Peace in the Midst of the Storm

Scripture Text Mark 4: 35-41

Intro: There is so much we can learn from this story that Mark gives us in these verses for today. This story should inspire and encourage each of us to put our trust in Jesus no matter what we are facing in life. He is truly worthy of our complete trust in Him.

1 Peace and rest are sought after a tiring day. Mark 4:35-36 (NLT) ³⁵ As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed).

 We All get fatigued in life!

  a. Jesus was fatigued! It was evening of the same day when Jesus sought rest and peace. He had been teaching all day to a multitude of people. The crowd had been so massive and pressing that they had forced Him of shore into a boat and from there He taught them.  

      When evening had come Jesus took the initiative and gives the command to His 12 disciples to cross over to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

  b. Because Jesus was so fatigued, He went as He was—tired and give out from ministering.

  c. Other ships went also. The people wanted to be with Jesus wherever He went. They got to see the miracle of Jesus stilling the storm also!

II. Peace can be experienced despite a great storm.  Mark 4:37-38 (NLT)
³⁷ But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. ³⁸ Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”

  a. The storm was so great that the Ship began to be filled with water. We have all probably experienced some storms in our lives or we are going thru one now. We may feel like we are going under from the immensity of our storm.

  b. While this great storm was going on Jesus slept in the midst of it. The disciples feared lest they perish. Have you ever felt that Jesus has turned a blind eye to your situation? That the door to Heaven is closed! We pray and nothing seems to happen! If Jesus is in your boat it will not sink. Hebrews 13:5 (NKJV) ⁵ Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Ps.23:4) Valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil!

III. Our peace is a concern to Jesus.  Mark 4:39 (NKJV)  Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace, be still!" And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.

  a. Jesus cares for us more than we could ever know. 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV) ⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Jesus has the power to control every situation. Whatever we are facing or will face in the future Jesus is well able to help us through it as He brings rest and peace to our souls. He invites us to ask, seek, and knock.

IV. Peace comes through two sources.  Mark 4:40-41 (NKJV) ⁴⁰ But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" ⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!"

  a. Through faith! Jesus asked them “where is your faith”? Faith comes hearing and hearing by the word of God. Romans 10:17

  b. Through Jesus’ Word. When we speak God’s word over our situation it is sure to bring the rest and peace we need in every situation we have to face. By acting on God's Word and not merely reacting to the situation, you'll be able to manage your emotions instead of allowing them to manage you. I strongly recommend confessing the Word of God out loud. Even though what you confess may be the opposite of how you feel, keep doing it. God's Word has inherent power to change our feelings, bring comfort to us, and quiet our distraught emotions. The word is living and powerful; (Heb. 4:12) through the word you are born again. The word works faith in you; through the word faith is activated. Read and receive the word simply with the thought that it will work in you. Keep yourselves occupied with the word, and give it time. The word has a divine life in itself; carry it in your inmost parts, and it will work life in you. It will work in you a faith strong and able for anything.

Invitation: Is Jesus in your boat (life)? Has He saved you from the penalty of sin and Hell? If not confess your sins against God and ask Jesus to forgive you and invite Him into your life to take charge of you give you a home in Heaven with Him and the Father. He will help you through life’s great storms that we all have to face.

Remember Me

                                        Scripture Text  1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (NKJV)
²³ For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread;
²⁴ and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me."
²⁵ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."
²⁶ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till He comes.

Intro: The apostle Paul tells us in these verses of scripture that the Lord Jesus repeated twice something that was very important to Him as His people were observing and honoring His Supper. Jesus said we are to remember Him, His life, death, and love for us.

      Jesus doesn’t want us to forget the tremendous price He paid for our salvation.

I. We remember His life. (John 1:12, 16) John 1:14 (NKJV)  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

 a. Jesus left the glories of Heaven there with the Father and came to this earth as a man to give salvation “to as many as would receive Him and the right to become children of God” so we could spend an eternity with Him and the Father in Heaven. (v:12)

     He came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b) He came to show us the love, mercy, grace, and compassion of the Father toward mankind.

    John 1:16 (NLT) From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another.

II. We remember His death. Luke 23:33-36 (NKJV) ³³ And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. ³⁴ Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." And they divided His garments and cast lots. ³⁵ And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, "He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God." Luke 23:44-46 (NKJV) ⁴⁴ Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. ⁴⁵ Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. ⁴⁶ And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, 'into Your hands I commit My spirit.' " Having said this, He breathed His last.

 a. Jesus died a horrible death as a common criminal in our place as our perfect sacrifice so we could be saved and made right with God. Jesus died so we could have peace with God through Him. (Rom. 5:1) It is very important we remember His death on the cross for us. By His death He opened the door to God’s throne,salvation and Heaven. He paid the enormous price for our sins so we might be saved and healed. Isaiah 53:5-6 (NKJV) ⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement (punishment) for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

III. We remember His love. John 15:9-13 (NKJV) ⁹ "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. ¹⁰ If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. ¹¹ These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

      ¹² This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
¹³ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

     When we observe the Lord’s Supper, we remember Jesus proved His love for us in leaving the glories of Heaven to come to earth to live a perfect life. He completely fulfilled the law of God for mankind. By living the perfect life, He became the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind when He died on the cross to pay the price for our sins against a Holy God.

     He gave up His life on the cross for us that we could be free from God’s judgment and wrath. There is no greater love than Jesus had for us when He laid down His life for His friends. Jesus’ love for us is the same love as the Father has for Him.

  Invitation: If you do not know Jesus as your Savior and Lord, now is the time to ask Him to forgive and save you from the penalty of your sins. Then you too will have a home in Heaven!

Follow the Good Shepherd

Scripture Text

John 10:1-5

Intro: When we first trusted in Christ for the forgiveness of our sin and were saved, we then entered into a journey of a lifetime to follow the leading of Christ for our lives. It is a daily decision we all must make to follow Jesus. When we follow the good Shepherd, our lives will be full of the blessings of God and we will have an intimate and growing relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. As we follow the good Shepherd, we will avoid many difficulties and the devil’s lies, snares and deceptions as he attempts to lead us away from the Shepherd into harm’s way.

I. Many false shepherds seek the sheep. John 10:1 (NKJV) "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. Jesus calls them thieves and robbers. Jesus calls them that because they did not give their lives for us, only Jesus did. They are hirelings and when hard times come they will flee. (V:12) They are only after money, power, prestige and control over others. They seek to lead and control God’s people without doing it God’s way. They are the devil’s workers, liars and deceivers. They use smooth and enticing words to lead people away from the Shepherd.

II. Jesus is the true Shepherd. John 10:2 (NKJV) But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. Jesus came through the door to the sheep God’s way. The way of God was through the cross. Jesus was the only One who would leave Heaven and become a man, live the perfect life and shed His blood on the cross as the sacrifice required for the salvation of and the sheepfold.

III. God is the doorkeeper to the sheep. John 10:3 (NKJV) To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. God opens the door for the true Shepherd of the sheep. He is allowed access to them. The Holy Spirit helps the sheep to recognize the Shepherd and they respond to His voice. The Shepherd calls each sheep by their name and He leads them out individually to take care of them.

IV. The Shepherd leads His sheep. John 10:4 (NKJV) And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. The sheep follow the Shepherd. Psalms 23:1 (NKJV)  The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. They are personally acquainted with Him and know His voice because He has called them by name and they daily read His word and study it to see what He has to say. Psalms 23:2-3 (NKJV) ² He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. ³ He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake. Jesus the good Shepherd gives us rest and supplies all our needs. He refreshes our soul and      always leads us in the way of righteousness and goodness. He does this for His namesake!

V. The sheep will not follow anyone else. John 10:5 (NKJV) Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." Because they are strangers, foreigners, aliens, and outsiders. Outside of the true faith of salvation in Christ alone! They will flee from the false shepherd because they don’t know his voice. They have no relationship to the false shepherd because they did not come through the doorkeeper. When you hear anything that does not line up with God’s word, turn a deaf ear to it and run from it. Don’t listen to what is contrary to God’s word because He has declared His word will stand forever.  Jesus said in Matthew 24:35 (NKJV)  Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 1 Peter 1:25 (NKJV)  The word of the Lord endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Invitation: Do you know the good Shepherd? Has He saved your soul? If not now is the time to confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and save your soul from Hell and give you a home in Heaven when this life is over. If Jesus is your Shepherd, are you following Him daily?

Evangelism – The Way of God

Scripture Text John 20:19-23

Introduction: This was the first appearance of Jesus to His disciples as a group after His resurrection. What would He say and talk about? What would be the topic of conversation and the subjects covered? Whatever He chose to say would be of critical importance. Jesus used this first appearance to discuss three most important subjects to His disciples.

I.  Resurrection: The first subject was the risen Lord Himself. His presence was very real.

   John 20:19-20 (NLT) ¹⁹ That Sunday evening the disciples were meeting behind locked doors because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! “Peace be with you,” he said. ²⁰ As he spoke, he showed them the wounds in his hands and his side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!

a. He used the simple day to day greeting among Jews, "Peace be unto you." Shalom!  By Using the greeting so familiar to the disciples would help to put them at ease. They could see it was really Him and not just a vision or a spirit.

b. He showed them His wounds. They could see that this was His body, the body of their wonderful Lord, the very same Jesus whom they had known before His crucifixion.

c. But now they knew. When Jesus had said that He was going to die, He meant He was going to die. When He had said that He was going to arise, He meant He was going to arise.

    And here He was standing before them, revealing the most glorious truth in the entire universe. Man could now conquer sin and death and live forever. He had actually come "that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10b)

   Can you just imagine the joy of the disciples to see their Lord overcome death!

II. Witnessing: The second subject was the great commission.  John 20:21 (NLT) Again he said, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you.”

 a. There is one great qualification for being commissioned: receiving, possessing, and knowing the salvation and peace of Christ. Unless a person has been reconciled to God by Christ, and really given peace with God, he cannot represent God before the world.

b.  There is the great link between the mission of Christ and the disciple. The disciple is sent on the very same mission as Christ. God sent Christ on a specific mission of seeking and saving the lost. As Disciples of Christ Jesus, He sends us on the very same mission.

     We are to seek and lead the lost to salvation in Jesus. The disciple is sent forth to proclaim and bear witness of the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. The disciple is the prophet and witness of the living Lord.

     We Disciples of Christ are to proclaim He is the only Way to salvation. Christ is the Truth; the disciple proclaims the Truth. Christ is the Life; the disciple shares the Life. (John 14:6)

III. Holy Spirit: The third subject was the Holy Spirit. Christ had just commissioned His disciples. He now gave them the power to carry out His orders. John 20:22 (NLT)  Then he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

 a. There was the giving of the Spirit. Jesus' breathing on the disciples was a prophetic sign of the Spirit's coming and a spiritual power for the disciples. It was both a symbolic and a spiritual preparation. Jesus was showing His followers that the Spirit's very special presence and power was to indwell believers as the temple of God. The Spirit, of course, came at Christ’s ascension. Acts 1:8 (NLT) But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”                   IV. The authority: Jesus has given the church the authority to preach forgiveness in His name. John 20:23 (NLT) If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” When someone believes this gospel message, the church has the right to declare this person forgiven of their sins against God and to promise them Heaven when they die. If they refuse the message, we are to tell them Hell will be their eternal home. As His disciples we are to be busy about telling others about the salvation that Jesus brings.

Conclusion: We have before us the opportunity to help change the way our nation is going. If we really want our nation to change, one good way is to stand up for the gospel and help take the message of Christ to those around us. We do this in obedience to Jesus’ command to take the good news of Christ to the ends of the earth. Our nation is on the brink of ruin and only a spiritual awakening to the things of God through Jesus Christ can save this nation.

Invitation: Make sure you have received Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord. If you are not sure, now is the time. For God says in 2 Corinthians 6:2 (NKJV)
² For He says: "In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you." Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

 If you have received Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord, look for opportunities to share Jesus with those around you in your circle of influence.

Peace – The Way of God

Intro: Our world is full of violence, and our daily lives are marred by conflict, turmoil and a lack of peace. But God promises His people a peace that surpasses all understanding. God’s way is always the way of peace because He is a God of peace. (Romans 15:33)

I. Peace is a gift from Jesus. (John 14:27)(NLT)  “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.

  a.The peace Jesus offers his disciples isn’t like the peace the world gives. The peace Jesus is speaking of enables believers to remain calm in the most wildly fearful circumstances. It enables them to hush a cry, still a riot, rejoice in pain and trial, and sing in the middle of suffering as did Paul and Silas while they were in prison. This peace is never by circumstances, but instead affects and even overrules them. It is his peace, the peace he modeled every day of his life. Jesus’ peace did not flee conflict, pain, or death. In fact, the more intense the difficulties, the more apparent Jesus’ peace became. Jesus derived his peace from his relationship with the Father and by being the sacrifice for our sins. He has put us in a relationship with the Father that brings us our peace. We are to let the peace of Christ judge, decide, govern, and rule in our hearts like an umpire. We allow the peace of Christ to make all the calls for the actions and attitudes in our lives. (Colossians 3:15)

II. Peace with God. Romans 5:1 (NLT) Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

 a. Peace has been made with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, which fact is demonstrated by God’s justification of us. A believer is not responsible for having peace in the sense of making it but in the sense of enjoying it. Ephesians 2:14a (NKJV)  For  (Christ) Himself is our peace.  We now can approach God at any time because we are no longer His enemy, but His children having been born again by the Spirit of God, baptized into the body of Christ. True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings; it comes from knowing that God is in control. Believers are given peace with God when they believe. Nothing on this earth can bring you true peace, it will always leave you empty.

   

III. Peace of God should rule our actions. How do we let the peace of God rule in our lives?

      Philippians 4:6-9 (NKJV) ⁶ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; ⁷ and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. ⁸ Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy--meditate on these things. ⁹ The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

 a. When the exhortations of verse 6 are heeded, the peace of God in (v. 7) will flood one’s troubled soul. Eph. 2:14 Says The Lord Jesus Christ is a believer’s peace, and every child of God has peace with God through justification by faith in Jesus as stated in Rom. 5:1. But the peace of (or from) God relates to the inner tranquility of a believer’s close walk with God. True peace is not found in positive thinking, in absence of conflict, or in good feelings; it comes from thinking on godly things as described in verse 8. True peace is knowing that God is in control. Believers are given peace with God when they believe, and we have the inner quietness of the peace of God as we daily walk with him. This peace of God transcends all understanding, that is, it is beyond man’s ability to comprehend. This peace guards the believers. Guard translates a military term which means “to protect or garrison by guarding.” Like soldiers assigned to watch over a certain area, God’s peace garrisons (protects) the heart and mind, that is, the emotions and thoughts, of His children. Isaiah 26:3-4 (NLT) You (God) will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! ⁴ Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock.

   Invitation: Do you have peace with God through the forgiveness of your sins? If not now is the time to confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you of your sins against God and give you a home in Heaven. No Jesus, no peace. Know Jesus, know peace!

Grace - The Way of God

Scripture Text Ephesians 1:3-14

Intro: God always works by the way of grace in His dealings with mankind. Grace by definition means the undeserved and unmerited favor and blessings of God. No other word so expresses the depth and richness of the heart and mind of God.  He works this way so that He will be in debt to no man. None deserve the grace of God; it is freely given to all who believe in Jesus.

1. God’s grace has blessed us with all heavenly blessings. Ephesians 1:3 (NLT) All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

  a. In His glorious grace, God has not left out any spiritual blessings for His children. How rich!

      We simply accept them and apply them to our lives. Because we have an intimate relationship with Christ, we can enjoy these blessings now and will enjoy them for eternity.

2. God by His grace has chosen us to be holy and blameless. Ephesians 1:4 (NLT) Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.

  a. That God chose (handpicked) us in Christ is the basis of the doctrine of election—defined as God’s choice of an individual for salvation and a heavenly destiny. The doctrine of election teaches that we are saved only because of God’s grace and mercy; as believers we are not saved by our own merit. It focuses on God’s purpose or will, not on ours. God does not save us because we deserve it but because he graciously and freely gives salvation through His Son Jesus Christ. God did this so we could be holy and blameless in His eyes in the Day of Judgment.

 

3.  God by His grace has adopted us as children. Ephesians 1:5-6 (NLT) ⁵ God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. ⁶ So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.

  a. Predestined. God chose us before He made the world because It Was His will to do so. (v.5a)

  b. He brought us to Himself through Jesus Christ because He wanted to and it gave Him great pleasure. God seeks an intimate relationship with His children to bless them by His grace.

  c. So we praise Him for His glorious grace He has poured out on us who belong to Jesus. (v.6)

4 God by His rich kindness and grace has redeemed us. Ephesians 1:7 (NLT) He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.

  a. We have been liberated, set free, and delivered from the penalty of Hell. God purchased us through Christ's blood, forgave all our sin, saved us for Heaven. What a gracious God we serve.

5 God by His grace has showered His kindness on us and has given us wisdom and understanding. Ephesians 1:8-10 (NLT) ⁸ He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding. ⁹ God has now revealed to us his mysterious plan regarding Christ, a plan to fulfill his own good pleasure. ¹⁰ And this is the plan: At the right time he will bring everything together under the authority of Christ—everything in heaven and on earth.

God has showered us with compassion, sympathy and benevolence.

  a. God has chosen to reveal to us His mysterious plan regarding Christ.

  b.  His purpose was to fulfill His own good pleasure in regards to mankind and to reveal His plan to gather all things together in heaven and earth and to put everything under Christ at the right time.

6. God by His grace has given us an inheritance: He has made us the heritage of God.

     Ephesians 1:11-13 (NLT) ¹¹ Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to his plan. ¹² God’s purpose was that we Jews who were the first to trust in Christ would bring praise and glory to God. ¹³ And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

  a.  God Predetermined to give His inheritance to both the Jews and Gentiles who belong to Him in Christ so that we should exist eternally to bring praise and glory to Him for His rich grace.

  b. God in His grace tells us How to receive His inheritance, a birthright to live with Him forever. When we hear the word about Christ, confess our sins, believe in Him as our Savior, and receive His forgiveness, God identifies us as His own by giving us His Holy Spirit to live in us.

  

7. God by His grace has sealed us with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:14 (NLT) The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him.

  a. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee that God will give us the inheritance He promised and that He has purchased us as His own.  He did this so we would praise and glorify Him for all of His wonderful grace toward us.

Conclusion:  John 1:14  Says Jesus, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:16-17 ¹⁶ And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Invitation: Have you received the grace and truth that comes through Jesus Christ the Son of God?

If you have not, now is the time to receive Jesus who is the way, the truth and the life. Confess your sins to Jesus and ask Him to forgive you and invite Him into your life to take charge of you. 

Love – The Way of God

Scripture Text 1 John 4:9-18

Intro: God’s word has much to say about true love. In the King James Version of the bible, love is mentioned 310 times, 131 times in the Old Testament and 179 times in the New Testament.

I. God’s definition of love. 1 John 4:9-12 (NKJV) ⁹ In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

 a. Real love is God sending His Son to be a sacrifice to take away our sins. God is love personified and you can only know the full expression of love by receiving God’s love through the person of His Son, Jesus Christ and sharing it with others. When a person believes in the love of God, that God loves them so much that He gave His Son to die for our sins, God is perfectly pleased, for God loves His Son with a perfect love. So when a person honors God's Son by believing in Him, God puts His Spirit into the person. God actually implants His divine love, through the Holy Spirit, into the life of the believer.  In verse 12, When we love each other it is proof that God lives in us and His love is then brought to full expression. (Poem entitled Love isn't Love..) A bell is not a bell until someone rings it, a song is not a song until someone sings it. Love wasn't put in the heart to stay, for love isn't love until you give it away. Oscar Hammerstein II

II. We Christians have put our trust in God’s love.  1 John 4:16-18 (NKJV) ¹⁶ And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. ¹⁷ Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

 a. As we trust in His love and live in it day by day, we come to understand that God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. It is one thing to know and believe in God’s love; it is quite another to actually appropriate God’s love into our lives so that we “live in love” by sharing it with others.  In verse 16, because God is love, his people ought to be experiencing his transcendent and glorious love on a daily basis because he “lives” in them.

 b. As we live in God our love grows more perfect or mature. (V:17)

     This perfect, mature love working in us will produce believers who will not be afraid on the Day of Judgment. On that day, God will require all people to account for their lives. Those who have lived in His love will live with Him forever. Then we don’t have to wait until that day to find out if we “made it.” We will have that confidence now because we share Jesus’ love in this world.

  III. Perfect mature love casts out all fear.  1 John 4:18 (NKJV)  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  a. Because we believers are becoming like God, we certainly need not fear his judgment. To be fearful is to lack confidence; to lack confidence is to show that God’s love has not been perfected in that person. As Believers we ought not to be afraid of the future, eternity, or God’s judgment, because of His love.  We know that God loves us perfectly (Romans 8:38-39). We can resolve any fears first by focusing on God’s immeasurable love and then by allowing Him to love others through us. The assurance of God’s love will quiet fears and give us confidence.

b. A Believers’ love, whether for God or for others, is always based on God’s love for them. God’s love is the source, the initiator. People cannot love this way on their own; it happens as a result of God’s loving people first. God’s love is far above all human love. Because we believers abide in God and thus abide in love, God’s love fills us and overflows from us. Living Water flows!

Conclusion: John concludes this passage on love in verses 20-21! God says you and I can’t say we love Him and hate our Christian brothers and sisters because we would be lying. God says if we love Him we must also love our Christian brothers and sisters.

   Invitation: If you have never experienced God’s full expression of love through His Son Jesus and the forgiveness and salvation He brings, now would be the perfect time. If you have experienced His full expression of love through Christ, then God says you are to share it with those around you wherever you go. We are to imitate His love by serving others.

Trust - The Way of God

Scripture Text Proverbs 3:5-6

     Intro: We have been talking in previous messages about the ways of God. Today we look at another way by which God works. It is the way of trust in Him through all life’s situations. 

 I.  We are to trust God. Proverbs 3:5 (NKJV)  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;  Trust in means to have full reliance and dependence in God.

  a. Lean on – rely in God for support, stability.

  b. Confident - strong belief, full assurance in God that He will do all He has promised in His word.

 c. We are to lean on, trust and be confident in God with all our heart- (our inner most being, our    spirit man.)  The heart determines what a person does, his behavior in all circumstances. The Mind is - the seat of reasoning, understanding, intention, purpose and attitude. It determines our true character, personality. We are to reason, make decisions based on God’s view of whatever we are facing at the time.  We think about His perspective of the situation.                                                        

       d. Trials, temptations, sicknesses, and situations in life are to be conquered by our confident belief in God.  We do not see God, but we lean on, trust and have confidence Him. These words are in the present continuous tense. It is continuous action, continuous trust—a trust that continues on and on. It is belief in and never ceasing to be confident, always leaning on God at all times. When we continue to have this assurance, confidence and trust in God, then we are fully relying on Him. We are doing what He says and He will bless us accordingly. We are standing firm in His presence and power to conquer and to carry us through all trials. We do not rely, or look for support and stability in ourselves or someone else. We are not to rely on our own insight, comprehension, understanding or discernment. We don’t have full knowledge of all the facts surrounding the things we have to face in life.

    II. In all our ways we are to acknowledge God. Proverbs 3:6 (NKJV)  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.

     a. Know (the value of God and be acquainted with Him.) We are to know He is the    all-powerful One to do whatever needs to be done in every area of our lives.

      He is well able to handle and take care of whatever the problem might be.

      Know He is everywhere at one time. He is always aware of what is going on      concerning us.

      b. Recognize (identify - determine) God as in control of everything in this world.

      c. Acknowledge (confess) the presence of God in our lives at all times. He will never leave us. Psalms 46:1 (NKJV) God is our refuge (our shelter from the storm) and strength, (He is our power by reason of influence, authority, resources,) A very present (available) help in trouble.

   d. He shall direct your paths. God will regulate the course of our daily path and control our every step. He will make plain the way we are to go. The Lord will guide you to the final goal of life. God gives wisdom and with it the task of making wise decisions; these are the two aspects of guidance in wisdom teaching. There is no hint of guidance that bypasses the duty of making decisions. The first decision is to seek God’s wisdom. Second decision is to be obedient to what God is saying.

 But thank God, human decisions do not overrule the protection of God’s providence.

Invitation: Father, help us to trust You more each day we have left on this earth. May we learn to completely trust You know matter the situation or circumstance we may face in this life. Forgive our sin of not always fully trusting You. If there is one reading this message today who has not trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins, may this be the day that they fully trust in Jesus as their Savior!