SERMON - KNOW THAT HE LOVES YOU

Know That

He

Loves You

 

 

Throughout our Bible, God’s Word, we read these wonderful words: “God is merciful, kind, gracious, anxious to forgive, full of loving kindness, slow to anger… “

 

Exodus 34:6, Deuteronomy 4:31, Jonah 4:2, Joel 2:13, Romans 2:4.

 

Moses, Jonah, David, many prophets and Paul all tell of God’s willingness to forgive as He expresses His love for mankind.

 

Moses was most often the Lawgiver as he delivered stern admonitions about obedience to God’s law but he spoke of God’s love for His children as well.

 

When God descended and stood before Moses He said:

 

Exodus 34: ⁵ Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. ⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger. 

 

Moses led the people of Israel and always had in his mind God’s stated Words respecting obedience as well as forgiveness.

 

Deuteronomy 4: ³⁰ When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. your God and obey him. ³¹ For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon

 

God had every right to just give up on Israel and walk away from them. However He did not showing the wonderful truths of His nature.

 

Nehemiah 9:  ²⁸ "But as soon as they were at rest, they again did what was evil in your sight. Then you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies so that they ruled over them. And when they cried out to you again, you heard from heaven, and in your compassion you delivered them time after time.  ²⁹ "You warned them to return to your law, but they became arrogant and disobeyed your commands. They sinned against your ordinances, by which a man will live if he obeys them. Stubbornly they turned their backs on you, became stiff-necked and refused to listen. ³⁰ For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets. Yet they paid no attention, so you handed them over to the neighboring peoples. ³¹ But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God.

Just as we see apostasy, backsliding as sin, Isaiah too recalled God’s loving kindness.

 

Isaiah 63: ⁷ I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us— yes, the many good things he has done for the house of Israel,  according to his compassion and many kindnesses. 

 

Even as Joel prophesied dire warnings of darkness, earthquakes he spoke of God’s loving nature in the midst of the warnings he gave.

 

Joel 2: ¹² "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning." ¹³ Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

 

In this Scripture when Joel says, “return to the Lord,” he is sating ‘repent unto the Lord.’

 

If you are a person who prays for forgiveness and repents unto the Lord and from sin you are not to live with continuing thoughts of guilt and condemnation. To do so is to tell God, “I cannot go on, I sinned against God and I need to feel grievous and carry this guilt longer.”   

 

That, brothers and sister, is sacrilege!

 

Why is it that many Christians find it easy to believe that God forgave Israel ’s gross sins, forgave Nineveh (Old Testament) and a dying thief on a cross next to Jesus, but cannot accept forgiveness for sins committed and confessed to God?

 

The very moment we turn to Him asking for forgiveness and repent to Him He lovingly forgives us as if we had never sinned.

 

Look at how much He forgave Israel :

 

Psalm 107: ¹⁷ Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities.¹⁸ They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. ¹⁹ Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. ²⁰ He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave.

Psalm 107: ²⁸ Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,  and he brought them out of their distress. ²⁹ He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed.

King David sinned. He not only committed adultery but covered that adultery with the murder of a man under his command.  The guilt he must have carried would all but destroy most men. However he confessed to God and promised repentance. David’s heard the prophet Nathan voice the words, “Your sins have been forgiven,’ and accepted those words as coming from God. 

Psalm 51 tells of David’s plea to God was heard and eased his heart.

You, each of you who has sinned and no matter how grievous that sin(s), know that God is not only willing to forgive you but is anxious to heal you. The loving kindness far exceeds anything you could ever imagine.

Your weapon to obtain forgiveness is to ‘cry out to the Lord with all of your heart and confess your sin(s) and sincerely repent to Him and from sin.

You must realize that it is futile to think there is anything you can do as payment for the sin committed. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, has already paid any and all payment due and you must accept that as undeniable fact.

1 John 2: ¹My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for^[a] the sins of the whole world.

Know that the very moment you asked God for His forgiveness He gave it…

Now I would like to bring attention to Matthew 25.

This is the parable of the Ten Virgins who were waiting for their bridegroom. I ask that you read Matthew 25 then continue reading this sermon………………..

We all know that the Ten Virgins represent the church and Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom. The Ten Virgins all had lamps. Those lamps represent their hearts and their love of God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, is represented by the oil therein.

A full one-half of the Virgins hadn’t enough oil for coming of their Bridegroom and asked the others for some of their oil.

How does one lend another their love of God?

That is impossible as although you might try you cannot make another have the love you have for anything! So, realizing their need the five Virgins in need of oil went out looking for it.

This would be the same thing as saying, “They went to other places to learn of God’s love for them and His desire that they believe in Him and love Him.”

When the Virgins that had gone out in search of oil returned they found the wedding feast had started and wanted to gain admission... To their dismay they heard the Bridegroom say, “No, you shall not enter, “I do not know you.”

Why add this to the sermon about God’s love when this reflects His denial?

The five Virgins sought the love of God from people that did not have that love themselves!

In this world there are so-called ‘churches’ with Pastors who teach a twisted Bible. They get people to believe their own ‘good feeling’ gospels so as to line their pockets! The people they fleece have their own duty to hear God’s Word, verify that Word and study for them to know what they are being told is truth is really true!

To believe that there is any other mediator between God and man other than Jesus Christ is to ignore Jesus Christ Himself! To believe that saints or angels are to be prayed to is to deny the very Word of God. To rely on another to heal you by prayer is to deny the very existence of God.

Read the Bible as it is God’s Word and His only Word. If you are told anything that sounds off track…ask other Christians where that is found in the Bible and then read and study it for yourself. As you read and study, pray for guidance and trust in Him for that guidance. Your immortal spirit, your soul, is at stake. Your eternity in Paradise is nothing to gamble on!

When the Bridegroom, Jesus Christ said, “I do not know you,” He was telling them ‘you do not call on me.’

God in heaven has a love for you far beyond my humble words to describe. His forgiveness is there. Jesus Christ redeemed you but you must know who He truly is.

I cannot give you blessings as I am not someone whose blessings are able to be given! What I can do is ask God to give you His blessings and if I am in His good grace, He will do that without hesitation.

With that in mind I ask God to bless each one of you. I am confident that He knows my name and will bless you abundantly.

(Closing prayer)

Abba, Almighty God, we love You and praise You. We ask entry into Your presence to offer our worship. You are our God and there is no other.

All glory is Yours O Lord and we rejoice in knowing we are Your children. Our love is endless and we ask that You accept it.

Lord, there are those that prey upon our fellow men and women teaching a word other than Yours. They use Your Word as a means to convey their twisted thoughts and we pray that You see fit to confuse them and allow those in their congregations to gain enlightenment to truth as only You offer. We seek no gain for our prayers as our desire is only to bring others to You as willing servants.

Father, please protect our military men and women and keep them strong. Steel their resolve in the face of the enemy and send Your angels to guide them and keep them safe.

We also ask that You protect our Christian brothers and sisters throughout this world and be their comfort. Protect those who have the duty to watch over our safety and any that seek to do us evil we ask that You grant us victory over them.

In Jesus’ name we pray who is One with You and the Holy Spirit, One God, forever and ever,

Amen, amen and amen.