The Love of God

The love of God. Before we read the passage together, I want to read brief biography of a man that I I do not know, do not know much about other than what he did with his life. Goes along with what we're talking about this morning in reference to love. Michael Monsour enlisted in the United States Navy on 03/21/2001, attended basic training in Illinois. Upon graduation from basic training, he attended Quartermaster School, and then transferred to the Naval Air Station, Italy for a short period of time.

He entered basic underwater demolition, seal training, and graduating from class two fifty on 09/02/2004 as one of the top performers in his class. He then completed advanced seal training courses, including parachute training at basic airborne school, cold weather combat training in Kodiak, Alaska, and six months of SEAL qualification training in Coronado, California, graduating in March 2005. Following month, his rating changed from quartermaster to master at arms, and he was assigned to Delta Platoon SEAL Team three. During operation Kentucky Jumper, SEAL Team three was sent to Ramadi, Iraq, in April 2006, and assigned to train Iraqi army soldiers. As a communicator and machine gunner on patrols, Mansour carried a 100 pounds of gear, and temperatures often exceeding a 100 degrees.

He took a lead position to protect the platoon from frontal assault, and the team was frequently involved in engagement with insurgent fighters during the first five months of deployment, his team reportedly killed 84 insurgents. During an engagement in 05/09/2006, Mansoor ran into a street, while under continuous insurgent gunfire to rescue an injured comrade. Mansoor was awarded the silver star for this action, and was also awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Iraq. On September '66, Monsour's platoon engaged four insurgents in a firefight, killing one and injuring another. Anticipating further attacks, Monsour, three SEAL snipers, and Iraqi, three Iraqi army soldiers took up a rooftop position.

Civilians aiding the insurgents blocked off the streets, and a nearby mosque broadcast a message for the people to fight against the Americans and the Iraqi soldiers. Mansour was protecting other seals, two of whom were 15 feet away from him. Monsour's position made him the only seal on the rooftop with quick access to an escape route. A grenade was thrown onto the rooftop by an insurgent on the street below. The grenade hit Monsur in the chest and fell onto the floor.

Immediately, Monsur yelled, grenade, and jumped onto the grenade covering it with his body. The grenade exploded seconds later and Mansour's body absorbed most of the force of the blast. Mansour was severely wounded, and although evacuated immediately, he died thirty minutes later. Two other seals next to him at the time were injured by the explosion, but survived. Mansur died on 09/29/2006 in Ramadi, Iraq.

Was described as a quiet professional and a fun loving guy by those who knew him. He was buried at Fort Rocicrans National Cemetery in San Diego. On 03/31/2008, the United States Department of Defense confirmed that Michael Monsour would posthumously receive the Medal of Honor from the President of The United States, George Bush. Monsour's parents, Sally and George Monsour received the medal on his behalf, an April 8 ceremony at the White House held by the President. Mansour became the fourth American serviceman and second Navy SEAL, each killed in the line of duty to receive The United States highest military award during the war on terrorism.

As I said, I I don't know much about this fellow other than what I read on Wikipedia, as I was looking it up today. But, my question would be this, what would motivate a man rather than running from a grenade to jump on top of it and cover it with his body? Fear, duty, reward, or love. And I would guess that love is likely to be the motivation that would cause one to give their own life for the lives of their comrades. This man exemplified that in his death.

I don't know if he was a Christian. I did read in one place that he did have a religious faith. Not sure what that was. I hope he knew the Lord. But we want to talk this morning love, the love of God, and what it should motivate us as his beloved to do with the life that he has given to us.

Let's read this this verse up on the screen this morning. Second Corinthians five fourteen and fifteen. You can just listen as I read. For the love of Christ constraineth us. Because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead.

And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves. But unto him which died for them, and rose again. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more before we continue. Lord, we thank you for your word today. We thank you Lord for your love.

We thank you Lord for the opportunity and the privilege to serve the one who loved us so much and who continues to love us and will love us for all eternity. Who know him as savior and Lord. We thank you. Lord, today, for this wonderful opportunity to praise your name together. We pray Lord that you would be exalted and that you are as you are exalted, that you would draw all men to yourself.

That Lord, if there be one here today who has yet to receive by faith the love of God, the forgiveness of sins, and everlasting life that you have to offer. Repentance and faith in your son that today would be their day of salvation. In Jesus precious name, we do pray. Amen. Though the love of this man was great, the Bible says, no greater have love have this than a man lay down his life for his friends and this man we read about did this.

Want you to understand this morning, there is even a greater love than the gray, than the love of Michael Monsour for his CL teammates and that is the love of God. For God did not come to die for his friends. He came to die, the Bible says, for his enemies. He came to die for us when you we were yet sinners, rebels against him. That we might have the opportunity to be forgiven of those sins and to be reconciled to God and given everlasting life.

How immense is the love of God for each and everyone of us. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life but God commended his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. If you would turn your Bibles to first John chapter four, we'll be in first John quite a bit the remainder of the service today. First John chapter four, we'll look at the passage that we read to open the service this morning. Let's start back in in verse seven.

Let's read down through verse 11. Beloved, let us love one another. For love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us because the God sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him.

Here in his love, not that we love God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation or the payment for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. We want to take a few minutes this morning. Be reminded from the word of God of the love of God. Not only how much he loved us but what response should come forth from us who are those so loved by him.

How must, how should we respond today? Well, the first response is this, the love of God motivates us to love him. The Bible says in first John four nineteen, if you want to look down to verse 19, it says, we love him because he first loved us. We love him because he first loved us. It wasn't the other way around.

God didn't choose to love you because you loved him first. No, God loved you even when you were a sinner. God loved you even when you were a rebel. God loved you when you were estranged from God. God loved you when you were yes, his enemy and doing the will of your father, the devil.

God still loved you. He created you. He created you to spend eternity with him in heaven. And it is his desire. For all his creation, for all of his, all mankind, that they should have that opportunity.

The Bible says, God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance which means God desires that we all come to faith in Jesus Christ and experience the forgiveness and the eternal life that he died to give us. We love him because he first loved us. Why do children love their parents? You say, well, it's in their DNA. Well, maybe a little bit.

But children love their parents more and more in response to the parents love for them. Children who have parents that do not love them, have a hard time as understanding what love really is. We reciprocate the love that is given to us of others particularly as children, the love of our parents. Why do students do well in some classes and subjects they don't really like? Because they feel that the teacher really cares sometimes about them.

I had classes and subjects that I really didn't care for but I still enjoyed those classes because of a teacher who actually cared about me. They just didn't care about a paycheck or didn't care about getting through the material but they actually demonstrated a love for me and for their students that made you want to reciprocate and do your best. God loves us and we reflect that love back to him and others but the love does not originate in our hearts. It originates in his. Beloved, let us love one another for love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.

God is love. That's where love comes from. In Romans five five says, of God's children, it says, and hope make it not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy ghost which is given unto us. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts through whom? The holy ghost.

The holy which God has given to us. Our lives should demonstrate the love of God particularly in reciprocating that love back to him because he lives where? He lives in us and that love, that agape love, that sacrificial, selfless, unconditional love. That the world has a very difficult time understanding and our human nature has a difficult time practicing really comes from God. Really comes from him and the love of God and what he did for us should motivate us to love him more every day.

Sad to say sometimes, we have a hard time singing, oh how I love Jesus. Because our minds and our hearts are on other things and we're not thinking and we're not thankful for the love of God as we should be but as we dwell more upon his love and as we read more about his love and if we spend more time in prayer with the one who loves us, our love for him will what? Will grow. When you, some of you, most of you, but when you were teenager or in college or whenever and you started dating, you wanted to spend time with that person and as you spend time with that special person, what grew? Your love.

For them and as we spend time dwelling upon God, his word, his promises, spending time in prayer with him, guess what? So, will our love grow for him? And it should. The love of God should motivate us to love him more. Number two, the love of God should motivate us to obey him.

Look if you would in first John five one through three. First John five one through three. Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God and everyone that loveth him that begat, loveth him also, that is begotten of him. By this, we know that we love the children of God when we love God and next three words, keep his commandments. For this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and his commandments are not grievous.

His commandments are not grievous. The love of God should motivate us not only to love him but also to to obey him, to obey him. How can you say you love him when you are rebelling against him? If I tell my children, would you go take the trash out or would you clean your room or would you do this or that? And and they say, no.

Well, that's a problem. First, there are consequences for saying, no, okay? However, if they should in the middle of saying no and rebelling and refusing to do what they're told, say, I love you daddy. That wouldn't carry a whole lot of weight right at the moment. Not that I doubt that they love me but at that moment, which do they love more?

What they want to do? Or what they're being told to do by their parent? Well, obviously, what they want to do. So, they love self more than they love their parent or their instruction. It's also the same thing is true with us and God.

God says, don't do this. If we continue to do what God tells us not to do and yet we sing, oh how I love Jesus. Those things are in conflict one with another. Our love of God should motivate us to obey his commands. The Samuel said to Saul in first Samuel chapter 15.

Does the Lord delight in sacrifices and offerings as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to a what? To obey is better than what? To sacrifice. What does God love more?

What demonstrates your love for God? Sinning and then confessing it or not sinning in the first place. Well, if you sin, you should confess it and as we confess it, we're telling God, I agree with you. What I did was what? Wrong.

But isn't it better just to obey in the first place? The answer to that is yes. The love of God should motivate us as his children. The love of God for us and what he did for us on Calvary's Cross, what he does for us every day, and the promises he's made that he will never leave us nor forsake us, should never give us license to sin. Instead, it should motivate us.

To love him more and to obey him better. To be doers of the word And not to be hearers only. Adam and Eve chose to love something greater than God when they chose to eat the fruit. Off of the tree in the Garden Of Eden. What led them to that misplacement of their affections was a doubt as to God's love for them, I believe.

What did Satan say to them? He said to Eve, he said, God doesn't allow you to eat off these beautiful trees? And she said, oh no, we we can eat off the trees all except for, you know, the one. We can't eat off of that one or God says we'll die and Satan said to Eve, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, you won't die. God knows in the day you eat from that tree that you will be God's like him, knowing good and evil.

In other words, what Satan said to Eve is this, God does not love you. God does not want the best for you. God is holding back from you something that would be good for you. And Eve doubted. She doubted for a moment.

The love of God and she took of that fruit and she gave it. She ate it and she gave to Adam and he ate too. They doubted it would seem. That was seems to be part of the purpose of Satan's temptation was to get them to doubt. That God wanted the best for them.

And so, they sinned. When we disobey God, one of the issues that we're dealing with is this, we're doubting. We're doubting that God knows what's best. We're not trusting the one who gave his life for us and has given us life. We should never doubt him.

Look what he's done for you. Why do we doubt? Well, sometimes the problem is we love us. A far more than we love him. And we tempt and entice ourselves into thinking that our way is better than whose way?

God's way. So, we disobey the one who loves us. This is why the first commandment of the 10 is this, thou shalt have no other gods before me. What does that mean? Well, God says, do not divide your love and affection for me with any other so called gods.

I am to be your one and only God. That's why the greatest commandment Jesus said is thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, thy soul, and thy mind. This is the first and the what? Greatest commandment and if we do reciprocate the love of God, if we do understand and dwell upon the love that God has for us, it will motivate us to obey him more. And his commandments are not grievous.

You talk to the world out there and you mentioned the word law and usually their response is going to be what? Negative. You mention the word commandments and their response is going to be negative. Authority stands in their way. But to us who know the love of God, who have experienced the love of God through Jesus Christ, our savior, God's commandments are not grievous.

They're not negative. They're positive because we know that the commandments that God has given to us are not only for his glory but for our what? For our good. Because we know that he loves and he cares for us. And if you look at many commandments in scripture, you will see that in obeying those commandments, we not only reflect the nature and character of our God to the world around us but in obeying those commandments, we are spared from so many terrible consequences even on this Earth.

God knows what he's doing. God cares about you. His love for you should motivate you to obey him. Sec thirdly, the love of God should motivate us to serve him. We read this moment ago.

Let's read it again. Second Corinthians five fourteen, for the love of God constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all, then we're all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live on themselves but to him, unto him which died for them and rose again. In other words, if one died in your place, then you're essentially what? Dead. You would have been dead if the person hadn't died in your place, okay?

If the Michael Monsur had not jumped on top of that grenade, if he would have turned tail and run, he might have escaped. His two fellow seal teammates would likely have died. They were as good as what? They were as good as dead. But instead, he jumped on top of that grenade and he forfeited his life in order to save theirs.

Well, Jesus Christ forfeited his life in order to save what? In order to save ours. Praise God. He didn't remain in the grave. He rose again and he lives and he intercedes in behalf of all those who come to him by faith.

That we might have an advocate in heaven. Jesus Christ, the righteous. But Paul says, the love of Christ constrains, constraineth me. The word constraineth means to bind or to hold together. Paul is saying that it is Christ's love for him that Christ's love for him demonstrated on the cross of Calvary that is Christ's love that binds him in service for Christ not merely obeying but serving.

You know, there's a little bit difference in the attitude of obeying and serving. You see, obeying is simply doing what you are told. Serving is going maybe a step further and looking for opportunities in order not only do what I'm told but to do things to be helpful and assist and to please the one who is my master. And I, his servant. For if we only do those things which we are told to do, the Bible says, we are but unprofitable servants.

So, the love of God should motivate us not only to love him, to obey him, but it binds us to him. It binds our life to his life and Paul says, the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians two twenty. Paul said, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ live it where?

In me, and it's now his life and my life is bound to his life. And it is now a life of service A life of service not merely out of fear or duty or for reward but out of what? But out of love. Now, should you fear God? Yes.

He's God. You should have a fear, a healthy fear of God. Should you feel that you have duties and responsibilities to God as a child of God? Yes, you should. My children have responsibilities in my home because they're my children and it's my home.

Now, I don't expect those things, same things of your children. You have your home and your children. We are the children of who? We're the children of God. God does have responsibilities for us to fulfill.

We do have duties. And we should fulfill them. Should we also recognize and strive for rewards? We should. The bible says, lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal, but lay up treasures where?

In heaven. There are rewards in heaven waiting the faithful. And we should strive for those reward. Paul strived for those reward, those crowns as he called them. That Revelation says, we will lay at his feet for all the glory goes to Jesus for anything we accomplish as his children and his name.

All goes back to him because it were not for his death on the cross. It were not for his grace and mercy. We would have no such opportunity and no such power whatsoever. But we should strive for words. We should fulfill our duties.

We should fear God but the greatest of these is what? Is love. The greatest motivation is love. Not so much our love for God but his love for what? His love for us.

It binds us. It binds us. We love him because he first loved us and as we get to know and understand the love of God better, our love, will grow for him and that bond will only grow what? That bond will only grow stronger. As we learn to serve him.

Mark ten forty five says, for even the son of man came not to be ministered unto but to minister and to give his life a ransom for many. Why should you serve him? Well, he first came to what? To serve you. Even to die for you.

That was his love for you. He was the God of heaven but he made himself of no reputation. He took upon him the form of a servant. He was laid made in the likeness of man and being found in fashion as a man. He humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross.

That's what he did in obedience to the father and in love. For you. He served you. We should naturally be motivated by our love to serve him. Paul says in Romans twelve one, I beseech you, I plead with you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service.

I also mentioned this in Sunday school and it's one of those that Jeremy has on a quick thing on his phone because I use it probably every other week on some service but Paul says, I plead with you brethren, Christian brethren, and don't don't rush over this little phrase by the what? Mercy. By the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. It is because of the mercy of God and the love of God wherewith he loved us that he gave his life on the cross for us and that he hears our prayers every day and that he forgives our filthy, rotten sins. It is by the mercies of God and what God has done for us that we should be motivated.

It is our reasonable service. To give these bodies. Back to him. As tools to be used to bring glory to his name. And others to Christ.

His love motivates us to love him, obey him, serve him, and then finally, the love of God should motivate us to love others. This is my commandment. Jesus said, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this than a man lay down his life for his friends. That's what Jesus did for us.

He laid down his life for us. And if we love him at all, we should be willing if need be. To give up our lives and lay down our lives for the one who gave his life for us. And the love of God should motivate us not only to love him in this fashion but also to love others. Our brethren, in particular.

You say, but pastor, you don't understand. That person is really irritating. You know, they never pay attention when I'm talking. They always know everything about everything. Know it alls.

They never keep their work. They're always borrowing stuff and I can't get it back. They won't let me be. They won't leave me alone, and the list goes on and on and on. I can't get along with them.

You really think that that person that you think those things about is any worse than you? Particularly in respect to God. God loved us when we were his what? Enemies. God died for us when we were rebels against him.

The Bible says to be kind and tender hearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath what? Forgiving you. If God can forgive you, you can learn to forgive them. Amen. They may not be your favorite person.

You may not get along as best chums but you can learn to what? Forgive and love them. God says, you can because my love lives where? In your heart and because God loves us, we ought to be able to love one another. Look back if you would in first John chapter four.

First John four seven. Let's read it again. Beloved, let us what? Love one another. For love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.

He's speaking there to the redeemed, to people who are saved in Christ Jesus. For we are born of God and we know God. He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love. God says, if you don't love other people, if you're only consumed with yourself and you don't love the brethren in particular, then, the love of God doesn't dwell in you. You're deceiving yourself.

It worries me. Now, I'm not the judge and I don't see people's hearts and I just see snippets so I don't know what all goes on in their life and praise God. He's the judge and I'm not because I'd get it wrong sometimes but it concerns me. When I talk to Christians, who seem to have no desire to be in church. But why is that so important?

Well, church is the place where we worship God together but church is also a place where we love and encourage one another. Amen. The Bible says, forsake not the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is but exhort one another, encourage one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching. We need each other and it concerns me when I talk to Christians that have no concern for being with the brother. They'd rather be out on a golf course.

They'd rather be out fishing. I'd rather be out doing anything than being worshiping the Lord with other Christians. Because if a love of God is there, then there should be that love demonstrated toward other brethren. There are Christians I disagree with on many things. But I still love them.

I'm still friends with them. I still have a bond with them. We may not worship together. We may not be best buddies but there is a bond that's there in Christ Jesus and there's a love that God has given you and me in our hearts for our Christian brethren and also for the lost Who need to come to know him and become our Christian. Don't think I finished reading the passage verse 10, there herein is love not that we love God but he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation of our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we had also to love one another. God loved you and he died for you. He also loved the outside world and he also died for for them and if God so loved you and God so loves them, then shouldn't it make sense that you love them too? Shouldn't it make sense that we would be motivated to get out there and tell them? About the love of God.

To show them their need of a savior, Jesus said, I've come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance. For a person gets saved, they first have to recognize that they're a what? That they're lost, that they're a sinner, that they need to be saved. Sometimes, they don't want to hear that but if you love them, you need to what? Tell them.

It may be uncomfortable. They may reject you. They may slam the door in your face. They may call you names in front of your face or behind your back. But if you love them, you gotta tell them.

You gotta tell them what sin is. And then you've gotta tell them that there's a savior who loves them. And who made a way for sinners to be saved. If you love them, you'll tell them. The love Christ exhibited toward us should spill over and our love for others.

It is the agape love exhibited by Christ on the cross as he hung there and said, father, forgive them for they know not what they do. That will enable us to look past the faults and the actions of others. To love them, to witness to them, to encourage and pray for them, to assist and love our Christian brethren, to serve and obey and love our God with all our heart. That is what love is all about. It can involve a feeling, but it is a choice.

A choice that God made to love us and a choice that we should make reciprocating his love and serving him, obeying him, and telling others how wonderful he is. Let's pray. Dear God, thank you Lord this day for the opportunity to worship you here, to exalt you in your love, to reciprocate the love, and our song, testimony, preaching of your word, and our prayers, and our worship, Lord. As a church family that is bound together by the love of Christ, our savior. We pray Lord as we leave this place that we might think more about that this week and Lord that that love would demonstrate itself and spill over in other areas of our life with our neighbors, our friends, our family, our coworkers that we wouldn't get so aggravated with them that we would recognize that they're sinners that Christ died for.

That they're brethren. That we belong to. And Lord that we should obey and serve the Lord who's given so much for us and Lord, we pray if there's one here today that's never trusted in Jesus Christ as savior, hasn't received your love by faith, that today they would come as we give this hymn of invitation. They would by faith accept your gift of love. Repent of their sins and turn to you as the only way of salvation.

And thereby receiving the gift of everlasting life. In Jesus name, we do pray. Amen.