Sermon Info
Summary
God, who knows us better than we know ourselves, chose to LAVISH His great LOVE on us through Jesus Christ and afforded us the privilege to call Him Father. Our recognition of His great love should cause his people to live for Him. Because when we see the magnitude of our sin and the great lengths God made to be with us, it should change how we live and interact not only with God, but with those around us, including the next generation.
Content
A Perfect Father
Earthly fathers can have a huge impact on our lives, whether they are a very active part of our lives or whether they have been absent or unavailable. Our earthly fathers are not nor can not be perfect. The good thing is, no matter what your earthly father is like, we have a perfect Father found in our heavenly Father.
God longs to be our Father. He ultimately is the only One we can truly rely on for all things. Because of His great love that He lavished on us, we can be called His children (1 John 3:1). His love is what gives us the ability to be His child, and, beyond that, it’s what allows us to invest in those around us, especially in the next generation.
Whether you are a parent or not, we have a responsibility to show the love of Christ to those who are coming after us. We have a job as a Christ-follower to create pathways for children to know Jesus, and there are ways to do this in the church or, if you’re a mom or dad, in the home. This is how we can play a role in bringing up others to know Him and to love Him.
A beautiful life means investing in the lives of others.
What the Bible Says about Investing in Others in 1 John 3
The third chapter of 1 John begins with a truth that we all need to be reminded of each and every day: See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! (1 John 3:1) That is what we are – children of God. To be a child of God is to be chosen, in Christ, together with the body of believers. We are children, and with this title comes an important role. Like parents invest in their children, we are called to do the same with the next generation.
Because of Christ’s love for us, we should, in turn, be compelled to live for Him. The best thing we can do for the next generation is to show them what it looks like to be a child of God. The world and the things of the world will try to lead our children away from Him (1 John 3:7), and thus why it’s so essential for us to lead them to Christ and to a faith community who can love and support them. We must show them what it looks like to prioritize Jesus and make the main things the main thing.
And, above all, we must love others with the love that Christ has shown us (1 John 3:10). Let others know that we are Christians by the love that we show them on a day-to-day basis. Allow our love to be genuine and honest – not perfect, but consistent and true.
Is God your Father?
God’s love for us changes everything. Not only does it remind us of the truth of who we are in Christ, but it allows us and leads us to love those around us. This especially applies to those coming after us. The next generation needs to see God’s love on display in our lives and our walk with Christ.
God knows us better than we know ourselves, and He created absolute truths for us to cling to and to pass on to the next generation. These truths were established for us for direction and for our protection. As we lead those around us and as we walk ahead into an uncertain future, we can trust that God does go before us, and He walks with us as we learn more about loving those in our lives.
Do you see God as your Father? Do you trust Him to, as an earthly father is designed to, take care of you? Do you count on Him? Friend, God wants to be your Father. He wants you to look to Him as you are growing and becoming more like Him. Allow Him to be just that – your Father – and wait and see how He moves in your life to invest in the people you encounter.
