1 John 4:9-11 CSB
9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice [propitiation] for our sins.
The story of Christmas is the story of God’s LOVE for us.
He has come so that we might have Life…and have it abundantly.
A Life of HOPE and PEACE and JOY and LOVE.
The LOVE of God!
John 3:16-17 ESV
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his [one and] only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
Do you want to experience more of the LOVE of God?
When we are filled with the LOVE of God, there’s no room for anything else.
The LOVE of God drives out all fear.
What is the LOVE of God?
The LOVE of God is not an emotion.
The LOVE of God is a person. His name is Jesus.
The LOVE of God took on human form.
How can I grow in the LOVE of God?
1 John 4:9-11 CSB
9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice [propitiation] for our sins.
God chose to express His love for us in the person of His Son, Jesus.
This is the story of Christmas.
The birth of Jesus.
The coming of Jesus.
The arrival of the LOVE of God.
Matthew 1:18-25 CSB
The Nativity of the Messiah
18 The birth of Jesus Christ came about this way: After his mother Mary had been engaged [betrothed] to Joseph, it was discovered before they came together that she was pregnant from the Holy Spirit. 19 So her husband, Joseph, being a righteous man, and not wanting to disgrace her publicly, decided to divorce her secretly.
20 But after he had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23 See, the virgin will become pregnant
and give birth to a son,
and they will name him Immanuel, [Isaiah 7:14]
which is translated “God is with us.”
24 When Joseph woke up, he did as the Lord’s angel had commanded him. He married her 25 but did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son [her firstborn son] And he [Joseph] named him Jesus.
Matthew 1:20-21 CSB
20 But after [Joseph] had considered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
More comfort
More laughter
More LOVE for Jesus
Jesus’s name means ‘The Lord saves’
Who is Jesus going to save?
Why?
Do you know that you’re a sinner?
Do you understand that you need to be saved?
Romans 5:8 CSB
8 But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 Timothy 1:15 CSB
15 This saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” — and I am the worst of them.
Do you know that you’re a sinner?
Jesus says…
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”
“Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”
1 John 4:9-11, 14, 16-19 CSB
9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice [propitiation] for our sins.
1 John 4:14 CSB
14 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior.
1 John 4:16-19 CSB
16 And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.
17 In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as he is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment.[e] So the one who fears is not complete in love. 19 We love [him] because he first loved us.
We have been forgiven
We have nothing to fear
We don’t need to be afraid to feel the weight of our sins
More thankfulness
Luke 7:36-47 CSB
Much Forgiveness, Much Love
36 Then one of the Pharisees invited [Jesus] to eat with him. [Jesus] entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And a woman in the town who was a sinner found out that Jesus was reclining at the table in the Pharisee’s house. She brought an alabaster jar of perfume 38 and stood behind [Jesus] at his feet, weeping, and began to wash his feet with her tears. She wiped his feet with her hair, kissing them and anointing them with the perfume.
39 When the Pharisee who had invited [Jesus] saw this, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would know who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—she’s a sinner!”
40 Jesus replied to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.”
He said, “Say it, teacher.”
41 “A creditor had two debtors. One owed [$5,000], and the other [$50]. 42 Since [neither of them] could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?”
43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one he forgave more.”
“You have judged correctly,” he told him. 44 Turning to the woman, [Jesus] said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she, with her tears, has washed my feet and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but she hasn’t stopped kissing my feet since I came in. 46 You didn’t anoint my head with olive oil, but she has anointed my feet with perfume. 47 Therefore I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven; that’s why she loved [me so] much. But the one who is forgiven little, loves little.”
Those who have been forgiven much, LOVE much.
This is the reality of the kingdom of God.
Jesus also says…
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Isaiah 1:18 ESV
18 “Come now, let us reason[c] together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
We have nothing to fear because of the forgiveness of Jesus.
We use our minds.
We use reason.
There is such freedom in the truth of the gospel.
Matthew 13:44-46 CSB
The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and of the Priceless Pearl
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure, buried in a field, that a man found and reburied. Then in his joy he goes and sells everything he has and buys that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. 46 When he found one priceless[k] pearl, he went and sold everything he had and bought it.
Jesus is the greatest treasure
How much have we been forgiven?
How much do we LOVE Jesus?
How much do we love others?
What does LOVE for Jesus produce in us?
We become more like Jesus.
This is Life with Jesus.
We become SERVANTS like Jesus
Jesus came “...not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Philippians 2:5-8 ESV
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,[a] 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,[b] 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant,[c] being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
How can I serve others?
How can I be more of a servant like Jesus?
We become HUMBLE like Jesus
1 Peter 5:5 ESV
Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Philippians 2:3-4 ESV
3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Our LOVE for Jesus compels us to be concerned for others
Mark 12:30-31 CSB
30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.[l][m] 31 The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself.[n] There is no other command greater than these.”
Whatever Jesus is like…that is what we want to be
Do you LOVE Jesus?
We become OBEDIENT like Jesus
John 14:15 CSB
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commands.
John 14:21 CSB
21 The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.”
John 14:23-24 CSB
23 Jesus answered, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 The one who doesn’t love me will not keep my words.
Have you experienced the LOVE of God?
Do you LOVE Jesus?
THE LOVE OF GOD
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made;
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade;
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.