"Loved To Perfection!" 1 John 4:16-21

 The 1st Sunday After Trinity                                2-June-2024

Sermon Text: 1 John 4:16-21

Sermon Theme: “Loved To Perfection!” I. True Love’s Only Source!(vs.16). II. Love’s Confident Gift!(vs.17) III. Love’s Comforting Work!(vs.18-19). IV. Love’s Shining Light!(vs.20-21) by Rev. Nathan J. Rusert

I.N.R.I. This past Friday’s devotion from “WhatAboutJesus.com” began: ““Omnia vincit amor.” Those were words once penned by the ancient Latin poet Virgil. We know them in English as “love conquers all.” The only problem with Virgil’s conclusion is that he was speaking of a self-centered love, where sinful people finally choose the person or thing most irresistible to their sensuous desires. In other words, whatever brings me the greatest pleasure is the thing I will choose; my “love” for that thing “conquers” all other options. I get what I want the most.” The writer of that devotion went on to contrast man’s self-centered love with God’s self-sacrificing love.

    When I was a child, June was the month to celebrate marriage as our Creator designed it. Our Lord Jesus - The Truth - clearly teaches: Mat 19:4-6 "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'MADE THEM MALE AND FEMALE,' (5) and said, 'FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH' ? (6) So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate." The biological truth remains there are only two sexes written upon our chromosome from the moment of conception. If you inherit a X and a Y chromosome from your father and mother you are a boy. If you inherit a X and a X chromosome from your parents you are a female. Satan’s twisted lie of a myriad of genders opposes factual biological science. Marriage is given for the procreation, protection, raising of children, and mutual life long companionship. Every farmer knows that you need both a rooster and a hen to produce little baby chicks. The so called “silly” goose has more common sense given by our Creator than our sin darkened culture living by the LIE. Canadian geese mate for life - a goose and a gander - a female and a male.

    Today we step into the non-festival half of the Church year. Our lessons teach us of King Jesus’ ongoing rule and work through His Word in His Church. Roman and Greek culture viewed Christianity first as a Jewish sect. Later Christians would be labeled “atheists” for they refused to bow to the many false gods dreamed up by the Greeks and Romans. Christians honored the government as Christ’s rule to maintain civil order, but they would not bow down to worship caesar as a god. Government has no rule over conscience - it cannot demand that all think its way and proudly support popular lies. Lies enforced by mob rule parading as “love.”

      From the day Adam and his wife exchanged the Truth of our Creator’s Word for Satan’s Lie - our love is turned in on itself. Narcissism flows from hearts taken captive by the LIE of Satan, entrapped by sin, and chained in the fear of death. Turn away from the LIE! Fix your ears on The Way, The Truth, The Life - Jesus of Nazareth. In Him you are  “Loved To Perfection!” I. True Love’s Only Source!(vs.16). II. Love’s Confident Gift!(vs.17) III. Love’s Comforting Work!(vs.18-19). IV. Love’s Shining Light!(vs.20-21)

I. The Roman government had exiled St. John to the Island of Patmos for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. He was isolated, but not alone - as he spoke God’s Word, prayed, and sang hymns on a Sunday morning - our Lord Jesus appeared speaking to him. All the Alpha and Omega preached to comfort St. John is recorded in the book of Revelation. Revelation isn’t a book hiding secret codes for us to predict the exact moment of Christ’s return for judgment day. It’s pictures flow from the Old Testament and assure the church living in the last epoch of history that our Lord Jesus by His Word and Holy Spirit preserves the Church in the face of all Satan’s anti-Christian power and propaganda. Jesus lives! Our victory is secure in Him! Dear Christian He who was dead, but lives to never die again loves you to perfection!

      What is True love’s only source? Listen! (Vs16) It flows from knowing and believing the love that God the Father has for us poor miserable lost and condemned sinners. The Triune God doesn’t love - He is love - it is the very nature and heart of the Holy Trinity. The Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit from eternity were totally complete within the Godhead in love. God didn’t create humanity to play with them as toys. He created us to shower us with His love. Don’t you understand that is why He didn’t abandon rebellious mankind when we followed the LIE corrupting creation with sin and death. He planned from eternity to rescue us through His love. Self-sacrificial love that would send the eternally only begotten Son of the Father into our flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit creating life in the womb of the Virgin through His Word. Jesus the Beloved willingly shouldered all my sin and the hell I deserved in His innocent flesh to death upon the cross. There Love took away the sins of the world - your sins too - by His holy precious blood and innocent suffering and death. He reclaims you as His own. The Holy Spirit the Lover - called you by this Gospel rebirthing you from above in baptism.

         Through the Gospel recorded by the Holy Spirit through Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - you know and believe the love that God has for you! Joh 20:31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” Hearing His Word the Holy Spirit fills you with true love - and the Father and the Son draw near to make their Home with you - never to leave you alone. Jesus the Beloved promises you, Joh 14:23 .... "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.” Abram clung to God’s loving Word of Promise that from his descendants the Messiah Jesus would be born. Faith in Jesus as the only sacrifice for his sin - declared him righteous! Loved flowed from the cross back to Abram - it still flows forward to you! Rejoice to drink from the well of salvation!

II. What do you fear - public speaking, death, taxes, national unrest, cancer, family, another contentious election cycle? Jesus tells us of a rich man who had no fears. He had money, respect, prestige, power, and popularity in his community. Lazarus, the sore clothed beggar was a total failure - not even the garbage falling from the rich man’s table was given him - his only friends stray dogs licking his sores - or perhaps preparing to devour him upon death. The rich man lived the LIE - death came - hell claimed him into eternal solitary confinement and its unrelenting flames.

       Repent of materialism’s lie - having a lot of stuff doesn’t mean that God loves you. Having nothing but disease doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love you. Turn away from your own reason and strength - cling only to Love’s Confident Gift! (Vs.17) Love’s perfection is boldness in the day Jesus returns in power and great glory - all the Books are opened - all the idle words you spoke, thought, did - are exposed before the perfect Judge. His won’t be a kangaroo court - His justice and judgment are final!

     How can I stand? My conscience convicts me - I am a liar, a murderer, an adulterer, a rebel, an idolater, my heart filled with covetousness - “Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” The answer isn’t found in your decisions, your feelings, your experiences, your trying to do better - it is found in casting all that on the manure pile - that you may gain Christ....Php 3:9-11 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; (10) that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, (11) if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”

      Lazarus, the poor beggar was unknown to the world, but called by name by Love from eternity in Christ. His sores preserved him in Christ’s Word and Holy Spirit gifted faith until he died. Lazarus’ name means, “God is my Help.” Abandoned by the world he clung to God’s promise sealed upon him as an infant in the Old Testament sacrament of circumcision. Fear not fellow sinner - Love’s confident gift has been given you as an infant in Holy Baptism - never your decision - purely God’s gift. Baptized into Christ Jesus His suffering and death on Calvary swallowed up all your sin and guilt. Baptized into His victorious resurrection His life assures you that death and the grave will not hold you. Baptized into Christ He is with you always in this world. He judges you - forgiven - My own - alive in Him - death cannot take your life - cling to His promise: Joh 11:25-27 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. (26) And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (27) She said to Him, "Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.". Like Lazarus His holy angels will surround your death bed to bring you safely Home upon death.

III. Those who live the LIE are constantly restless - they have no peace for their conscience convicts them. There is no peace in sin, even if the majority of the world accepts your self-deception.

      Dear fellow sinners turn from the LIE! Hear the Truth - Love comforts you! (Vs.18-19). No Fear! Is a slogan our world uses to justify it’s foolish recklessness - when death swallows up its friends it doesn’t want to admit the reality of grief and sin. The Christian stands with Jesus and weeps at the grave. Then fixing our eyes squarely on death’s broken jaw - we confess, 1Co 15:55-57 "O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING? O HADES, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY?" (56) The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. (57) But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Death you are broken, grave your gates are shattered my Jesus lives! On the cross He offered the one sacrifice for all my sins! His stripes heal me! His blood brings life to the world! Weeping at the grave He stands by my side comforting my grief through His Word. “..a little while you will see Me again”..Joh 16:22 Therefore you now have sorrow; but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.

IV.  An unlit candle doesn’t give off light. It must be lit outside of itself before it can bring light to the world around it. Our stained glass windows with no light would only be dark holes in the wall. The sun rises and shines through the panes filling our sanctuary with beautiful light through them. So also you dear Christian - your good works - your love shining forth in your life isn’t your doing - it is the light of Love- of God shining through you from your Heavenly Father through His Son by His Spirit in His Word to your neighbor. (Vs.20-21) Reconciled to our heavenly Father through the flesh and blood of Jesus by the Spirit - we live in forgiving healing love towards our brothers and sister that we see.

      Love hates evil. Love rejoices in the Truth - not in the LIE. I would not be a loving parent if I gave in to my toddlers demand to drink any liquid he found under the kitchen sink. Love acts to swat my child’s hand away from the burner on the stove a little pain to prevent greater injury. Loving God means that I will speak the Truth in love to my brothers. The Truth of God’s Ten Commandments - warning they bring death if disobeyed. The Truth of reality - the Apostles’ Creed. The Truth of Jesus’ Prayer - Our Father loves us sinners - He gives His Holy Spirit that we might know Love - The Truth and the Truth might set you free. Amen.