1 John 4:7-16
God 101
Introduction
A. Who is God and better yet what does he do.
B. Is he some like spirit dude that you know just exist like
C. Or is he someone you can only see when you’re smoking something wacky?
D. Does God sit upstairs in his Lazy Boy and watch us
E. Does he just party all night long
F. What actually does God do?
G. What do we know about God?
H. Today we are going to answer three questions about God
a. What God is?
b. What God Did
c. And What God is doing.
I. What God is? God is Love (7-8)
A. Explanation
1. It seems like every week John begins the same way. With Dear Friends. Once again he does not want you to get confused that he is writing this out of love
2. Let us Love. That is what is says. Using basic diagramming of a sentence, you quickly realize that Love is a verb.
a) Love is something that should be put into action
b) Here it is actually is talking about divine love.
c) John is saying that God initiates love, showers it upon hi people and expects that in turn they express this same love to each other
3. John does do something a little tricky here. He says every one who love has been born of God and knows God. There is a reason for this. That to counteract the Gnostic heretics of his day who claimed to have knowledge of God yet did not love
4. God is love! That is a point that we can not mention enough times
a) God is Love. That means to know what love is you have to know God
(1) You can not know love if you do not know God
b) Love is not God. God is more then love. God is all knowing, all powerful, almighty the everlasting Father, Prince of peace. Risen Lord. Yes God is love, but He is more then that
c) However, we understand what love is because of God
B. Application
1. Everything we have been taught about love needs to reflect God
2. Our love needs to flow from God
3. I hate the expression “Making Love”
4. That is not what is all about
5. It means sacrifices
6. It means the act of love
7. Love is not a feeling
8. Love is an action
9. There will be many times in your life when you did not feel in love with someone
10. You still have to love them
11. No one can claim to know God is they do not love
C. Illustration
1. Dale Craig saw a book the other day entitled “How to diverse proof your marriage” In Dale Craig humor, he said there is cliff notes on this book. He said it is only one sentence. Keep your vows!
II. What God Did? He Sent His Son (9-11)
A. Explanation
1. You have heard many times that faith without works is dead, well so is love
2. If God is love, then he must show his love just like he is requiring us to do right?
3. He did that. God sent his one and only son to save our world
4. God could have easily given the world to Jesus and that would have been a huge gift to his son
5. But he went further he sent his son to die for us that we might have eternal life
6. This message is too profound, we are unable to fathom the depth of God’s love us.
7. Notice what John says about love in verse 10. WE did not love God
a) God did not do all this because we are such loving sweet people
b) He did it out of his love, that fortunately for us does not reflect our love toward Him
8. Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for our sins
9. What a special priceless gift
B. Application
1. What does this mean to us today?
2. Vs 11-12 gives us the proper response
3. We ought to love one another
4. WE ought to show one another love
5. Hey, God spent loved everyone in this world, shouldn’t we
C. Illustration
1. Have you ever meant someone that has just gotten on everyone of your nerves? Someone that you cannot look at without being annoyed. I was that way with one particular person. However, God convicted me that I should still love this person, so being the good obedient person that I am without any hesitation or reluctance (ok that is not true) I did love the person. I have had a lot less problems dealing with him since then.
2. God had his own son killed for us, he tells us to love people.
3. Is it that hard?
III. What God is doing? He is Living in Us
A. Explanation
1. So because we love one another like are suppose to what does that mean for us?
a) It means that God lives in us!
2. WE know that because God’s spirit lives in us.
3. You ask how do we know that God dwells with in us. Because he has given his spirit to us.
4. We know that the father out of Love send His son to die for us
5. We know that if anyone acknowledges Jesus is the so of God, God lives with in him
6. So we both know and should rely on the love of God has for us.
7. God is perfect love
B. Application
1. So what can we take home with us today?
2. We know that God will live in us
3. Isn’t it amazing that we can be in the presence of God
4. Dwelling with God daily
5. That is something that should make you exited
6. There are no other religions that would claim that you could dwell with God.
7. That is something that makes Christianity special
8. It a privilege we often take for granted
9. Think about it, dwelling daily together
10. Dwelling with the smartest, wisest, loving, thoughtful, exceptional… person forever!
C. Illustration
1. Think about a person that you would like to spend a day with. I would like to spend a day with Billy Graham. I would like to figure out what makes him so special. I would like to understand how he has done the things he has done. If I had that opportunity believe me I would tell everyone and would be looking forward to it.
2. We get to spend every day with a person that is better then Billy Graham Every day
3. Constant Fellowship with
4. God lives with us
Conclusion
A. God is amazing
B. People often wonder why we worship God
C. That is a question that should not be hard to answer
D. Once you understand God, you will know why we worship Him
E. After all that he has done for us, we owe a lot more then we could ever give
F. For your homework this week, I would like it if you would make a list of everything that God has done for you.
G. Keep in mind that
a. God is love
b. He sent His Son
c. And He live in You
H. Think about that list all week and see how long it gets
