Review: Last week I spoke about the Hebrew word hesed or the love of God. I shared how difficult it is for Bible translators to translate this word into English even going as far as creating new words like lovingkindness. We looked at one of the special quality of this love is that it never let’s go. 

I will forever praise this God who didn’t close his heart when I prayed and never said no when I asked him for help. He never once refused to show me his tender love (hesed). Ps. 66:20 TPT

Many people struggle to trust God because they do not believe He loves them unconditionally. Imagine trying to work to gain God’s approval when you already have it. 

We talked about it being difficult to experience God’s love if we did not receive this unconditional or attachment love when we were young.

We saw how God wants to heal us from trauma in our past that limits our ability to trust and love Him and people. 

Before I move ahead I want us to look briefly at a Paul prayed for the Ephesians… (Ampl.) 

It is not enough to know about God. He wants us to know by experience. 

And may you, having been [deeply] rooted and [securely] grounded in love, be fully capable of comprehending with all the saints (God’s people) the width and length and height and depth of His love [fully experiencing that amazing, endless love]; and [that you may come] to know [practically, through personal experience] the love of Christ which far surpasses [mere] knowledge [without experience], that you may be filled up [throughout your being] to all the fullness of God [so that you may have the richest experience of God’s presence in your lives, completely filled and flooded with God Himself]. Ephesians 3:17‭-‬19 AMP

4x experience is mentioned. Paul esteems experience over “mere”  knowledge. 

A. W. Tozer said, “Most of us who call ourselves Christians do so on the basis of belief more than experience. Knowledge by acquaintance is always better than mere knowledge by description.” – from The Divine Conquest

This is so important because it is the basis for our mission here on earth. 

The love of God in us affects the people around us. 

Look today at what it means to show God’s love to people within the church, as well as those who consider themselves far from God. 

I have never met someone passionately in love with Jesus that didn’t love others. Yet I have known many people who have their left brain filled with knowledge about the Bible and theology but are bitter and judgmental. 

It is not your fault for your lack of balance between knowledge and experience. If you have been following the programs of most churches you will get a heavy dose of knowledge and little of the experience of God. 

I am not talking about emotionalism. Your emotions will be impacted when you experience God but it may be just as deep of an encounter in solitude as in celebration. Emotions are not the litmus test for an encounter with God.

We desperately need to experience God’s love. Whether in celebrations or in solitude when we “be still and know that he is God.” 

When we encounter God’s love on a regular basis it will overflow to others. As People we respond to love, or what is good and lovable. 

For example, who doesn’t love a baby or a puppy? 

Why do these babies and puppies make us smile? Because they are pure, lovable, innocent, and not a threat.

When we don’t feel threatened or afraid we relax, open our hearts to others.  This also applies to our relationship with God. Many people live in fear of God and this keeps them from opening their life to Him. 

God’s love goes further in that it includes mercy even for those who offend or hurt us. It responds to what is not good and makes it good and lovable. Mines for good. 

This love starts with those closest to us right here in this spiritual family. 

Picture yesterday in prayer of this year and the nets, and the connections between us that make us a strong body have been stretched and torn.

We have to be intentional about reaching out and connecting even if it is online. This is why we are doing online studies. We’ll launch Life Groups in late January and online and in person. 

Hesed within the Body of Christ

Anyone can say, “I love God,” yet have hatred toward another believer. This makes him a phony, because if you don’t love a brother or sister, whom you can see, how can you truly love God, whom you can’t see? 1 Jn. 4:20 TPT  (You might want to answer that question.)

The love we have for God is directly tied to our love for people.  Cannot have one without the other.

The church is full of broken people who have taken risks and learned to love each other. Heaven practice.

So I’m asking you, my friends, that you be joined together in perfect unity—with one heart, one passion, and united in one love. Walk together with one harmonious purpose and you will fill my heart with unbounded joy.  Philippians 2:2 TPT  (Every pastor’s dream) 

Imagine, having friends, a spiritual family with the exact same commitment to one another. Moving together with one heart, one passion (Jesus), and united. You might not get this with dozens of people but you need it with a few. 

Why we offer small groups (Life Groups) and larger gatherings. We need both.

“When it comes to friends you can have 100 pennies or four quarters”. Many, have lots of pennies and few quarters. 

We cannot maintain close, and intimate friendships with 100 people. In fact, interactions with many people will wear you out more than be life-giving to you. 

Make a phone call or write a note, or at least a text, invest in those quarters in your life. Communicate with the people most important to you. 

Some say, “I don’t have any friends.”  I like this little poem. 

“I went out to find a friend, I could find no one there. 

I went out to be a friend and friends were everywhere.”  

This kind of love goes beyond the walls of the church to include outsiders.  It overflows and invites them into this spiritual family even with their hangups and issues because we know that is where we came from.  We see the potential of what God can do in them. We envision what their life can be like once they experience healing and strong attachment with the Father.

We have to be okay with people belonging before they believe and before that learn to behave. We have taught, believe, then learn to behave, and then you will get to belong. That is not how family works, and you BELONG FIRST.

As you belong you begin to believe and then your heart is, refle ted in your character and you obey God and behave from this new life.

This is how we show Hesed to those far from God

Jesus modeled this unconditional love many times when people were at their worst or lowest.

• The woman at the well 
• The woman caught in adultery 
• Zacchaeus the tax collector
• The soldiers crucifying him
• The disciples during their times, of doubt and unbelief 
• On and on we see throughout the Bible this theme of unconditional love.

What do these people have in common?

• All are far from God. 
• None are trusting God or seeking God. 
• None asked for help. 

Jesus inserts himself into each of their situations out of compassion. 

For this is how much God loved the world—he gave his one and only, unique Son as a gift.  So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life. “God did not send his Son into the world to judge and condemn the world, but to be its Savior and rescue it! John 3:16‭-‬17 TPT

Jesus didn’t come to judge but to rescue humanity and we are called to join in this mission. 

We make the decision constantly whenever we see people we are either compelled toward them or repelled away from them. The more we live in fear, the more trauma in our life the more likely we are to reject someone. 

VIDEO: Widow’s Dinner

I know when we hear this message it inspires good feelings along with other feelings of inadequacy because we do not feel confident or equipped like we are going to people to sell them something. 

Let these words encourage you… 

“We don’t try to do those things—we become the kind of person who does those things. If you try to do those things, it will just kill you. But if you receive love as the principle of your life in all dimensions of your being, then you will see love: Love is kind, love does not envy, and so on all the way down the line. And having received love, you will be transformed into a person who loves.”  from “Renovated” by  Dallas Willard & Jim Wilder 

I spoke about Zacchaeus the tax collector awhile back. One meeting with Jesus and his life is transformed. Suddenly he is giving away his money, and he is treating people with respect and integrity. This is the transformation that God wants to do in each of us. 

God can heal your pain, trauma, and wounds from others so you can have your life opened to new relationships which will bring more fulfillment in your life. 

The Lord loves seeing justice on the earth. Anywhere and everywhere you can find his faithful, unfailing love (hesed)!  Psalms 33:5 TPT

Beyond superficial hand-outs, this is real unconditional, attachment, love God wants us to experience and then let it overflow to others.

One of my heroes is Brennan Manning who wrote Ragamuffin Gospel, Abba’s Child, The Furious Longing of God, and a dozen other books that have drawn thousands of people to Jesus. 

He tells this story…

A man wakes up one morning smelling of alcohol sick and sitting in a doorway. Smelling of vomit and clutching an empty bottle of tequila. A mother and son walk down the street toward him. Little boy breaks away from his mother and runs up to look at this poor broken man. The mother quickly grabs the boy covering his eyes while declaring, “this is pure filth”. She then kicks this man and walks away offended that these people should even be on the street. She leaves him with two broken ribs. 

This “filth” is Brennan Manning. He tells this story in his book “The Furious Longing of God”. 

How do we respond?  

• Examine ourselves. 
• Are there limitations on our love? 
• Do we hold back our heart from others?
• Are there past traumas or wounds that are the source? 
• We need to ask God to show us where we hold back from Him and allow Him to heal us.