LOVE - HAVING A HEART FOR GOD

One of the greatest tragedies of all time is a glaring lack of love for God – call it backsliding, waywardness of heart, loss of first love, sin and compromise... Whatever we would call it, we can or may be guilty of the same thing.

Jer 2:12-13: “Be appalled at this, O heavens, and shudder with great horror," declares the Lord. "My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.

Matt 15:8-9 - "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.'" NIV

Rev 2:4 - Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.”

A. Love: first and greatest commandment

Deuteronomy 6:4-6Matthew 22:36-38

2 Chron 16:9a – “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

B. Love: Christ is the fulfillment of the Law

Jeremiah 31:3 - The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”

Zeph 3:17 - The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."

Henry Moorhouse preached seven straight messages in one week. D. L. Moody moved by his commitment to God’s love. Moody ‘took up the word love…fed on love so long that he was anxious to do good to everyone he came into contact with…“I got full of it,” Moody said. “It ran out my fingers. You take up the subject of love in the Bible! You will get so full of it that all you have got to do is to open your lips, and a flood of the love of God flows out.”’

C. LOVE: the result of God’s work in us

Ezek 36: 26-27 - I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

1 John 4:9, 19; Rom 5:5b2 Corithians 5:14-15

Frances Ridley Havergal (lyrics):

I gave My life for thee,My precious blood I shed,That thou might ransomed be,And quickened from the dead;I gave, I gave My life for thee,What has thou given Me?

Tune: Philip P. Bliss

D. LOVE: the more excellent way

1 Cor 12:31 - But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way (1 Cor 13:13).

George Verwer: “If you yearn for deep fellowship with your Creator, if you desire to know him intimately and to walk with him and to breathe with him—though you may look like a failure and have made innumerable blunders, then you are well on the road to discipleship.”

“The Lord wants our love. Love is the soul of religion, and that which constitutes a real Christian. Love for God is a holy fire kindled in the affections, whereby a Christian is carried out strongly after God as the supreme good.” Unknown

a. The foundation of love is knowing God. 2 Cor 4:6

Bernard of Clairvaux: “We know God only as far as we love Him.”

b. The nature of love is delighting in God.

1 Peter 1:8 - Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy”

HOW SHOULD WE EXPRESS OUR LOVE FOR GOD?

(1) Love God with all our heart.

(2) Love God for who He is

(3) Love God with all our might.

(4) Love God faithfully

(5) Love God exceedingly

(6) Love God consistently

WHAT DO WE DO TO PROVE OUR LOVE FOR GOD?

1) We must desire Him in our lives. Luke 7:47Psalm 42:1-2; 63:1-4

2) We cannot find contentment in any thing without Him. 1 John 2:15-17

3) We hate being separated from God because of sin. Psalm 119:9-11; 97:10

4) We grieve for things that are grievous to Him.

5) We strive to share him with others. 2 Cor 5:14-18

6) We weep bitterly for His absence.Psalm 84:1, 10

7) We willingly obey and if need be, to suffer for him. John 14:21, 23

HOW DO WE CULTIVATE OUR LOVE FOR GOD?

(1) Feed on the Word.

(2) Confess and repent of our lack of love

(3) Pray that God will give us a heart to love him.

(4) Keep on guarding our hearts.Prov. 14:23

LOVE DIVINE, ALL LOVES EXCELLING Composer: John Zundel

1 Love divine, all loves excelling, Joy of heav’n to earth come down; Fix in us Thy humble dwelling; All thy faithful mercies crown. Jesus, Thou art all compassion, Pure, unbounded love Thou art; Visit us with Thy salvation; Enter ev’ry trembling heart.

2 Breathe, O breathe Thy loving Spirit, Into ev’ry troubled breast! Let us all in Thee inherit, Let us find the promised rest; Take away our bent to sinning; Alpha and Omega be; End of faith, as its beginning, Set our hearts at liberty.

3 Come, Almighty to deliver, Let us all Thy grace receive; Suddenly return, and never, Nevermore Thy temples leave. Thee we would be always blessing, Serve Thee as Thy host above, Pray, and praise Thee without ceasing, Glory in Thy perfect love.

Finish, then, Thy new creation; Pure and spotless let us be; Let us see Thy great salvation Perfectly restored in Thee: Changed from glory into glory, Till in heav’n we take our place, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, Lost in wonder, love, and praise.