“For the Love of God!”
How many mothers do we have here this morning? You know, it takes a special kind of person to be a good mother doesn’t it? I mean, the world is full of “mothers”-- just about anyone can be a mother. But to be a truly “good” mother.....that seems to be a different ballgame altogether. And you know, I don’t understand why we don’t have more good mothers in the world---it’s not like it’s hard to raise a child......I mean, as I look out in this congregation for instance, I see so many “perfect” little children. None that could possibly be any trouble whatsoever. How about it kids, aren’t you little angels? Yeah, I know how it is because I was a kid once too and I was probably the most perfect child you would ever want to meet. My mother is here in the congregation and she is shaking her head in agreement..
That’s a truly good mother for you; somehow she seems to forget the water moccasin I caught at the ditch and let run free under the carport; or the household appliances I disassembled; or the trips to the emergency room; the many fights at school and in the neighborhood and --OK, I set the couch on fire- but only once. And these are some of the less serious offenses of my youth. But even so, mama never once disowned me, never had me locked away or sent me off to military school. Though, she did threaten to run away herself a time or two but she never did......and why didn’t she run away? Well, she was “forced” to stay there with me, my three brothers and one sister, she was forced to raise us and take care of us by the greatest force in the universe.........Love.
Now, wait a minute Dwight, the greatest force in the universe is God.......and that’s true, but look with me if you will at 1John 4:7-12
“7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
So the scriptures are plain; God IS LOVE. Now you moms and dads out there.....as much as you love your children, as much as you watch over them and want to do all you can to make their lives happy, can you even try to comprehend that God loves each one of us even more. Now, I’m a parent and I know that I would lay my life down for Meagan; it’s so hard for me sometimes to understand that the Creator of the universe; Sustainer of all life, the great I AM, our Divine God loves me even more than that! That is indeed a powerful force!
A friend of mine said that his little girl keeps asking him if God still loved her even when she got mad at her little sister or disobeyed her mom. Now I know that sounds like a question that a child would ask.......but I think that we adults often struggle with that same question don’t we? I mean, when we fly off the handle and say and do things that we know are wrong and even sinful. When we are angry or upset at the world and even God----does He still love us?
What about it mothers? When your children throw tantrums, talk back to you and basically do everything in their power to make you lose control.......do you stop loving them? Of course not, a parent’s love is unconditional and so is God’s love for us.
In Romans 5:8 Paul tells us this: “...God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Jesus died for who?? Sinners. And brothers and sisters, please don’t ever entertain the thought that God doesn’t love you or anyone else...... I don’t know if you remember or not, but a year or two ago, the TV news reported on this guy who was supposed to be a minister of the gospel and he was organizing a march with a bunch of his church members against homosexuality. The way in which he "spoke on behalf of God" was anything but Godly. He even had his young children with him in the demonstration and everyone was carrying a sign that said different things. A couple of those signs stood out in my mind-----I apologize for the course language but I want you to get the full impact of what this guy was saying; one of the signs said; “God hates faggots” another said; “God will burn queers in Hell”
Now, just the sight of this guy and hearing him shout out all of these obscene and misleading remarks made my blood boil. In fact, this “minister” and his followers generated as much, if not more, hate than the Ku Klux Klan. Let me ask you this; is homosexuality a sin? Absolutely! But always remember that God hates sin---never the sinner. If He did hate the sinner, He would hate you, He would hate me.... and if He did hate us all ... He wouldn’t have died for us. The way this guy was handling the gospel was almost blasphemous. In fact, he did a hundred times more harm than good.....
Just think about it; what did Jesus tell the adulteress that was thrown at His feet? “I hate you?” or what did He say to Mary Magdalin? “You’re going to burn in Hell?” Absolutely not! In every way He possibly could, He told her; “I love you.”
Jesus came to seek and save the lost--not drive them away. In Jeremiah 31:3 God says; “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
It’s a shame, but there are people in this world who feel that no one loves them......that they are all alone in this life, that no one hears them when they cry or cares if they hurt. Way too many people feel this way because they have fallen victim to someone spreading a “counterfeit gospel.” In this gospel, if you want to give your heart to the Lord, you first have to get rid of all the sins in your life. And then.....and only then can you start your walk as a Christian. Don’t we realize just how ludicrous that is? Imagine telling an alcoholic that he first has to get off the booze before he can join up with AA!--- It just doesn’t make sense!
In Revelation 3:20 Jesus tells us; “ Here I Am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in...”
Friends, Jesus is standing at the doors of so many peoples hearts.....and He’s knocking. Problem is, that when these poor souls hear the Lord knocking, they dare not let Him in because they have been “conditioned” to think that they have to get their house in perfect order BEFORE they let Him in!! And, because they know that they are powerless against these sins in their lives, they don’t open that door...but continue trodding the same dark path doomed for destruction feeling like there is no way out.
Well friends, I don’t care who you are, where you’ve been, what sins you have in your life.........there IS a Way out. In the Gospel of John chapter 14:6 Jesus says; “I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”
And in Matthew 11:28 He says; “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Brothers and sisters, this is the True Gospel! Jesus loves us so much that He established this plan of redemption and hope before He even formed Adam out of the dust of the ground. He did this because He couldn’t bear the thought of any of His children being separated from Him by sin and having no hope of salvation. It was more than a plan, it was a pre-established “safety net.”
You see, Jesus carried your sins and my sins on that cross so that, no matter what befalls us, we can still call upon His unconditional Love to see us safely to that Heavenly Kingdom to forever be with Him in Paradise.
Now this is a concept that so many different people of other religions have a hard time understanding. They rationalize that gaining salvation could not possibly be “that easy.”
Let me tell you something that I read and believe to be a true story:
There once was an American Missionary named David Morse. He was sent to India to hold a series of Evangelism meetings. Well, he had such great success with the meetings that he decided to start a small church there so that he could reach more people with the good news of the Gospel.
Now, in the particular part of India that the Missionary was targeting, one of the main means of income was diving for cultured pearls. And he had become good friends with an old pearl diver named Rambhau. Rambhau came to the very first meeting and continued to attend almost every meeting that David conducted. The missionary often went to Rambhau’s cabin and read to him out of the scriptures of God’s love for His children. The old pearl diver even built a chair especially for his friend to sit in as he read to him about the wondrous things that God had done for His people.
Even though Rambhau totally believed in God and His awesome power, of His majesty and His love for us......he would always declined the missionary’s offer to baptize him into the faith. One night after reading to him, David said; “Rambhau, you have been so faithful in coming to church for two years now, and you love to hear the word of God.....please tell me why you do not want to get baptized and accept Christ as your Lord and Savior.”
The old man looked up and said; “Your way to heaven is too easy for me! If I should ever make it into heaven that way, I would feel like a pauper there--like a beggar let in out of pity. I have been a proud man all of my life, so you must understand that I must work for it--I must do something to deserve it.”
Try as he may, the missionary could not make Rambhau understand that Jesus had earned our place in heaven and that the only way in is just to accept His work on our behalf. The next day the old pearl diver showed up at David’s door. He had a small strongbox in his hands. The missionary invited him in and asked what was in the box. With a look of determination the old man said; “Sahib, I have decided that I am ready to begin my journey into your heaven.”
The missionary said; “That’s great Rambhau! I will baptize you tomorrow!”
“You don’t understand Sahib” the old man said. “ I will begin my journey to earn my place in heaven. I have decided to go to Delhi on my knees.”
A look of shock came over David’s face as he said; “Rambhau, it’s over nine hundred miles to Delhi! Your knees will be torn into shreds and you will have blood poisoning or leprosy before you reach Bombay!”
“No, I must go to Delhi. The immortals will be pleased with my work and it will gain heaven for me.”
The missionary pleaded with the old man and again quoted to him from the scriptures telling Him that Jesus had already paid the price. But the proud old pearl diver would not be moved. His mind was made up.
He said; “Sahib Morse, you have been my dearest friend on this earth the last few years. You have been with me through many trying times in my life, you have never once denied me of anything that was in your power to provide for me. And most important of all, you have introduced me to your God whom I will now serve.”
“I am leaving tomorrow probably never to return. That is why I want you to have my most cherished possession.” Looking thoughtfully at the box, the old man continued; “I once had a son. He was a pearl diver just like his father. How I wish you could have met him Sahib, He was the best diver on the entire coast of India. He had the swiftest dive, the keenest eye and could hold his breath longer than I could-- even in my youth. We both dreamed of finding the perfect pearl; one that was of good size and without blemish or defect. We shared so much together, oh how I loved him.”
The old man’s eyes begin to tear as he continued. It was the eve of my sixtieth birthday and my son wanted so badly to find me a beautiful pearl for a gift. One that would remind me of his love for me and that I would cherish forever.
Well Sahib, he found that pearl on his last dive of the day. But even when he first saw it, he had been under too long. I watched in horror and disbelief as I saw my only son floating lifelessly up to the surface. When I finally got him on board........ I knew he was dead.
Handing the strongbox to the missionary, Rambhau said; “In my son’s still clinched hand I found this, his gift to me.”
David opened the box to find one of the largest pearls he had ever seen. Through his own tears, he said; “Rambhau it’s beautiful!”
“That pearl is perfect Sahib,” the old man said. It is yours now, because of your love for me and as a token of the love I have for you.
For a moment, David couldn’t speak. But then he said; “I must have this pearl Rambhau, I know that I might be proud, but I have to pay you for it........how about ten thousand dollars?”
With a look of confusion, Rambhau said; “Sahib Morse, you don’t understand.....my son gave his life for this pearl! No one on this earth has enough money to “buy” it from me. But I wish to give it to you as a gift.” Please, do not insult me by asking to pay me for it!
The missionary gripped the old man’s hands and said; “My brother, don’t you see?......for these last few years, you have been trying to buy something from God, something that His Son laid down His life for that we might have it as a gift. It’s true, no man has enough money to buy this beautiful pearl from you.....but yet you are willing to give it to me because of your love for me.
“Rambhau, you can crawl around the world on your knees but that will never even begin to be enough to win you heaven. Heaven has already been purchased for you with the lifeblood of Jesus. All you need to do is gratefully accept it.”
Out of joy, they cried together as Rambhau finally realize the extent of God’s love for him. Rambhau was indeed baptized that very night and he humbly served the Lord the rest of his life.
"..the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
The most known and perhaps the most pregnant verse found in all the scriptures is; "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." (John 3:16)
We can’t earn God’s love, we already have it--even those who will never accept Him. Jesus wants us to come to Him just as we are-- as unrighteous and rough as that may be. And upon our accepting Him as Lord and Savior, through a constant and close relationship with us, He will began the work of cleaning and polishing to perfection the priceless gem He sees when He looks at us. May we never take for granted the ultimate price that He paid for our redemption and the love by which He continues to beckon us..
