Experiencing the Transformative Love of Christ

 

Summary

In our journey of faith, the ultimate goal is to know the love of Christ, a love that surpasses all understanding. This love is not just an abstract concept but a profound reality that transforms our lives. It is the essence of our Christian endeavor, the pinnacle of our spiritual experience. To truly know Christ is to know His love, and this knowledge is available to all believers, not just a select few. This love is a secret, a hidden manna, known only to those who are in Christ. It is a love that the world cannot comprehend, for it is a divine mystery revealed only to the saints.

This love is not reserved for a special class of Christians but is accessible to all who believe. It is not about intellectual understanding or religious status but about being rooted and grounded in love. This grounding in love enables us to comprehend the vastness of God's love. It is a love that requires strength to bear, for it is as powerful as it is overwhelming. The love of God is not a mere sentiment; it is a dynamic force that can leave us breathless and transformed.

To experience this love, we must be prepared, strengthened in our inner being by the Spirit. It is love that recognizes love, and only those who have love in their hearts can truly appreciate and receive God's love. This is why it is possible for all saints to know this love, regardless of their intellectual capacity or social status. The more we love, the more we will know His love, and this journey of love is endless, leading us ever deeper into the heart of God.

Key Takeaways:

- The ultimate goal of our Christian life is to know the love of Christ, a love that surpasses all understanding. This love is not just for a select few but is available to all believers who are rooted and grounded in love. [18:37]

- The love of God is a divine mystery, a secret known only to those who are in Christ. It is a hidden manna, a white stone with a new name, a love that the world cannot comprehend. [23:31]

- This love is not about intellectual understanding or religious status but about being strengthened in our inner being by the Spirit. It is a dynamic force that can leave us breathless and transformed. [30:45]

- To experience God's love, we must be prepared, rooted, and grounded in love. It is love that recognizes love, and only those who have love in their hearts can truly appreciate and receive God's love. [35:09]

- The journey of knowing God's love is endless, leading us ever deeper into the heart of God. The more we love, the more we will know His love, and this journey is a progressive, eternal experience. [42:27]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[18:22] - The Goal of Christian Endeavor
[19:50] - Love for All Saints
[21:44] - The Secret of Christian Love
[23:31] - Hidden Manna and the White Stone
[25:06] - Saints: All Believers
[27:14] - Love for Every Christian
[29:15] - Path to Knowing Christ's Love
[30:45] - Strengthened by Love
[32:07] - Overwhelmed by God's Love
[34:53] - Love Recognizes Love
[37:13] - Universal Experience of Love
[39:13] - Rooted and Grounded in Love
[41:01] - Progressive Journey of Love
[42:27] - Endless Journey into God's Love

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Ephesians 3:17-19 (NIV) - "so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

2. John 14:17 (NIV) - "the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you."

3. Revelation 2:17 (NIV) - "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it."

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Observation Questions:

1. According to Ephesians 3:17-19, what is the relationship between being rooted in love and understanding the love of Christ? How does this relate to the sermon’s emphasis on being "rooted and grounded in love"? [29:15]

2. In John 14:17, why is the Spirit of truth not accepted by the world, and how does this relate to the sermon’s point about the love of God being a mystery to those outside of Christ? [21:21]

3. What does Revelation 2:17 mean by "hidden manna" and a "white stone with a new name," and how does this imagery relate to the sermon’s description of the love of God as a secret known only to the saints? [23:31]

4. How does the sermon describe the experience of God's love as overwhelming, and what examples are given to illustrate this? [32:40]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does being "rooted and grounded in love" prepare believers to comprehend the vastness of God's love, according to the sermon? What does this suggest about the nature of spiritual growth? [29:15]

2. The sermon mentions that the love of God is a secret known only to those in Christ. How does this exclusivity affect the way believers should view their relationship with God and the world? [23:31]

3. The sermon suggests that love is a dynamic force that can leave us breathless and transformed. How might this understanding of love challenge common perceptions of love as merely sentimental or emotional? [30:45]

4. The sermon emphasizes that the journey of knowing God's love is endless. How does this perspective influence the way believers should approach their spiritual journey and relationship with God? [42:27]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your own life: Are you currently "rooted and grounded in love"? What steps can you take to deepen this foundation in your daily walk with Christ? [29:15]

2. The sermon describes God's love as a mystery to the world. How can you share this love with those who do not yet know Christ, while respecting its sacredness? [23:31]

3. Have you ever experienced God's love in a way that felt overwhelming or transformative? If so, how did it change your perspective or actions? If not, what might you do to open yourself to such an experience? [32:40]

4. The sermon suggests that love recognizes love. How can you cultivate a heart of love that is more receptive to God's love in your everyday interactions? [35:09]

5. Consider the idea that the more we love, the more we will know God's love. What practical steps can you take this week to express love to others, thereby deepening your understanding of God's love? [42:27]

6. The sermon encourages believers to keep climbing the mountain of God's love. What are some practical ways you can persevere in your spiritual journey, especially when you feel discouraged or weary? [43:28]

7. How can you create a personal practice or habit that regularly reminds you of the vastness and depth of God's love, as described in Ephesians 3:17-19? [29:15]

Devotional

Day 1: The Unfathomable Love of Christ
The ultimate goal of our Christian life is to know the love of Christ, a love that surpasses all understanding. This love is not just for a select few but is available to all believers who are rooted and grounded in love. It is a profound reality that transforms our lives, not merely an abstract concept. To truly know Christ is to know His love, and this knowledge is accessible to all believers, not just a select few. This love is a secret, a hidden manna, known only to those who are in Christ. It is a love that the world cannot comprehend, for it is a divine mystery revealed only to the saints. [18:37]

Ephesians 3:17-19 (ESV): "So that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."

Reflection: Think of a moment when you felt truly loved by God. How can you root yourself more deeply in that love today?


Day 2: The Divine Mystery of God's Love
The love of God is a divine mystery, a secret known only to those who are in Christ. It is a hidden manna, a white stone with a new name, a love that the world cannot comprehend. This love is not about intellectual understanding or religious status but about being strengthened in our inner being by the Spirit. It is a dynamic force that can leave us breathless and transformed. The love of God is not a mere sentiment; it is a powerful and overwhelming force that requires strength to bear. [23:31]

Colossians 1:26-27 (ESV): "The mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

Reflection: What is one mystery of God’s love that you find difficult to understand? How can you invite the Holy Spirit to strengthen your inner being to grasp this mystery?


Day 3: Strengthened by the Spirit to Comprehend Love
This love is not about intellectual understanding or religious status but about being strengthened in our inner being by the Spirit. It is a dynamic force that can leave us breathless and transformed. To experience this love, we must be prepared, strengthened in our inner being by the Spirit. It is love that recognizes love, and only those who have love in their hearts can truly appreciate and receive God's love. This is why it is possible for all saints to know this love, regardless of their intellectual capacity or social status. [30:45]

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (ESV): "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

Reflection: In what ways can you allow the Holy Spirit to renew your inner self today, so you can better comprehend God’s love?


Day 4: Love Recognizes Love
To experience God's love, we must be prepared, rooted, and grounded in love. It is love that recognizes love, and only those who have love in their hearts can truly appreciate and receive God's love. The more we love, the more we will know His love, and this journey of love is endless, leading us ever deeper into the heart of God. This love is not reserved for a special class of Christians but is accessible to all who believe. [35:09]

1 John 4:7-8 (ESV): "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love."

Reflection: Identify one person in your life who needs to feel God’s love through you today. How can you show them love in a tangible way?


Day 5: The Endless Journey into God's Love
The journey of knowing God's love is endless, leading us ever deeper into the heart of God. The more we love, the more we will know His love, and this journey is a progressive, eternal experience. It is a love that requires strength to bear, for it is as powerful as it is overwhelming. This journey of love is not static but dynamic, inviting us to continually grow and deepen our understanding and experience of God's love. [42:27]

Philippians 1:9-11 (ESV): "And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

Reflection: What is one new way you can explore or deepen your understanding of God’s love this week? How can this exploration impact your daily walk with Christ?

Quotes



I therefore lay it down as this first proposition that this is the goal of all our Christian Endeavor to know this Love Of Christ which passes knowledge I wonder how much of it we know this morning I wonder how real it is to us. [00:18:37]

This is something that is possible for all Christians that he may be able to comprehend with All Saints now this is a very important statement indeed the two words are important take first of all the word Saints may be able to comprehend with all saints. [00:19:50]

There is something secret about this it's a secret that is only enjoyed by the Lord's people you know the Bible's full of this listen to it in the Book of Revelation for instance listen to this word to the church at pergamos in the second chapter of the Book of Revelations. [00:23:31]

The hidden manner the white stone with a name written on it that nobody can understand they can see the lettering but it means nothing to them ah and none understand it save those who truly receive it this is the secret of the Christian this is a secret love that nobody else knows anything at all about. [00:23:51]

It's only those who are strengthened with might by his spirit in the inner man who can go up here and begin to understand these things it's only for Saints God forbid that anyone should have a feeling here this morning that he doesn't belong to the saints. [00:30:45]

We need to be strengthened we need to be made fully Able by being rooted and grounded in love why well for this reason because of the weight of God's love which we're going to Bear love is a very powerful thing love is not something weak and flabby and sentimental love is dynamite. [00:31:45]

Love is power God is love and all his might and majesty and power are in that love and when you feel the love of God you're feeling something of the might of God and the weight and The Eternity of God you go through your Bible and go through Christian biographies. [00:31:55]

The love of God it's so tremendous it's so terrific that a man feels he can't stand it that his physical frame is cracking beneath it I've often reminded you of Moody's experience in that respect and it's true of many others you will read of Christian people when they've suddenly had an awareness of this love of God. [00:32:15]

We are in a realm you know now where intellect itself almost appears to be ridiculous doesn't it it's no use putting intellect to meet love can't do it it's incompetent like attracts like you must have love in your heart if you're going to know love and experience it. [00:35:09]

It's only love that can appreciate love and understand it and receive it like speaking to like well the himym has put it for us again the love of Jesus what it is none but his loved ones know nobody else can know it this it leaves me cold I don't know what you're talking about. [00:35:29]

The more you have the more you'll get indeed if you haven't got something you'll get nothing and to that hath not shall be taken away even that which he seeth to have in other words here is a man you see he says I'm a Christian I'm a member of a church but I don't understand all this that you're talking about the love of God. [00:42:27]

The more we love him the more we'll know his love to us and we'll say well no more is possible it is possible because you know that much more you'll get more and on and on it'll go forever and forever ever unto him that hath shall be given. [00:42:47]

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Transcript
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