Rooted in Christ's Love: Empowered to Serve Radically

Devotional

Day 1: Radical Love as a Foundation

The essence of radical Christianity is rooted in the profound love of Christ, which empowers believers to live selflessly for others. This love is not merely an abstract concept but a transformative force that calls individuals to give their lives away in service and love. Being deeply rooted in God's love provides the strength and assurance needed to live out this radical call. It is through understanding and experiencing this love that believers can truly embody the selflessness that Christ exemplified. [00:16]

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: Who in your life can you serve selflessly today, reflecting the radical love of Christ?

Day 2: The Transformative Call of God

Being called by God is not just an external invitation but a powerful, transformative experience that leads to justification and glorification. This calling changes one's perception of Christ, making Him irresistibly compelling and central to life. It is an effective call that reshapes priorities and aligns one's heart with God's purposes. Understanding this call is crucial for living a life that reflects the glory of God and the love of Christ. [05:22]

2 Timothy 1:9 (ESV): "Who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began."

Reflection: How has God's call transformed your life, and what steps can you take to align more closely with His purposes today?

Day 3: Unbreakable Assurance in Christ's Love

The love of Christ is so powerful that no external circumstance—tribulation, distress, persecution, or even death—can separate believers from it. This assurance provides a foundation of confidence and hope, enabling believers to face life's challenges with courage. Understanding this unbreakable bond is essential for living a life of faith and resilience, knowing that Christ's love is a constant and unshakeable presence. [10:57]

Isaiah 54:10 (ESV): "For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed, says the Lord, who has compassion on you."

Reflection: What challenges are you currently facing, and how can the assurance of Christ's unbreakable love give you strength and hope today?

Day 4: Empowered to Love as God's Children

Believers are called to imitate God by loving others as they have been loved by Him. This love is not just an example to follow but a powerful force that enables and empowers believers to love others as Christ loves them. Experiencing God's love transforms relationships and encourages believers to extend grace, compassion, and kindness to those around them. [18:05]

1 John 4:19 (ESV): "We love because he first loved us."

Reflection: Who in your life needs to experience God's love through you today, and how can you practically demonstrate that love?

Day 5: Deeply Rooted in Christ's Love

To truly comprehend and experience the love of Christ, believers must be deeply rooted and grounded in it. This involves testing and trusting in His love, knowing that it is limitless and unshakeable. By sending roots deep into Christ's love, believers can build their lives on a solid foundation, experiencing the fullness of God's love and being empowered to love others radically. [22:57]

Colossians 2:6-7 (ESV): "Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."

Reflection: In what ways can you deepen your roots in Christ's love today, and how might this impact your relationships and daily life?

Sermon Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound security and assurance found in the love of Christ, as outlined in Romans 8:28-39. This love is so deep and unshakeable that it empowers us to live radically for others, giving our lives away in service and love. The foundation of this radical Christianity is being rooted and grounded in God's love, which is both a source of strength and a call to action. We began by asking two critical questions: Do you love God, and are you called by God? These questions are not about perfection but about treasuring God above all else and recognizing His effective call that transforms and justifies us.

The love of Christ is so powerful that nothing can separate us from it—not tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, or sword. This love not only holds us securely but also transforms our trials into triumphs, making us more than conquerors. Understanding and experiencing this love is crucial because it is the foundation from which we can love others. As we are loved by Christ, we are called to imitate that love, not as distant admirers but as loved children who are empowered by His love to love others.

The message also emphasized the importance of being rooted and grounded in love, using the metaphors of a tree's roots and a building's foundation. By sending our roots deep into Christ's love and building our lives on this solid foundation, we can experience the fullness of God's love and be empowered to love others radically. This rootedness in love is not just a doctrine to affirm but an experiential reality to live out. As we grasp the incomprehensible love of Christ, we are called to let it transform us and overflow into our relationships with others.

Key Takeaways

1. Radical Christianity is rooted in love: True radical Christianity involves giving our lives away for others, demonstrating the security and assurance we have in Christ. This radical love stems from being deeply rooted in God's love, which empowers us to live selflessly. [00:16]
2. The power of being called by God: Being called by God is not merely an external summons but an effective, transformative call that leads to justification and glorification. This calling changes our perception of Christ, making Him irresistibly compelling and central to our lives. [05:22]
3. Nothing can separate us from Christ's love: The love of Christ is so mighty that no external circumstance—tribulation, distress, persecution, or even death—can separate us from it. This assurance allows us to face life's challenges with confidence and hope. [10:57]
4. Imitating God as loved children: Our ability to love others is rooted in our experience of being loved by God. This love is not just an example to follow but a powerful force that enables and empowers us to love others as Christ loves us. [18:05]
5. Rootedness and groundedness in love: To truly comprehend and experience the love of Christ, we must be deeply rooted and grounded in it. This involves testing and trusting in His love, knowing that it is limitless and unshakeable, providing a solid foundation for our lives. [22:57]
** [22:57]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:16] - Radical Christianity and God's Love
[00:34] - Introduction to Romans 8:28-39
[01:11] - Two Critical Questions
[02:04] - Understanding Love and Calling
[03:24] - Imperfect Yet Real Love
[04:31] - The Meaning of Being Called
[05:47] - The Power of God's Call
[07:07] - The Picture of Being Called
[09:00] - Awakening to Christ's Love
[10:39] - Assurance in Christ's Love
[11:14] - Challenges and Triumphs
[14:16] - The Foundation of Love
[18:05] - Imitating God as Loved Children
[22:01] - Comprehending Christ's Love

Bible Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Romans 8:28-39
- Ephesians 3:14-19
- 1 John 3:16

---

Observation Questions:

According to Romans 8:28, who are the people for whom all things work together for good? How does this relate to the questions posed in the sermon about loving God and being called by Him? [02:04]
In the sermon, what metaphor is used to describe being rooted and grounded in God's love, and how does this metaphor help us understand our relationship with Christ? [23:14]
What are some of the external circumstances listed in Romans 8:35-39 that cannot separate us from the love of Christ? How does the sermon expand on this idea? [11:14]
How does the sermon describe the transformative power of being called by God, and what biblical passage is used to illustrate this concept? [05:22]

---

Interpretation Questions:

How does the sermon explain the concept of being "more than conquerors" through Christ's love, and what does this mean for believers facing trials? [13:29]
In what ways does the sermon suggest that being rooted in Christ's love empowers believers to love others radically? How does this relate to the metaphor of a tree's roots? [23:14]
The sermon mentions that the love of Christ is both a source of strength and a call to action. How does this dual role of love manifest in a believer's life according to the sermon? [14:50]
How does the sermon describe the experience of being called by God, and what impact does this calling have on a believer's perception of Christ? [06:52]

---

Application Questions:

Reflect on the question, "Do you love God?" How can you assess whether God is truly your treasure above all else in your daily life? [04:13]
The sermon emphasizes the importance of being rooted in Christ's love. What practical steps can you take to deepen your roots in His love this week? [23:14]
Consider a current trial or challenge you are facing. How can the assurance that nothing can separate you from Christ's love change your perspective on this situation? [11:14]
The sermon describes radical Christianity as giving your life away for others. Identify one specific way you can serve someone in your community this week, demonstrating Christ's love. [21:07]
How can you actively remind yourself of God's effective call in your life, especially during moments of doubt or uncertainty? [05:22]
Think of a relationship in your life where you struggle to show love. How can the understanding of being loved by God empower you to love that person more fully? [19:38]
The sermon encourages believers to imitate God as loved children. What is one specific characteristic of God's love that you can strive to imitate in your interactions with others this week? [18:05]

Sermon Clips

you are so secure in Jesus that you are so bound to him that he has you so firmly that his promises are so precious and So Glorious and your destiny in him is so firm and so fixed and so assured that you can actually give your life away let give it away for others that's radical Christianity it comes from sending your root radics Roots down into the love that God has for you [00:00:06]

do you love God now let me make sure the question is clear because it could be easily misunderstood we're not talking about a perfect perfect love here there is no perfect love on Earth in this age short of the love of Jesus Christ for us in fact we all know that love has a an imperfection about it that is nevertheless real you know when you love your spouse you know when you love a friend you know when you love a mother or a father somebody precious to you and you know it's not perfect in fact you know that the closer it gets to Perfection the more painful the imperfections are [00:02:48]

are you called by God all things work together for good for those who love God and are called now let me clarify this one before you give your decisive answer to the Lord that does not mean have you ever heard Billy Graham say repent and come to Christ that is have you been externally s summoned to have a relationship with Jesus that's not what it means millions and millions of people have heard that kind of external summons to come to Jesus who did not respond and are presently still in rebellion and rejection of that call [00:04:31]

the love of Christ is so mighty nobody and nothing can separate you let's look at the things he lifts as possibilities that might separate you he says shall tribulation or any kind of pressure or trouble shall distress or any kind of difficulty or crisis in your life shall persecution or any kind of opposition or ridicule that might come from others shall famine or any kind of suffering or scarcity shall nakedness or any kind of assault or shame shall Peril or any kind of danger or threat shall sword or any kind of injury or violence or death itself separate you from the love of Jesus that he has for you this morning [00:11:14]

No in fact the love of his holding is of such a nature that not only will he never let go and will he always so work in you that you continue to love him and be called by him but he will also make everything that you experience in his grip a Triumph of Grace Peril will become Triumph nakedness will become Triumph famine will become Triumph persecution will become Triumph he will turn all of that stuff around in Romans 8:28 which is the whole thing here comes true down in verse 35 and everything all that horrible terrible painful stuff listed there threatening to separate you will not only not separate you it will turn for Triumph for you super conquerors more than conquerors through him who loved us [00:13:09]

the love of Jesus Christ God for you is the foundation and spring of your love and my love for each other and therefore if we do not apprehend spiritually being loved by Jesus with this kind of love we probably will not have the resources to love each other and it will begin to falter and therefore the first agenda item has to be to get clearer to be awakened aresh to the love that God has for us that then is the resource with which we may love each other [00:14:16]

be imitators of God as loved children now let's unpack that for a minute first He Loves Us by forgiving our sins everything begins with forgiveness everything begins with getting right with God and having all that junk in our lives dealt with so that we're clean before him by virtue of Christ's righteousness being imputed to us and we stand whole in his presence and then he adopts us into his family and we have this father child relationship and then he goes on like a father loving us and then he says imitate me [00:18:05]

imitate God as loved children because the love not only is that which is to be imitated it is the love that is grasping pulling enabling empowering to do the imitation that's the key which isn't true in any of those other analogies it is the being loved by my Father in Heaven which makes me say oh I want to be like that it's the being loved it's not just kind of standing away and admiring a performance and then trying to looking myself for resources to get like that it is the feeling of the love reaching out drawing me in cleansing me accepting me making me whole it says oh if I could be that way for others it would be the greatest thing in the world [00:19:11]

radical Christianity is giving your life away for other people and in doing that showing the world showing the people around you who are watching that you are so secure in Jesus that you are so bound to him that he has you so firmly that his promises are so precious and So Glorious and your destiny in him is so firm and so fixed and so assured that you can actually give your life away just give it away for others that's radical Christianity it comes from sending your roots radics Roots down into the love that God has for you [00:21:01]

the goal is that we might grasp the love of Christ it's high it's deep it's wide it's broad it's always beyond our grasp but he wants you to grasp it and he wants you to be grasped by it that's my goal in this message and the next three or four messages that we would in increasing ways feel grasped by the incomprehensible love of Jesus Christ and the question now is how does that become an experiential reality not just a doctrine that you affirm to say that the love is deeper than you can get to and higher than you can get to and wider than you can get to how do you prove it in experience [00:22:01]

that you being rooted and grounded in love may have power to comprehend these things so the key is this rootedness and groundedness or founded in love now those are the two metaphors one is a metaphor of roots going down into the ground of a big tree and the other is the metaphor of a foundation of a building and I think what Paul is saying is in order to comprehend the love that Christ has for you and not let it be just something you think about go ahead and put him to the test send your roots down into him just as deep as you can possibly send them go on push him push him down down down down and go ahead spread out your foundation spread it out wide wide wide and you will never drop over the end of his love [00:22:57]

the Lord is calling us now in this series to know his love to know his awesome love so that we would come alive with that love for one another this is light and Truth god-centered preaching to help you see Christ clearly and treasure him truly [00:24:24]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?

Rooted in Christ's Love: Empowered to Serve Radically

Devotional

Day 1: Radical Love as a Foundation

Day 2: The Transformative Call of God

Day 3: Unbreakable Assurance in Christ's Love

Day 4: Empowered to Love as God's Children

Day 5: Deeply Rooted in Christ's Love

Sermon Summary

Key Takeaways

Youtube Chapters

Bible Study Guide

Sermon Clips

Chatbot

Rooted in Christ's Love: Empowered to Serve Radically

Share