How Deep The Father's Love Series

How Deep The Father’s Love…

#GettingBetter

In Ephesians 4 we read these powerful alive and active words penned by Paul and breathed by God 2000 years ago…

(stand)

4 When I think of all this

Now Paul has been writing to them about…

• God’s grace

• The spreading of the Gospel

• The purpose of the church to display God’s glory

• The truth that we are God’s masterpiece

• And about how because of Christ we can come boldly into God’s presence…

When I think of all this I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being,

And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts, living within you as you trust in him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love;

and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high his love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves,

though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God himself. – Ephesians 3:14-19

Prayer

WELCOME – to the 5th Sunday of the year 2017…

AND THIS MORNING – we begin our new series, ‘Getting Better, At What Jesus Said Matters Most.’

B/S…

2000 years ago – during the final week before His crucifixion and death, Jesus was asked a question by a religious leader.

“Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” –

Mark 12:28-31; Matthew 22:36-40

We love because he first loved us. – 1 John 4:19

LISTEN, LISTEN… - We love

We love God, our neighbors and ourselves because HE loved first!

UNDERSTAND – the starting line of the journey of Getting Better… begins with the Father’s love.

NOW THERE – are 5 things I want to say about the Father’s love this morning… AND – I want you to know up front that this is by no means an exhaustive list…

BECAUSE… God’s love is huge!

IT’S – so much bigger than our ‘finite’ minds could ever comprehend…

BUT NEVERTHELESS – I’m convinced that the 5 truths that we are going to be talking about today have the potential of making a huge difference in our lives and will help kick start our journey of Getting Better at what Jesus said matters most.

AND LISTEN – when we get better at loving God, our neighbors and ourselves…

We will get better.

Our lives, our inner being will get better.

GET IT?

NOW… - the truths we are going to unpack this morning are not new. IN FACT - you’ve probably heard them before.

BUT LISTEN – here’s the deal…

IF YOU - allow Him to, GOD will make them new and fresh again, and before you know it you find yourself plunging the depths of the Father’s love.

God’s Love…

Is A Love Beyond All Reason

YOU KNOW – I can still remember the days when my each of my kids discovered that 3 letter word that all 2-3 year olds find and all parents dread.

DO – you know what that 3 letter word is?

Why?

I MEAN – I can remember saying such things as…

• You can’t eat the wax candle, why?

• It’s time to go to bed, why?

• Don’t throw the batteries in the water, why?

• Stop jumping off the table, why?

• You can’t have candy for breakfast, why?

• Stop hitting the window with the broom, why?

• You can’t watch that show right now, why?

•

QUESTION…

WHY – do 2 years olds as why all of the time?

I THINK - there are many reasons:

1. because it’s fun to say

2. because they know in that sinister little 2 year old mind that it drives us crazy

3. because they wants to send us to an early grave…

4. AND BECAUSE – they simply don’t get it, it doesn’t add up… BECAUSE - in their mind what we are saying is beyond all reason, it doesn’t make sense, all the dots don’t connect…

YOU KNOW – as I read and reflect on The Father’s Love that I see so vividly displayed on the pages of Scripture. I – find myself going back to that same little 3 letter word that 2 years olds love to say so much… A WORD – that pretty much sums up the entire thing. Why?