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[0:00] The joys we can have as we know the Lord. And we try to do little things and to be involved in His church.

[0:14] ! Late on Thursday when he said that's it and all, he finally admitted that he shouldn't do this.

[0:35] He listened to Jen and I think Charles had been talking to him. I know I had been talking to him. And finally the doctor told him, no, you shouldn't be working this weekend.

[0:48] You shouldn't do that. And Charles told me, well, I'm so sick. He said, I can't go and speak on Sunday morning. And I guess that left me.

[1:01] So I don't know whether I was the last choice, but I'm the only one you've got this morning. So here we go. I woke up in the middle of the night a couple nights ago.

[1:15] And it couldn't have been more than that because I haven't known more than that that I had to do this. But with a song just in my head. And it was the middle of the night.

[1:29] And I didn't have a pen and paper. And I went back to sleep. And I woke up in the morning. I knew that I'd had a song during the night. But I still can't remember what it was. Okay.

[1:39] But it gave me the idea that what I should do this morning. In my reading lately in the Bible, I've been in 1 Corinthians.

[1:50] And if any of you know 1 Corinthians, if we get to the 13th chapter, it's something just after I came to know the Lord that a friend pointed out to me.

[2:01] They called it the love chapter. Okay. And when we read it, as I will here in a second, I think you'll agree with that analogy.

[2:14] And now I will show you the most excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

[2:33] If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

[2:47] If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

[2:59] Love is patient. Love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast. It is not proud. It is not rude.

[3:10] It is not self-seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.

[3:26] It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

[3:40] But where there are prophecies, they will cease. Where there are tongues, they will be stilled. Where there is knowledge, it will pass away.

[3:52] For we know it, for we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

[4:03] When I was a child, I talked like a child. I thought like a child. I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.

[4:17] Now we see, but a poor reflection, as in a mirror. Then we shall see, face to face. Now I know in part.

[4:28] Then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now, these three remain.

[4:40] Faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these, is love. When I read that, and I have many times, it reminds me so much, of responsibilities that I should have.

[5:03] In a loving way. To be able to share in a loving way, and to treat people, properly. The Bible, the whole book, to me, is a love book.

[5:20] It is filled, with love. God's love. For us. Okay.

[5:32] I could ask you a question, and I don't know whether I, want an answer, but think about this. How are you going to get into heaven? Is it because you love Jesus?

[5:45] Is that how you're going to get into heaven? Or is it because Jesus already loved you? And I think it's got to be both.

[5:57] Okay. We can't just, we can't do it alone. Okay. There's no way we can get into heaven, without Jesus, without God leading the way.

[6:10] And God sharing, his love. I was happy, the last song that Cindy played this morning. Okay.

[6:20] How deep the Father's love, for us. How vast, beyond all measure. Okay. Love. Never fails.

[6:32] God's love. The verses I just read, already stated that for us. Okay. Love is there. Always.

[6:46] God's love never, ever, goes away. But we have to remember, as we read his word, as we sit in a pew, as we go about, our day-to-day lives.

[7:03] Is that we, have a responsibility, to share God's life, with everybody that we know. Okay. I mean, think of yourselves.

[7:14] Okay. if somebody, hadn't shared, God with you, where would you be today? Okay. It is God reaching out to us, with his love, that allows us, to love others.

[7:33] It, it actually, tells us, it's a responsibility, we have, to share. Okay.

[7:45] There goes my length. I knew it was going to happen. I've never worn, one of these before. Now I've got to remember, how to put it back on. I'll try this.

[7:59] Where did I get it? Is that still working? Yes. Okay. Not that that would, distract me, but now I'll have to find, where I wanted to go.

[8:10] I have, such a long list, of things that I did here. There's my notes, for this morning. Okay.

[8:23] I, almost thought, that I was unprepared, to come and speak, this morning. But you know, I love, Jesus.

[8:39] I love the Lord. He loves me. And to be, have the opportunity, to talk about that love. How can you be unprepared? If it's here, it's already there.

[8:53] I just have to, get it out. I think of many things. I asked, I asked Colleen, to refresh my mind, about a story, she told me, years ago.

[9:07] And, a couple people in here, will probably remember, the name, Jane Goodman. Did anybody know Jane? Okay. Jane was from Girvin. Her husband, Ernie, ran a little garage there, farm, did some things.

[9:21] A character. So was Jane. But Jane loved the Lord, and she loved teaching Sunday school. Okay. The little kids, she'd bring them in, and why not.

[9:32] And there was a favorite song, she had. It was, Jesus Loves Me. And I'm sure, we all know that song.

[9:42] We've all heard it, many times. Okay. Well, the kids in the class, year after year, listened to Jane. Jesus Loves Me.

[9:53] Jesus Loves Me. And they sang the song, and Jane always led them. Jesus Loves Me. This I know. Okay. And the kids all got to know the song. What was the name of the song?

[10:05] Jesus Loves Jane. Because that's the way she sang, she said, she poured it, Jesus Loves Me. So, the kids, actually, would say, Jesus Loves Jane.

[10:20] Okay. So when you sing a song like, Jesus Loves, put your own name in it. Jesus Loves Brian. This I know. Jesus Loves Memphis.

[10:37] Jesus Loves Judy. Put it in your hearts. Know the love of God. It's there. It's there for us.

[10:50] That's how deep the Father's love for us. Okay. He sent his son. His son died. Okay. For us.

[11:04] God's love was there. He died. To save a wretch. Like me. Or like you. Okay. To give us eternal life.

[11:16] Wow. Wow. I wanted to. Four different verses came to mind as I was thinking about talking about love. One is in Matthew.

[11:28] Matthew 22 verse 39. I just have to find 39. Okay.

[11:39] It's just before that. Okay. I'm going to start at 37. It says love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind.

[11:51] This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself.

[12:05] So it reminds us that what what are we to do? Love. We got to love the Lord. The first four commandments deal with love. The love of God.

[12:16] Loving our parents. Respecting them. Love. Okay. The two greatest commandments. The first one love the Lord your God. And the second one just like it.

[12:29] Love your neighbor as yourself. It just tells me that love is that important.

[12:44] The next one I don't have to look up. Okay. I've got it marked here. It's from the book of John. It's in chapter 3. Anybody figured it out yet?

[12:56] And how about verse 16 and 17? I like to throw 17 into it as well. But John 3.16 starts out verse 16.

[13:12] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

[13:24] For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through his son. He loved us that much that he would send his only son.

[13:43] I have an only son. Some of you do too. But even if it's not your only son if you have a son can you imagine intentionally sending your son to die for somebody else?

[13:55] I can imagine it but boy it it almost horrifies me to think of that to to let to send myself and have me die for somebody that would be alright but not my son.

[14:15] The love God must have for us that he would allow that to happen. Okay this is going to run away on me again. The how about Romans chapter 5 verse 8 but God demonstrates his own love for us in this while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

[14:51] Christ died for me just over 2,000 years ago long before I was ever here but he knew that I was coming and he knew that I needed saving.

[15:10] I didn't know I didn't know until I was going to say a couple years ago but when I start thinking it's more than a couple it's almost half my life ago when I realized how much he loved me and what he wanted me to do.

[15:35] And the last verse I'm going to go to is in Mark. It is one of my favorite verses in the Bible I have used it for years when Colleen and I were in camp ministry we spoke all over western Canada really at different churches and what not but this is a verse that I used an awful lot then and it is Mark chapter 10 starting at verse 13 and it says people were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them but the disciples rebuked them when Jesus saw this he was indignant he said to them let the little children come to me and do not hinder them for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these I tell you the truth anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it now this next little verse touches my heart all the time it's and he says and he took the children in his arms and put his hands on them and blessed them he took the children in his arms he gave them a hug okay can you imagine that

[17:02] I can I can almost feel it okay Jesus giving me a hug okay a hug is one of the greatest expressions of love that I know okay it can it can reach really right to my soul okay I give you a hug when I meet you and I greet you and it's because I love you not I try to love you as much as Christ but that'll never work I'll never get that good at it but it's the way God wants it he wants us to know that yes we have to love him but the only way we can do that is because he first loved us and he loved us so much he gave his son for us

[18:07] Jesus loves me can you put your own name in it Jesus loves less and Gary and Simon put our own names on it okay let's take hold of the love that God wants us to have and then let's remember to share that love okay be a glowing example okay they say you don't light a light and put it under a bowl be the light shine brightly let everybody know okay how are you today I'm better than I deserve how come because

[19:10]  Jesus loves me okay he died for me but it's his love for me that makes it all possible remember I'm going to give you homework I want you guys to think this week about the love that God really has for you okay and do you reciprocate that love all the time I don't I try to but let's remember look at there are so many stories the Bible like it says is full of it you can go back to Moses I think God sort of showed his love for the Israelites as he led them out of Egypt and protected the Red Sea everything that happened God's love for us to save us let's remember that love as we go through this week okay thank you