GOD's LOVE (CC)

LET US RISE FOR THE READING OF THIS MORNING'S SERMON TEXT RECORDED FOR US IN JOHN'S FIRST EPISTLE WHERE WE READ FROM CHAPTER 4, BEGINNING WITH VERSE 13: THIS IS HOW WE KNOW THAT WE LIVE IN HIM AND HE IN US: 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 THEM AND THEY 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 THEM. THIS IS HOW LOVE IS MADE COMPLETE AMONG US SO THAT WE WILL HAVE CONFIDENCE ON THE DAY OF JUDGMENT: IN THIS WORLD WE ARE LIKE JESUS. 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. WE LOVE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US. WHOEVER CLAIMS TO LOVE GOD YET HATES A BROTHER OR SISTER IS A LIAR. FOR WHOEVER DOES NOT LOVE THEIR BROTHER OR SISTER, WHOM THEY HAVE SEEN, CANNOT LOVE GOD, WHOM THEY HAVE NOT SEEN. AND HE HAS GIVEN US THIS COMMAND: ANYONE WHO LOVES GOD MUST ALSO LOVE THEIR BROTHER AND SISTER. THIS IS THE WORD OF OUR LORD. LET US PRAY: GLORIOUS AND GRACIOUS GOD, MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATION OF EACH OF OUR HEARTS BE ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT, OUR ONLY SOURCE OF HOPE AND COMFORT. AMEN. [TEXT TAKEN FROM THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 BY BIBLICA, INC.] DEAR FOLLOWERS OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST: WE'RE NOW IN THAT TIME IN THE CALENDAR YEAR, IN THE CHURCH YEAR, WHEN THINGS SEEM TO BE EXCITING. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT PERIOD OF LENT PREPARING US FOR THE JOYOUS DAYS OF EASTER. WE HAVE NOW BASKED IN THAT EASTER JOY AND RESURRECTION FOR THE PAST FEW WEEKS. WE'VE WITNESSED CONFIRMATION, WE'VE SEEN THE ASCENSION, LOOKING FORWARD TO PENTECOST, AND THE CELEBRATION OF TRINITY. SO MANY LIFE EVENTS LIKE CONFIRMATION, AND GRADUATIONS NOW AND WEDDINGS SOON TO COME. IT'S A GREAT TIME FOR US TO REJOICE. IT'S A GREAT TIME FOR US TO REALIZE THE LOVE OF GOD. AND IN THE MIDST OF ALL OF THAT, IN THE MIDDLE OF MAY, FOR CALLED WORKERS AND GRADUATES OF OUR TEACHER COLLEGE, AS WELL AS THE SEMINARY ... IT'S ALSO "CALL DAY", ASSIGNMENT DAY WHEN THOSE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE PREPARED THEMSELVES FOR SERVICE IN THE LORD, ARE SENT OUT TO DO THE WORK THAT GOD HAS PREPARED THEM FOR. AND THAT ASSIGNMENT DAY IS STILL A THING THAT KIND OF BOGGLES THE WORLD'S MIND. HOW CAN PEOPLE JUST GO SOMEWHERE BECAUSE GOD HAS PLACED THEM THERE? HOW CAN A CONGREGATION, OR A SCHOOL, GET EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED AND WANT, WITHOUT INTERVIEWING OR TALKING TO THAT PERSON? THAT THEY KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THEM. HOW CAN THEY TRUST THAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO? AND LET ALONE THE FACT THEY'VE NEVER BEEN IN A CLASSROOM OR IN A PULPIT AND WE WANNA PUT THEM IN OURS? IT'S AN INTERESTING TIME OF YEAR. BUT IT'S NOT A NEW ONE. THE DISCIPLES HAD THAT SAME DIFFICULTY. BECAUSE THEY HAD TO FILL THE SPOT OF JUDAS. AND WE REALIZE, THAT THEY SAT DOWN AND SAID: WE NEED TO DO THIS. SO THEY SET SOME PARAMETERS. WE NEED SOMEONE WHO WAS THERE FROM THE BEGINNING. FROM JOHN'S BAPTISM UNTIL THE TIME JESUS WENT INTO HEAVEN. WE NEED SOMEONE TO BE A WITNESS LIKE US AND THERE WERE TWO CANDIDATES EQUALLY QUALIFIED. AND THEY PRAYED TO GOD. AND SAID: GOD, YOU KNOW PEOPLE'S HEARTS. TELL US THE ONE. AND GOD DID. AND MATTHIAS BECAME THE REPLACEMENT FOR JUDAS. AND THE CHURCH RELIES AND TRUSTS IN GOD ... HE BLESSES THEM. WHEN WE AS MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH RELY AND TRUST IN GOD'S LOVE - HE BLESSES US. AND THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT JOHN BROUGHT TO THE READERS OF HIS EPISTLE. IT'S THE MESSAGE THAT HE BRINGS TO US TODAY. TO RELY ON GOD'S LOVE. TO RELY ON IT BECAUSE GOD HAS SENT HIS SON AND HIS LOVE OVERCOMES OUR HATE. AND THE LOVE OF GOD IS SEEN SO CLEARLY IN THE FACT THAT JESUS CAME INTO THIS WORLD TO BE OUR SAVIOR. JOHN REMINDED THE HEARERS THAT WHEN THERE IS PERFECT LOVE, IT DRIVES OUT FEAR. BECAUSE FEAR HAS TO DO WITH PUNISHMENT. AND BEFORE ANY OF US CAME TO FAITH, THAT'S WHAT WE HAD. THAT'S WHAT WE LIVED IN. A LIFE OF FEAR. A LIFE OF FEAR OF PUNISHMENT FROM GOD. FOR THE SIN THAT WE KNEW THAT WE COMMITED FOR THE WRONG THAT WE KNEW WAS IN US THAT WE WANTED TO HIDE, THAT WE HAD TO HIDE FROM GOD. WE LIVED IN FEAR OF THE PUNISHMENT AND THE WRATH OF A HOLY AND AWESOME GOD. BUT YET GOD WHEN HE COMES TO US IN HIS LOVE, SAYS: I WILL REMOVE YOUR FEARS. I WILL REMOVE YOUR FEAR OF PUNISHMENT BY TAKING WHAT WAS ON YOU, AND PLACING IT ON MY SON. I DON'T WANT YOU TO TREMBLE ANY MORE. I DON'T WANT YOU TO HIDE ANY MORE. I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE AFRAID. I WANT YOU TO LOOK TO THE CROSS OF CALVARY AND SEE THERE MY LOVE FOR YOU. BECAUSE I REMOVED YOUR PUNISHMENT. JESUS WILLINGLY TOOK IT ON HIMSELF SO THAT WE COULD LIVE WITHOUT FEAR. TO LIVE IN THAT LOVE OF GOD. TO RELY ON THAT LOVE OF GOD IN OUR LIFE SO THAT WHEN THE FEAR OF PUNISHMENT SATAN PUTS INTO OUR HEAD, WE RUN BACK TO OUR HEAVENLY FATHER PLEADING THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. WE TURN TO HIM FOR THE STRENGTH OF THAT LOVE, TO TRUST AND KNOW THAT ALL OF OUR SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM - EVERY LAST ONE - HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM US. AND WE DON'T LIVE IN THAT FEAR. WE DON'T LIVE ANY LONGER IN THE FEAR OF DEATH BECAUSE JESUS ROSE FROM THE GRAVE. HE ASCENDED ON HIGH. HE KNOWS AND SHOWS US THAT WE, TOO, ARE GOING TO RISE FROM THE DEAD. TO LIVE WITH HIM ETERNALLY. AND WE TRUST IN GOD TO TAKE US THROUGH THAT PROCESS EVEN WHEN WE WALK THROUGH THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH. WE WILL FEAR NO EVIL. BECAUSE GOD IS WITH US. AND WE HAVE NO FEAR WHEN WE LIVE STILL IN THIS WORLD. THIS WORLD THAT JOHN SO CLEARLY SAID DOESN'T GET US. THE WORLD DOESN'T LOVE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE GOD. THE WORLD DOESN'T LOVE US BECAUSE WE 'ARE' OF GOD. AND THE WORLD IS NEVER GOING TO LOVE US BUT WE SHOULD NOT BE AFRAID OF THAT. WE LIVE WITH JESUS AT OUR SIDE. HE PRAYED FOR HIS DISCIPLES. RECORDED IN OUR GOSPEL LESSON FOR TODAY. FATHER, I DON'T WANT YOU TO TAKE THEM OUT OF THE WORLD. I WANT YOU TO PROTECT THEM FROM THE EVIL ONE. JESUS PRAYED THAT FOR ME. AND HE PRAYED THAT FOR YOU SO THAT AS WE GO WALKING THROUGH THIS LIFE WE KNOW THAT THE SON OF GOD HAS ASKED THAT THE FATHER BLESS US. BY PROTECTING US FROM THE EVIL ONE. WHAT COMFORT AND REASSURANCE THAT GIVES TO US. WHAT A REMINDER OF GOD'S LOVE TO TURN TO HIM, TO TRUST HIM, TO JUST RELY ON THE FACT THAT GOD HAS LOVED US. AND HE HAS BLESSED US SO ABUNDANTLY. SO WHENEVER WE'RE AFRAID, WHENEVER FEAR COMES INTO OUR LIFE, IT'S A TIME TO GO BACK TO GOD. GO BACK TO THE WORD AND READ ABOUT HIS LOVE. SEE ONCE AGAIN ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US AND STILL DOES FOR US AS HIS CHILDREN. AND WE JUST RELY ON THAT LOVE BECAUSE IT IS THAT LOVE THAT OVERCOMES OUR HATE. BECAUSE THE MORE WE STUDY AND LOOK AT THE LOVE OF GOD AS JOHN REMINDS US THAT COMES FROM GOD THAT LIVES IN US ... THOSE WHO LOVE ARE IN GOD AND GOD IS IN THEM AND IT'S A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE. THAT THE LOVE OF GOD DRIVES OUT HATE. BECAUSE IF THERE IS SOMEONE IN OUR LIFE, A BROTHER OR SISTER IN THE FAITH THAT WE HATE, THAT WE ARE NOT HAPPY WITH - WHATEVER SPIN WE WANNA PUT ON IT - THAT WE ARE DISAPPOINTED IN, THAT WE'RE NOT PLEASED WITH THEM, IF WE'RE BRINGING THAT ANGER OR HATE TO THEM THEN WE MAKE GOD OUT TO BE A LIAR. BUT JOHN MAKES IT REALLY CLEAR; IF YOU CAN'T LOVE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU CAN SEE WITH YOUR OWN EYES, HOW CAN YOU BEGIN TO LOVE GOD WHO YOU HAVEN'T SEEN? IT REALLY IS DIFFICULT SOMETIMES TO LIVE IN A FAMILY, AND EVEN IN THE FAMILY OF GOD BECAUSE WE ARE ALL SINNERS. WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES. WE ALL HURT EACH OTHER FROM TIME TO TIME. BUT THE LOVE OF GOD IS BASED ON ONE THING: THE SACRIFICE OF HIS SON FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT EACH OTHER AND WE HAVE ANYTHING LESS THAN LOVE, WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT EACH OTHER WITH EYES THAT RECOGNIZE AND SEE THE SINNER. FIRST IN ME BECAUSE I AM NOT PERFECT. AND MY GOD HAS LOVED ME AND FORGIVEN EVERY ONE OF MY SINS. AND THEN I TURN AROUND AND LOOK AT EVERYONE ELSE. AND REALIZE THAT GOD HAS LOVED THEM! AND FORGIVEN THEM THEIR SINS! AND AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO GROW IN FAITH, TO BE STRENGTHENED IN FAITH, IS TO SHOW THAT LOVE OF GOD TO THEM. AS WELL AS SHOWING THAT LOVE OF GOD TO THE WORLD THAT HATES US! AND EVEN IN OUR GREAT AND WONDERFULLY POLITICAL CORRECT SOCIETY, WE REALIZE THAT DEEP DOWN WITHIN US WE ALL HAVE SOME PREJUDICES. WE ARE STEREOTYPICALLY JUDGED GROUPS OF PEOPLE AND WE DON'T LIKE THEM. FOR WHATEVER REASON. COLOR, THEIR RACE, THEIR RELIGION, THEIR FINANCIAL STATUS, WE COME BACK AND WE LOOK AT OURSELVES. BECAUSE GOD TOOK ME, A POOR MISERABLE SINNER, AND GAVE ME THE WEALTH OF HIS FORGIVENESS. BECAUSE HE LOVED ME. AND WE LOOK AT THE WORLD WITH THE EYES OF JESUS WHO LOOKED AT SOME OF THE CROWDS THAT CAME TO HIM AND HE HAD COMPASSION ON THEM. BECAUSE THEY WERE LIKE SHEEP WITHOUT A SHEPHERD. THEY'RE JUST LOST WANDERING AROUND WITH NO ONE TO CARE FOR THEM, NO ONE TO GUIDE THEM, NO DIRECTION IN THEIR LIFE AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND GOD'S LOVE. AND WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RELY AND TRUST IN GOD'S LOVE TO OVERCOME THOSE OBSTACLES OF OUR OWN SELVES. TO PUT ASIDE OUR THOUGHTS AND LIVE THE THOUGHTS OF GOD. TO LET HIS LOVE OVERRIDE OUR HATE. TO SHARE WITH THEM THE LOVE OF GOD. TO RELY ON HIM. TO RELY ON GOD'S LOVE AND TO TRUST IN HIM. THAT IS OUR LIFE AS CHRISTIANS. IT'S A WONDERFUL THING THAT WE SEE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT OUR LIVES, AND ESPECIALLY I THINK, AT THIS TIME OF YEAR. LOOK AT THE EVENTS THAT ARE COMING UP. OPPORTUNITIES TO CELEBRATE WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. GRADUATIONS, WEDDINGS, GET-TOGETHERS OVER MEMORIAL DAY OR THE 4TH OF JULY. ALL OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO LIVE THE LOVE OF GOD. AND TO SHOW THAT. BECAUSE JUST LIKE THOSE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN ASSIGNED IN THE NEXT DAYS, THEY'RE GOING OUT TO BE GOD'S SERVANTS TO TRUST HIM; THAT THERE ARE SCHOOLS OPENING THEIR CLASSROOMS IN TRUST, AND CONGREGATIONS OPENING THEIR DOORS AND THEIR PULPITS TO PEOPLE TO STAND IN THEM. TRUSTING WITH EACH OTHER TO PROCLAIM THE LOVE OF GOD. IT'S WHAT WE ARE! IT'S WHAT WE DO. SO LET US RELY ON THE LOVE OF GOD. AMEN. LET US RISE. NOW MAY THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH GOES BEYOND ALL OF OUR UNDERSTANDING KEEP YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS AND ESPECIALLY YOUR LIVES IN THE ONE TRUE FAITH UNTO LIFE EVERLASTING. AMEN.