The Lord is risen!
He is risen indeed!
Marion would like us to listen to the following song before she shares her thoughts.
In Life Group last week, we looked at 1 John 4 v 7-21. Let’s read it together:
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. 16 And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. 17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21 And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.
The passage talks about the love that God has for us which is shown so beautifully through the cross where he sacrificed His son so that we could be in relationship with Him.
This being the PERFECT sacrifice
This being the PERFECT love
In verse 18 it says ‘there is no fear in love, but PERFECT love DRIVES OUT FEAR because fear has to do with punishment.’ In these times of uncertainty, we have the PERFECT love, which drives out fear – we know it is perfect because it comes from God. This PERFECT love does not push it aside or mask it – it says PERFECT loves DRIVES OUT FEAR – this means to push with force – He is in charge. This means that not only in these times of uncertainty due to Covid-19 but throughout our lives, fear has no place as His love will drive it out. What better reason do we have to worship, praise and thank God for this Easter?
1 John 4 states:
‘God loves us’
‘God sent his son as a sacrifice for us’
‘His perfect love drives out fear’
We began today by hearing that ‘Nobody loves me like you love me Jesus, I stand in awe of your amazing ways.’ God showed us this in the most triumphant way on Easter morning when Jesus rose again. Jesus had the victory over death so that we can live an Eternal Life with God and Jesus. Eternal life starts now – God has promised a life in all its fullness, as true fulfilment comes through our spiritual father rather than worldly ideals. Therefore we have no reason to fear in this life but every reason to praise God for His victory through the resurrection of Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus, that you were obedient to the cross and thank you, God, that you overpowered death through the resurrection of Jesus so that we can have a life of REAL JOY.
Let’s worship, praise and thank God together through the songs in the link below:
Marion
Last week we listened to Craig Groeschel preaching the first message in the Life Church ‘Not Afraid’ series and many of us have been declaring ‘NOT’ all week long as a reminder as we try to live out our lives in the way Craig encouraged us to do with God’s help – Not Afraid.
This week he is going to talk about hope and how we can find hope in the chaos. Hope is contagious. When the fear of the unknown spreads, our hope in Christ can spread even faster. We need to replace panic with peace. We need to replace anxiety with comfort. We need to replace the “what-ifs” with faith in what God can do. Click on the link below and listen to how we can have a contagious hope that fights back fear of the unknown.
Happy Easter!