Scripture 1 John 4:7-19
Hebrews 1:1-3a In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.
We have taken a year of looking at “God’s Social Network: The Bible.” We have seen how God has communicated throughout history in ways reflective of facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snap Chat, You Tube, and more. Through ways like using an audible voice, “writing on a wall”, dictating His truths, appearing in human form (even in the OT = theophany’s) then disappearing, using living object lessons, prophets and angels.
We have shown that God has a desire to communicate and used nearly as many ways as there are social media platforms. And yet, like social media – every one of those ways is not a perfect way to communicate – as communication tools, they all had flaws that couldn’t be fixed. So, God sent one final form of communication that could not fail – he sent His one and only, born of God son, who is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being.
Knowing all of this begs the question… “What’s all the noise?” Why is God trying so hard to communicate with us, and what is God trying to communicate to us? The answer to the why is inherent in the answer to what God is working so hard to communicate.
In every act of communication, God is doing one thing – telling us that we are loved. God communicates more than that, but never communicates without that being central to His interaction with us.
THE TRAIN ILLUSTRATION (4 congregation members to help)
FACT - FAITH - FEELING
1 John 4:7-19
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13 We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.
God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19 We love because he first loved us.
To what can I compare the power of God’s love? Do you remember Hurricane Harvey (Houston), Irma (Florida Keys), Maria (Puerto Rico)? [VIDEO] We only think of hurricane’s as a destructive force. For the moment, simply consider the power of a hurricane. Like God’s love, hurricanes have extreme power that cannot be harnessed, it is always in motion, it covers everything in its path. As the song says, “God’s love is like a hurricane and I am a tree, bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
In other words, I may try to resist God’s love, but I cannot help but be affected by His love. Even my afflictions seem to disappear in light of his affections for me. Remember God communicates in various ways – even though Jesus Christ, God’s son is the final and full revelation of God – even Jesus can be communicated to us in various ways. Some of us need bent like a tree in a hurricane to feel the power of his love. Others may need to be quietly, carefully, slowly drawn to his love. In John 12:32, Jesus said, “But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself."
The song "How He Loves"(by John Mark McMillan, ends: And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss, And my heart turns violently inside of my chest. I don't have time to maintain these regrets When I think about the way...That He loves us, / Oh, how He loves us, / Oh, how He loves us, / Oh, how He loves.
One of my former youth pastors talks of how he came to faith. Grew up in the church but turned to his own ways – far away from Christ – found himself literally lying in a gutter when someone crossed the street, knelt down and told him that God loved him…and that changed everything.
Likewise, Jesus has crossed the street and knelt down to us in the gutter to tell us and show us how much he loves us – how we are worth his death on the cross.
John 3:16-17 "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. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”
2 Samuel 9 shows the story of God’s love. A new king would often kill all relatives of the former king for fear of an uprising. Not David. Even though he had been hunted by King Saul who wanted to kill him, David asked if any of Saul’s family – particularly, any of Saul’s sons family – (i.e. Jonathan’s family) were still living. Only Jonathan’s crippled son Mephibosheth who was summoned and feared for his life. David gave him all the property that was Saul’s and said he would now always eat at the king’s table.
Even though we were enemies to God, crippled by our sin, Jesus invites us to sit eternally at the kings table and eat with him. Rev 3:20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
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