"O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have [a]displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established[b]strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make the enemy and the revengeful cease.
3 When I [c]consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained;
4 What is man that You [e]take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a little lower than [f]God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
6 You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the [g]beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:1-9
Job asks too.
“What is man that You magnify him,
And that You [a]are concerned about him," Job 7:17
I. We were created by God because He loves us.
3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before [a]Him. In love 5 [b]He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the [c]kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved." Ephesians 1:3-6
We don't do anything to deserve God's love.
"The Lord appeared to [a]him from afar, saying,
“I have loved you with an everlasting love;
Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness." Jeremiah 31:3
II. We were created to Love God.
He Sent Jesus. Christ saved us.
8"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8
The crucifixion was an illustration of our sin.
13 "The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person." Ecclesiastes 12:13
Fear of God= stand in awe, reverence, respect, have a heart filled with wonder and adoration; recognition of our smallness.
37 "And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’" Matthew 22:37
If we don't love God, why bother?
"Our job, our mission in life, is to seek God, to desire to know Him; to develop an intimate relationship that is based upon our understanding of the greatest mystery of them all -- God loves us."
How do we do this with God? Our goal is an intimate relationship with Him.
Start research
Connect
Reconnect every day. You can't skip this ever. How do we love God? How do we get closer to Him.
-- Spend time in the Word.
-- Talk to Him (that's prayer) all the time.
-- Listen to Him.
-- Be an active listener.
Our relationship with God can't be put in 2nd place. If you truly love someone you'll focus on what they say.
10 "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 4:10
What does this look like?
-- Recognizing His holiness and awesomeness.
-- Recognizing ouor sinful and unworthy status.
-- Desiring a relationship with the Creator of the universe so much that we let go of our human attempts at righteousness and accept the provision that God gave us -- salvation trhough the blood of Christ.
-- Surrendering our head and heart to Him.
God wants all of you.
"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, [a]acceptable to God, which isyour [b]spiritual service of worship." Romans 12:1
Be a reflection of God.
III. We were created to demonstrate our love for God through love for our fellow man.
Jesus is here for the ones others reject.
Jesus is here for the ones who need Him the most.
34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another." John 13:34
God invested in You. He paid a cost for you. You are bought and paid for -- not so you can just sit around. We don't invest in things that are worthless. God invested in us for a high return -- to show His love through us to others.
Are you spending or investing your life?
Everything I do has ripple effects.
The legacy we inherit from God is love.
13 "For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another." Galatians 5:13