Turn back with me to Genesis
29. We are not going to look at the
story of Jacob and Rachel tonight. But I wanted to show you this
one verse because when I ran across it, it just had such an
effect on me. It was one of my references to
something. I was looking at something else
and I ran across this verse. I just couldn't stop thinking
about this verse. Such an effect. Verse 20, let's
read it again. And Jacob served seven years
for Rachel. And it actually turned out to
be 14. If you remember how this story
goes, it turned out to be 14. But it says, Jacob served seven
years for Rachel. And they seemed unto him but
a few days for the love he had to her. Why did he do it? Why did he do it? Why did he
remain faithful all those years and go the distance? Why did
he do it? Love. Love. That's why. Love. That
right there is Christ to us. That's what it is. That's Christ
to us. After a sinner sees the gospel,
They get out of religion and they stop all that mess and all
that law and all that doctrine and all that stuff. And when
they finally see Christ crucified, after they see the gospel, truly
gets a hold of the gospel, this is the question that comes to
every single sinner that God opens his eyes to see this. Here's
the question. Why? Why? Why would He do this for
me? Love. Love, that's why. Go with me over to Jeremiah 31. Jeremiah 31, look at verse 1. At the same time, saith the Lord,
will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they
shall be my people. Thus saith the Lord, the people
which were left of the sword found grace in the wilderness,
even Israel. when I went to cause him to rest. I love that. I caused him to
rest. He made me lie down. Verse three
says, the Lord hath appeared of old unto me saying, yea, I
have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with loving kindness
have I drawn thee. Did our Lord not say, no man
can come to me except the father which hath sent me draw him? Didn't he say that? Well, I've
decided to come to Jesus. Well, it doesn't work that way. Doesn't matter what I decide,
does it? No man can come to him except the father draw him. Now, why will the father draw
him? Love. Loving kindness have I drawn
thee. Love. Love. Two people get married. Why did
you marry him? Why did you marry him? Love. Love. You can try to rationalize it
all you want to. You can try to rationalize it
all you want to, but it always comes down to this. Love. Love. For God so loved the world, He
gave His only begotten Son. For God so loved the world, He
gave His only begotten Son. Why? Am I entering into that? Why?
He gave His only begotten Son. Why? Amazing love. Amazing love. Here's why it's
amazing. Here's why it's so amazing. Turn
with me to John chapter 5. John 5 verse 42, this is our
Lord speaking. He said, but I know you that
you have not the love of God in you. You don't have the love of God
in you. I am come in my Father's name and you receive me not. If another shall come in his
own name, him you will receive." Our Lord came to this earth in
love for His own. He came down here in love for
His own. And His own received Him not. His own received Him not. In
the Old Testament, our Lord told a man named Hosea. Our Lord said
to this man, Hosea, He said, Go and love a woman, beloved of
her friend and adulteress, according to the love of the
Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods and love
flagons of wine. That's what I want you to do.
I want you to go to that adulteress over there. You go to her and you love her
forever. And you do that according to
the love that the Lord has had for Israel, His people, Israel. You love her. That is amazing
love, isn't it? That's unfair love. They say salvation is not fair. You're right. It's not fair.
It was not fair. Go with me to Romans chapter
5. This is amazing love. Romans
5, look at verse 6. For when we were yet without
strength, that's us, when we were yet without strength in
due time, Christ died for the good people on this earth. Christ
died for all those good Christian folk. Christ died for everybody
who turned over a new leaf. When we were yet without strength
in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. Who's that? That's me. The ungodly. Verse 7, Scarcely
for a righteous man will one die. Yet peradventure for a good
man, some would even dare to die. But God commended his love
toward us In that while we were yet sinners, and not just sinners,
sinners against God. Absolute enmity against God.
Sinners against God. While we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. He died for us. Why? I mean really. Why? Go to Ephesians 2. Ephesians 2 verse 4 says, but
God who is rich in mercy, you know, the only soul who needs
mercy, the guilty, the convicted, the sentenced mercy. God who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were
dead in sins, he quickened us together with Christ. By grace,
you are saved. He came to us where we are. That's what he did. Dead in our
sins, defiled in our ungodly, isn't that what we read? adultery
and wickedness. He came down, He embraced us, He loved us,
He lived for us, and He died for us. Paul called it in 2 Corinthians
9, the unspeakable gift. That's what he called it, the
unspeakable gift. Everyone is giving gifts right
now. Everybody's giving gifts right now. There is an unspeakable gift
that was given. An unspeakable gift. When Job
saw it, he said, I will put my hand over my mouth now. I'll
just put my hand over my mouth. The one who is worth it all, worth everything was given for
the one who is worth nothing. But through his gift in him,
the one who was worth nothing is made to be everything. It's
unspeakable, isn't it? It's unspeakable. An unspeakable
gift to an unspeakable worm, a despicable worm. Alas, and
did my Savior bleed? And did my Sovereign die? Would
He devote that sacred head for such a worm as I? Would He do
that for me? Unspeakable. Look at Ephesians
3 verse 14. Ephesians 3 verse 14 says, For
this cause I 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, according to the riches of His glory, to
be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man,
that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye being
rooted and grounded in love. may be able to comprehend with
all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height
and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge." It
just passeth knowledge. Don't even try to figure it out.
Don't even try to figure it out. Christ's love for his people
passes knowledge. As soon as we look to ourselves,
there is no rationalizing it. None. All we have to do is look
right here and how can it be? Can it be? How could God love
a sinner like me? How could He love a sinner like
me? Well, the answer is, it's in
Christ. He loved me in Christ. But here's
what I want to know. Why would He put me in Christ
in the first place? He didn't put everybody in Christ,
did He? He did not put everybody in Christ. Christ did not die on that cross
for everybody. He died for His beloved. He died
for the ones the Father chose to put in Him, spare in Him. So why would He put me in Christ?
That's what I want to know. Why would He pass by so many
and choose me? A sinner like me? The answer
is love. There's nothing lovely about
me. All I can say is thank God for
the love of God. People say that, you know, for
the love of God. Oh, thank God for the love of
God. Thank God. What is love? What is love? How do you describe
love? I looked that word love up in
our concordance. And the definition of the word
love in the concordance is love. Well, what is love? How do you
describe love? Here's what Webster's Dictionary
said. It said it's a strong affection. It's a feeling for. That's what it is. It's a strong
affection. It's a feeling for. Two people
date. After a while it appears that things are starting to get
serious. And eventually somebody will ask them, do the two of
you have feelings for each other? Yeah. I think I have feelings
for her. Feelings. It's a feeling for. We enter into this, if we can,
let's enter into this. The Lord Jesus Christ has feelings
for his people. The Lord Jesus Christ has feelings
for us. He has feelings for his bride. Husbands, do you? You have feelings for your wife?
Well, our Lord said, if you being evil, He's talking about gifts,
all the gifts of God. He said, if you being evil know
how to give good gifts. If you being evil have feelings
for your wife and love for your wife, how much more the one who
is good, the one who is love. He said, I know my thoughts toward
you. Tell me, tell me what is it? He said, you've ravished my heart.
You have ravished my heart. You know what that makes me want
to do? Put my hand over my mouth and just listen. Just listen. I tell you what else it makes
all of God's people want to do, the love of God, the love of
Christ. This is what all of his people
want to do. Every single sinner he chose
to put his love and affection on. Look at Ephesians 5 verse
1. Be ye therefore followers of
God as dear children. and walk in love as Christ also
hath loved us and hath given himself for us and offering and
a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor. Walk in love as Christ has loved
us. That's what the love of God produces
in the heart of a sinner. Love in return. Love in return. Go with me over to 1 John 4.
1 John 4 verse 19 says, We love Him because He first
loved us. That's why. The love of God produces
love. We love Him because He first
loved us. And I tell you this, we love
each other because He first loved us. Because He loved me, I love
you. He first loved us. Now, 1 John
chapter 4 is about love. That's what the chapter is about.
Look at verse 7 with me. Let's just read down through
this. Verse 7, it says, Beloved, let us love one another, for
love is of God. And every one that loveth is
born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not
God, for God is love. In this was manifested the love
of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son
into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love. Not that we loved God, but that
He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our
sins. You know what that word propitiation
means? The bloody victim. He didn't come down here to show
us a better way. He didn't come down here to do
some humanitarian work. He came down here to be a bloody
victim. Why did it take all that? Sin,
sin. Verse 10, herein is love, not
that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his son to
be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us,
we ought also to love one another. If God so loved us, We ought
also to love one another. I have no reason not to love
you with all of my heart. I don't have any reason not to
love you with all of my heart. Yeah, but he's hard to get along
with. Well, what about me? There is nothing he could do
that would come close to the rebellion and the sin that I've
committed against my God. But He sent His Son to be the
propitiation for me. Verse 11 says, Beloved, if God
so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath
seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth
in us, and His love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we
dwell in Him, and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. He's given us His love, this
amazing love, love for Christ, love for His people. He's given
that to us. Verse 14 says, And we have seen
and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior
of the world. Whosoever shall confess that
Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. Now, he said that the Lord came
down to be the Savior of the world. Did our Lord die to be
the Savior of the world? He said, I pray not for the world.
I pray for them which thou hast given me out of the world. They
are thine. The Jews thought He's only come
to us, only Israel. But the gospel of the New Testament
is, no, He's gone to all the Gentiles too. He's gone to the
whole world. And He says in verse 15, whoever shall confess that
Jesus is the Son of God, not that this man Jesus Christ is
God's Son, Just about everybody in Kingsport
would confess Jesus is the Son of God. You'd be hard-pressed
to find somebody that wouldn't confess that Jesus is the Son
of God. But here's what he's saying. Not God's Son. Not God's Son. Not that precious
little baby who came. Oh, God loves His boy. No, not
that. Whosoever shall confess that
Jesus is the Son of God, the equal member of the Trinity,
God Himself, the Father is the Father of God, the Son is the
Son of God, and the Spirit is the Spirit of God. God in three
persons, blessed Trinity. Whosoever, verse 15, shall confess
that Jesus is the Son of God, God Himself, God manifest in
the flesh, God dwelleth in Him, and He in God. And we have known
and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love. If God was not loved, He would
have left us here to ourselves, wouldn't He? He would have never
sent His Son. Verse 16, we've known and believed
the love that God hath to us. God is love and he that dwelleth
in love dwelleth in God and God in him. Herein is our love made
perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment because
as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love. But perfect love casteth out
fear, because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect
in love. We love him because he first
loved us. If a man say, I love God and
hateth his brother, he is a liar. If a man say, I love God and
hateth his brother, he's a liar. He that loveth not his brother
whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth
God, love his brother also. You know the love that the Lord
has put in us for each other? That love is real, isn't it?
That love is real. It's true love. Not just for
this local assembly, I love each and every one of you, but every
time we run across a sinner who truly confesses and believes
and loves the Lord Jesus Christ, it's real love. It is real love. The love of God recognizes the
love of God. It does. Christ in us is vitally joined
to Christ in us. Just unites us. True, true love. We have feelings for each other,
don't we? I have feelings for you. I really
do. We love each other for Christ's
sake. For Christ's sake. It's as real
as anything I've ever known. It's as real as anything I've
ever known. I love you as much as I love
my own blood relatives. Look at 1 John 3, back one chapter,
1 John 3 verse 16 says, Hereby perceive we the love of God because
He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our
lives for the brethren. We ought to lay down our lives
for each other. There is a story that I absolutely
love. It's whenever Abraham's wife
Sarah, when Abraham's wife Sarah, when she died, when she died,
Abraham, he didn't have anywhere to bury
her. He was a stranger in the land. He did not own property
there. And he's heartbroken. So he stands up in front of all
the children of Heth, and he says, Is there any man here who
would sell me a piece of land so I can bury my wife? Would
anybody sell me a piece of land? And all the sons of Heth stood
up, and this is what they said, Hear us, my Lord. Thou art a
mighty prince among us. In the choice of our sepulchers,
bury thy dead. None of us shall withhold from
thee his sepulcher." Not a one of us here would deny you our
property. Just choose the one you want. You take it. Abraham
said, Ephron, this man Ephron, he said, I'd like to buy yours.
It has a cave on it. And he said, as much money as
it's worth, you tell me and I'll pay it. Ephron said, nay, my
Lord, hear me. The field give I thee. And the cave that is therein,
I give it thee. He said, let it be known in the
sight of all the people, it's yours. Abraham said, No, you
name your price. Name your price and I'll pay
it. Ephraim said, My Lord, hearken to me. He said, The land is worth
400 shekels of silver. He said, But what is that betwixt
me and thee? What is that betwixt me and thee? Now, wait a minute, Ephraim.
Wait a minute. You've been working all your
life for this land. It took you years to get the down payment
for this land. Then you put it on a 30 year
note. You just paid it off. This was going to be your retirement. This was your life. He said,
what is that betwixt me and thee? As a picture of the gospel, Abraham
paid him for it. The price was paid, but Ephraim
didn't want that money. He did not want to take that
money. John 3.16, hereby perceive we the love of God because he
laid down his life for us and we ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren. We ought to lay down our lives
for each other. Let me leave us with this final
verse of scripture. Go with me to 1 Peter chapter
4. 1 Peter 4 verse 10 says, As every
man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another,
as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. As we've received
Christ, as we've received the love of Christ, the grace of
Christ, let's extend it to each other.
In the girls' school, in their elementary school, they have
something there. We've been to a couple of functions there,
and it doesn't take long at all for all the kids to get haywire.
It's loud, it's crazy, you can't hear. So they remind the kids,
they're trying to teach them something. And I thought it was
so funny the first time I heard it. They call it active listening. Okay, let's all have active listening. I thought, how hilarious. Active
listening. But I got to thinking about that,
and I thought, that's really good. What they're saying is, don't
just be quiet. They could tell everybody, be
quiet. But they're saying, don't just
be quiet, listen. Well, here's what I want to encourage
us to do. Let's have some active feelings for each other. Active
love. Don't just tolerate each other.
Let's love each other. Let's love each other, let's
provoke each other to love, and let's do it for Christ's sake.
All right, let's stand together.