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Muskegon SDA Church

God is Love?

Kameron DeVasher

01-Because The Bible Says So

02-Did God Make the Devil?

03-God On Trial

04-Pardon & Power

05-Watch Out

06-Antichrist Evidence, Part 1

07-Antichrist Evidence, Part 2

08-The Law of Love

09-God’s Signature

10-The Return of the King

11-The Day the Devil Dies

12-The Good News About Hell

13-What Happens When I Die?

14-Heaven On Earth

15-The System of Sacrifices

16-The Bible’s Longest Prophecy

17-Jesus Is The Answer

18-The Antichrist’s Accomplice

19-The Mark of the Beast

20-The Final Warning

21-The Testimony of Jesus

22-Temple Maintenance

23-The Beauty of Holiness

24-Burying the Dead

25-Too Many Members

As we conclude this set of meetings, I want to share with you a message entitled, To Many Members.

But before we get started, let's begin with a word of prayer.

Heavenly Father, I thank you so, so very much for this Sabbath day.

And now, as we come to the final message in this series of meetings, I ask that you would give us spiritual insight to see what you want from us.

Help us to be the people you want us to be, to go where you want us to go.

Lord help us to Not be merely members, but Lord help us to see what you have in store for us.

So we pray it in Jesus name Amen of course the The great question has been is God truly love and I feel that as we've studied the Word of God and the fact the more You study the Word of God that answer becomes more and more not just a, well, probably or possibly, but a definitive yes, in fact, an exclamatory, absolutely 100% yes, God is love.

He sent His Son to die for us when we sinned and fell short of His glory.

He gives us so many abundant goodnesses and goodness and graces and we are so thankful to the Lord for that, that He is a God of love.

Now what I want to do for just a few moments here is to recap what love actually is.

And now that we see that God is love, what would it be like if we would be people of love as well?

What would that actually look like in the life?

Page 1107 in your pew Bible, 1 Corinthians chapter 13.

This is more commonly referred to as the love chapter The Apostle Paul writes about the importance of love and he gives us an interesting definition of love first Corinthians chapter 13 We'll just start with the verse 1 He says though I speak with the tongue of men and of angels but have not love I am become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal and though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains but have not love I am what nothing and though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I have give my body to be burned but I have not love it profits me nothing and again he's talking about the spirit of prophecy and understanding the truths of God's word and all of these things that we've covered in these meetings.

And if at the end of that we don't have love, it accounts for nothing, according to the Apostle Paul.

Does not envy, love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek, and here's our key, what does love not seek?

Its own, it's not about itself, but it's serving others, right?

Is not puffed up like arrogant, have a big head full of pride.

Love seeks for others, and love always manifests in not just a mere sympathy, and not just a mere affection, but it actually is put into motion, it's evidenced by deeds.

John chapter 3, perhaps the most well-known passage in all of Scripture, explains God's love for us.

Jesus here says, For God so loved the world that he what?

It envies, it parades itself, it's puffed up, it seeks its own, but love does not seek its own, it seeks for others.

And God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life God loves so much that he gave In fact in Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25.

That's a little typo there verse 25 the Apostle Paul explains That husband should love their wives even as Christ loved the church.

Husbands loved their wives even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her.

Let's go to the book of Philippians chapter 2.

In the light of the love of Jesus Christ, Notice the counsel of the Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 2.

We're going to start on page 1129 actually.

Philippians chapter 2 says, Therefore, verse 1, Philippians chapter 2 and verse 1, page 1129, Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, any comfort of love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, of any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of 1 accord and of 1 mind.

So if we've received the love of God, we should have the same love demonstrated in our lives.

But in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself." Verse 4, let each of you look out not only for his own interests but also for the interests of whom.

So if God loves us and He gives Himself for us, then we, if we respond to that love, if we align ourselves, if we connect ourselves with Jesus Christ, then that same love should be seen and evidenced in our lives.

Each of us should look not only for ourselves, but also for others.

Matthew chapter 7, page 940 in your pew Bible, Matthew chapter 7, Jesus speaks in these words.

It's a principle, It's known as the Golden Rule, Matthew chapter 7, verse 12.

Therefore, here's his summation here of this part of the Sermon on the Mount.

He says, therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.

He says everything in the Old Testament, all scripture, the whole purpose of everything is summed up in this.

Whatever you would like to have for you, you do for others.

Whatever you would like for yourself, do instead for someone else.

The golden rule, the simplest, most succinct, in fact it's the simplest condensation of all Scripture in 1 sentence.

Whatever you'd have men do to you, do unto others.

Now let's look at our fill in the blanks.

In contrast, of course, to Lucifer's selfishness, God intends his people to be governed by love.

The opposite of love is self, self-centered, self-seeking, self-aggrandizing, self-focus.

But of course, Jesus Christ is the opposite of that.

He's focused on others, for God so loved the world that he gave, who loved him and gave himself for us.

So you see the 2 governments being contrasted.

There's God's government, which is love, and Satan's, which is selfishness, self-seeking.

Love, then, is the principle, not a feeling, not a flight of fancy, not a mere affection, but love is a deep-seated principle of giving yourself for others.

Love is the principle of giving yourself for others.

Now, speaking of this golden rule, this summation of all scripture in this 1 principle, the great principle, the great working, operating principle of life in God's government is this love, the self-sacrificing, giving for others love.

Sometimes I fear that we have too small of an understanding of what Jesus meant with do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Sometimes we think of trifling small things, like I'm going to be, Which aren't unimportant, but they're just small-scale.

I'm gonna send them a card I'm gonna look out for the little interest and that's excellent.

That's excellent, but 1 of my favorite passages from a little book by on G white called thoughts from the Mount a blessing a little commentary on this Sermon on the Mount that Jesus gave in Matthew 5, 6, and 7, a little book called Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing.

Speaking of this golden rule principle of putting others first, notice what she says.

There is yet a deeper significance to the golden rule.

Everyone who has been made a steward of the manifold grace of God, you've been entrusted with the deep riches of God's love and his grace.

If you have received from God, everyone who has been made a steward of the manifold grace of God is called upon to, what's that next word?

Impart to souls in ignorance and darkness, even as, were he in their place, he would desire them to impart to him.

So now, let's say that we've come through this series of meetings, or you've been in the church for a very long time, and you've grown in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, you've studied His Word, You see his character more clearly, you're more in love with him every day, which should be the walk of the Christian all the time, growing in Christ, getting closer to him, seeking his face, studying his word.

And as you do, you have a clearer conception of his character, You have a clearer understanding, a deeper appreciation for his love.

You have a more firm foundation for your faith.

Series

God is Love?

25-Too Many Members

Transcript

Parent Series

Sponsor

Recorded

Attachments

Plenary

Why is Jesus Always Talking About Plants

1h

More Than a Weakling

44m

Keys of Revelation

22. Opening Lazarus’ Tomb

1h

GYC SE 2012 Seminar: Leadership

Ministry of Attendance

43m

Plant-based Evangelism

50m

The Doctrine of Personal Ministries

Part 2 - Who Fed the 5,000?

1h 13m

Caught in the Dragon’s Tail

50m

Acts: First Generation Lessons for Last Generation Believers

7. Guile

57m

GYC SE 2013 Plenary Sessions

Doing the Wrong Job Well

57m

Plenary

Closing Challenge: Mission Priority! It’s Harvest Time!

1h 4m

ASI 2012 Seminar: Evangelism

Bible Studies Made Easy

1h 22m

Emmanuel Training Sessions

8. How to Get Bible Studies- Part 2

1h 4m

Sound Doctrine