God's Amazing Love

Today is the 4th and last Sunday of Advent. So far this season we have heard about the Hope that God gives us in knowing that what we see here around us is not all there is and that God has so much more in store for us. That’s definitely something to HOPE for. The 2nd week of Advent we heard about God’s peace and found that the peace that the Bible speaks of goes a lot deeper than we usually view peace. Peace is more than the absence of war. Peace comes from God that surpasses our understanding. Last week, we heard about JOY. We did a lot of laughing during the service last Sunday as God used that service to fill our hearts with an unspeakable JOY.

Today we round out the Advent season talking about God’s LOVE. How can you look at Christmas and not talk about the love of God that came to this earth to redeem mankind.

We have spent the month of December looking at being prepared for Christmas. So far, we have seen that Christmas is more than just buying presents, wrapping, exchanging gifts. It is more than eating and gathering with family, although that is very important. It is making sure Christmas didn’t race by in our busyness and we miss Jesus.

Today I want to look at God’s love. What Christmas represents as the love of God, is shown to each of us and sometimes we don’t realize it. Every sale rang up on the cash register is followed by a thank you for shopping at…. At Christmas time they say thank you followed by “Happy holidays”. It’s OK to answer Merry Christmas. The workers have been instructed by their employer to use the generic “Happy Holidays” greeting as to be politically correct and as not to offend any of those who don’t know Jesus as their Savior. Because that’s what it gets down to.

But what they don’t realize is that the word “Holidays” stems from the phrase Holy Days. So, in effect, they are still recognizing the season as a Holy time of year. I had a cashier say the other day, “Happy Holidays.” I said, “Thank you. And may God bless you.” I could tell by the look on her face that it surprised her. She couldn’t respond much without getting in trouble so she just smiled. They may not be able to say it, but they can’t stop us from saying it, at least not yet.

Every year we battle to maintain Christmas mangers, Christmas plays, so we can be politically correct. At Christmas time more than ever, our text becomes more alive to me as I look to Christ at Christmas. I come to a conclusion, and maybe you have too, I don’t need to be politically correct, I just need to be correct. Correct in the eyes of God, that is. Isn’t that what really matters?

But if we are not careful, the word “love” can be weakened. Today, the word love is so flagrantly used that it doesn’t even compare to what God’s love is. It’s like the girl whose emotion took over, she softly whispered "I love you." as she slowly unwrapped her chocolate covered candy. Saying 'I love you' to a piece of candy pretty well sums up our society's casual approach to love. Perhaps, your love is not chocolate but fast cars, fancy shoes, your house or a movie star. Truthfully, do you really love those things? Chevrolet has coined the term “I Love It.”

Who did you last say to them "I love you?" Did you really mean it? How many people do you really love? You might also ask yourself to remember who has told you they love you. Who told you they loved you five years ago, twenty years ago or more? Do they love you today? Maybe, you want to believe they really do love you. They might even love you as much as that lady who was unwrapping that piece of chocolate covered candy.

I love you doesn't mean I love you like it did as our society is now into me and right at this moment. With many, love is a feeling of the moment and has little to do with tomorrow. Divorce is at an all time high and continues to spiral out of control. Loyal love is a rarity today.

But there is someone who loves you as much today as years ago. HIS love never changes. HE never has loved you more and will never love you less. GOD loves you the same, all the time. HE loves you so much HE sent HIS only SON to die on that cross so you can live with HIM forever.

John 3:16-17 tells us: "For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HIS one and only SON, that whoever believes in HIM shall not perish but have eternal life. For GOD did not send his SON into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through HIM." Have you forgotten those verses? GOD has not forgotten you. Jesus says that is how much He loves you! How much He loves me!