Introduction

Good morning, family! It's a joy to see all your faces here today, ready to engage with God's word. We're going to take a good look at a passage that I'm sure many of us know quite well, but let's not just glance over it. Instead, let's soak it in, let's really let it sink into our hearts.

Our passage today comes from Romans 5:8, "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Isn't that something? While we were still sinners, not after we got our act together, but right in the middle of our mess, Christ died for us.

That's our focus today. We're going to be talking about understanding God's love, the sacrifice of Jesus, and the impact of sin. These are big topics, but they're so important. They're at the heart of our faith, the core of what it means to be a follower of Jesus.

I'm reminded of a quote from the great Christian author, A.W. Tozer. He once said, "God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves." Isn't that a comforting thought? God's not in a rush. He's got all the time in the world for us.

So let's approach today's discussion with that same spirit. We're not in a rush. We're here to sit at the feet of Jesus, to learn from Him, to be shaped by His word.

Let's pray.

Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, for the opportunity to gather together as a family in your name. We ask that you would open our hearts and our minds to your word today. Help us to understand your love more deeply, to grasp the significance of Jesus' sacrifice, and to comprehend the impact of our sin. We ask that you would guide our conversation, that it would be pleasing to you and beneficial to us. We love you, Lord, and we're so grateful for your love for us. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Understanding God's Love

God's love is something that is so vast, so deep, so wide, that it's hard for us to fully comprehend. It's like trying to understand the size of the universe. We can talk about it, we can study it, but to truly grasp it is beyond our human capabilities. Yet, even though we can't fully understand it, we can still experience it. We can still be transformed by it. We can still be moved by it.

God's love is not like human love. Human love is often conditional. It's based on what we do, how we act, what we say. If we do something wrong, if we hurt someone, if we make a mistake, that love can be withdrawn. But God's love is not like that. God's love is unconditional. It doesn't depend on what we do or don't do. It doesn't depend on how good or bad we are. It doesn't depend on whether we've got our act together or whether we're still a mess. God's love is always there, always constant, always available.

This is a truth that is clearly seen in the life and death of Jesus. Jesus didn't wait for us to get our act together before He came to earth. He didn't wait for us to clean up our mess before He died on the cross. He didn't wait for us to become perfect before He offered us salvation. No, while we were still sinners, while we were still lost, while we were still far from God, Christ died for us. That's the kind of love God has for us.

But God's love is not just about salvation. It's not just about getting us into heaven. It's about transforming us here and now. It's about making us into new creations. It's about helping us to become more like Jesus. It's about guiding us, shaping us, molding us into the people God wants us to be.

God's love is also about relationship. It's about intimacy. It's about closeness. God doesn't just want to save us, He wants to know us. He wants to walk with us. He wants to be involved in every aspect of our lives. He wants to share in our joys and our sorrows, our victories and our defeats, our highs and our lows. God's love is not distant or detached. It's personal. It's intimate. It's real.

And finally, God's love is about action. It's not just a feeling or an emotion. It's not just something God says. It's something God does. God demonstrated His love for us in the most powerful way possible - by sending His Son to die for us. That's the ultimate act of love. That's the ultimate demonstration of love. That's the ultimate proof of love.

So, as we reflect on God's love, let's not just think about it in abstract terms. Let's not just talk about it in generalities. Let's make it personal. Let's make it real. Let's allow God's love to touch us, to change us, to transform us. Let's allow God's love to become the foundation of our lives, the driving force behind everything we do. Because when we truly understand God's love, when we truly experience God's love, it changes everything.

The Sacrifice of Jesus

As we turn our attention to the sacrifice of Jesus, we find ourselves standing on holy ground ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO