Dig Deeper - Sunday 21st December
Sermon Reflection Questions - Journey to Joy - Love: The Gift that Keeps Giving
John 1:1-14
1 John 4:7-12
Dig Deeper notes from Sunday 21st December service:
Summary
Everybody loves the idea of love. There are books written about it, movie themes where love is the centre, and one of the biggest topics for song lyrics. At this time of year, we see more and more acts of love and care towards others. Whether it’s gift giving, little acts of kindness, thoughtful ideas, such as writing neighbours a Christmas card or making biscuits for family and friends. These thoughtful acts all add up to showing love towards one another.
But, in the busyness of Christmas, and the endless lists of card writing, gift buying, wrapping, and Christmas dinner the true meaning, heart and root of Advent and Christmas can be overlooked. The real and underpinning meaning of Advent and Christmas is God’s love for His people. This is the whole reason we celebrate Christmas, and why we wait in eager anticipation throughout advent.
Throughout the whole Bible, the golden thread that is entwined and beautifully woven in is God’s love for His people. In life, love can be complicated, but one of the many lessons we learn from the Bible is that the love of God isn’t complicated at all. His love for us isn’t based on conditions of how we love Him.
From the very beginning, in the garden of Eden, God made Adam and Eve to walk alongside Him. Not because He needed people to walk alongside Him – God doesn’t rely on us in any way, shape or form, but because He wanted us. At the fall, when Adam and Eve ate from the fruit from the tree – God, even in disappointment, showed kindness and mercy, by clothing them. They had gone against what God had asked, and still He loved them and showed them compassion.
How ever you know love to be, know this – God loves you. The same God who created the whole world, and everything in it and around it, who knew you before you were knitted together in your mother’s womb. That same God loves you for who you are. No matter what may happen, He is a forgiving God. That’s not to say we can do what we like and do wrong, in fact it’s the opposite. When you love someone, you want to show them the best version of yourself, and even if you fall short sometimes, you are still trying your hardest to be that best version you can possibly be. To show respect, admiration and love in return.
Three lessons we can learn from scripture in the hope of articulating God’s love for us and how we can love others:
Lesson 1: God is love.
One of the most used Bible verses for weddings is 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.
“Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it does not dishonour others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
We are told in 1 John, that God is love. And so, if we put the name God in the space where love is written, it describes to us perfectly the God that created us.
“God is patient, God is kind, He does not envy, He does not boast, he is not proud, he does not dishonour others, he is not self-seeking, he is not easily angered, he keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
We have to be proactive and keep ourselves accountable to get to know God more intimately. Through prayer, reading and studying our Bibles, being part of small groups – all these things and more help us to flourish as Christians and deepen our roots and love with God.
Lesson 2: God demonstrates love in the form of Jesus.
John 1:1-14 – such famous words from the Bible – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Then verse 14 – “the Word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us.” God the Son, came from Heaven, humbling himself in the form of a human being, to be one of us, to walk amongst us, to follow the Father in perfect obedience, so that we could know Him more intimately. He didn’t have to do that for us, and yet He came to the earth to show us the way. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well.”
We are reminded in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
God’s love surpasses all we know. His divine love knows no limits. We are promised eternal life, to be reunited with Christ in Heaven. This salvation that is offered is not forced to us. It says “for whoever believes in Him” Even though Christ came to the earth and sacrificed Himself for us, we have the choice to say yes or no. This salvation is offered to everyone, but it is through faith that we respond and receive it.
Verse 17 then goes on to say “for God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” God is a loving, forgiving and compassionate God. Jesus did not come to the world to judge and punish; he came to restore and forgive so that all who had faith would be given the hope of eternal life.
Lesson 3: God tells us to love, because he first loved us.
As God’s children, and followers of Christ, we now get to read the Bible and continue this wonderful example to those we meet, so that they too get a glimpse of what it is to be loved by God, in the hope that they turn their lives to Jesus too. We have read in John’s Gospel of the actions that Jesus took in order to offer us the ultimate salvation, and now in the verses from 1 John, we are given instructions: “let us love one another, for love comes from God, whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” We have been given this amazing unconditional love, and so we need to be going out and showing others that same love. At home, in our schools and workplaces, love and kindness to people in the street.
If we think of the parable of the rich fool who kept all of his harvest to himself, just building bigger barns every time, then died. Who gained from that? Nobody. By sharing and giving freely to others, it means more people are touched by God’s love. We are called not only to follow Christ, but be disciples in His name.
We are disciples of the Lord. We come into church and into small groups, in the hope of learning more about the Lord God – we are fed and sustained when we read scripture, take Holy Communion, receiving and giving prayer and fellowship with each other and then we are sent out into the wider community and beyond to demonstrate who He is and to tell others of His saving and everlasting love. Just as children learn how to do things from their parents, siblings or grandparents on how to do things, other people will see Jesus’ light in us and want to know what they are missing. We can love others, just as God loves us, so they then want to know God’s love first hand themselves.
Points to consider.
1. Are we reflecting the love that God gifts us to others around us? What can we do to change this and show others God’s love?
2. How can we deepen our connection with God in our day to day lives?
3. Do we take time to reflect and thank God for this unconditional love we are given?
Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father,
We pray and thank you for the blessing of your love within our lives. As we draw ever closer to Christmas, we are reminded of the wonderful gift of Jesus Christ in this world, and your unfailing and unconditional love for us.
In your mighty name we pray,
Amen.
