Why We Love God Images

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Why We Love God 

First John 4.19

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • June 29, In the year of our Lord, 2014

 

Prelude: 

  1. When you love God, and 
    1. you miss your regular time for prayer,
    2. you miss assembling with the saints to worship God,
    3. you miss your scheduled time for reading Scripture,
      1. you feel empty,
      2. you like something grand is missing from your life.
        1. This is the point of the Book of Ecclesiastes.
        2. People feel it, but do not know it;
          1. it is like missing a nutrient,
          2. or like not drinking enough water.
  2. We love God and we miss personal time with Him. 
  3. We also detect our love for Him when someone criticizes Him. 
  4. Why do we love Him so? 

Persuasion: 

  1. Because He Created Us 
    1. Genesis 1 simply shows the beginning of His love for us,

      26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness…” (Gen 1.26).

      1. Many people have asked me why God created us.
      2. People often ask why He created,
        1. knowing what we would do,
        2. the evil things we would commit.
          1. Why did you have children?
          2. Did you not know they would do bad things?
    2. Psalm 139 speaks for us,
      1. expressing our wonder
      2. at the wonders of our bodies that He created,

        14I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
        Marvelous are Your works,
        And that my soul knows very well.
        (Psa 139.14)
    3. Will man ever duplicate the wonders of the human body?
      1. I do not believe so.
      2. Why? Because the wonders of the body never cease to amaze us that we have been divinely created.
  2. Because He Gave Us the Earth 
    1. Again listen to Genesis 1.26 as I show you the rest of the verse,

      26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth” (Gen 1.26).
    2. Moses revealed further the intent of God,

      29 And God said, “See, I have given you every herb that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food” (Gen 1.29).

      1. “How come Earth got all the good stuff?”
  3. Because He Supplies All Our Needs

    17 “Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness” (Acts 14.17).

    19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phi 4.19).

    17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning (James 1.17).

  4. Because He Saves Us 
    1. We forsook Him, but
      1. He did not forsake us utterly!
      2. Jesus cried out,

        46b “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt 27.46b).

        1. However, we should cry,
        2. “My God, my God, why have we forsaken you?”
    2. Romans 5 shows
      1. that He loved us
      2. when we cared nothing for Him,

        6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life (Rom 5.6–10).
  5. Because He Gave Us Christianity

    26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.” 27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt 26.26–28).
  6. Because He Loved Us First

    19 We love Him because He first loved us (1Jo 4.19).

    1. Ephesians 3 shows
      1. that His love for us goes beyond our ability to understand.
      2. Paul prayed for the Ephesian church that they might,

        …know the love of Christ which passes knowledge… (Eph 3.19).
    2. Can parents describe to their children how much they are loved?

 

If missing being with God now so impacts us (Remember Ecclesiastes),

What then about eternity?