God Loves You

GOD LOVES YOU 9/11 sermon

As I prepare to preach, I usually do so in one of three ways. Either, the Lord will begin laying something on my heart during the week that really speaks to me, or really burdens me, and I feel led to preach on that topic that particular Sunday. The sermon will grow out of things that I have been studying that week. Other times, I will find myself on Saturday praying and asking the Lord what He wants me to preach on that particular week. He will often then lead me to a passage and as He leads me through a passage or a subject the sermon will come together. Sometimes the Lord just lays a sermon out before me and I can see the whole thing as I look at a scripture passage. This week was a little different.

Yesterday I found myself asking the Lord, “What do you want me to tell your people this week?” I don’t remember asking Him that question before, but I did this time. He answered, “Tell them I love them.” “Tell them You love them?” “Yes, tell them I love them.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t normally carry on conversations with the Lord like this. I will often tell Him what I’m thinking, or about problems I have, and ask His direction or will in a situation; then I’ll often sense an answer in a passage of scripture or something like that, but seldom do we actually carry on a conversation where I sense Him answering my every question; but we talked.

I said, “You want me to tell them You love them. Ok Sir. Does that mean You want me to preach on John 3:16, and remind them that You loved them enough to send Your Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay for their sins?” Does that mean You want me to preach on Romans 5:8 where we are told that You proved Your love for us in that even when we were sinners, Jesus died for us?” “I want you to preach on the 10 Commandments.” On the 10 Commandments?

Lord, tomorrow is 9/11. I know that, and I allowed that because I love them. The people who died that day who didn’t know or love me. They had already chosen their path. The people who died that day who loved Me, they are much better off and in a much better place; but think of how that day impacted America.

Do you remember what you did after hearing about the World Trade Center? Yes Sir. I went home, and Gladys, Drew and I sat in front of the TV. We hugged a lot. You remembered what was important? Yes Sir. Well, a lot of other people did, at least for a short time as well.

All across America, people called their families to check on them. The phone lines were jammed. That night, parents spent a little extra time tucking their children into bed. For days, people realized the futility of much of what they were doing and much of what they were pursuing. Congress, who had been passing legislation trying to keep Me and My people out of things, stood together and sang, “God Bless America.” For more than a month, My churches were full. At least temporarily, people remembered what was important. On that day, there were muslims in the Middle East, dancing in the streets because of the death and pain America suffered. Could there be a greater distinction between that and when I told My followers that they would be known by their love?

“You tell them I Love Them.”

Our conversation went something like that, and because I was told to, this morning we are going to look at the 10 Commandments together through the lens of God’s love.

- Read Exodus 20:1-17

1. I love you, have no other gods. Back in the very beginning of the Bible, we are told that God made us. He made us in His image. He designed us for fellowship with Him.

When we have other things as god in our lives, when we allow other things to become the priority in our lives, we do not experience the joy, the peace, and the contentment he designed and created us to enjoy.

God says, “I love you and want the best for you. Have no other gods.

2. I love you, allow no imitations.

In the 2nd commandment, we are told not to make idols or anything that resembles an idol. We humans are inclined to forget, sometimes, why we make things.

Why do we have automobiles? We have them to provide transportation. You ever see an antique car being pulled down the road on a trailer? Is that antique car now being used the way it was designed? No. The car has become more valuable to its owner than the transportation it provides.