GOD'S GREAT LOVE

Essentials of Faith

Part 5

God’s Great Love

1 John 3:1-10

Prayer

I want to remind you this morning of the need for our spiritual tool box to be filled with things that will keep us walking the road of faith while we are a part of this world.

Our spiritual tool box is to be filled with great biblical tools that can rely on in times of trouble, doubt, fear, anxiety and well let’s face it, life

I always felt the church needed to begin the year off right. That is why we started with the Essentials of Faith.

We began the year with prayer and fasting. Fasting is an incredible spiritual discipline that all believers should partake in on a regular basis. Something happens when you hunger for God. Incredible results happen through prayer and fasting.

One day the disciples were trying to cast out demons out of a boy and asked Jesus why they could not do it and Jesus said in Matthew 17:21 “However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Incredible spiritual strength and things can happen when you pray and fast.

We then added to our tool box living in harmony with one another.

The Bible teaches us in 2 Cor 13:11 That we are to “be joyful, Grow to maturity. Encourage each one other. Live in harmony and peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Unity and harmony is essential in the life of the church, it is also needed in our world today.

Then last week we added the gift of generosity to our tool box.

We are to be generous not by the worlds standard but of God’s standard. His grace of generosity has given a way for all people to become forgiven and saved. John 3:16 tells us “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.”

Because of this, we are to have a heart of generosity for God and His church by giving systematically, willfully, cheerfully, and expectantly.

That brings to our next item to have in our spiritual tool box and that is love. Love is a tool that God used to introduce His Son, our Savior, Redeemer and Creator. Love is what we are to have for God and one another.

If you have your Bible with you today and I hope that you do. I invite you to ope your Bible with me to the book of 1st John.

If you are unfamiliar to where first John is the 5th book from the back of the Bible working your way forward. Revelation, Jude, 3rd John, 2nd John, and then 1st John. Chapter two is where we will be this morning.

In John 5:13 he writes to those “who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may have eternal life.” (5:13)

He calls his readers to a life of true doctrine, obedient living, and faithful devotion to God.

He states an interesting facts about Jesus. He is the light and we must walk in the light. He is righteous and we are called to righteousness.

God is love and we are to love other believers as well and finally because of these things we can be assured of our eternal life with God.

This letter is written with three tests in mind for the believer.

The moral test - do you obey God’s commands.

The doctrinal test - do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

The love test -do you love God and His children.

And that is where we find ourselves today.

If you are in the book of 1st John chapter 2 begin reading with me from verse 7.

This is the word of God and it begins like this:

1 John 2:7-11 “Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

I want you to know that each time we open this Holy Word of God it unravels what is broken in our hearts and in our world. It speaks to us in a magnificent way as to say it was written for us, right now, in this moment, for this very time. And that is what we see in today's scripture.

The Apostle John writes in contrasting statements between the light and darkness. Light is God, It is good. Light is love, Light provides life.

But on the other hand there is darkness. Darkness is the devil, it is bad, hatred, it is sin, it blinds people from the truth and it ends with death.

Now we have seen in the last year or two the darkness unfolding on our state and country, even throughout the world through senseless killings, hate speech against people. The lawlessness of the people.

On a world spectrum China and Russia flexing their muscles trying to incite a war and take over countries.

Gayle and I witnessed it first hand as we were walking into a restaurant in Tennessee and this guy filled with rage began started spewing racial slurs at us and using the N word, then began to talk about God.. I love what Gayle said to him she said that we will be praying for him...

Counteracting the hate with Love.

What we need to know is this, this is a struggle with the darkness of this world. And when times seem to be the worst as a believer we can see best outcome because of God’s great love for us.

And that brings us to our TAKE-HOME TRUTH for today:

THE TAKE-HOME TRUTH IS THIS:

LOVE IS THE FACTOR FOR OUR FAITH.

God’s love has been manifested through His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him no longer has to have the guilt of sin and wrath of God.

So, when we look at that very nature we find that God is Love and that He acted out of the love for us.

The Bible says that God did this that while people where still sinners (Rom 5:8).

It also states that by this love, Jesus who never sinned, He became the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. (2 Cor 5:21)

The Bible never states that Jesus took on God’s wrath for us but it does say in Romans 5:9 “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

We are saved from God’s wrath!

This love has implications that are profound!

And that is what the Apostle John is getting at here. He is talking about the love of God and how we are to love like God.

This morning I want to share with you two truths about this incredible love.

THE FIRST TRUTH IS THIS:

GOD’S LOVE IS INCREDIBLE, EVER LASTING & UNFAILING.

Look back at verses 7-8 with me: “Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning. 8 Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

I have found what sometimes is old, seems to be old when it comes to us in the original packaging. However, something old can be “made new” by taking that which was old and restoring it to a condition that is acceptable. As John states, the “old” commandment is “at the same time the new commandment”. It is the same as before but packaged in a different way.

Have you noticed that most of the fast food restaurants are improving their businesses? McDonald’s when I was a kid was all about the Golden arches, how many burgers were sold, and Ronald McDonald. Today they have the same food, but they have a new style, the counters are different, the set up inside the restaurant is different- you can order on a app, they have updated dinning areas and building colors. They have taken something which was old and restored it to a condition that is acceptable for today’s consumers.

They are the same McDonald's, but they are re-branding it for those in today's culture.

That is what we see that John says I am not writing you a new command but an old, and yet in itself it is a new command. The way that we view it, the way that we see it. The Old Command that John is speaking is about Love and it is rooted (Follow along with me) rooted throughout the Old and New Testament.

Look at the first part of verse 8 with me John says “Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you”

Love is true in God and in those who are true believers.

You know what the Bible teaches about God’s love?

GOD’S LOVE IS INCREDIBLE

Here is biblical illustration of God’s incredible love.

In the Old Testament book of Exodus 31 is where God gave the 10 Commandments Written by the finger of God. When Moses came down he saw the Israelites dancing and the golden calf and he smashed the tablets. Chapter 34 Moses went back to the mountain and God created the new stone tablets and God said in verses 6-7 “Yahweh- Yahweh is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, and rich in faithful love and truth, maintaining faithful love to a thousand generations, forgiving wrong doing, rebellion, and sin.”

That is incredible love!

The Bible teaches us that God is Love.

We read what this love looks like in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

“Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.”

Could you imagine being loved this way?

This is a life transforming love.

I believe all people not only need this love, but should experience this love. And God is the only One who can give you this love.

The truth is, this is a description of God’s love for each of us. It describes a love that is absolutely so incredible that it transforms people.

GOD’S LOVE IS ALSO EVERLASTING

We find that it comes all the way back to creation, its throughout the Old and New Testament.

1st John 4:7-8 He tells us “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”

But listen to what God’s Word tell us in Romans 8:37-39 “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Nothing can separate us from God’s love. This is eternal love. Listen, there is nothing that is powerful enough to separate us from God’s love.

Even when you may feel far from God, it’s not because He stops loving you. The truth is He will never stop loving you, no matter what you do and you can be secure in this love because of the work of the Savior Jesus Christ.

But don’t get that mixed up with needing forgiveness for your sin.

GOD’S LOVE IN UNFAILING

Listen to what Psalm 36:5-7 tells us

“Your unfailing love, O LORD, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, Your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O LORD. How precious is Your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of Your wings.”

I don't know about you but relationships can become messy. You may have felt hurt or betrayal by someone you love at some point in your life. Loving and trusting other people is not without risk. Once hurt, it can become harder to open up to others.

Yet God love is not like the fleeting love of the world.

1 Cor 13:8 tells us that God’s love never fails.

Governments will fail, but God’s love will last. Crowns are temporary, but love is eternal. Your money will run out, but His love never will.

Just like Johns contrast to light and darkness - God’s love is truly unconditional. He never fails you or betrays you. You do not need to hold back in your relationship with God, because He is totally trustworthy and unfailing.

LOVE IS THE FACTOR OF OUR FAITH BECAUSE GOD’S LOVE IS INCREDIBLE, EVER LASTING, UNFAILING.

SECOND GOD’S LOVE COMPELS US TO LOVE OTHERS.

Notice verses 9-11 with me.

“He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. 10 He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

I want to admit to you that I struggled with addressing the darkness here in these verses, because the focus is on love and light.

However the world is all about darkness and really to understand the power of love we all must know that we live in the darkness of the world.

I hear people all the time say things like “I cannot believe how sick people are”, or “I cannot believe someone would do that” - listen we are living in a dying, sick, dark world, where darkness is trying to prevail.

Look at what John says, turn over with me to the fifth chapter - 1st John 5:19 John says “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”

John teaches about the 2 things Darkness brings:

First DARKNESS BRINGS HATE from verse 9- we see that in the world today- in politics, in Government, in prejudice, in the law, in killing ones own baby, it is all around us- no wonder Jesus said that loving one another is what will mark us as believers to the rest of the world – because this love is counter culture. It goes against everything.

THE DARKNESS ALSO BRINGS BLINDNESS Verse 11. People who are walking in darkness are blind to God. Take for example the Apostle Paul before His conversion: At that time His name was Saul- His story begins in the book of Acts. He was a Pharisee, He was entrusted at destroying the New Church called the Way.

He stormed after the believers, persecuting them, creating fear, putting people in Prison, having them punished for believing in Jesus.

CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT?

He killed the disciple Stephan by having him stoned to death. He was on his way to Damascus; the Bible says he was breathing murderess threats.

He hated what the way represented, He hated believers, he was blind to the very love of God.

That’s what darkness does to a person and we have people like that in our society today.

But look at what the turning point is in Verse 10 “The one who loves his brother remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”

Saul experienced the very love of Jesus. It was that day that Jesus changed His life.

There was a light from heaven so bright it blinded him and he fell to the ground and heard the voice of Jesus. He was pardoned for His sins and made into a powerful man of God.

John speaks of the Old Command – “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

And the New Command- “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Notice with me that the new command is like the old command,however Jesus added something to it, He is not taking anything away.

He adds love as I have showed you, as I have taught you, as I have given an example- Love like I love you.

Later throughout the discourse with His disciples Jesus is teaching them so much, He circles back around and says this in Johns Gospel chapter 14 “This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends.”

Again, God teaching us what loves entails sacrifice.

After Jesus said those words He would soon be arrested, beaten, and sacrificed.

I believe what Jesus is teaching us is that loving one another is an essential mark of a true believer and disciple of Christ.

God’s love compels us to love others

So then the question arises; what does compelling love look like?

Remember that Jesus said: John 15:12 “This is my new commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you”

Here are THREE WAYS TO PRACTICE COMPELLING LOVE that you can do starting today to love people how God loves you.

Three practical ways to Love others today:

#1 LOVE IS SACRIFICE

Love is more than a feeling, it is more than an emotion, it is a sacrifice.

Jesus put aside His own identity of being God, to be the sacrificial offering for the atonement of sin, which tangibly shows God’s incredible love for us.

Sacrifice is the most difficult way to show others love because it requires us to do something contrary to our self-preserving, selfish, sinful nature.

Although the ultimate sacrifice is giving one’s life for another. In our daily lives when we put our own needs, desires and wants aside to focus on other people’s needs and wants that is a sacrifice.

It was Jesus that said Matt 16:24 “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

He sacrificed Himself for us we are to sacrifice ourselves for Him.

This can be a simple as allowing someone to go ahead of you in line or taking the time out of a busy schedule to help someone in need. The thing about sacrifice is you must be prepared to be obedient, it also requires a positive attitude. The Bible says in Romans 12:1

“Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.”

It pleases God when we sacrifice ourselves for others. It pleases God.

#2. LOVE IS FORGIVING:

Forgiveness is a choice.

In the fast lane of life people can get hurt, stepped on and broken hearted with words and actions. It doesn’t take much to offend another person.

If you want to offend me just cut me off when I am driving. I give that look, some of you know that look.. (SMILE). My wife and I were watching an old western with Clint Eastwood called High plains drifter- I like that movie. In the movie he gives this look and my wife said that’s the look you give people…

The truth is people will hurt us- just like that guy in Tennessee saying all those hateful things.

I read of this story of a family who’s daughter was killed by a man, In that story it talked about her parents who forgave their daughters killer and then they started to visit him every month while in prison.

The Bible tells us in Matt 6:15 “if you don't forgive people, your Father will not forgive your wrongdoing.” God’s love is found in the ultimate forgiveness of sin, ours should be as well.

When you forgive others, you show them the immense love that God has for you and for them.

3. LOVE IS SERVING

When Jesus washed the disciple’s feet, he took on the role of the house servant, he tied the towel around His waist and He washed their feet without complaining to them, without being condescending to them. Without being mean to them. He became the servant because He loved them. He even washed the feet the of the disciple Judas who He knew was going betray Him.

When we serve others, we must do so with the right heart attitude.

The Bible says in Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

When we serve others, it shows them the love of God that not only we have in our hearts, but also the love that He has for them.

GOD’S GREAT LOVE IS THE FACTOR OUR FAITH BECAUSE HIS LOVE INCREDIBLE, EVERLASTING, AND UNFAILING.

HE COMPELS US TO LOVE OTHERS.

INVITATION