Nothing In World as Everlasting As Love Of Jesus Christ

Beautiful lilies adorned the altar as we gathered to worship in the Lord’s house Sunday morning at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Brother Mark Hall and Karen Gardner were celebrating birthdays and special prayers were requested for Doug Cory, Jeanette Easter, Shirley Newburn, Viola Chaney and Alesia Parish. Janet Chaney presented Brother Mark with the plaque we won for the best church float, ‘O Brother, Where Art Thou’ at the SWC Old Timer’s Parade.

Linda Abercrombie brought us the devotional “Don’t Bring It In The Boat” and read scripture from Proverbs 4:4-6. She told a story about fishing and catching an eel, a fish with too much fight to bring into the boat - catching something dangerous instead of a trophy fish. It is an example of the things we reel into our own boat. “Life has all kinds of bad habits we bring aboard which steal our joy and peace from God.

We need to cut the line before we bring those things into our lives to avoid the damage they can cause.”

Rick Lett and Tyrel Lett served as ushers and collected the offertory and Becky Johnson and Karen Gardner led the congregation hymns of praise and worship. Special music included Wayne Johnson singing “Blessed Assurance” and Karen who sang “The Lord’s Prayer.”

Brother Mark brought us God’s message “Love Everlasting” an understanding of God’s everlasting love and read Jeremiah 31:3 “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying; ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you.’”

Brother Mark began by telling us that as we get older there are still things we are wrong about. “When we measure by human standards, it is hard to understand what an everlasting love is even when someone seems unlovable. That is how God loves us. The human understanding is thinking people have to earn our love. God loves us at our best and worst.”

Brother Mark shared a comparison between a mother who had a perfect son and was easy to love and another whose son was not so perfect. “Both still loved their sons, but the second mother loved her imperfect son like God loves us. That is unconditional love. Disappointment doesn’t stop unconditional love. We can be disappointed and displeased with them, but that doesn’t stop us from loving them. That is unconditional love and that is how God loves us. Sometimes we don’t feel loved unless we have met certain criteria and feel we can’t be loved.

But Jesus Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Nothing in this world is as everlasting as that kind of love. We have a hard time believing that because we have been let down by people and things of the world so many times. Trust God and His everlasting love. He won’t let you down and He won’t let go.”

Psalm 52:8-9 says “But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in God’s unfailing love for ever and ever. For what you have done I will always praise you in the presence of your faithful people. And I will hope in your name, for your name is good.”

In contrast, Brother Mark talked about the enormity of the mountains.“They are enormous like God’s love and you can’t go around them.”

Ephesians 3:14-19 says, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Brother Mark told us that when we comprehend the love of God, we get filled with the fullness of God. “We can lose a lot of things in life including homes and loved ones, but there is one thing that can’t be lost and that is God’s love. Romans 8:35 tells us “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” Verses 38-39 say “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor things to come, nor height nor depth nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Brother Mark told us that the only thing you can’t lose in life is God’s love because it is a love everlasting.

“Life can take you crazy places, but God’s love is still with you and He is, too.”

In closing, Brother Mark asked, “When someone makes you feel loved, what should you do?” Psalm 136:1-9 tells us to recount the mercy of God. “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever; to Him who alone does great wonders, for His mercy endures forever; to Him who by wisdom made the heavens, for His mercy endures forever; to Him who laid out the earth above the waters, for His mercy endures forever; to Him who made great lights, for His mercy endures forever the sun to rule by day for His mercy endures forever; the moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy endures forever.”

Brother Mark told us we need to thank God and the others in our life for this unconditional love they give us. “Have you thanked them? The most precious thing you can give or receive is unconditional love. Have you thanked God for his unconditional love for you?”

Our hymn of invitation was “Jesus Loves Me” and Wayne Holly gave the benediction.

We invite you to worship with us in God’s house next Sunday at Mill Creek Baptist Church. Everyone is welcome. Also, next Sunday evening, we will meet at 6 p.m. to discuss plans for vacation Bible school.