The Love of God - Guest Speaker, Charlie LeBlanc

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  1 Corinthians 13:4-8
- First, be patient, loving, kind, and forgiving, but...
- There is also a place in love to confront. But always do it in love and humility, after following patience and dying to self.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.  Romans 12:1-2
- We need to renew our minds and become like Him.
 
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”  Matthew 22:37-40
- The most important thing is to love God with all that we are and have.
- This should be easy to do, with all that He has done for us.
- But we really need to get a revelation of how much God loves us.
 
- The saying goes, “Hurting people hurt people.”
- But the other truth is, “Loved people love others.”
- Love those who don't agree with you - love them into the kingdom. Be a blessing to them.
- God's love is amazing and will melt the hardest heart.
The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.  Jeremiah 31:3
 
 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.  Romans 8:28
- If we love Him, He works all things to our good.
 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31
Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself.  Romans 8:33 NLT 
- Only the devil dares to accuse us. And we sometimes accuse, or condemn, ourselves. But God doesn’t.
Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. Romans 8:34 NLT
- Christ is for us and making intercession for us.
 
- One time Charlie and Jill had an argument on the way to an event where they were leading worship. They were both feeling awkward, and he knew he didn’t feel like he was in the right frame of mind for worship, as they arrived at the venue. Before they went on, He apologized and asked for forgiveness. They were blessed and worship was sweet. But, regardless, whenever they get up to lead worship, they let the Spirit lead and depend on Him for it all. It’s not a matter of depending on their own strength or understanding.
 
Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? 36 (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) 37 No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:35-37 NLT
- God always thinks of you as awesome!
- Paul went through tons of stuff, but he says:
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37
And He also said:
 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
He finished 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, with this:
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38
- Nothing can separate us from His love.
- The Apostle Paul was SETTLED in God's love for Him.
- And the psalmist agreed:
Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, 10 even there Your hand shall lead me,
and Your right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall[a] on me,” Even the night shall be light about me; 12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You, But the night shines as the day; The darkness and the light are both alike to You. Psalm 139:7-12
- Nothing and no place can separate us from God.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy (love) endures forever. Psalm 136:1
- There is never a question whether God loves you.
- And when you know His love, you will love others.
 
- And when you know His love, it will get you through anything.
- When their son died in 2009, God was there to heal their broken hearts and has continued to minister to their hearts to this very day.
- Love wins every time
- Love is the high ground
- Joyce Meyer just loved her dad, who had molested her growing up, and obeyed God when He told her to buy a house for her mom and dad near them when they were old.  She took care of him and her mom, and God finally melted his heart and he came to know the Lord in his late 80s, and they were reconciled.
 
You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men.  2 Corinthians 3:2
- We are the only Bible some people will ever see. We are the only chance for some people to see the love of God.
 
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her. Ephesians 5:25
- Husbands (and wives) need to make sure they are loving their spouses as God loves them.
 
And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
-We need to be steadfast in the love of God.
 
For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Matthew 25:35-36
Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. Matthew 25:40
- When we love people we love Jesus.
For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.  Hebrews 6:10
 - He will not forget your work and the love you have shown HIM when you love others. He considers loving others in His name the same as loving Him.
- We can love God by serving in the Church, doing whatever is needed.
Be a blessing everywhere you go.
 
If you are struggling with something you have done wrong, think of Peter. He denied Jesus THREE times. When Jesus arose from the dead and saw the disciples by the lake, He didn't ask Peter why did you deny me. He just asked if he loved Him, THREE times. Peter said yes, THREE times. Jesus told him to feed His sheep. He not only let Peter know He still loved him, but confirmed that his calling had not been cancelled, that he would still be the leader of the 1st century church.