God's Love, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ.

His wife said over the years the last day of my life will not be the worst last day of my life the best.

Hopefully will be hard on some of you right now bailing me see that's all I did that Deb isn't going to separate me from the gym, convinced her that that's a policy for joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana when Pastor Bill Gebhardt now is once again he shows up how God's word are oral as though God's not loving us. That's what Paul's writing about a Roman city because it's never going to be the case. Not ever go back to Romans eight because after he does this he then says in verse 37, but in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer from him will love this one.

That's a great verse, but for some of us it doesn't help you see I read the end of the book. I say this all the time. I did already. We went just a great thing about being a Christian read in the book we went. Ultimately we went each and every one of us went to see that's attornment in our wonderful thing. We were more than conquerors.

We went yes I know I know I but I don't want to win, then I went away. Now right now. This is when I went away.

I want to win today I want to win tomorrow. That's what I want to win, you ceases not to have to have this perspective, I think you understand this if this offends you, I'm sorry.

The truth does, but barring that, coming back to the Lord and rapture the church world and a guy every single one of us were dying something out there is going to kill laws. Our bodies are going to die and you know what that's okay.

You see, that's okay because I tell you what won't I God's love for you and his love for me that's never going to happen.

You see, that's a completely different kind of thing.

Paul's going to go into this right now.

Verse 38, I am convinced don't miss those words. I am convinced here's the question for you. Are you too, Paul says, I'm convinced my experience with you over all these years. Many of you are not just not convinced Paul says I am convinced what God's love matters. He sees always love me always will I get that I'm convinced of it. Then Paul breaks down in the five different comparisons.

If you go back to some of you have English grammar. Most of you won't remember these are called mannerisms Americanism is when you take extreme things and you go from this this and implies everything in between. That's what he's going to do is going to five mannerisms to cover what he wants to cover in these everything when he's done. There is not a hypothetical situation you can insert say what we wait, I have a question. What about this guy loves you. He always has me always will.

We know mannerisms if Obama see someone as an expert on the subject. I say he knows this subject from a to what to see and would you know that I know that he knows the subject there mannerisms in Scripture take the psalmist said God will forgive our sins and place them as far as the east is from how far is that you see how far as these from the West using that's Americanism it means there's of the commissions are are no conditions. It covers everything so is going to do five mannerisms here is the first one he said God is going to love you. He said no matter what.

Nothing can change that. Not the crisis of death nor the calamities of life.

The first thing you said, I am convinced that neither death nor life must on thing about that for a moment, I am convinced he said that death and life. Now tell me all the other things that can occur outside of death and life. That's all you have right to have death have life. He said he I'm convinced that nothing in death and nothing in life can change. I'm convinced this to be true. It's an amazing statement.

He understands death.

He starts with that is earning worse for us.

I think the hardest thing about being a pastor is watching what death does the people the heartbreak.

It's rough is no and especially if somebody dies from our point of view out of time they die young, they die a tragic way is heartbreaking to watch people.

Death is an amazing thing when you think about it from that point of view, it's absolute it's uncompromising. It's the great and final separator when someone dies their dead is a terrible thing in his heart for us to do with. But God says that doesn't separate my love at all night anyway. That's why the Scriptures by the way it says in a certain thing you you never die is in you just sleep psalmist that even though I go through the valley of the shadow of death, God says no death will never separate you and me.

Not ever. In fact, James Montgomery Boyce writes this, he said, far from tearing us away from God.

Death. He says ushers us into the full glory of his presence. What we think is the separator actually becomes our uniter to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord is wife said over the years the last day of my life will not be the worst day of my life the last day of my life will be the best day of my life, hopefully will be hard on some of you but it won't be on me. You see, that's the whole idea debt. Death isn't going to separate me from the love of God see him convinced of that and that's what Paul says.

He also says and not life.

See, he knows there so many things in life we want to interpret and say I don't know if God really loves me. Paul says nothing in life can change that God's going to love you no matter what. It doesn't matter what the diagnosis is. It doesn't matter the abuse you've suffered. It doesn't matter the crime that was committed against you. It doesn't matter if there was a desertion or you find yourself in despair where you become depressed. That won't matter. God will continue to love you.

That's what he says he would just continue to love you.

Just think if you had, that is your mindset.

Just think that that's how you saw life.

Just imagine the peace that you would have their no circumstances can change us all there are any.

Nothing in death and nothing in life there is a man and for centuries name was John and he was the Archbishop of Constantinople.

He was considered for that whole four century, the greatest preacher in the world. In fact, he was such a great preacher that when history look back on the Greek word used and described him was Chris Doss, Thomas Chris Doss of moss. It means golden mouth. He spoke so well know history records and that his name is John Kristof. Now that's not his last name. That was just a description. He was a phenomenal guy preach the word of God. He also by the way didn't mind taking on the powers to be at all he would say anything that he believed would be true about anyone, including the Emperor of Rome so he was brought into the Emperor of Rome. This should have scared up achievers. Ottoman didn't scare them at all is of the Emperor said to him, he said no one I will banish you if you do not give up your faith, John Chrysostom said you can't banish me. The whole world is my father's house & well I will put you to death. He said no you can't. He's in my life is hidden with Christ in God. You really can't. He said well then I will take away all your material possessions. He said no you can't. My treasurer is in heaven along with my heart is and I'll drive you away from men, and you have no friends left he said you can make me friendless. I have a friend in heaven, from whom you can never separate. He said I defy all your attempts to silent me.

You see, there's nothing you can do to hurt me. God loves somebody honest went to like that to be your view. Would you like that. That's how I see life. You see there's nothing it can be done to me out there. God loves me. I'm more than a conqueror and he and I went.

I don't think that's going.

This is bedrock truth to us how much God loves us so he says it can't be the crisis of death. He through the calamities of life.

He then says, nor angels, nor principalities, nor angels, nor principalities, not in the intervention of angels, nor the intrusion of demons that were principalities as a word Paul uses in other letters describing the demonic world, principalities, powers, dominions uses the word what his point is is here nothing in the physical world, not life and death can change God's love for me by way nothing the spiritual world. There's nothing in Angel can do to change God's love for me. There's nothing a demon can do to change.

But God's love. Not all he said they have no effect on that kind of thing at all that invisible world has no effect.

Maybe that's why James said for us as believers resist the devil, flee from you. But the whole idea is there's nothing in the spiritual world. You have a thing to worry about spiritually. Many moves on. He says, nor things present, nor things to come. Anything in the present training in the future. Now how many things does that cover sheet covers everything again.

Nothing is going on now I'm nothing that will ever go on what ever be able to separate you from the love of Christ. At this point I'm convinced of this.

He said this is true. Nothing in the present. Nothing in the future will ever be able to change it. Not the cares of the day were the concerns of the Morrow and we know how hard this is. You know how fast your life can change. You know how the diagnosis can change everything your thinking immediately. You can also know that your money can come in your money can go. You know that relationships common relationships go when you experience one of those you going to be tempted to say that is on the love God really loves me now in your world with the whole world 24 hours a day now in America.

The news bombard you with the whole world is astounding.

I think we are better off without it. The whole point of it is all there trying to tell you is all manners terrorist.

The world economy is all but let me say this part about, there's nothing new under the sun is no different. Last night I was up in my study and those that were studying the reset documentary on it was about Eisenhower so I end up watching it I thought was pretty good about the 1950s, and why I grant and all that and then they showed when he was president house totally terrified to unite people in United States were because of the atomic bomb and the Soviet Union and Eisenhower himself said we are in a precarious spot even let the Russians know he said we have the capacity to kill all life in the northern hemisphere just between our two countries know when you think of some like terrorism today.

The damage they do is small but think of what the Soviet Union could've been in the 1950s, but he didn't want point is this. It's always been like this the world has never been a good place is not my goal boy wish it you know that's the whole problem with the idea of the good old days they were old days, but are probably not as good as you think, to say the least.

Now, so he says nothing in the present or nothing to come.

He then says I'll skip powers or come back to it, nor height nor depth, know what you talking about there. I don't know you physically talk to spiritually talk, I put a put it this way, not the pinnacle of heaven or the pit of hell not. Nothing about that is going to change anything you think of the high points of your life one with a high points of your life when someone said I will marry you. That's gonna be a high point in your life. You see, I'd be a high point you could have. I will marry you, or you got the job or that's a great high point maybe for some of you. You just inherited when you heard those words or that he this is can be great.

What are the low points in life.

Sorry tell you this but it looks malignant.

I want to be in this marriage anymore, I'm leaving for the bosses you I'm sorry to tell you this but were downsizing high point slope Ortiz at the matter. Those kind of things will have no effect on your life. You see, just keeps beating this over and over and over again nothing you can imagine goes outside of this category and then he says power inverters 37 and he said, or any other created thing, not anything mighty or anything made no power. No one has the power to take God's love away from you. No one nothing that has the power not the physical universe, not the spiritual reality. Nothing has that power.

No created thing. Ironically I actually preach this many many years ago. Nothing was said to me afterwards.

But it doesn't say you and I just remember sinner you created thing got so it also says life. Are you alive or dead. Get some alike will I guess it counts on you then write this include you. What's Paul's point. Do you have any idea much God loves you. You see, because God loves you. For God so loved the world he sent the son you see from Christ love you so much. He endured the cross, you see he loves you so much. Now he intercedes in your behalf. As our high priest. This is the love of God in our lives. This is the message is often missing. We talk so much about serving God, but not so much about just receiving God's love is unconditional. It's overwhelming, it's infinite. And Paul says I am convinced, absolutely convinced God's love is not only constant, unfeeling.

It is triumphant. We are more than conquerors.

By the way, that word is hyper enough, all, and the reason I say that is simply because there's no English equivalent. That's why it says more than conquerors in some translations overwhelmingly conquer another translation nearly what it says and what he is saying right. There is simply this, he is saying to us that this is beyond conquering the whole idea of their high pair means beyond.

It is beyond conquering. That's the absolute truth is beyond conquering were beyond that, he said in all these things we overwhelming conquerors through him.

See, this could lift our spirits. God's love prevails in our lives no matter what it looks like no matter what's going on. Sometimes, by the way is love prevails our lives and we can see it. Sometimes we can in World War II. Benito Mussolini became dictator of Italy is a fascist and he was a guy kind of fool of himself and he needed somebody to be able to fight.

And so you thought the best people to attack where of course be the Ethiopians and silly attacks Ethiopia now Ethiopians had that spirit, and he had tanks so Benito Ron, a wonderful victory for Italy over the Ethiopians and up when he first got in soon as he got there and occupy the country. He made all the missionaries leave Ethiopia immediately and and then he began to oppress the people just terribly their life went from bad, much, much, much worse. On the surface this looks terrible, but as the war went on, eventually ended the people in Italy. By the way, remember, kill Mussolini and the axis powers lost the word of the Allied powers, and so as soon as the word ended. The missionaries went right back into the land as quickly as they could get there hoping to find someone there. The would believe. Well, when they got there they find out that the church was forcing in a way that it never flourished before. In fact, the United Presbyterian mission when they left under their jurisdiction and 60 believers in Ethiopia. When they got back after the war there were 30 churches and 1600 believers more than conquerors. She sometimes we see God prevail against the circumstances that we think even in this life, but we are more than conquerors God's love matters.

The question is simple. Are you convinced of this and frame your life doesn't change you. What you think maybe you did something so bad like David or Peter that God could love you or that your life is so bad that God could possibly love you. And while these things to be still in your life is not the case for the closing words of David Jeremiah. He said nothing is meaningless in the world of the believer. Everything has a purpose and in a world ruled by a loving God. The purpose is always to use every encounter to shape us into the perfect image of our Lord every difficulty will be turned in our favor and help us to become perfect and complete, and lack nothing, or in Paul's words to become more than conquerors in other words, God's love matters.

Are you convinced spring. Father, I think it's tragic to know that there are believers on this earth that aren't convinced of how much you love them that they look at the circumstances of your life and say you couldn't love me and have me go through these difficult circumstances where they look at the sins of the past and say you could love me because of what I've done. Father Paul makes it abundantly clear that you love us and unquenchable love. A love that will persist through any and all circumstances. Love the carries dismissed life to the next.

A love immune to the circumstances or the spiritual realities of life father when we possess this kind of love and we have confidence in it.

It gives us the peace and assurance that no matter what goes on in our lives. We are confident of your love. I pray especially for anyone here today that doesn't realize how much God loves him. I pray that these words challenge their thinking and put their conscience and absorbed into their heart so they can experience what Paul calls the peace beyond all understanding. Thank you for loving us in spite of us in Jesus been listening to Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the radio ministry of fellowship in the world. If you ever missed one of our broadcast or maybe you just listen to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the Fellowship in the Word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of our previous audio programs as well that Fellowship in the Word we are thinking for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting a monthly fourth is the one time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor bill delivered during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and O LA.Margie at our website you will find hundreds of pastoral sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series you're looking for or you can search by title. Once you find the method you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listen at your own. And remember, you can do all this absolutely free of charge. Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt and Jason Gebhardt.

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