Sunday, 27 July 2008

Sermons

27 July 2008 Mentmore

Love

My love of meaning in the miracles, parables, metaphorical stories and allegories

Matthew 13 – mustard seed; yeast; treasure hidden in field; pearl of great price; good and bad fish

Mustard seed – relevance to baptism? No, all refer to Kingdom of Heaven.

Love

20So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Genesis 15

Jacob was buying a wife

Swindled brother out of inheritance (birthright)

Impersonated brother to deceive father and receive Isaac’s blessing

Escapes brother’s fury

Has dream at Bethel – ladder to heaven – wrestles with God – conversion experience

Meets cousin Rachel by a well. Love at first sight. Kisses her.

Uncle Laban gives Rachel to Jacob as wife – 7 years service. Swindles – gives him elder sister Leah instead. Serves another 7 years.

Serves 14 years for Rachel – difficulty in becoming pregnant – Leah and servants produce many sons before Rachel conceives. Such love

God is Love

We cannot fully understand – but can get glimpses of what God’s love means

Romans 8 – All things work together for good for those who love God

Sometimes hard to accept – natural disasters; premature death of babies; pain and suffering

Romans 8 in context of Suffering – “God’s Spirit helps us in our weakness and suffering and intercedes for us with God”

We also see God’s love mirrored in human love

Jacob’s love for Rachel

One human being’s love for another

Parent’s love for a child

From human love we can learn more about God’s love for us

Wanting to be with the loved one – test of desire to marry

Desire to talk to each other

Sacrifices we are prepared to make for each other

God’s love shown to us in that God did not withhold his only Son

Rom 8:38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

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