God gets bad press. And I’m not so much talking about in Newsweek or in the PD or on NBC, ABC, or CBS. I’m talking about in your mind… and mine.
Some of us think that God admits us begrudgingly into his Kingdom. That Christ found a loophole in the law. That He did some fancy plea-bargaining and squeaked us by the Judge.
Let’s get rid of some misconceptions of God. What if you knew that God really loves you? What will happen if you let that touch your heart?
Being loved increases your blood flow. Your face glows. Your eyes look brighter. You walk a little taller. Your step has more spring. There’s more joy in your heart.
And your life will overflow with love. More love – real love – for your spouse, your family, your friends, and the world around you. You can impact others with the same practical, transforming love that God longs to lavish on you. See, God loves us not for what we do, but because we are. And He wants us to love each other the same way.
Today, we are going to learn some more about the God you’ve longed to know: a Father head-over-heels in love with you. A God who is intensely committed to your highest joy.
passionate
Text: Zephaniah 3:17
Series: So loved
The title for this series comes from what is one of the most famous verses in the Bible, John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son…” It’s what Christmas is all about. God gave up His Son from heaven to be born on this earth because He “so loved” us.
We learned last week that this word “so” means “to a great extent.” God’s love for us is “to a great extent.” Sounds like a passionate love. And God’s great love can make a great difference in your life… if you get it!
Some of us suffer from the “blue Christmas syndrome.” “Have a holly jolly Christmas. It’s the best time of the year?” “Yeah, right!” “It’s the most wonderful time of the year?” “OK. Maybe for you, but not for me. Don’t you know that psychologists’ offices are full around Christmas? The happiness themes of Christmas songs just remind me of what I’ve lost or never had.”
Listen, Zephaniah has good news for people who suffer from the Christmas blues.
Zephaniah lived about 400 years after the Temple in Jerusalem was built. Over the years, God’s people forgot about God. Their worship had grown cold. So, God raised up a king, Josiah, who read a copy of God’s word, something that had been ignored for decades. Josiah was broken. So, he and this prophet, Zephaniah, called the people to revival.
All of chapter one is a warning. See, God is love. But He is also a consuming fire. Not everyone is an object of His love. Some get wrath. God is a righteous judge and will not tolerate sin. He will not turn a blind eye to our sin.
The great day of the LORD is near… day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation…
Zephaniah 1:14a, 15a (ESV)
You say, “I don’t want that. What can I do to avoid that?” Zephaniah 2:3 tells us.
Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, who do his just commands; seek righteousness; seek humility; perhaps you may be hidden on the day of the anger of the LORD.
Zephaniah 2:3 (ESV)
Seek the Christ or see the consequences. Who gets love from God? People who seek Him humbly, obediently, righteously. Yes, judgment is coming. But there will be those who will turn to God. And they get an incredible gift – the gift of love.
And that’s the gift we want to unwrap today. The last 12 verses of Zephaniah are amazing because they display the blessings of God for changed people. If we are truly changed, He takes away judgment.
The LORD has taken away the judgments against you…
Zephaniah 3:15a (ESV)
“If I don’t get judgment, what do I get?” You get love – love from God. If you’ll ask God to help you move it from your head to your heart, Zephaniah 3:17 can beat the Christmas blues for you.
The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by his love; He will exult over you with loud singing.
Zephaniah 3:17 (ESV)
God has emotions and feelings. Not like ours. We’ve been affected by sin. His passion is pure. His heart beats with warmth and affection toward His children.
Every phrase in this verse can encourage your heart. These truths are antidotes to your doubts and depression and despair. Five big ideas about how passionately in love God is with you…
I am so loved that…
1. … Jesus walks with me.
Would it make a difference for you if every day you lived as though Jesus were really living life with you? That He was working where you work, living where you live, playing where you play, and shopping where you shop… and feeling what you feel?
The whole message of the Bible is that God is not “out there” somewhere. He is close. And when we get that into our heads and hearts, it can make all the difference. Look at how this verse starts…
The LORD your God is in your midst.
He is in our midst. He’s near you to support you, to assist you, to strengthen you. He’s close. That’s the message of Christmas, isn’t it?
The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel (which means, God with us).
Matthew 1:23 (ESV)
God is pleased to be with us. He takes delight in our presence. You don’t have to walk through life alone.
Some of you don’t feel “so loved” by God. Why not? When you were a little boy or girl, you were abused. Maybe sexually. Or physically. Or emotionally. And when you hear about God loving you so much that he wants to be with you, you wonder, “Where was He when I was hurt?”
I am deeply sorry for this sin committed against you. But no matter how much I grieve over your hurt, it does not compare to the depths of God’s care and concern for you.
We all suffer under the consequences of sin’s presence here on earth. Acts of violence are hated by God. Yet they are permitted.
You’ll never fully understand His absence of protection during your terror. We see only the smallest part of all that God does. His ways are too great for us to fully grasp. Yet we know He hates sin and He is close to those who hurt. He is their avenger and He will avenge. For now, we overcome evil by good. One day, God will no longer contain His righteous anger.
God sees evil all the time everywhere. He saw Jesus, His own Son, battered and bruised and beaten and bloodied on the cross. And it’s this Jesus who said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
He can heal you. Jesus, the One who suffered wrongfully, too, wants you to run into His arms.
Remember, the Lord your God is in your midst even when you don’t feel like it. Don’t let your emotions fool you. Your feelings tell you that you are alone. That nobody cares and that God is far away from you. It’s not true.
I am so loved… that Jesus walks with me.
2. … Jesus wins for me.
Are you facing struggles in your marriage, with your kids, on the job? Are you in a battle that you think you can’t win? Look at what our verse says about this One who loves us.
…a mighty one who will save.
Mighty One. He is the prevailing One, the all-conquering Hero. We don’t have a weak, wimpy God who can’t help us with the battles of life. If you’ll turn the battle of your life over to Him, He’ll do for you what you can’t do for yourself.
Again, this is a Christmas promise. The same Hebrew is used in Isaiah’s prophecy about the birth of Jesus.
His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God…
Isaiah 9:6b (NASB)
The Mighty One loves you. So what? He is the Mighty One who will save! What do you need to be saved from? What trial? What relationship? What hurt? What past? What temptation? What problem? He doesn’t want you to face it by yourself. He wants to exert His mighty power to save you. The word “saved” is used in Psalm 34.
The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Psalm 34:18 (NASB)
He saves freely, fully, and finally. He saves from sin, from Satan, from self. The way He saves seems strange sometimes. We want Him to save us – to win for us – on our terms. But just remember, Jesus was saved from His tomb… with wounds, wounds that add to His glory.
When you think you are being defeated and that God doesn’t care, remind yourself:
We are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Romans 8:37 (ESV)
I am so loved… that Jesus wins for me.
3. … Jesus delights in me.
Some of us go to work everyday and we wonder if the people in charge really want us there. Others of us grew up in homes where our parents said, “You’ll never amount to anything.” And just this last week, someone heard, “I don’t know why I ever married you.”
You need – you really need – to know what God thinks. Zephaniah 3:17c…
He will rejoice over you with gladness
What a great love! He hasn’t just saved us. He’s actually delighting in us. Two words here. Rejoice (sus) – to exult. And gladness (simchah) – mirth. It’s like He’s at a party dancing because of us. Is that overstated? I don’t think so.
As the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.
Isaiah 62:5 (ESV)
Does He delight in you because you are so lovable? No. The Bible says that we hated God and were His enemies. Does He delight in us because we are so “together”? No. We’re sinful through and through. He brings us before the throne of grace and is proud of us.
He delights in us because of Christ and what He’s made us to be. It’s with the blood of Jesus that we’ve been washed and made new.
I will rejoice… and delight in my people. And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard no more.
Isaiah 65:19 (NLT)
Too many of us believe that God is a “ticked off” God. Yes, He’s just. Yes, He’s holy. And yes, He disciplines his children. And we should never presume upon His grace. But at the end of the day, you’ve got to know that through Christ Jesus, God delights in His people.
In my study on this verse this week, one pastor wrote, “God not only loves you, he likes you.”
I am so loved… that Jesus delights in me.
4. … Jesus rests with me.
Maybe you grew up in a home where the expectations were high…too high. When you brought home a report card with mostly As and Bs, your mom or your dad couldn’t find it in themselves to say, “Way to go!” Instead, you heard, “Why didn’t you get all As?” You were never good enough, smart enough, athletic enough. So, you’ve spent the rest of your life wondering about your worth – wondering why you don’t measure up. So, you try hard… too hard. And you’re on the verge of burnout. You wish you could just give up and give in. But you can’t. Listen, if that’s you, you need to know that you are so loved… by God. Look again at Zephaniah 3:17…
He will quiet you by his love.
He will bring [you] quietness with His love.
(HCSB)
He’ll calm you with his love.
MSG
He will rest in his love.
Zephaniah 3:17 (KJV)
Quiet. The word is “charash” – silence. It’s not a bad idea for people who are rushing our and running around this Christmas season. If you’re going to have a sense of peace in your life, you’ll have to ground your heart in the assurance of God’s love for you.
Those of us who are type As need to learn to rest in His love. Those of us who are competitive need to learn to be quieted by His love. Those of us who strive and sweat and strain to make things happen need to learn to be calmed by His love. Those of us who set the bar high, jump over it, and set it even higher need to learn to be content in His love. Cease striving. Because of Jesus, there’s nothing we can do to make Him love us more and nothing we can do to make Him love us less.
Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10 (ESV)
I’m reminded of when our boys were babies. This is the rocking chair we used for all three. It’s 24 years old. How many times did Maryanne and I sit with a fussy little boy a rock him to sleep? I remember the warmth of those little bodies on ours. I remember the little fingers finally relaxing. I remember the slow, steady breaths. They were quieted by our love. And when we looked down at those little faces, we didn’t need to see our boys doing anything. They didn’t have to earn our love.
That’s what God wants to do for you.
I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.
Jeremiah 31:3 (NASB)
Let God love you. Let Him hold you. Let Him whisper in your ear. Let your heart beat with His. Don’t resist Him. Don’t struggle with Him. Don’t feel like you have to perform.
This past week, I heard a story from a friend that touched me deeply…
I am so loved… that Jesus rests with me.
Do feel it today? That you are so loved that Jesus walks with you? “No. I am too guilty. I’ve sinned more than you know.” Believe the promise of Zephaniah 3:15: “The Lord has taken away the judgments against you!”
Do you sense it today? That you are so loved that Jesus wins for you? “No. I can’t because I am surrounded by my enemies and trouble is everywhere.” Believe the promise of verse 15: “He has cleared away your enemies.” And verse 19: “I will deal with all your oppressors.”
Can you see it today? That you are so loved that Jesus delights in you? “No. I have too much shame. I have been belittled, laughed at, threatened, slandered.” Believe the promise of verse 19: “I will save the lame and gather the outcast, and I will change their shame into praise.”
Can you touch it today? That you are so loved Jesus rests with you? “No. He wants more from me.” Believe the promise of verse 20: “I restore your fortunes before your eyes.”
One more big idea…
5. … Jesus sings over me.
Anyone ever written a love song to you? God has. In this verse, God’s love moves from strength to silence to song.
He will exult over you with loud singing.
Loud singing. It’s “rinnah” – a ringing cry, joyful shouting. This shows how much in love God is with His people.
And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen ones with a joyful shout.
Psalm 105:43 (NASB)
How would the voice of God sound singing? Hear the booming of a Niagara Falls with the trickle of a mountain stream. Hear the blast of a volcano with a kitten’s purr. Hear the power of a hurricane and the puff of a night snow in the woods.
What is He singing about? “You.” Notice how many times the word “you” is mentioned. It’s His love for you.
What is it about us that causes God to sing? It’s not your blue eyes or blond hair. Or your green eyes and brown hair. Or your hazel eyes with just a little hair. It’s not how you conduct yourself. He sings over you because of what Jesus has done in you and for you.
(Get ready to play tape…)
What would He sing? We have to go to the Bible to find out. If you’ve ever wondered whether God loves you, then today, just let the words of His song echo in your soul. This song is for all who’ve sinned and wonder, “Can God love me?” This song is for all who’ve known tragedy and wonder, “Does God love me?” This song is for all who’ve tried to win and failed and wonder, “Will God love me?”
(Play tape…)
I am so loved… that God sings over me.
Will you be His child? He’s waiting. He’s waiting. You say, “How can I be His child?” We sing the way at Christmas, “O holy Child of Bethlehem! Descend to us, we pray; cast out our sin and enter in, Be born in us today!”
(prayer of salvation…)
A truth to take home: God is passionately in love with me.
Write this stuff down and post it where you can see it. 3 x 5 it. The biggest reason you fail to give love to others the way you would like to give it is that you aren’t feeling filled up with the love of God. When you are filled up with this love, it spills over to others.
A verse to remember: Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:39b, NLT)
I am so loved, so what? God’s delight is our delight. If He rejoices over us, then how much more should we rejoice? I once heard a pastor say that most of us have faces like bulldogs chewing wasps. Listen, God’s love ought to give us joy – joy unspeakable, inexpressible joy. If our God loves us so much that He is joyful, we ought to be joyful.
A change to take on: How will I love the Lord, my Lover?
Ultimately, the love from God to us is not about us. It’s about Him. What should be the effect of a love song from God to us? Surely we break out in song, too. It’s a singing that goes back and forth. God sings over us. And we sing over Him. God loves us and we love Him. Surely a song will be sung, not only by God over us, but to God by us.
And one more thing. Those people who really bug you? God sings over them, too. And if He loves them, so should you. Loving the difficult to love is a way for you to love the Lord, your lover. Philo of Alexander: “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a great battle.”
