He read and reread these words to himself and out loud to pierce the darkness and gloom of his new limitations. Enough of that.

Transcription

1 Sermon #1126 The Love of God Frederick Lehman wrote one of the most beautiful gospel songs in He wrote, The lyrics are based on the Jewish poem Haddamut, written in Aramaic in 1050 by Meir Ben Isaac Nehorai, a cantor in Worms, Germany; they have been translated into at least 18 languages. One day, during short intervals of inattention to our work, we picked up a scrap of paper and, seated upon an empty lemon box pushed against the wall, with a stub pencil, added the (first) two stanzas and chorus of the song Since the lines (3rd stanza from the Jewish poem) had been found penciled on the wall of a patient s room in an insane asylum after he had been carried to his grave, the general opinion was that this inmate had written the epic in moments of sanity. This description touches a sentimental chord because of my father s late life experience late. Dad was a gifted artist and gospel preacher for over 40 years who established congregations in Mexicali, Mexico. My dad sustained brain damage after a heart attack and heart surgery. Dad, previously a brilliant man, struggled with the anguish of having a mind that functioned at a diminished level after his illness. I still have his handwritten copy of the 23rd Psalm: The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. He read and reread these words to himself and out loud to pierce the darkness and gloom of his new limitations. Enough of that. Soak up the lyrics to the song, The Love of God : The love of God is greater far Than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star And reaches to the lowest hell. The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled And pardoned from his sin. When hoary time shall pass away, And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall; When men who here refuse to pray, On rocks and hills and mountains call; God's love, so sure, shall still endure, All measureless and strong; Redeeming grace to Adam's race The saints' and angels' song. Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made; Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky. O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure The saints' and angels' song. Listen again to the words of this tormented, mentally ill man describing the love of God amidst the trial he was enduring: 1

2 The Love of God by Brett Hickey, sermon # of 6 Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made; Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky. This is the God I know and long to know better. He is more than just a loving God our God is love. I won t pretend to have plumbed the depths of God love, but for a little while we want to dwell on the beauty of God s love as revealed in Holy Scripture. But first, we have a song Charles Spurgeon says, If there is one subject more than another upon which I wish ever to speak, it is the love of Christ. But if there is one which quite baffles me and makes me go back from the platform utterly ashamed of my poor feeble words, it is this subject. This love of Christ is the most amazing thing under heaven, if not in heaven itself. 1 That is exactly how I feel. The loftiest objective in the life of a child of God is to emulate, to imitate, in our dealings with our spouse, children and parents; our brothers and sisters in Christ, strangers and even our enemies, the wonderful, marvelous, matchless love of God. My inability to adequately preach about God s love intimidates me. How can we even hope to begin on a journey to such spiritual heights? It seems more sensible at times to try to jump over the moon. But yet. in all our selfish, petulant, near-sighted immaturity as babes, God takes us gently by the hand and shows us the way. He helps us to roll over get on our hands and knees eventually to crawl.then, after years and years with His great patience (and our many falls) He brings us to our feet, and finally, we can walk in His love, even if our gait is awkward and faltering. And that is a fitting description of what you are about to hear from the platinum paragraph on love in 1 John 4:7-11: Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 2 This love the apostle John speaks of is not the kind of love you have for nature, your home, football or ice cream. This love transcends the types of love the world knows. This love is not self-oriented, but other-oriented. In Malachi, the last Old Testament book, the prophet addresses the people of God who were calling into question His love. Malachi 1:2 reads, I have loved you, saith the Lord. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? The people were willingly ignorant of God s love; they were oblivious. Thankfully, we have an advantage over the Jews of the Old Testament. We have God manifest in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16). We have the Christ who says when we see Him, we see the Father (John 6:46; 14:9). So, what does the love of God look like? If we first see it, we can falteringly reflect that love in our lives? We need to know love because it is the key to healthy self-respect, the key to a successful marriage, the right relationship with our children and parents, unity within the church, and persistence in reaching out to those away from God. This is part of what Jesus spoke about when 2

3 The Love of God by Brett Hickey, sermon # of 6 He said in John 10:10, I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. ENCOURAGING WORDS When we talk about the love of God, this certainly includes encouraging words and words of affirmation. Solomon attests to the power of our words when he writes in Proverbs 18:21, Death and life are in the power of the tongue We can use our tongue to build up or tear down. Solomon writes again in Proverbs 12:25 (KJV), Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad. The Spirit tells us in Proverbs 15:23, A man has joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word fitly spoken in due season, how good is it! The wise man again in Proverbs 25:11 (KJV) tells us, A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. Mark Twain said, I can live for two months on a good compliment. Great leaders learn that they can get the most from people by recognizing the good they see in them. Even in dealing with the unruly church at Corinth, the apostle Paul managed to commend them for what they were doing right in 1 Corinthians 11:2, Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. This demonstration of love with encouraging words is about more than the actual words we use; it s also how we say what we say. Solomon once more tells us in Proverbs 15:1, A soft answer turns away wrath Despite the fact that Jesus ran into sin everywhere He turned, we see these truths exhibited in the way Jesus loved. He frequently said, for example, Be of good cheer (Matthew 9:2, 22; 14:27; Mark 6:50; 10:49). He offered words of support as He prepared the eleven for His departure, telling them He would send them another Comforter, the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7) Then, after His resurrection, Jesus reassured them, Lo, I am with you always (Matthew 28:20) Though He would no longer be with them in the flesh, yet He would be dwelling in their heart. Again, we are told in Hebrews 13:5, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. What words of comfort and encouragement for the Christian! Even though He was sinless and they were sinful, Jesus brought His disciples to His bosom, offering them His undying friendship in John 15:14, Ye are my friends if ye do whatsoever I command you. This same guarantee is ours as well. Nothing, though, more beautifully illustrates the love of Christ than when, in the midst of great physical and emotional anguish on the cross, He expressed concern for those He was leaving behind. Think about the love in the words of Jesus to the woman caught in adultery who stared in the face the death penalty and hatred of the religious elite. He told her in John 8:11, Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more. Unlike the hypocritical Pharisees, Jesus wasn t about inflicting pain on her for her poor choices; He just wanted to see her change her ways. He gave her hope. We should strive to express love toward others, even when we are under great stress and strain. Jesus did in John 19:26-27, When Jesus saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, He said to His mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then He said to the disciple, Behold your mother! 3

4 The Love of God by Brett Hickey, sermon # of 6 Are there any more encouraging words than hearing someone tell us, I love you? As George Elliot put it, I not only want to be loved. I want to hear that I am loved. Sometimes men view expressing love verbally as a sign of weakness. God shows us differently in Matthew 3:17. After Jesus baptism, a voice from heaven said, This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. The greatest Father of all, our heavenly Father, told His only begotten Son, I love you and I am proud of you. This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. A teacher in Minnesota gave an unusual assignment one Friday. She asked her class to write the nicest things they knew about each other. After the assignment, she organized the lists and gave them back to each student. She said, I had no idea the impact this assignment would have. Years later, one of her students was killed in Viet Nam. The teacher and most of the classmates attended the funeral. The father told the teacher later, I want to show you something. He showed her his son s wallet and said, We found this on Mark when he was killed. Do you recognize it? He removed two torn sheets of paper which had been taped, folded and refolded. It was the list of good things that Mark s classmates had written about him. Proverbs 3:27, Withhold not good from them to whom it is due ACTS OF SERVICE Another way God has shown us how to love is through acts of service. Paul writes in Galatians 5:13, By love serve one another In Romans 5:6-8 (KJV), he explains how Jesus shows us the way. When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus demonstrates love by serving beyond dying on the cross. Serving was His life. He tells us in Mark 10:42-45 that the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. Jesus provides in John 13 an impressive demonstration of serving by love when Jesus washed the disciples feet. Though He knew He would soon betray Him, Jesus even washed Judas feet. Remember, too, Jesus left us an example that we would follow his steps. (1 Peter 2:21)3 So, if Jesus could stoop in love to wash Judas feet, whom are you too good to serve? Who is so far beneath you that you need not help them in time of need? Love is THE most demanding of all Jesus commands! Imagine the tranquility in our homes if we duplicate the love of God toward our families; imagine what the church would be like; imagine what the world would be like. May we, in imitating the love of God (Galatians 6:10 -- KJV), do good unto all men, especially those of the household of faith. QUALITY AND QUANTITY Let s think back to Proverbs 3:27 (KJV), Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it. We love by giving time to whom it is due to the Lord, our spouse, children, parents and brothers and sisters in Christ. One of the greatest challenges to love in this way is our tendency to overextend ourselves with so many obligations. Busy, busy, busy. 4

5 The Love of God by Brett Hickey, sermon # of 6 Everyone is so busy. We spread ourselves so thin that those most worthy of our love sometimes are blocked out. No one ever had more to do in less time than did Jesus, and yet, no one ever used his time more efficiently. We too must do as Paul writes in Ephesians 5:15-16, Walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time. making the most of your time (NASB); making the most of every opportunity (TCNT); buy up your opportunities (WNT) Let s be sure we do not allow our jobs, recreation, or anything else to rob our children of our love. When people brought their children to Jesus, His disciples tried to send them away, certain that Jesus did not have time for children. Jesus set the record straight: Allow the little children to come to me. (WEB) A grandmother tells of her son taking his little two year old daughter to breakfast. During their meal he told her how much he loved and appreciated her. He told her that she was an answer to prayer, that she was a special blessing and how proud he was of her. Then, when he started to dig into his pancakes, her little hand touched his, and she said in her little voice, longer daddy, longer! He postponed eating and resumed his expressions of love. When they arrived home, the little girl ran to her mother s arms and said, Mommy, I m really special. Daddy told me! Make time for your children. If we do not meet their emotional needs, they will seek love with the wrong people and in the wrong places. Look your children in the eyes and talk to them; listen to them; attend their activities. Be involved with them in areas they will enjoy. This truth certainly applies to our spouse as well. If we fail to invest quality time with our spouse, no amount of words, no amount of work will compensate. The Bible mentions the phrase pure religion only one time. In James 1:27 (KJV), the Scriptures tell us pure religion involves: visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction. We need to be sure we make time to reach out to those less fortunate than we are. Most importantly, we must carve out time for our Lord. He wants to hear more than an occasional I love you. One principle behind the Sabbath under the Old Law was the importance of devoting time to God and family. We see the early church understood how highly God valued our worship. The Bible says in Acts 2:42 that they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine, in the apostles doctrine, in the breaking of bread and in prayers. Jesus taught that we were to remember him in observing the Lord s Supper (Matt. 26, Mark 14, Luke 22 and I Cor. 11). The Christians were steadfast unswervingly -- (Acts 2:42) in observing the Lord s Supper every first day of the week (Acts 20:7). We learn from history that the people of God made this a priority EVERY Lord s Day. We too should return God s love in accepting the Lord s invitation to sit at the Lord s table and participate in the Lord s sacred memorial. Could we with ink the ocean fill, And were the skies of parchment made; Were every stalk on earth a quill, And every man a scribe by trade; To write the love of God above Would drain the ocean dry; Nor could the scroll contain the whole, Though stretched from sky to sky. O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure The saints' and angels' song. 5

6 The Love of God by Brett Hickey, sermon # of 6 If you would like a copy of this message, stay with us and we ll tell you how to do so, after our song Thank you for watching Let the Bible Speak. If you d like a copy of The Love of God (#1126), please write or call us. Sign up for our free Bible study course to complete at home. In some markets where the program airs, our new Bible course is available. You will be gratified by how much you learn about fundamental Bible truths including those oft critical truths neglected in the modern superficial religious environment. Visit LetTheBibleSpeak.com to watch videos, hear podcasts and review transcripts of the program. Finally, we echo the sentiment of the apostle Paul when he wrote in Romans 16:16, the churches of Christ salute you. Until next week, goodbye and God bless. Are you searching for the truth of God's word and have a sincere desire to learn about the Bible? Do you want to know what the Bible says about salvation and about Christ and His church? If you are looking for Bible Founded discussion on these topics and many others, then please accept this invitation to explore "Let the Bible Speak" and then contact us for additional studies. We are members of the church of Christ as found in the New Testament. We are not members of a denomination or earthly religious organization. We are a brotherhood of believers, joined by a common bond, Jesus Christ. We try to live and worship following the patterns found in the New Testament. (For manuscripts of other sermons visit: COPYRIGHT Let The Bible Speak. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. IMPORTANT COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Express permission is granted to distribute any video, audio, or transcript of any broadcast message as long as the material is: unedited and attribution is given to Let The Bible Speak; a hyperlink to LetTheBibleSpeak.com is included for electronic distribution; a text reference is included to for printed distribution; and the original author receives attribution. An irrevocable, world-wide, royalty free license for distribution is granted as long as such distribution has the intent of: supporting the truth as presented; giving glory and honor to God; and spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ. 6