The Love of God

Eph 3:14-19

A parent’s love is an incredible thing. Most of you have heard of Queen Victoria, but you probably haven’t heard of her daughter princess Alice. Yet Alice showed one of the greatest acts of love a parent can show. Her young son had contracted a fatal disease. The doctors told her to stay away from him or she too could get sick. As much as her heart ached to do so, she kept away from him for a few days. Then one day she heard the young boy say to his nurse, “why doesn’t mommy kiss me anymore?” Her heart melted and she ran into the room and smothered him with kisses. They buried her a few days later. Why would this mother do that? Love.

Love is an incredible thing. This morning we are going to take an unusual look at our theme of “It’s not about me” by looking at the love of God.

PRAYER

I. God’s Immeasurable Love

A. Example

1. When Rhyann was born, I was amazed at how much l loved this little baby that I hardly knew. She was a purple lizard wrapped up in a pink blanket, but my heart ached with love for her. For 2 ½ years she was my special little girl. Then Renee was born I wondered how I could love her like I did Rhyann. Did I have that much love in me? It became quite clear the moment that I held her in my arms that my love had no problem encompassing her as much as it did Rhyann.

2. She was my daughter, my child.

3. A parent’s love has no problem expanding to include another child as each child is born. We don’t have a limited supply of love and once that’s used up, “too bad next kid.”

4. There’s always more.

B. God’s love

1. It’s the same way with God’s love and yet even deeper.

2. His love knows no bounds.

3. His love doesn’t quit even when he is hurt, disappointed, or even rejected

C. The Depth of God love

1. I love verses 18-19 of our text because it describes the immeasurable depth of love by God the Son. READ with emphasis.

2. Briefly describe Jesus going to the cross and his suffering on it.

3. Can God love another child after so many? Can God love me after so many before me?

4. Look at the cross. It screams I love YOU.

II. God’s Love and our Theme

A. God’s love takes the pressure off of us

1. Knowing God loves us is important, but how does it fit with the theme of our series of lessons?

2. It’s understanding what that love does for us.

3. If it’s all about you, then it means it’s all up to you.

4. God takes the pressure off us by making it all about him.

B. Knowing our limitations

1. Max Lucado tells a great story about his relationship with his dad. His dad was an incredible mechanic; he could fix any engine you set in front of him. Somehow, Max never picked up that ability. All he knew the engine was either in the front of the car or the back. So how did Max’s dad handle that? He would encourage him to come help, not by tearing down and rebuilding a transmission or something along those lines, but would have him clean off the tools, scrub spark plugs, and simpler things like that. He loved Max so much that he didn’t give him more than he could handle.

C. God and our limitations

1. God does the same thing.

2. When it’s about God and his glory, he shoulders the responsibility for our souls.

3. That’s a good thing, because if we were responsible for our souls, we would be in a serious world of hurt.

4. We don’t have a chance of fixing our sins; it’s WAY beyond our limitations.

5. But God knows our limitations and gives us only what we can handle

6. He knows you can’t die for your own sins and do any good and that’s okay.

7. He loves you so much that he made sure the world doesn’t rely on you.

8. He loves you too much to doom you to certain failure.

9. He keeps everything going like it’s supposed to.

10. Max said in his book, to say “it’s not about you” is not to say you aren’t loved; quite the contrary. It’s because God loves you that it’s not about you.

11. All you have to do is look at the cross and be reminded of that overwhelming fact.

D. Invitation