Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
4/20/97 am
Catching A Glimpse Of God’s Love
Reading — Romans 8.35 & 37-39
This morning I want to think about the LOVE OF GOD. Let me begin by telling you a story of LOVE. A story I told the young people at Baldwin two weeks ago Sunday evening. It is a real story. It happened in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Ted Morris, who was 18, was driving home from his part time, after school job. Another young man, 24 year old Tommy Pigage was also going home after spending the day in a bar... He was driving drunk. He crossed the center line and hit Ted’s car head-on.
Four hours later the only child of Frank and Elizabeth Morris lay dead in the hospital. Tommy Pigage was barely hurt. He was charged with murder. And even though he was drunk he pleaded not guilty. He never once said he was sorry. Throughout the trial he showed no remorse. In fact, there were times he made light of Ted, and laughed at his parents Frank & Elizabeth. Tommy Pigage was found guilty of 2nd degree manslaughter. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison... Or he could speak to high school students against drunk driving for two years and spend his weekends in jail.
The amazing thing in this story is that Frank and Elizabeth asked permission for Tommy Pigage to be released to their custody on the weekends so that he would not have to spent them behind bars. Since then Tommy’s life has changed. Now he serves the God that Frank and Elizabeth Morris serve. He is a child of God. You see Tommy is a recipient of Frank and Elizabeth’s Love.
Did you know that you to are a recipient of such Love. For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son. Church, our not knowing that God loves us, causes all kinds of problems in our lives.
- It causes worry.
- I causes shame.
- It causes fear.
- It causes guilt.
- It causes insecurity.
THIS MORNING, WE NEED TO KNOW HOW MUCH GOD REALLY LOVES US. WE KNOW GOD LOVES US BECAUSE HE MADE US.
Psalm 145.17 says, The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving towards SOME He has made. Is that what it says? NO — Loving ALL he has made. If you get nothing else from the lesson, get this; God made you to love you. God has never made a person He didn’t love. And God does not play favorites. Peter concluded in Cornelius’ house that God is no respecter of persons. In fact Romans 2.11 specifically states in the NIV, God does not show favoritism. He loves us all equally. That includes you and your preacher.
Do something for me... Turn to the person setting next to you and look at them. Will you do that?... Don’t look at me, look at them. Now what are you thinking?... God loves that person!! I know it may seem improbable... But He does! God made us to love us, that’s what the Bible says in Psalm 145.
Psalm 103.13-14 tells us HOW God loves us... Like a Father. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he knows that we are but dust. David doesn’t say that God is: A policeman, A drill sergeant,A prison warden. He doesn’t say God is a boss or a taskmaster. Scripture tells us that God is like a father. God cares about us like a father cares for his children. He created us to have a relationship with Him. He wants all of us to be His children, sons and daughters.
Jesus came bringing us the fatherhood of God. Repeatedly He referred to God as His Father... Our Father.
- 1 John 1.3, says, Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.
- 1 John 3.1, says, How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
- Jesus said, if our earthly fathers know how to give good gifts, and they certainly do, how much more does you heavenly Father know how to give good gifts?
How many of us as parents thought, before we had kids, that our children were going to be perfect? Rude awaking, right? Not so with God. When God created us, in His foreknowledge, in His omniscience, He already knew all the evil, sinful things we would be involved in.
- He already knew all the dumb things we would do.
- He already knew all the stupid decisions we would make.
- He already knew every hateful and hurtful things we would say and do.
And yet, He still made us. Why? Because He loves us.
I mean kids aren’t that pleasant to be around.
- They’re messy.
- They burp,
- They slobber,
- They dirty their diapers.
When they get a little older:
- They take our money,
- They wreck our cars,
- They get into trouble,
- Girls put on their mascara with our tooth brush.... I see some of you have teenage
girls!
But we still love them... Don’t we? Why is that?... Are we crazy?... No, we are parents. God created us in His own image, and He placed within us the capacity to love.
Scripture tells us that God IS love. No, the Bible doesn’t say that love is God... We’ve tried to turn this around today. Some have tried to make LOVE a god... Make LOVE a religion. GOD IS LOVE, not love is God. Wouldn’t you agree that there is a difference between these two statements:
• That dog is a girl,
• And that girl is a dog,
Big difference! RIGHT? Folk, God is love. Do you know why you are here on this earth? Scripture tells us we were created as the object of God’s love. We must never forget this faith fact. Because when we do, we get into all kinds of trouble
WE KNOW GOD LOVES US BECAUSE HE NOTICES EVERY DETAIL IN OUR LIFE.
Matthew 10.30 says, Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Jesus says, even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. That’s a pretty small detail isn’t it? Now, I know that is not difficult for some of us. But the point here is, that God is interested in every little detail of our life. In the Sermon On The Mount Jesus tells us:
- That God is interested in the birds of the air and the flowers of the field,
- That He provides for them and that we are much more valuable than they.
You know, I used to think that the only time God was interested in me. The only time He really cared about me was:
- When I was in church,
- When I was reading my Bible,
- When I was doing church work,
- When I was doing something quote, SPIRITUAL.
NO, God is interested in every detail of our lives.
- He’s interested when we are happy and when we’re sad.
- He’s interested when we make an A or when we make a D on the test.
- He’s interested when we make a sale and when we don’t make a sale.
- Preachers, He’s interested when we preach a great sermon and when we fall on our face.
- He’s interested when we’re depressed, discouraged and doubtful.
- God is interested in us when we do good, and when we do bad... When we sin.
Ever have your wife buy a new dress, or get her hair done a little different. She comes home and doesn’t say a word... And you don’t notice! I’m here to tell you, you’d better start paying attention. You’d better start oohing and awing about this, or you know what’s gonna happen.
- “You never notice me.
- You never pay any attention to how I look.
- You never hear anything I say.
- You just don’t care.
- You don’t WHAT?... You don’t LOVE me.”
Here is the bottom line, if we care, we are aware. And God is always aware of every detail of our life... WHY? Because He cares, because He loves us.
Some of you are going through some tough times right now. But no matter what we’re going through God is there, God is acutely aware of our problems... He is!
- He cares about the fact that you’re not doing well in algebra II.
- Or that your best friend betrayed you.
- He cares that you are having family financial problems.
- Or that you have been diagnosed with cancer.
- Or that your marriage is falling apart.
- He cares that you don’t feel as spiritual as you once did.
- Or that you’re having trouble with doubt.
WHY?... Because He loves you.
NUMBER THREE, WE KNOW GOD LOVES US BECAUSE HE GAVE US THE CAPACITY OF PLEASURE.
God gave us eyes... And then he filled the world with color. WHY?... For our pleasure. God could have made the whole world to look like West Texas... flat, drab, hot and ugly! A few years ago, I was on the Harding University campus in April and if you’ve been there this time of year, you know how beautiful it is: Green grass, Huge trees,Hundreds of dogwoods in bloom, Flowers everywhere. The sun was shining, the air was clear, the temperature was about 75 degrees. I mean it was great! I was talking to Cline Paden, who at the time was head of the Sunset School of Preaching. He said, you know Randall:
- If they would bulldoze over all these trees,
- Uproot all these flowers,
- Scatter sand over all this lawn,
- And build a big hot fire right in the middle of campus,
This place would be as beautiful as Lubbock, Texas.
God gave us eyes and filled the world with color, with beautiful sunrises, sunsets, flowers, grass, trees, mountains, oceans... etc. He gave us ears and made possible music and conversation. You see, He could have made everything in monotone like my singing.
He gave us taste-buds and filled the world with flavor. Like cinnamon rolls, chocolate ice cream, barbecue ribs, pizza, and homemade apple pie. (And now I’m getting hungry... )
You see, God could have made us like cars, to just run on one fuel. He could have made us to run on oatmeal or spinach. But He didn’t. He created us with taste buds and then gave us all these flavors... WHY? Because he enjoys watching us enjoy life... Because He loves us. Listen to Paul in the last phrase of 1 Timothy 6.17, God, who richly provides us with everything for our WHAT?... Enjoyment.
This verse explodes one of the greatest myths about Christianity.... That if you give your life to Jesus you’re gonna be miserable. Life is gonna be boring.
Satan has done his work well. We have bought into Satan’ lie. The world has forced us into its mold. Be honest now, which sounds like more fun to you... Miller Time or Sunday School?.......Now you paused. You see, Satan has sold us a lie. Truth is, we’re looking for pleasure in all the wrong places.
- Pleasure is not getting drunk.
- Pleasure is not getting high on drugs.
- Pleasure is not messing around sexually.
- Pleasure is not making lots of money and taking early retirement.
- Pleasure in not in a single’s bar.
- Pleasure is not wearing all the right clothes, living in a big house and driving a Mercedes.
We must know this morning, that these are cheap thrills. • They are plastic. They are life’s artificial sweeteners, and they will NOT last.
You don’t have to believe me!
- Talk to the alcoholic who has lost his family because of the fun he had drinking.
- Talk to those who have wasted their life on drugs and are now lying, stealing and selling their bodies to support their addiction.
- Talk to those who are dying of AIDS because of sexual promiscuity.
- Talk to those who have made lots of money, retired, but are lonely because they have no meaningful relationship with their children and grandchildren... Bella Vista is filled with them.
- Talk to those in the singles bars... They’ll tell you what they want most in life is their families back .
John 10.10 is my favorite passage of scripture. Jesus says, I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly.
- Life at its best,
- Life at its fullest,
- Life above the ordinary,
In a life in Christ.
Christianity is more than just a pie-in-the -sky hope of heaven. The Christian life is the best life God has to offer in this world, PLUS, it offers us the reward of a utopian existence with Him and one another throughout eternity. Read your Bibles, Jesus talked more about happiness than he does about heaven. God loves us and created us with a capacity for pleasure, both in this world and in the world to come.
FOURTHLY, WE CAN KNOW GOD LOVES US BECAUSE HE HAS GOOD PLANS FOR OUR LIVES.
God always wants what is best for his children. Listen to this verse from Jeremiah 29.11, For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Paul in Romans 8, says that, God loves us so much that He will take, even the bad things, and work them out for our good... We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
God knows what will make us happy more than we do. He ought to know:
- He created us.
- We are his invention.
- We are off His drawing board.
- We are of His design.
He is the creator, not us. Not only that, God loved us enough to provide us with an owner’s manual... His inerrant Word... So that we can know of His plans for us.
You see, what we think will make us happy is often much different from what God knows will make us happy. And we foolishly follow our own instincts rather than follow what God says. And when we do, we get into all kinds of problems like:
Worry,
Guilt,
Fear,
Bitterness,
Resentment,
Depression,
Discouragement,
Insecurity,
And a hundred other things that tend to make us unhappy.
Church, God didn’t just accidentally create us, so that we could accidentally wander through life without purpose. He has a plan and a purpose for your life and mine. And too many of us, here this morning, have been missing it. Then we wonder why things don’t work out right. Listen as I read Psalm one from the Living Bible, Oh the joys of those who do not follow evil men’s advice, who do not hang around with sinners, scoffing at the things of God: But they delight in doing everything God wants them to do. Day and night they are always thinking about ways to follow him more closely. They are like trees planted along a river bank, bearing luscious fruit each season without fail. Their leaves shall never wither, and all they do shall prosper.
But for sinners, what a different story! They blow away like chaff before the wind. They will not be safe on judgment Day; they shall not stand among the godly. For the Lord watches over all the paths of godly men, but the plans and paths of the godless lead to doom.
Each of us have been created for a purpose... And we will never know the real joy, the fulfillment, and genuine contentment, until we discover and work that purpose. Trust Him, He has a great plan and purpose for your life and mine. And the real thrill is waking up each morning wondering how God will use us TODAY.
WE KNOW GOD LOVES US BECAUSE HE SENT CHRIST TO DIE FOR US.
THIS IS THE ULTIMATE PROOF OF GOD’S LOVE.
• Jesus said, For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
• In Romans 5.8, Paul writes, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. While we were yet…
- Aliens,
- Ugly,
- Evil,
- Ungodly,
- Unlovable,
- While we were acting crazy, God still loved us. Loved us enough to come to this earth in the form of humanity and give His life as a ransom for our sins, for our evil, for our ugliness. That’s what John 1.1 and 14 tells us, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, Jesus was God in the flesh, God with skin on, who came to demonstrate his love. Question! Do you know anybody that loves you enough to die for you? I do.... Jehovah God. Want to know how much God loves us? Look at the cross... And know that God loves us so much that it HURTS.
THEN FINALLY, WE CAN KNOW GOD LOVES US BECAUSE HE IS WILLING TO FORGIVE US.
Do you know why a lot of people, including some of us, do not get to know God better? Because of GUILT.
- Maybe you’re one of those who feel, I can’t have a relationship with God for all the things I have done wrong... Well, YOU’RE WRONG!
- Maybe you’ve thought, my sins are so bad, I can never be forgiven...
Well, YOU’RE WRONG!
Listen to these verses from Romans chapter 3, For all have sinned and come short of God’s glory, (God’s expectations). So the conclusion is, There is none righteous, no not even one. Some of us are guilty of some pretty ugly things. RIGHT? But the good news is found in the next verse in Romans 3.24, We are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. Ephesians 1.7 says, In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
You see, there are two ways to get to heaven:
- One is to live a perfect life,
- Number two is to accept: God’s love, His grace, His mercy, His forgiveness made possible through the blood of Christ.
Romans 8.1 tells us, There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ.
Perhaps you’re thinking HOW...
- How can I access this forgiveness?
- How should I respond to God’s love?
- How can I get INTO Christ.
- How can I have God as my Father?
Let me give you Paul’s answer from Galatians 3.26 & 27, You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ, have been clothed with Christ. Or Peter’s answer in Acts 2.38, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Now, I know what some of you are thinking. I did that a long time ago, but I’ve, sinned, been ugly and evil since then. No kidding! You see, God’s love is not just a one time forgiveness thing in the act of New Testament baptism. It is a continual thing. Listen to 1 John 1.7, If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and (WHAT HAPPENS?) The blood of Jesus Christ his Son CONTINUES TO CLEANSE us from all sin. How long with the blood of Jesus continue to cleanse us from all our sins? Just as long as we walk in the light. Just as long as we strive to be the people and person He asked us to be in His word.
The challenge for each one of us is to respond appropriately to God’s LOVE.
