God Loved Us First

This Is Love
Written By Tommy Smith

Sermon Notes

Not that we loved God!
He who has been forgiven much loves much!

KEY PASSAGE

1 John 4:10-11 ESV… In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

WORDS MATTER!

  • The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.

  • He has the gold, gets to make the rules!

  • Those that define words, will also rule the world!

  • One word we better have well defined is, “LOVE”

NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD!

  • “Not that we loved God” means…. God loved us, despite us!

  • It’s only when we fully appreciate this statement, that we will fully appreciate God’s love for us!

NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD… THE PRODIGAL SON

  • The parable of the prodigal shows how little we loved God… Luke 15:11-13

  • The Bible makes it clear we have all turned to our own way… Isa. 53:6; Romans 3:10-12

  • Like the prodigal son, we wanted to fulfill the passions of our flesh… Eph 2:1-3

  • As fallen sinners, the only “god” we truly loved was the “god of self”.

NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD… HOSEA’S ADULTEROUS WIFE

  • Hosea was called to marry an adulterous wife… Hosea 1:2-3

  • Israel regularly acted unfaithfully toward God.

  • Friendship with the world is spiritually adultery… and ultimately hatred toward God… James 4:4

  • John Piper once said… “The most dangerous thing in the world is the sin of self reliance and the stupor of worldliness.”

NOT THAT WE LOVED GOD… HOSTILE ENEMIES OF GOD

  • In our fallen state we were literally enemies of God… Romans 5:10

  • As enemies, we are hostile to God… Col. 1:21

  • In our fallenness, we were people who hated God.

  • Dr. John MacArthur said it this way… “Original sin… means that people by nature are hostile to God, utterly unable to obey God out of pure motives or from a pure heart, and therefore unable to do anything that truly pleases God (Romans 8:7-8). All Adam’s offspring are born naturally depraved and with a bend toward sin and rebellion.”

HE WHO HAS BEEN FORGIVEN MUCH, LOVES MUCH

  • Those that truly know the debt God has canceled will respond accordingly.. Luke 7:36-47

  • As believers, we should be people of extravagant worship and praise… Ps. 145:1-3; 146:1-2; 150:1-2

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  • Why is the fallen human condition worse that most people realize?

  • Why do you think the Bible describes our fallen condition so graphically?

  • When did God’s mercy begin to manifest itself in your life?

  • Ask God to help you appreciate how great a debt he has forgiven you!

Tommy Smith
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