Let God Love You

John 3:16-21

The title of today’s message may sound a bit ridiculous to you. "Let God Love You?" Who, in their right mind, wouldn’t want his love? We have every reason to accept his love and return it with our own love back to him. Strange as it may sound some people flat reject his love. He tries again and again to demonstrate his love to us, but many of us spurn his advances.

Spiritually speaking, some folks are like I was in Middle School. I know this will be hard for you to believe, but in school I wasn’t a ladies man. I wasn’t the guy that every girl dreamed about "going with." But there was this one girl, who was in love with me. If we were in a class together she’d find a way to sit by me. In one class we had to partner up and do reports and she found a way to have us assigned together. That was fine with me because she did all the work. If I needed something she’d give it to me. She kept making overt gestures, but I’d have none of it. I never loved her in return.

Instead, I’d pick on her. She wore glasses and I made sure to remind her. I remember one time our student pictures were in. She gave me one of hers but I wouldn’t give her mine. It got to the point that every time she made a sweet loving gesture, I’d return it with something mean. Why? Because by my 8th grade year, I was in love with someone else. The most beautiful creature in the world transferred to Emmons Junior High and my little heart pitter-pattered for her every time I saw her and thought about her. With this girl, any little gesture, any little word, I interpreted as confirmation of a beautiful love. I actually began to despise the nice things the other girl would do or say to me.

I wish there was a good resolution to this story, but there’s not. I never "went with" or dated either girl. The one who loved me eventually grew tired of trying and found somebody else. The girl I had a crush on went on to date more popular older guys.

My point is this, many of us resist God’s love because we’re in love with something else. It can get to the point that we actually hate God’s love because we want something else so badly. But in the end we’ll find that God is the only one who can ultimately fulfill our need for love.

John 3:16 is probably the most quoted verse in the Bible. In it we have the essence of the gospel and God’s love for us. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (NIV)

This simple verse tells us volumes about God’s love for us. It tells us:

A. God’s love is more than a feeling.

There is a real distinction between his love and what the world around us calls love. When we hear the word, love, typically our first thought is romance. We associate love with our feelings about that special someone. Or we have feelings of love about members of our family. We tend to love people who look good and make us feel good. Fortunately that’s not the case with God. God loves the world, that is, everyone in the world, the good, the bad, the ugly and the beautiful. In fact, if it were up to our love worthiness, if we had to be good enough for God to love, none of us would measure up. God loves us even though we’re unlovely. “But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 Sin is ugly to God, yet he still choose to send his Son to die on our behalf. God loves us though we’ve done nothing to deserve it.

When we have been at our worst in sin, Jesus died to pay our penalty for that sin, so that we can be reconciled to the Father. Isn’t that the message of the cross? Jesus Christ came for marred humanity. He demonstrated his love even for people twisted by sin.

B. God’s love is self-giving.

He loved us not in thought only. God’s love showed through in the giving of his Son.
Godly love is sacrificial. It costs the giver a high price. It’s not like one young man I read about. A young man wrote this to his girlfriend. “Sweetheart, if this world was as hot as the Sahara desert, I would crawl on my knees through the burning sand to come to you. If the world would be like the Atlantic Ocean, I would swim through shark infested waters to come to you. I would fight the most fiercest dragon to be by your side. I will see you on Thursday if it does not rain.”

Love is sacrificial action. Love always pays a price. Love always costs something. Love is expensive. When you love, benefits accrue to another’s account. Love is for you, not for me. Love gives; it doesn’t grab. So it is with God’s love. It is sacrificial.

C. God’s love provides eternal life to all who believe it and receive it. 3:17, 18a
”For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned...” (NIV)

Imagine one of your children, when they were small, playing in the road. You see a fast moving car approaching. You know you can’t reach them in time. Running toward them you yell, "Get out of the road and come here!" It is important at that moment that that child trust you and respond. Yes! Are you trying to ruin their fun? No, you are trying to save their lives.

God knows that we are all in danger. We’re in danger of spending eternity separated from him. The Bible calls it the second death and it is racing toward all of humanity. For that reason, God sent his Son to die on a cross, as a sacrifice for our sins. He’s paid our penalty. All he asks in return is that we believe in him. He asks that we accept his loving demonstration on the cross so that we might be saved from the second death. God’s love has this purpose tied to it.

1. GOD’S LOVE IS THERE FOR ALL, BUT NOT ALL ACCEPT IT. WHY NOT?

1.) Some are in Love With A lover named "Sin" John 3:19 Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. (NIV)

Let’s be honest, sin is fun. Sin feels good. Sin initially appears attractive. But sin is like a black widow spider. You’ve probably all seen a black widow spider. They’re black, of course, with a red hour glass shape. The bite of the female can be deadly to humans. The black widow gets its name because after the male has mated with the female, she kills and eats him. Sin has somewhat of the same effect on us. It’s attractive and pleasurable, but in the end it can devour us.

Matthew 16:26 "For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?"

2.) Some don’t accept God’s love because of fear of vulnerabilities being revealed. John 3:20 “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” (NIV)

Think about it this way. The people who love you the most and the people you love the most, know you the best. In fact, you know that another person’s love for you is real, when the have no illusions about you. They know you at your worst and best, but still stick with you. I won’t be too graphic, but you can even use sexual expression in marriage as an example. When married people express their love through sex, they are exposed and vulnerable during those times. Vulnerability goes hand in hand with real love. Some people won’t let God love them because they’ll be exposed for what they really are. What are they? Sinners in need of God’s love and forgiveness.

This is especially true with church people. They live their lives being basically good, but if an invitation to receive Christ is given they won’t respond because they’re afraid. Their image will be shattered. They’ll be exposed and that’s just too much to risk. But friends, love is risky. We take a risk receiving God’s love through Jesus Christ and we take a risk expressing our love back to him.

Thomas A Kempis said it this way. "To love is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to be sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully around hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in a casket or coffin or your selfishness. But in that casket -- -safe, dark, motionless, airless -- it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable . . . The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers ... of love is Hell.

John 3:18b …whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. (NIV)

God does love you, but that love’s of no avail if you won’t let him love you. Open your heart to the God who loves. Say "yes" to the One who is love.