Love and Faithful

Well, good evening, folks. It is wonderful to see you as we dive into this very great but massive topic together.

We live in a world that is obsessed with love.

Wet, wet, wet sang, love is all around.

The Bee Gees sang, how deep is your love.

Whitney Houston sang, I will always love you.

And Meat Loaf said, I will do anything for love, but I won't do that.

Our world is obsessed with love.

The songs that we listen to, the conversations we have, the movies we watch.

Love is a big theme. It's something that we chase after and it is something that we want.

But love is also something that is massively misunderstood.

See, people can think of love as a fuzzy feeling that is there one second, but gone the next.

We use the words so flippantly that it seems to have lost all meaning.

We say things like, I love burgers.

I love that jacket on you.

I love that color or that shade of blue.

We say we love our friends when we put down the phone.

We say we love our spouses and we say we love God.

The way we use the word and how often we use it shows that we don't really understand what love is.

We can't properly know what love is until we know God.

God is the one who needs to inform our understanding of love, not the culture around us.

Because when we let our culture define love and define God's love, we might be tempted to think that we need to earn God's love.

Or that it's dependent on our devotion to him.

The truth is that God's love for his people never changes.

It is a constant because God never changes.

He is constant.

Now this evening we have the impossible task of tackling two massive attributes of God in one night.

We're going to think about how God is the very definition of love and how he is faithful.

But why take on this mammoth task of doing both of those attributes of God together?

Well because God's immense love cannot be separated from his unwavering faithfulness.

And because God's unwavering faithfulness is a perfect extension, an outward expression of his immense love.

So let's look at these two truths together and be blown away by how awesome our God is.

The first thing I want us to see is that God's love is immense and unchanging.

So contrary to popular belief that love is a fuzzy feeling, it's an emotion, that's just not true.

Love isn't determined by the size of gift you get on Valentine's Day.

The number of friends you have on social media.

Or by the amount of validation and compliments you get in any given day.

None of those things are bad.

But they are nothing compared to real love.

Love is only properly understood in terms of God.

Because God is love.

So here's how the Bible defines love in 1 Corinthians 13.

Love is patient.

Love is kind.

Love does not envy.

It does not boast.

It is not proud.

It does not dishonor others.

It is not self-seeking.

It is not easily angered.

It keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects.

Always trusts.

Always hopes.

Always perseveres.

Love never fails.

Love never fails.

Love never fails.

There is no way.

Any of us here tonight could live up to that standard of love.

just take that last part love never fails

we won't have to think hard

or long for us to remember times where we have failed loved ones

our attempts to love fail

all the time

but the love of God never fails

we could never

really love someone in this way as 1 Corinthians 13 says because

it's impossible that's the whole point because when we read this

list we shouldn't think of our own love but it should point us to the love of

God

1 Corinthians 13 is God's own description of love

he is the only one who can properly define what love is because

as was read at the beginning of this service John 1 John 4 8

tells us that God is himself love

but looking at those descriptions

in 1 Corinthians

of what love is

it is easy to see how the father fulfills them

isn't it

see the whole of creation is a product of the perfect love of God

God's love

is seen in him creating and sustaining the world

God's love is seen in the fact that he

has continued since sin entered the world

to call a sinful creation

back into a right relationship with him

not because he needs us

because he wants us

love means wanting the best for the other person

God's love this world so much that he went out of his way

to express that love

to see God's love we could open any part of the Bible and see it clearly

but I'm just going to focus in on the nation of Israel to help us grasp just how deep God's love is for his people

so the nation of Israel were a people who constantly rebelled against God

from the very beginning God made them his people and yet every single turn they rebelled against him

how did God respond

out of deep love

for them he sent prophets to them over and over again to call them back into a relationship with him

God put them first

think back to Egypt

the nation of Israel in the beginning of Exodus

crying out to God in their slavery and misery

working under the cracking whip of oppressors

abused and mistreated

they cry out to God

and how does he respond

not as a distant God who doesn't care

or who is far removed from their suffering

Exodus 3 verse 7

Exodus 3:7

God reveals himself to Moses and says

I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt

I have heard them crying out

because of their slave drivers

and I am concerned about their suffering

listen to that language

I have seen

I have heard

and I am concerned

does that sound like the words of an apathetic distant God

no

it sounds like a God who is invested in his people

who wants their best

a God who loves them

and so God intervenes in a mighty act

and delivered them out of Egypt

out of slavery and into freedom

and yet they still doubt

they still question his love

they were miraculously delivered by God out of Egypt

and still on the border to the promised land

they doubt and rebel against God again

and so God gives them over to the consequences of their sin

and they wander in the wilderness

and still

out of his immense and unchanging love

God provides for this rebellious people in the wilderness

I remember they've been

walking in the desert

the middle of nowhere

Sabino and I spent a night in the desert

in the Middle East a few years ago

and there is

nothing

no water

no food

just barren wasteland

for miles

and miles

and yet out of

his great love

God provides

some kind of bread

for his people to eat

called manna

and he was with them

that whole time

but look at their response

in Numbers 11

Numbers 11:4

verse 4

again the Israelites started wailing

and said

if only we had meat to eat

we remember the fish we ate in Egypt

at no cost

also the cucumbers

melons

leeks

onions

and garlic

but now

we have lost our appetite

we never see anything

but this manna

they think that it was better

under slave masters

than being

with a God who loves them

and what brought about

this kind of thinking

well

basically it was a desire

for fish and chips

they remembered cucumbers

and salads

they seemed to think

that they were sipping

watermelon cocktails

on the bank of the river Nile

instead of the reality

of forced labour

that they were under

now I'm all for

leek and potato soup

I love copious amounts

of garlic and onion

but it isn't enough

for me to choose

a life

of slavery

and yet throughout

the whole Old Testament

God repeatedly

calls his rebellious people

back into a relationship

with him

but every time

they rebel

they reject

and they refuse

to follow him

if I was the recipient

of such behaviour

I would walk away

I'm human

so out of anger

I would refuse

to care for a people

who refuse to return

such immense love

put yourself

in God's shoes

have you ever tried

to love someone

who keeps hurting you

who keeps rejecting you

it is draining

it is tiring

and it's not something

we would keep up

for very long

but that is the treatment

that God has been getting

from the nation of Israel

from the very beginning

and yet God moves

towards them

and every time

he does that

they give him

the cold shoulder

if any of us

were in God's shoes

we would probably

have walked away

and abandoned them

years ago

thankfully God

is more gracious

than we are

because he constantly

goes towards

his people

even when they

reject him

he calls them

back to follow him

because he knows

that that is

what is best for them

that is true

unfaltering

immense

unchanging

love

so if we really

want to understand

love

we must look

to God

because he is

the very definition

of love

and the topic

of God's love

is much much

bigger than we have

space for tonight

but the main thing

to remember

is that God's love

is immense

and

it is personified

in Jesus Christ

John 3

16

says this

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

so the subject

of God's love

is this world

God didn't wait

for a world

to love him

first

instead

he sent his son

into the world

that was still

in sin

and rebellion

against him

Jesus is the

expression

and gift

of God's love

God didn't just

feel sorry

for a rebellious

world

and was incapable

to do anything

about it

he is all

powerful

and he sent

his son

to express

his immense

love to us

a wayward

people

and the recipients

of God's love

are the

whoever believes

see God loves

this world

but they only

see the fullness

of that love

when they believe

in Christ

and only then

are they welcomed

back into that

loving relationship

with a God

who wants

to be with

them

that was the

life we were

created to live

and what is the

result of God's

love

well it is that

whoever believes

in him shall

not perish

but have

eternal life

Jesus is the

ultimate expression

of God's love

to this world

if we want to

know how much

God loves

the world

look at how

Jesus spent

time with the

outsider

look at how

he cared for

people

how he mourned

at the effects

of sin

how he was

grieved at

the pains of

others and

ultimately how

he was nailed

to a cross

even though he

was innocent

so that we

sinful people

could be back

in a right

relationship with

God and know

his love in

all of its

fullness

and yet don't

you feel like

Israel every

single day

I know I do

we so easily

fall into

sin we're so

easily dragged

back into

that life

and we

romanticize

the things

that used

to bring us

pleasure

and we forget

the torment

that they brought

us and how

they ensnared

us in our

sin

and in those

moments the

devil creeps

into our minds

and says that

we're beyond

God's love

because Satan

knows how to

trip us up

but he is

the father

of lies

whatever Satan

is telling you

this evening

do not trust

it

he will only

sow darkness

and deception

but God

brings light

and truth

the Bible

makes it

abundantly

clear that

God loves

his people

and that

includes

you

regardless

of what

you've done

regardless

of what

you're struggling

with this

evening

you are not

alone

but God

is with

you

and he

loves you

the promise

of God's

immense and

unchanging

love

is that it

never goes

away

but because

we're so

influenced by

the culture

around us

we think

that God's

love is

like a

light switch

that is

turned off

the minute

we sin

that is

not true

God never

leaves his

people

God's love

for his

people is

not determined

by their

actions

by their

wins

or their

failures

or by

their

religious

acts

friends if

you're here

tonight and

you are a

Christian you

need to

know that

God loves

you so

much that

Jesus went

to the cross

for you

that doesn't

mean you have

a license to

sin but it

should bring

about a

change in

our life

because as

we are

confronted with

this immense

and unchanging

love of God

the only

right response

is to love

him back

to worship

him to be

in awe of

him and to

want to

follow him

with all

of our

lives

see the

topic of

God's love

shouldn't only

fill our

minds but it

should change

our hearts

it should

challenge our

thinking it

should impact

our lives

the immense

and unchanging

love of God

should blow our

minds because

as Romans 5

8 says

God demonstrates

his love

his own love

for us in

this while we

were still

sinners Christ

died for us

so God didn't

wait till you

were perfect

God didn't say

get your life

sorted and then

come to me

God made the

first move

God promised

from the very

beginning of the

Bible that he

would make it

possible for a

rebellious people

like us to be

made right with

him and that

truth should

humble us

every single

day because

the living God

the one who

flung the stars

into space the

almighty and

all powerful

one saw fit to

take sinners like

ours and call us

family

the topic of

God's love is

much much bigger

than we have

space for tonight

but the main

thing to remember

is that God's

love is immense

and that it is

personified in

Christ and I

know it's cheesy

but I'm sure we've

all sat in kids

talks when the

kids are asked

how much does

God love his

people they

stretch out their

arms as far as

they can and

they say this

much it's cheesy

but it's true

God's love is

cross-shaped

Jesus hanging

on a tree

pierced and

broken

beaten and

mocked

bruised and

bleeding

every drop of

blood

falling to the

ground

is a physical

demonstration of

God's love for

you

every moment of

pain as he hung

on that cross

is a testimony to

the fact that you

are loved with a

never lasting love

that will never

fail

that will never

run out

Jesus is love

personified

showing us the

immense love of

God by dying in

our place and

that should lead us

to worship God

all the more

the second thing I

want us to think

about this evening

is God's

unwavering

never ending

faithfulness

now the word

the NIV often

translates as

faithfulness is the

Hebrew word

hesed

it can also be

translated as

steadfast love

or the ESV

often translated as

God's loving

kindness

and the key idea

that it communicates

is that God is

loyal within

the bounds of a

relationship

it means that God

is faithful

that he is true

that he is committed

that he is invested

in and loving

towards his

people

faithful

it means that he

is totally

trustworthy

and perfectly

faithful

and is bound up

with his character

because being

completely trustworthy

and faithful

means that God

cannot lie

there is no

falsehood in him

how much of a

contrast is God's

faithfulness

with our

flakiness

forgiveness

how many times

have you promised

to do something

or you've been

the recipient of

a promise

and you've based

your plans on

it

maybe you've been

looking forward to

it rearranged your

week because of it

and yet you are left

with the sting of

disappointment

you're left deflated

as the person isn't

faithful to their

promise and it

hurts

that will never

happen with God

whatever he promises

to do in the Bible

he will do it

it may not be in the

way we think

it may not be in the

timescale we have in

mind or we want

but he is perfectly

faithful and it will

happen

looking throughout the

Bible this truth is

abundantly clear

time and time again

God makes amazing

promises to his

people and he will

always come through

on them even when

they are rebellious

and not deserving of

that loving kindness

and faithfulness

one of the main

reasons one of the

main ways sorry we

see God's faithfulness

in action is in

Jesus

see right at the

beginning of the

world when sin

entered the world

God promised to

send the serpent

crusher

Genesis 3 15

and from that moment

on throughout the

whole book of

Genesis and the

whole Old

Testament people

were looking for

signs of this

Messiah because they

know that God is

faithful

so Isaiah 25

Isaiah 25:1

verse 1 says this

oh Lord you are my

God I will exalt you

and praise your name

for in perfect

faithfulness you have

done wonderful

things things planned

long ago

God's faithfulness to

the nation of Israel

was one of the reasons

they praised him

because they knew

that even if they

were not true to the

promises they had

made with God

he would be

and that faithfulness

meant that God

would not abandon

his people

no matter how many

times they rebelled

against him

Deuteronomy 4 31

says this

for the Lord your God

is a merciful God

he will not abandon

or destroy you

or forget the covenant

with your ancestors

which he confirms to

them by oath

now if you look

through Israel's

history God had

every right to

destroy them

for their lack of

faith

for their rebellion

for their constant

questioning of him

and yet because of

his unwavering

never ending

faithfulness to his

covenant promises

he didn't

no matter how

much Israel

pushed God

away and

rejected him

he always

called them

back because

he loved them

and he had

made promises

to be with them

and to be their

God

ultimately we see

God's faithfulness

personified

in Jesus

it is through

Jesus and his

death on the cross

that God

is being faithful

to his promise

to forgive

wickedness

rebellion

sin

that gives us

confidence

because when we

turn to God's

word and we hear

what God the

Father says

when we hear

what God the

Son says

Jesus

when we hear

what the authors

of the books

of the Bible

say as they are

inspired through

God the Holy

Spirit

we know

that it is all

based on the

faithfulness of

God that does

not waver

and that does

not falter

we could spend

weeks looking

at different

examples throughout

the Bible that

point us to

God's faithfulness

but the main

thing to remember

is that God's

faithfulness is a

guarantee

it is unwavering

it is perfect

and it is

personified

in Jesus

see God

isn't only

faithful to

Israel time

and time

again

so often

we reject

God

we rebel

against him

we sin

we live

contrary to

God's word

we do things

wrong and we

mess up

and it is

God's faithfulness

that calls us

back to him

this topic

of God's

faithfulness

shouldn't only

fill our minds

but it should

change our

hearts

challenge our

thinking and

impact our

lives

God being

faithful means

that we can

trust his

promises

we can

trust that

he is

God

we can

trust that

what he has

revealed in

the Bible is

absolutely true

and trustworthy

and we can

base our

lives on

it

it also

means that

you can have

confidence

that whatever

life throws

your way

sufferings

and trials

hardships

and struggles

you can know

that God is

with you

through it

even if it

doesn't feel

like it

but he

is there

he will

never

leave

and he

will never

abandon

you

that is

his

promise

God's

faithfulness

means that

our salvation

through Jesus

is complete

it means that

for the

Christian

the eternal

future in the

presence of

Jesus is a

guarantee

that we should

eagerly anticipate

and look forward

to

and the

flip side

of that

is that

God's

faithfulness

means that

he will

also judge

those who

do not

repent and

put their

trust in

Jesus

God is

faithful to

his promises

both to

save

and to

judge

that should

impact

what we

do with

God the

knowledge of

who God

is

God's

unwavering

never ending

faithfulness

is the

perfect

expression

and extension

of God's

immense

love

no greater

love has

this world

ever known

than the

love of

God for

his people

and so

whatever

Satan is

telling

you

God's

faithfulness

isn't based

on your

feelings

or on

his lies

God's

faithfulness

is based

on his

character

and who

he is

the

faithfulness

and love

of God

that you

read about

in the

passages

of the

Bible

the exact

same way

he thinks

about you

today

we live

in a

world

that

focuses

and

talk

so

much

on

about

love

and yet

a world

that

misunderstands

love

so much

wet wet wet

sang love

love is

all around

the Bee Gees

sang how

deep is

your love

Whitney

Houston

sang I

will always

love you

and Meatloaf

sang I'll

do anything

for love

but I

won't do

that

but here

is what

God says

about love

God

demonstrates

his own

love for

us

in this

while we

were still

sinners

Christ

died for

us

the love

and faithfulness

of God

is a vast

topic that

we will

never be able

to fully

comprehend

or understand

but it is

important

I'll end

with just a

little story

Carl Barth

one of the

20th century's

most well

known and

respected

theologians

was asked

by a student

during a

Q&A session

what the

most important

doctrine was

and the

greatest thing

he'd learned

after so many

years of

studying the

Bible

that was his

job

it's what he

did full

time

and after a

short pause

he looked at

the student

and said

Jesus loves

me

this I

know

because the

Bible tells

me so

friends God's

love and

faithfulness are

fundamental

to our

understanding

of who God

is and they

are great

causes for

us to praise

him with all

of our lives

let's pray

together

heavenly father

we thank you

so much

for your

love

for the

love that

is immense

for the

love that

is unwavering

for a love

that meant

you sent

your son

into this

world

to die

for sinners

like us

so that we

could go from

darkness to

light

from death

to life

and for

your

faithfulness

that we

can know

you will

never leave

us

heavenly

father we

ask you

to forgive

us for the

times that we

think about

these things

so glibly

would you

help our

minds be

transformed

would you

help our

hearts to

be softened

and would you

help our

hands to get

to the work

you have

called us

to do

in Jesus

name we

pray

amen