Calvary Baptist Church Calvary Baptist Church

Sunday 3 - 14 - 21 by Calvary Baptist Church

February – God loved us first. If you have experienced Christ’s love for you in salvation,
you cannot help but grow in love for others.
Real love comes from God. We love because he first loved us. - 1 Jn 4:7-19
Love can be found if you lost it. Remember, Repent, Return – Rev 2:14-15

Roles – How can we show love well? Gen 2:15-25
Gen 2:15-17 – Men’s Role – Work, Keep, and Lead
v. 15. Steward what God has given
• “Work” – cultivate
o Make it productive – arts, science, business – make productive
• “Keep” – guard or watch over or care for
o Take care of what God has given you – property, money, skills

We have responsibility to take what God has given and provide for our families.
We have responsibility to take care of what God has given us

Vv. 16-17. Steward what God has said
God spoke the command to Adam, before Eve was created.
Adam was to steward what God had created, and what He commanded.
• Lead in keeping God’s commands

Adam was to lead his family to keep God’s commandments.
Gen 3:9 – when Adam and Eve sinned, God went to the garden and called for Adam.
Men, we must read the Scriptures, let the Scripture read you.
Apply the Scripture in your life & lead your family in reading & applying the Scripture

Gospel connection:
Adam was put to sleep and his side opened that he might have a wife.
Jesus died on a cross, his side opened by a spear that he might have a bride, the church.
Jesus loves the church. He worked for it. He cares for it.

Gen 2:18-19 – Creation was incomplete.
“Not good” Every day God created and “it was good.”
Man was alone – it was “not good.” Adam needed Eve.

Gen 2:20-22 The creation of woman
“helper fit” Woman was taken from Man’s side.
“She was not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.” – Matthew Henry

Women’s Role – Help, Complete
• Help or aid – surround – from Hebrew ’ezer – ay’-zer
It does not mean that women have a lesser role.
This same word is used of God:
“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help (‘ezer) and our shield” Ps 33:20
“My help (‘ezer) comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” Ps 121:2

• Compliment or complete
There is also the idea of a fitting or “suitable” help.
Adam needs someone like himself – a mate or a match.
Like him, but different enough from him

Ladies, your husband is good at some things and not good at others.
My observations – women are typically better at these things:
1. Connecting (relationships w/children and others)
2. Communicating (speaking clearly, listening)
3. Creating (ideas for financial goals, making home welcoming, raising kids)

Genesis 2:23-25 The First Marriage
Adam’s response was praise for the gift God gave.
She is from “my bones… my flesh” – she is like Adam, a match or mate.
She was made from him. He needed her.
They will always belong to each other. They are a match, a set of two.

Called Together
• To be one in body and unified in purpose (2:24)
• To rule together over what God has given (1:28)

Too many couples feel like they are in a competition – you’re a team.
God created men to Work, Keep, and Lead;
women to Help, Complete (connect, communicate, create)
God has given you a realm to steward, skills to work together to rule together.

February – God loved us first. If you have experienced Christ’s love for you in salvation,
you cannot help but grow in love for others.

Revelation is a prophetic vision given to the Apostle John of the last times.
Chapters 2-3 are Jesus’ letters to 7 churches in Asia Minor.
Most of churches have areas of obedience and disobedience.
Just like we as individuals and a church have areas of obedience & disobedience.
There is a command to address the areas of disobedience.

Revelation 2:1-7 – To the Church in Ephesus
v. 1. “seven stars” are representatives of the churches, called “angels” later.
“Golden lampstands” are the seven churches – and represent their witness/light bearing

Jesus holds and walks
“him who holds the seven stars” – Jesus holds the angels in his hand.
“hold” is “hold fast” or “hold powerfully”, from same root as “almighty” in 1:8
Jesus is powerful among his people.
“walks among the seven golden lampstands” – Jesus is present among his people.
Jesus is powerful and present with his people.

vv. 2-3. Commendation: 7 areas of obedience.
Works, toil, patient endurance, do not bear with evil, tested false apostles, patient endurance, bearing up for Christ’s name.
Doing a lot of good things.

v. 4. Verdict: The Ephesian church did good things but abandoned their first love.
What love is this? Could be…
• Love for each other – they may have stopped caring for each other
• Love for Jesus Christ – they may have been going through the motions.
Which is it? Probably both.
“Whoever loves God must also love his brother.” 1 John 4:21b
If we love God, we will love our brother.
In loving God, we learn that we should love our brother.
know how to love our brother, because Jesus shows us (patiently, forgivingly)
In loving God, we have the ability to love our brother, because Jesus lives in us.

The church in Ephesus was doing right things but with wrong motivation.
If we’re not careful, we can do a lot of things that express no love for God or others.
Their bodies were busy, but their hearts were cold.
Their actions were admirable, but they were devoid of devotion.

APPLICATION: This applies to love in marriage too.
You’re going through the motions, raising kids, living in the same house, paying bills.
But lose your devotion to each other.
Why? You stopped doing things that sparked love for each other.

v. 5. The good news, there is hope for this condition.
There is a remedy for this malady.

Remember. Repent. Return.
“Remember from where you have fallen” God gave us minds to enable us to think.
Jesus says “remember” – remember how you loved God before, your devotion to Christ
Remember – not to regret, not for nostalgia.
Remember for renewal.

“Repent” turn away from sinful cold heart toward Christ and others.
Stop from cold, rote activity. And do what?

Return. “do the works you did at first” Go back and do the things you did at first.
When you 1st came to Christ, you could not stop reading about him, talking about him. You could not stop thinking how you could bless others.
How you would spend time doing something meaningful for other people.

This applies to your love for Christ and your love for others – including your spouse.
Have you “fallen out of love”?
Are you “going through the motions”?
Remember. What did you do together that you enjoyed – that you stopped doing?
Are you spending quality time together? Going out on dates? That you both enjoy?
Do NOT forsake your marriage for your children. Your marriage must be a priority
The best thing you can do for your kids is love your husband/wife well.
Repent. Say to your spouse, we have not made our marriage a priority.
Return. I want to do the things we both enjoy. Make a date night. At least monthly.
Is it possible to return? Jesus is powerful and present in the midst of his people.

February – How the greatest demonstration of love is changing you.
God’s love for you is such a powerful force that, once you have received it,
it changes the way you see people, how you treat people.
If you have experienced Christ’s love for you in salvation,
you cannot help but grow in love for others.

1 John 4:7-19 – God is Love
Where does real love come from?
1. Love originated with God (7-8)
a. Loving others is evidence we have been born of God (7)

v. 7. When we love others, we show that we have been born of God.
When put our faith in Jesus, we are born again, regenerated.
Our spiritually dead and selfish hearts are united with God,
So that His life becomes our life, and His love becomes our love.

b. Loving others is evidence we know God (8)
v. 8. People who have born again love others – and that love shows that they know God.
They don’t just know about God, they know God intimately and personally.

2. Love is seen in the atoning death of Jesus Christ (9-10)
v. 9. It is God’s nature to love – to give and to sacrifice
a. God sent his Son that we might live, and he might die (9-10)
It is one thing to talk about love. It is something else to show love.
“God’s love was manifest” – revealed, made clear, put on display.
God took the initiative. He loved first. He stepped out and pursued us.

“live through him” – that we might have fellowship with God, forgiveness, walk in light.

v. 10. “propitiation” – An offering that turns away the wrath of God.
Sin is serious. God hates sin. It is a serious offense against a holy God.
Yet in his love, God provided the offering to turn his wrath away.

“The gospel is that Jesus lived the life you should have lived and died the death you should have died, in your place, so God can receive you not for your record and sake but for his record and sake.” – Tim Keller, Preaching to a Post-Modern City.

3. Love is perfected in us when we love others (11-12)
If you are born of God, if you know God,
if you have experienced God’s love in the sacrifice of his Son, love people.

v. 12. Shocking: No one can see God in his unveiled, glorious essence.
But we can see God through the lives of those who demonstrate His love to others.

“The unseen God, who was once reveled in His Son, is now revealed in his people… when they love one another.” – John Stott, The Letters of John

4. Love is evidence that we have the Spirit (13-16)
If the Holy Spirit lives in you, then you will grow in love for others.
The Holy Spirit indwells believers. His presence in you is God’s presence in you.
God’s presence in will produce love for others.

5. Love gives us confidence even in the judgment (17-18)
Because God loved us first, we have no fear that he will reject us on that day.
“There is no fear in love”

6. Love reflects God’s character (19-21)
Why do we love? Because God took the initiative, not us.
He loves us and the love that abides in us is God’s love that overflows in words and actions to others.


1. Love originated with God (7-8)
2. Love is seen in the atoning death of Jesus Christ (9-10)
3. Love is perfected in us when we love others (11-12)
4. Love is evidence that we have the Spirit (13-16)
5. Love gives us confidence even in the judgment (17-18)
6. Love reflects God’s character (19-21)

Exodus 33:18-19 – Show me your glory.
v. 18. Moses asked to see God’s glory. He wants to know God and know he is with them.
(v. 13, “show me your ways that I may know you”)

v. 19. “I will make all my goodness pass before you.”
I will show you my glory in my goodness toward my people.
God’s glory is revealed in his goodness – in his grace and mercy toward his people.

“Proclaim… my name” God’s character is tied up in his name.
God’s character is gracious and merciful.
God will invoke his own name, “the Lord”, as a sign that The Lord, is gracious.

Exodus 34:5-7 God’s Glory Revealed
God placed Moses in the crevice of a rock, covers Moses with his hand.
Moses sees something like the afterglow of God’s glory after he passes by.

v. 6. God proclaims his name “The Lord” with his character,
“merciful & gracious, Slow to anger”
“abounding (great) in love and faithfulness”

God’s glory is revealed in his abounding love and faithfulness. Couplet used - 30x
Love – hesed (‘steadfast or gracious love’, ‘mercy’)
Faithfulness – ’emeth (‘truth’ or ‘faithfulness’)

v. 7. “Keeping love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and sin.”
Forgiveness flows from the very nature of God.
It is God’s nature, his character to forgive.

v. 7b. “but who will not clear the guilty.”
God is both forgiving AND just.
God does not just let guilt go by as if it is no big deal.
Sin IS a big deal, the most destructive force on the planet.

“visiting iniquity on… generations”
Does not mean God punishes children for their fathers’ sin,
God punishes sin that continues through generations.

Jesus is the greatest revelation of God’s character.
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature (Heb 1:3a)
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. (Col 1:15)
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. (Col 1:19)

If you want to know God , look at Jesus Christ.
All the glory of God’s grace and mercy are seen in Jesus Christ.

John 1:14 The Word Became Flesh
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (Jn 1:14)

Ex 33: “Show me your glory” / Jn 1: “We have seen his glory.”
Ex 34: “abounding in love and faithfulness” / Jn 1: “full of grace and truth”

John’s uses “grace and truth” intentionally for “Love and faithfulness.”
He uses ‘grace’ for that specific aspect of love that is given freely.
‘Truth’ is a synonym for faithfulness. If a man if faithful, he is true.

“The glory revealed to Moses when the Lord passed in front of him and sounded his name, displaying that divine goodness characterized by ineffable grace and truth, was the very same glory John and his friends saw in the Word-made-flesh.” D.A. Carson PNTC, The Gospel According to John

Jesus’ death is the greatest demonstration of God’s love.

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom5:8)

What Moses saw was in part, we see revealed.
Jesus is full of grace – He welcomes sinners. He has compassion on poor.
He healed lepers, lame and blind. Through his death, the Father forgives our sin.
Jesus is full of truth – He condemned religious hypocrites. He talked about hell more than heaven. He obeyed the law, setting people straight on God’s commands.
We need grace. We need truth. Only in union with Jesus can we grow in both.