I Love The Lord Because........

I LOVE THE LORD BECAUSE...

Psalm 116:1-6

INTRO. Love is a wonderful thing. It amplifies the virtues and discounts the faults. For instance, through my eyes, my wife’s natural beauty is enhanced because of my love for her. So it is with her intelligence, wit, talents and numerous other virtues and graces. And while I am sure that she has faults (after all she is human like all of us), I am hard-pressed to notice them. That is the magic of love.

Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not boastful, not proud. Love is not rude, not selfish, not easily angered. Love keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. This could not be seen more clearly than in the love of a mother for her child. (Illus.) -- A little girl was asked, "Who does your mommy love most?" The little girl replied without thinking, "She loves Johnny most because he’s the oldest...and she loves Billy most because he’s the youngest...and she loves me most because I’m the only girl."

Another effect of heartfelt love is that it prompts us to praise the object of our affections. I am never at a loss to talk about my wife or my son.

The question we must ask this morning is, "Does your love for Jesus Christ manifest itself in these manners?" Does your love find it’s voice in songs of praise and worship? Do you love the Lord? Why?

Do you even know how to praise the Lord? Many would stand (if coerced) and praise Him for their personal salvation. But if your love is genuine, it should take wings and soar way above your salvation.

Psalm 147 -- gives us some reasons for praising the Lord.

Perhaps your problem is that you don’t know how to praise your King. Psalm 34:1-10

There may yet be another reason why you do not praise and worship the Lord of Lords. It may be that you do not have any love for Him. Perhaps your love is all invested in yourself. This morning, You will hear testimonies of saints and patriarchs concerning their love for the Saviour. Pray that your heart may worship with us in Spirit and truth.

I. I LOVE THE LORD BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED ME.

The first testimony comes from the apostle John. I Jn. 3:16 & 4:10, 19

A. It is easy to love someone when you know that they love you. The Lord loved me before I knew that I needed His love. "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

B. Before I was ever born God knew that I would be a sinner...and He knew that if He didn’t love, if He didn’t care for me, if He didn’t do something to help me...I would die and go to hell. God loved me too much to let that happen. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life."

C. Now, God wouldn’t force me to love Him; but, in return for the love He offered me, if I would let Him love me and if I would accept His love, He offered to adopt me as His own child. "But as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God."

D. I love Him. I praise Him from my heart and soul. I worship Him and adore Him because He first loved me!

II. I LOVE THE LORD BECAUSE HE HEARD MY CRIES.

(text) Psa. 116:3-4

A. They say that it is easier to bear your troubles if you can share them with someone else.

1. Often people come to me and say, "I just have to talk to someone."

2. But most of the time you can’t find someone who is really interested in your problems and certainly no one who can take your problem for you.

B. But God not only listens when I tell Him my problems, but He actually does something about them.

1. If you are seeking a cure for the curse of sin in your life...

a. The waters of baptism will not wash you clean enough to enter into God’s glory.

b. Church membership may make you feel good for awhile, but it will not remove the stain from your heart.

c. Religious rituals and adherence to man-made rules will not transform you from what you are to what you should be.

2. You must go to the only One who can actually do something about your condition. "Lord, be merciful to me a sinner."