God's Love: Our Ultimate Desire and Pursuit

 

Summary

In today's gathering, we focused on the profound truth that God's love is better than life itself. We began by acknowledging the needs within our community and around the world, lifting them up in prayer, and expressing gratitude for the opportunity to give back to God through our tithes and offerings. We then turned our attention to Psalm 63, where the psalmist earnestly seeks God, declaring His love as more satisfying than the richest feast. This scripture challenges us to examine our desires and ask ourselves what we truly want from God.

We explored the idea that God comes where He is wanted, emphasizing the importance of earnestly seeking Him. This pursuit of God should be our primary desire, surpassing all worldly attachments and distractions. We are reminded that God's love, described as "chesed" or covenant faithfulness, is a divine connection that surpasses any human experience. King David, despite his wealth and power, recognized that God's love was better than anything the world could offer.

We also discussed the danger of becoming preoccupied with the small things in life, missing the bigger picture of God's work in the world. It's crucial to remain aware of God's global mission and participate in it, rather than being consumed by our personal concerns. We are called to cultivate a hunger and passion for God, seeking His presence in our daily lives and in our gatherings as a community of faith.

To practically live out this truth, we must get near the flame by surrounding ourselves with passionate believers and engaging in environments that foster spiritual growth. Additionally, we should spend time with young or new Christians, whose enthusiasm can reignite our own passion for God. By doing so, we can become tangible reflections of God's love in the world, drawing others to Him.

Key Takeaways:

1. God's Love Surpasses All: God's love, described as "chesed," is a divine connection that surpasses any human experience. It is better than life itself, offering a satisfaction that the world cannot provide. We are called to earnestly seek this love and make it our primary desire. [28:37]

2. Avoiding Distraction: We often become preoccupied with the small things in life, missing the bigger picture of God's work. It's essential to remain aware of His global mission and participate in it, rather than being consumed by personal concerns. [22:41]

3. Cultivating Passion for God: We must cultivate a hunger and passion for God, seeking His presence in our daily lives and in our gatherings as a community of faith. This pursuit should surpass all worldly attachments and distractions. [42:36]

4. Surrounding Ourselves with Passionate Believers: To practically live out our faith, we should surround ourselves with passionate believers and engage in environments that foster spiritual growth. This helps us stay near the flame and reignite our passion for God. [43:55]

5. Reflecting God's Love to the World: As we experience God's love, we are called to become tangible reflections of it in the world. Our lives should be billboards of His love, drawing others to Him and demonstrating the joy and peace that come from a relationship with God. [37:30]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [16:53] - Prayer and Giving
- [18:15] - Cornhole Tournament Recap
- [19:47] - Scripture Reading: Psalm 63
- [21:18] - Children's Ministry Appreciation
- [22:41] - The Wheelbarrow Story
- [24:33] - God's Global Mission
- [25:52] - The Secret of Revivals
- [27:55] - What Do You Want?
- [28:37] - God's Love is Better Than Life
- [30:52] - Thanksgiving Reflections
- [31:47] - Experiencing God's Presence
- [33:20] - False Attachments
- [34:32] - The Wells That Don't Hold Water
- [35:16] - The Power of God's Love
- [37:30] - Reflecting God's Love to the World
- [42:36] - Cultivating Passion for God
- [43:55] - Surrounding Ourselves with Passionate Believers
- [46:38] - Sacrificial Giving
- [48:08] - The Enthusiasm of New Christians
- [50:15] - The Fireball of Faith
- [51:23] - Encouragement from Young Believers
- [52:48] - God Comes Where He is Wanted
- [55:04] - Honest Reflection and Prayer
- [59:53] - Closing Prayer and Benediction

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Psalm 63

Observation Questions:
1. In Psalm 63, what does the psalmist declare about God's love in comparison to life itself? How does this reflect the main theme of the sermon? [28:37]
2. What does the sermon suggest about the importance of seeking God earnestly, and how is this reflected in the psalmist's words? [25:52]
3. How does the sermon illustrate the concept of "chesed" or covenant faithfulness, and how is this concept presented in Psalm 63? [35:16]
4. What examples from the sermon highlight the danger of being preoccupied with small things and missing the bigger picture of God's work? [22:41]

Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon interpret the psalmist's declaration that God's love is better than life? What implications does this have for our understanding of satisfaction and fulfillment? [28:37]
2. The sermon emphasizes the idea that "God comes where He is wanted." How does this concept challenge or affirm your current spiritual practices and desires? [25:52]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that surrounding ourselves with passionate believers can reignite our own passion for God? How does this relate to the community aspect of faith? [43:55]
4. How does the sermon use the story of King David to illustrate the surpassing value of God's love over worldly possessions and experiences? [36:10]

Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your current desires and priorities. How do they align with the psalmist's declaration that God's love is better than life? What changes might you need to make? [28:37]
2. Consider the distractions in your life that may be preventing you from fully participating in God's global mission. What steps can you take to refocus on the bigger picture? [22:41]
3. How can you cultivate a deeper hunger and passion for God in your daily life? Identify one specific practice you can implement this week to seek His presence more earnestly. [42:36]
4. Think about the people you spend the most time with. Are they helping you grow spiritually? How can you intentionally surround yourself with passionate believers who inspire your faith? [43:55]
5. Reflect on a time when you felt distant from God. What practical steps can you take to "get near the flame" and reignite your passion for Him? [43:55]
6. How can you become a tangible reflection of God's love in your community? Identify one specific action you can take this week to demonstrate His love to others. [37:30]
7. If Jesus were to ask you today, "What do you want?" how would you respond? How does this question challenge you to examine your heart and desires? [27:55]

Devotional

Day 1: The Incomparable Love of God
God's love, described as "chesed," is a divine connection that surpasses any human experience. It is a steadfast, covenantal love that offers a satisfaction the world cannot provide. This love is better than life itself, as it fulfills the deepest longings of the human heart. In Psalm 63, the psalmist earnestly seeks God, declaring His love as more satisfying than the richest feast. This challenges us to examine our desires and prioritize God's love above all else. We are called to earnestly seek this love and make it our primary desire, recognizing that nothing in the world can compare to the fulfillment found in God's presence. [28:37]

Psalm 36:7-9 (ESV): "How precious is your steadfast love, O God! The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light."

Reflection: What worldly desires or attachments are currently competing with your desire for God's love? How can you intentionally prioritize seeking His love today?


Day 2: Seeing the Bigger Picture
In our daily lives, it's easy to become preoccupied with the small things and miss the bigger picture of God's work in the world. We often focus on personal concerns and distractions, losing sight of His global mission. It's essential to remain aware of this mission and actively participate in it. By doing so, we align ourselves with God's purposes and contribute to His work on a larger scale. This requires a shift in perspective, moving from self-centeredness to a broader view of God's kingdom. We are called to lift our eyes and see the world through God's lens, joining Him in His redemptive work. [22:41]

Isaiah 42:6-7 (ESV): "I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness."

Reflection: What is one small concern or distraction that has been consuming your attention? How can you shift your focus to participate in God's global mission today?


Day 3: A Passionate Pursuit of God
Cultivating a hunger and passion for God is essential for a vibrant spiritual life. This pursuit should surpass all worldly attachments and distractions, as we seek His presence in our daily lives and in our gatherings as a community of faith. The psalmist's earnest seeking of God in Psalm 63 serves as a model for us, demonstrating the importance of prioritizing our relationship with Him. By cultivating this passion, we open ourselves to experiencing the fullness of God's love and presence. This requires intentionality and a commitment to pursuing God above all else, allowing His love to transform our lives. [42:36]

Jeremiah 29:13-14 (ESV): "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile."

Reflection: What is one practical step you can take today to cultivate a deeper passion for God in your life?


Day 4: The Power of Community
Surrounding ourselves with passionate believers and engaging in environments that foster spiritual growth is crucial for living out our faith. By staying near the flame of passionate believers, we can reignite our own passion for God. This community provides encouragement, accountability, and inspiration as we journey together in faith. Additionally, spending time with young or new Christians can remind us of the enthusiasm and joy that comes from a fresh encounter with God. As we engage in these relationships, we become tangible reflections of God's love, drawing others to Him and demonstrating the transformative power of community. [43:55]

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV): "And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near."

Reflection: Who are the passionate believers in your life that you can spend more time with? How can you intentionally engage with them to foster spiritual growth?


Day 5: Reflecting God's Love to the World
As we experience God's love, we are called to become tangible reflections of it in the world. Our lives should be billboards of His love, drawing others to Him and demonstrating the joy and peace that come from a relationship with God. This involves living out our faith in practical ways, showing kindness, compassion, and grace to those around us. By embodying God's love, we become instruments of His peace and agents of His kingdom. This calling challenges us to live authentically and intentionally, allowing God's love to shine through us and impact the world for His glory. [37:30]

1 John 4:11-12 (ESV): "Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."

Reflection: How can you be a tangible reflection of God's love to someone in your life today? What specific action can you take to demonstrate His love to them?

Quotes

"Sometimes we get so preoccupied with the small things in our life and we miss the bigger things that are right before us. And I shared with the adult Bible study that we have on Wednesday evening that God has a plan to save this world. But sometimes we get so focused, so focused on the things that are going on in our life and what my problems are and what's going on with me and my family and my job and my situation and my neighborhood that sometimes we forget to see what God's doing in the whole world." [00:22:55]

"And sometimes it's easy for us to get distracted in a way where when we get preoccupied, not only do we miss what God's trying to do in the bigger scheme of things, but we don't even get involved and participate and cooperate with what he's doing around the world. Last week I asked, how many miles is it from Florida to Mozambique? And I gave Alan kind of a hard time because he didn't know off the top of his head how many miles it was. But on Monday morning he reported to me it was 8,431 miles from Orlando to Mozambique." [00:23:46]

"Psalm 63 says, You are my God, I earnestly search for you. Just soak that in for a little bit. The psalmist is earnestly searching for God. I enjoy reading about revivals and I have a friend who has since passed away, but he was a student of revivals. And he was from the UK and retired and spent the rest of his life before he passed in Massachusetts. And he studied revivals and he did interviews and he traveled around to different locations where these great revivals happened." [00:25:52]

"God comes where he's wanted. And so my question this morning is, what do you want? The psalmist says, you are my God, I earnestly search for you. And that's a question that Jesus would ask people as he interacted with folks. When he was traveling around and doing these miracles, people would come out of the woodwork, right, to want to see him and want Jesus to help me. Help me with my problem, Jesus. Help me in my situation." [00:27:55]

"Verse 3 says, your unfailing love is better than life itself. How I praise you. Wow. Aren't those incredible words? I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy. Because your love is better than life. I think this is remarkable that the psalmist can say these kind of words." [00:28:54]

"When we talk about coming together, do we talk about experiencing the tangible presence of the living God? That your love is better than life? We can be in the presence of the living God when we gather in a place like this? How about when we come together in our small groups, in our Sunday school classes? Do we recognize that the promise that Jesus has given us, that God has given us in His Word, where two or three of you come together, there I will be, the Shekinah glory will come down and be with you?" [00:31:47]

"Jeremiah talks about these false attachments in chapter 2, verse 13, for my people have done two evil things. They have abandoned me, the fountain of living water, and they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all. The wells that we dig in this world, in this life, they don't hold water. All the substitutes that we try to build, try to put in the place of God, they don't last." [00:34:32]

"David says this love is better than life. The word that he uses here is chesed, a Hebrew word. It's kind of hard for us to translate. We don't have a good English word for it. So some of our translations say loving kindness. Some say chesed. Covenant faithfulness or covenant love or steadfast love, chesed. It's this divine connection and experience of God's love." [00:35:16]

"Psalm 36, verses 7 through 10 says, How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadows of your wings. You feed them from the abundance of your house, letting them drink from the river of your delights. For you are the fountain of life, the light by which we see. Pour out your unfailing love on those who love you. Give justice to those with honest hearts." [00:36:46]

"Paul Miller writes in his book on prayer, fantastic book on prayer. He says, Christians, filled with the spirit are dangerous to hell. If you're not dangerous to hell, then you're dangerous to the church. I think he's right. Lukewarm Christianity is dangerous to the church. C.S. Lewis said, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us." [00:42:36]

"Isaiah 55 says, is anyone thirsty? Come and drink. Even if you have no money, come and take your choice of wine or milk. It's all free. Why spend your money on food? Why pay for food that doesn't give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest of foods." [00:42:56]

"Volunteer with Pastor Josh or Kara and expose yourself to some folks that aren't so cynical, that are out to have fun. Read biographies of Christians, maybe who have lived their life. Watch a movie like the Jesus Revolution or the new Diedrich Bonhoeffer movie or there's just a movie that's come out this weekend, Between Borders, it's about a Nazarene family from Armenia that's in the theaters. Encourage yourself with the lives and sacrifice of people who have experienced, your love is better than life." [00:51:23]

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Transcript
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