Andrew Fountain - Loved by God
- Artist: Andrew Fountain
- Title: Loved by God
- Album: Newlife Church, Toronto
- Track: 6
- Genre: Foundations of our Faith
- Year: 2019-06-30
- Length: 26:12 minutes (12.04 MB)
- Format: MP3 Stereo 44kHz 64Kbps (VBR)
Link to Video:
Loved by God - One ofthe things that gets in the way of our walk with God is that we so often fail and do the wrong thing
- This can fill us with shame, and stop us coming to God
- Here are two bad solutions to this problem and one really, really good one!
Sermon Outline - Loved by God
- One ofthe things that gets in the way of our walk with God is that
- We so often fail and do the wrong thing
- This can fill us with shame
- and stop us coming to God
- I googled images for the word “shame” and this is what I got.
- Where does shame come from?
- We know that animals don’t sin
- Have you ever heard of an animal that is ashamed to be naked
- Our cat used to lie on it’s back with it’s legs in the air with no self-consciousness at all
- But shame is something we feel very easily
- If you ask people for the answer to shame, there are some ideas we might be given
- I am going to suggest three answers Christians come up with to the shame of our failures
- I think the first two are wrong
- I’m going to suggest that the third is right
- There is truth in this…
- So what is the problem?
- I am still a dirty dog, a miserable failure
- It is now covered up and hidden
- But it is still true
- Summary:
- I am loved, but please don’t look too closely!
- The second (wrong) answer is the opposite to this:
- I am in denial
- It works ok till I crash
- Of course I mess up, and we know that God is never pleased with bad stuff, even though he has forgiven us
- I can maintain it until something happens that shows what a sham I am
- You know what is it like when a teenager is in love and it’s totally blind
- I don’t think he’s that suitable for you, what about…
- Oh he’s perfect
- But what about the motorcycle gang he hangs out with?
- Oh that’s nothing—I’m sure he’s a good influence on them
- Nothing you can say… A mist of love has descended.
- I don’t think he’s that suitable for you, what about…
- In some ways God is like that.
- God, how can you love … when he lives like he does?
- Oh I love him so much and wear his name on my sleeve.
- There is never a minute that I am not thinking about him
- They may seem like big mistakes to us, but to him they are nothing compared with the fire of his love.
- One of the best examples of this is for one of his diciples… ?
- Peter!
- Can you remember any things he did wrong?
- +don’t wash my feet
- Jesus loved his disciples passionately
- His love for them was so real
- When he was arrested—“leave these alone, its me you want”
- Peter’s story was given to encourage us
- It’s not like Peter was an exception
- Is he the only person who every messed up that Jesus still loved?
- So Jesus’ love for us is one based in reality, not denial.
- He knows every stupid thing that you have done, and will do.
- Jesus is someone who loves deeply.
- This included Peter—wow!
- That love is extended to all who want to be his disciples today
- Jesus is the perfect reflection of the Father
- This is the same love he has for you now
- he desires to spend time with you
- he enjoyed your company, even though he knows you behave badly
- This is the answer to shame
- To be so intensely loved by someone who knows you completely and utterly.
Paul
- Paul seems to have so much drive and determination
- But he tells us “The love of Christ compels me” —it is the source of engergy, deep in his being
- He concludes the first part of Ephesians with this prayer—and it’s my prayer for all of us…
- Why is it so hard to comprehend?
- because we know what we are like!
- I’m preaching this as much to myself as I am to you.
- I pray this prayer as well
- I’ve talked many times about loving one another
- This is where it must flow from
- “We love because he first loves us”
- You can’t love others unless you are loved yourself
- If you try to, the you are like someone trying to give money away when you don’t have any in your own bank account.
- Otherwise we will be operating in deficit
- Even Jesus, who was perfect, modelled this for us:
- it flowed from the love the Father had for him (This is my beloved Son)
- What was the joy that was set before Jesus?
- It was you! You are his joy!
- Because of you, the cross in all it’s agony was nothing to Jesus
- Jesus despised the shame so that we don’t have to suffer it!
- But how do I know if I am one of his disciples?
- Disciple simply means someone who follows a person’s teachings
- It’s not about how well you perform
- It’s about being commited in trust to that person
- You need to be committed to Jesus for him to be committed to you
- “Look” is a picture of this
Updated on 2019-06-30 by Andrew Fountain
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