Love Completed

Let's pray. Let's pray. Our God, our Father, we just ask for strength and guidance and thanking, Father, as your scripture encourages us and strengthens us in the love that you've shown us, Father. Be with us in this hour, we ask in Christ's name. So I was going to be in John, but plans changed. And Lonnie was in John, so I went to a familiar passage in 2 Corinthians.

And talking about the love of God, you know, it's a, people will say they love God, not realizing their state, that they're still dead in their sin. And it's unable to understand who God is and the love he's shown unless they believe in the work of the cross. And our thoughts go back clear to his mercy to Adam and Eve in the garden. Why? Why would you sin? perfect paradise.

And we can't even contemplate it. Our minds can't grasp the fullness of His love and compassion that were given to Adam and Eve. And yet they fell. Israel, God made a covenant to Israel. They broke that covenant. And yet, in our day and our age, we think of the love of God.

It's not the problem that we don't love. We love too many other things that crowd in. The NIV in Psalm 86 says, Lord, give me an undivided heart. as we look through John as Lonnie went through last week you see these conditions that God gave to his disciples Now his love towards them was unconditional His love, he saw fit to save a people that were objects of his wrath, and we are in that place.

We need a heart that is fully devoted to God. That is what pleases him. Without faith, it's impossible to please God, as the writer of Hebrews spoke. Love is divided. We can love our children more than we love God. We can love our spouse more than we love God.

You try to comprehend that and go, no, I love God. Well, the love the scriptures talks about is one that serves and is devoted and sacrifices. As we think of marriage life, it's a perfect example of true love. I remember our marriage counseling, which was very short. Is my wife here? There she is.

Quit it. Settle down. The pastor said, your love will grow. you're like there's no way you know there's no way it's gonna grow i mean i love her completely fully but he was right he was right because over the years as you experience life and you grow So you understand that love, that love that brings us into mind what God says love is. Love is a covenant.

He completes his covenant in Christ. And let's turn to 2 Corinthians 5. So again, reminding ourselves that we need a complete, complete heart. the hope is in Christ we can be transformed because when we were dead in our transgressions we had no thought of God I know I weeped at the cross poor Jesus not seeing the glory of God that was done by wicked hands but it was God will Let's think of the Corinthian church as they went through many, many divisions.

There's sin rampant, there's undivided hearts holding one man above the other. This letter comes to the Corinthian people out of love. Paul always he didn't let those objects of disobedience affect his love Paul was an instrument of God to guide and shape him and realize that if God is with us who can be against us especially for the bride of Christ he's already stated earlier in this book of these the war that's going on.

In their own hearts, as God says, do not lose heart, though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. Your light and momentary afflictions is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comprehension. As we look not to the things that are seen, but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transit, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

My mind wanders to a, you know, we're so comfortable in our nation. We're so comfortable of ease. We're so comfortable in our freedom. My mind wanders to a young Afghan girl who's a Christian and wonders what's going to happen the next week or hour, even that day, or a young man in Yemen who could suffer death, keeping this in mind. Have we fallen in love with our freedom and our ease and our comfort in this nation?

I think we've been seduced in a way. I mean, God knows each and every one at heart, and I'm speaking to people that are devoted to God, and I want to be devoted to God, but yet there is areas in my life that I can love too much I cannot be as devoted as He called me to be This is the love that completed The church is the pinnacle of God's love. The bride of Christ, as it's transformed and renewed, this inner working that only God can do.

Who can transform the heart and the masses of the heart? Only God can do. His thoughts are above our thoughts. And this love which secures us. So let's start in verse 11. In chapter 5, 2 Corinthians.

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are known to God, and I hope is known also to your conscience, we are not commending ourselves to you again, but are giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearances and not what is in the heart. For as we are beside ourselves, it is for God.

If we are in our right mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this, that one has died for all, therefore all have died. And he died for all that those who live may no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. For now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh, even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh.

We regard him thus no longer. Therefore, anyone who is in Christ is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself, gave us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ God was reconciled the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. God is making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. for our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin that in him we might become the righteousness of God Paul's addressing to their task at hand So we fear, knowing the fear of the Lord. What is the fear of the Lord? We stand in awe of God.

To just speak, you know, I love you God. Or you hear stupid cliches that I'm having an affair with God. I hate that. It's just a flippant way. He is almighty He is our creator He sustains things all the islands are in the hand breath of His His hand He can move mountains and yet He's called us to this task of reconciling others to Himself the significance of what the work is going on in our life too often and we go, what are you doing, Lord?

What are you doing? I wouldn't do it this way. Well, you're not God. His ways are perfect. He chooses the most, if we can say it with awe, the craziest ways we see. How would you take, just for instance, what we're going to address here, the work of the cross.

He could have done it from heaven. As we understand who Christ is and this work and understanding the love of God that He is this perfect high priest. He is one who can sympathize. We need that, don't we? We need one who can sympathize us in our weaknesses because we're frail. We understand the dips and turns of life.

There's always something new. Every week you could probably write it down. If you're faithful to flocks, you can see prayer lists are this long. There's affliction on every side. God is working and molding His people to the bright it should be. Paul is very patient in addressing the people of God here that went through so much, but yet they stand firm. and he addressing to the very gospel that we know this love of Christ controls us Jerry Bridges preached on this years ago, and I wish I could do him credit by speaking as he did.

But the fact that the gospel, and what he reminded us, the gospel needs to be in your life every day as we understand our unbelieving world who's dead in their sin, as we understand our own hearts, that we're complete because of Christ's love. Now we have true reconciliation. We don't need the tabernacle. We don't need a priest. We come before His Holy of Holies in prayer and we can commune with Him.

This love of God. As we contemplate our lives and our endeavors, we've got to understand the perfect work of Christ. What John Owen says in his book, The Union of Christ, Sin dying in us now at some measure while we are alive. These are three concernments of sin, which is our wisdom to be acquainted with. it is hid only in Christ. We read in Romans, when Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

For if we are planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection, knowing this, that our old man is crucified in him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, and henceforth we should not serve sin. We have to understand in that song we just sang that just talking about He is our righteousness. If we don't see our sin, we have to wonder if we are truly in Christ, if we have truly believed Him.

Because He will reveal. I've been a Christian since 92. I see sin every week. and I know I must be transformed more and more in the likeness of my glorious Savior. If we could walk perfect as Adam did before the fall but we can It awaits us Salvation not yet It coming That love of Christ, it does control us because the Holy Spirit brings glory to the Son.

As we wake up the day and we see a new day, we know the mercies are new. as Jeremiah quoted in Lamentations. We know there's mercies anew tomorrow. That our sin's been taken care of. The finished work of the cross is taken care of. We know that we can die to sin. We understand and we believe that He died for all and those who live might no longer live for themselves.

We know we're selfish. We know we used to love self more than anything. We know a dying world outside of the church is seeking something, which it needs to be Christ. I was talking to a recovered addict Monday. He was so confused. He believed in aliens.

He believes in God. And I said, no, no, no, no. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He said, I like AA meetings. I go, find that in the church here, a community of people who love you. But find hope in Christ.

It's the hope that controls us. We're driven by that hope. Disaster may come to us, like Job, and yet we can still worship God. did you see this Old Testament reading turn back how beautiful David's words this is the heart a God after God's own heart oh God you are my God earnestly I seek you my soul thirsts for you my flesh faints for you as in a dry and weary land where there is no water so I've looked upon you in the sanctuary and behold your power and glory because of your steadfast love is better than life how can we make his steadfast love better than this life as we savor Him we adore Him and worship is so crucial in that that we worship God in making our lives a sacrifice.

Sacrifice. Oh, gee. I need some water. A sacrifice of praise. As you go about in your work, in your schools, wherever you're going. This is why he's called us to.

You know, as Levi is teaching 1 Peter 2. So true. how can we if we're abiding in this love John 15 Christ says abide in my love rest in me be confident in me we put this into place making love complete contentment contentment oh that we'd be a people with contentment everything God's put in our place aggravating people trouble in your home you name it that we'd be a people that rely on the love of God to compel us to greater service because our Redeemer did it perfectly this contentment moving away from self enjoying God for one if you contemplate he came for our happiness not in leisure happiness in him to be satisfied and savoring you know when David speaks of that in a dry and weary land we get rains all the time when you're in an arid country I've never been overseas, but if you don't have a water bottle, you're going to die. This is how he's talking about savoring God.

Savoring Him. My mouth is parched. No, I savor God in the quietness as I lie my head down in my bed at night with troubles, you name it. I can be satisfied in Christ. Whatever happens tomorrow, I can be satisfied in His perfect love. Because He loved us first.

He loved us first. He didn't have to... There's no change in His demeanor. His love is everlasting. being secure in our faith as we understand that if anyone isn't in Christ, he's a new creation. Look at Hebrews 12 with me. Hebrews 12, 4 through 6.

Sin is talked about a lot in the Bible, isn't it? Because it's a big deal. It's a big deal before a holy God. Listen to how the writer of Hebrews says, In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him for the Lord's discipline is the one he loves and chastens every son whom receives.

There may be hardship in your life because of sin. As a believer, God may bring hardship in molding you and shaping you and seeing your sin. see the promise back in 2 Corinthians 17 if anyone who is in Christ is a new creation it brand new By the blood of Christ you were born again by the Spirit of God. The old has passed away. Well, not in my life, there's still some of it still lingering around.

We've got to fight it off, don't we? He's given them great encouragement here. he says the old has passed away behold the new it's forgiven all this is from God who through Christ is reconciling us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation and in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself not counting their trespasses against him and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation therefore we are ambassadors for Christ we are ones who have been called out for this ministry what's your ministry in life? you have a ministry in your workplace in your family I commend Smith for bringing other lovely children into their homes that ministry you can pray about that this love of God to us that never can be turned to Romans 8 to affirm this after he just has displayed the working out of God purposes in your life a common verse we know that those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to His purpose those who foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son in order that we might be the firstborn among many brothers and those whom He predestined He also called and those whom He called he also justified and those whom he justified he also glorified the most daunting task to young people in this day and age who do not know Christ they have no purpose They still dead in their sin and they think getting a job making money, having a family, those are all fine things, but that's it. We've been brought into this ministry.

Now you think, well, that's up to you elders and pastor and the deacons, they minister and the deaconess. No, this is everybody. You all have ministries. If you're in Christ, your ministry is significant. That the purpose in life is to minister Christ. Not in what you do.

Not in where you work. That's just a part where God's putting you. Purpose. and here's his love. What shall we say? These things. That God is for us, who could be against us?

He who did not spare his own son, but gave him up for us, and how we not also with him graciously gave us all things. Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? That's us. Is it God who justifies? Who is it condemned? Christ Jesus is the one who died.

More than that, who is raised? Who is at the right hand of God who indeed is interceding for us, who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shall tribulation or distress, persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword, as it is written, for your sake, we are being killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. Knowing all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For we are sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of Christ Jesus and our Lord. Nothing. Nothing. Loved ones who go home in Christ are with Christ. Shouldn't this pursue us on to ministry To know that those who are still dead in their sin have life eternal in judgment They have no hope Hope is the key In Christ as we minister alongside people that do not know Him They have no hope.

So the love of God should drive us to that. And our confidence in this eternal... Turn to 1 John. Turn to 1 John. Christ Himself told His disciples in John 14 and 15. He keeps continually back, love one another, love one another, love one another.

It's how the love of God is made perfect. It's complete. The love of God is made complete when we minister along people who are undeserving because our love towards them can be like Christ in a human perspective. Our love will never be like God's. His love so surpasses us. We give up on people.

We're impatient. His love is perfected in this passage. And John repeats himself. He's making a point. as we look at in John 4, starting in verse 7. 1 John 4, verse 7. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God.

And whoever loves has been born of God, knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this, the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only son into the world so we might live through him in this love. Not that we love God, that he loved us and sent his son to be a propitiation for our sins. Beloved, as God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God abides in us and his love perfected in us. By this we know we abide. him and he in us because he has given us his spirit. We have seen and testified the father's sin his son the savior of the world and whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God, God abides in him and he in God and we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

God is love and whoever abides in love abides in God and God abides in him. By this love is perfected with us so that we may be confident on the day of judgment because as he is so also we are in the world there's no fear in love but perfected love casts out fear for love has been done with punishment has to do with punishment whoever fears it not been perfected in love we love because he first loved us if anyone says i love god and hates his brother he is a liar he He does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. In this command I have from him, whoever loves God must also love his brother.

How do we do that? What's the application of this? You know, we can have Bible studies. We can have prayer partners. Maybe just calling somebody up. Writing Joyce Mitchell this week.

Being before the throne of grace. Pleading to God for the church and Christ to be manifested in this country This country where there so much false People don know what to believe because everything out there But greater is He in us than in the world. It gives us confidence when we truly love God and believe in what He's done at the cross. We know He sits at the right hand of the Father.

We know He intercedes on our behalf. We know He's put us in a workplace or a family that needs to know and love God. I enjoyed the BB boys the other day as they were singing hymns. I was trying to teach them a new song. Everybody's heard Six Things, even Seven. The Lord hates things He cannot stand.

They didn't know that song. I get that to you, Andrew. But it's so good for the young people to sing hymns and worship God. Be praying for our children. They are the church of tomorrow. That the church of Christ, as we come before the throne of grace, we know God because He has shown His love towards us. what would it be like that day when we will see him face to face we just have a glimpse of heaven now and it's great and glorious you that are outside of Christ I want to speak to you you're empty, you're hollow I know because I was empty and hollow once there nothing nothing that will satisfy that thirst You can get the best paying job have the nicest wife on the earth beautiful children It's empty.

You need Christ Jesus as Lord and Savior. not as a distant deity but as one who you can call out and say I'm hurting and know the promises of God that He is close to the broken hearted as David said in Psalm 34 He is close to the broken hearted well everybody misunderstands me that's a common thing with youth God knows you He knits you together in your mother's womb You have a heavenly Father that loves you I love that in John where he's abiding me and I in you and he's connecting us to the Father all through that because we need to call out to the Father and say, Abba, Father thank you for the love that you instowed to me in Christ Jesus may I be an ambassador of yours wherever I go may I speak those words of grace that people need to hear may I be loving and kind and as he said in 2 Corinthians 6 I put no stumbling block before me we're throwing a red carpet out for Jesus Christ to say, the King here They going where He at Let me tell you about it He here Christ has arrived And He sits at the right hand of the Father and He is real. How? Well, He transformed my life to being a hater to a lover.

We let envy, strife, and malice just run rampant in our life when we were unbelievers. we were never satisfied when Christ Jesus and the kindness came as Paul wrote to Titus it's when we realized that love of God that made us lovers of people that's what we need to be trademarked at may God do that let's pray Father help us to do the things you show in scripture help us to be ambassadors for your name we thank you for our great interceder your son I pray for those that are still dead in their sin Father awaken them and make them alive in you for your glory. May we live our lives for your glory, Father. Put off our selfish ways.

Renew us day by day. Give us the faith that is so needed in a dark and dreary world. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.