Celebrating the freeing, supportive presence of God.  So your experience of God may become your experience of life.  It is wonderful what God can do!

  

 

CHRISTMAS EVE SERMON

Sermon Archive

FALLING IN LOVE

ON SUNDAY MORNINGS AT 8 AM IN OUR CHURCH PARLOR, DEE FINCH AND I ENJOY TEACHING A COURSE CALLED DISCIPLE I: LEARNING TO BECOME DISCIPLES THROUGH BIBLE STUDY. THE STUDY IS DESIGNED TO GET YOU THROUGH THE BIBLE IN A YEAR. ACTUALLY WHAT IS INTERESTING IS THAT RATHER THAN THERE FALLING ASLEEP LISTENING TO ME, AT THAT HOUR IN THE MORNING, I FALL ASLEEP FIRST. DESPITE THAT HANDICAP, WE ARE INTO THE OLD TESTAMENT NOW. AND ONE OF THE PATTERNS THAT THE CLASS HAS NOTICED IN THE BIBLE IS WHEN THE PEOPLE FIRST OBEY GOD, THEN THEY FALL AWAY FROM GOD. WHEN THEY FALL AWAY FROM GOD, THINGS GET BAD SO THEY PRAY TO GOD WHO RESPONDS WITH A LEADER LIKE GIDEON OR SAMSON TO RESCUE THE PEOPLE. THEN THEY OBEY GOD FOR A TIME UNTIL THEY AGAIN FALL AWAY.

ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR CLASS SAID THAT SHE WONDERED WHY GOD JUST DIDN'T GIVE UP BECAUSE THE PEOPLE KEEP REPEATING THE PATTERN AND FALLING AWAY FROM GOD.

AND WE KNOW TOO THAT IT ONLY GETS WORSE, FINALLY, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THEY KILL THE ONLY SON OF GOD.

SO, WHY DOESN'T GOD GIVE UP? WHY DOES GOD KEEP CARING?

FOR AN ANSWER, LET US TURN TO THE OLD TESTAMENT BOOK OF HOSEA. LISTEN TO THE WORDS OF GOD.

(READ HOSEA 11:1-4, 8-9)

THE REASON GOD DOESN'T GIVE UP ON US, THE REASON THAT GOD KEEPS CARING, IS THAT GOD CANNOT GET AROUND HIS LOVE FOR US, FOR YOU.

IT IS LIKE GOD HAS FALLEN IN LOVE WITH YOU AND CAN'T GET OVER IT.

OF COURSE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT KINDS OF LOVE. CONSIDERING THE GREEK UNDERSTANDING OF THE DEFINITIONS OF LOVE THERE ARE AT LEAST FOUR TYPES.

THE GREEK WORD STORGE FOR LOVE REFERS TO LOVE OF ANIMALS. THE GREEK WORK PHILADELPHIA REFERS TO BROTHERLY LOVE, LOVE FOR ONES FELLOW HUMAN BEING. THE WORD EROS REFERS TO ROMANTIC OR SEXUAL LOVE. BUT THE BIBLICAL WORD FOR LOVE? IT IS AGAPE.

GOD'S KIND OF LOVE IS AN UNCONDITIONAL LOVE. IT IS A LOVE THAT KEEPS ON CARING EVEN WHEN WE STOP CARING. IT IS A LOVE THAT IS WILLING TO SACRIFICE, SUFFER , EVEN DEATH ON A CROSS OUT OF LOVE FOR YOU AND I.

SO, IN THAT AGAPE SENSE, GOD IS STILL IN LOVE WITH YOU.

YET, WHAT IS OUR RESPONSE TO GOD'S LOVE?

SOMETIMES WE DON'T REALIZE HOW MUCH GOD DOES CARE. SO WHEN WE DON'T REALIZE THAT, THERE MAY BE NO RESPONSE ON OUR PART.

OR, WE MAY KNOW THAT GOD LOVES US BUT WE FORGET.

WE FORGET GOD'S LOVE FOR US. AND WE FORGET TO RESPOND WITH THANKFUL AND OBEDIENT HEARTS.

THEN TOO WE MAY INTENTIONALLY OR INTENTIONALLY SIN WHICH OF COURSE CAUSES US TO FEEL SEPARATED FROM GOD.

WE CENTER OUR LIFE ON SOMETHING OR SOMEONE OTHER THAN GOD WHICH CAUSES US TO FEEL LOST.

YET, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOU.

ON MONDAY AFTERNOON I WAS TAKING A LITTLE SHOPPING TRIP. THERE WERE A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I COULD ONLY GET NEAR BUFFALO WHERE I GREW UP.

TWO OF THOSE THINGS WERE BOCCE PIZZAS WHICH MY TWO BROTHERS AND I USED TO LOVE AS KIDS. SO, I STOPPED AT BOCCE PIZZA ON BAILEY AVENUE AND ORDERED TWO FOR TAKE OUTS. I ORDERED ONE FOR MY BROTHER RICH IN CHICAGO AND OTHER ONE FOR MY BROTHER ED IN WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA. THANKS TO FEDERAL EXPRESS, THE HALF BAKED PIZZAS, WHICH THEY CAN FINISH BAKING IN THEIR OVEN, ARRIVED THIS WEEK.

AND AS I WAS DRIVING ALONG LISTENING TO WKBW, MY RADIO STATION AS A KID, ONE OF THE TUNES THAT CAME ON WAS ENTITLED "NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE MY LOVE."

"MY LOVE IS HIGHER THAN THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN, WIDER THAN THE SKY, NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE MY LOVE."

AND AS I WAS ALSO PREPARING FOR THIS EVENING, THAT SONG REMINDED ME OF GOD'S LOVE.

IT IS LIKE GOD IS SINGING A LOVE SONG TO YOU, "NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE MY LOVE. MY LOVE IS HIGHER THAN THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN, WIDER THAN THE SKY" FOR YOU. NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE MY LOVE, FOR YOU.

YET, PERHAPS YOU HAVE NEVER EXPERIENCED GOD'S LOVE FOR YOU. OR, PERHAPS YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED IT BUT NOT LATELY.

IF SUCH IS THE CASE, GIVE YOURSELF THE BEST CHRISTMAS PRESENT EVER, ASK FOR AND RECEIVE GOD'S GENUINE LOVE FOR YOU THIS EVENING.

YOUR PRAYER COULD BE, "DEAR GOD, HELP ME TO UNDERSTAND YOUR CHANGELESS LOVE IN MY LIFE. IN JESUS NAME, I PRAY." AND GOD WILL ANSWER YOUR PRAYER.

YET, THERE IS A SECOND THOUGHT THAT COMES TO MIND FOR THIS EVENING TOO.

JUST AS GOD HAS FALLEN IN LOVE WITH YOU, SO TO SPEAK, AND INVITES YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH DOES CARE FOR YOU, GOD ALSO INVITES YOU TO DO SOMETHING ELSE.

GOD INVITES YOU TO FALL IN LOVE WITH OTHERS, EVEN THE WORLD.

I KNOW THAT MAY NOT SOUND JUST RIGHT AT FIRST, BUT REMEMBER GOD'S KIND OF LOVE, AGAPE LOVE.

REMEMBER TOO THE SCRIPTURE, "GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD ... ."

AND JESUS WORDS TO HIS DISCIPLES, "LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU."

SOUNDS GREAT BUT WE KNOW IT ISN'T ALWAYS AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS.

I WAS READING THE BIBLE ONE DAY AND I CAME ACROSS THIS VERSE, "PUT AWAY FROM YOU ALL BITTERNESS AND WRATH AND ANGER AND WRANGLING AND SLANDER, TOGETHER WITH ALL MALICE, AND BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER, TENDERHEARTED, FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, AS GOD IN CHRIST HAS FORGIVEN YOU." (EPHESIANS 4:31-32)

"FORGIVING ONE ANOTHER, AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGAVE YOU."

IS THERE SOMEONE YOU MAY NEED TO FORGIVE THIS EVENING AS GOD IN CHRIST FORGAVE YOU?

ALSO, TO TELESCOPE FROM CHRISTMAS EVE TO GOOD FRIDAY AND THE CROSS, CARING FOR OTHERS CAN BE VERY CHALLENGING.

FOR, HOW DO YOU CARE WHEN A CROWN OF THORNS HAS BEEN CRUSHED ON YOUR HEAD? HOW DO YOU CARE WHEN NAILS HAVE BEEN POUNDED IN YOUR HANDS AND FEET AND YOU HAVE BEEN NAILED TO A CROSS?

IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES OR ONES LIKE THOSE, JESUS KNOWS, JESUS KNOWS HOW TO LOVE. IT CAN BE MOST CHALLENGING TO LOVE WHEN WE SUFFER.

SO, TO BE HONEST, IT IS A CHALLENGE NOT ONLY TO FALL IN LOVE, IN AN AGAPE WAY, BUT TO CARE ABOUT OTHERS ESPECIALLY WHEN IT INVOLVES SACRIFICE ON OUR PART.

YET, THAT IS THE CHALLENGE THAT CHRIST HAS GIVEN US. LOVE ONE ANOTHER AS I HAVE LOVED YOU.

SO, A SECOND INVITATION FOR THIS EVENING? NOT ONLY RECEIVE GOD'S GENUINE LOVE FOR YOU, ALSO OFFER THAT LOVE TO OTHERS, OTHERS YOU KNOW BUT FIND HARD TO FORGIVE, OTHERS YOU KNOW BUT DON'T LIKE, OTHERS YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW.

SOUNDS A LITTLE LIKE THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT.

SO, FOR TONIGHT, LET YOURSELF KNOW YOU ARE LOVED. AND FOR THE NEW YEAR, SEEK TO GROW IN YOUR SPIRITUAL ABILITY TO FALL IN LOVE, IN AN AGAPE WAY, WITH OTHERS AND THE WORLD. YOU'LL NEVER REGRET IT.

LET US PRAY.

DEAR GOD,

THANK YOU FOR FALLING IN LOVE WITH US.

FORGIVE US FOR FALLING OUT OF LOVE WITH YOU.

HELP US FOR THE FIRST TIME OR AGAIN TO EXPERIENCE YOUR REDEEMING LOVE AND TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS.

FOR IN JESUS LOVING SPIRIT, WE PRAY, AMEN.

 

 

 

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