Loved By God | Pastor Chris Searcy | 10am

Loved by God

“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. ...

Worship is pure or base as the worshiper entertains high or low thoughts of God.

For this reason the gravest question before the Church is always God Himself, and the most

portentous fact about any man is not what he at a given time may say or do, but what he in his

deep heart conceives God to be like. We tend by a secret law of the soul to move toward our

mental image of God. This is true not only of the individual Christian, but of the company of

Christians that composes the Church. Always the most revealing thing about the Church is her

idea of God, just as her most significant message is what she says about Him or leaves unsaid,

for her silence is often more eloquent than her speech. ...”

― A.W. Tozer (The Knowledge of the Holy)

The view of many is that God is mostly mad or sad when He relates to us.

Hebrews. 1:9

Jesus walked in the anointing of gladness more than any man in history.

Psalm. 16:11

11In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forever.

John. 17:23

23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know

that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

The way we view God’s heart toward us affects how we approach him.

It determines whether we run to God or from God when we stumble in sin and weakness.

The greatest emotional need for all humans is the assurance that we are loved and enjoyed by

God, even in our weakness.

This is evident in the story of Adam and Eve:

Genesis 3:8-10

8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the

man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the

garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 And he

said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid

myself.”

If we feel dirty, then we will live dirty.

If we feel clean, then we will live clean.

We were all created with a longing to know that God delights in us and enjoys us.

HERES THE GOOD NEWS!:

We can draw near to God with confidence knowing two things:

That He loves us even in our weakness.

Hebrews 10:19,22

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of

Jesus,

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled

clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Romans 8:1

8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

(The adversary accuses us before God day and night (Rev 12:10) but God’s blood speaks a

better word)

Luke. 15:11-32): The Prodigal Son

20“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw

him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” (Lk. 15:20)

1. Saw: The father was earnestly watching for the return of his son.

2. Compassion: The father had tender feelings, not anger, toward the prodigal son.

3. Ran: The father had enthusiasm; it was unusual for a father to run to a rebellious son.

4. Fell on his neck: The father embraced him instead of being disgusted and angry.

5. Kissed: The father’s kiss signified the restoration of favor.

21“And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no

longer worthy to be called your son.’” (Lk. 15:21)

The father said shut up, and prevented him for asking to be a “hired servant.”

The father gave the best robes, the family ring, shoes, and a feast to celebrate the return of his

son.

Luke 15:22

22“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring

on his hand and sandals on his feet. 23And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat

and be merry; 24...my son was dead and is alive again...’ And they began to be merry.”

And that our weak love for Him moves Him.

Isa. 62:4-5

4...But you shall be called Hephzibah...for the LORD delights in you…

5 as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.

Zephaniah. 3:17

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save;

he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.

Seeking to earn God's love is the essence of dead religion and condemnation.

God feels gladness over us even when we fall!