Everlasting Love

EVERLASTING LOVE

INTRODUCTION: Being Valentines Day, there is a great deal spoken of love today and throughout this week. Many individuals are receiving various gifts in an effort to say, “I Love You.”

Examples: Flowers brought to school to students, teachers, and workers. Florists deliveries all day long.

Flowers, candy, balloons, and card sales help boost the income of stores this week.

Illustration: We’ve all heard the story of the young man who wrote a note to his girlfriend and in it he told of his love. He said that he loved her so much that he could not live without her. He loved her so much he would cross a raging river to get to her. He loved her so much he would go through the fire to save her. He would climb the highest mountain to see her. He loved her so much he would gladly give his life for her. When he finished the letter, at the bottom he put: P. S. I will see you tomorrow night if it doesn’t rain.

SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 31:3 “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”

I. GOD’S LOVE IS AN EVERLASTING LOVE

A. Do you know that you are eternally loved?

1. When Valentines Day fades into the past, as the flowers fade, God’s love continues.

2. When the Valentines candy is consumed and forgotten, God’s love continues.

3. When human friendships break down and love dwindles among family, friends and spouses, God’s love continues.

4. When your life seems to be falling apart and you feel forsaken, God’s love continues.

5. When your body no longer functions like it used to and you can’t do the things you want to any more, God’s love continues.

B. Only the Everlasting can love with an everlasting love.

Psalms 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”

Psalms 93:2 “Thy throne is established of old: thou art from everlasting.”

C. He loves us unto the end.

John 13:1 “Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his

own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.”

D. Yesterday, Today and Forever

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.”

II. GOD’S LOVE INVOLVES LOVINGKINDNESS

A. {2617} dseje — checed, kheh'-sed; from 2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety: rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty: — favour, good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-) kindness, merciful (kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.

Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet

sinners, Christ died for us.”

B. By God’s Grace

Romans 3:24 “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”

Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

III. GOD’S LOVE DRAWS US

A. God loves us and desires our love.

1. From the very first page through the very last, the Bible seems to demonstrate one relentless passion… that is, the Father’s passion to see those whom He has created walk in intimacy with Him. Craig Simonian from Sermoncentral

2. You see, it is and has always been God’s deepest desire that you and I walk in the garden with Him in intimacy just as Adam and Eve had once walked with Him in the Garden of Eden. Craig Simonian from Sermoncentral

B. God draws us to Himself

John 6:44 “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.”

1. For His sake because He desires the best for us,

2. For our sake, because only He can supply our needs.

a. Our need for love and fellowship.

b. Our need for belonging in such a big world.

c. Our need for salvation in a fallen world.

IV. GOD’S LOVE GIVES

A. Man’s way of Giving

Man’s love opens up gradually, and may show itself with gifts of ever-increasing value.

B. God’s way of Giving

The love of God gives all at first without any strings attached.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

I John 4:10 “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”

The eternal love of the Father appears in that he from all eternity contrived [planned] a way for their salvation, and chose Jesus Christ to be their Redeemer. Jonathan Edwards

CONCLUSION

God has been in love with you since before you were born. Are you in love with Him? If not, why not?