We Love Because He First Loved Us

Pastor Jared Gustafson11/8/2015

Exodus 22:22-24

“Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.”

Deuteronomy 10:17-18

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.

Deuteronomy 27:19

“Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.”Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

Psalm 68:4-6

Sing to God, sing in praise of his name, extol him who rides on the clouds; rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.

Isaiah 1:23

Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves;they all love bribes and chase after gifts.They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.

Malachi 3:5

“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.

Powerful Truth #1

Orphans have ALWAYS had a special place in God’s heart!

John 14:15-21

“If you love me, keep my commands. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.

John 14:15-21

Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Romans 8:14-16

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Galatians 4:4-7

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.

Ephesians 1:3-10

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

Ephesians 1:3-10

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

Powerful Truth #2

We were ALL once orphaned from God, but through Jesus we

were adopted as his sons and daughters!

Isaiah 1:17

Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed.Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.

Matthew 25:40

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

James 1:27

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

I John 4:16-19

And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

I John 4:16-19

We love because he first loved us.

Powerful Truth #3

Because of God’s great love for us, we are blessed with the

opportunity to encourage, love and care for orphans!

What can we do?

1. PRAY!!!

What can we do?

1. PRAY!!!2. Fill a Shoebox

What can we do?

1. PRAY!!!2. Fill a Shoebox3. Support Adoptive or Foster Families

What can we do?

1. PRAY!!!2. Fill a Shoebox3. Support Adoptive or Foster Families4. Sponsor a World Vision or Compassion Child

What can we do?

1. PRAY!!!2. Fill a Shoebox3. Support Adoptive or Foster Families4. Sponsor a World Vision or Compassion Child5. Serve or Give to Orphan Care Ministries

What can we do?

1. PRAY!!!2. Fill a Shoebox3. Support Adoptive or Foster Families4. Sponsor a World Vision or Compassion Child5. Serve or Give to Orphan Care Ministries6. Become a Foster or Safe Family

What can we do?

1. PRAY!!!2. Fill a Shoebox3. Support Adoptive or Foster Families4. Sponsor a World Vision or Compassion Child5. Serve or Give to Orphan Care Ministries6. Become a Foster or Safe Family7. Adopt

Adoption

“Why don’t we all just assume that we are supposed to adopt unless God clearly tells us that we shouldn’t?” – Francis Chan