God’s Padlock of Love – Radical Discipleship Part VII

Sermon Title: God’s Padlock of Love

Good News Statement: God loves us eternally

Preached: Sunday, February 20, 2022 at Dogwood Prairie and Seed Chapel UMC

Pastor Daniel G. Skelton, M.Div.

 

Scripture (NRSV): Romans 8:35-39: Today’s scripture reading comes from Paul’s Epistle to the Romans chapter eight verses thirty-five thru  thirty nine. Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul…

God’s Love in Christ Jesus

³¹ What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? ³³ Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all day long;
we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.”

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

This is the Word of God for the People of God; And all God’s people said, Amen.

 

Introduction:

          I know that Valentine’s Day was a few days ago, but knowing that Christ’s love never ends, I couldn’t help but start this message with a few—kid-friendly—jokes about Valentine’s Day. Are you ready?

Why did the girl go to the Doctors on Valentine’s Day? She was love sick

Why did the squirrels go on a date? They were nuts for each other

What did A send B on Valentine’s Day? A love letter

What did the skunk say when his girlfriend broke up with him? Love stinks

Why did the horse break up with her boyfriend? He didn’t seem stable

What do you get when you cross a piano and a valentine? A love note

And lastly: Knock, Knock. Who’s there? Wooden shoe. Wooden shoe who? Wooden shoe like to be my valentine?

 

Around the world, people celebrate or express their love in a multitude of ways. God has the same ability. God expresses His love for us with every sunrise, with every sunset, the starry night skies that brighten the darkened earth below, the birds that sing, the flowers that bloom every spring, and the radiant colors that fill the trees every autumn. God’s love is not only seen in the wonders of nature: His love is also prevalent in the prayers that are answered, in the peace that calms the storms, in the grace that fills our heart, and the people that He has placed in our life. God expresses His love in many ways.

However, the love that He expresses is not reserved for a single day out of the year. Rather His love is expressed every day of every year. His love, that love He gives to each of us, is a love that is not only unconditional but it is created with such a bond that cannot be broken. God’s love can never be separated from us. God’s love is the padlock of life.

 

Opening Prayer:

            Let us pray…Dear Heavenly Father, we humble ourselves before you today seeking to experience an unbreakable bond filled with love and peace. Lord, allow this bond to protect us, to strengthen us, and to prepare us to spread the good news within our own community. I pray that my words fall to the ground as your words settle in the hearts of those before me. In your name we pray, Amen.

 

Body:

From Serbia to France, from Poland to the Netherlands, from California to Pennsylvania, from Austria to China, from Germany to Russia, millions of people are buying padlocks, engraving them with initials or tying a ribbon around them, and then locking them to fences, bridges, trees, and even statues to symbolize an unbreakable love that they have with another person in their life. These padlocks have become known as “love locks.”

Inspired by an ancient custom, which is believed to have originated in China – where lovers lock a padlock on a chain or gate and then throw away the key, symbolically locking their love forever. Love locks have existed for quite some time, though there are no certain sources for their origin. In Europe, love locks started appearing in the early 2000s. These love locks or love padlocks are an expression of hope and humanity, connecting people around the world with the one thing that unites us all: love. Now could you image how many love padlocks God has! I know he has one for you and you and you and you and you… and all of us.

God’s love is not just meant for one person but is shared throughout an entire planet and beyond. The love that God gives to each of us is locked and bonded together for eternity: nothing can separate His love from our life. Even though we may have felt at times as if we have lost his love, we still have his love in our life. Just look at the many blessings that we have received or are sitting next to you!

Today the Apostle Paul teaches us about a bond that will not break. This bond is God’s love for sinners like us. Unfortunately Satan wants us to view this bond like a leash on a dog that prevents us from being free and having as much fun as we can. What we’ll learn, however, is that God’s forever-love gives us confidence to meet every challenge in life. Listen again to our sermon text.

Paul wrote. “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword…No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 37-39).

Nothing can separate us from God’s love. That’s Paul’s claim. Remember what Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8? Paul claimed that love is patient, that love is kind, truthful, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. And that love never ends or fails. God’s love encounters the trials and temptations of life, it walks through the raging storms of life, it mounts on wings like eagles, it walks and doesn’t faint, and it runs and doesn’t grow weary. God’s love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things in life: it is forever and always.

But did you notice what Paul did NOT say to the Romans? He did not say that because we are forever loved by God that we will never have to endure hardship. We will always encounter hardships, trials, and temptations in our life—that is why we lean on God and pray for love. To prove this, Paul quoted an Old Testament believer who complained about this and said that because of the troubles he faced, he felt like a sheep that was being dragged off to the slaughterhouse and there was nothing he could do about it (Psalm 44:22).

You might not feel like a sheep bound for the butchers, but perhaps you have felt like a guinea pig as your doctor prescribes this treatment and then that treatment trying to determine a cure for constant headaches and other pains without any lasting success. Or maybe you can relate to Wile E. Coyote whose best-laid plans always end in disaster. God’s love isn’t a promise that will keep us from hardships. However, God’s love does promise us that He will protect us and always take care of us because His love is never separated from our heart. Even when you fault, God still loves you. We have to remember that His love exits in our life. Even when you scream back against the world, God still loves you. And even when nothing is going to plan, God still loves you. God’s love padlock for you is locked for eternity.

Whether we experience trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or the sword, as Paul puts it; our loving God will never forsake us. Paul was convinced of this because God’s love is centered in the person of Jesus. It’s often been observed that Jesus’ outstretched arms on the cross make it look like he’s ready to hug the world. With his death on the cross Jesus embraced us sinners with God’s forgiveness. We learn in Luke 23 that on His way to be crucified, Jesus conversed with women, asked His Father to forgive the people, and saved a criminal. Jesus embraced others with love even during a time of torture and death. Jesus saved human-kind with His love.

Now what Paul is saying in our text is…nothing can come between you and that hug from Jesus. Financial hardship can’t pry Jesus loose from you. A cancer diagnoses can’t sever the bond either. A positive COVID test doesn’t dismantle God’s love in your life. Not even death ends the relationship. That’s because Jesus, the one who experienced torture and pain and death will be resurrected so that we will forever be embraced with a hug and love. Therefore, with His love, we have the peace to lie down in green pastures, we will have the strength to be lead to still waters, our souls will be restored, rescued, and saved by His availing grace, and we will have the courage and determination to walk on the paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:2-3). God’s love in Jesus surrounds and protects us not only in seasons of death but during moments of uncertainty. God’s love is our padlock of protection and security that hugs us for eternity. How many of you simply need a hug today—to know that you are protected and loved and noticed?

It has been scientifically proven that hugs are powerful; that hugs are a source of healing, and that hugs can change the world. According to family therapist Virginia Satir, “We need four hugs a day for survival. We need eight hugs a day for maintenance. And we need 12 hugs a day for growth” (Healthline.com). Each hug affects us in different ways: hugs reduce stress for some, may protect us against an illness, boost our heart health, make us happier, reduce our fears, reduce our pain, and hugs help us communicate with others. The eternal hug that Christ gives us is a hug that demonstrates security, guidance, and a love that will never go away. Like His love, Christ’s hugs can never be separated from us. So do you need a hug today? If so, Jesus has a hug waiting for you!

While nothing can separate us from God’s love there are plenty of things that can distract us from it and lead us to despise that love and avoid the hug of Christ. Just consider Peter walking on water. Peter turned away from Jesus—he got distracted—and began to sink but Jesus didn’t leave him. You see Satan will continue to do his best to get us to think that God’s love isn’t all that great. He wants us to believe that we would be fine without it. But that’s like telling a beginning climber that he’d enjoy his rock climbing experience better if he would just step out of his safety harness and try to shimmy up the rock on his own! Satan has no command over God’s love for us. God will be there to pull us back to the surface of the water because He loves us and we still have love for Him. Nothing can separate His love from you because you are more than survivors; you are conquerors of the unknown!

I was recently told to read a story about someone in our community. This story was shared on Facebook a few weeks ago. This person provides a great example of how powerful God’s love can be and how nothing has come between His love and this person, not even cancer. This is what the Facebook post said, “Every day may not be good, but there is something good about every day. Sunday was my day, my birthday. Birthdays are special and this one was very meaningful. It was a quiet day with FaceTime with family and calls from friends. This birthday was a true gift from God and you, His believing prayer warriors. This year I stopped asking “Why?” Through this cancer walk with you warriors, I have learned God does not answer questions, but prayers….Remembering God answers prayers not questions. I knew those same prayers would give me the strength to endure the next week of painful side effects. I can and will keep fighting because of each of your prayers and love for me and my family. As I previously mentioned God answers prayers. At this month’s appointment, my oncologist was amazed by my CBC blood numbers and CA-15 marker. My body is making blood again. Proof the radiation worked. Also, the cancer in my body is diminishing. The numbers are diminishing at such a rate; the oncologist ordered a pet scan to document the numbers. God answers prayers not “Why?” This person concludes by saying, “So your precious gift this year to me was “trust,” and “love”….Trust helps us to survive and defy what our ears hear and our mind tells us. It gives us the stamina to hold on through challenging times and endure difficult experiences. You each have had a large part in renewing my spiritual trust. Thank you for walking this journey with me in countless ways. Thank you for teaching me to give up wanting to know why this cancer happened and live each day. The “Why” does not matter only the prayers and trust in Him….Thank you for all your believing prayers and love. With love, Kim Harmon.” Not even cancer has the power to separate us from God’s love. Nothing can separate you from God’s love.

 

Conclusion:

Kim’s story adds meaning and power to Paul’s words. Not only does Kim remind us that we are forever loved by God and that God’s love lock is always present in our life, but she also reminds us that we don’t have to go to heaven to be with Jesus; Jesus is already with us; walking with us and talking with us. You are surrounded by His love and nothing and no one can take you away from His embrace. Hold on to that promise as you would hold on to a life-preserver. And don’t keep your struggles to yourself. Share them with a believer you trust. Let them encourage you and show you God’s love in tangible ways. That love will help you endure whatever challenges you face, for with Jesus and God’s forever-love you are not just a survivor, you are a conqueror. You are a person created by God for God’s will to spread God’s love. God has a padlock with your name on it. You will always be loved by Him.

In the words of The Message Bible, Eugene Peterson has this to say, “Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s love for us…. Absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love…” (Romans 8:35, 37-39). God’s love is so big, so strong, and so mighty that there is nothing that His love cannot do or conqueror. Nothing can come between us and God’s love.

Knowing that God has a padlock with your name on it, do you believe what King David said, “Better than life is God’s love?” You are a survivor and nothing can separate you from the love of God because you are a conqueror and receiver of something that can never be destroyed: God’s love. Do you feel loved today? How will you display God’s love in your life? How will you embrace the fact that God has a love-lock, a padlock, with your name written on it?

 

Closing Prayer: For our closing prayer, please repeat after me:

Dear Lord, I am a survivor. Lord, I am a conqueror. Lord, I am forever loved by you. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for embracing me. Thank you for the padlock of love. Amen.

 

Benediction:

As you seek to embrace God’s love in your life, know that nothing can separate you from His love. God has a padlock of love with your name on it. He will forever love you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, go, transforming lives as you live well and wisely in God’s world. Amen. Amen. Amen.