Bernard Gabbott - Sunday, 21 January 2024
God Is Love
Scripture References: 1 John 4:7-16, Psalms 52:1-9, Exodus 34:1-9
Gathering Growing Going
Loading Content...
The link has been copied to your clipboard; paste it anywhere you would like to share it.
Close‘God is love’ is perhaps the most used, most accessible summary of Christianity that many people use. Some use it in a praising way. Some use it in a derogatory way. Some use it in a dismissive way. Some use it in a permissive way. But what does it mean? When we read of what this phrase means in 1 John 4, we realise that ‘love’ is not an empty vessel that we can fill with our own desires or indulgences. We also realise that ‘love’ is not just spoken as a declaration, but displayed as a deed. Moreover, ‘love’ is profoundly other-person centred, and that it doesn’t avoid sin, but confronts it head-on. Most significantly, ‘love’ doesn’t begin with us, but with God – and this completely changes the way we view our place in the world.
Scripture References: 1 John 4:7-16, Psalms 52:1-9, Exodus 34:1-9
Related Topics: God's character, Love | More Messages from Bernard Gabbott | Download Audio
Psalm 139 | Lindsay Heal | Sunday, 18 January 2009 | Listen | ||
Psalm 143 | Ralph Wood | Sunday, 11 January 2009 | Listen | ||
Rev 1:9-20 | Tim Baxter | Sunday, 28 December 2008 | Listen | ||
Luke 1:26-58 | Tim Baxter | Sunday, 21 December 2008 | Listen | ||
Love, Hope, Peace & Joy | Richard Riley | Sunday, 14 December 2008 | Listen | ||
Do you have room for God's gifts? | Richard Riley | Sunday, 14 December 2008 | Listen | ||
Mission Impossible? | Tim Baxter | Sunday, 7 December 2008 | Listen | ||
The Faithful Life | Richard Riley | Sunday, 30 November 2008 | Listen | ||
The Life of Faith | Tim Baxter | Sunday, 30 November 2008 | Listen | ||
Seize the Day | Tim Baxter | Sunday, 23 November 2008 | Listen |
What is greatness? In particular, what is greatness in the kingdom of God? That is the question addressed in the passage from Matthew today. Jesus is approached by two different groups. First, the family of Zebedee: James and John and their mother. Second, two blind men. Jesus asks both groups the same question “What do you want me to do for you?” What they request is quite revealing. And so is Jesus’ response to their requests. The Zebedees request position, status, reward for effort. The blind men request mercy, for their eyes to be open. Which request lines up with Jesus’ teaching previously? Which request do we tend to go to ourselves?
The Department of Home Affairs has an Australian Values Statement on its website. Visa applicants for residency/citizenship must sign this. And one of its key principles is that we are a ‘fair-go’ country. We would all agree with that. I suspect, too, that we would summarise our ‘fair go’ culture by stating that ‘you get what you deserve/what you work for’. In fact, many of us have established our relational, social and work ethics on this very principle. But is that what the ‘kingdom of heaven is like’? What is its value statement? What is the hallmark of such a kingdom, and its ruler, even its citizenship? Today, after Jesus has assured his disciples that the dependent will be provided for by their king, he now uses the same ideas to issue with them a warning not to abuse, misuse, ignore or become entitled in the face of the kingdom of heaven hallmark—which is grace.
Jesus deals with the question of ‘Who belongs in the kingdom?’ Is it children? Is it the good? Is it the godly? And, how and what does this look like? This question of ‘belonging’ is one that is constant in our lives – where do I belong, do I belong, what does belonging look like? And Jesus is very clear: the kingdom of heaven is made up of the dependent, the reliant, the weak – just like children.
13 Dewhurst St, Narrabri NSW 2390
Ph: (02) 6792 2151
Email: Click Here
8:30am & 10:30am each Sunday
9:30am each Sunday in January
Copyright © 2024 · Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in