Exploring Divine Love: Understanding Romans 8 This Christmas
The discourse presented in this podcast episode elucidates the profound and sacrificial love that God has extended to humanity, as articulated in Romans chapter 8. Pastor Josh Massaro emphasizes the unwavering nature of divine love, asserting that nothing can separate us from this love, irrespective of our circumstances or shortcomings. He draws upon the biblical narrative to underscore that God's love is not contingent upon our perfection but is rather a steadfast commitment to our well-being. As we reflect on the Christmas season, the message encourages listeners to recognize the significance of God's gift of grace through Jesus Christ, which offers both salvation and the assurance of eternal love. Thus, the episode serves as a poignant reminder of the depth of God’s affection for us, urging individuals to embrace this love and share it with others in their lives.
Takeaways:
- In the profound discourse presented by Pastor Josh Massaro, we examine the sacrificial love of God as epitomized by the gift of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, which is both pivotal and transformative in the Christian faith.
- The podcast elucidates the concept of God's love as not merely an abstract notion, but rather as a tangible reality that underscores our identity and security in Christ, assuring us that nothing can separate us from His love.
- Pastor Massaro emphasizes that the trials and tribulations we face in life, including persecution and distress, do not negate God's love for us, but rather serve to strengthen our faith and reliance on His promises.
- Throughout the episode, we are reminded of the eternal nature of God's love, which transcends our earthly struggles and offers us hope and confidence in the assurance that we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.
00:00 - Untitled
00:23 - Exploring God's Love Through Romans
05:00 - The Assurance of God's Love
14:54 - The Nature of God's Love
23:09 - Understanding Our Identity in Christ
25:24 - The Love of Christ: Our Ultimate Goal
Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church Podcast, where we are proclaiming the truth to the world.
Speaker AMy name is Pastor Josh and I want to thank you for listening to this podcast.
Speaker AI hope that this podcast can be a blessing to you and strengthen you in the word of God.
Speaker ANow come along, let's look into the Bible and see what God has for us here today.
Speaker BWe've been studying the Book of Romans, and a lot of people don't equate the Book of Romans to the Christmas story, but we could say it just so happened, or that God ordained that we are just in the passage that I think definitively defines the type of love that God has for us here in Romans chapter 8.
Speaker BSo I believe that God has ordained us to continue on in Romans 8, looking at that type of love that God has displayed in offering His Son for us on the cross.
Speaker BRomans chapter 5, verse 8 says, But God commended or demonstrated his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Speaker BThink about this.
Speaker BThe God of the universe sent his only begotten Son to this earth, not for people who were perfect, not for people who would always be faithful, but for people, as it says in Scripture, that would turn our backs against him, sin against him.
Speaker BFor God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Speaker BThat's the type of love that God has for us, that he would extend the gift of grace to us, the gift of salvation to us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Speaker BAnd here In Romans chapter 8, we see the definitive passage on the type of love that God has for us.
Speaker BWe've already talked about the sacrificial love that Jesus has bestowed upon us.
Speaker BThe type of love that God has for us is a sacrificial love.
Speaker BIt's the type of love that we're all supposed to have.
Speaker BThe Greek word for that is agape, sacrifice.
Speaker BIt's not self seeking, but it's selflessly giving of everything so that others can know that we love them.
Speaker BTruth demonstrated, love demonstrated.
Speaker BAnd the type of love that God had for us is that he extends that gift of grace and sacrifice, knowing that we would stumble, knowing that we would look away, but he still loved us none.
Speaker BThe the the same.
Speaker BAnd the Bible says In Romans chapter 8, verse 31, what shall we say then to these things?
Speaker BIf God be for us, who can be against us?
Speaker BYou've ever been tempted to doubt whether or Not God is on your side.
Speaker BWhether or not that God cares for you.
Speaker BThe Bible says we remember what he showed us in his sacrificial love.
Speaker BIt says in verse 32, he that spared not his own son.
Speaker BRomans 8:32, he that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all.
Speaker BHow shall he not with him also freely give us all things meaning this?
Speaker BGod proved his love by sending his only begotten Son.
Speaker BAnd if he gave us His Son as a sacrifice because he loves us, how much more does he care for us in the daily matters as well?
Speaker BSo 8:31 and 8:32 in Romans tells us that God loves us and that he's for us.
Speaker BAnd then it goes further.
Speaker BIn verse 33 it says, who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
Speaker BMeaning who can bring anything against those that are in Christ Jesus?
Speaker BThere's nothing that anybody can do to us.
Speaker BThey can.
Speaker BThey can say things about us, or they can even persecute us.
Speaker BThey can forget about us.
Speaker BThey can betray us.
Speaker BThey can show us hate.
Speaker BBut the Bible says that what can they really do?
Speaker BWhy?
Speaker BBecause it is God that justifieth.
Speaker BIt is God who declares us righteous.
Speaker BWe don't need someone else's declaration of righteousness to help us remember that we are loved.
Speaker BAll we do is we go back to the love that God showed us and the justification that he provided for us by declaring us righteous in him to know that he cares for us.
Speaker BSays in verse 34, who is he that condemneth?
Speaker BIt is Christ that died ye rather that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also also maketh intercession for us.
Speaker BMeaning this.
Speaker BNobody else can condemn us.
Speaker BWhy?
Speaker BBecause we are in Christ Jesus.
Speaker BHe came to this earth.
Speaker BHe lived that perfect life.
Speaker BHe preached the truth of his gospel, the truth of his kingdom.
Speaker BHe died on the cross for our sins.
Speaker BHe rose on the third day and conquered death through the resurrection.
Speaker BAnd the Bible says here now that he is making intercession for us.
Speaker BGod wants that personal relationship with us.
Speaker BAnd so we see the sacrificial love, but we see a personal love.
Speaker BWe see a love that desires to know us and for us to know Him.
Speaker BThe Bible clearly tells us that God is a God who cares about our every single need.
Speaker BAnd so if you're ever questioning whether or not God loves you, what do we do?
Speaker BWe go back to what the Bible says about the cross.
Speaker BJust as the girl's saying here this morning, it's about the cross.
Speaker BJesus came to show his love for us and to offer us that sacrifice and ultimate salvation.
Speaker BThen it says in verse 35, who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Speaker BHere's a really good question.
Speaker BCan anybody separate us from the love of Christ?
Speaker BCan my neighbor separate me from the love of Christ?
Speaker BCan another church member separate me from the love of Christ?
Speaker BCan even I, as a human being, separate myself from the love of Christ?
Speaker BIt says, who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation.
Speaker BThat's trials.
Speaker BAll of us at some point in our life have faced trials.
Speaker BCan a trial separate me from the love of God?
Speaker BOr distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?
Speaker BWhat is he doing here?
Speaker BHe's basically listing all the problems that we could have in our life.
Speaker BHe.
Speaker BHe lists problems of the physical.
Speaker BHe lists problems of the emotional.
Speaker BHe lists problems of the spiritual.
Speaker BHe says, shall any trial or tribulation, any distress or problem, any persecution, any famine, any.
Speaker BAny nakedness, any peril, any sword.
Speaker BCould any of these things separate us from the love of God?
Speaker BThen he goes on to say this.
Speaker BAs it is written, for thy sake, we are killed all the day long, we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Speaker BMeaning this, as a Christian, we will face some of these things.
Speaker BBy the way, this is not a passage reminding us that, hey, you're not going to face these things.
Speaker BThis is a passage reminding us that we might face some of these things.
Speaker BBut the answer to it is amazing.
Speaker BAnd this is one of my favorite verses in all of scripture.
Speaker BHe says, you might go through trials, you might go through persecution, you might go through distress, you might go through famine, you might go through peril, you might even have someone come after you physically.
Speaker BBut he says, can that separate us from the love of God?
Speaker BVerse 37, Nay or no?
Speaker BDefinitely not.
Speaker BAnd all these things, and all these difficult things, we are more than conquerors.
Speaker BMore than conquerors.
Speaker BYou know, the Greek word there actually literally means this, that you're a super conqueror.
Speaker BWell, I'm not a super conqueror in my own flesh.
Speaker BNo, but it says what?
Speaker BThrough him that loved us?
Speaker BThrough Jesus.
Speaker BSo when we place our faith in Jesus for our salvation, when we place our faith in what he has done for us for salvation, the Bible says that we are now identified in him, and therefore we can be more than conquerors because of our relationship with Jesus Christ.
Speaker BHe changes things.
Speaker BHe.
Speaker BHe.
Speaker BHe transforms us so that no longer we're defined by our trials, our distresses, our persecution, our famine, our.
Speaker BOur.
Speaker BAs it says there, our Nakedness, which means we don't have anything we, physically or materially, that doesn't define us anymore.
Speaker BMy looks don't define me.
Speaker BMy past doesn't define me.
Speaker BMy job doesn't define me.
Speaker BMy culture doesn't define me.
Speaker BWhat defines me as it says here, the love of Jesus Christ defines me.
Speaker BMy identity in him defines me.
Speaker BAnd then Paul says this testimony that I think all of us can take as a testimony if we are born again believers here this morning.
Speaker BHe says, for I am persuaded, meaning I am convinced I'm standing in this.
Speaker BI'm putting my whole life in this.
Speaker BFor I am persuaded that neither death, he takes it that far.
Speaker BHe takes it all the way to the point of dying.
Speaker BHe says, neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall separate us, shall be able to separate us from the love of God.
Speaker BWhat does he say here?
Speaker BHe says, I'm answering the question that I asked at the very beginning.
Speaker BWho shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Speaker BNothing, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
Speaker BNot even my mistakes, not even the hate of others, not even the sin in this world, not even my physical problems, my material problems, my emotional problems.
Speaker BBecause the Bible tells us that even though we go through those struggles, that we have a God who is with us, who cares for us, and who is going to make all things right one day.
Speaker BAnd it says, which is in Christ Jesus, our Lord, meaning we are not the ones that are holding us secure in our lives.
Speaker BMy love is going to fail.
Speaker BMy love is going to falter.
Speaker BMy desire is going to falter.
Speaker BMy.
Speaker BMy commitment to God, though I have the best intentions, will fall short.
Speaker BBut the Bible says that nothing falls short when it comes to the love of God.
Speaker BHe loves us immensely.
Speaker BHe loves us infinitely.
Speaker BNow, again, I have to clarify that love does not mean acceptance to all the wrongdoing in our life.
Speaker BLove sometimes means there's discipline.
Speaker BLove sometimes means that they're the speaking of the truth.
Speaker BLove sometimes means that there needs to be a change.
Speaker BAnd all of us that have children understand that.
Speaker BAll of us that have children know that we can love our children, but at the same time not agree with bad decisions that they make.
Speaker BThis is the same thing with our Father in heaven.
Speaker BHe doesn't say that I love you.
Speaker BSo everything's okay what you're doing, just keep doing.
Speaker BNo, the Bible says that his love for us, as we look back in Romans 8, remember what his will for us is if you go back to verse number 29, it says, for whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be what?
Speaker BTo be conformed to the image of His Son.
Speaker BSo God's love means this, that he wants us to be more and more like Jesus, to be more and more Christlike, to experience the love and the forgiveness of God, and to turn into this world and to love those around us to the best of our ability with the love of Christ.
Speaker BHere this morning.
Speaker BSometimes we might be tempted because of a certain circumstance in our life to question whether or not somebody loves us.
Speaker BAnd the reality is, is that there are people in this world that will stop loving us for whatever reason.
Speaker BBut what the Bible does say is that we can also question whether or not God loves us.
Speaker BBut the Bible tells us here in Romans chapter 8 and other places that nothing can separate us from the love of God.
Speaker BSome days I have great intentions.
Speaker BSometimes I wake up and I say, okay, today I'm going to read my Bible for an hour and I'm going to pray for an hour.
Speaker BAnd I'm going to do all these things that I have good intentions with.
Speaker BBut the reality is, is that because of my limitations, because of my inadequacies, I'm not able to do everything that I intend to do.
Speaker BLet's say I make a promise to you.
Speaker BI say, okay, I'm going to be at your house and I'm going to help you move out of your house, and I'm going to help you because, you know, true sacrificial love for a man that has a truck is that he will come and help you move something, you know, furniture and all that.
Speaker BI could say, I love you and I'm going to come and help you move.
Speaker BAnd I could have every intention in the morning to wake up and do that.
Speaker BBut maybe my truck breaks down or maybe I'm not feeling well, or maybe traffic was bad, or, or maybe I didn't write it down on my calendar and I completely forgot.
Speaker BThe reality is, is that even if as a human being, I love somebody, I have limitations.
Speaker BI'm inadequate.
Speaker BI, I, I'm not all knowing.
Speaker BI'm not all powerful.
Speaker BI'm not all present.
Speaker BAnd so even the best love that a person can show to somebody else is limited.
Speaker BBut we worship a God who is not limited.
Speaker BWe worship a God who is all powerful.
Speaker BWe worship a God who is all knowing.
Speaker BWe worship a God who is everywhere.
Speaker BAnd when he makes a promise of his love, he keeps his word.
Speaker BIt might not look exactly the way that we expect it to look.
Speaker BIt might not be in the timing that we're expecting it to be in.
Speaker BBut the Bible says here that when he says he loves us, he proves that he loves us.
Speaker BAnd in that proving that he loves us, we know that we have security in Him.
Speaker BAnd so God's love for us is sacrificial love, but also God's love for us is a secure love.
Speaker BWe can find security in him.
Speaker BWe can find comfort in him.
Speaker BWe can find our confidence in Him.
Speaker BWe started out in the very beginning of Romans chapter 8.
Speaker BLooking at verse number one, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.
Speaker BWhen we are in Christ Jesus, we can have the confidence to know that there is no longer judgment, there's no more condemnation.
Speaker BAnd we know that the Holy Spirit now lives within us.
Speaker BThe Holy Spirit then equips us to do the work that God has called us to do.
Speaker BBut there is going to be times even when we know that there's no more judgment, even when we know that the Holy Spirit lives within us and gives us a job and gives us a purpose to live in him.
Speaker BThere's going to be times when we're tempted to doubt.
Speaker BAnd that's why in verse number 28, he reminds us, and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
Speaker BWe need that reminder sometimes that all things are working together for good, for his good, and for our good.
Speaker BAnd some people question that.
Speaker BI've questioned that.
Speaker BBut at the end of the day, if God is who he says he is, if he is the One who gave us His Son, as it says in verse 32, he spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things meaning?
Speaker BIf he kept his word by giving us His Son, he will keep his word.
Speaker BIn the struggles that we face on the day to day life, he will keep his word.
Speaker BWhen we are physically struggling, you say, well, I'm physically struggling right now and he's not healing me.
Speaker BWell, he certainly can heal.
Speaker BAnd it's not our job to decide whether or not he's good or bad because he hasn't healed or he has healed, all we do is trust that he can heal and that ultimately one day, all of us, no matter what we face here in this world, no matter how many struggles we face, no matter how many sicknesses we have, no matter how many people turn their backs on us one day.
Speaker BAs the Bible says in verse 18, that when we get to be with our Savior one day we will realize that the glory of being with him supersedes anything that we face here in this earth by way of struggle.
Speaker BPaul says in verse 18, for I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Speaker BSo what does Paul tell us?
Speaker BThat the love of God is not only a sacrificial love, it's not only a secure love, but it's also an eternal love.
Speaker BIt's a love that never ends.
Speaker BIt's a love that continues on not just for the here and now, but for all eternity.
Speaker BThat we will get to experience his love forever in his presence one day.
Speaker BAnd that's what we're living for.
Speaker BIf I'm living today for feeling good, how many of you would be disappointed by that?
Speaker BRight?
Speaker BI woke up this morning and I. I was feeling the pain, right?
Speaker BSome of you are like, hey, you're young still.
Speaker BI'm not as young as I used to be.
Speaker BThat's why I keep telling people.
Speaker BAnd so the idea is this.
Speaker BWe wake up and we feel pain.
Speaker BAnd sometimes we equate pain with a lack of love.
Speaker BAnd I'm talking about the physical here.
Speaker BBut some of us understand, too, sometimes we wake up and we don't feel the physical pain as much as we feel that emotional pain.
Speaker BMaybe someone has cut us deep.
Speaker BMaybe.
Speaker BMaybe it's something that it's very hard to forgive.
Speaker BThe Bible says that if we're living for everyone to love us now, we're missing the eternal perspective.
Speaker BIf we're living for everything to feel good, right now, we're missing the eternal perspective.
Speaker BSome of us are spiritually hurting.
Speaker BSome of us have faced difficulty even within a Christian setting.
Speaker BThe Bible says that if we're living for everyone to love us and to be perfect, we're missing the eternal perspective.
Speaker BBecause we go back to verse number 36, and he says, as it is written, for thy sake, we are killed all the day long.
Speaker BWe are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Speaker BHe says, there is going to be times when we do face persecution.
Speaker BThere's going to be times where we do face distress, there's going to be times where we do face famine and peril and all the things in this world that are defined as difficulties.
Speaker BBut at the end of the day, we can say God is on our side.
Speaker BThere's another passage of scripture that I think is so important for us to understand because I know that sometimes when a preacher preaches the love of God and the patience of God, that someone who's going through the struggle might say, yeah, because he hasn't experienced that.
Speaker BAnd the reality is, maybe I haven't experienced what you've experienced.
Speaker BBut what we have to do is we have to go back to the word of God and we have to go back to examples that we have seen before us.
Speaker BSo if anyone faced struggles, ultimately it was Jesus, right?
Speaker BWe.
Speaker BWe know that.
Speaker BWe know that Jesus was betrayed.
Speaker BWe.
Speaker BWe know that Jesus was.
Speaker BWas beaten.
Speaker BWe know that Jesus was betrayed by his closest friends.
Speaker BBut then we see another example in.
Speaker BIn Paul, right, the guy who's writing the book of Romans.
Speaker BSo Paul is saying this.
Speaker BEverything is going to be okay in Christ Jesus.
Speaker BHe loves you.
Speaker BAnd we would say, okay.
Speaker BThat makes sense for a guy like Paul who maybe had everything going well for him.
Speaker BMaybe life was really smooth for Paul.
Speaker BMaybe you don't know the history of Paul.
Speaker BMaybe you think, well, Paul just lived the materialistic life of having gold and silver and people loving him.
Speaker BWell, I want you to go back to a book called Second Corinthians, because I just want you to see the guy who says In Romans chapter 8 that God loves us and that nothing can separate us from the love of God is the same fella who went through a ton of distress throughout his ministry.
Speaker BAnd so in Second Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 8, we see a parallel passage to Romans 8, where we can see that the reality of difficulty in this world is a true thing.
Speaker BIt's.
Speaker BIt's there.
Speaker BBut we can have something in the midst of a difficult world.
Speaker BAnd he says in Second Corinthians, chapter 4, verse 8, we are troubled on every side.
Speaker BThe idea would be this.
Speaker BWe've got problems all around us.
Speaker BSome of you that watch the news a lot can attest to the fact that we've got trouble all around us, all different types of struggles.
Speaker BBut then what does he say?
Speaker BYet not distressed.
Speaker BSo he says, the reality is that we can have struggles all around us, trouble all around us, yet not distressed.
Speaker BWe are perplexed, meaning humanly we are confused.
Speaker BWe.
Speaker BWe don't know where to turn next.
Speaker BBut he says, but not in despair.
Speaker BPersecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body of the dying of our Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
Speaker BMeaning this, as a Christian, we can go through difficulties.
Speaker BWe can go through good times.
Speaker BPaul talks about good times as well, we can go through good times and difficult times same way with knowing that our identity is in Jesus Christ and knowing that nothing can separate us from his love.
Speaker BSo what do we do when we don't feel the love of Christ in the Christmas season, or any season for that matter?
Speaker BHe says go back to what you know about him.
Speaker BGo back to what he has demonstrated.
Speaker BHe has demonstrated his love by offering his Son for you.
Speaker BWe see Jesus in a manger, and that's a beautiful picture because it's a.
Speaker BA picture of Jesus's humility to come to this earth and be born in a feeding trough, because that's really what a manger is.
Speaker BJesus wasn't born in a kingdom, at least a kingdom that we would describe.
Speaker BA castle with nice gold, you know, beds and walls.
Speaker BHe wasn't born that way.
Speaker BHe wasn't born with a crown on his head.
Speaker BHe was born in a humble fashion with humble people to just display the type of love that God has for us.
Speaker BA humble type of love, a sacrificial type of love.
Speaker BWhen the Bible tells us more about that, it says that Jesus grew.
Speaker BHe didn't stay in the manger.
Speaker BHe became an adult.
Speaker BHe ministered and he sacrificed.
Speaker BAnd as we said before, he died on the cross for our sins.
Speaker BBut then we know that he didn't stay in the tomb.
Speaker BHe conquered death through the resurrection.
Speaker BAnd therefore he offers that gift of grace to all of us who believe.
Speaker BThat's what we go back to when we're tempted to believe that God doesn't love us anymore.
Speaker BThat's what we turn to when we are tempted to think that God's not going to work things out for us.
Speaker BAnd so here in this Christmas season, I know for many people it can be a joyful time.
Speaker BBut also I'm aware of the fact that sometimes holiday seasons can be difficult because of a loss of a loved one or maybe because of trauma that's happened in around that season.
Speaker BLet me tell you that no matter what has happened to you, no matter what you have gone through, no matter what you have lost, no matter what you're going through right now, the Bible says it's the love of God that passes all understanding, the peace of God that passes all understanding, that can rule our hearts and minds in the midst of difficult times.
Speaker BAnd I love his testimony here, and I hope that it's a testimony that we can all have in our own lives.
Speaker BBrian persuaded.
Speaker BRomans 8:38.
Speaker BFor I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers Nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Speaker BThe love is found in Jesus Christ.
Speaker BThe sacrifice is found in Jesus Christ.
Speaker BThe security is found in Jesus Christ.
Speaker BThe eternality of it is found in Jesus Christ.
Speaker BAnd so this morning, if you want to find hope, joy, peace, comfort, all of the things that the Bible tells us that we can have, the way we find those things, the way we understand those things, the way we're to live those things out in our life, is to live a life based not only in the existence of Jesus Christ, but in the knowledge of who he is and the belief and faith in knowing who he is and what he has done for us.
Speaker BAnd recognizing that that, and that alone is.
Speaker BIs the only thing that can save us from our sin.
Speaker BIt's the only thing that can save us from our brokenness.
Speaker BIt's the only thing that can save us from despair.
Speaker BBecause if we live in any other fashion, all of these other things define us.
Speaker BAnd in these things that we face, whether it be tribulation or distress or persecution that can conquer us, if we are not in Christ.
Speaker BBut the Bible says that when we are in Christ, we are in verse 37, nay, in all these things, we are more than conquerors, more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Speaker BAnd so here, this Christmas season, here in your Christian walk, if you want to understand what it means to be more than a conqueror, if you want to understand what it means to walk in confidence, no matter what might be going on around us in this world, in our homes, in our own personal life, the Bible says to be in Christ.
Speaker BWhat does it mean to be in Christ?
Speaker BIt means to trust in him, to put our faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ alone for our salvation.
Speaker BIf that's something that you've done, if that's something that you've trusted in in your own life, the Bible then tells us to live in that, to walk in that, to grow in that.
Speaker BAnd as verse 28 says, to understand that all things work together for good, to understand that God has a purpose for our lives, verse 29, to understand that God has that purpose of being conformed to the image of His Son.
Speaker BSomeone here might say, I've been saved for 50 years.
Speaker BI've reached it.
Speaker BI'm at the pinnacle.
Speaker BPaul.
Speaker BIf anyone reached the pinnacle, it was Paul.
Speaker BWhat did Paul say at the very end?
Speaker BSecond Timothy?
Speaker BHe says, I've not reached it yet.
Speaker BI Need to keep going.
Speaker BI need to keep pursuing.
Speaker BI need to be more like Christ.
Speaker BAll of us, I don't care how long you've been saved, can grow to be more and more like our Savior by sacrificing and yielding to the Spirit and dying to our flesh and saying, lord, it is you.
Speaker BIt is your love that I rest in, you know, for many years.
Speaker BCan I take my jacket off?
Speaker BIs that going to fix it?
Speaker BAll right, taking my jacket off.
Speaker BHopefully I don't offend any of you.
Speaker BMaybe that's what's causing it.
Speaker BI have one last thing to say here.
Speaker BYou know, technology is good unless it's not working.
Speaker BOkay, really want you to follow me here on this.
Speaker BThis is the last thing I promise.
Speaker BFor many, many years, my goal in life was to find love, find acceptance in people.
Speaker BLike, where I found my value was that people would say, wow, you're, you're smart, you're, you're talented, you're good at whatever you're trying to do.
Speaker BAnd, and that seems like a good goal.
Speaker BBut if our goal in life is to get other people to love us, we are going to be tempted to what we might say, compromise our ultimate values for the Lord and put other people.
Speaker BAnd essentially what we're doing is putting ourselves first.
Speaker BAnd really what we have to do as Christians is we have to say, okay, the love of another person is an amazing thing, but that cannot be our ultimate goal.
Speaker BOur ultimate goal must completely be in understanding the love of Christ.
Speaker BNot earning the love of Christ because none of us can earn the love of Christ, but understanding already what the love of Christ really is, and then resting in that, and allowing that love to change us so that we can be different, so that we can spread that type of love to other people around us.
Speaker BWhen we understand that trying to appease people or impress people or try to get people to accept us for our good gifts and our good talents, that's a never ending pit that will never, never satisfy.
Speaker BBut when we understand the love of Christ and when we live for him and when we serve him, then you know what?
Speaker BThat wealth is always going to be full because the love of Christ is abundant.
Speaker BAnd I'm going to tell you here today, that's the goal for all of us.
Speaker BTo live in the love of Christ, to serve in the love of Christ, to, to sacrifice in the love of Christ, to serve in our communities in the love of Christ, to forgive one another in the love of Christ.
Speaker BThat's what he says there.
Speaker BHe says in, in the love of Christ.
Speaker BAnd so I want you to think about that here this morning.
Speaker BWhat does the love of Jesus mean to you?
Speaker BIs this something that just is nice to have to talk about at certain times of the year?
Speaker BOr does the love of Christ change what you believe?
Speaker BDoes the love of Christ change the way that you live?
Speaker BDoes the love of Christ change the way that you love others?
Speaker BAnd here this morning, the greatest gift that we can ever experience is the love of God in salvation.
Speaker BAnd so in the Christmas season, there's a lot of gifts that we could have.
Speaker BMy kids have a long Christmas list, and we try to fill that list and make sure that they're happy.
Speaker BBut at the end of the day, the greatest love that any of us can experience is the gift of grace that Jesus Christ extends to all.
Speaker BAnd so here this morning, I encourage you to pray about that.
Speaker BAsk God to give you clarity in your response to the greatest sacrifice of all, the love of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of the cross.
Speaker BRemember his love is sacrificial.
Speaker BRemember, his love is secure.
Speaker BRemember, his love is eternal.
Speaker BAnd if you remember that, I. I do believe that we can have the joy of the Lord here this Christmas season.
Speaker BBecause God intends us to live in the joy of the Lord in our lives doesn't mean that everything's going to be okay.
Speaker BBut what it means is that we can live with confidence knowing that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Speaker BAnd anyone can do anything to me.
Speaker BWho's going to.
Speaker BWho's going to come after me, what.
Speaker BWhat can they do to me if God before us, who can be against us, that's the type of confidence that we can live in and that we can love in here in 2025 and into 2026.
Speaker BAnd ever long God allows us to live and serve Him.
Speaker BAnd so I'm going to tell you Romans chapter 8 is a passage of scripture that has changed my life.
Speaker BAnd I know that it's a passage of scripture that can change yours.
Speaker BIf ever you're tempted to doubt his love, if ever you're tempted to doubt his sacrifice, if ever you're tempted to doubt your identity in him, go back to Romans, chapter 8.
Speaker BRead it, memorize it, study it, because it's a wonderful passage in reminding us the confidence that we can find in Jesus Christ.
Speaker BAnd so I'm going to ask if you're able to stand with me, every head bowed, every eye closed.
Speaker BWe're going to have a time of reflection, a time of invitation.
Speaker BAnd it's not going to be a long invitation.
Speaker BNumber one, do you need Jesus Christ as Savior this morning.
Speaker BI know it's a Christmas service, but what better time to trust in Jesus Christ and to know that you have forgiveness in him?
Speaker BThe Bible says for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Speaker BMaybe some of you are coming here this morning to say, I was just coming to listen to some music and to enjoy Christmas.
Speaker BI would be mistaken, I would be wrong if I did not present to you the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Speaker BGod has given us all as Christians the opportunity to tell others.
Speaker BAnd here this morning.
Speaker BWe've got a great group of people here.
Speaker BBut the greatest news that's ever been told from the very beginning is the news of Jesus Christ.
Speaker BRemember the angels.
Speaker BI bring you glad tidings of great joy, good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
Speaker BWe're all people.
Speaker BSo the good news this morning is this.
Speaker BJesus loves you.
Speaker BHe died on the cross for your sins and he wants you to trust in him this morning.
Speaker BWhat if you have trusted in Jesus Christ this morning?
Speaker BWhat does the love of God mean for you?
Speaker BAre you on that path to conforming to His Son?
Speaker BAre you on the path to understanding what it means to love the way that he loves?
Speaker BAre we loving sacrificially?
Speaker BAre we loving with that type of security only found in Jesus Christ?
Speaker BMaybe you're a Christian, but you're struggling on the fact that maybe God doesn't love me anymore.
Speaker BThis is your reminder this morning that God loves you.
Speaker BThis is your reminder to know that nothing can separate you from that love of Jesus.
Speaker BSo maybe this morning you just want to come and thank him for that great gift of his love, that great gift of his security and his confidence that he extends to us, I encourage you to do so this morning.
Speaker BLord, I pray that you be in this time of invitation work in hearts and lives.
Speaker BI pray that all those that have found the truth of Jesus can rest in that truth here this morning.
Speaker BI pray that we can follow you, that we can trust in you and know that you are a good God who cares for us.
Speaker BAnd I pray that we can be reminded that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.
Speaker BPray that you be in this time, in this invitation in Jesus name, Amen.
Speaker BWe've got some people up here up front if you need to come talk to them.
Speaker BWe can show you in the word of God what it means to know Jesus Christ.
Speaker BIf you just want to come here and nail the steps and be reminded of that great love that God has that nobody can take away from you, nobody can separate you from.
Speaker BMaybe just thank him for that here this morning.
Speaker BForeign.
Speaker AThank you again for listening to the Middletown Baptist Church podcast.
Speaker AI hope that this sermon has been a blessing for you.
Speaker AYou would like to find out more information about our church or this sermon, you can find us at middletownbaptistchurch.org or find us on Facebook or YouTube.
Speaker AYou can also email me directly at Josh Massaroiddletownbaptistchurch dot com if you've enjoyed this podcast podcast.
Speaker APlease subscribe and follow along for future podcast and updates.
Speaker AThank you so much.
Speaker AGod Bless.
Speaker AHave a wonderful day.