The subject tonight is a verse 1 and
we're going to look at the subject of
the love of God, the greatest power in
the universe.
Now shall we turn to Romans 5 and
we shall read from verse 1.
Those who are not too familiar with this
great letter, the apostle has explained in the
third chapter how a person can be justified,
that means made right with God.
Having explained that in the fifth chapter he
now speaks to those who have been justified
and this is what he writes.
Therefore being justified by faith we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ by
whom also we have access by faith into
this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in
the hope of the glory of God.
And not only so but we glory in
tribulations also.
Knowing that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience
and experience hope and hope make it not
a shame because the love of God is
shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost which is given unto us.
For when we were yet without strength in
due time Christ died for the ungodless.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one
die, yet peradventure for a good man some
would even dare to die.
But God commended his love toward us in
that while we were yet sinners Christ died
for us.
Much more then being now justified by his
blood we shall be saved from wrath through
him.
For if when we were enemies we were
reconciled to God by the death of his
son much more being reconciled we shall be
saved by his life.
And not only so but we also joy
or boast in God through our Lord Jesus
Christ by whom we have now received the
atonement or as it should be rendered the
reconciliation.
Now God will bless to us the reading
of his word.
Now before we open the scripture shall we
ask the Lord to open our heart shall
we have just a little word of prayer.
Father we pray that in a very special
way tonight as the scriptures are opened the
Lord will come and open our hearts so
that we might understand the truth of God
in a new way.
We would ask the Lord to make us
honest with ourselves before God, enlighten our minds
concerning the reason why the Lord Jesus actually
died.
And we pray that this may be a
kind of a meeting where we shall really
meet with God in a special way that
our lives may be completely changed by his
love.
Lord grant this to us in the name
of the Lord Jesus amen.
Just about two years ago I was shown
over a very powerful nuclear station in Britain.
The man that was showing me over this
nuclear power station was a Christian and he
was the superintendent.
Then he said something that made me terrified.
He said would you like to stand on
a reactor?
So I said no I wouldn't.
He said it will be perfectly safe.
In fact he said you will be more
safe on that reactor than you would be
if you were in the sea on a
sunny day.
With that encouragement I put on some clothes
and some special shoes went right into the
power station and then I stood on this
reactor.
Now first of all I must be quite
frank with my congregation a tinge of fear
went through the whole of my body.
There were seven uranium rods and those small
uranium rods would be equivalent to ten thousand
tons of gold.
So you can imagine there was some power
there.
Eventually I got off the reactor and I
was pleased to get off and then I
changed my clothing and then washed and then
I was x-rayed and computerized and I
could see that there was hardly any radiation
at all in my body and I was
very pleased to get out.
But quite frankly when I stood upon that
reactor two things entered my mind.
First of all that power can be frightening
and then power can be constructive.
For instance with nuclear power man has invented
various bombs that can almost destroy the world
in which we live.
There are at least four nations in the
world by just pressing a button could destroy
civilizations in 48 hours and yet it could
be a possibility within 20 years that petrol
would be excluded from cars and all of
us could have a little bit of radium
in a capsule and we could put it
in our car and that would keep us
running for a year.
So you can see man's power is constructive
and it's destructive.
But God's power is always constructive and the
greatest demonstration of God's power is seen in
his love.
In fact John actually says something that always
baffles us.
He says fear has tormented us.
That perfect love casts out all fear.
We live in an imperfect world.
My speech and communication is very imperfect.
Your reception of my speech too is imperfect.
The clothes that we wear imperfect.
The hall in which we are now sitting
imperfect.
The environment in which we have lived imperfect.
Everything that we see and touch is marked
by imperfection.
And yet in an imperfect world we have
the privilege tonight of speaking of perfect love.
Not just love but perfect love.
Now what is it?
In Romans 5 we have a beautiful outline
of perfect love.
And first of all he gives us the
men whom God loves.
Meaning the mankind.
Secondly he shows to us the manner in
which God loves us.
And then lastly he concludes by talking about
the masterly miracle of God's love.
And that really is masterly.
Now first of all the men in whom
God loves.
Now there is an old saying and we
laugh at it but it's true.
And it says this.
Love is blind but marriage is an eye
-opener.
Have you heard of that?
Now what does that basically mean?
When two people fall in love they do
not know each other completely.
So that when the marriage takes place they
learn certain things about each other that's new.
In some cases it causes a break in
marriage.
In other cases people laugh at their faults
and failings and get on with one another
very nicely indeed.
But you see love basically is blind but
when two people are married then we get
our eyes open to the realities of living
together.
Now that's a fact.
Now God's love is not like that.
Before he loves us he knows us precisely.
And that is why in this scripture he
gives us an outline of the human race.
First of all he tells us that we
were ungodly.
Now just listen to the scripture and then
with the help of God I'll try and
explain it to you.
When we were yet without strength in due
time Christ died for the ungodly.
The word ungodly is associated with the word
without strength.
Now what does that mean?
A young man just two years ago was
swimming the channel.
That little bit of water between the English
coast and the French coast.
It is a span of 21 miles.
And he was only 14 years of age
and he was breaking all records.
He got within three miles of the French
coast and then he said to the man
in the cutter that was giving him some
lessons pull me in.
The man couldn't believe it.
He said pull me in.
And when he pulled him in the boy
collapsed.
And he just said this I'm finished.
I can't make it.
Now that's the meaning of the word ungodly.
Now how is it that the ordinary man
in fact the man that's human is weak.
Number one there has never lived one man
that's kept up to his own ideals.
Not one.
We all make new year's resolutions.
We all turn over a new leaf only
to blacken it don't we.
Now we don't want to do it but
we do it.
Why?
Because there's weakness within us.
Secondly I hear people saying something like this.
I'm going to give up smoking.
I'm going to give up drinking.
I'm going to give up swearing.
I'm going to give up losing my temper.
Now these are very good ideals but can
they do it?
Of course not because we are weak.
This will surprise you.
The other day I was reading the confessions
of 40 British Prime Ministers and they all
died with a sense of failure and disappointment.
Now why?
They made promises and they wanted to keep
those promises but they weren't strong enough to
fulfil them.
Even Mr Hawke said by the year 1990
there would not be one poorly child in
Australia.
Now that's a great ideal but will he
be able to keep it?
Now you all know better than what the
preacher does.
Secondly God has given to us a very
simple moral examination.
He's given to us 10 commandments, only 10.
Did you know how many commandments you have
in the Australian highways?
350.
I was rather surprised.
And in your airways according to your paper
you have 1,005 commandments.
In our seaways we have 4,010 and
quite frankly it needs solicitors in order to
understand these laws.
But when God wanted to govern the whole
conduct of the world he gave to us
10 commandments.
And there has never lived one person apart
from our Lord that's kept those commandments.
Not one.
The greatest moralist that ever lived was a
man by the name of Paul of Tafel.
The only person that ever could really say
touching the law blameless but when he became
a Christian and he saw the finer points
of the law this is what he said.
The good that I would I do not.
The evil that I would not that I
do.
I find in the law that when I
would do good evil is present with me.
And then he blurted out oh wretched man
that I am who shall deliver me.
But this is the miracle.
God knows all about our weaknesses and how
weak we are.
But he still loves us.
Still loves us.
Isn't that just wonderful.
Secondly there's a word here that many people
get offended with because we preachers do not
explain it.
You see we use a lingo sometimes that
people just do not understand.
And quite frankly we must seem sometimes like
people that come from Mars.
Because we speak a language that they cannot
really understand.
And we use this sinner.
Now what do we mean?
Now we just do not mean the drunkard
in the gutter or the harlot on the
street or the poor lad that's full up
with drunks.
These people of course are sinners but it's
much more than that.
The word sinner is always associated with our
birth.
Now let me explain.
A leopard when it's a cub is the
most beautiful beast in creation.
But that leopard is born to kill and
it will kill.
There are certain snakes that have outstanding markings
the moment they crawl out of the eggs.
But if they are poisonous they are born
to sting and they will sing.
I'm listening to a canary every day.
And would you believe it today I had
to laugh.
I started to whistle at it.
And it looked at me in total disgust.
It thought I was one of those cockney
sparrows you see.
But that little canary was born to sing
and it will sing.
It will never stop it singing.
Now when a baby's born and I've just
had a little baby born into our family.
A darling little girl called Anna.
Just born last Saturday to my son.
That's our fifth grandchild.
That little baby is born with the potential
to sin and it will sin.
Irrespective how cultured the mother might be and
how disciplined her training might be.
That mother Pauline will never stop that little
girl from sinning.
Now why?
Because it's born with sin and it's a
sinner by nature.
In fact the word sinner here has to
do with strength.
Now here's the contradiction if you like.
The word ungodly is always linked with weakness.
The word sinner is always linked with strength.
Now how can we be strong and weak
at the same time?
Well let me explain.
We are weak to do that which is
good and strong to do that which is
evil.
I said to one of my grandchildren the
other day and she's a beautiful little curly
headed girl.
I said come here Miriam Joy.
And she straightened herself up clenched her little
fist and said Where did she get that
from?
You see it's the strength of rebellion that's
in it.
And dear friends all of us have got
this rebellious nature.
Don't throw stones always at the young people.
We've all got it.
The most respectable.
We've got this rebellious nature called sin in
us.
And therefore God calls us all sinners.
But this is the miracle.
He knows all about the strength of our
rebellious nature.
But he still loves us.
Still loves us isn't it wonderful.
Now he doesn't love our weakness and he
doesn't love our rebellion but he loves us
in it.
Now if you come with me to verse
10 you will notice that another term is
used.
For if when we were enemies we were
reconciled to God.
Now the word enemies is full of interest.
Now first of all on the side of
God there isn't a tinge of bitterness.
When we use the word the wrath of
God dear friends we must use that very
carefully.
It doesn't mean to say that God boils
over with a bad temper.
You see there are two kinds of wrath.
There's a wrath of a mother who loses
control when she's going to punish her child.
And lots of people associate the wrath of
God with a God that's very angry and
boiling over with temper.
Now my dear friend that's not the idea
of the wrath of God.
When you go to the law court especially
if a man has been guilty of murder
when the case has been set and when
everything is finalized the judge comes forward and
you see the wrath of the judge.
Now he doesn't lose his temper, doesn't raise
his voice, doesn't shout and bawl.
Coolly, calmly he exacts upon the guilty person
the heaviest penalty of the law.
Now in that way we have the wrath
of God.
It's his calculating judgment upon sin.
Now my dear friends I want you to
look at this.
The idea of the enemy is never associated
with God but always associated with man.
Now I want to do something that is
not theological but in one way it's helpful.
I want you to imagine if you can
a brilliant man who has almost created a
human being and he brings this human being
into his house and he heaps upon him
every blessing that he can so that that
person that he has created is just like
one of his children.
Brings them into his will and everything.
But after about six months he finds that
that creature is violating his property, crossing all
his laws, hurting his children, vandalizing the home
and his patience is almost exhausted after 18
months.
And he and his wife discuss the matter
together and they say look it's an enemy,
it's dangerous, it's going to really hurt the
children.
In fact shortly we'll have a fatality on
our hands.
What are we going to do?
He leaves the being for another six months
and then they have a discussion and they
say this we'll have to put him down.
He's too dangerous and that's right.
God has been putting up with the rebellion
of the human race for 6,000 years
and look what they have done to the
world.
We have now the ozone layer being pinned.
We have now the sea being polluted.
We have now our rivers being spoiled.
We have now large acres that are turning
to a dustbin and it's all selfishness.
Man has crossed the laws of God, violated
all his property, waved his fist at the
throne of God, just doesn't want him.
But this is the miracle.
God still loves him, still loves him.
Doesn't that a kind of break him?
It does me.
Every time dear friends I think of my
own weakness, I think of my own rebellion,
I think of the times I've hurt God
by my sin.
I'm amazed that he still loves me and
he still loves you.
He knows the very worst about you but
has the capacity to really love you.
Now that's the first aspect of perfect love.
Now secondly we must go deeper.
Follow me because this is really beautiful.
First of all as you look at this
narrative you will notice the manner in which
he loves and you will see an intervention
in God's love and it's seen in two
brilliant words but God, but God.
You get the same idea in Ephesians 2
when Paul says you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and in sin wherein
in times past ye walked according to the
course of this world according to the prince
and the power of the air the spirit
that now worketh in the children of disobedience
by whom we all had our conversation in
the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind and
were by nature the children of wrath even
as others but God who is richly merciful
for his great love wherewith he has loved
us.
It's very interesting to go through biblical history.
Immediately sin came into the lives of our
first parents, God intervened in judgment and righted
them.
The world was in a chaotic state in
that period called the antediluvian period.
Now may I say this dear friends, if
any of you have intellectual difficulties with the
history of the bible that can be eradicated.
The flood is now a proven fact.
You would be a very foolish person today
to try even to disprove now the evidence
of the flood.
We have dug up the Samarium period, we
have now discovered the antediluvian period and the
world that then was, was overflowed with water
and terror.
And the ark is no longer a fairy
story but a fact.
But it was a time when God intervened
and flooded the world in judgment.
Again the two cities of Sodom and Gomorrah
became homosexuals.
And when people become homosexual whether it's in
the old or the new testament they become
diseased.
This is not new, this is a fact.
And when people become diseased then God has
to intervene.
You see the wrath of God sometimes is
future, sometimes it's present.
And those two cities were destroyed by fire.
And archaeology has proved that those two cities
were destroyed by fire.
But he intervened in judgment.
I have no doubt at all that when
we were evacuating our troops from France, God
intervened and for the first time in the
history of the journal it became a meal
time.
And that's why they could get one complete
army back to Britain.
God intervened.
But this is not God intervening in judgment,
it's God intervening in love.
And we are living in a period, it
started at the coming of Christ and probably
it will end at the turn of this
century, when God has been dealing with the
nations in grace and love.
And it's a wonderful period.
I'm so glad to be alive at the
end of this period of grace and love
when he is dealing with men and women
not according to their sins but in accordance
with mercy and grace.
So it's about God.
Secondly not only look at the intervention of
God's love, look at the illustration of God's
love.
Now it's beautiful again.
First of all we must understand the background
otherwise we shall misunderstand it.
In the Roman times a person could do
what they called a vicarious sentence.
For instance if there was an unkind judge,
and there were many, and a man was
righteous and you all knew he was righteous,
someone could step forward in Roman times and
die for him.
You can't do it in British law, you
can't do it in Australian law, but in
some states of America you can do a
vicarious sentence.
Now Paul has that in mind and he
sees a righteous man coming into court and
an unrighteous judge condemns him and he throws
out the challenge.
Who will die for a righteous man?
He says a very few.
Secondly he sees coming into the law court
a good man and when we see him
we hold our breath and we say how
could they possibly judge a man like this?
And the man condemns him and Paul says
how many would die for a good man?
He says just a few.
And then they bring into the court someone
that we would call a rascal and as
we look at him we can see he's
lined with bitterness, he's got a sadistic face,
he's got a malicious tendency, he's a dangerous
man and as we look at him we
can see number one he's weak to do
that which is good, he's strong to do
that which is evil, he's an enemy to
society, he's condemned and right this time.
Now says Paul who will die for him?
And we all get a shock, a door
opens in heaven and heaven says I will
and it's the Lord Jesus that volunteers to
die for that person just like us.
But then I want you to note now
the manifestation of love.
Now notice what it says but God commends
his love toward us in that while we
were yet sinners Christ died for us.
Now during the war I was in bomb
disposal work in the navy and we went
to a particular job where a rocket had
fallen and about two streets were demolished and
in one vast house that had collapsed they
said there was a mother and three children
and we were digging fanatically and then we
came to an indoor air raid shelter and
we looked under that there was no one
there and we were sad because we thought
the woman and her children could all be
alive.
Then just about a yard from the air
raid shelter we found a body it broke
our hearts when we found sailors just wet
and carefully we lifted this body it was
the mother and underneath were three little children
unconscious but alive.
That love that she gave her body to
those three children because she loved them.
God did something better than that the Lord
Jesus went to a cross of wood and
he allowed wicked men to plait a crown
of thorns I wish I had one here
and to plunge it mockingly on his head.
He allowed them to buffet him to such
an extent that his face was marred more
than any man beyond recognition and then he
allowed men to take a scourge and I
wish I had a scourge and he allowed
them to use that scourge upon him 39
times so that his back was like a
ploughed field and then after he had allowed
all this indignity and vulgarity he actually allowed
them to smash nails into his hands and
face and when they had done their ugliest
worst he turned to the men that had
crushed the crown of thorns upon his head
those soldiers that have secreted their spittle into
the wounds that their hands have made the
very men that pierced him he said father
forgive them they know not what they do
that was love but more love from the
sixth to the ninth hour he passed into
a state that that was on the cross.
Can I put it to you like this
if you could see the smallest lie as
God could see the smallest lie you would
get such a shock you would say something
like this oh no if you could see
a lustful thought as God sees it you
would have such a shock you would never
get over it.
Jesus saw it all if you could see
God's judgment his righteous judgment upon the smallest
sin your mind would bend you couldn't comprehend
it it means eternal separation from God the
Lord Jesus loved us so much that he
was prepared to pass into a state before
God where all the judgment for sin could
fall upon him and so realistically was he
made sin he cried the language of a
soul in hell my God my God was
about to say to me and dear friends
that's a measure of God's love for you
would you mind if I raise my voice
there's not a tinge of hypocrisy in the
love of God it's more real than the
universe it's strong it's deep it's wholesome it's
warm it's living it's vital the mighty love
of God and God's love conquered when he
had completed dealing with our sins so that
God's wrath was exhausted in him he said
with a loud voice finished didn't mean that
he was finished he completed the work and
then he died and that's the measure of
God's love would you mind dear friends if
I point it he loved you so much
that he hung upon the cross for you
for you for you for you and for
you so that you can actually say and
this is not exaggeration he loved me and
gave himself for me now if I stop
there wouldn't that be a wonderful message but
that wouldn't be perfect love someone might be
sitting here and you're thinking seriously and you
would say something like this but look Peter
I'm living in a body yes I know
you are and I have problems with this
body I've got weaknesses you're quite correct I've
got weaknesses and I've got strong emotions that
I know that are not right and I
have difficulty with myself yes you're correct we
all have difficulty with ourselves what is he
going to do for me in a body
that's good questioning but more you will say
this I live not in the 19th century
world I live in the 20th century society
where man is being computerized when we're living
in the nuclear age and whether they like
it or not we're living in it I'm
living in a world that's being hemmed in
by excessive population and by pollution I'm living
in a world where as you say four
nations could blow it to smithereens the problems
there's difficulty I'm living in a world when
they have broken down all the absolutes a
marriage has been thrown to the wind it's
the 20th century we're living in what will
the love of God do for me in
the 20th century friends he's got an answer
the love of God now note this it's
breathtaking but it's true it's shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost now that
speaks of effusion unfortunately you will never understand
the beauty of this until you understand the
Greek text it's the idea of a great
waterfall it's not the idea of a stream
it's not the idea of a waterfall it's
the idea of a great waterfall when the
river is in spate and the water's pouring
over that's the meaning of the word I
shall never forget the first time I saw
the Niagara I was so spellbound you'll think
I'm silly I just stared for 10 minutes
just stared and I looked at myself I
couldn't believe it I was as wet as
the water I was soaked I got the
spray and I was soaked right the way
through there were some people who could afford
more than what I could and they had
protecting clothing and they went in little boats
and they got more spray than what I
but they only got the spray then would
you believe it and this is materialism there
are some people who could afford a little
more and they had protecting clothing and they
went underneath the pool and they got more
spray but they only got the spray to
get the full force would have been suicidal
would be to go right under it and
let it pour on you you just couldn't
stand it but the force of this word
is this the mightily mighty culvery love the
love that we have seen at the cross
in all its glory and grandeur in all
its magnificence not some of it or most
of it but all of it is poured
into our hearts by the holy ghost you
see when you become a christian the holy
spirit the third person of the trinity comes
into your life and he brings within your
life the love of god and he puts
that love within you now isn't that wonderful
if it's true the love of god shed
abroad in your heart by the holy ghost
but how does he do it i hope
you don't think i'm sentimental tonight but we
all love our mum and i love my
mother she was the one who taught me
christ came to know the lord when she
was 42 she was an amateur dancer in
london and at the age of 42 the
lord wonderfully saved her and she led her
four boys to christ and you revere your
mother when she does that and i shall
never forget mother when she was dying she
never went in with any of her children
there were eight of us one died she
had them all at home the only time
she went into hospital she died and she
had cancer and i remember seeing her before
she went in she was there in south
end up the ladder pinning balloons all over
the ceiling she loved christmas decorations and she
was 81 and she was doing that the
next time i saw her i knew it
was the love and dear mother she just
withered away and there i was watching my
mother and i wanted to do something i
wanted to give to her a little bit
of the acceptance of my life i longed
to do it but i couldn't do it
but jesus can you see dear friends he's
able to put himself in you in the
power of the holy spirit and when those
apostles were with the lord jesus they were
listening to him for well over three years
and after three years of ministry they all
failed even peter let down the lord with
a few nasty words of blasphemous but when
he was absent and the holy spirit was
present they were revolutionized they were entirely different
men now why because the love of god
had been transported transplanted infused right into them
and it was the powerful love of god
in that revolutionized them beloved he can do
it in your life in this building there
is the holy spirit is here tonight just
as electricity is rotating that fan and the
fans are the best a wonderful power that
we've harmed the holy spirit is in this
building and he's waiting to come into your
life and there are only two things stopping
him from coming into your life one is
your sin and that can be cleansed through
the precious blood and the other is your
will and there comes a moment in your
experience when listening to a simple message like
this you will say lord i want the
love of god in my heart i long
for this i long to see that love
in my heart revolutionizing transforming so that when
people get near to me they can see
something of christ in me and that's christian
it's not just a negative thing of having
a fire insurance and just having that thank
god for that saved from judgment it's christ
in your life beautifying magnifying the lord jesus
and when you get near to a spirit
filled christian this is the lovely thing you
can see features of the lord jesus in
us the love of god shed abroad in
your heart by the holy ghost we've had
a breakthrough with the punks in london you
know the boys with those mohegan haircuts and
i shall never forget being in the service
when they all walked in four rows of
them they had bobber boots tartan trousers tartan
skirts studded leather jackets safety pins through the
nose and ears red white blue hair and
the girls just looked like witches but the
amazing thing was this instead of turning the
service upside down they just listened three nights
they came admittedly when they heard us sing
they found it very very difficult to control
themselves because all they have is hard metal
rock so we put up with that in
fact we cut out the singing but they
came and then it was a sunday night
i shall never forget it and i went
into the inquiry room there was a knock
on the door and in came the bobber
boots and two girls one lad just lifted
up his arm and said can god do
anything for me and he was pricked all
over i shall never forget seeing that arm
that lad was saved but we buried him
at the age of 21 what a terrible
waste of life that is a young man
by the name of simon knelt down and
i can see him now crying to the
lord to forgive him and save him i
went back six months afterwards and said well
what's the secret of the christian life as
far as you're concerned simon do you know
what he said god's taken away all the
hate all the kills all the shudders of
death and he's put love in there and
i love people now i don't think it
will be long before he will be in
australia and it will be lovely to hear
that voice speak you would never recognize him
as a punk but the lord has saved
him the love of god was shed abroad
in his heart by the holy ghost wouldn't
it be lovely if there was an open
heart right now right now in the quietness
of this building to receive the savior