Please Hold For A Very Important Message From God !

PLEASE HOLD FOR AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE FROM GOD !

By Rev. Timothy G. Porter

John 3:16

Introduction:

The phone rang the other day and I answered it. After several seconds of silence, a voice on the other end of the line spoke and said: “Please hold for important information.” Well, I did just what most of you do when you get one of those wonderful calls from a telemarketer: I hung up! Of course, I never did find out what that important information was. I am sure that there was a message for me concerning the life altering benefits of vinyl replacement windows. Or, maybe there were cold chill producing details regarding seamless guttering! Or maybe they were going to try and sell me spectacular movies that even my dog wouldn’t want to watch! Oh well, I guess I will never know will I?

It seems that everyone has something to say to us today. Everyone wants us to lend them our ears while they fill us in on what they think, want or are doing. The news media wants your ear/ Politicians want your ear/ Advertisers want your ear/ Most of these are words, opinions and details we do not want to hear. However, there is One Person Who wants to tell you something that you really should take the time to listen to. In this passage, the Lord Jesus brings us an important message from God His Father. He tells us something we really need to listen to this morning. You can hang up if you want to, but I would advise you to hold the line this today. The Lord has something to say to you so, Please Hold For An Important Message From God. That is the thought I want to preach on for a while today!

I.) GOD HAS A MESSAGE FOR YOU ABOUT LOVE

The Source Of Love -

Not human love which is biased and often impure as to its motives. Human love is selfish and is usually given out on the basis of what it can hope to receive in return! God’s love is not like this at all! His love is always pure, always holy, always seeking what is best for the object it loves. His love is given freely without the hope of desire for anything in return. God loves, because He is love! His love is never ending - Jer. 31:3 . His love is always given first, 1 John 4:19 . His love is precious beyond words!

The Scope Of Love -

We are told that God “so loved the world”. The word “so” indicates the depth of His love. It describes the manner of His love for fallen men. It is a deep love that motivated Him to send His Son to die for the lost. This is uncommon love! This is God love! Notice the object of God’s great love: the world. By its very definition, this love is no ordinary love! It is a special love that seeks to give itself away on behalf of the objects loved. Of course, this should not surprise us, after all, to love is the very nature of God, 1 John 4:8, 16 . Friend, regardless of the curve balls life may have delivered to you, you need to know today that God loves you! (Ill. No one is beyond the scope of His love!) (Ill. The greatest thought to grip the human mind is this: “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so!”) (Ill. The second greatest thought is this: There is nothing you can do to make His stop loving you - Rom. 8:38-39!)

The Sacrifice Of Love -

The true value of love lies in what love is willing to give to the objects it loves. You see, God’s love is not static or self-centered! His love doesn’t just sit quietly by while men drop off into Hell! His love prompted Him to do something for the men He loves! (Ill. Many love like the man who called his girlfriend and said, “Darling, I love you! I would cross the burning sands for you! I would fight a jungle full of lions for you! I would brave anything just to be with you because I love you! And, if it doesn’t rain tonight, I’ll be over to see you!”) God’s love is seen in the gracious gift of His Son Jesus on the cross. The death of Jesus Christ for sinners is the greatest, most visible and the absolute final word concerning God’s love for humanity, Rom. 5:8 , John 15:13 ! (Ill. 1 John 4:9-10 ; Isa. 53:6 ; 1 Pet. 3:18 ; 1 John 3:16 ) (Ill. Look no farther than the bloody cross of Calvary to see the extent of God’s love for you!) (Ill. The testimony of Mel Trotter!)