Three Angels
Broadcasting Network
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is pleased to bring
you something better,
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a faith inspiring
picture of a loving God
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from the Book of Hebrews.
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Welcome to 3ABN's
Virtual Homecoming Camp Meeting.
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Hello, friends, and welcome to
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the 3ABN Fall Camp Meeting 2021.
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My name is Ryan Day,
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and we are so blessed that
you're continuing to be with us
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and follow us
through this exciting
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camp meeting weekend.
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And during this hour
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we're going to hear from
our sister Shelley Quinn.
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She's going to be
bringing a special message to us
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entitled "Love Without Measure."
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I'm excited to hear it
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because I know Shelley always
brings a beautiful message
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of grace and love to remind us
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of who our Savior is
and our need for Him.
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But before we get
to Miss Shelley Quinn,
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I'm going to...
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I've been selected
to do the special music
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and after I sing this song,
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Shelley is going to come
out and deliver the message
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and she's going to
pray with us as well.
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But the song I'm going to sing
at this time beautiful song,
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beautiful gospel song,
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and it is
entitled "The Solid Rock."
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I hope it blesses you.
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On Christ, the solid
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Rock, I stand
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All other ground is sinking sand
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All other ground is sinking sand
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My hope is built on nothing less
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Than Jesus'
blood and righteousness
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I dare not trust
the sweetest frame
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But wholly lean on Jesus' name
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On Christ, the
solid Rock, I stand
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All other ground is sinking sand
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All other ground is sinking sand
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When darkness
veils His lovely face
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I rest on His unchanging grace
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In every high and stormy gale
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My anchor holds within the veil
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On Christ, the
solid Rock, I stand
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All other ground is sinking sand
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All other ground is sinking sand
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His oath, His word, His blood
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Support me in the flood
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When all around gives way
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He then is all my hope and stay
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When He shall
come with trumpet sound
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Oh, may I then in Him be found
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Dressed in His
righteousness alone
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Faultless to
stand before the throne
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All other ground is sinking sand
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All other ground is sinking sand
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On Christ, the
solid Rock, I stand
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On Christ, the
solid Rock, I stand
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All other ground is sinking sand
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On Christ, the
solid Rock, I stand
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Amen. Whoo!
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Mercy. Thank you, Ryan.
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Oh, we've had
church already, haven't we?
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I don't know about
you, but this has been
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such a blessed
camp meeting to me,
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I have loved James' messages.
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He's such a wonderful
addition to the 3ABN team,
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but every one of our group,
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God has hand-selected messages
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and put them in people's hearts.
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And they dovetail together.
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I just have two words for you.
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And those words
are infinity focus.
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Infinity focus.
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If you are an
amateur astronomer,
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or an amateur
camera photographer,
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then you're familiar
with this term infinity focus,
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cameras, telescopes,
and microscopes all have
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what is called
an objective lens,
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and it gathers the light
from the object being observed.
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And it focuses those light
rays to produce a real image.
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But, you know,
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as you look
through the viewfinder,
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if you're an amateur,
often you have a difficult time
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getting the
correct infinity focus.
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And this principle applies to
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our spiritual
viewfinder as well.
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What today's
message is all about
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is to help us
increase the focus,
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our infinity focus
on the love of God,
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Love Without Measure.
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Let me ask you three questions.
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What is the most
important thing about you?
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What is the most
important thing about you?
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And what is love?
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How do you measure it?
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The third question is this.
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Do you realize that you
are the object of God's love?
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You are the
object of God's love.
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You may scorn the Bible,
you may reject God's counsel,
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you may even resist
His authority in your life,
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but whether you know it or not,
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you are the
object of God's love.
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But this love,
however, cannot save you
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if you continue to
resist the power of His love.
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So let's pray.
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Heavenly Father,
and we pause again today
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to come before You
in the name of Jesus.
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Oh, Lord, our
prayer right now is that
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You will send Your
Holy Spirit to give us
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and give us ears to
hear what the Holy Spirit
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has to say to us
through Your Word.
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Oh, Father,
increase our infinity focus.
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Help us to see
You for who You are.
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Lord, I pray You will
get me out of the way,
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just lead me by the
power of Your Holy Spirit
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that the words I
speak may line up
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with the
Scriptures we are presenting.
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Father, help us
to know Your love.
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In Jesus' name, we pray,
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thanking You for the
answer to the prayer of faith.
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Amen.
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What is the most
important thing about you?
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The thing that
matters most in your life,
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is how you see and
understand the nature
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and the character of God.
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Why you ask?
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Because an
accurate picture of God
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can prevent a wasted life.
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You can achieve
financial freedom.
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You can have
great fame in the world,
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but you can live a wasted life.
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I grew up in a
New Testament Church.
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And we had an out
of perspective focus.
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I was taught that
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the Old Testament
didn't matter to Christians,
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I didn't see
that both Testaments
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were the unfolding
progressive revelation of God
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of His everlasting covenant.
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I didn't see
that the New Testament
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is contained in the
Old and the Old Testament
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is explained in the New.
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I was taught that God,
the God of the Old Testament
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was stern and demanding,
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and I couldn't see
that both the Old Testament
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and the New Testament
present our Creator God
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as a God of love.
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I was also taught
that I would spend
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if I was not perfect that
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I was going to
spend aeons of ages
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in unceasing
torment in hellfire.
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I didn't know that
the scriptures taught
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that man was mortal
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and we didn't
put on immortality,
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this saved until Jesus returned,
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and that people who were sinners
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and rejected Him
would perish in hellfire
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as the second death.
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So what happened?
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I thought, "Well, Lord,
You're impossible to please.
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There's no way I can avoid hell.
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And I turned my
back on the Lord."
00:10:31.23\00:10:33.76
But the best thing my
mother ever taught me was this.
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She said, "Shelley,
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don't believe
something just because you hear
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it from a pulpit,
you focus on the Word,
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you get into the Word of God,
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and make sure that
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what you're hearing is correct."
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In my blurred vision,
my beliefs were wrong,
00:10:49.78\00:10:54.15
they did not line up
with God's self-revelation
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in His Word.
00:10:58.72\00:11:00.52
Instead, they reflected
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a demonic
disinformation campaign
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that the devil
has been spreading
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since he was in heaven.
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But still, you know what,
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it's difficult to rid ourselves
of preconceived opinions.
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Preconceived opinions
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will insulate our
mind against truth.
00:11:19.81\00:11:23.38
And for me, the
turning point was one day
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as I read Hebrews 1:3,
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and I saw in
Hebrews 1:3 that it says,
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Jesus is exact
expression of the Father,
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the person of Jesus
Christ, who walked this earth,
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as loving as He
was as loving as He is.
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Jesus is the exact
expression of the Father.
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So we see that
the Father is love.
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And I read the Bible
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with a new focus
through the lens of love,
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and I learned
life changing truths.
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I want to read you a
quote from CH Spurgeon.
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He was a Baptist
preacher in the 1800s.
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Here's what he wrote,
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"When I thought God was
hard, I found it easy to sin,
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but when I found God so kind,
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so good, so
overflowing with compassion,
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I smote upon my breast
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to think that I could ever have
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rebelled against
One who loved me so,
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and sought my good.
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It is God's kindness
that leads us to repentance."
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Oh, how I can
relate to that scripture.
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So what is love?
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The Bible defines love
in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8,
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and it says,
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"Love suffers long and
is kind, love does not envy,
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it does not parade
itself, it is not puffed up,
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it does not behave
rudely, does not seek its own,
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it is not
provoked, it thinks no evil,
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does not rejoice in iniquity,
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but always
rejoices in the truth,
00:12:59.11\00:13:01.44
it bears all
things, believes all things,
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hopes all things,
endures all things."
00:13:04.01\00:13:07.48
And in 1 Corinthians
13:8 concludes this by saying,
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"Love never fails."
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You may be saying, "Oh, really?"
00:13:14.42\00:13:16.89
See, human love
can waver and waned,
00:13:16.93\00:13:21.56
but this is
talking about divine love,
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agape love,
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and we're going to take focus in
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on that in just a moment.
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As I was
contemplating this message,
00:13:30.94\00:13:33.51
you know what I realized?
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We humans measure everything
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because measurements give
us answers to our question,
00:13:38.38\00:13:42.68
but to measure
anything, the size,
00:13:42.72\00:13:46.35
or the amount, or
the degree of anything,
00:13:46.39\00:13:50.56
we must compare it
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to something that exists
00:13:53.46\00:13:56.67
a standard unit of something.
00:13:56.70\00:14:00.00
We have standards
00:14:00.04\00:14:01.37
by which we
measure intelligence,
00:14:01.40\00:14:03.61
wealth, civil
justice, social justice,
00:14:03.64\00:14:07.08
the list is endless.
00:14:07.11\00:14:11.38
But, biophysicist
measure microscopic molecules,
00:14:11.41\00:14:16.52
and then astronomers
measure the vast galaxies
00:14:16.55\00:14:20.66
in our universe, but
how do we measure love?
00:14:20.69\00:14:25.03
How do we measure love?
00:14:25.06\00:14:27.90
Love is measured by
heartfelt commitment,
00:14:27.93\00:14:32.07
and self-sacrifice.
00:14:32.10\00:14:34.24
In 1 John 4:16, the
Bible says, "God is love."
00:14:34.27\00:14:39.64
Can we measure God's love?
00:14:39.67\00:14:41.44
If to measure anything,
00:14:41.48\00:14:43.55
we have to have a standard unit
00:14:43.58\00:14:46.21
by which we can compare it to.
00:14:46.25\00:14:50.85
I submit to you
God's love is immeasurable
00:14:50.89\00:14:54.82
because there is nothing
to which it can be compared.
00:14:54.86\00:15:00.00
It is hard
00:15:00.03\00:15:01.36
for the finite
human mind to direct to,
00:15:01.40\00:15:06.00
get the correct infinity
00:15:06.03\00:15:09.00
focus on an infinite God.
00:15:09.04\00:15:13.24
God's love cannot be measured,
00:15:13.27\00:15:14.98
but it can be
known through the truth
00:15:15.01\00:15:16.98
that we find in Scripture
00:15:17.01\00:15:18.35
and through our
personal experience.
00:15:18.38\00:15:20.95
In John 15:13, Jesus said this.
00:15:20.98\00:15:24.35
"Greater love
has no one than this,
00:15:24.39\00:15:27.69
than to lay down his
life for his friends."
00:15:27.72\00:15:32.16
Now most often we associate
this scripture with the cross,
00:15:32.19\00:15:36.60
with Jesus'
sacrificial death on the cross,
00:15:36.63\00:15:40.20
when the supreme
expression of God's love
00:15:40.24\00:15:43.24
when He paid the
penalty for our sins.
00:15:43.27\00:15:45.67
And, you know, Jesus could,
at that moment of crucifixion,
00:15:45.71\00:15:49.44
He could have
called a legion of angels
00:15:49.48\00:15:52.35
to come and rescue Him.
00:15:52.38\00:15:54.05
It wasn't nails that
helped Jesus to the cross,
00:15:54.08\00:15:57.72
it was love.
00:15:57.75\00:15:59.42
Love is self-sacrificing.
00:15:59.45\00:16:01.06
Often we will
hear of a parent dying
00:16:01.09\00:16:04.79
in the place of a child,
00:16:04.83\00:16:06.46
or we will hear of
a soldier who falls
00:16:06.49\00:16:09.50
on a grenade to save his unit.
00:16:09.53\00:16:13.64
God did much more than
falling on a grenade for us.
00:16:13.67\00:16:19.07
I want to read to you,
00:16:19.11\00:16:20.44
I have many favorite scriptures.
00:16:20.48\00:16:22.64
But one of my two
most favorite scripture
00:16:22.68\00:16:25.75
passages is found
in Philippians 2:5-8,
00:16:25.78\00:16:31.72
I'm going to read it
to you from the Amplified.
00:16:31.75\00:16:34.46
Philippians 2:5-8 pictures
00:16:34.49\00:16:39.79
a love that is without measure.
00:16:39.83\00:16:43.00
Verse 5 says this.
00:16:43.03\00:16:44.63
"Let the same
attitude and purpose
00:16:44.67\00:16:46.23
and humble mind be
00:16:46.27\00:16:47.60
in you which
was in Christ Jesus.
00:16:47.64\00:16:49.04
Let Him be your
example in humility.
00:16:49.07\00:16:52.21
Who, although being
00:16:52.24\00:16:55.54
essentially one with God
00:16:55.58\00:16:58.81
and in the form
of God possessing
00:16:58.85\00:17:02.95
the fullness of the
attributes which make God
00:17:02.98\00:17:07.02
God, did not think
this equality with God
00:17:07.06\00:17:10.49
was a thing to be
eagerly grasped or retained,
00:17:10.53\00:17:14.30
but stripped Himself
of all the privileges
00:17:14.33\00:17:18.23
and rightful dignity,
00:17:18.27\00:17:19.97
so as to assume
the guise of a servant,
00:17:20.00\00:17:24.44
a slave,
00:17:24.47\00:17:26.27
in that He became like men
and was born a human being.
00:17:26.31\00:17:30.28
And after He
appeared in human form,"
00:17:30.31\00:17:32.95
verse 8 says,
00:17:32.98\00:17:34.32
"He abased and
humbled Himself still further
00:17:34.35\00:17:36.89
and carried out His obedience
to the extreme of death,
00:17:36.92\00:17:42.59
even the death of the cross!"
00:17:42.62\00:17:45.26
So what is
Philippians 2:5-8 say to us?
00:17:45.29\00:17:49.16
The second
person of the Godhead,
00:17:49.20\00:17:51.63
our Creator God
existed throughout eternity
00:17:51.67\00:17:56.74
in the essential
unchanging nature
00:17:56.77\00:18:00.84
and character of God.
00:18:00.88\00:18:02.98
And our Creator God didn't cling
00:18:03.01\00:18:05.71
to His divine privileges,
but He emptied Himself,
00:18:05.75\00:18:09.72
He stepped out of
heaven, He came to earth.
00:18:09.75\00:18:13.92
And God became a human,
00:18:13.96\00:18:17.26
in the person of Jesus Christ,
00:18:17.29\00:18:20.23
becoming like us in every way.
00:18:20.26\00:18:23.26
Bible scholars refer
00:18:23.30\00:18:25.27
to this not as His humility,
00:18:25.30\00:18:30.04
but his humiliation,
00:18:30.07\00:18:32.77
and then He
humbled Himself further,
00:18:32.81\00:18:35.44
and He took our sins upon Him,
00:18:35.48\00:18:39.05
and He died as a
criminal on a cross.
00:18:39.08\00:18:44.22
What amazes me is this
plan was in place to rescue us,
00:18:44.25\00:18:48.89
before the
foundations of the world,
00:18:48.92\00:18:50.93
before we were even formed
00:18:50.96\00:18:53.19
in anticipation of God
00:18:53.23\00:18:57.70
being incarnated
as a human being.
00:18:57.73\00:19:01.94
The Bible says this about Him.
00:19:01.97\00:19:04.51
And this is my
most favorite scripture,
00:19:04.54\00:19:08.18
Revelation 13:8 that He was,
00:19:08.21\00:19:13.25
is the Lamb who was slain
00:19:13.28\00:19:16.58
from the
foundation of the world.
00:19:16.62\00:19:19.02
God had a plan to save us.
00:19:19.05\00:19:22.96
Let me give you a quick
recap of why this was necessary.
00:19:24.56\00:19:28.36
The first Adam
created in the Garden of Eden,
00:19:28.40\00:19:31.03
was the first human
representative of all mankind.
00:19:31.07\00:19:36.50
Adam sinned, he fell,
00:19:36.54\00:19:39.11
and his fallen
nature was passed on to us.
00:19:39.14\00:19:41.88
But from the moment
that Adam and Eve sinned,
00:19:41.91\00:19:45.45
God began to shape history
toward reconciling Adam and Eve
00:19:45.48\00:19:51.15
and all of their
children to Himself.
00:19:51.19\00:19:54.46
He took him on Himself,
00:19:54.49\00:19:58.26
our flesh to become humankind's
00:19:58.29\00:20:03.63
new representative
00:20:03.67\00:20:06.60
to become in the
person of Jesus Christ,
00:20:06.63\00:20:11.34
the New Covenant Son of God
00:20:11.37\00:20:15.41
through whom all the blessings
00:20:15.44\00:20:17.58
of the covenant
would be passed on.
00:20:17.61\00:20:19.88
God's government
00:20:19.91\00:20:21.45
is based on His Ten
Commandment law of love.
00:20:21.48\00:20:26.05
And you know what
that law of love does?
00:20:26.09\00:20:28.29
It puts
boundaries around behaviors
00:20:28.32\00:20:32.03
to show our love for God,
and our love for humankind.
00:20:32.06\00:20:36.20
But unfortunately,
00:20:36.23\00:20:37.57
man has broken God's
00:20:37.60\00:20:41.60
Ten Commandment law
of love since the fall.
00:20:41.64\00:20:44.84
And you know what
the Bible identifies
00:20:44.87\00:20:46.37
that as sin.
00:20:46.41\00:20:48.64
God set the penalty for sin.
00:20:48.68\00:20:51.58
It was death.
00:20:51.61\00:20:53.42
But God paid
the penalty for sin.
00:20:53.45\00:20:57.29
In the person of Jesus Christ
00:20:57.32\00:21:00.29
He became our human
substitute sacrifice.
00:21:00.32\00:21:05.33
He had to
become a human to stand
00:21:05.36\00:21:07.50
in as a
substitute for the human,
00:21:07.53\00:21:09.80
and He paid the
full penalty of our sins.
00:21:09.83\00:21:14.24
I'm sure if you're a Christian,
you will agree with that.
00:21:14.27\00:21:18.04
But let me give
you a little thought.
00:21:18.07\00:21:20.88
If the penalty for our sin
00:21:20.91\00:21:24.35
is unceasing torment,
00:21:24.38\00:21:27.52
then Christ didn't
pay the full penalty,
00:21:27.55\00:21:31.95
something to think on.
00:21:31.99\00:21:33.96
But on the cross
something amazing happened.
00:21:33.99\00:21:38.19
God imputed or credited,
00:21:38.23\00:21:42.76
all of our sins were
taken from our account,
00:21:42.80\00:21:45.83
and they were put on
our Savior's bleeding back,
00:21:45.87\00:21:51.24
He carried the
burden of our sins,
00:21:51.27\00:21:54.11
but He did that
00:21:54.14\00:21:55.48
so that there
could be this exchange.
00:21:55.51\00:21:58.05
And He took
Christ's righteousness.
00:21:58.08\00:22:01.25
And He imputed or
credited to our account.
00:22:01.28\00:22:05.85
In 2 Corinthians 5:21 it says,
00:22:05.89\00:22:08.76
"He made Him who knew
no sin to be sin for us,
00:22:08.79\00:22:13.50
that we might
become the righteousness
00:22:13.53\00:22:16.77
of God in Him."
00:22:16.80\00:22:19.67
But He offers more
than forgiveness of sin.
00:22:19.70\00:22:23.37
He offers us reconciliation.
00:22:23.41\00:22:27.14
He offers us
righteousness by faith.
00:22:27.18\00:22:31.01
For those who accept the Lord
00:22:31.05\00:22:34.18
as Jesus Christ as their Savior.
00:22:34.22\00:22:37.59
He restores our
relationship with Himself.
00:22:37.62\00:22:41.26
He restores us.
00:22:41.29\00:22:42.92
In 2
Corinthians 5:19, Paul says,
00:22:42.96\00:22:45.76
"God was in Christ
restoring the world to Himself,
00:22:45.79\00:22:51.27
not imputing their
trespasses to them."
00:22:51.30\00:22:55.07
You know what's amazing?
00:22:55.10\00:22:56.81
He ascended in this human flesh.
00:22:56.84\00:23:01.18
Yes, it was
glorified human flesh.
00:23:01.21\00:23:03.55
But He ascended to heaven.
00:23:03.58\00:23:06.35
He took our flesh
nature back to heaven,
00:23:06.38\00:23:11.29
He was forever changed.
00:23:11.32\00:23:15.56
When we understand that
our Creator became one of us.
00:23:15.59\00:23:20.26
And He will
retain our human nature
00:23:20.30\00:23:22.96
throughout eternity,
00:23:23.00\00:23:24.57
so that He can be completely man
00:23:24.60\00:23:27.24
and completely God.
00:23:27.27\00:23:28.97
You talk about a
life changing infinity
00:23:29.00\00:23:32.37
focus on His love.
00:23:32.41\00:23:34.94
Now He serves as our High Priest
00:23:34.98\00:23:38.41
who sympathizes
with our weaknesses.
00:23:38.45\00:23:41.28
Oh, it's so much more
than falling on a grenade,
00:23:41.32\00:23:45.29
not only did He die for
us, but He lives for us.
00:23:45.32\00:23:49.62
Hebrews 7:25 says,
00:23:49.66\00:23:51.36
"He is able to save
to the uttermost those
00:23:51.39\00:23:54.66
who come to God through Him,
00:23:54.70\00:23:56.70
since He always lives to
make intercession for them."
00:23:56.73\00:24:02.30
Can you clearly see this picture
00:24:02.34\00:24:06.98
of His love?
00:24:07.01\00:24:08.34
There's no human standard
00:24:08.38\00:24:10.05
by which we can
or which we can use
00:24:10.08\00:24:13.45
to compare this.
00:24:13.48\00:24:15.65
God's love is immeasurable.
00:24:15.68\00:24:17.32
It is love without measure.
00:24:17.35\00:24:19.82
And Paul
explains that the only way
00:24:19.85\00:24:21.72
that we can know this love
00:24:21.76\00:24:23.53
is by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
00:24:23.56\00:24:25.76
Listen to what he says to you.
00:24:25.79\00:24:28.00
In Ephesians 3:16-19,
00:24:28.03\00:24:30.63
"You must be
strengthened with might
00:24:30.67\00:24:33.20
through the
Spirit in the inner man,
00:24:33.23\00:24:36.50
that Christ may dwell in
your hearts through faith."
00:24:36.54\00:24:41.24
That's the only way
Christ can dwell in our hearts
00:24:41.28\00:24:43.45
is through faith.
00:24:43.48\00:24:46.35
"That you, being
rooted and grounded in love,
00:24:46.38\00:24:50.59
may be able to
comprehend with all the saints
00:24:50.62\00:24:54.39
what is the width and
the length and the depth
00:24:54.42\00:24:57.76
and the height to
know the love of Christ
00:24:57.79\00:25:01.30
which passes knowledge."
00:25:01.33\00:25:04.00
Paul's resorting to
language of cosmic dimensions
00:25:04.03\00:25:09.67
to explain this
immeasurable love.
00:25:09.70\00:25:12.41
The width includes all peoples,
00:25:12.44\00:25:15.61
every nation,
tongue, tribe, and people.
00:25:15.64\00:25:19.01
The length extends to
all ages of earth's history,
00:25:19.05\00:25:24.29
the depth of His
love reaches down
00:25:24.32\00:25:27.22
to the lowest need of humanity,
00:25:27.26\00:25:30.66
and the height of His love
goes beyond the highest heavens.
00:25:30.69\00:25:36.00
You know, it amazes me.
00:25:36.03\00:25:38.33
Astronomers have measured
00:25:38.37\00:25:41.84
hundreds of
billions of galaxies,
00:25:41.87\00:25:45.64
but no one can
measure God's love.
00:25:45.67\00:25:48.54
It is measureless, but yet,
00:25:48.58\00:25:51.61
His love can be
known by experience.
00:25:51.65\00:25:53.78
Romans 5:5 says,
00:25:53.82\00:25:55.22
"God pours His love
00:25:55.25\00:25:57.75
into our hearts
by the Holy Spirit."
00:25:57.79\00:26:01.59
So what does
this scripture mean?
00:26:01.62\00:26:03.53
God is love.
00:26:03.56\00:26:04.99
I'm going to tell you,
00:26:05.03\00:26:06.36
the English word
love is overused.
00:26:06.39\00:26:07.96
We say, "Oh, I
love the color blue.
00:26:08.00\00:26:09.90
I love pizza.
00:26:09.93\00:26:11.50
I love my friends.
00:26:11.53\00:26:12.87
I love my family."
00:26:12.90\00:26:14.77
But a quick
study of the word love
00:26:14.80\00:26:16.40
in the original languages
00:26:16.44\00:26:18.04
of the Bible
provides a sharper focus.
00:26:18.07\00:26:22.01
The New Testament employ,
00:26:22.04\00:26:24.25
the writers
employed several Greek words
00:26:24.28\00:26:28.05
to describe the kinds
of love that God expresses.
00:26:28.08\00:26:32.05
And we're just
going to focus on one.
00:26:32.09\00:26:33.72
All three of these words
00:26:33.76\00:26:35.56
are just merely
"love" in English.
00:26:35.59\00:26:38.89
But we're going to
focus on the Greek word
00:26:38.93\00:26:40.70
that is used most often of
God to describe His nature.
00:26:40.73\00:26:44.67
And that word is agape, agape.
00:26:44.70\00:26:49.40
In 1 John 4:16 it
says, "God is love."
00:26:49.44\00:26:53.98
In the Greek it's
saying, "God is agape."
00:26:54.01\00:26:58.25
It is used to define
the essential nature of God.
00:26:58.28\00:27:04.09
God is not just loving.
00:27:04.12\00:27:07.59
God is love, His nature,
00:27:07.62\00:27:11.39
the essence of
His being is love.
00:27:11.43\00:27:14.63
Now Christians have
00:27:14.66\00:27:16.00
a familiar definition for agape,
00:27:16.03\00:27:19.87
we could say it's
unconditional love.
00:27:19.90\00:27:23.00
But we need to
focus our objective lens
00:27:23.04\00:27:26.17
just a little bit more
00:27:26.21\00:27:28.48
so that we can
produce a real image of God.
00:27:28.51\00:27:32.28
Agape recognizes the
worth of every individual,
00:27:32.31\00:27:36.79
it seeks
opportunity to do good for all,
00:27:36.82\00:27:41.92
it esteems people
highly and it's a commitment
00:27:41.96\00:27:47.50
that's not an impulsive feeling,
00:27:47.53\00:27:50.70
but a commitment
to the welfare of all.
00:27:50.73\00:27:53.50
In James 1:17, the Bible says,
00:27:53.54\00:27:57.37
"God is the giver of
every good and perfect gift."
00:27:57.41\00:28:00.48
His gift of common grace
is made known to all mankind.
00:28:00.51\00:28:05.25
The rain falls on
the just and the unjust.
00:28:05.28\00:28:08.72
And His gift of
saving grace is given to all
00:28:08.75\00:28:14.42
who will accept Him as Savior.
00:28:14.46\00:28:17.46
So this agape,
00:28:17.49\00:28:19.19
unconditional love is a
matter of principle and duty.
00:28:19.23\00:28:24.40
It's unselfish love
that is ready to serve
00:28:24.43\00:28:28.84
that's who our God is.
00:28:28.87\00:28:30.81
How is love manifested?
00:28:30.84\00:28:33.14
How is love made known?
00:28:33.17\00:28:35.61
Love is made known by
the actions that it prompts.
00:28:35.64\00:28:40.78
God's nature of
self-sacrificing love
00:28:40.82\00:28:45.55
was made clearly known to us
00:28:45.59\00:28:49.62
when God came down from heaven
and became a man to die for us.
00:28:49.66\00:28:55.26
In John 3:16, the Bible says,
00:28:55.30\00:28:57.77
"For God so loved the world
00:28:57.80\00:28:59.60
that He gave His
only begotten Son,
00:28:59.63\00:29:03.34
the person of Jesus
Christ, the covenant Son,
00:29:03.37\00:29:08.48
that whoever believes in Him
00:29:08.51\00:29:11.25
should not perish but
have everlasting life."
00:29:11.28\00:29:15.48
God is a Savior by nature.
00:29:15.52\00:29:19.32
God is not hostile.
00:29:19.35\00:29:21.46
He is not indifferent.
00:29:21.49\00:29:23.69
In Romans 5:8, it says,
00:29:23.73\00:29:25.23
"That God
demonstrates His love for us
00:29:25.26\00:29:28.26
in that while we
were still sinners,
00:29:28.30\00:29:32.87
Christ died for us."
00:29:32.90\00:29:34.80
See, agape love is not partial.
00:29:34.84\00:29:38.41
God's nature is just,
00:29:38.44\00:29:41.84
He cannot be partial.
00:29:41.88\00:29:45.28
He cannot show partiality.
00:29:45.31\00:29:47.78
Romans 2:11 says,
00:29:47.82\00:29:50.25
"There is no
partiality with God."
00:29:50.29\00:29:53.66
He loves all of humanity,
not because we're deserving,
00:29:53.69\00:29:57.56
but because His nature is love.
00:29:57.59\00:29:59.76
Are you getting
a clearer infinity
00:29:59.79\00:30:02.50
focus on the love of God,
00:30:02.53\00:30:05.50
His inherent essential essence,
00:30:05.53\00:30:09.57
His nature, His
unconditional, unselfish,
00:30:09.60\00:30:14.14
other centered love,
00:30:14.18\00:30:16.34
and I have to add this.
00:30:16.38\00:30:22.18
His nature of love establishes
00:30:22.22\00:30:27.76
His character of
perfect holiness.
00:30:27.79\00:30:32.46
Love cannot sin.
00:30:32.49\00:30:36.70
Divine love and divine
holiness are inseparable.
00:30:36.73\00:30:40.90
God is holy, He is morally pure,
00:30:40.94\00:30:43.81
He is just, He is righteous.
00:30:43.84\00:30:46.21
God is completely separated
00:30:46.24\00:30:50.11
from sin.
00:30:50.15\00:30:52.65
God cannot sin.
00:30:52.68\00:30:55.32
He cannot lie and use the
weapons of Satan's warfare.
00:30:55.35\00:31:00.19
God's attributes,
00:31:00.22\00:31:02.52
and His character must be viewed
00:31:02.56\00:31:06.33
as compatible with
His nature of love,
00:31:06.36\00:31:10.87
including His holy anger
00:31:10.90\00:31:15.20
and His wrath against sin.
00:31:15.24\00:31:17.97
Sin is an offense against love.
00:31:18.01\00:31:22.04
And it invokes God's
00:31:22.08\00:31:25.71
holy sense of justice.
00:31:25.75\00:31:28.85
His justice is
rooted and grounded in love.
00:31:28.88\00:31:34.52
And His justice was
satisfied at the cross.
00:31:34.56\00:31:38.49
Psalm 85:10 says,
00:31:38.53\00:31:39.93
"Mercy and grace
had met together,
00:31:39.96\00:31:41.80
righteousness and
peace have kissed."
00:31:41.83\00:31:44.77
God revealed His
truth at the cross.
00:31:44.80\00:31:47.74
When mercy,
00:31:47.77\00:31:49.10
pardon and truth met
God's righteous justice
00:31:49.14\00:31:54.21
and His peace,
00:31:54.24\00:31:55.84
embrace with a
kiss of a loving friend.
00:31:55.88\00:32:00.35
Don't let His
love blur your vision
00:32:00.38\00:32:04.82
of His holiness.
00:32:04.85\00:32:06.79
His plan of salvation
is by grace through faith.
00:32:06.82\00:32:10.66
But His love,
His grace toward us
00:32:10.69\00:32:14.36
is not sentimental hogwash
00:32:14.40\00:32:18.23
that doesn't
expect behavioral changes.
00:32:18.27\00:32:21.90
God doesn't put
lipstick on a pig and say,
00:32:21.94\00:32:25.44
"Oh, you're beautiful."
00:32:25.47\00:32:26.98
Matthew 7:21,
Jesus said these words.
00:32:27.01\00:32:32.01
And He said, "Not
everyone who says to Me,
00:32:32.05\00:32:34.35
'Lord, Lord, 'shall
enter the kingdom of heaven,
00:32:34.38\00:32:36.99
but he who does the will
of My Father in heaven.'"
00:32:37.02\00:32:42.92
He who walks in
obedience, motivated by love.
00:32:42.96\00:32:47.86
Jesus wants
those who died for...
00:32:47.90\00:32:50.57
That He died
for to be in heaven.
00:32:50.60\00:32:53.94
And I want you to
listen to this message
00:32:53.97\00:32:55.90
that He spoke to a
lukewarm half-hearted church
00:32:55.94\00:33:00.91
of Laodicea.
00:33:00.94\00:33:02.41
In Revelation 3:19.
00:33:02.44\00:33:04.65
Jesus says, "As many as I love,
00:33:04.68\00:33:07.72
I rebuke and chasten,
00:33:07.75\00:33:09.32
therefore be
zealous and repent."
00:33:09.35\00:33:12.05
He's talking to complacent,
00:33:12.09\00:33:14.79
self-satisfied church folk,
00:33:14.82\00:33:18.23
but His love and His
concern is still with them.
00:33:18.26\00:33:22.23
He seeks
00:33:22.26\00:33:23.73
to bring their conviction of sin
00:33:23.77\00:33:28.37
by His rebuke,
00:33:28.40\00:33:30.11
and He seeks to bring them
00:33:30.14\00:33:32.97
to repentance
through His chastening.
00:33:33.01\00:33:35.61
Both His rebuke
and His chastening
00:33:35.64\00:33:38.88
are an expression
00:33:38.91\00:33:40.75
of fatherly love, not anger.
00:33:40.78\00:33:44.79
And we see that in
the very next verse.
00:33:44.82\00:33:47.26
Here, He's
talking to these people.
00:33:47.29\00:33:49.82
And then He says
suddenly to them,
00:33:49.86\00:33:52.13
"Behold," this
is Revelation 3:20,
00:33:52.16\00:33:55.03
"I stand at the door and knock.
00:33:55.06\00:33:57.17
If anyone hears My
voice and opens the door,
00:33:57.20\00:34:00.14
I will come in
and dine with him,
00:34:00.17\00:34:01.77
and he with Me."
00:34:01.80\00:34:04.11
Whether you're
out of the church,
00:34:04.14\00:34:07.04
or in the church, God
seeks access to your heart.
00:34:07.08\00:34:11.91
1 Timothy 2:4 says,
00:34:11.95\00:34:13.78
"God's heart wants
all humanity to be saved
00:34:13.82\00:34:19.05
and to come to the
knowledge of the truth."
00:34:19.09\00:34:21.39
He seeks to save the lost
00:34:21.42\00:34:25.13
and He rejoices
every time someone repents,
00:34:25.16\00:34:28.96
changes their mind
about sin, and is converting,
00:34:29.00\00:34:32.60
turning away from sin
and toward Him for salvation.
00:34:32.63\00:34:36.50
God wants all to be saved.
00:34:36.54\00:34:39.04
You are the
object of His agape love.
00:34:39.07\00:34:43.21
Now, is the God
of the Old Testament
00:34:43.24\00:34:45.61
different than the
God of the New Testament?
00:34:45.65\00:34:48.28
Let me tell you something.
00:34:48.32\00:34:49.92
God's nature of
love is unchanging.
00:34:49.95\00:34:55.62
God says, "I'm unchanging."
00:34:55.66\00:35:00.00
In Malachi 3:6 in
the Old Testament,
00:35:00.03\00:35:03.70
He says, "I am the
Lord, I change not."
00:35:03.73\00:35:07.00
And then the New
Testament in Hebrews 13:8 says,
00:35:07.04\00:35:09.97
"Jesus is the same
yesterday, today, and forever."
00:35:10.01\00:35:13.38
So His loving concern,
00:35:13.41\00:35:16.64
the generosity and
care of God is consistent.
00:35:16.68\00:35:21.08
It's same in both the
Old and New Testaments.
00:35:21.12\00:35:24.82
So we've looked at
agape from the New Testament,
00:35:24.85\00:35:28.46
let's look at one
of the Hebrew words
00:35:28.49\00:35:32.66
that expresses God's
love in the Old Testament.
00:35:32.69\00:35:36.53
And this is, there's several,
00:35:36.56\00:35:38.67
but we're going to
look at this Hebrew word,
00:35:38.70\00:35:41.14
we're going to focus on hesed.
00:35:41.17\00:35:44.21
H-E-S-E-D.
00:35:44.24\00:35:46.74
Sometimes you see
it's spelled with a C,
00:35:46.78\00:35:49.54
generally they just H-E-S-E-D,
00:35:49.58\00:35:52.51
it is used 250 times
in the Old Testament.
00:35:52.55\00:35:55.38
It is a rich word, it
has layers of meaning,
00:35:55.42\00:35:59.92
and it's a window into the heart
00:35:59.95\00:36:02.29
and the nature of God.
00:36:02.32\00:36:04.23
Hesed is the Old Testament
00:36:04.26\00:36:08.13
equivalent of
agape love plus grace
00:36:08.16\00:36:12.20
in the New Testament.
00:36:12.23\00:36:13.64
Hesed is the
equivalent of 1 John 4:16.
00:36:13.67\00:36:19.41
Hesed in the Old
Testament is saying,
00:36:19.44\00:36:22.04
God is love just
as 1 John 4:16 says,
00:36:22.08\00:36:27.05
"God is agape.
00:36:27.08\00:36:28.82
God is love."
00:36:28.85\00:36:30.92
Hesed is such a
unique Hebrew word.
00:36:30.95\00:36:33.69
It cannot be translated
into a single English word.
00:36:33.72\00:36:38.69
In fact,
00:36:38.73\00:36:40.06
this has troubled
translators for generations,
00:36:40.10\00:36:43.67
who've been trying to come up
with a way to translate hesed.
00:36:43.70\00:36:48.20
Some translated
as steadfast love,
00:36:48.24\00:36:51.97
goodness, loving
kindness, mercy, grace,
00:36:52.01\00:36:55.48
and it particularly indicates
God's covenant loyalty,
00:36:55.51\00:37:01.02
and faithfulness.
00:37:01.05\00:37:02.92
The most famous
use of the word hesed
00:37:02.95\00:37:06.89
is when God used it up
Himself not once, but twice.
00:37:06.92\00:37:11.86
In Exodus 34,
Moses had asked the Lord,
00:37:11.89\00:37:15.16
He said, "Oh,
Lord, show me Your glory.
00:37:15.20\00:37:17.97
Show me Your glory."
00:37:18.00\00:37:19.93
And God hid Moses in the cleft
of the rock, and God pass by.
00:37:19.97\00:37:25.44
And as God passed by,
00:37:25.47\00:37:27.88
He spoke,
proclaiming His character,
00:37:27.91\00:37:32.18
His character is His glory.
00:37:32.21\00:37:34.42
This is what the Lord said,
00:37:34.45\00:37:36.72
"The Lord, the Lord God,
00:37:36.75\00:37:38.82
merciful and
gracious, longsuffering,
00:37:38.85\00:37:42.06
and abounding in goodness."
00:37:42.09\00:37:44.89
That's hesed, steadfast love,
grace, mercy, loving kindness,
00:37:44.93\00:37:50.33
abounding in hesed
and truth, and verse 7,
00:37:50.37\00:37:54.27
he says, "Keeping mercy,"
00:37:54.30\00:37:57.24
that's hesed,
"mercy for thousands,
00:37:57.27\00:38:01.54
forgiving iniquity
and transgression and sin,
00:38:01.58\00:38:03.88
by no means
clearing the guilty."
00:38:03.91\00:38:07.12
Those who don't come to Him
00:38:07.15\00:38:09.35
in repentance
aren't going to be saved.
00:38:09.38\00:38:14.79
But God says, "I am hesed.
00:38:14.82\00:38:18.13
This is My nature.
00:38:18.16\00:38:20.00
I have steadfast love, grace,
00:38:20.03\00:38:22.80
and goodness, and
loving kindness, and mercy.
00:38:22.83\00:38:26.00
That's who I am."
00:38:26.03\00:38:28.10
Now God's love is not a matter
of covenant obligation only.
00:38:28.14\00:38:32.11
It's freely given to all.
00:38:32.14\00:38:33.48
Listen to Deuteronomy 10:17-19.
00:38:33.51\00:38:39.08
This is what the Bible says,
00:38:39.11\00:38:40.68
Deuteronomy 10:17-19.
00:38:40.72\00:38:43.39
"For the Lord your God is
God of gods and Lord of lords,
00:38:43.42\00:38:47.59
the great God,
mighty and awesome,
00:38:47.62\00:38:49.92
who shows no
partiality nor takes a bribe.
00:38:49.96\00:38:53.43
He administers
justice for the fatherless
00:38:53.46\00:38:57.07
and the widow, and
loves the stranger."
00:38:57.10\00:39:02.04
God loves the stranger,
00:39:02.07\00:39:04.87
giving him food and clothing.
00:39:04.91\00:39:08.28
And then Moses says,
00:39:08.31\00:39:10.88
"Therefore, you
love the stranger."
00:39:10.91\00:39:14.78
Did you know that
God loves the unlovely?
00:39:14.82\00:39:18.55
Have you ever wondered
00:39:18.59\00:39:19.92
why it took Noah 120
years to build the ark?
00:39:19.95\00:39:24.59
Because he was witnessing,
00:39:24.63\00:39:26.26
he was preaching to
the hardcore sinners
00:39:26.29\00:39:31.63
of his society.
00:39:31.67\00:39:33.90
In Septuagint I love, I
love the Book of Deuteronomy.
00:39:33.94\00:39:36.91
This is a covenant
document, the Book of the Law.
00:39:36.94\00:39:40.44
What Moses was doing was
renewing the Old Covenant
00:39:40.48\00:39:44.41
with the Hebrew
children as they stood
00:39:44.45\00:39:46.88
at the land of the edge
00:39:46.92\00:39:49.08
of the Promised Land
getting ready to go in.
00:39:49.12\00:39:51.62
And so he's repeating the
civil and ceremonial laws.
00:39:51.65\00:39:55.66
It's kind of a repeat
00:39:55.69\00:39:57.03
and enlarge
based on the moral law.
00:39:57.06\00:40:00.00
He expounds on God's
blessings for obedience,
00:40:00.03\00:40:03.67
and God's curses
for disobedience.
00:40:03.70\00:40:07.84
Does that sound
stern that there's curses
00:40:07.87\00:40:10.94
for disobedience?
00:40:10.97\00:40:12.87
Let me share something.
00:40:12.91\00:40:14.31
In Deuteronomy 4:27.
00:40:14.34\00:40:17.15
This is what Moses is doing.
00:40:17.18\00:40:18.85
Oh, God is good.
00:40:18.88\00:40:20.22
He's going to bless you.
00:40:20.25\00:40:21.58
Oh, if you do this,
though you're in trouble.
00:40:21.62\00:40:23.99
But there's a sudden
shift when we reach verse 28.
00:40:24.02\00:40:28.62
Deuteronomy 4:28,
00:40:28.66\00:40:30.53
it shows God knew these people
00:40:30.56\00:40:34.93
were going to apostatize,
00:40:34.96\00:40:37.30
turn away from Him,
00:40:37.33\00:40:39.10
after they crossed
over into the Promised Land.
00:40:39.13\00:40:42.10
God knew that.
00:40:42.14\00:40:43.54
What did God say?
00:40:43.57\00:40:44.91
Listen, Deuteronomy 4:28.
00:40:44.94\00:40:49.41
"There," in the Promised Land,
00:40:49.44\00:40:51.78
"you will serve gods,
the work of men's hands,
00:40:51.81\00:40:54.48
wood and stone,
which neither see,
00:40:54.52\00:40:56.55
hear, eat nor smell.
00:40:56.58\00:40:58.75
But from there you
will seek the Lord your God,
00:40:58.79\00:41:02.99
and you will find Him
00:41:03.02\00:41:04.39
if you will seek Him
with all of your heart
00:41:04.43\00:41:07.96
and with all of your soul."
00:41:08.00\00:41:10.00
Verse 30, "When
you are in distress,
00:41:10.03\00:41:14.47
and all these things come
upon you in the latter days."
00:41:14.50\00:41:18.67
All these
warnings that God told them
00:41:18.71\00:41:22.61
would happen if they disobeyed.
00:41:22.64\00:41:25.11
Listen, it says,
00:41:25.15\00:41:26.51
"When you turn
to the Lord your God
00:41:26.55\00:41:29.58
and obey His voice,
00:41:29.62\00:41:31.82
for the Lord your
God is a merciful God,
00:41:31.85\00:41:34.52
He will not forsake
you nor destroy you,
00:41:34.56\00:41:37.43
nor forget the
covenant of your fathers
00:41:37.46\00:41:40.33
which He swore to them."
00:41:40.36\00:41:42.73
Can you believe that?
00:41:42.76\00:41:44.73
I mean, to me this
is, I just love this.
00:41:44.77\00:41:47.44
You're reading along,
and God's telling Israel,
00:41:47.47\00:41:50.87
you're going to
violate My covenant,
00:41:50.91\00:41:52.94
and you're going to
suffer the consequences
00:41:52.97\00:41:55.24
of your own actions
because you won't listen to me.
00:41:55.28\00:42:00.98
But still, He says,
00:42:01.02\00:42:02.65
I will not
betray My faithfulness.
00:42:02.68\00:42:05.15
I will cut you off from My love.
00:42:05.19\00:42:08.02
I won't cut you
off from My promises,
00:42:08.06\00:42:11.49
if you will return to Me.
00:42:11.53\00:42:16.77
What love, God
loves the unlovely.
00:42:16.80\00:42:20.90
He sent a
reluctant prophet Jonah
00:42:20.94\00:42:24.97
to the city of Nineveh.
00:42:25.01\00:42:26.98
And I'll tell you what?
00:42:27.01\00:42:28.34
Nineveh was Sin City.
00:42:28.38\00:42:29.91
Whoo!
00:42:29.94\00:42:31.28
The inhabitants of
Nineveh were a cruel people.
00:42:31.31\00:42:36.32
They were the
enemies of God's people.
00:42:36.35\00:42:40.46
But God sends a
prophet to warn them,
00:42:40.49\00:42:45.89
repent or be
destroyed, and what happened?
00:42:45.93\00:42:50.00
Nineveh
repented, and God relented.
00:42:50.03\00:42:55.67
God loves the unlovely.
00:42:55.70\00:42:58.17
My mother used to read Jeremiah,
00:42:58.21\00:43:00.34
and she didn't read
00:43:00.38\00:43:01.71
the Old
Testament through the lens
00:43:01.74\00:43:03.51
of understanding God's love.
00:43:03.55\00:43:05.71
So she thought God
was extremely harsh.
00:43:05.75\00:43:10.59
But now I read Jeremiah,
and you know what I see.
00:43:10.62\00:43:13.96
God sent Jeremiah,
00:43:13.99\00:43:15.46
Jeremiah prophesied
for over 40 years of God's
00:43:15.49\00:43:20.70
impending judgment on
the wicked kingdom of Judah,
00:43:20.73\00:43:23.80
if they would not repent.
00:43:23.83\00:43:25.30
Oh, they were
flagrant idol worshipers.
00:43:25.33\00:43:28.94
They practiced
grotesque pagan rituals
00:43:28.97\00:43:34.11
and practices even sacrificing
their children to the fire.
00:43:34.14\00:43:38.11
God graciously offered
these people opportunity
00:43:38.15\00:43:43.32
after opportunity to repent,
but they weren't like Nineveh.
00:43:43.35\00:43:48.59
They would not repent.
00:43:48.62\00:43:50.56
They scorned His prophet,
00:43:50.59\00:43:53.09
and God's wrath against
sin was finally executed.
00:43:53.13\00:43:57.87
He removed His
hand of protection.
00:43:57.90\00:44:01.64
And the
Babylonians conquered Judah,
00:44:01.67\00:44:05.27
and took God's people captive.
00:44:05.31\00:44:09.64
Now here's the amazing thing.
00:44:09.68\00:44:12.61
Jeremiah is an eye witness
00:44:12.65\00:44:16.95
to this divine judgment.
00:44:16.99\00:44:19.35
Yet, as Jeremiah is looking out,
00:44:19.39\00:44:24.39
over the rubble
of the destruction,
00:44:24.43\00:44:26.93
he writes the
Book of Lamentations,
00:44:26.96\00:44:29.70
and he is still confident
00:44:29.73\00:44:33.97
in God's faithfulness,
00:44:34.00\00:44:37.21
God's mercy, God's hesed.
00:44:37.24\00:44:41.64
Listen to Lamentations
00:44:41.68\00:44:43.91
3:22-23.
00:44:43.95\00:44:47.88
Lamentations 3,
00:44:47.92\00:44:50.45
Jeremiah writes,
after the destruction,
00:44:50.49\00:44:55.39
he writes, "Through
the Lord's mercies,"
00:44:55.42\00:44:59.13
the word is hesed,
00:44:59.16\00:45:00.80
"Through God's
hesed we are not consumed,
00:45:00.83\00:45:03.97
because His
compassions fail not.
00:45:04.00\00:45:06.57
They are new every morning,"
00:45:06.60\00:45:08.67
and he breaks out
in praise and says,
00:45:08.70\00:45:10.71
"oh, great is
your faithfulness."
00:45:10.74\00:45:13.38
You talk about
an infinity focus.
00:45:13.41\00:45:16.61
Then he continues
in Lamentations 3,
00:45:16.64\00:45:20.18
just a few verses down 31.
00:45:20.22\00:45:22.32
Listen, Lamentations 3:31,
00:45:22.35\00:45:26.55
"For the Lord will
not cast off forever."
00:45:26.59\00:45:30.26
I guess he'd read
Deuteronomy 4, huh?
00:45:30.29\00:45:33.26
"Though He causes grief,
00:45:33.29\00:45:34.80
yet He will show compassion
according to the multitude
00:45:34.83\00:45:38.33
of His mercies."
00:45:38.37\00:45:40.67
His hesed.
00:45:40.70\00:45:43.14
"For He does not
afflict willingly,
00:45:43.17\00:45:47.24
nor grieve the children of men."
00:45:47.28\00:45:50.38
God's consuming
commitment to His creatures
00:45:50.41\00:45:54.48
is one of
compassion because God is love.
00:45:54.52\00:45:59.39
God is hesed, God is agape.
00:45:59.42\00:46:04.16
You know, King David
sinned against the Lord.
00:46:04.19\00:46:06.46
He repented, he was restored.
00:46:06.49\00:46:08.96
He experienced God's compassion.
00:46:09.00\00:46:11.83
He had an
accurate infinity focus.
00:46:11.87\00:46:14.67
Listen to what David
writes in Psalm 139:1-6.
00:46:14.70\00:46:19.44
Psalm 1:39, "O Lord,
00:46:19.47\00:46:23.91
You have
searched me and know me.
00:46:23.95\00:46:26.15
You know my sitting
down and my rising up,
00:46:26.18\00:46:28.15
You understand my
thought from afar off.
00:46:28.18\00:46:31.92
You comprehend my
path and my lying down,
00:46:31.95\00:46:34.66
and are
acquainted with all my ways.
00:46:34.69\00:46:37.26
For there is not
a word on my tongue,
00:46:37.29\00:46:39.36
but behold, O Lord,
You know it altogether.
00:46:39.39\00:46:42.10
You have hedged
me behind and before,
00:46:42.13\00:46:46.30
and you've laid
Your hand upon me.
00:46:46.33\00:46:48.04
Such knowledge is
too wonderful for me.
00:46:48.07\00:46:53.01
It is high, I cannot attain it."
00:46:53.04\00:46:56.85
See, God's omniscience,
00:46:56.88\00:46:59.78
His ability to know all.
00:46:59.81\00:47:03.62
That's beyond
human comprehension.
00:47:03.65\00:47:07.06
God watches over
the entire universe
00:47:07.09\00:47:10.66
without sleeping or slumbering,
00:47:10.69\00:47:12.86
and yet He is intimately,
00:47:12.89\00:47:15.50
personally involved
with every creature.
00:47:15.53\00:47:19.77
God knows you.
00:47:19.80\00:47:21.37
He knows your thoughts.
00:47:21.40\00:47:23.54
He knows your behavior.
00:47:23.57\00:47:25.64
Now that's either
comforting or concerning.
00:47:25.67\00:47:29.34
God knows your junk.
00:47:29.38\00:47:32.05
He knows your wounds.
00:47:32.08\00:47:34.28
He knows your insecurities.
00:47:34.32\00:47:38.22
He knows your heart.
00:47:38.25\00:47:40.26
God observes and understands.
00:47:40.29\00:47:43.39
And God's loving
correction is part of His plan.
00:47:43.43\00:47:48.26
What happens to
you matters to God.
00:47:48.30\00:47:53.17
In 1 Peter 5:7,
00:47:53.20\00:47:55.07
we are invited to cast
all of our cares upon God,
00:47:55.10\00:48:00.24
all of our concerns,
all of our anxieties,
00:48:00.28\00:48:04.81
"Cast them on Him,
because He cares for you."
00:48:04.85\00:48:09.12
Well, that's New Testament.
00:48:09.15\00:48:10.49
What does the Old Testament say?
00:48:10.52\00:48:12.62
Zephaniah 3:17.
00:48:12.65\00:48:15.06
Zephaniah 3:17,
00:48:15.09\00:48:17.96
"The Lord your
God in your midst,
00:48:17.99\00:48:20.76
the mighty one will save,
00:48:20.80\00:48:23.57
He will rejoice
over you with gladness,
00:48:23.60\00:48:27.90
He will quiet
you with His love."
00:48:27.94\00:48:33.01
What a tender picture.
00:48:33.04\00:48:35.11
"He will rejoice
over you with singing."
00:48:35.14\00:48:39.95
Is that how you seek God?
00:48:39.98\00:48:42.35
Let me tell you something.
00:48:42.38\00:48:43.95
God longs to be known
00:48:43.99\00:48:48.02
by His created beings.
00:48:48.06\00:48:50.69
God longs to be known by you.
00:48:50.73\00:48:54.83
Why?
00:48:54.86\00:48:56.20
So that He can
strike a responsive
00:48:56.23\00:49:00.77
chord of love
00:49:00.80\00:49:02.60
in your heart.
00:49:02.64\00:49:04.67
1 John 4:19 says,
00:49:04.71\00:49:06.37
"We love Him
because He first loved us."
00:49:06.41\00:49:11.11
He reveals Himself to
us through the creation.
00:49:11.15\00:49:14.42
He reveals His love
to us through the Word
00:49:14.45\00:49:17.69
and by personal experience.
00:49:17.72\00:49:19.69
He reveals His love to us
by the works that He has done
00:49:19.72\00:49:24.99
in the lives of other people
00:49:25.03\00:49:27.03
throughout the
entire history of the world
00:49:27.06\00:49:31.13
and His commitment,
00:49:31.17\00:49:33.27
His unfailing commitment
00:49:33.30\00:49:35.67
to His promises.
00:49:35.70\00:49:39.77
When we think about this,
00:49:39.81\00:49:42.08
the entire Bible is
the unfolding revelation
00:49:42.11\00:49:45.51
of God's love.
00:49:45.55\00:49:47.82
When the focal point,
00:49:47.85\00:49:51.39
when our
infinity lens is focused
00:49:51.42\00:49:55.92
on His nature of love,
00:49:55.96\00:49:58.46
we will read
through the lens of love,
00:49:58.49\00:50:02.80
and the Old Testament read
00:50:02.83\00:50:05.17
through the lens of
love is correctly understood
00:50:05.20\00:50:10.24
as the witness to
God's everlasting gospel,
00:50:10.27\00:50:15.21
His eternal
covenant, salvation by Messiah,
00:50:15.24\00:50:20.05
Jesus Christ, His work
and righteousness by faith.
00:50:20.08\00:50:24.95
He established the
everlasting covenant,
00:50:24.99\00:50:29.56
everlasting eternal covenant.
00:50:29.59\00:50:32.33
Hebrews 13:20 says,
00:50:32.36\00:50:34.26
"Christ's blood is the
blood of the eternal covenant."
00:50:34.30\00:50:39.17
But He established that
00:50:39.20\00:50:41.60
way back in
Genesis with Abraham.
00:50:41.64\00:50:45.21
And Abraham seed
in Genesis 15:6 says,
00:50:45.24\00:50:49.28
"Abraham believed God,
00:50:49.31\00:50:51.45
and God credited to
him as righteousness."
00:50:51.48\00:50:56.82
The covenant
continued to grow and unfold.
00:50:56.85\00:51:00.96
And we see it is given
with the Hebrew children,
00:51:00.99\00:51:04.23
when they are in
bondage in Egypt in Exodus 2:24,
00:51:04.26\00:51:08.76
it says, "God
heard their groaning,
00:51:08.80\00:51:11.90
and God remembered
His covenant with Abraham,
00:51:11.93\00:51:15.80
and Isaac, and Jacob."
00:51:15.84\00:51:18.84
So even the Old Covenant
00:51:18.87\00:51:22.24
was part of the unfolding
of the everlasting covenant,
00:51:22.28\00:51:28.22
but now here's something
00:51:28.25\00:51:30.19
that many
Christians do not realize.
00:51:30.22\00:51:33.82
Would it surprise you to
know that the New Testament
00:51:33.86\00:51:39.76
picks up on the Revelation
00:51:39.79\00:51:43.70
be progressive unfolding
00:51:43.73\00:51:46.80
of God's everlasting covenant?
00:51:46.84\00:51:50.87
The New Testament picks up
00:51:50.91\00:51:53.78
with the Abrahamic covenant.
00:51:53.81\00:51:57.15
In the New Testament, Zacharias,
00:51:57.18\00:51:59.71
who is the father to
be of John the Baptist,
00:51:59.75\00:52:04.12
his wife Elizabeth was pregnant.
00:52:04.15\00:52:06.65
Well, when her cousin
Mary comes to visit her
00:52:06.69\00:52:09.59
and Zacharias finds out
00:52:09.62\00:52:12.33
that Mary is going to
give birth to the Messiah,
00:52:12.36\00:52:17.23
he begins to prophesy.
00:52:17.27\00:52:19.33
And this is
right in the gospels,
00:52:19.37\00:52:21.84
right at the
beginning of the New Testament.
00:52:21.87\00:52:24.04
Listen to what he says,
00:52:24.07\00:52:25.71
in Luke 1:72-73.
00:52:25.74\00:52:30.15
He says, "God is performing
00:52:30.18\00:52:33.31
the mercy
promised to our fathers
00:52:33.35\00:52:36.65
and remembering
His holy covenant,
00:52:36.69\00:52:40.46
the oath to which He swore
00:52:40.49\00:52:44.29
to our father Abraham."
00:52:44.33\00:52:48.16
So the New Testament is
just a continuing unfolding
00:52:48.20\00:52:53.87
of the
everlasting covenant of grace.
00:52:53.90\00:52:57.64
Even Paul says
in Galatians 3:29,
00:52:57.67\00:53:00.58
"If you are Christ's,
then you are Abraham's seed,
00:53:00.61\00:53:06.05
and heirs
according to the promise."
00:53:06.08\00:53:12.02
What is the promise?
00:53:12.05\00:53:14.09
The promise is salvation
by grace through faith.
00:53:14.12\00:53:18.73
Salvation that
00:53:18.76\00:53:21.46
is because our
sins were put on God,
00:53:21.50\00:53:25.40
and God credits His
righteousness to us.
00:53:25.43\00:53:30.57
Indeed,
00:53:30.61\00:53:32.21
the Old
Testament contains the New,
00:53:32.24\00:53:37.05
and the New
Testament explains the Old.
00:53:37.08\00:53:42.15
I'll tell you,
00:53:42.18\00:53:43.59
the more I study on God's love,
00:53:43.62\00:53:48.29
the more I realize,
00:53:48.32\00:53:50.59
I'll never understand
it throughout eternity,
00:53:50.63\00:53:54.03
I'm going to be looking
at my Savior Jesus Christ,
00:53:54.06\00:53:57.60
and thinking, I can't
believe You took on humanity.
00:53:57.63\00:54:02.24
You took on my human
flesh, You became like me,
00:54:02.27\00:54:07.01
so that You could
stand in as my substitute
00:54:07.04\00:54:10.11
for my sins.
00:54:10.15\00:54:11.75
I don't think we'll ever grasp
00:54:11.78\00:54:15.08
what Christ had to
give up to become a man.
00:54:15.12\00:54:21.06
God's nature of
love is more magnificent
00:54:21.09\00:54:24.56
than we can fathom.
00:54:24.59\00:54:26.39
And it's really the brilliance
of His love is almost blinding.
00:54:26.43\00:54:31.23
We've only glimpsed it here.
00:54:31.27\00:54:33.64
When I started this study,
00:54:33.67\00:54:35.70
I had over 40 pages of scripture
00:54:35.74\00:54:38.64
and had reduced it down to 10.
00:54:38.67\00:54:42.18
So I cut it in half,
and I cut it in half again.
00:54:42.21\00:54:47.02
There's so much
about God's love,
00:54:47.05\00:54:50.22
but the bottom line is this you.
00:54:50.25\00:54:55.76
You.
00:54:55.79\00:54:58.43
You, Brian.
00:54:58.46\00:55:01.56
You, Jay.
00:55:01.60\00:55:05.17
You, Karen.
00:55:05.20\00:55:07.80
You, Nancy,
00:55:07.84\00:55:10.47
You, listening
to my voice at home,
00:55:10.51\00:55:13.91
you are the
object of God's love.
00:55:13.94\00:55:17.48
He knows you by name.
00:55:17.51\00:55:19.78
He wants to be the
object of your love.
00:55:19.81\00:55:23.49
He wants you to be
born again of His Spirit
00:55:23.52\00:55:25.82
and to become His child.
00:55:25.85\00:55:27.82
In 1 John 3:1,
00:55:27.86\00:55:29.89
John, just the
apostle breaks out and says,
00:55:29.92\00:55:33.26
"Behold what manner of love
00:55:33.29\00:55:36.30
the Father has bestowed on us,
00:55:36.33\00:55:38.43
that we should be
called the children of God!"
00:55:38.47\00:55:41.37
God is the perfect Father.
00:55:41.40\00:55:44.61
He's someone you can trust
00:55:44.64\00:55:46.57
and when you
can't trace His hand,
00:55:46.61\00:55:49.41
trust His heart.
00:55:49.44\00:55:51.31
He promises He
will never abandon us.
00:55:51.35\00:55:55.15
Are you alienated from God
00:55:55.18\00:55:56.79
then I ask you to praise
00:55:56.82\00:55:58.59
King David prayed
in the Old Testament,
00:55:58.62\00:56:00.62
Psalm 143:8-10, He says,
00:56:00.66\00:56:04.76
"Cause me to hear
your loving kindness."
00:56:04.79\00:56:07.33
O, Lord, I want
to know Your hesed.
00:56:07.36\00:56:10.30
"Cause me in the morning
to hear Your lovingkindness,
00:56:10.33\00:56:12.87
for in You do I trust,
00:56:12.90\00:56:14.24
cause me to know the
way by which I should walk,
00:56:14.27\00:56:17.84
for I lift up my soul to You.
00:56:17.87\00:56:20.48
O teach me to do Your
will, for You are my God,
00:56:20.51\00:56:23.48
Your Spirit is good.
00:56:23.51\00:56:25.18
And lead me
00:56:25.21\00:56:26.92
in the land of uprightness."
00:56:26.95\00:56:31.39
You know, it's
clear to measure anything
00:56:31.42\00:56:37.13
we have to have a standard unit
00:56:37.16\00:56:40.93
to which we can compare it.
00:56:40.96\00:56:42.90
Nothing can
compare to God's love.
00:56:42.93\00:56:45.37
It is love without measure,
00:56:45.40\00:56:48.14
but love without measure
00:56:48.17\00:56:51.11
is offered to you right now.
00:56:51.14\00:56:55.04
Won't you quit
resisting God's love?
00:56:55.08\00:56:57.58
Won't you receive His love?
00:56:57.61\00:57:00.18
Draw near to Him, and
He will draw near to you.
00:57:00.22\00:57:04.42
Confess your sins, He
will abundantly pardon.
00:57:04.45\00:57:08.49
If you turn to Him,
00:57:08.52\00:57:10.39
He will break you free
from the chains that bind you.
00:57:10.43\00:57:15.00
He'll bring you out of darkness
into His marvelous light
00:57:15.03\00:57:18.90
and change your infinity focus.
00:57:18.93\00:57:22.04