Pandemic Preaching - Real Joy Part 5
So this is the 5th of this series, the 1st one being about joy, 2nd about peace, 3rd hope, 4th faith, and now it's about love.
We can't really talk about love without talking about joy, peace, hope and faith. They are all interconnected. Joy being the centerpiece of this discussion.
And all these five (joy, peace, hope, faith and love) we find in one place, in one man, the person of Jesus Christ.
Christmas
This wiil look like an early message on Christmas. But that's just what this is about. Love came down that first Christmas day, over 2,000 years ago. Not unannounced but prophesied, written and talked about and waited for, for over a thousand years.
Wise men from the East travelled from afar to witness the birth of the prophecy.
An old man, named Simeon who waited a long time for the prophecy to be fulfilled, cradled the baby with joy and said he can die contented with being able to see with his own eyes the promise fulfilled.
And many thought they would know who this person is when He arrives. All of them anticipating the day and eagerly awaiting His arrival.
Gift of Love
But quite the contrary, when our Heavenly Father gave us His gift of love, people failed to recognize Him.
Instead, they mocked Him, despised Him, slandered Him, put Him in chains and sent Him to the cross.
Our Heavenly Father's love allowed His Son to die for everyone and anyone, including the very ones who mocked, ridiculed, tortured and have Him killed.
Undying Love
But real love does not die. Love came out of the grave and bringing with Him freedom, everlasting life, joy, peace, hope and the faith to believe and experience all these.
If you have love, hope, peace and joy, regardless of what is happening to you, then you know Him who gave them to you. It will be undeniable, so unmistakeable that people who don't have them will wonder what do you have that they don't.
But real love does not die. Love came out of the grave and bringing with Him freedom, everlasting life, joy, peace, hope and the faith to believe and experience all these.
If you have love, hope, peace and joy, regardless of what is happening to you, then you know Him who gave them to you. It will be undeniable, so unmistakeable that people who don't have them will wonder what do you have that they don't.
Good Good Father
Romans 5:6-8
"Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful. No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person. But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful."
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