I'd like you to turn with me
in your Bibles to John's Gospel. I want to start reading from verse 32, and we're just looking
at two verses today. And if you want the definition
of inadequacy and the definition of dependency upon God, try and
preach on Jesus quick. It's the shortest verse of the
Bible. Let's put it in context. When Mary was come where Jesus
was and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him,
Lord, if thou hast been here, my brother had not died. When
Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews
also weeping which came with her, he groaned in spirit and
was troubled, and said, where have you laid him? And they said
unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept, literally Jesus burst
into tears. Then said the Jews, behold how
he loved him. Behold how he loved him. I would just love for us to be
able to behold the love of God this morning. And that love brought
that remarkable confession from those Jews. And many of you down
and later on will see, it says in verse 45, and then
many of the Jews which came to Mary and have seen the things
which Jesus did, believed on him. They believed unto him. It's not hard for us to know
by bitter experience that the word love as used by the men
of this world is a word that is so often devoid of any meaning. And so many people have heard
those words and felt in their experience the lie that comes
with those words. But we here are talking about
the love of God in the Lord Jesus Christ, and this love is the
love that Paul the Apostle prayed would be known to his church. He bows, Paul bows in Ephesians
3, he bows before Thy bow my knees unto the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth
is named, that he would grant you, that he would give you,
he would grace you according to the riches of his glory, to
be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man. That's the new man, that's the
new man created in righteousness and true holiness in chapter
four. that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith. We read words, don't we, in the
scriptures and skip over those words and skip over the meaning
of that phrase. What a remarkable thing. We're
talking about God Almighty coming and dwelling in the hearts of
His people. We're talking about the Holy
One who spoke this creation into existence. We're talking about
the One who died on Calvary 3. And the only way He, who is holy,
can dwell in the hearts of His people is that they have to make You have to be as holy as God.
That's why John says, isn't it, as he is, Father, we in this
world, he's accepted, we're accepted. He is holy, he is loved of the
Father, that Christ may dwell. And when Christ dwells, he never
leaves. He has no reason to leave. In
fact, he promises, doesn't he? I will never, never, never leave
you nor forsake you. that Christ may dwell in your
hearts by faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
in His love, being rooted and grounded, to have this as the
basis and the foundation of who you are. This identifies the
children of God, doesn't it, in this world? That you, being
rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with
all the saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height,
and to know. This is his prayer for the saints.
It should be our prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ,
shouldn't it? It should be our prayer for Kay and for others
that we know are going through difficult times at this time.
To know the love of Christ. which passes knowledge. It means
that it exceeds knowledge, it goes beyond knowledge. It's not
something that can be contained in a way and understood by human
wisdom. It goes way beyond all that.
Just contemplate these words, it passes knowledge, that you
might be filled with all the fullness of God. This is a remarkable prayer,
isn't it? Does God answer these prayers? He wrote this prayer. He penned this prayer. He answers
this prayer. That you might be filled with
all the force of God, now unto Him. Who is able to do. exceedingly, abundantly, above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in
us. And that power is back there
in verse 18. You might be able, you might
be given power, verse 18 of Ephesians 3, you might be given power to
comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, the length,
the depth, the height to know the love of Christ. To him who
is able exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think
according to the power that work within us. Unto him be glory
in the church by Jesus Christ throughout all
ages and world without end. What a prayer! Is it answered? Of course it's answered, isn't
it? Do we have to experience it in
ways that other people can talk about? It's just a reality, isn't
it? God speaks reality into existence and always does. While you're
in Ephesians 3, turn back and we'll be talking about God's
love. It's verse 4, it says, But God We lived in this world, we lived
in this world under the captivity of Satan, under the captivity
of the wickedness of our flesh. We fulfilled the desires of the
flesh and of the mind and were by nature the children of our
faith and of others. But God, who is rich in mercy
for his great love, wherewith he loved us. Even when we were
dead in sins, has quickened us together, made us alive together
with Christ. By grace you are saved, and has
raised us up together and made us to sit in heavenly places
in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the
exceeding riches of his grace and his kindness toward us through
Christ Jesus. By grace are you saved, a completed
activity, through faith, and that not of yourselves." Grace is not of yourselves. The
faith is the gift of God, it's not of yourselves. What a glorious
gospel. It is the gift of God, not of
works as any man should boast. For we are in Christ Jesus unto good works
which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. This world talks about the love
that tries and fails. Jesus has died for everyone.
Salvation is available for everyone if you do something and you continue
doing something. We have another God, another
Christ, and another Gospel. that doesn't proclaim a God who
has done everything he possibly can and is now sitting there
wandering around heaven wondering how on earth he's ever going
to get these people there. We are seated with him, brothers
and sisters in Christ, in human places. This is both the object
of our love and this is the outworking of his love. Having loved his
own who are in the world, he loved them to the end. Okay, let's go. Is it 27, Ben? We're going to
sing again. Covenant love. Oh, there you
go. Well done. I didn't know you were singing
that. Covenant love. Behold my soul, the love of God. Thank you. Well done. Behold
my soul, the love of God. Behold the grace most free. Before
all worlds, his purpose stood. His heart was fixed. His heart was fixed on Thee. Elected by eternal love, the
Raven, Lamb, and Shoe, the Triune God and Queen in love, salvation, His soul was given to the Son,
He promised to redeem Our blood and righteousness He took In love He sent His Spirit down. my Savior. I'll read it to you, it's only
a short 13 verses but in chapter 12 verse 31 it says But covet
earnestly the best gifts and yet show I unto you a more
excellent way. If you've looked at the book
of Corinthians, you know something of the trials and troubles that
that church was taken through. And he says, though I speak with
the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, and I'll
change the word charity to love because that's what it means
here, and have not loved, I become as a sounding brass or a tinkling
cymbal. Though I have the gift of prophecy,
that word gift shouldn't really be there, it's in italics thankfully
in our translation, though I have prophecy and understand all mysteries
and all knowledge. And though I have all faith so
that I can remove mountains and have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have
not love, Charity suffers long. Love suffers long. Love is kind. Love envieth not. Love vaunteth not itself. Love is not puffed up. Love does not behave itself unseemly. Love seeketh not her own. Love is not easily provoked. Love thinketh no evil. Love rejoices not in iniquity,
but love rejoices in the truth. Love bears all things. Love believeth all things. Love hopeth all things. Love never fails. But whether there be prophecies,
they shall fail. Whether there be tongues, they
shall cease. Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
For we know in part, we prophesy in part. But when that which
is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done
away with. When I was a child, I spake as
a child, I understood as a child, and I thought as a child. But
when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see
through a glass, darkly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, and then
shall I know even 9. Now abideth faith, hope, and
love, these three, but the greatest of these is love. You might have noticed as I read
through that list there that So why don't we, before we have
a break, just read this remarkable chapter again and put Christ's
name there. God is love, isn't he? This is
the more excellent way. Though I speak with the tongues
of men and angels and have not Christ, I become as a sounding
brass or a tinkling cymbal. Though I have prophecy, and understand
all mysteries, and all knowledge, though I have all faith, so that
I can remove mounds, and have not Christ, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods
to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned,
and have not Christ, It profiteth me nothing. Christ suffereth
long. Any of you who are children of
God would understand how merciful He's been to our wickedness and
our repeated wickednesses. Christ suffereth long. Christ is kind. Christ envieth not. Christ wanteth not himself. Christ is not hafta. Christ does not behave himself
unseemly. Christ seeketh not his own. Christ is not easily provoked. Christ thinketh. Christ rejoices
not in iniquity. Christ rejoices in the truth. Christ beareth all things. Christ believeth all things.
Christ hopeth all things. Christ endureth all things. Christ never faileth. But whether there be prophecies,
those shall fall, whether there be tongues, those shall cease,
whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away, for we know
in part, we prophesy in part. But when Christ is come, that
which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spoke
as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, and when
I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see Christ
through a glass darkly, but then face to face. Now I know him
in part, then I shall know him even also as I am known. Now abideth faith, hope, and
Christ, these three, but the This is the one that loves us
and gave himself for us. May the Lord bless his word to
our hearts. He says in verse 4 in chapter
1, follow after Christ. Follow after love, follow after
Christ. Okay, may the Lord use his words
to comfort his people and their saviour.