Is God Love - Leland Kropf

Good morning. We agree with you in Jesus' name. Good to be in

the house of God. Good to be here with you. Already have heard

so much to challenge us and encourage us. If we were listening, I'd

like to speak about a simple subject in a way, and yet it is

so great that we can only scratch the surface, just a simple question.

Does God love me? Does God love me? I appreciated the devotionals this

morning, Brother Willis and also brother Gerald's. Other Gerald's would have covered a

little closer probably to what we're planning to speak here about this morning. And

we hear so much about the love of God. I appreciated that passage that

Brother Gerald read and in his prayer he thanked God for his love and his

mercies. Does it get too commonplace to us? We'd like to just look

at some different points, and I trust it it will help us. There

will be an encouragement to us. I thought of go back to the life

of David and how he was running for his life and his bosom friend Jonathan

met him out there in the woods and it says that he strengthened his hand

in God. I think that's such a beautiful picture. Trust this morning as

we look at the scriptures, give some thoughts here about this question, Does

God love me? It'll strengthen your hand in God, whatever your situation might

be. I believe the population of the earth crost or reached eight billion here

some time back. And I think there maybe there's two different faulty thoughts that

we could have about God's love and relation to that. One is that there's

so many people out there, and how can God love each one personally?

And so I'm just kind of a little speck here on this globe, and

God hardly pays attention to me, hardly recognize is my needs, my struggles,

whatever they may be, hardly cares about me. The other thing,

the way that I think we can think wrongly about that is somehow God has

focused his love on pretty narrowly on me and my church and my circle of

friends and family and so on. I don't believe that's right either. I

believe God's love He so loved the world and for the will referred to that

verse already, that familiar verse. And so rather than thinking, well,

this is just a common subject, and maybe you should be easy to preach

about him, we should be in fear and trembling. Really about touching on

this great attribute, ute characteristic. What would you say? The scripture says

that God is love believe was aw Towzer referred to to the this golden passage

John three sixteen, and he said, there's maybe some young ministers that,

well, what are they going to preach about? They'll just preach about John

three sixteen. You know, it should be an easy subject to preach.

But mister Towser's thought was that he hardly dared to preach on that text because

of the depth of it. So let's never let it become commonplace in our

in our minds. And as I look at a crowd like this here this

morning, so many different ages, so many different experiences in life backgrounds.

Maybe you're a young person and hardly think that again, like we talked earlier,

does God really is he concerned about me? Does He really love me?

Or maybe it's older ones who have gone through difficult time, struggles,

very painful things. Maybe it's sickness, maybe it's losing a loved one.

Maybe we ask, well, does God really love me? Why did he

allow this? We were created, We are created in the image of God

has already said the scriptures say that God is love. We have that in

first John, for let me see your which verse is it? Verse eight?

He that loveth not knoweth not God. For God is love. So

God is love, and you and I are created in the image of God.

And so I believe that gives us both the capacity to love and the

desire to be loved. To love and to be loved is probably the greatest

desire or need of the human heart. To love. We need an object

to love, and that desire to be loved is very and even maybe we

hardly recognize that, but it's really what we want and it's what we need

to do. I'd like to define love, and this is an original with

me. I have several points here, or a couple of points, and

some things I'd like to say about love. And I think we probably all

realize there's different definitions of love or root meanings of love, and so as

we think of God's love, it's a gopy love. We've all heard that,

and I'd like to just look at some definitions. Here is an earnest

and anxious desire for and an active and beneficient interest in the well being of

the one loved again God loved the world. He loves us. So that

interest, that desire to meet our needs is in the heart of God.

It's who he is. It's also a deep and vehement inclinations. And I

have jotted in here that God is not half hearted. God is not half

hearted in what he does, and he's not half hearted in his love.

So it's a deep and behom an inclination. At the same time tenderness and

full of affection. I like that, even though it is vehement, it's

intense. There's that tenderness and fullness of affection. Love can be known only

by the actions it produces or prompts. And the Gospel I know the Epistle

of John three sixteen, the first epistle, it says hereby perceive we the

love of God, because He laid down his life for us. So that's

how that's the action that the love of God prompted. Already referred to the

scripture that God is love. God is love. It is his nature which

leads him to express himself in terms of endearment toward his creation and actively to

manifest that interest and affection in acts of loving care, self sacrifice in the

behalf, in behalf of the objects of His love. And again, this

isn't something that God just puts on. It's not something that he needs to

grow in it. It's God is God is love, It's who he is.

One thing else maybe, And I believe this comes from minds that it

says that this loved the Sagopi love does not run with the natural inclinations,

and that is important for us to understand that. Paul, writing to the

Romans, says that while we were at sinners, Christ died for us.

God commendeth his love toward us. And know whow we were at sinners,

Christ died for us. And this all has implications for us also as we

are to have this love in our hearts as God and dwells us by his

spirit. That what God does perfectly, we should be striving to emulate our

heavenly Father. This isn't necessarily just good message. I hope it will be

an encouragement. I think some of the older ones would The name George R.

Brounk would resonate with you, not that we would have met him maybe

before our time, but he was a pillar in the church, and maybe

he was a little bit thought that was too much. I don't remember how

the story went, but at least he said he's going to preach on the

love of God. Yes, I think there were people that thought he preached

too much, maybe practical messages and maybe messages that didn't feel that good.

And I wanted him to preach on the love of God. And he preached

on the love of God. And he got up and he said, he's

going to preach on the love of God. But the love of God carries

a big stick. And so there is that aspect of God. God is

a God of justice. He will, as was read in Revelation, there

there's a there will be an account given if we have spurned the love of

God. And even in our walk with God, sometimes it maybe doesn't feel

real good, but God does it for our good. And they're in romans.

Ete may bear that out also that all things work together for good to

those who love God. Okay, I'd like to so I would like to

and in conclusion of the message, I would like to to think about what

what are the what are the results, what are the what is our response

to this God of love and how he has loved us? And certainly there

is there is a response that is required, or we should think about that.

How do how do I how do I respond then to this love?

I could have referred earlier to the to the song, the very common old

song that we sing sometimes the love of God is greater far than tongue or

pen can ever tell. And the writer there talks about this great, this

great love that we can't it cannot be described, but I'd like to just

give a little glimpse of it here this morning. So I'd like to think

now about the objects of God's love where what was his love focused on him?

First of all, I would like to think about that his focus of

love was on his own son. And we have scriptures that would that would

bear this out. That is baptism, when Jesus had begun his earthly minister

was about to begin it, and John baptized him there in the Jordan River,

and as he came up out of the water, there was this voice

heard, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.

And then later on the amount of transfiguration, when Peter, James and John

were with Jesus there, and Moses and Elijah appeared there with Jesus and the

cloud overshadowed him, and out of that cloud came this voice. This is

my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. That's a beautiful expression

of the relationship that God the Father had with his son. This is my

beloved son in whom I am well pleased. And there's something very endearing,

very accepting in that statement. I was challenged. I'm not even sure where

I read it, but I'm going to think now of us as earthly fathers

here, have you ever expressed that to your son? I think it would

go a long way in helping to build relationships, and there are many many

sons and daughters in our world today who have never heard that expression from their

fathers. You are my beloved son, and I'm pleased in you. I

realized, maybe sometimes there's a tendency to look at the imperfections and maybe choices

that are we don't appreciate, or whatever it might be. But is there

that acceptance of love that we can express to our children. You're my son,

I'm pleased in you. I love you. Some of us maybe tend

to be a little bit too brusk and practical. Maybe it was hard for

us to express that, but Jesus, but the Father's He looked down on

Jesus as he was beginning his ministry and continuing on, and he said,

this is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. And I

believe it was in Jesus prayer to his heavenly Father. There in John seventeen,

Jesus said, for thou lovest me before the foundation of the world,

that enduring love. There's a couple of verses in Isaiah. I think I'll

just read to emphasize this point, the love relationship between God the Father and

God the Son Isaiah forty two. Verse one, Behold, and this is

speaking of Christ. Behold my servant, whom I uphold mine elect in whom

my soul delighteth. I put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth

judgment to the gentiles. Verse six. I the Lord have called THEE in

righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep THEE and give THEE

for a covenant of the people, for a light of the gentiles, and

not a beautiful picture there. Jesus the Son is the original and eternal object

of the Father's love, and love needs an object to express itself to,

or to focus on. And so before the world ever was, Jesus is

saying, you love me. What My next point is here that God loves

the world, and again that very familiar verse. For God so loved the

world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should

not perish, but have everlasting life a world of sin and corruption in rebellion

against God. And maybe I'll just read a few verses here from Romans child

after five. You see our eternal destiny hinges is affected by this love Romans

five six to ten. For when we were yet without strength in due time,

Christ died for the ungodly, for scarcely for a righteous man. Will

one die yet peradventure for a good man, some would even dare to die.

But God commendeth his love toward us. And now, while we were

yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified by

his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if when

we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his son,

much more being reconciled we shall be saved by his life. You remember the

one definition that we had there for love is that love does not run with

the natural inclinations. In other words, that we were so lovely, we

were so good that God just somehow poured out his love on us, as

if we were deserving of it. But we know that that was not true.

Yes, he loved us when we were sinners and enemies. Ephesians chapter

two, I believe, also clearly states this about God's love for us.

And you had to quickened to our dead and trespasses and sins, where in

time past you walked according to the course of this world, according to the

Prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the

children of disobedience, among whom also we all had our conversation in times past,

and the less of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and

of the mind. And we're by nature the children of wrath, even as

others. And I'd like to just comment on that that I think sometimes we

hardly it's hard for us to really since how lost we were, or that

we are outside of Christ. We haven't been into some of the things that

brother Will was talking about. We haven't been to the bars. We yielded

to what the proverb writer says there about the evil woman, but you know

there's things within the heart. And Paul says here that we're by nature the

children of wrath, even as others so were just as lost. But I'd

like to read on here. But God, who is rich in mercy for

his great love, wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins.

Hath quickened us together with Christ by grace, you are saved, and

Hath raised us up together, made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ

Jesus and goes on to say there that in the ages to come, He's

going to show the riches of his grace. It's really beyond our comprehension.

But God loves the sinful world, and that's why he sent Jesus to die.

God loves the whole world, but he loves each individual in it.

And that's why I'd like to bring it down personal to each one of us,

that God loves us, each one personally. We could ask the question,

if I were the only one that was in need of salvation on this

earth, would have Jesus still come to die? And I'd like to think

he would have. I don't think we can limit or narrow down the love

of God, or to exclude anyone like to read the story of the Shepherd.

We have this in Luke chapter fifteen, and he spake this parable unto

them, saying, what man of you, having an hundred sheep, if

he lose one of them, does not leave the ninety and nine in the

wilderness and go after that which is lost until he find it? And when

he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. When

he cometh home, and he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying,

unto them, rejoice with me, for I've found my sheep which was lost.

I send to you that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner

that repenteth more than over the ninety and nine, just persons which need no

repentance. So you know, maybe maybe you're not living like you should be.

Maybe you are not a part of the church, and you think,

well, the church just goes on. That's where God's love is focused.

And we will see that the church is special to God. But according to

this parable, God notices the one who is out in the cold, and

he's not willing that any should perish. That's how great, how deep,

how incomprehensible God's love is, and looked up that verse there in Ephesians chapter

three, where Paul's prayer for the Ephesians that they might know the love of

Christ, which passeth knowledge. So we're never going to fully understand it,

at least this time, this side of heaven. It's beyond our comprehension,

but hopefully we can get a glimpse and it will be an encouragement to us.

God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come

to repentance. You know, five sparrows were sold for too far things back

in the time of Christ, and not one of them was forgotten before God.

Jesus said, your hairs are numbered, and Jesus said, You're more

value than many sparrows. God's personal interest in each one. Psalm one thirty

nine talks about us being formed in the womb. Knew all about us,

we were even conceived in the womb, and so God has a personal interest

in each one. Someone has said God loves us as we are, but

he loves us too much to leave us that way, and that's why he

calls us to himself. That's why he calls us to salvation and repentance.

Thirdly, then I'd like to look at how God loves those that believe in

his son. There's a special relationship, a special love, I believe John

seventeen twenty three, Again that prayer of Jesus. He tells the Father.

He says, thus loved them, speaking of his disciples, as thou hast

loved me. The disciples had and going to receive the same treatment in the

world from the world as Christ had. But they also received the same love

from the Father as Christ experienced. They were not on the outskirts of God's

love, but in the very center of it, as thou hast loved me.

Thou hast loved them. Isn't that beautiful? And Jesus told his disciples

in John sixteen twenty seven, the Father himself loveth you. And I believe

the Greek word there for love would be felio. We have the thought of

affection and cherished above all others. You remember God speaking through Zechariah and Zechariah

two eighty says, He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye,

He that toucheth you. So we see the special relationship there of God's

love for his children. In relations there, Paul writes about that endearing term

of calling him abb a father as we respond back to God that close relationship.

Well, I'd like to think now yet about some of the manifestations of

God's love. Love cannot remain inactive, and some of this a gopy love

applies to the love that we need to have for God and for our fellow

men, to those that we come in contact with. But love cannot remain

inact. If it manifests itself, love will not hide. So I'd like

to just quickly go over a few things here that are manifestations of God's love.

We think of the temporal blessings, so many things that we enjoy here

on this earth, enjoying God's creation and his provision. They're manifestations of God's

love. It's almost said, blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with

benefits. We're a blessed people. Let's never take it for granted, but

let's see them as tokens of God's love to us. Jesus said that he

sends his reign on the just and on the unjust. God belights in blessing

his creation a manifestation of God's love is his chastisement, and we don't maybe

enjoy that sometimes, But let's see that also as a manifestation of his love.

Whom the Lord loveth he chaseeth. And we won't take time to turn

to Hebrews chapter twelve. But whom the Lord loveth he chaseeth, even as

a son, father, the son, and whom he delighteth. The God

is looking at what is for our good, not necessarily what feels good,

but what is for our good, for eternal good, to draw us closer

to himself. Well, God's manifestation of love to us is in the plan

of redemption. Again, there was in Romans chapter eight. The greater love

hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his

friends, and hereby perceive we the love of God. Ready refer to that

from verse John, that we perceived that love because of Jesus coming to die

for us, God giving his son. So that's a manifestation, the greatest

manifestation of his love. Isaiah thirty eight seventeen says, asked, and love

to my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption, for thous cast all

my sins behind thy back what lovel ready read from Ephesians chapter two, where

it talks about our condition, but it says, but God, who is

rich in mercy for his great love, wherewith he loved us. I like

those verses there in Revelation chapter one, where he says, unto him that

loved us, washed us from our sins in his own blood, made us

kings and priests to him be glory forever. In this redemption is forgiveness.

And there's a story in Luke chapter seven. Won't take time to turn to

that. But Jesus was in the Pharisees house for a meal, and this

woman, who was a sinner came and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped

them with her hair. And the Pharisee found fault with that. He said,

if Jesus would know what kind of a woman she was, he wouldn't

have allowed this. And then Peter, Jesus had a lesson for Simon.

He said, I came here, you didn't wash my feet, and so

on. But he said, this woman who sends her many are forgiven,

for she has been forgiven much, and so she loved much. I think

that's a lesson to us to truly look at ourselves in the way, in

our true condition before God. I liked the story of the prodigal son how

the father received him back. It was an expression of that love that I

believe is a good picture. It was a picture of our heavenly Father.

Maybe this morning contemplate that love. I think we should ask ourselves and really

think about it. Where would I be if it were not for the love

of God, if he'd have said, your enemies, you're far from me.

I'll just leave you on that highway to hell. God has acted in

our best interest at great cost to him. So how should we respond to

that? How should we respond to that? We should take it seriously to

in any way depreciate the love of God and take our own way. I

think I'll take the time to read here from Hebrews chapter ten. This isn't

comparing it to the to the how things were under the Old Covenant. In

Hebrews ten twenty eight says he that despised Moses law died without mercy under two

or three witnesses of how much sore punishment? Suppose ye shall he be thought

worthy who hath trodden underfoot the son of God hath counted the blood of the

Covenant, wherewith he was sanctified and holy and unholy thing. And hath done

despite under the spirit of grace. For we know him that hath said,

vengeance belongeth unto me. I will recompense saith the Lord, and again the

Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the

hands of a living God, especially I believe when we have heard the Gospel

message, the love of God has been presented to us, and we've heard

it, and we count it a light thing and take our own way.

Does God love me? I trust this morning that you can be confident that

whatever your situation, whatever your experiences, whatever your background, how much you

may have failed, God still loves you and he wants you back. The

old familiar song when I surveyed wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died

my richest gain, I count the loss and poor contempt on all my pride.

And then there's the verse that concludes, in this way, Love's so

amazing, so divine demands my life, my soul, my life, my

all. There was another song here, I thought, in the life songs,

I would just maybe I'll read it. God loved the world of sinners,

lost and ruined by the fall, Salvation full at highest cost, he

offers free to all. Oh twas love twas wondrous love, the love of

God to me. It brought my savior from above to die on Calvary.

And now by faith I claim him mine, the risen son of God.

Redemption by his blood death I find and cleansing through his blood, believing souls

rejoicing go there shall to you be given a glorious foretaste here below of endless

life in heaven, a victory now or Satan's power. Let all the ransoms

sing and triumph in the dying hour through Christ, our Lord and King.

Oh twas love twas wondrous love, the love of God to me, have

brought my Savior from above to die on Calvary. I think one question we

ought to consider now, just turn that question around that we started with,

that does God love me? Do I love God? Do I love God?

We need an object. We're created in such a way. We need

an object to love. And if we're not loving God, we're loving self.

The world. I trust this morning, as we've briefly looked here at

the love of God, that it will prompt us to respond to that love

in giving ourselves to Him. And Lord bless you.