Here are the notes from sermon on Psalm 63:3 preached at Cross of Christ Fellowship in Naperville. Audio here.
Psalm 63:3 “Rejoicing in God’s Love” Part 2: JOY IN GOD SERIES SERMON 4
Intro: If I asked you, what is better than everything else, what would you say? What the greatest joy in your life?
-Friends, music, relationships, money, success, achievements.
–Bible: God’s love is better than life!
-My hope: We see that God’s love is better than life, and this would lead to fresh joy in God.
-A main reason we lack joy in God is we have forgotten or lost sight of God’s love
-A main way we return to fresh joy in God is by rejoicing in God’s love.
SERMON SERIES: Joy in God.
Week 1: Ps 4:7:
-God puts joy into our heart, and it is a joy greater than earthly joys
Week 2: Ps 16:11.
-The joy we experience in God is an everlasting joy
Week 3: Ps 63:3 “Your steadfast love is better than life.”
-One way we experience joy in God is by remembering and rejoicing in God’s love.
-We considered together the nature of God’s love.
-We asked, ‘What is God’s love like?’
-God’s Love=Flows out of his nature; holy; impartial; self-giving; faithful; genuine; endures.
–TODAY, we ask, ‘How does God SHOW love for His people?’
-By remembering and reflecting on how God SHOWS his love for us, we are led to experience joy in God
-God’s love really is better than life!
CONSIDER HOW GOD LOVES HIS PEOPLE
D.A. Carson wrote a helpful book called “Difficult Doctrine of the Love of God”
-The Bible speaks about God’s love in many ways
1. God Loves His People by Caring and Providing for them
-Imagine someone had children, but never provided for their needs. What would that say about them?
-Lack love
-Imagine a person had children and they tenderly and carefully provided for them. What would that say about them?
-They loved them.
-One way we see God show love for us in His care and provision: Ps 104:10-15
-Paul preaches this truth to the Gentiles about their Creator God: Acts 14:15-17; 17:24-31
-God shows love to you in his provision for you: food, shelter, health, family, work, friends.
-God’s love is better than life!
2. God Loves by Graciously Taking the Initiative to Save Us
Bible’s view on our present condition: We are dead in our sins and would never come to God on our own volition.
-Amazing grace of God: God graciously take the initiative to save us and draw us to Himself.
-We see God’s love in how he graciously took the initiative to save Israel: Deut 7:6-8
-NOT because they deserved it, but out of his grace.
-God has a special love for His elect, predestining them to eternal life: Eph 1:4b-5
-REJOICE in God’s love, shown in electing you to ETERNAL LIFE!
-God’s love is better than life!
3. God loves By Saving Us
Bible also teaches that we as humans are desperately in need of salvation.
-Our sins have condemned us before a holy God, and we deserve to go hell.
-We cannot fix our condition through good works or sacrifices, we need God to save us!
-Israel experienced God’s love in salvation from Egypt: Ps 130:7
-God’s love for Israel was displayed in God saving Israel.
-We see God’s love shown to us today through Christ.
-God saves sinners who deserve condemnation: Rom 5:6-8
-The death of Christ is for us the explicit statement of God’s love for sinners.
-This is a gift you receive by faith: believe on Jesus and you will be saved: Rom 10:9-10
GOSPEL APPLICATION: If you are not a Christian, you desperately need Christ
-If you are a Christian, remember that God’s love led Him to save you!
-God’s love is better than life!
4. God Loves Us with a Fatherly Love
I love my children in a special way.
-God’s people have God as their Father: Psalm 103:13
-Not everyone is a child of God, but those who believe in Jesus as adopted into the family
-God has a fatherly love for His children 1 John 3:1
-God’s love is better than life!
5. God Loves Us by Sanctifying and Disciplining Us
Becoming holy and growing to be like Jesus is hard work.
-It involves God graciously bringing different things into our lives to shape us and make us more like Christ
-God disciplines His children, because He love them.
–God disciplines his children, to make them more holy Prov 3:11-12
-God prunes us: (John 15:1-2)
-God’s love is better than life!
6. God Loves Us Sovereignly
As Christians we can try to organize and arrange things in order to show love to another
-But our attempts are limited by our knowledge, abilities and strength
-But God is omnipotent and sovereign over all things!
-David recognized God’s power over all things Ps 103:19
-God’s love works all things out for our good! (Rom 8:28)
-Consider the hardships, the irritations, the perplexities of life: God’s sovereignly rules over them.
-Consider the pleasures, the success, the joys, the hopes of life: God sovereignly rules over them.
-God LOVINGLY works all things together for your good and His glory!
-God’s love is better than life!
7. God Loves Us Endlessly
Our ability to express love for another only lasts so long.
-Limiting factors: physical and emotional limits; location; health; finances; death.-God loves us with an endless love: Ps 23:6
-Nothing can separate us from God’s love! (Rom 8:35-39)
-God’s love is better than life!
*DO YOU LACK JOY IN GOD?
PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER THE WAYS GOD SHOWS HIS LOVE FOR US.
CLOSING QUESTION:
What if I believe in Christ, but still lack joy? What if it is still hard for me to say with David, ‘God, your love is better than life?’
1 Rejoice that Ps 63:3 is still true—God’s Word is true even if our feelings at times tell us otherwise
-Let this propel you seek after a right understanding of God’s love and joy in God.
2 Look to Jesus—cling to Him and rejoice that He is the savior of sinners, who in love gave his life for you.
3 Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill you—fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22-23)
4 Walk by faith—God’s love is better than life even if we forget it or do not feel it as much as we want.
