The church has the way to make sense of the world. We say this because the church is the caretaker of revelation. Our confession in a society that sees meaningless: We have a word from God. This word from above comes to us through us so that we can understand even understanding and thereby make sense of existence. The message we have received is astounding – God loves you.
It is one thing to consider God as creator; considering him at a distance stirs us a little. Some might even think of God desiring us to worship him, honor him, and be the recipient of our gifts. Those thoughts move us ever so slightly. But to consider God’s desire is for you, to contemplate God loves for you is enough to blow the brightest and most contemplative thinker. God loves you! God desires you and will stop at nothing until he makes you his very own. The truth of God’s love for you makes everything else you could consider fall into place. Even though the depths of God’s love is incomprehensible, the fact that we know eternal, almighty God loves is enough for me.
Karl Barth, a figure not without controversy, but without question an influential Christian thinker, was asked once to summarize what was most important about his theology and life’s work. He replied, without hesitation, “In the words of a song my mother used to sing to me, Jesus loves me this, I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
We turn our attention to the 6th part of our series, answering the question, What Good is the Church? Today we understand the message entrusted to the church of God’s everlasting love, the foundation stone that grounds all meaning. Let’s look back into Ephesians, and this time we will turn to Ephesians 3 and focus on verses 14-21.
Notice, the pathway to understanding the understanding of God’s love is a path of prayer. Prayer is that moment when we draw near to God. As we lean into God’s everlasting arms, we find out that he has loved us with an everlasting love – that means he always has and always will. He will stop at nothing to make us his very own. Even if that means he has to take his own wrath upon himself in order to restore a fellowship lost. The cross of Jesus Christ shows us the lengths and depths of God’s everlasting love for us. He died and rose again for one reason: love! His love was expressed towards you and me.