We Love Because He First
Loved Us
Pastor Jared Gustafson
11/8/2015
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 Shoebox
3. Support Adoptive or Foster Families
What can we do?
1.
2.
3.
4.
PRAY!!!
Fill a Shoebox
Support Adoptive or Foster Families
Sponsor a World Vision or Compassion Child
What can we do?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
PRAY!!!
Fill a Shoebox
Support Adoptive or Foster Families
Sponsor a World Vision or Compassion Child
Serve or Give to Orphan Care Ministries
What can we do?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
PRAY!!!
Fill a Shoebox
Support Adoptive or Foster Families
Sponsor a World Vision or Compassion Child
Serve or Give to Orphan Care Ministries
Become a Foster or Safe Family
What can we do?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
PRAY!!!
Fill a Shoebox
Support Adoptive or Foster Families
Sponsor a World Vision or Compassion Child
Serve or Give to Orphan Care Ministries
Become a Foster or Safe Family
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