The Love of God

[0:00] The love of God. Communion. Communion. It marks the love feast. In Jude 1 verse 12 it talks about a love feast. And that's what communion is. It's a meal time of love. When we meditate on God's love and we consider His love at the cross. In Romans 8 verse 35 it says,!

[0:30] From the love of Christ. Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword. God's love. God's love. That's the theme just for this time together. God's love. It's unstoppable love. Unstoppable love. Verse 35.

[0:50] Who shall separate us? Who can stop God's love? No one can. Nothing can. Let the devil throw it all at us. Nothing. No one. Not even the devil himself can stop God's love shining through.

[1:05] So let the devil send pressure and trouble. Distress and danger. It's not going to stop the love of God to you. God's love is unstoppable. It's relentless. God's love is strong enough to come through for you.

[1:20] God's love is unstoppable. God's love is unstoppable. God's love is unstoppable for you. God's love is unstoppable for you. God will hold you close.

[1:41] God's love is unstoppable. God's love is unstoppable. God's love is unstoppable.

[2:11] God's love is unstoppable.

[2:41] Before we could even say anything. Before we could even say anything. One of them burst out. Thank you for coming. I wanted to tell you the day I was arrested in my prison cell. The Lord Jesus came into my heart. He came in and forgave me all my sin.

[2:56] Heaven is now open. Heaven is now open. Nothing between me and my God. Please tell my wife and my children that I'm going to be with Jesus. Ask them to accept him into their lives also.

[3:09] And the other two men.

[3:39] The faces of the faces of the faces of the faces of the faces of the men who will be shot. And the three faced the firing squad standing close together. They looked towards the people and began to wave handcuffs and all and the people waved back. And then the shots were fired. And the three were with Jesus.

[3:57] We stood in front of them. In front of them. Hearts throbbing with joy mingled with tears. It was a day never to be forgotten. Though dead the men spoke loudly that day in Kigizi district Uganda and beyond. So that there was an upsurge of life in Christ which challenges death and defeats it.

[4:18] And the next Sunday I was preaching to a huge crowd in the hometown of one of the executed men. Again feeling the feel of death over the congregation. But when I gave them the testimony of their man and how he died.

[4:32] What a great praise it was to Jesus Christ. And many turned to the Lord there. God's love is unstoppable. Love unstoppable.

[4:43] Not even death can separate us from it. Unstoppable. Secondly, it's unbeatable love. Unbeatable. Romans 8.37. It goes on to say, Nothing, nothing, nothing can beat the love of God.

[5:02] God's love will conquer in every situation. You can have victory because of the cross today. At the highest possible level.

[5:14] And it says, In all these things. In these things. In all these things. He helps us in the mess. To still bless his name.

[5:25] He helps us in the test. To learn to rest in him. He helps us in the crisis. To find the Christ. He is in us.

[5:36] For us. With us. And through Christ we have all conquering. Complete and utter victory. Through his love. There's absolute victory for you today.

[5:49] You may not always feel that. But whatever you face. There is victory. Over every temptation. Or sin. Or guilt. Or the troubles of life. Over every setback and trouble.

[6:00] And struggle you face. In all these things. We are more than conquerors. Let's say that together. More than conquerors. More than conquerors.

[6:10] In all these things. You are a winner. The hosts of hell are vanquished. Because of Calvary. The devil is a loser. And in Christ we have a tremendous victory.

[6:21] In 1 Corinthians 15. We read. As often as read at funerals. O death. Where is thy sting? O grave. Where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin. And the strength of sin is the law.

[6:32] But thanks be to God. Which giveth us the victory. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. In all these things. We are more than conquerors. Through him that loved us.

[6:43] Friends. The devil was defeated at Calvary. I like to think of the devil. As sometimes I look at my little dog Rusty. When he knows he's been naughty. When he knows he's been naughty.

[6:55] And certainly the devil's been naughty. Hasn't he? And the devil is like a whimpering dog. With his tail between his legs. Because he's a conquered. Defeated foe.

[7:06] He's defeated this morning. And you are more than a conqueror. Through God's love. Christ has triumphed over death. Hell. Sin. The sting of death has taken.

[7:17] Victory even over the grave. It's unstoppable. Unstoppable love. Who shall separate us from it? Nothing can. But God commendeth his love. We read in Romans 5.8.

[7:29] But God commendeth his love. Towards us. In that while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us. Christ can forgive and cleanse the vilest stain.

[7:41] The greatest of our sin. He's greater than all our sin. His love is big enough to forgive that which is the deepest and darkest shame.

[7:54] And he extends this most gracious love to the most sinful. His love is wide enough to include you today. It's unstoppable. Unbeatable.

[8:05] In all these things we are more than conquerors. Through him that loved us. Unstoppable love. Unbeatable love. Thirdly. Unlimited love. For I am persuaded.

[8:16] Paul says. That neither death. Nor life. Nor angels. Nor principalities. Nor powers. Nor things present. Nor things to come. Nor height. Nor depth. Nor any other creature.

[8:26] Shall be able to separate us from the love of God. Which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Unlimited. Amen. God's love is unfailing. Unlimited.

[8:37] And we can be persuaded. Absolutely confident. And assured of his sure love. There's a certainty. A surety. A confidence. A perfect peace. A precious promise.

[8:49] His love reaches out. To the furthest. To the heights. To the depths. To the uttermost. To the guttermost. No person. No power. Is outside the limit.

[9:00] Of the power of his love. No thing now. Or later. Can hinder you. From the love of God. In Christ Jesus our Lord. He is unlimited. His love is unlimited.

[9:10] Death cannot limit it. Angels cannot limit it. Principalities or powers. Nor things present. Nor things to come. Nor any other creature. Can limit the love of God.

[9:22] And separate us from it. I'll call the ushers now. We'll hold and wait for one another. And just as we do that. There's a story told about a theologian.

[9:35] I'm not sure if exactly his standing. But the man Carl Bath was a theologian. And one day he was invited to a theological seminary. A place where people got together and studied and learnt theology.

[9:48] And there was a group of ministers and dignitaries. Theologians were there that day. As Carl Bath talked with them and gave them some presentation.

[10:01] Some lecture. And then there was a discussion time. And someone asked this renowned theologian. What is the most profound thought that you know, Dr. Bath?

[10:12] What is the most profound thought that you know, Mr. Theologian? And this is what he said. He said, Jesus loves me. This I know.

[10:22] For the Bible tells me so. That was how he captured the most profound thought that he could think up theologically. And friends, that is the truth today.

[10:34] Jesus loves me. This I know. For the Bible tells me so. If there's one thing we need to know. One thing we need to know is his love. His wonderful love. Precious love.

[10:45] Shown at the cross. The height. The length. The breadth. The depth. The most precious joy. The greatest truth. And we can have total confidence and faith today that God will do what he says he will do.

[10:58] We can trust what he says here. And we know that his hand holds us through. And nothing can separate. His presence goes with us. And it's all because of Calvary today.

[11:09] And to this table we come to remind our hearts of his love. The Bible is full of symbols. Flags today have a symbolism. They're rich in symbolism. And likewise too.

[11:20] The bread is like a symbol today. Like a flag. Like a picture. A snapshot of the body. Tremendous symbolic significance. And then we see the cup.

[11:33] The fruit of the vine. It sustains and refreshes. It speaks of his blood. Poured out. And most of all these things remind us of God's love. It's a love feast as we gather as a family around the table of the Lord.

[11:49] And it prompts us to consider the great grace. The great love. That reaches down into the prison house of despair. Into the prison house of sin. And shame.

[12:00] And unshackles us. And liberates us. God's love is what we're here today to think of. Of the salvation he brings to the unworthy. To those lost in shame and in guilt.

[12:13] We're going to take the bread. As we think of the body. He says this is my body. Broken for you. Of course we know this is a picture of that. A symbol like a flag.

[12:24] Like a photograph. That picture. That time. That moment. Where he took the bread. And break it. He blessed it. And gave it. I'll ask Roy to pray as we think of the body of Christ.

[12:36] A nice loud voice Roy. As we think of the body of Christ. A nice loud voice.