I Love You More
On Sunday November 3rd, 2013, we had our last Chapel services as we prepared to start services in NJ starting the next week. Our very own Youth Pastor Diego Simila closed it out. You can find Rich Wilkerson, Jr.'s message here and Dawnchere Wilkerson's message here.
SPEAKER: Diego Simila TITLE: I Love You More
John 8:1-11 MSG
Jesus went across to Mount Olives, but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them. The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, “Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?” They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt. Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. “Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?” “No one, Master.” “Neither do I,” said Jesus. “Go on your way. From now on, don’t sin.”
When people are in love they play the "I love you more" game. One person says, "I love you." The other person says, "I love you more." And the other person says, "No, I love you more." And it goes back and forth. Sometimes we do that with God. We're so back and forth that we can feel that our love for God is equal to his love for us. But his love for us really is so much more. When you're caught red-handed you get this guilty feeling and feel shameful. This woman caught in adultery was 100% guilty. The law of Moses said she deserved everything she was going to get. -God's love isn't based off of circumstances. It's unconditional. It's not like our love. -God's love isn't a response of our love toward him but rather our love is a response to his love towards us. -God knows every intricate detail of your life. He created you. Regardless of what you've done he will always love you more. Children are born fully dependent on their parents' love. They've done nothing to earn it or repay it. -Grace isn't earned. It's given. -God's grace is given freely. It's not earned by our efforts. Just embrace it. Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares theLord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
-Grace gives you what you don't deserve. -The beauty of grace is that it makes life not fair. -So many times we fail and think that we have to work our way back to Jesus. But the reality is that Jesus already did everything for us. Romans 8:38-39 NIV
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Jesus is saying I love you so much more than anything you've ever done. Jesus' first response to the woman isn't to condemn; it's to protect. -Jesus always protects before He corrects. Jesus traded His red hands for our red hands. -It's possible to have an "I don't know moment" when you get so overwhelmed by grace that you can't fathom it. -It's possible to be free. -They wanted her dead but He came to bring life. John 10:10 NIV
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
-One encounter with Jesus and you can walk out alive. Romans 6:22-23 MSG
But now that you’ve found you don’t have to listen to sin tell you what to do, and have discovered the delight of listening to God telling you, what a surprise! A whole, healed, put-together life right now, with more and more of life on the way! Work hard for sin your whole life and your pension is death. But God’s gift is real life, eternal life, delivered by Jesus, our Master.
-We can find ourselves accepting the counterfeit. -Jesus says, "I love you more than your disease could ever make you sick. I love you more than your pain could ever make you feel. I love you more than your insecurities could ever make you doubt. I love you more than you could love me back." John 3:16-17 NIV
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
-His love for you never gives up. It never fails. It's relentless. -You may not believe in God but that doesn't change the fact that he believes in you. -He's not mad at you; he's mad about you. -The Gospel of Jesus Christ has always been about His love for you.