Redefining Love: Finding Joy in God's Glory

Devotional

Day 1: God's Love Draws Us to Himself

The essence of God's love is not primarily about the benefits we receive, such as forgiveness or eternal life, but about bringing us into a relationship with Him. This love is centered on God, not us, and calls us to find our ultimate satisfaction in Him. When we understand that God's love is about drawing us closer to Him, we begin to see that the greatest gift is not what we receive but who we are brought to. This perspective shifts our focus from ourselves to the magnificence of God, inviting us to delight in His presence and glory. [05:20]

Psalm 73:25-26 (ESV): "Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

Reflection: In what ways can you intentionally seek to deepen your relationship with God today, focusing on Him rather than the benefits you might receive?

Day 2: Redefining Love as God-Centered

The world's concept of love often revolves around self-importance and personal significance. In contrast, biblical love is about being freed from self-centered desires to enjoy and glorify God forever. This shift challenges us to redefine what it means to be loved. True love from God liberates us to make much of Him, rather than ourselves. By embracing this God-centered love, we are invited to experience a deeper joy and fulfillment that comes from glorifying God above all else. [11:34]

1 John 4:9-10 (ESV): "In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

Reflection: How can you shift your understanding of love from being self-centered to God-centered in your daily interactions and relationships?

Day 3: God's Glory Revealed Through Lazarus

The story of Lazarus teaches us that God's glory is more valuable than life itself. Jesus allowing Lazarus to die so that God's glory might be revealed is a profound demonstration of love. This act challenges us to see that true love points us to the greater reality of God's glory. By understanding that God's glory is the ultimate purpose, we are invited to trust in His plans, even when they seem difficult or harsh. [15:51]

John 11:4 (ESV): "But when Jesus heard it he said, 'This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.'"

Reflection: Consider a challenging situation in your life. How might God be using it to reveal His glory, and how can you align your perspective with this truth?

Day 4: Jesus' Prayer for Glorification

Jesus' prayer for His own glorification is the most loving act because it leads us to eternal life—knowing and savoring God. This prayer challenges us to see God's self-exaltation as the highest virtue and the most loving act. By understanding that Jesus' glorification is for our benefit, we are invited to participate in the eternal life that comes from knowing God intimately. This perspective encourages us to seek God's glory in all aspects of our lives. [19:02]

John 17:1-3 (ESV): "When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.'"

Reflection: How can you actively seek to glorify God in your daily life, recognizing that His glorification is the most loving act for you?

Day 5: Transformative Impact of God's Love

Understanding God's love as being freed to delight in His glory transforms our lives. It severs the root of pride, enables us to truly love others, and fulfills our purpose to worship God. This transformation shifts our focus from ourselves to the magnificence of God, inviting us to find our deepest joy in making much of Him. By embracing this transformative love, we are empowered to live lives that reflect God's glory and love to those around us. [26:09]

2 Corinthians 3:18 (ESV): "And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

Reflection: In what ways can you allow God's transformative love to shape your actions and attitudes today, enabling you to reflect His glory to others?

Sermon Summary

In our time together, we explored the profound question: What does it mean to be loved by God? Many might quickly point to the sacrifice of Jesus as the ultimate expression of God's love, citing scriptures like Romans 5:6-8. However, the deeper question is: Why is this love good for us? The answer lies not in the benefits we receive, such as forgiveness or eternal life, but in the ultimate purpose of these gifts—to bring us to God. The essence of being loved by God is not centered on us but on God Himself. It is about being freed from our self-centered desires to enjoy and glorify God forever.

This perspective challenges the common notion that love is about being made much of. Instead, true love from God is about being liberated to make much of Him. This is a radical shift from the world's understanding of love, which often equates love with self-importance and personal significance. The biblical vision of love is about finding our ultimate satisfaction in God, not in ourselves.

We examined the story of Lazarus in John 11, where Jesus allows Lazarus to die so that God's glory might be revealed. This act, though seemingly harsh, is a profound demonstration of love because it points to the greater reality that God's glory is more valuable than life itself. Similarly, in John 17, Jesus prays for His own glorification, which might seem self-centered, but it is actually the most loving act because it leads us to eternal life—knowing and savoring God.

In conclusion, being loved by God means being drawn into a relationship where we are freed to delight in His glory. This understanding transforms our lives, severing the root of pride, enabling us to truly love others, and fulfilling our purpose to worship God. It is a call to shift our focus from ourselves to the magnificence of God, finding our deepest joy in making much of Him.

Key Takeaways

1. pwuDQA&t=320s'>[05:20]
2. Redefining Love: The world's concept of love often revolves around self-importance and personal significance. In contrast, biblical love is about being freed from self-centered desires to enjoy and glorify God forever. This shift challenges us to redefine what it means to be loved.

3. The Story of Lazarus: Jesus allowing Lazarus to die so that God's glory might be revealed is a profound demonstration of love. It teaches us that God's glory is more valuable than life itself, and true love points us to this greater reality.

4. Jesus' Prayer in John 17: Jesus' prayer for His own glorification is the most loving act because it leads us to eternal life—knowing and savoring God. This prayer challenges us to see God's self-exaltation as the highest virtue and the most loving act.

5. Transformative Impact of God's Love: Understanding God's love as being freed to delight in His glory transforms our lives. It severs the root of pride, enables us to truly love others, and fulfills our purpose to worship God, shifting our focus from ourselves to the magnificence of God.

** [05:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:10] - Opening Prayer
[00:42] - Introduction: Being Loved by God
[01:43] - Questioning the Nature of Love
[02:46] - The Great Divide in Understanding Love
[05:20] - The Purpose of God's Love
[06:49] - Worship and God's Glory
[09:24] - God's Passion for His Glory
[12:12] - The Story of Lazarus
[15:51] - Love Beyond Life
[17:28] - God's Self-Exaltation as Love
[19:02] - Jesus' Prayer for Glory
[21:10] - Eternal Life and Knowing God
[23:34] - Meditating on the Glories of Christ
[26:09] - Transformative Impact of God's Love
[27:34] - Closing Prayer

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide: Understanding God's Love

Bible Reading:

Romans 5:6-8
John 11:1-6
John 17:1-5

Observation Questions:

In Romans 5:6-8, what does Paul say is the demonstration of God's love for us? How does this relate to the sermon’s discussion on the essence of God's love? [01:14]
According to John 11:1-6, why did Jesus allow Lazarus to die, and how does this action demonstrate love? [15:51]
In John 17:1-5, what does Jesus pray for, and how does this prayer reflect the sermon’s theme of God’s self-exaltation as an act of love? [19:02]
How does the sermon describe the world's concept of love compared to the biblical vision of love? [11:34]

Interpretation Questions:

How does the sermon explain the purpose of forgiveness and eternal life in the context of God's love? Why is it important to understand these gifts as means to bring us to God? [05:20]
What does the sermon suggest about the relationship between God's glory and our understanding of love? How does this challenge common perceptions of love? [06:13]
In the story of Lazarus, how does the sermon interpret Jesus' decision to delay his visit? What does this teach about the value of God's glory compared to life itself? [15:51]
How does Jesus' prayer in John 17 illustrate the connection between God's self-exaltation and love for us? Why is this considered the most loving act? [19:02]

Application Questions:

Reflect on your understanding of God's love. Do you find yourself focusing more on the benefits you receive or on the relationship with God? How can you shift your focus to delighting in His glory? [05:20]
The sermon challenges the notion that love is about being made much of. How can you practice redefining love in your daily interactions, focusing on glorifying God rather than seeking personal significance? [11:34]
Consider a situation where you felt God’s love was absent because of a difficult circumstance. How might viewing that situation through the lens of God’s glory change your perspective? [15:51]
Jesus' prayer in John 17 emphasizes knowing and savoring God as eternal life. What practical steps can you take to deepen your relationship with God and savor His presence daily? [19:02]
The sermon speaks about the transformative impact of understanding God's love. Identify one area of pride in your life. How can you work on severing this root to better love others and worship God? [26:09]
How can you cultivate a mindset that finds satisfaction in making much of God rather than seeking self-importance? What changes in your daily routine might support this shift? [11:34]
Reflect on a time when you felt loved by God. Was it because you were made much of, or because you were freed to enjoy making much of Him? How can this reflection guide your future experiences of God’s love? [11:55]

Sermon Clips

"Christ suffered once, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God. I'm out of hell to go to God. I'm into life to go to God. My sins are forgiven so that every barrier between me and God would be removed. I have an alien righteousness so that I can be accepted by God. I can see God, savior God, know God, love God, cherish God, be satisfied in God." [00:05:11]

"Every millisecond and every bit of energy that God invests In Loving You Is aimed at exalting himself, and the stumbling block is that doesn't sound love to a lot of people. I could I cut out One article here from the from the London Financial Times by Michael prowse, reviewing a book begins like this: worship is an aspect of religion that I always found difficult to understand." [00:06:21]

"The Bible vision of being loved is not being made much of by God, but rather being freed by God from bondage to that craving to enjoy making much of him forever. Test yourself. Do you feel more loved by God because he makes much of you or because he frees you at the cost of his son's life to enjoy making much of him forever?" [00:11:34]

"Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, therefore he let him die. That's what it says plain and simple. Let's read Don Carson's commentary on this and you'll see that oon taken very seriously. Now how do you make sense out of that? The whole world would rise up and say this is not what love does. Love doesn't put people through a little personal Katrina." [00:15:51]

"In order to love us God must display to us for our own Everlasting Joy the fullness of his glory which is why it's not a contradiction for God in all the designs of his love to be designing his self-exaltation. He is the only being in the universe for whom self-exaltation is the highest virtue and the most loving act." [00:19:02]

"This is eternal life that they know you, the only true God and Me whom you have sent of course in other words glorify me that I may glorify you because you gave me the power to produce eternal life, which is knowing that, seeing that, savoring that, enjoying that forever." [00:21:10]

"Has Jesus become for you so satisfying in his glorious power and Justice and wisdom and love that being loved means being enabled to make much of his greatness to my own Everlasting satisfaction, or does your heart still Crave in a kind of bondage I must be liked I must be made much of I must be central people must recognize me or I don't feel loved." [00:23:34]

"Let me end by recalling a book that I just looked at. I just got a book in the mail that just was published. It's the translation of Adolf Slaughter's Canon villasis. Do you know Jesus do we know Jesus and I didn't know this is going to be translated because when I was in Germany 30 years ago I found the first edition of that old book written in 1937 by one of the two begin Scholars Adolf schlotter who was a great Old Saint and began to use it for personal devotions." [00:26:09]

"Here are the three things that will happen in your life if you catch on to what I'm saying number one, the root of all sin will be severed, namely Pride. It is a great Liberty to be freed from yourself it is a great Liberty. Number two, you will be fitted to love other people because loving other people is not making them feel Central not making them feel Supreme loving other people means doing whatever it takes and it may take the laying down of your life to make them see Jesus as their infinite treasure and be satisfied in him." [00:28:09]

"Humility, love to other people and worship to God will follow the copernican revolution of discovering that being loved by God does not mean being made much of by God but being Freed at Great cost to God the death of his son to enjoy making much of God forever." [00:29:48]

"Would you grant them to have a revolution in their affections and in their emotions and in their thinking so that they move out of the center and put you at the Blazing Center of the solar system of their lives and discover the sweetness of the satisfaction of looking away from you looking through the mirror turning it into the window onto the glory of Christ." [00:31:44]

"Father I pray now that as these few thoughts about the centrality of God in the heart of God and the centrality of Christ in the heart of Christ and your unbounded passion for your self-exaltation has landed on these students I pray o God that you would cause them to feel that this is love." [00:32:48]

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