Well, good evening, folks. It is wonderful to see you as we dive into this very great but massive topic together.
We live in a world that is obsessed with love.
Wet, wet, wet sang, love is all around.
The Bee Gees sang, how deep is your love.
Whitney Houston sang, I will always love you.
And Meat Loaf said, I will do anything for love, but I won't do that.
Our world is obsessed with love.
The songs that we listen to, the conversations we have, the movies we watch.
Love is a big theme. It's something that we chase after and it is something that we want.
But love is also something that is massively misunderstood.
See, people can think of love as a fuzzy feeling that is there one second, but gone the next.
We use the words so flippantly that it seems to have lost all meaning.
We say things like, I love burgers.
I love that jacket on you.
I love that color or that shade of blue.
We say we love our friends when we put down the phone.
We say we love our spouses and we say we love God.
The way we use the word and how often we use it shows that we don't really understand what love is.
We can't properly know what love is until we know God.
God is the one who needs to inform our understanding of love, not the culture around us.
Because when we let our culture define love and define God's love, we might be tempted to think that we need to earn God's love.
Or that it's dependent on our devotion to him.
The truth is that God's love for his people never changes.
It is a constant because God never changes.
He is constant.
Now this evening we have the impossible task of tackling two massive attributes of God in one night.
We're going to think about how God is the very definition of love and how he is faithful.
But why take on this mammoth task of doing both of those attributes of God together?
Well because God's immense love cannot be separated from his unwavering faithfulness.
And because God's unwavering faithfulness is a perfect extension, an outward expression of his immense love.
So let's look at these two truths together and be blown away by how awesome our God is.
The first thing I want us to see is that God's love is immense and unchanging.
So contrary to popular belief that love is a fuzzy feeling, it's an emotion, that's just not true.
Love isn't determined by the size of gift you get on Valentine's Day.
The number of friends you have on social media.
Or by the amount of validation and compliments you get in any given day.
None of those things are bad.
But they are nothing compared to real love.
Love is only properly understood in terms of God.
Because God is love.
So here's how the Bible defines love in 1 Corinthians 13.
Love is patient.
Love is kind.
Love does not envy.
It does not boast.
It is not proud.
It does not dishonor others.
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.
It always protects.
Always trusts.
Always hopes.
Always perseveres.
Love never fails.
There is no way.
Any of us here tonight could live up to that standard of love.
just take that last part love never fails
we won't have to think hard
or long for us to remember times where we have failed loved ones
our attempts to love fail
all the time
but the love of God never fails
we could never
really love someone in this way as 1 Corinthians 13 says because
it's impossible that's the whole point because when we read this
list we shouldn't think of our own love but it should point us to the love of
God
1 Corinthians 13 is God's own description of love
he is the only one who can properly define what love is because
as was read at the beginning of this service John 1 John 4 8
tells us that God is himself love
but looking at those descriptions
in 1 Corinthians
of what love is
it is easy to see how the father fulfills them
isn't it
see the whole of creation is a product of the perfect love of God
God's love
is seen in him creating and sustaining the world
God's love is seen in the fact that he
has continued since sin entered the world
to call a sinful creation
back into a right relationship with him
not because he needs us
because he wants us
love means wanting the best for the other person
God's love this world so much that he went out of his way
to express that love
to see God's love we could open any part of the Bible and see it clearly
but I'm just going to focus in on the nation of Israel to help us grasp just how deep God's love is for his people
so the nation of Israel were a people who constantly rebelled against God
from the very beginning God made them his people and yet every single turn they rebelled against him
how did God respond
out of deep love
for them he sent prophets to them over and over again to call them back into a relationship with him
God put them first
think back to Egypt
the nation of Israel in the beginning of Exodus
crying out to God in their slavery and misery
working under the cracking whip of oppressors
abused and mistreated
they cry out to God
and how does he respond
not as a distant God who doesn't care
or who is far removed from their suffering
Exodus 3 verse 7
God reveals himself to Moses and says
I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt
I have heard them crying out
because of their slave drivers
and I am concerned about their suffering
listen to that language
I have seen
I have heard
and I am concerned
does that sound like the words of an apathetic distant God
no
it sounds like a God who is invested in his people
who wants their best
a God who loves them
and so God intervenes in a mighty act
and delivered them out of Egypt
out of slavery and into freedom
and yet they still doubt
they still question his love
they were miraculously delivered by God out of Egypt
and still on the border to the promised land
they doubt and rebel against God again
and so God gives them over to the consequences of their sin
and they wander in the wilderness
and still
out of his immense and unchanging love
God provides for this rebellious people in the wilderness
I remember they've been
walking in the desert
the middle of nowhere
Sabino and I spent a night in the desert
in the Middle East a few years ago
and there is
nothing
no water
no food
just barren wasteland
for miles
and miles
and yet out of
his great love
God provides
some kind of bread
for his people to eat
called manna
and he was with them
that whole time
but look at their response
in Numbers 11
verse 4
again the Israelites started wailing
and said
if only we had meat to eat
we remember the fish we ate in Egypt
at no cost
also the cucumbers
melons
leeks
onions
and garlic
but now
we have lost our appetite
we never see anything
but this manna
they think that it was better
under slave masters
than being
with a God who loves them
and what brought about
this kind of thinking
well
basically it was a desire
for fish and chips
they remembered cucumbers
and salads
they seemed to think
that they were sipping
watermelon cocktails
on the bank of the river Nile
instead of the reality
of forced labour
that they were under
now I'm all for
leek and potato soup
I love copious amounts
of garlic and onion
but it isn't enough
for me to choose
a life
of slavery
and yet throughout
the whole Old Testament
God repeatedly
calls his rebellious people
back into a relationship
with him
but every time
they rebel
they reject
and they refuse
to follow him
if I was the recipient
of such behaviour
I would walk away
I'm human
so out of anger
I would refuse
to care for a people
who refuse to return
such immense love
put yourself
in God's shoes
have you ever tried
to love someone
who keeps hurting you
who keeps rejecting you
it is draining
it is tiring
and it's not something
we would keep up
for very long
but that is the treatment
that God has been getting
from the nation of Israel
from the very beginning
and yet God moves
towards them
and every time
he does that
they give him
the cold shoulder
if any of us
were in God's shoes
we would probably
have walked away
and abandoned them
years ago
thankfully God
is more gracious
than we are
because he constantly
goes towards
his people
even when they
reject him
he calls them
back to follow him
because he knows
that that is
what is best for them
that is true
unfaltering
immense
unchanging
love
so if we really
want to understand
love
we must look
to God
because he is
the very definition
of love
and the topic
of God's love
is much much
bigger than we have
space for tonight
but the main thing
to remember
is that God's love
is immense
and
it is personified
in Jesus Christ
John 3
16
says this
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
so the subject
of God's love
is this world
God didn't wait
for a world
to love him
first
instead
he sent his son
into the world
that was still
in sin
and rebellion
against him
Jesus is the
expression
and gift
of God's love
God didn't just
feel sorry
for a rebellious
world
and was incapable
to do anything
about it
he is all
powerful
and he sent
his son
to express
his immense
love to us
a wayward
people
and the recipients
of God's love
are the
whoever believes
see God loves
this world
but they only
see the fullness
of that love
when they believe
in Christ
and only then
are they welcomed
back into that
loving relationship
with a God
who wants
to be with
them
that was the
life we were
created to live
and what is the
result of God's
love
well it is that
whoever believes
in him shall
not perish
but have
eternal life
Jesus is the
ultimate expression
of God's love
to this world
if we want to
know how much
God loves
the world
look at how
Jesus spent
time with the
outsider
look at how
he cared for
people
how he mourned
at the effects
of sin
how he was
grieved at
the pains of
others and
ultimately how
he was nailed
to a cross
even though he
was innocent
so that we
sinful people
could be back
in a right
relationship with
God and know
his love in
all of its
fullness
and yet don't
you feel like
Israel every
single day
I know I do
we so easily
fall into
sin we're so
easily dragged
back into
that life
and we
romanticize
the things
that used
to bring us
pleasure
and we forget
the torment
that they brought
us and how
they ensnared
us in our
sin
and in those
moments the
devil creeps
into our minds
and says that
we're beyond
God's love
because Satan
knows how to
trip us up
but he is
the father
of lies
whatever Satan
is telling you
this evening
do not trust
it
he will only
sow darkness
and deception
but God
brings light
and truth
the Bible
makes it
abundantly
clear that
God loves
his people
and that
includes
you
regardless
of what
you've done
regardless
of what
you're struggling
with this
evening
you are not
alone
but God
is with
you
and he
loves you
the promise
of God's
immense and
unchanging
love
is that it
never goes
away
but because
we're so
influenced by
the culture
around us
we think
that God's
love is
like a
light switch
that is
turned off
the minute
we sin
that is
not true
God never
leaves his
people
God's love
for his
people is
not determined
by their
actions
by their
wins
or their
failures
or by
their
religious
acts
friends if
you're here
tonight and
you are a
Christian you
need to
know that
God loves
you so
much that
Jesus went
to the cross
for you
that doesn't
mean you have
a license to
sin but it
should bring
about a
change in
our life
because as
we are
confronted with
this immense
and unchanging
love of God
the only
right response
is to love
him back
to worship
him to be
in awe of
him and to
want to
follow him
with all
of our
lives
see the
topic of
God's love
shouldn't only
fill our
minds but it
should change
our hearts
it should
challenge our
thinking it
should impact
our lives
the immense
and unchanging
love of God
should blow our
minds because
as Romans 5
8 says
God demonstrates
his love
his own love
for us in
this while we
were still
sinners Christ
died for us
so God didn't
wait till you
were perfect
God didn't say
get your life
sorted and then
come to me
God made the
first move
God promised
from the very
beginning of the
Bible that he
would make it
possible for a
rebellious people
like us to be
made right with
him and that
truth should
humble us
every single
day because
the living God
the one who
flung the stars
into space the
almighty and
all powerful
one saw fit to
take sinners like
ours and call us
family
the topic of
God's love is
much much bigger
than we have
space for tonight
but the main
thing to remember
is that God's
love is immense
and that it is
personified in
Christ and I
know it's cheesy
but I'm sure we've
all sat in kids
talks when the
kids are asked
how much does
God love his
people they
stretch out their
arms as far as
they can and
they say this
much it's cheesy
but it's true
God's love is
cross-shaped
Jesus hanging
on a tree
pierced and
broken
beaten and
mocked
bruised and
bleeding
every drop of
blood
falling to the
ground
is a physical
demonstration of
God's love for
you
every moment of
pain as he hung
on that cross
is a testimony to
the fact that you
are loved with a
never lasting love
that will never
fail
that will never
run out
Jesus is love
personified
showing us the
immense love of
God by dying in
our place and
that should lead us
to worship God
all the more
the second thing I
want us to think
about this evening
is God's
unwavering
never ending
faithfulness
now the word
the NIV often
translates as
faithfulness is the
Hebrew word
hesed
it can also be
translated as
steadfast love
or the ESV
often translated as
God's loving
kindness
and the key idea
that it communicates
is that God is
loyal within
the bounds of a
relationship
it means that God
is faithful
that he is true
that he is committed
that he is invested
in and loving
towards his
people
faithful
it means that he
is totally
trustworthy
and perfectly
faithful
and is bound up
with his character
because being
completely trustworthy
and faithful
means that God
cannot lie
there is no
falsehood in him
how much of a
contrast is God's
faithfulness
with our
flakiness
forgiveness
how many times
have you promised
to do something
or you've been
the recipient of
a promise
and you've based
your plans on
it
maybe you've been
looking forward to
it rearranged your
week because of it
and yet you are left
with the sting of
disappointment
you're left deflated
as the person isn't
faithful to their
promise and it
hurts
that will never
happen with God
whatever he promises
to do in the Bible
he will do it
it may not be in the
way we think
it may not be in the
timescale we have in
mind or we want
but he is perfectly
faithful and it will
happen
looking throughout the
Bible this truth is
abundantly clear
time and time again
God makes amazing
promises to his
people and he will
always come through
on them even when
they are rebellious
and not deserving of
that loving kindness
and faithfulness
one of the main
reasons one of the
main ways sorry we
see God's faithfulness
in action is in
Jesus
see right at the
beginning of the
world when sin
entered the world
God promised to
send the serpent
crusher
Genesis 3 15
and from that moment
on throughout the
whole book of
Genesis and the
whole Old
Testament people
were looking for
signs of this
Messiah because they
know that God is
faithful
so Isaiah 25
verse 1 says this
oh Lord you are my
God I will exalt you
and praise your name
for in perfect
faithfulness you have
done wonderful
things things planned
long ago
God's faithfulness to
the nation of Israel
was one of the reasons
they praised him
because they knew
that even if they
were not true to the
promises they had
made with God
he would be
and that faithfulness
meant that God
would not abandon
his people
no matter how many
times they rebelled
against him
Deuteronomy 4 31
says this
for the Lord your God
is a merciful God
he will not abandon
or destroy you
or forget the covenant
with your ancestors
which he confirms to
them by oath
now if you look
through Israel's
history God had
every right to
destroy them
for their lack of
faith
for their rebellion
for their constant
questioning of him
and yet because of
his unwavering
never ending
faithfulness to his
covenant promises
he didn't
no matter how
much Israel
pushed God
away and
rejected him
he always
called them
back because
he loved them
and he had
made promises
to be with them
and to be their
God
ultimately we see
God's faithfulness
personified
in Jesus
it is through
Jesus and his
death on the cross
that God
is being faithful
to his promise
to forgive
wickedness
rebellion
sin
that gives us
confidence
because when we
turn to God's
word and we hear
what God the
Father says
when we hear
what God the
Son says
Jesus
when we hear
what the authors
of the books
of the Bible
say as they are
inspired through
God the Holy
Spirit
we know
that it is all
based on the
faithfulness of
God that does
not waver
and that does
not falter
we could spend
weeks looking
at different
examples throughout
the Bible that
point us to
God's faithfulness
but the main
thing to remember
is that God's
faithfulness is a
guarantee
it is unwavering
it is perfect
and it is
personified
in Jesus
see God
isn't only
faithful to
Israel time
and time
again
so often
we reject
God
we rebel
against him
we sin
we live
contrary to
God's word
we do things
wrong and we
mess up
and it is
God's faithfulness
that calls us
back to him
this topic
of God's
faithfulness
shouldn't only
fill our minds
but it should
change our
hearts
challenge our
thinking and
impact our
lives
God being
faithful means
that we can
trust his
promises
we can
trust that
he is
God
we can
trust that
what he has
revealed in
the Bible is
absolutely true
and trustworthy
and we can
base our
lives on
it
it also
means that
you can have
confidence
that whatever
life throws
your way
sufferings
and trials
hardships
and struggles
you can know
that God is
with you
through it
even if it
doesn't feel
like it
but he
is there
he will
never
leave
and he
will never
abandon
you
that is
his
promise
God's
faithfulness
means that
our salvation
through Jesus
is complete
it means that
for the
Christian
the eternal
future in the
presence of
Jesus is a
guarantee
that we should
eagerly anticipate
and look forward
to
and the
flip side
of that
is that
God's
faithfulness
means that
he will
also judge
those who
do not
repent and
put their
trust in
Jesus
God is
faithful to
his promises
both to
save
and to
judge
that should
impact
what we
do with
God the
knowledge of
who God
is
God's
unwavering
never ending
faithfulness
is the
perfect
expression
and extension
of God's
immense
love
no greater
love has
this world
ever known
than the
love of
God for
his people
and so
whatever
Satan is
telling
you
God's
faithfulness
isn't based
on your
feelings
or on
his lies
God's
faithfulness
is based
on his
character
and who
he is
the
faithfulness
and love
of God
that you
read about
in the
passages
of the
Bible
the exact
same way
he thinks
about you
today
we live
in a
world
that
focuses
and
talk
so
much
on
about
love
and yet
a world
that
misunderstands
love
so much
wet wet wet
sang love
love is
all around
the Bee Gees
sang how
deep is
your love
Whitney
Houston
sang I
will always
love you
and Meatloaf
sang I'll
do anything
for love
but I
won't do
that
but here
is what
God says
about love
God
demonstrates
his own
love for
us
in this
while we
were still
sinners
Christ
died for
us
the love
and faithfulness
of God
is a vast
topic that
we will
never be able
to fully
comprehend
or understand
but it is
important
I'll end
with just a
little story
Carl Barth
one of the
20th century's
most well
known and
respected
theologians
was asked
by a student
during a
Q&A session
what the
most important
doctrine was
and the
greatest thing
he'd learned
after so many
years of
studying the
Bible
that was his
job
it's what he
did full
time
and after a
short pause
he looked at
the student
and said
Jesus loves
me
this I
know
because the
Bible tells
me so
friends God's
love and
faithfulness are
fundamental
to our
understanding
of who God
is and they
are great
causes for
us to praise
him with all
of our lives
let's pray
together
heavenly father
we thank you
so much
for your
love
for the
love that
is immense
for the
love that
is unwavering
for a love
that meant
you sent
your son
into this
world
to die
for sinners
like us
so that we
could go from
darkness to
light
from death
to life
and for
your
faithfulness
that we
can know
you will
never leave
us
heavenly
father we
ask you
to forgive
us for the
times that we
think about
these things
so glibly
would you
help our
minds be
transformed
would you
help our
hearts to
be softened
and would you
help our
hands to get
to the work
you have
called us
to do
in Jesus
name we
pray
amen