Following last week’s passage, where we see how a sinful woman expressed great affection for Jesus - Luke 7:36ff.
The sinful woman came into Simon’s house, wet Jesus’ feet with her tears and wiped with her hair. Kissed His feet and poured perfumed on His feet. All these actions were expression of her love. Realised something - she was so filled with love for Jesus that she did not really bother about the criticisms thrown at her. Wasn’t it shameful to do something like this in public, in a Pharisee’s home? Can she not do it quietly, when Jesus was alone?
She wasn’t thinking about herself. She was only thinking of Jesus. She was too overwhelmed by love for Christ to be bothered by the words of man. Be more concern with how God sees than how man sees.
Paul says in 2 Cor 5:14-15
14 For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
(1) BE MOTIVATED BY HIS LOVE
Not anything else. What drives us today is not our love for Him but His love for us. Whatever you do today, our driving force is really not because of your love for Him…. (That won’t last…)
We are driven by His love. Today we live and serve and worship Him because of His love for us. Nothing else. That’s why we see Christians willing to great length, make great sacrifices, even to the point of offering up their lives… because God loves them.
Our confidence is this – God’s love for me.
We don’t serve for our own glory, for status symbol, to chart our career path. You’re going to stop very soon. And in all that we do, we are motivated by His love.
That’s why my REALISATION OF HIS LOVE is crucial!
A man had the duty to raise a drawbridge to allow the steamers to pass on the river below and to lower it again for trains to cross over on land. One day, this man’s son visited him, desiring to watch his father at work. Quite curious, as most boys are, he peeked into a trapdoor that was always left open so his father could keep an eye on the great machinery that raised and lowered the bridge. Suddenly, the boy lost his footing and tumbled into the gears. As the father tried to reach down and pull him out, he heard the whistle of an approaching train. He knew the train would be full of people and that it would be impossible to stop the fast-moving locomotive, therefore, the bridge must be lowered! A terrible dilemma confronted him: if he saved the people, his son would be crushed in the cogs. Frantically, he tried to free the boy, but to no avail.
Finally, the father put his hand to the lever that would start the machinery. He paused and then, with tears he pulled it. The giant gears began to work and the bridge clamped down just in time to save the train. The passengers, not knowing what the father had done, were laughing and making merry; yet the bridgekeeper had chosen to save their lives at the cost of his son’s.
... James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) p. 38.
Ignorance of His love will bring about indifference. When we fully understand the extent of His love (like the woman, the extent of His forgiveness), then we will be MOTIVATED TO GIVE MORE. And it will last.
Why would so many of the early disciples die for their faith? They knew His love PERSONALLY.
In John 21:19-23, Jesus asked Peter 3 times if he loves Him, and then challenged him, "Feed My sheep." At the end, Jesus said, "Follow me!"
20Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. 21When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" 22 Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."
It’s an individual thing, a very personal thing. God is going to deal with us individually on the judgement day. Are you motivated by His love?
But before that happens, we need something…
(2) APPREHEND HIS LOVE
14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
PAUL wrote that "I pray that you, BEING ROOTED AND ESTABLISHED in love..." That defines the Christian life - why are we able to stand strong - because we are rooted and established in HIS LOVE.
• Like trees - we must send down ROOTS deep into the ground of love Agricultural
• Like buildings - building with upon the strong foundation of love Architectural
Only when we are established in His love can we be a blessing to others. Nothing will be able to shake us.
MY FATHER IS THE CAPTAIN
The story is told of the ship that was trapped in a severe storm at sea. All were preparing to abandon ship, all except one young lady who was playing with her dolls. When asked if she were not afraid, she calmly replied, "No, because my father is the captain."
When you see a show, there are times you’re greatly moved. Many times, to tears. And most of the time it has to do with love. Why some Christians were able to make greater sacrifices for Jesus? They were touched, probably deeply touched, by His love.
Have you felt His love for you lately? When was the last time you were moved by His love?
Paul prays that we have the power to grasp Christ’s love. The greatness of His love will touch us and change us. If it is His love that motivates us, His love that transforms us, then we need to know more and more of this love.
YET PAUL said in v.19 "to know this love that surpasses knowledge".
To comprehend and yet it surpasses knowledge! On the surface that sounds like a paradox, doesn’t it? How can I know that which cannot be known? If it is above knowing, then why does Paul pray that I might know it? Isn’t that an exercise in futility?
The truth is the love of Christ cannot be understood merely cognitively. It is not just a mind thing, it has to do with the HEART. Samuel Rutherford wrote from prison in Aberdeen: "Love, love (I mean Christ’s love), is the hottest coal that ever I felt. Oh, but the smoke of it be hot! Cast all the salt sea on it, it will flame; hell cannot quench it; many, many waters will not quench love."
Jesus says (Luke 10:27), “`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’”
Your heart and soul comes first. I’m first touched by His love in my heart - it has to do with the spirit. The Holy Spirit pours out His love in my heart! The love of God is ‘...poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us’. (Rom 5:5)
Kent Hughes: "For those who have not experienced this love, no words will suffice. For those who have experienced it, no words will quite do."
Paul prays that we may have POWER to know experientially this love, to experience it!
Paul uses FOUR MAGNITUDES to express that love. He did not describe in detail, but we can get an idea of the main thrust – the same way we usually understand these DIMENSIONS.
1. The Breath - How Wide
Talks about the COVERAGE – ‘wide as ocean’ - so wide you cannot see the border. It’s boundless. No boundary lines. And you’re IN. In fact, you can’t get yourself out. In fact, it’s so wide that everybody is in, actually. Every single soul is loved. If only they knew and willing to acknowledge Him.
When Jesus hung on the cross and says, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) – Tells us even for those grossly evil, undeserving people... totally unjustifiable to receive love – they too are loved. It tells me there is NO LIMIT to His love. We thought there are the lovable and non-lovable. There isn’t.
SO FOR US – don’t erect boundary lines – because boundaries are not there in Jesus’ heart.
We are so used to setting up boundary lines - WE and you, US and THEM.
At first, it wasn’t easy for the Jewish Christians to understand. It wasn’t easy for the disciples to understand. God had to prepare Peter in Acts 10:9-18
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13 Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat." 14 "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." 16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. 17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate.
Col 3:11 "Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."
IS THERE A LINE DRAWN IN YOUR HEART TOWARDS SOMEONE? REMOVE IT.
2. The Length of His Love - How Long
1 Cor 13:8, 13 "8 Love never fails.... 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
When the perfection comes - we don’t need faith, we don’t need hope, but love lingers...
(Not only in the direction of the future, there isn’t a starting point – God is love. In order words, there isn’t a time at which God is not love.)
There has never been a time that God did not love you. Eph 1:4 said we have been chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world. The length of God’s love is an eternal, unbroken line - from eternal past, and for all eternity.
That’s why Paul knew we could never comprehend it without the Holy Spirit’s enlightening us.
His love is perpetual. It is a love that never gives up. We may give up on Him; He never gives up on us.
Human love tends to be so fickle; to come and go; to blow hot and cold. We love someone as long as .....! That’s why we want security in a relationship. We need to make vow at marriage. But for God, this is not an issue. God doesn’t need to vow – His word is the truth – but He did that for us, so that we can trust Him.
Rom 8:39 says nothing can separate us from His love, not even angels or demons.
Let’s rejoice - Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, yes, and forever. He does not change, and like Himself, His love for you is from everlasting to everlasting. His love will carry you through.
3. The Height of His Love - How High
To what extent – the best! The greatest benefit of life is given to you.
Taking us from the pit of hell to the glories of Heaven - making us joint-heir with Christ, enjoying all the riches of heaven, making us His children... even above the angels.
What more do you want, what more can you ask?
That love did not just forgive our sins - but imputed upon us the righteousness of Christ - God sees me with the righteousness and purity of Christ, and making me a new creation.
4. The Depth of His Love - How Deep
Talks about VOLUME – depth of an ocean. More than enough.
Deep enough for the eternal God, Jesus to take on human form and come down to earth.
Phil 2: 6-8 “...who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Augustine was walking along the beach one day when he observed a young boy with a bucket, running back and forth to pour water into a little hole. Augustine asked, "What are you doing?" The boy replied, "I’m trying to put the ocean into this hole."
THE SERVANT KING, the song composed by Graham Kendrick.
From heaven You came, helpless Babe; Entered our world, Your glory veiled.
Not to be served but to serve; And give Your life that we might live
Come, see His hands and His feet; That scars that speak of sacrifice
Hands that flung stars into space, to cruel nails surrendered
What sacrifice - infinite become finite, suffered the mockery, humiliation and rejection of man (creatures in His hands), and to the point of death on the cross. He temporarily laid aside the independent exercise of His own divine attributes. And He went down so far as to momentarily experience estrangement from the Father.
No matter how low we go today we cannot match that of Christ. No circumstance, tragedy, sufferings is too deep, compared to that of Christ. And therefore, He is more than able to sustain you today.
============
And that’s the love of God.
In 1096 Rabbi Mayer wrote a poem entitled ’Hadamut.’ Part of the poem was found one day on the walls of a patient’s room in an insane asylum after the patient’s death. His words so moved Frederick Lehman that they became the third verse to his hymn ’The Love of God.’ "To write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry, nor could the scroll contain the whole though stretched from sky to sky." What beautiful words to describe the immeasurable love of God.
"God’s love is measureless. It is more: it is boundless. It has no bounds because it is not a thing but a facet of the essential nature of God. His love is something he is, and because he is infinite, that love can enfold the whole created world in itself and have room for ten thousand times ten thousand worlds beside." A. W. Tozer (1897-1963)
APPREHEND HIS LOVE and do all things because you are MOTIVATED BY HIS LOVE
Do you find complete security in His love? Are you confident today because you know you’re greatly loved? Neither Jesus, nor Paul ever prayed for something for us that were impossible to have. Neither of them ever prayed for something that God was unwilling to give.
Do you feel a lack today - somehow you don’t feel loved, not provided for, neglected and unwanted? Somehow you feel Christian life is a boredom. PRAY.
Prov 8:17 “I love those who love Me, and those who diligently seek Me will find Me.”
THE SERVANT KING, the song composed by Graham Kendrick, third stanza continues...
So let us learn how to serve,
And in our lives enthrone Him
Each other’s needs to prefer
For it is Christ we’re serving
This is our God, the Servant King
He calls us now to follow Him
To bring our lives as a daily offering
Of worship to the Servant King.
