Do You Believe I Love You? {Video}

Love is of God. God Is Love. Love One Another. {Video}

Y'all Be My Witnesses [Guest Missionary]

The Extravagant Love of God (Part 2) [Video]

The Extravagant Love of God - David Kautt - 3-9-2014

What Does it Mean to Love the Lord Our God?

Preached at Community Christian Church, Durant, Oklahoma

David P. Kautt

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Matthew 22:34-40, “But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”  Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

            How many of you have a ‘life verse’?  Maybe you’ve never heard the term ‘life verse’ before, so let me briefly explain.  Likely, a lot of us have a favorite Bible verse or passage; John 3:16, the twenty-third psalm, something like that.  But that’s not what I have in mind when I ask, “How many of you have a ‘life verse’?”  What I mean by a ‘life verse’ is a verse that, when you run across it, when you read and study it, delve into what it means by what it says and how all of that relates to your life, you say to yourself, ‘Hey!  That’s what I want my life to be all about!’  ‘Hey!  That’s how I want God to work in my life, how I want to see Him work in me and through me. 

So, now that I have explained what I meant by my initials question, allow me to ask it one more time, “How many of you have a ‘life verse’?”  And, if I may be so bold, what is your ‘life verse’?  Anybody? 

I noticed two or three things in today’s worship bulletin that I wanted to connect with for just a minute, while you’re pondering my ‘life verse’ question.  First of all, the insert sheet that gives you a glimpse into who I am and what kind of family the David Kautt family is.  Some of our life verses are Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord, with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  Acknowledge the Lord in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight…”  Out in the margin beside those verses in several of my Bibles I have written my name, David Kautt, why?  Because those verses encapsulate at least a part of what I pray God is making of my life, of my family member’s lives.  The same holds truth with 2 Timothy 2:20-26.  Look those verses up, read them, and, if you’d like, ask me, ask us, how they connect with who we are, how they relate to what we pray God is doing in and through our lives. 

Yes, I noticed the info published about my family and me, and I appreciate the ‘red font’ and ‘green sheet’ welcome you have extended to us so far!  But, what I also made notice of is that today, May 19, 2013, you are honoring all the mothers and all the graduates!  Nathan H., your Youth Minister, and Garrett L., who is graduating from Durant High School, are the graduates.  And, you ladies, you know who you are, the dear women who have been God’s instruments in giving birth to us, you are the other honorees today.  Congratulations to all of you, praise God for all of you! 

But, listen, now that I have hopefully connected with virtually all of you – mothers, graduates, prospective minister and others – let me ask you another rather important question: what is your life’s PURPOSE?  I mean, mothers, you give birth to those precious little babies, knit together so skillfully, so wondrously by the hands of Almighty God, in your womb, God uses you, as His vessel to bring these little ones into this world.  Now what?  Do you see it, ladies?  And fellows, those of us who are their husbands, and the fathers of those dear children, do we see it?!  And are we, as the ones God has called, commissioned, and yes, empowered by His Holy Spirit to assist our dear wives in seeing it and acting upon it, are we leading them to carry it out?  Ladies, mothers, what IS your life’s PURPOSE?  Matthew 22:37-39 – you’re more than just a ‘baby-making machine’!   You are more, God intends for you to be MORE than just a ‘homeroom mother’, or a ‘soccer mom!’  Several years ago, the Christian recording artist Steve Green sang a song that included the following line in it: “To love the Lord our God is the heartbeat of our mission…”  Mothers, ladies, you want to zero in on a powerful, course-altering ‘life verse’ or ‘theme’?  There it is: Matthew 22:37.  All that you do, all that you are, all that God wants to do THROUGH you and make OF you, can be summed up in that verse, and in the two or three verses that follow it! 

As you learn what it means to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and as your PURSUE loving God that way, realizing - as 1 John 4 puts it - that you love God because He first loved you.  You know what?  I’m certain that God will, then, help you recognize how He wants to use you, how He’ll give you what it takes for Him to use you, to instill that all-encompassing love for God in your children!  Ladies, mothers, let’s say it again, shall we?  Repeat it after me, “To love the Lord our God is the heartbeat of our mission.” 

Then, Garrett and Nathan, where are you, my young friends?  Garrett, how old are you?  You will be graduating from Durant High School any day now, right?  Garrett, 34 years ago this week I graduated from High School, and what a huge step, what a wonderful milestone that is in your life.  Congratulations! 

And, Nathan, I understand that you walked across the stage at SEOSU, a week ago yesterday.  It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get that sheepskin, didn’t it?  30 years ago this month, I was blessed by God to be able to do the same.  Congratulations to you, too! 

But, Garret and Nathan, now what?  What is your life’s purpose?  Being a student, either in a desk in a classroom, or at a keyboard and in front of a screen at home, being a student is fine and dandy.  I spent 22 years of my life in school, counting kindergarten, elementary, junior high, high school, college and graduate school. 

But, listen, fellows, even as a Christian student, to be perpetually pursuing another diploma or another degree, if Jesus’ words in Matthew 22 have any truth and meaning to them, sitting in a classroom or in front of a key board and screen is not your life’s purpose.  What is?  Hey, fellows.  Pop quiz time.  How does the theme phrase go, the one I had the mother’s recite?  Ladies, let’s say it with them, okay?  “To love the Lord our God is the HEARTBEAT of our mission!”  Garret, there’s your life’s PURPOSE: loving God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.  Nathan, there’s your ‘life verse’, Matthew 22:37, and the verses that go with it. 

But, what does all of this mean?  Can you explain it a little more for me, please?  Well, with what time we have left, let’s do that, shall we?  “To love the Lord our God,” this life’s mission and purpose ‘heartbeat’, “to love Him with all that we are – heart, soul, mind and strength – what we’re talking about, first of all, is relationship, not religiosity.  Love, what is that word?  Well, the English teachers among us will tell us that, depending on context and usage, it may either be a noun – person, place or thing – or, it may be a verb – an action word.  But, if I may, I’d like to suggest to you that the word love, at is core, it is a very powerful and meaningful RELATIONSHIP word!  When Jesus told the Pharisees, and their lawyer spokesman, that the greatest, most important commandment in the law was to love God, He wasn’t suggesting that those Pharisees offer up more sacrifices and bring to the altar more whole burnt offerings.   Jesus wasn’t urging them in the direction of more religiosity!  No!  He rebuked empty religiosity: “These people honor me with their LIPS, but their HEARTS are far from Me!”  (Matthew 15:8ff; Isa. 29:13)  Rather, He was challenging them to go the direction one of their own, a man named Saul of Tarsus, later went.  Yes, Jesus was calling them to “count all things LOSS for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord…”  (Phil. 3:7ff)  To love God, to love Him with ALL that we are, that mission, that life purpose, it’s all about relationship.  The surpassing greatness of knowing Jesus Christ as your Lord, it’s all about relationship, not religiosity. 

Secondly, to love God, to have that PURSUIT as the HEARTBEAT of your life’s mission, it’s about RESPONSIBILITY.  Responsibility, not selfish passivity.  To love God with all one’s heart, soul, mind and strength, it’s kind of like hugging your pillow, squeezing and caressing your favorite pillow cushion, right?  Aw, come on, right?  No, listen, my friends, hugging your pillow has about as much to do with loving God as holding a remote control while you make like a spud on your couch at home does, with standing in the batter’s box commissioned to hit a home run off Yu Darvish!  One is selfish passivity, the other is active, courageous, and yes, even obedient carrying out of one’s responsibility.  Remember how Jesus put it?  John 14:15 – He said, “If you love Me” – there’s that relationship word again.  Now, listen to the second half of the verse again, here’s where the responsibility comes in: “If you love Me, then KEEP My commandments!” 

Jesus, the originator of this first and foremost command, how does He define love?  Whether it’s being used as a noun or verb, the definition is the same: active RESPONSIBILITY – keep my commandments – not selfish passivity! 

Number three, what does it mean to LOVE God?  I mean, if this is to be the HEARTBEAT of who we are as Christians, then we’d better understand it, right?  To love God, to love and serve Jesus Christ, with all that we are, what does that look like? 

Allow me to suggest to you at least two key passages to study for answers to that question.  Matthew 6:1-18, and Matthew 23:25-28.  Find the Matthew 6 passage with me for just a moment.  Scan down through there and note with me that Jesus is teaching about three main subjects: prayer, fasting and alms, or doing what we might call ‘charity work’.  Keep looking down through there and what do you see in verses 1-4, 5-6 and lastly, verses 16-18?  To love God, to loves and serve Jesus Christ, what does it look like?  Well, first off, what it DOESN’T look like is an empty SHOW, a hollow SHADOW:  trying to gain the praise of men, all the while neglecting the evaluation of the Unseen One, the only one Whose approval or disapproval really matters!  To love God, what does it look like?  Well, whatever it looks like, as far as the Father in heaven is concerned, it looks REAL, it IS real, not just for show!

To love the Lord our God, what is it, Christians?  It is the HEARTBEAT of our mission!  And, what does that mean?  Explain it, one more time, will you, please? 

Got your seat belts fastened, yet?  Now’s a good time to do so.  Here’s why: because to love God, with ALL your heart, ALL your mind, ALL your soul, and ALL your strength, you know what it is, don’t you?  You see what it is, don’t you?  It is exceedingly RIGOUROUS.  “If any man would come after Me,” Jesus said, “let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me…”  To love God, to love and serve and obey Christ this way, listen, my friends, it is RIGOUROUS.  As Dietrich Bonhoeffer put it, discipleship is COSTLY.  It is!  But, listen, it also is exceedingly rich and rewarding! 

You see, it is to those who love God in this way that God promises to work all things together for their Good (Romans 8:28).  And, it is to those who love God in this way God promises to know them, to be in loving relationship with them.  (1 Cor. 8:3)  And, to those who love Him, those who love God in this intensely rigorous way, God promises ultimately, to preserve them, deliver them and to set them on high.  (Psalm 145:20, Psalm 91:14) 

A Different Angle on Valentine’s Day

1 John 4:7 "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God, and [because] everyone who loves has born of God and knows God.  8 He who does not love has not come to know God, because God is love.  9 In this way God’s love is made evident in our midst, in that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world in order that we might live through Him.  10 In this is love, not that we have loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the propitiation [atoning sacrifice] for our sins.  11 Beloved, if [in fact] God loved us like this, [then] we also are obligated to love one another.  12 No one has ever seen God.  [But] if we love one another, God lives in us and His love has accomplished its goal in us.” (author's translation)

“Love is of God,” (4:7).  With these four short words, the apostle John makes a very powerful and quite provocative statement both about love and about God.

For the countless people who are looking for love in all the wrong places (and in all the wrong forms), John says simply that “love is of God.”  He is its Source.

But then, take note that John also informs us that “God is love,” (4:8).  In other words, whatever He is, it is.  However, so that we do not misunderstand, the point is not that love defines God, but that He defines it.  Simply put, knowing God is the way to know [real, lasting] love because He is love.

Next, the apostle indicates that God’s love (the fact that He loves and, especially the way He loves) is both revelatory and redemptive.  God’s love is revelatory in that, when He loves, He does not merely say it, He shows it.  It is a love that He ‘makes evident’ to the objects of His love (4:9; John 3:14 - 17) in and through the cross – the atoning death of His Son.

But, then, take note that the reason for the revelation of God’s love is redemption.  God’s love is redemptive, in that, when He loves He gives so as to address the huge issue of sin in all of our lives (4:10).  But also, when God loves His love is redemptive, in that, in dealing with our sin (and sins), we are changed and our relationship to Him is changed (we come to be His children – ‘born of Him’ – 4:7).  In loving us redemptively, we are no longer [spiritually] dead, but are given [eternal] life through Jesus Christ (4:9; Ephesians 2:1, 4 - 5).  In loving us redemptively, God makes us His beloved children even though we were formerly His enemies (4:7; Romans 5:6 – 11).

So what?  ‘Well, God, I am really glad you are that way . . . All of that is really great . . . Time to move on to the next thing . . . Right?’

Wrong!  If we claim to be God’s children – loved by God – begotten by His love – able to relate to Him because of that love – then, what?  Then, we are obligated (the idea is that of being ‘indebted’) to love not just Him, but every other child of God.  And, in responding to His love for us in this way, we make Him known.  The Unseen One is made visible through us (4:12).  His love accomplishes the goal He had in mind for it from the very beginning (4:12).  Amazing!

Video: Jesus' Hands: God's Love Touching Our Lives - Part 2

Jesus' Hands: A Display of God's Love

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, February 26, 2012

Ephesians 3:14-21, “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

How is it that God makes His love for us tangible, concrete, practical and touchable?  The Psalmist David, who penned the words (“My Times are in God’s Hands”) found on the front cover of today’s worship bulletin knew the answer to that question.  God uses, Jesus uses, His hands.  If you want to look it up, the reference alluded to on the cover of the worship bulletin is from Psalm 31:15.  Wrestling with the anguish of physical weakness, anyone here able to relate to that?  Distressed by grief and the losses he had sustained in his life – anyone here ever experienced those things?  Attacked, forsaken and forgotten by friends and enemies alike – anyone here know how that feels?  Dealing with all of those difficult dilemmas, what does David the psalmist do?  Where does he end up?

3 Times, at least as I observed it in my reading and study of this passage, Psalm 31, David the psalmist refers to God’s hands, and concludes, “This is how I know that You love me, God.  This is how…”  Verse 8 – “You have not handed me over to the enemy, but You have set my feet in a wide place, a roomy, spacious location.”  This is how I know that You care about me.  You hands.  Verses 14 and 15 – “As for me, You are my God.  As far as I am concerned, I trust in You, O Lord. My times, every day, every house, every minute, every second of my life is in Your hands.”  This is how I know that You know what I’m going through.  Psalm 31:5 - David the psalmist bolding exclaims, “Into Your hands, O God, I commit my spirit.”

How is it that God makes His love for us tangible, practical, concrete, touchable?  Anybody ever see one of these?  Anybody ever noticed hands stretched out like this?  Ultimately, that’s how the apostle Paul defines and describes the love of God, the love of Christ, for us, in the text we read at the outset from Ephesians 3, isn’t it?  Paul depicts the love of God, the love of Christ, in cross-sized, cross-shaped dimensions.  I want to know, I’m praying that you might know and experience the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, all the width, length, depth and height of God’s love for you in Jesus Christ. 

We’ve been examining that subject, haven’t we, through the lens of the gospel of Mark, a portrait of the life of Jesus penned by one of Peter’s dear friends, John Mark.  And what have we learned so far?  We have learned that Jesus, the Servant who rules, with His hands he cleansed a leper, effected a healing, helping, cleansing, with His hands.  We’ve learned that Jesus, the Servant who rules, with His hands, quieted a raging fever ravaging the body of Peter’s mother-in-law.  His hands calmed her.  Restored strength to her.  We’ve learned that Jesus, the Servant who Rules, who has authority over leprosy and fevers, also has power, authority, to illuminate the darkness, to give sight to the blind, to open deaf ears and loosen bound up tongues.  Yes, we have learned, isn’t it amazing?  Isn’t it glories?  That Jesus, the Servant who rules, also has power with His hands and His words, over DEATH!  A little girl, Jairus’ precious daughter, Jesus spoke to her the tender words, the life-giving words, ‘Talitha Cummi,’ ‘Little girl, I say to you, arise!’ 

In the first 8 chapters of the gospel of Mark, we watch in wonder and amazement at how God, using the hands of Jesus His Son, the Servant who rules, says, ‘This is how you know, that I love you!’  But then, beginning in chapter nine, Peter, an up-close, and very, very personal eye-witness to all that John Mark relates to us in the Book, Peter shows us how that Jesus is not only the Servant who rules, but listen, He also is the Ruler, the King of Kings and Lord of lords, who serves.  Would you take time with me this morning to walk up and down and around Mark chapter nine and ten, and observe with me the love of God at work, through the hands of Jesus, the Ruler who serves. 

First of all, notice with me the context, the background, the ‘shadow’ if you will, that looms large over this entire section.  Mark 9:1-8 – We call that section the record of the transfiguration of Jesus.  Up to this point in the narrative of this gospel, the emphasis has been on the Servant who rules.  Now, in this incredible experience with Jesus, Moses and Elijah, on that mountain, Peter, James and John begin to have their eyes opened to the fact that Jesus is not only a Servant who rules, who has authority over fevers and leprosy and blindness and death.  But that He also is, God, Jesus’ Father says and shows them that He is also the Ruler who serves.  THE One, not one of the ones, but THE One that they must worship, serve and obey! 

But mountain-top lessons, you know this don’t you?  Spiritual mountain-top lessons are often quickly forgotten in the nitty, gritty of life’s ‘valleys’, aren’t they?  The very next day, the very next section of Mark 9, Peter, James and John come down from that mountain with Jesus, and they, along with their fellow disciples, are confronted with the nitty, gritty, bad and ugly problem of demonic oppression and the devastation it causes in people’s lives.  A desperate father had brought his young son to Jesus’ disciples, thinking that they, like their Master, could help them.  They couldn’t.  They hadn’t been able to do a thing to help this man or his son.  In fact, the first part of the text seems to indicate that the disciples had gotten side-tracked with a debate they were having with the scribes.  And Jesus, quickly analyzing the situation, was not happy!  “How long!  How long am I going to have to put up with you guys and your lack of faith?”  But, then look at what happens next.  Jesus, the Ruler who serves, doesn’t do what so many other rules would do, He doesn’t leave the problem to His bumbling underlings.  No!  What does He do?  Jesus speaks the words this desperate father had been hoping he’d hear all along.  “Bring the boy to Me.”  Jesus, the Great One, as testified by God Himself on transfiguration mountain , with His words, “You deaf and mute spirit, I command you, come out of this boy and enter him no more!”  Jesus, with His words, AND with His hands, lifts up an otherwise helpless young man and restores him, whole and strong, to his father.  What a blessing.  What an amazing miracle, right?  But, listen, is the lesson over, finished, as far as Jesus’ disciples are concerned?  Remember?  They had been helpless, powerless, to assist this man and his son.  What did they need to learn from this encounter?  The right words to say?  The proper magical formula to follow to perform a miracle?  No!  They needed to learn, to know, to live by what Jesus, the Ruler who serves, lived by.  Verse 29, “This kind comes out by nothing but by prayer and fasting.”  In other words, ‘yes, I’m the Ruler, but listen, fellows, I can do nothing, I am powerless to help people like this boy and his father, apart from the strength of My Father in heaven!’  Have you learned that lesson, that basic A-B-C’s kind of lesson, regarding serving and ministering?  Have I? 

Press on with me, would you?  Jesus, the Servant who rules, and now, in this the second and final half of Mark’s gospel, Jesus, the Ruler who serves, He has another mountain in view, doesn’t He?  What mountain is that?  Verses 30-32 – It’s a hill called Calvary, right?  Jesus, the Ruler, in His ultimate act of service, and atoning sacrifice, would soon stretch out His hands on a Cross and by that answer the question once and for all, about how much God loves us. 

But, He wasn’t there yet and certainly His disciples were a long ways from understanding that, weren’t they?  How do we know that?  Well, in verse 32, the text says it plainly, doesn’t it?  It says that the disciples did not understand what Jesus was trying to teach them about His coming death, and not only that, but they were also afraid even to ask Him about it.  But, then notice the very next section of the passage.  It contains a lesson on leadership and ministry that the disciples were very, very slow to learn. 

Verses 33 and following, Jesus is the Ruler, the Great One, right?  In chapters one through eight He showed it repeatedly through His miracles of helping and healing, right?  And, then, beginning with the transfiguration event, and the declaration of God Himself, the second half of this Gospel proclaims the same message, right?  Jesus is the Great One.  But, look who’s arguing the point.  Look who’s missing the point.  12 thick-headed, hard-hearted men Jesus had chosen to follow Him.  Jesus is the Ruler, the Great One, for sure.  But how does He define greatness?  How does He show, demonstrate, what His kind of greatness is all about?  ‘Okay, fellows.  It’s time to gather around for another ‘skull session’, another teachable moment.  Verses 35 and following.  ‘Let me tell you what real greatness is all about.  Real greatness is all about serving.  In the very next chapter, Jesus reinforces the very same lesson with these words, “Even the Son of Man,” that’s an Old Testament Messianic title with every bit as much declaration of Jesus’ greatness as God His Father spoke on transfiguration mount.  Mark 10:45, Jesus says, “Even the Son of Man, as great as He is, and will be, did not come to BE served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.” 

How does Jesus define true greatness?  The Great One says, ‘I’m here to serve and to give up My life for you.’  And, how does He demonstrate that greatness?  He uses His hands!  Verse 36 – “Then Jesus took a little child and set him in the midst of them.  And when Jesus had taken the little fellow in His arms, Jesus said to His disciples, ‘whoever receives one of these little ones in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me, but Him who sent Me.”

My loved ones, do you see it?  Do you?  Jesus, the Servant who rules, Jesus, the Ruler, the Great One who serves, He is building a kingdom with His hands.  And He wants you to be a part of that kingdom of love and light.  But to be a part of that kingdom, what must we do?  We must die.  We must die to the selfish striving for our own greatness.  We must die to us that we might live in Him, through Him, and most of all, for Him.  Jesus said it this way, and with these words we will close:

Mark 8:34-35, “When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

The serving, saving, self-sacrificing hands of Jesus, stretched out on Calvary’s cross, that’s how God makes His love for us tangible!  That’s how!