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Love Written in Love John 3:16 |
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Love Written in Love John 3:16 |
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His rescuers came on the scene minutes later and saw the message. Fire Captain Robert Rosario said, "I've seen some gruesome things on this job, but that moved me. My only thought was, I have to get that seat to his wife and kids." His wife said about the message, "Hallmark is never going to top that. It's moving, it's thoughtful and it's chilling all at the same time."
There is another true love story; it is the greatest love story every told. It is the story of how our Creator, came to earth to redeem men from the condemnation and punishment of their sins. It is the story of God's love for you and I. It is the greatest demonstration of that could possibly be. It is the Gospel story of how Almighty God who spoke the universe into being shows His ultimate power, thought so much of we humans that He left the portals of heaven. He came to earth to sacrifice Himself, to take upon Himself the pain and suffering of our sins so that we might have forgiveness of sins and eternal life. The magnitude of His love for us is shown in what He endured for us. We cannot comprehend the degree of His suffering. It is beyond our ability to even imagine, but it was enough that He paid for all the sins of all men from the Garden of Eden until the future New Heavens and Earth.
Love overcame sin. You see true love has purpose. That purpose is to give one's self to the one to who is loved. It is the ultimate demonstration of unselfishness, forgiveness, and desiring the best for the well being of someone else.
Christ's death shows us love's depths. The question is how far will a Christian go for love? What should be the extent of our love for each other.
What is the limits on love that a believer is to show to others around him? What is the basis to be of love shown. Do we have a question about when, the degree and basis of love?
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
Dear friend, there is One who has written a message to you in His own blood. I too is a simple message, written in His blood, "If you will believe and put your faith in Him accepting Him as your Savior, you will never be the same again. You too, will be defined by that one act, Jesus' love written in the blood of the cross.
If you have put your faith and trust in His sacrifice for you and accepted Him as your Savior, do you now better understand what He did for you and do you understand your privilege to share His love and sacrifice for others? Have you made a commitment to unconditionally show God's love to all you know and come in contact with. . . without condition, without limit, without conditions. Forgiving even when being abused, hurt, shunned, mistreated, ignored...and the list goes on endlessly.
Dear friends....that is true love. That is the Love our Savior gives to us freely. Let's show the same to others.
(Message based on a sermon by Robert L. Cobb, http://www.newsforchristians.com/archive/sermons/ser047.html )
Introduction: On January 26th, 2005 a California train derailed, killing 11 people and injuring over 200. One of those 200 was a 44 year old man named John Phipps. His story is the basis for this message. Phipps was the man who, though pinned in the wreckage of the train, scrawled a message in his own blood to his wife and kids. As he regained consciousness, he felt his head and body and saw he was bleeding profusely. An upended train seat sat right above him, and thinking he might be dying, wrote this message: "I (heart symbol) my kids. I (heart symbol) Leslie." Later he said, "It wasn't a conscious thought. I've always told my wife and kids I loved them, and it just happened. I didn't plan it. I didn't say I have to leave a last word. I just wrote it without thinking.
A. You see, man did not invent love or even define it. Almighty God, the Lord Jesus Christ did that and set the standard for love.
C. "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds." (Hebrews 12:1-3)
B. Someone said, "You can give without loving, but you can never love without giving." John 3:16 proves this as well: "God SO LOVED...that he GAVE..."
ILLUS: Robert Cole, Administrator for "News for Christians" tells the story of man he knew. He said, "I know personally of a man whose wife left him and their children and moved in with another man. The husband took the role of both mother and father, did the housework, paid all the bills, and waited for his wayward wife to return. After living with the man for over a year, she decided she wanted to go back home. He had been praying for her, and he gladly welcomed her back. Many of his friends and acquaintances told him he was "crazy" for taking her back. "Jesus doesn't quit me no matter how I treat Him. I can at least try to treat my wife the same way," he said."
Conclusion: John Phipps' life was changed forever. He is a production worker in an aerospace plant in Burbank, CA. Before the train wreck, he was a totally unknown to the rest of the world. Now he will forever be known as "the man who wrote his love in his blood." His one deed, done in a moment of time, defined him and his love. His family will never forget the message he sent to them that winter morning. His message written in his own blood was simple. "I love Leslie" then he wrote, "I love my kids, too" But his message touched the hearts of the rescuers and the fire fights.
It is always encouraging to receive email from those who find the messages helpful, or who have comments.
*All rights reserved. This work is reserved in its use only to preserve the author's ownership of his work. Any part of this work may be used without the author's permission. All that he asks is that proper credit be given. (All quotations are from the Authorized Version - The King James Bible. )