Eddie got to ride in the back with her, and he held Susie’s hand all the way to the hospital. Once at the hospital, the surgeon said, “She has internal injuries and has lost a great deal of blood. We need to operate right now!” Eddie sat in the waiting room while Susie was in surgery. After a while, a nurse came looking for him. “Eddie,” she said softly, “your sister is hurt very badly. The doctor wants to make a transfusion. Do you know what that is?” Eddie shook his head. He never heard of that word before. “She’s lost so much blood that she can’t live unless someone gives her blood,” the nurse explained. “Will you do that for her?” Eddie’s face grew paler, and he gripped the arms of the chair so tight that his knuckles became white. Gulping back his tears, he nodded his head and stood up. “You’re a fine you man,” the nurse said, as she hurried him to the operating room. No one spoke to Eddie except the nurse who helped prepare him for the ordeal. The boy bit his quivering lip and quietly obeyed. “Are you ready?” asked a doctor as he turned from the table over which he had been bent over. For the first time Eddie noticed who it was lying there so still. It was Susie. And he was going to make her well. 2 hours later, the surgeon smiled and said, “I believe she’ll make it.” “That’s great news, doctor,” exclaimed one young intern. “A miracle!” Nothing, the intern thought, could be greater than the miracles of science. After the transfusion, Eddie had been told to lie quietly on a bed near the corner of the room. The room was filled with excitement, and as the doctor began to explain the good news, he was caught off-guard when Eddie asked him, “When do I die?” “Die? What do you mean, son?” the doctor asked. “I thought… when they took somebody’s blood…he died,” whispered Eddie. The smiles faded from the lips of the doctors and nurses. And the young intern, who thought that nothing was greater than the miracle of modern science, had to catch his breath. This soft-spoken child climbed to the very heights of devotion and sacrifice. He had shown them a glimpse of the greatest miracle of all – selfless love! It’s the kind of love Jesus demonstrated when He died on the cross. He didn’t consider His rights. He didn’t consider what was best for Himself. He simply paid the debt we could never pay. Years ago, the force of that love caused a man to write the words, “Amazing love, how can it be? That you, my King, would die for me?” Brothers and sisters, That’s The Gospel! That is love. That is our reason for worship. For praise. For thanksgiving. “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Verse 35 begins, “Cry out, ‘Save us, God our Savior!” Whoever has cried that out to the LORD, has trembled in awe of His love, mercy, and salvation. And in tear-filled thankfulness have, “given thanks to His Holy Name, and glory in His praise.” Oh, with what love Christ has shown us, but oh with what love do we show Him? Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus laid down His life for you, and He calls you His friend because He loves you. Remember, last week we learned Jesus say, “I Am the bread of heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will never die.” So I ask you today, right now, partake of Christ, and do it daily. “Be Strong and Courageous. God will never leave you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6; Heb.13:5). I ask that you apply that verse to your relationship with God, but also to your relationships with others. Be courageous. Live for others more than yourself. Ascribe to God thanks for never leaving nor forsaking you. Be strong in your marriage. Never leave nor forsake your spouse. One pastor rightly said, “A good marriage isn’t something you find; it’s something you make and you have to keep making it.” Likewise, being a disciple of Christ isn’t something that you find, it’s something you keep doing. Grow in the Lord, grow in your marriage. Jesus says in Mark 10:9, “What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.” Remain one with Christ, remain one with each other. Praise the LORD. Take your mind off your problems and focus upon God’s power, mercy, majesty, and love. “Praise be to the LORD.” He is “from everlasting to everlasting.” And once you begin to understand that, let it take your breath away. As someone nicely said, “Those who leave everything in God’s hand will eventually see God’s hand in everything.” Keep God’s hand in your lives, and never grow tired of holding your spouse’s hand. And just as the ring on your spouse’s finger represents your vows, remember the hole in Christ’s hand that represents His vows to you. Today’s Scripture ends with all the people saying “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.” And if you are willing to glorify God in all you do, then stand and join me in saying “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.” Will you “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His Name?” “Amen” and “Praise the LORD.” AMEN