Explores the depth of God's intimate knowledge of us, His unconditional love, and how these two aspects of His nature intersect.
Good morning, church family! It's a joy to gather with you again in this sacred space where we can connect, grow, and serve together. Today, we're going to chat about something that's at the very heart of our faith, something that ties us all together and keeps us coming back week after week. It's the knowledge that God knows us completely and loves us unconditionally.
Before we get started, let's take a look at the words from our Scripture today, from the Gospel of John, chapter 4, verses 7 through 26. It reads:
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This passage is a powerful reminder of God's intimate knowledge of us and His unfailing love for us. It's a topic that's been on my heart a lot lately, and I'm excited to share it with you today.
To give us a bit more insight, let's turn to the words of a respected Christian author, Philip Yancey. In his book "What's So Amazing About Grace?" Yancey writes, "Grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us more—no amount of spiritual callisthenics and renunciations, no amount of knowledge gained from seminary and divinity schools, no amount of crusading on behalf of righteous causes. And grace means there is nothing we can do to make God love us less—no amount of racism or pride or pornography or adultery or even murder. Grace means that God already loves us as much as an infinite God can possibly love."
Now, let's bow our heads for a moment of prayer.
Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for bringing us together today. We ask that as we talk about Your knowledge of us and Your love for us, that You would open our hearts and minds to understand more fully what that means. Help us to grasp the depth of Your love and the breadth of Your knowledge. Guide our conversation and our thoughts today. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
Alright, let's get into it. We've got two main points we'll be chatting about today: God's knowledge of our faults and His unconditional love from above. And then we'll see how these two points intersect. It's going to be a good one, folks. Let's get started.
When we consider the story of the Samaritan woman at the well, it's clear that Jesus knew her faults intimately. He was aware of her history, her mistakes, and her sins. Yet, He approached her with compassion and understanding. This is a powerful reflection of how God views each of us. He knows our faults, our shortcomings, our failures, and yet, He continues to approach us with love and grace.
More detail: The Samaritan woman had been married five times and was living with a man who was not her husband. In the society of the time, this would have made her an outcast, someone to be shunned and avoided. Yet, Jesus did not avoid her. Instead, He sought her out and engaged her in conversation.
God does not shy away from our faults: He does not turn His back on us when we make mistakes or when we fail. Instead, He seeks us out, just as Jesus sought out the Samaritan woman. He engages us in conversation, inviting us to recognize our faults and to seek His forgiveness.
He does not condemn us: Instead, He offers us grace and forgiveness. This is a powerful message of hope and redemption. It reminds us that no matter how many times we fail, no matter how many mistakes we make, God's love for us remains constant.
Not a barrier to His love: Instead, it is a bridge that connects us to Him. When we acknowledge our faults and seek His forgiveness, we are drawn closer to Him. We are able to experience His love in a deeper and more meaningful way.
Jesus did not condemn her for her faults: Instead, He offered her living water, a symbol of His grace and forgiveness. This is a powerful reminder that God's knowledge of our faults is not a reason for condemnation, but a pathway to grace.
A testament to His patience and long-suffering: He knows our weaknesses, our tendencies to sin, and yet, He is patient with us. He gives us time to recognize our faults, to repent, and to seek His forgiveness.
Let's shift our focus to the second aspect of our discussion today: Unconditional Love from Above ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO
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