Thankful for Gods Love
Notes
Transcript
Thankful for Gods Love
Thankful for Gods Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
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.
10 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.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
Introduction
Introduction
This week we will be celebrating a time of fellowship, a time of family, a time of Thanksgiving. But what is THANKSGIVING? The Lexham Bible Dictionary defines it as the act of offering thanks or being thankful, usually to God. Often connected to provision, deliverance, or God’s character. Commonly associated in Scripture with meals and worship.
The concept of thanksgiving evolves theologically throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, it is closely tied with the verb “to bless” (בָּרַךְ, barakh; e.g., Deut 8:10). The most common Hebrew noun used for “thanks” (תּוֹדָה, todah) derives from the verb “to praise, confess” (יָדָה, yadah).
Jews offer a prayer of thanksgiving before every meal starts with a statement of praise and adoration - Barukh ata Adonai Eloheinu, melekh ha'olam “Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe”
In the New Testament, thanksgiving is tied to the concept of “grace” (χάρις, charis). Most Greek words related to “thanks” are connected, including the noun “thanksgiving” (εὐχαριστία, eucharistia), the adjective “thankful” (εὐχάριστος, eucharistos), and the verb “to give thanks, be thankful” (εὐχαριστέω, eucharisteō).The New Testament records Jesus offering thanksgiving to God on several occasions. For example, when reflecting upon the division between those who accepted Him and those who rejected Him, Jesus thanks God for hiding His plans from the wise and revealing them instead to little children (Matt 11:25; Luke 10:21). Also, before raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus thanks God for hearing Him (John 11:41–42). The most notable accounts of Jesus giving thanks are during His feeding miracles and at the Last Supper. There was thanks given all throughout scripture, reminding them and us of God’s deliverance, of His blessings, and most importantly His salvation.
In the early start of the American tradition of Thanksgiving, the noted magazine editor and author Sarah Josepha Hale launched a campaign in 1827 to establish Thanksgiving as a national holiday. For 36 years, she published numerous editorials and sent numerous letters to governors, senators, presidents and other politicians, earning her the nickname the “Mother of Thanksgiving.” Abraham Lincoln finally acknowledged her request in 1863, at the height of the Civil War, in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” He scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November, and it was celebrated on that day every year until 1939, when Franklin D. Roosevelt moved the holiday up a week in an attempt to spur retail sales during the Great Depression. Roosevelt’s plan, was met with passionate opposition, and in 1941 the president reluctantly signed a bill making Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November.
In many American households, we are thankful for our families and love the gathering together for a meal. But the Thanksgiving celebration has lost much of its original religious significance; instead, it now centers on cooking and sharing a bountiful meal with family and friends. Turkey, ham, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie have replaced the prayer of thanksgiving “Blessed are you, O Lord, our God, King of the Universe”. I think it is time that we reflect back on the tradition of Thanksgiving, the request of Abraham Lincoln to ask God to heal the wounds of the nation, and to thank God for His immense blessings.
John reminds us of why we should always rejoice in thanksgiving for the love of God. This is the third time He speaks of love. In Chapter 2 He speaks of love shown by God by proof of our fellowship with Him through the Holy Spirit, a second description of love is shown in Chapter 3 when we are referred to as children of God but now in Chapter 4 John speaks to the very point of love - why love is real for us as believers - for the simple reason that God is love. Love is the nature and being of God, and through our faith in Him, we share His nature - therefore love is the test of the reality of our spiritual life. God is love, we are His children, share His nature, so His love shines through each of us.
God Is Love
God Is Love
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Beloved - one who is loved, the object of one’s affection.
Let us love one another - What was the example God shows to us? Who does God not love? agapao love - a deep love only shown by God.
For love is from God - love does not necessarily define God, but God defines what a true love is. How we (humans) define love does not resemble the holy spiritual love of God as God’s very nature is love.
And whoever loves has been born of God and knows God - this is not speaking of a sexual love, a natural affection toward someone, a friendly acquaintance, or an affection between family, NOT a love towards those easy to love, but a love towards t hose who are undeserving - even when we may be disappointed or rejected. By loving in the manner of Christ, we confirm we are a believer and follower of Christ and as a result, we love in the same nature God loves.
Anyone who does not love does not know God - By not showing a God-natured love to all, it shows that we do not know God.
39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
Because God is love - God’s nature is to love and bless people.
The issue with society today is how we define love. We may think of a definition of love as being one we may have between a spouse and their mate, or a parent and a child, a family member with the rest of the family - but we have allowed society to change the definition of love. We use it with a degraded meaning - we “love” everything, from puppy dogs to butter pecan ice cream. We have even gotten to a point we hold signs saying “God is Love” as if it justifies our ungodly actions. Why are we so easily fooled by these things? Maybe it’s because we have forgotten just how much God loved us. With all the things 2020 has brought us, peace, comfort, and confidence are certainly not things that we have found in abundance. But we have so many things to be thankful for. One of the most important is that, regardless of what we face, we serve a God that loves us so much that He sent His Son so we could experience first hand God’s love for us.
God Proved His Love
God Proved His Love
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. 10 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. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
In this - the act of love God demonstrates to us - this is the way He shows us His love.
The love of God was made manifest among us - We (humans) were so loved by God that He was willing to show us His love through His Son.
That God sent his only Son into the world - God sent Jesus to dwell with us as a display of the love of God. God loves us so much he still wants to help and care for us.
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
So that we might live through him - While we are sinful by nature, and without His Son, we would only have this short time we call our life.
14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.
Jesus was sent, by God the Father, so we could have an opportunity of eternal life through salvation.
In this is love - God loved us fully.
Not that we have loved God - We have to choose to love God fully, but words can be spoken without meaning.
But that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins - propitiation “the means of forgiveness, a sacrifice in order to satisfy or pay the penalty for” - God sent His Son Jesus as the means by which our sins are forgiven, by faith in Him.
2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.
25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
I the Old Testament, when man sinned a sacrifice was brought to God to satisfy God. God taught Israel, through these sacrifices, that the answer to sin could not bring about a right relationship for God. Man’s sins are too deep, contamination too severe, and not one sacrifice could ever put things right with God. Man’s sin severed his relationship with God. But God provided a way - a perfect sacrifice that would cover all sin in perpetuity - the sacrifice of His Son. Jesus was completely holy and righteous, making him the only perfect sacrifice to cover all sins and eternally appease the righteousness of God. We should know and be convinced of the love of God through the simple act of salvation.
Beloved - Again John urges those he loves
If God so loved us - notice the conditional statement IF God loves us in this way…If God could love us in our most sinful state, then
We also ought to love one another - we should love ‘em even when they seem unlovable. If God went so far as to give His own Son to die for us, then we should love others the same way. Why? Because of what God did for us when He forgave us of our sin, and by accepting the gracious gift of salvation, we should show the love of God in our walk, our talk, and even our love towards others because God’s Spirit is in us.
The Indwelling Spirit
The Indwelling Spirit
12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
No one has ever seen God - No man has ever looked upon the face of God.
20 But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.”
BUT how can we know God if we can’t see Him and recognize Him?
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
Because God abides in us, through the Holy Spirit, and we are able to recognize him through His love towards us.
This is how his love is perfected in us - as he dwells in us, we see his love for us, and we want to show that love - we start loving one another and God’s love is fulfilled in us.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Thanksgiving should be a time for us to enjoy our time together with family. We should be able to enjoy a meal with loved ones. But we should also be showing others around us the love of Christ. God is love - he is the example of love we are to follow. He loved us so much, he even proved his love - he sent his Son to die for our sins. And he leads us every day through the indwelling Holy Spirit. When we see and know God’s love, we will want to show others. This week, we are collecting boxes for Operation Christmas Child - one way we show love abroad. But we have another important ministry that shows Gods love to others locally. Tuesday will be our food pantry. We are feeding the physical needs of others and as a result, are feeding their spiritual needs by showing the love of God. I would like to take a moment to invite others to speak on what they are thankful for, and as always, open the altar for those who may not know the love of Jesus and need to ask Him for forgiveness.
Nobody loves you any more than Jesus loves you, No one has done any more for you than Jesus has done for you, and nobody will do more for you than Jesus if you will surrender your life to Him in repentance and ask for salvation.