The Fathers Love (Part A)

Your salvation is not made up. She's all you can receive Christ and go mess it up because you stop. That's what God is saying to him about my love. Tell him how much I care for them.

Tell them they didn't cause my love comes from me. I offer it freely. They're not going to damn it off either. So long as they want me. That is an encouragement. I think to all of us so we say remember that there is a father.

This is cross reference radio, our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Ricky is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first John, please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, but for now, here's Pastor Rick in first John chapter 3 with a brand-new message called the father's love. First John chapter 3 will take verses one through three of first John chapter 3 behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, we should be called children of God, therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be what we know when he is revealed, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is in everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

The father's love.

That's what we going to concentrate on this morning and this passage from John nouns and pronouns referring to God here in just these three verses they dominate the three verses that we have before us. I spent almost half of my Friday in preparation for a topical message for this morning at you but I just felt I didn't want to start chapter 3 yet wanted to go somewhere else in the Scripture is hoping to do something in the Old Testament, and so it takes a lot of time to dig into search to see if God is saying something and I asked right out. Lord, you have a message for me with this Sunday to deliver to the people and the guy continued struggling as he allows me to do. I think he gets a kick out of that. I really do any said to me, spoke to me later that day he said speak about my love speak about my love for the Christians who struggle who struggle to obey who struggle to follow me speak about my love for them and that is the message that I intend to attempt to deliver this message that your defeats and your sins my defeats and my sins have not defeated our God. They have not defeated his love for us and he singled us out in the Scripture makes it clear, I'm talking to you throughout the Bible. As you read it you get the sense that God is talking to you. Not every single passage. Of course, but the ones that you need the ones that you want and so he is said to me, I want you to speak of my love for my children who fight, fight their own sin was then reminded of this passage from Luke that speaks about a man who by the world standards was a loser we don't know why he was a loser. Maybe he struggled with drink.

Maybe he struggled with finances, what would it not told this is what we are told about this man so it was that the beggar died, was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom God was not defeated by whatever hounded that man in this life by whatever set him down. God took him up. He is with God as we speak. That beggar honored by God with the heaven that will never end with the goodness that never quits. So after God.

It said to me, that's what I want you to speak on my love that I began to think. Okay, maybe I can go into the songs I've been in the Psalms in my devotions.

It's got to be something in. Of course there is. But not for me. Then I said well Philemon I'd like going into the books that most folks really unmade not that familiar with and it wasn't there either. And then not in the still small voice, but a voice says it's right there in the text you're avoiding.

It's in first John chapter 3 verse one next in line said all of that, but he made the point clear. It's right there in first John and here we are.

And so we look at the first verse we begin this consideration. John says behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, we should be called children of God, therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know him. He had been talking to the believers about abiding with Christ.

Staying connected attached to him, but he says behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us. In other words, he sank. See you see it you see God's love will certainly hardship takes that out of focus for us so often not all the time and if it takes it out of focus. God will bring it back. We abide psalmist wrote how precious also are your thoughts to me. Oh God, how great is the sum of them how much God you think about me I'm I'm aware of how you think about me.

I'm isolated, not from everyone else but to you. Undivided attention is given to me. God can do that God can give undivided attention to everyone that has ever been at the same time and not even break a sweat.

You believe it or not, will those who pursue faith believe that have no problem with that of the times are tough. We make struggle but overall we get this so he says see it. She love, Paul said it this way. Hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us never afraid of the Holy Spirit. We believe it should never be afraid of the Holy Spirit.

What you should have your future get tripped up and you have things we can do the grieving for sure, but he loves us just as much it is it an equal spread of love unequaled by anything we know outside of the Godhead when the Bible says behold what manner of love the father has it means what manner of love the Holy Spirit has what manner of love Jesus Christ has all continues in Romans, Jesus Christ died for the ungodly. He died for those who are sinners who have offended God, who are up to no good, were born sinners and had to be born again to get away from that judgment that looms over every sinner and then these magnificent words from the pen of Paul. God demonstrates his own love towards us. See not only voices that vocalizes it shows it to us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us while you are still messed up. He died for you. Nothing you can do because God to love you and nothing you can do will cause him to stop loving you think about that to get your head around that because of this something I can do that makes him stop loving me. Then the cross is of no value. I need something bigger than me to rescue me from myself. David said I am born in iniquity.

I'm a born sinner.

Every code is mapped out all needs happen the buttons be pushed I need something bigger than I to escape that path of sin and it is Christ and the reason why it's made available. The only reason why it is made available to only the main reason without this.

When the others really you can get to his love. God's love for us. God's love for us. He sees us dirty, but he sees is cleansed in Christ sees the potential in Christ he sees is already in heaven with no more sin no more struggle in his banner over us is love and nothing will ever stop that nothing will ever take that away. When we get to heaven. The love of God will continue when when I get to heaven I plan on touching everything everything I can get my hands on touching it. There and I can now there are some sizes that don't touch that I will obey. And so Calvary the place of the cross place of the skull that is where God demonstrates his love and we look to Calvary when we are under hardship and we question that love. We remember that it was our Lord said Mike hot-you done this to me why you let me down.

Why have you forsaken me.

It's so poetic in the Aramaic Eli, Eli LaMothe Suboxone E but it's so horrible to go through. He says behold the manner of love that Greek word for manner means the origins has something to do. The place of origin, your race of use that word like that so John is getting back to the source is just consider the source of this love life is meaningless without even the Old Testament prophets understood this. Jeremiah said this to the people that were determined to find a better God if they could. Jeremiah said Jehovah has appeared of old to me saying yes I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore with lovingkindness. I have drawn you faith is that it says without hesitation. I believe it.

I believe it no matter what's going on I believe is so much that I also understand that this kind of love is not supposed to be wasted only on me. It has to flow through me. It cannot stop here. I cannot just be this needy greedy scoundrel gobbling up God's love and that's the end of the story. That's why the first Corinthian letter says if I don't have love.

I'm an annoyance to God.

We know this because we like to be loved.

It's wonderful to be loved, especially when times are hard and there other people that need to be loved. They have hard times to I get emotional when love is shown especially in times of need. The words of Jeremiah were wasted on most of his audience.

They did not respond to this love of God because they loved other things more. I mean way more the point where they never even look to God. They look to God of their own imagination would sponsor their sin, but the holy, righteous, God's presence weld is a Shekinah in Jerusalem.

They were no longer interested in as a people, most of them who is ready to dismiss the prophets words essay, what I was for the Jews. He he loves the Jews. He has a love and everlasting love.

The lovingkindness for them but not for me, you would be butchering the Scripture if you had that view that love that Jeremiah speaks of is not fragmented. It is a blanket love God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes on him should not perish because of love is love. Every Christian should walk away from a consideration of the father's love with the new strength the new zeal we need these refreshing encouragements from the Scripture Romans chapter 8 verses 31 to 39 speak of this undefeatable love, indefatigable love, it does not get tired. It does not get beaten. It is continuous. Maybe if we have time, I'll read it, but I want to keep going forward, mindful that when Paul wrote this letter with the Gnostic influence to that group of people who thought they knew everything, but they didn't know love. They didn't know truth. You can't get to God's love without God's truth. That's why we speak of truth and love not love and truth. Once we get the truth concerning God's love, we can begin to peel back the layers we plod through this life. The Gnostics were missing all of this because they missed the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Just like many others today on purpose.

The Holy Spirit mentions love first time in the Bible in the context of a father's love for his child is not by accident but the first time. Love shows up explicitly in Scripture it's not by accident that it's in this context the father loving the child the second time.

Love shows up is in the context of a husband, loving his bride church bride of Christ. First time was Abraham and Isaac. The second time was Isaac and Rebekah.

These lessons are for us. Taken together, the Holy Spirit sums it up. God loves sinners he loves his children knowing who they are and he continues to join himself to us in the marriage ceremony is laid out throughout his word, the father glorifying the father does not mean that we somehow have slighted the son glorifying the father does not mean somehow we left the Holy Spirit out again their indivisible, these three the Godhead you cannot love one more than the other.

While you you you can get lopsided, but I mean if you and your love for the father did all you transfers it spreads its to the Godhead, but there's a significance to singling out the father that we need. God doesn't need it fully aware these things we get something out of the ancient Jews. The Jews of the Old Testament, the old world Jews when they thought of God they thought of Elohim God Almighty LOL Jan most high else should die all powerful Yahweh said canoe Lord our righteousness that many other names for him, Yahweh, shalom the Lord Yahweh our peace, but it was Jesus who taught us to pray our father in heaven to he zoomed in. He took all those other ones else should die LOL Jan Elohim. He takes them all and he puts them together and he says this is in the father's heart. All of those of their and more. He is father. Now it is the idea of God as father that reigns in our thinking. When we pray we said our father in heaven. Righteous father, holy father is appropriate no matter who is abuse.

These titles for God. These descriptions we understand the un-abuse version on that strength. We we go forward in our prayers and in our lives. Father, I told you those of you been here a while when I worked in the world amongst men whose many of their fathers were drunks and abusive nothing finer redeeming about them when I got to share the gospel. I would preach about the father to them on the jobsite winning a lunch time or break time. I wouldn't do it during working hours, but most of the time. Sometimes I was magnificent enough to be able to work and preach at the same time because I can do that and if you're listening on radio. Maybe sometime in the future. I'm half serious.

Anyway, back to this and realize God pointed that out you talking about the father in heaven, but their fathers on earth are monstrosities. Some you need to clarify this, and I would begin to do that when Jesus taught us to pray our father in heaven is nothing like our father on earth. Even if your father was a Christian and a good Christian and died and went to heaven is still nothing like the father on the throne and have and it was very effective that way and I would encourage you if you are in those circles where the understanding of a father is flawed. You can let them know that we have a father in heaven that is superior to anything in this life that is defective. Do you know it takes more love and self-sacrifice for a father to give up his son to a cruel death than it does for the sun to take the death thought about that. I mean if I was a son, and I was sentenced to death. My father, it would be harder on him and it would be you and me. I'm at least in my head and when I look at the father giving the sun see the love of the father and the son Romans chapter 8, Paul says he who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things. Well, if he's going to give up his son is painful as that is a must love us because that's why he gave his son God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son. None of this diminishes the purity of God purity around message. It didn't for John when he says, think about the love of the father next session. He's going to start slamming sin again but he's prepared us. You said you deal with sin got this love of God in you and your salvation is not made of straw you can receive Christ and go mess it up because you've stumbled. That's why got a SingTel about my love. Tell them how much I care for them. Tell them they didn't cause my love comes from me. I offer it freely and they're not going to damn it up either, so long as they want me and that is an encouragement. I think to all of us so we say remember that there is a father but can you say he is my father. Is he your father. Are you his child without hesitation, every born-again believer should say yes yes yes and the unbeliever should say I want him to be. How can it be when we are there to tell them he continues. He says that we should be called the children of God that makes us family okay can you get any closer than that. How does one become family. Well you born into a family. That's the standard way. Jesus answered, most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. Peter talks about being born again out of the incorruptible see through the word of God lives and abides forever.

That's a double meaning. There word of God.

It is the word become flesh and it is also through the revelation of the will of God and his word without which the generations following the apostles would never have known about the Word becoming flesh you can be adopted into a family if it is a good family are every bit of a child of that family is if you born into the family. Romans chapter 8 verse 14 for as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are the sons of God's critical to be led by the spirit of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry. Father that's visit is the closeness you know is you can have many fathers but is really one dad, the idea maybe someone's been fortunate to have more than one dad is possible. I'm getting off point. You can marry into a family. Romans seven. You also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ that you may be married to another to him was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God. Pulses to him was raised from the dead he saw him he saw him after the crucifixion.

Perhaps not before, but he saw him after inserted you and so did I, not in the same manner of Paul that we've seen in their other eyes to see with outside of our eyeballs. The eyes of faith, so the price is emphasized three times there in those verses that we are God's family with your adopted with your married into it. Whether you are born into it. All of them are available and that is a point of emphasis that he makes when Jesus gave the parable of the prodigal son in that one little parable 12 times he mentions the father died with the name of the father on his lips, father, into your hands I commend my spirit.

He rose from the dead, assuring his loved ones that his father was there father. This emphasis is not to be wasted is to be embraced. It is to be used in times of hardship in times of trouble. In times of confusion of times and times when you feel abandoned by God.

Times when maybe you felt angry with God. God has allowed oceans of misery in this world. Just look at the history books. Just consider the massacres not only of Christians, and yet at the end of it all.

He says get to me follow my love concentrate on that all deal with the oneness later. Another words with us. John says, therefore the world does not know him because it did not know him up on me. The world does not know us, because it did not know him. The world is missing out.

It's their choice.

The love that saves also separates God loves those who come to him, but he will separate those who do not love him from those who do the sheep and the goats, we would say we live in a time where knowledge is everywhere that our fingertips, and yet with all this knowledge. The masses of people know, not their maker and a great many of them couldn't care less.

He's a stranger. Jesus is to the unbeliever so often he is treated as though he's hostile because he doesn't approve the lifestyle doesn't approve of their lies concerning him. Their outlook on life in heaven in eternity, and death that they even get that far to to consider those things they don't approve of his view, and they resent him having in view that disagrees with bears. They resent him saying this one way is not many ways. While all rows can go to Rome but they don't all go to heaven only one that goes to heaven and I met use their maker refuses love because they suppose they are better off how'd it thanks for tuning in to cross reference rate cross reference is a ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you'd like to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com find a number of teachings from Pastor Rick available there. We also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast you subscribe will be notified of new editions of cross reference radio. Just search for cross reference radio iTunes Google play music or your favorite podcast apps.

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We're glad we were able to spend time with you today to the next time you learning from the book of first John pastor here cross reference