Finding Fulfillment in God's Perfect Love

 

Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound longing for love that resides in every human heart. This longing often leads us to seek fulfillment in imperfect human relationships, which can result in disappointment and frustration. We examined the lyrics of a popular song that encapsulates this yearning for someone to show us what love truly is. This quest for love is deeply rooted in our spiritual DNA, as we were created by God to experience a perfect, unfailing love that only He can provide.

We delved into the idea that our Creator designed us for a life far more fulfilling than the one we often settle for. The series "Obsession and Euphoria" highlights our tendency to chase fleeting moments of happiness, often at the expense of our well-being. Love, as the most powerful of these experiences, can bring both immense joy and profound pain. Yet, the love we truly seek is not just any love; it is a perfect, euphoric love that can only be found in God.

We discussed the attributes of this perfect love, which include being sacrificial, self-sufficient, omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. These are qualities that only God possesses, and they are the very traits we unconsciously seek in others. However, expecting human beings to fulfill these divine attributes sets us up for inevitable disappointment. Instead, we are invited to find this perfect love in Christ, who embodies the fullness of God and offers us a relationship that satisfies our deepest longings.

By understanding that we are made by Christ and for Him, we can begin to internalize the truth of His love for us. This realization transforms our relationships, allowing us to appreciate the love we receive from others as a delightful addition, rather than a necessity. It shifts our focus from demanding love to giving love, fostering healthier and more fulfilling connections.

Ultimately, the message encourages us to fill our hearts with the inexhaustible love of Christ, which empowers us to live and love as He does. This divine love not only meets our deepest needs but also equips us to extend grace, mercy, and forgiveness to others, reflecting the character of God in our daily lives.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Quest for Perfect Love: Our innate desire for unfailing love often leads us to seek fulfillment in human relationships, which can result in disappointment. Only God's love, as revealed in Christ, can truly satisfy this longing. [46:38]

2. Attributes of Divine Love: The perfect love we seek is characterized by qualities such as omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence—traits that only God possesses. Expecting these from others leads to frustration. [55:14]

3. Transforming Relationships: When we receive our deepest love needs from Christ, we can appreciate human love as a delightful addition rather than a necessity, fostering healthier relationships. [01:14:24]

4. Living in God's Love: Internalizing God's love transforms our focus from demanding love to giving love, allowing us to extend grace, mercy, and forgiveness to others. [01:17:46]

5. The Impact of Christ's Love: Embracing Christ's love expands our understanding of life, stabilizes our expectations of others, and empowers us to live with grace and mercy. [01:24:16]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [45:32] - Opening Prayer
- [46:38] - The Quest for Love
- [55:14] - Attributes of Divine Love
- [01:01:25] - Made by Christ, For Christ
- [01:03:30] - The Compassionate Shepherd
- [01:08:06] - Real Love Defined
- [01:14:24] - Human Love as Dessert
- [01:17:46] - Clothing Ourselves in Love
- [01:22:24] - Expanded Capacity to Love
- [01:24:16] - Impact of Christ's Love
- [01:26:02] - Looking for Love in the Right Place
- [01:27:16] - Glimpses of God's Love
- [01:29:07] - Closing Prayer

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Colossians 1:16 - "For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him."
2. Colossians 2:9 - "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form."
3. 1 Peter 2:25 - "For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

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Observation Questions:

1. According to Colossians 1:16, what does it mean that all things were created by and for Christ? How does this relate to our understanding of our purpose? [55:14]

2. In the sermon, what qualities of divine love are highlighted as being unique to God? How do these qualities contrast with human love? [46:38]

3. How does the sermon describe the impact of internalizing God's love on our relationships with others? [01:14:24]

4. What does 1 Peter 2:25 suggest about our relationship with Christ as the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls? How does this imagery help us understand our spiritual journey? [01:03:30]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does understanding that we are made by Christ and for Him change our perspective on seeking love and fulfillment in human relationships? [55:14]

2. The sermon mentions that God's love is sacrificial and self-sufficient. How do these attributes of divine love challenge our expectations of love from others? [46:38]

3. What does it mean to "clothe ourselves" with Christ-like characteristics, and how does this process transform our interactions with others? [01:17:46]

4. How does the concept of Christ as the "singular someone" we seek for perfect love influence our understanding of human relationships and their limitations? [01:24:16]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you sought fulfillment in a human relationship and felt disappointed. How might understanding God's perfect love have changed your expectations in that situation? [46:38]

2. Consider the attributes of divine love discussed in the sermon. Which attribute do you find most challenging to accept or understand, and why? [46:38]

3. How can you begin to shift your focus from demanding love to giving love in your current relationships? What practical steps can you take this week to embody this change? [01:14:24]

4. Identify a relationship in your life where you have unrealistic expectations. How can you adjust these expectations to align more closely with the understanding that only Christ can fulfill your deepest love needs? [01:24:16]

5. The sermon encourages us to "clothe ourselves" with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Choose one of these traits to focus on this week. What specific actions will you take to practice this trait in your daily interactions? [01:17:46]

6. How can you remind yourself daily of the truth that you are made by Christ and for Him, and how might this truth impact your sense of identity and purpose? [55:14]

7. Reflect on the idea of Christ as the Shepherd and Overseer of your soul. How can this understanding bring comfort and guidance in a current challenge you are facing? [01:03:30]

Devotional

Day 1: The Quest for Perfect Love
Our innate desire for unfailing love often leads us to seek fulfillment in human relationships, which can result in disappointment. This longing is deeply embedded in our spiritual DNA, as we were created by God to experience a perfect, unfailing love that only He can provide. Human relationships, while beautiful and meaningful, are inherently imperfect and cannot fully satisfy the deep yearning for love that resides in our hearts. This quest for love is a reflection of our deeper need for God's perfect love, as revealed in Christ. By recognizing this, we can redirect our search for love towards the divine, where true fulfillment is found. [46:38]

Jeremiah 31:3 (ESV): "The Lord appeared to him from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you."

Reflection: Consider a time when you felt disappointed by a human relationship. How can you turn to God to fulfill that longing for perfect love today?


Day 2: Attributes of Divine Love
The perfect love we seek is characterized by qualities such as omnipotence, omniscience, and omnipresence—traits that only God possesses. Expecting these from others leads to frustration and disappointment. Human beings, no matter how well-intentioned, cannot embody these divine attributes. This realization invites us to shift our expectations and seek the perfect love that only God can provide. By understanding the nature of divine love, we can appreciate the limitations of human love and find peace in the sufficiency of God's love. [55:14]

1 John 4:16 (ESV): "So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him."

Reflection: Reflect on a relationship where you have placed unrealistic expectations. How can you adjust your perspective to appreciate God's perfect love instead?


Day 3: Transforming Relationships
When we receive our deepest love needs from Christ, we can appreciate human love as a delightful addition rather than a necessity, fostering healthier relationships. This shift in perspective allows us to engage in relationships with a sense of freedom and gratitude, rather than dependency. By finding our fulfillment in Christ, we are empowered to love others more selflessly and genuinely, without the burden of unmet expectations. This transformation in our approach to relationships leads to more authentic and fulfilling connections with those around us. [01:14:24]

Colossians 3:14 (ESV): "And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."

Reflection: Identify a relationship where you feel dependent on the other person for love. How can you begin to find your fulfillment in Christ instead?


Day 4: Living in God's Love
Internalizing God's love transforms our focus from demanding love to giving love, allowing us to extend grace, mercy, and forgiveness to others. When we are filled with the inexhaustible love of Christ, we are equipped to live and love as He does. This divine love not only meets our deepest needs but also empowers us to reflect the character of God in our daily lives. By embracing this love, we can become conduits of grace and mercy, impacting the lives of those around us in profound ways. [01:17:46]

Ephesians 5:2 (ESV): "And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."

Reflection: Think of someone in your life who needs grace and forgiveness. How can you extend God's love to them today?


Day 5: The Impact of Christ's Love
Embracing Christ's love expands our understanding of life, stabilizes our expectations of others, and empowers us to live with grace and mercy. This love transforms our hearts and minds, enabling us to see the world through the lens of God's love. As we grow in our relationship with Christ, we become more grounded in His love, which influences every aspect of our lives. This transformation not only benefits us but also has a ripple effect on those around us, as we become vessels of God's love and grace. [01:24:16]

2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (ESV): "For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."

Reflection: How has your understanding of love changed through your relationship with Christ? What is one way you can live out this love in your daily life today?

Quotes

"I want you, you, this is your responsibility, okay, is the way the song is written. I want you to show me what love is, I want to feel what love is, it's your responsibility to make me feel, not only show me what love is, but make me feel what love is, and I know you can do it. I know you can show me. So if you're not doing it, it's because you don't want to." [00:46:16] (22 seconds)


"i don't know if you ever thought about it or not but one of the most frustrating things about being human is is i can't i can't get you to ever understand and feel what i feel uh we all attempt this we we talk to one another and we try to express our feelings because we so desperately want to be known from the inside but nobody can get inside you nobody can get inside me and feel what it feels like to be you but that's what you want and that's what i want i want somebody that that knows what it feels like to be me on any given day somebody that's omniscient" [00:51:48] (32 seconds)


"it says for in Christ network crisis means Messiah the Christ Messiah the anointed one for in Christ lives all the the what does it say the fullness of God what does it mean by fullness it's saying that everything that there is that can be understood that can be fathomed about God it's existent it's revealed in Christ all the fullness of God lives in a human body in Christ you hear people say things sometimes like well God is vast and nobody no human can know him his ways are higher than our ways and his thoughts than our thoughts and so forth well that's true but if he chooses to make himself known again an adult is higher in thoughts and ways than a small child but that adult if they choose can make themselves known to the child our God has chosen to completely reveal himself and he gave us this revelation in the person of Jesus of Nazareth" [00:55:14] (57 seconds)


"Jesus, the God, the creator, the sustainer of the universe, he feels intense affection and love for you and I every day of our life, every season of our life, when we're at our best, when we're at our worst, everything in between. And when we can start to internalize that, take that from our head, we first have to know it, get it in our head, and then get it down in here, it starts to have dynamic effect on the way that we live." [01:01:46] (25 seconds)


"Matthew 9 shows the practicality of God's love. This someone, this unfailing love that we're looking for, it is a someone. It is Christ. It is our creator. He's our sustainer. It says, when he saw the crowds, he felt how sorry for them. Other versions say he felt compassion for them. Why? They were troubled and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." [01:03:30] (22 seconds)


"This is what it means to be a Christian. The Bible teaches that when we choose to put our trust in Christ and become his follower, he gives us the free gift of everlasting life. Not only that, he forgives us all of our sins, we become God's children, his family, his body, his bride for time and eternity. He cherishes us. He's with us. He'll never leave us and never forsake us." [01:04:27] (25 seconds)


"When we receive the vast love needs that we have, directly from Christ, our Creator, that's the meal, we're full, we're happily full. And now, listen carefully, now whatever imperfect, brief fragments of love that we receive from human beings, they're dessert. We don't need them, but we do appreciate them, and we do like them. They're still beautiful. They're still, frankly, euphoric." [01:14:24] (34 seconds)


"Galatians says this, kind of the same frame of mind, you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters, only don't let this freedom be an opportunity to indulge your selfish impulses but serve each other through love. So it's not as though we aren't supposed to try to serve one another and help each other feel loved. We are, but we're not going to do it perfectly. And that's where we've got to have ourselves filled with God's love because that's the trustworthy, unending source of love that we really want, the unfailing love." [01:24:16] (32 seconds)


"Christ's love can expand, illuminate our understanding of life, freeing us from obsessively pursuing whatever imperfect, brief fragments of euphoria that are available. This is what the base of this series meant. We're very susceptible to chase whatever will give us just a little bit of mood alteration and euphoria, and this is often a dangerous thing. Secondly, understanding of ourselves, stabilizing us from being unnecessarily vulnerable, vulnerable and susceptible to being too expectant and dependent on others." [01:25:55] (36 seconds)


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Transcript
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