Singing Sermon by Stephen Bly & Podcast

Jesus Loves Me

Jesus Loves Me (Deutsch/German)

Jesus Loves Me, This I Know

Is there any more common doctrine in the world? Even little children sing about it. Yet, we have a hard time understanding. For instance, did the martyr Stephen sing, “Jesus loves me,” as they hauled him out, stoned him, and left him for dead?

I don’t know.

But God’s love is so vast we can’t fully grasp all of it. Paul said to mature Christians in Ephesus, “May you be able to comprehend with all the saints the breadth, length, height, and depth and know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may filled up with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19).

How do I know for sure God loves me? 

I remember a young lady named Christine with pretty red hair. She lived in northeast Los Angeles and got kicked out of the house at age sixteen. She’d certainly done some things worthy of punishment. Her parents decided the best thing would be for her to leave home. She left with not much more than her big, black dog.

She decided to hitchhike across the country. We got a call at our L.A. church’s coffee house from a hospital in St. Louis. In critical condition, Christine had been beaten, raped, and left for dead. And she wanted to come back. We sent her money and she traveled home. She told us about her ordeal and asked, “What about God loving me? Is His love like my parents’ love? Or like the love of the men who picked me up? Or like those who killed my dog? How do I know for sure that God loves me?”

The Trials of Jesus

Jesus loves me this I know.
Though Jesus existed in the form of God, He did not consider equality with God a thing to be grasped. He emptied Himself, taking the form of a bondservant, being made in the likeness of men.
For the Bible tells me so.
And being found in the appearance of a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.
Little ones to Him belong.
They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. And after weaving a crown of thorns they put it on his head and put a reed staff in his right hand and mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” They spat on him and took the reed and began to beat him on the head. After they mocked him, they took off the robe, put on his garments again, and led him away to be crucified.
Jesus On CrossThey are weak, but He is strong.
But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.”
Yes, Jesus loves me.
And about the ninth hour, Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” – which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
Yes, Jesus loves me.
And Jesus crying out with a loud voice said, “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness of Jesus to reconcile all things, having made peace through the blood of his cross.
The Bible tells me so. 

Why Does it Hurt so Much? 

Twelve years ago, Bill and Marlene were active in the church. In fact, Bill had just been elected a deacon and they taught a Sunday School class for third and fourth graders. Just trying to find their leadership potential within the church.  At noon on a Thursday, Marlene drove to a women’s meeting. Someone ran a red light and crashed into her car. Marlene woke up in critical condition in a hospital. But their four-year-old daughter, Allyson, didn’t wake up at all. They said, “If God loves us, why does life ache so bad?”

Jesus loves me, this I know
Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe also in Me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, I would have told you. For I go to prepare a place for you.

For the Bible tells me so.

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. Where I am, there you may be also.
Little ones to him belong.
Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you, not as the world gives. Let not your heart be troubled nor let it be afraid.
They are weak, but He is strong.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how can He not freely give us all things?
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness? Or peril or sword? In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loves us.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life nor angels or principalities, nor things present or things to come, nor powers or height nor depth, or any created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
These things I have spoken to you that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation but take courage. I have overcome the world.
The Bible tells me so.

God's Hand ReachingCan God pour His love into a life all messed up?

Gary asked me that question. I said, “Just how messed up is your life?” He explained and I agreed. It was messy. “The third marriage is over. I’m in the middle of a big lawsuit with people in a real estate deal. I sold them some property I didn’t really own yet. The IRS is after me. And the doc told me this morning I’ll be facing major, life-threatening surgery. Does God pour out His love to someone like me?”

Jesus loves me, this I know …
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the Bible tells me so.
From whom we also have received our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand.  And we exalt in the hope of the glory of God.
Little ones to Him belong.
Not only this, but we also exalt in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance, and perseverance proven character, and proven character hope.
They are weak but He is strong.
Hope does not disappoint us, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
For one will hardly die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
But God demonstrates his own for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.*
The Bible tells me so. 

Can I Really Love God Back?

Linda talked to me after communion at a specially moving worship service. Tears ran down her face. I prepared for a big problem. I braced myself to hear about relatives or children or husband. Though she did have problems, she said, “I sat there and took the bread and cup. And I prayed and thanked God for all He’s done. Yet, I felt like I wanted to say more, to do something to show ‘God, I really do love You.’ Is there any way I can really return His love?”

Jesus loves me, this I know.
You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, with all your strength.
For the Bible tells me so.
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Little ones to Him belong.
A new commandment I give to you that you shall love one another. Even as I have loved you, also love one another.
They are weak but He is strong.
But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. For if you love only those who love you, what reward have you? Don’t even the tax gatherers do the same?
Yes, Jesus loves me.
By this will all men know you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God and He who loves is born of God and knows God.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
The one who does not love does not know God. For God is love.
The Bible tells me so. 

Child PrayingHow Can I Tell Other People About God’s Love?

Six-year-old Kristy plopped down into my big office chair. She said, “Pastor, I have a problem. Jesus loves me. Right?” I said, “Yeah.” She said, “Jesus loves everyone, right?” I said, “Right. Jesus loves everyone.” She said, “Jesus loves even Joey. Right?” I affirmed that. “Who’s Joey?” I asked. She replied, “He’s the mean kid down the street. He’s seven and rode my Big Wheels this week and wouldn’t give it back.”

“So, what did you do?” “That’s the problem. I told him, ‘Joey, get off that Big Wheel, I have something to talk to you about.” “What did Joey do?” “He got off and came over to me. I told him, ‘Joey, you are not to ride my Big Wheel when it’s my turn and, besides that, God loves you.’ I learned that in Sunday School.” “What did Joey say?” “He giggled. Now, how can I tell people about God’s love, and they won’t giggle.”

Jesus loves me, this I know.
See what great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God and such we are. The world does not know us because it did not know Him.
For the Bible tells me so.
We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us. And we should lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods and beholds his brother in need and hardens his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in Him?

Little ones to Him belong.

Little children, let’s not love with word alone, but with deed and truth.
They are weak, but He is strong.
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear involves punishment. Whoever fears is not perfected in love.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
We love because He first loved us.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he’s a liar. For the one who does not love his brother who he has seen cannot love God whom He has not seen.
Yes, Jesus loves me.
This commandment we have from Him that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
The Bible tells me so.

We don’t know a lot about God’s love. But we’re learning … when we hurt, when our lives are messed up, and when no one else seems to love us. We’re trying to learn how to love Him back and tell others about His love. All we can say is, Help us, Lord, help us.

 Stephen Bly

Circa 1984

*Romans 5:1-8

Jesus Loves Me Image by Miriam Müller from Pixabay
Jesus On Cross Image by Jeff Jacobs from Pixabay
God’s Hand Reaching Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Child Praying Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

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