In just a moment I will be sharing this sermon, word for word, through a translator to a congregation in Pakistan. May God bless His Word and may the Church be edified.
Good morning, everyone! I am very happy to be able to worship with you again!
First, I would like to say that you are always in our prayers.
Second, I would like to thank you so much for your prayers and your friendship.
I would also like to tell you that our church here in the United States, in the state of Georgia, will pray for you in our services later today.
And one more thing before we look at this morning’s Scripture. The Church in America may need a Revival, but it is not dead. We are strong and will continue to encourage the Church in the rest of the world.
Please allow me to pray…
Last night I spoke with your pastor about the subject of this sermon.
He told me that last year he preached from 1 John 4:19.
Well, that’s the passage I want to start with this morning.
Please read 1 John 4:19.
Today is Valentine’s Day in America. It is a day when many, many men spend a lot of money on flowers and chocolate candy.
Valentine’s Day is the day when we celebrate love, especially the love men and women have for each other.
In many cultures marriages are arranged, but that rarely happens here in America.
In our culture, marriage comes after a man and a woman fall in love with each other and want to spend their lives together.
Of course, as you can imagine, the love of people grow cold, because the love they felt was not real love, only affection, maybe only lust.
Regardless, Valentine’s Day is a day when women are treated very, very special. Because they ARE!
Now, you may be wondering how 1 John 4:19 relates to how special women are.
It is because when the Bible says we love Jesus because he first loved us, we are reminded of the marriage relationship.
All throughout the New Testament the Church is pictured as the Bride of Christ.
The Apostle Paul spends most of Ephesians chapter 5 talking about how Christian marriage is to be a picture of Jesus and the Church.
And one thing should be obvious when we read Paul’s letter – men are to treat their wives with honor, respect, and unconditional love.
In Ephesians 5:25 Paul tells men, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it.”
What does that mean?
For one thing, it means that women are valuable! It means that they are to be loved! It means that wives are not slaves!
How did Jesus love his Bride, the Church? What did he do for her?
Yes, he “GAVE HIMSELF.” What does that mean? He gave his own life for the Church.
And do you realise that Jesus loved us before we were even lovable? He loved us while we were even sinners!
Romans 5:8 says, “While we were yet sinners, Christ DIED for us!”
Jesus had pity on us. Jesus knew we needed true love, not just emotion or lust.
Let me give you 5 reasons the Love of Jesus is better than the love of any human.
- It doesn’t matter what we look like.
- It doesn’t matter how old we are.
- It doesn’t matter if we know how to talk to each other.
- It doesn’t matter if we have money or land.
- It doesn’t matter about our past.
The Book of Isaiah, Chapter 64, says that our righteousness is like filthy rags. There is nothing righteous or holy about us without Christ.
But Jesus doesn’t care what we look like – He still loves us.
So, men, you should love your wives as Christ loves the Church! If she isn’t more beautiful now than she was when you married her, don’t blame her – blame yourself!
Jesus loves us no matter how old we are. In other words, He loves us even when we cannot do anything to contribute.
Even the old, the wounded, the crippled…. Jesus loves you!
And what about our communication skills? What if we don’t know how to say the right things?
According to the Bible, that’s what the Holy Spirit is for! He speaks for us when we don’t know what to say! Isn’t the love of God wonderful?
What about money? What about property? Did Jesus demand a dowery to love us? Of course not! He paid it all with His blood!
And do you think your past is too bad for Jesus to love you? It’s not!
Do you realize that Jesus knew you before you were born, for as David said, “He knit me in my mother’s womb.”
Yet, even then, He could see your whole life in front of you. He could see all the sin you would commit. And yet he still said, “Come unto me!”
Ladies, Christian men should treat you as Jesus treats the Church. Like the woman of Proverbs 31, if you fear the Lord, you should be praised!
God never intended the Church, the Bride of Jesus, to be a door mat for men to wipe their feet on.
Jesus never beat us or whipped the Church when she sinned. No! He took the beating and the stripes for us! He bore our shame on the Cross!
So, isn’t the love of Jesus wonderful?
We love him, not because we wanted to, but because we can’t help it!
And men, husbands, the Bible tells you to LOVE YOUR WIVES. If you love them like Jesus loved the Church, they will love you, too!
Dear sisters in Christ, you are so special in the eyes of God!
Jesus loves you and died for you the same as He did for any man.
You are daughters of the King of the Universe! You are also co-heirs with Christ, adopted into the Royal family of Heaven! You are princesses!
Do you realize that the Bible never puts women down? It never says they are less valuable than men. It never, not once, says that men are better than women.
Who carried Jesus in her womb? A young woman. Mary.
God didn’t send Jesus in a chariot of gold, but he trusted a young girl to carry Jesus when he was tiny and weak. He didn’t trust the baby Jesus to a general in an army, but a simple, young woman!
Who was the first Christian in the Western world? It was a woman, Lydia?
Who did the Apostle Paul trust to deliver the letter to the Romans? A woman, Phebe! That’s in Romans 16 verse 1 and 2.
Who helped fund the ministry of the Disciples and even Jesus when he was on earth? Women of means, women with wealth. In other words, there were business women in the Bible, like Lydia, the seller of purple, who helped the Church.
Dear sisters in Christ, you are loved by God. You are valuable. You are special. Don’t ever let the world tell you different.
Happy Valentine’s Day to you!
End of sermon.
The Recovering Legalist 
I forwarded the Email notice of your sermon to my two kids.. thumbs up.
—
As a man, may I also suggest a second sermon. Valentine’s day is also for Men. Men need to give love and see other people as people and not be blind to the needs of people around them. Concern and thoughtful action toward others is something we all should do.
—
Men also need to have people to look past their faults as Men look past women’s faults.
Women are more vulnerable when hurt they tend to be wounded longer inside, but men are also hurt and get wounded inside and this culture ignores it. As Jesus said, I wanted to gather you like chicks but you would not come. Even Jesus felt wounded. Jesus also felt the rejection. And while he dealt with it, he was a good guy, He was an outstanding guy. And we do not give him enough thanks for what he does. When Men serve the family and then walk into a hate storm it also wounds and destroys a marriage.
While I think Men are more plain Jane and point us in the direction and we go..and women are more thoughtful to get a card for a sick person, it does not mean we do not need love and kindness on valentines day. It just means we do not have a flare and we should not be beaten up for it. It squelches our love and harms our person.
—
Is amazing that same women that is thoughtful enough and better than the man in these things also is the same person who will dig him into the ground and make him feel worthless. So the chocolates mean nothing.
—
Maybe both sides have the ability to harm and maybe both sides have the ability to make life sweeter for the other. Maybe both sides feel bruised at times. Maybe rather than seeing others as the one to attack cause they were not as thoughtful, that we work together to plan a day of thoughtfulness for one another.
—
I myself did not have the character to stand under the constant pressure of men are garbage. I rather live alone. There is always two sides. Chocolates rarely repair a wounded heart.
“The continual dropping of a very rainy day and the contentious woman are alike.”
I just dropped a customer. I renovated a room in their basement but realized he was a bit of a drunk and he called this room a smoke room. We had a reasonable time when I did the basic work, then I went to the next job while his cabinet guy did work.. So he texts me back wanting me to put the floor in within a week but I am full on into a new job renovating a basement so I said, I cant commit but maybe a couple Saturdays I could do some but you know, then you will want electrical finished and baseboard and doors and I cant stop working for this customer.. Then he gets mad.. then he calls another customer of mine to have them text me to bully me into looking after him. He then texts me 650 AM pushing.. saying, IF i had known, you should have told me etc. when I did say at the time, once I start another job..
—
So I left my shop vac for him to be kind so I said, you win, I cant do the work, I will come and get my vacuum. in the next couple of days.
—
He shows up at my house, with the vacuum and I never gave him my address. Then he sits across the road in the church parking lot watching my house.
—
I don’t get how he felt this was a good way to get on the good side of me. When he started attacking me right up front I knew, he wasn’t swift. He wanted his way and saw force as a means to get it. I never left my house that day just to be safe. I ended up working Saturday instead. I didn’t want to lead him to my customers home..
—
I said all that to say. if you start attacking people it generally turns out bad. We might not realize it. We might not have been brought up to be careful. Or to do it in kindness. But if your relationship is toxic. Then its toxic. If that person is toxic, you likely cant kill them with kindness. They just might kill you if you cant resolve things.
—
I also figure, why would a customer want me if I am bad or trouble.. I don’t know if anyone has experienced someone trying to find fault but then wanting you to do the job. Why would you beat someone up and then want them to stick around.
—
If its a small matter with your spouse, I think you should say, this is a small matter but you are pretty great.. so can we talk about this without you thinking I hate you cause I really like you. I think people need to be told to skip the school of hard learning and damage they can cause.
—
In my personal case my X was always difficult on a different track and never made me feel warmth. And in church everyone would come to me, but no one would come to her. There was this disconnect. I had friends and she avoided.. You always felt like you never measured up. Always complained. So I never wanted to go home. Still I tried, but she succeed in destroying things. And she got energy from doing it. I get energy from working with people and creating things.
—
some people also don’t want Jesus. So beside the sins etc. And not knowing the plan, they simply cant stand people in their lives and they drive people away. Its a dynamic we rarely deal with but a lot of Atheists are those negative people. Jesus loves them but they don’t love him back and they make sure everyone knows it. And when Jesus says I died for you they say that was dumb. Chocolate cant fix that sort of relationship.