God's Loving Sacrifice Podcast
Hello, Do you ever feel defeated as a Christian in the confusing times we are living in today? I know I do. This is were God’s Loving Sacrifice Podcast comes in. We do bible studies to help you strengthen your walk with the Lord in today’s crazy world. We also encourage you to share the gospel and the love of Christ with this world in need.
God's Loving Sacrifice Podcast
God Delights When You Seek Him, Regardless of Your Past / S3E26
Have you ever wondered if God could really be happy with you? That question lies at the heart of this deeply moving exploration of divine delight.
We journey through the radical inclusivity of Jesus' ministry, revealing how His invitation extends to every person regardless of social standing, moral history, or religious background. The powerful truth emerges: when we seek God, trust Him, and follow Him—even imperfectly—He genuinely rejoices over us.
Through examining biblical figures like Joseph of Arimathea (the wealthy councilman), Zacchaeus (the despised tax collector), the Roman centurion, and the Samaritan woman, we discover that Jesus deliberately sought relationships with people from vastly different walks of life. These diverse encounters demolish the misconception that Christianity is only for certain types of people.
The most transformative moment comes when we grasp that God doesn't merely tolerate our presence—He delights in us. As Zephaniah 3:17 beautifully expresses, "He will rejoice over you with gladness... He will rejoice over you with singing." This revelation fundamentally shifts how we understand our relationship with our Creator. No longer performing for acceptance, we can walk confidently as beloved children who bring genuine happiness to the heart of God.
Whether you feel wildly successful or deeply broken, whether your faith is new or you've walked with God for decades, this message speaks directly to you. Jesus came for everyone, and when you turn toward Him, you become the source of divine joy. Will you embrace this invitation today and experience what it means to be truly delighted in by God?
My website is https://www.godslovingsacrifice.com
Hello, today we're going to talk about Jesus came for all and those who follow him. He delights in them. Have you ever wondered who Jesus really came for? Was it the rich and powerful or the poor and the broken? He came for all. He came for everyone. He came for everyone. And there's something that's absolutely amazing about it is that God delights in those who seek Him. Have you ever wondered if God is happy with me? Well, the answer is yes. When you seek Him, trust Him, follow Him, he rejoices over you. The other night I was sitting here and I was singing and worshiping and praying and I heard God say and that gave me such joy. And it's funny because I knew when he said that he meant he was happy because I was happy, but he was also happy with the person I was becoming in him and that was one of the most wonderful things that I've ever had happen to me. And if you look at Psalms 37, 23, it says the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delights in his way. You know he is happy with us when we walk with him and listen to him. He's very happy with us. And Jesus came for all of us. He wants to be happy with everyone.
Speaker 1:John 3.16-17 says For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever shall believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. And 1 Timothy 1.15 says Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and of course you know the scripture that goes with that. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Luke 19.10 says For the Son of man came to seek and save the lost. He came to save everyone. He didn't come to condemn them, but to save them. Have you ever felt that you were too successful to need God? You're too broken for God to want you? Are you unsure of where you stand with him? Well, I want to tell you about a few people in the Bible that probably felt the same way.
Speaker 1:Joseph of Arimathea, the wealthy, influential believer. Luke 23, 50 through 52 says Now, behold, there was a man named Joseph. 5350 through 52 says Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good man and just man. He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews who himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. Joseph was rich and he was influential. He was a member of the Jewish ruling council. He was a secret follower of Jesus and he was afraid to declare his faith while Jesus was alive. He was the man who stepped forward after Jesus' crucifixion, boldly asking Pilate for his body and giving Jesus his own tomb.
Speaker 1:Some people think that Christianity is only for those people who are desperate, those people who don't feel like they have a way in the world, or they're not smart enough or they're not talented enough. But you know what? Joseph had everything, and he still needed Jesus. So it doesn't matter how little you have, how much you have, god delights in anyone who walks in faith with him. And Joseph may have been quiet about his beliefs, but when the time came, he acted in faith and God was pleased with him. And God was pleased with him. God was happy with him. I'm sure God told him I'm happy with you, you guys. Every time I think of him telling me that you don't know what it does inside me to know that God sees my mistakes. He sees my walk. He knows I stumble. He knows sometimes I fall completely down, but he knows I get up and he knows I count on him for everything and he's happy with me.
Speaker 1:Another person that believed in Jesus during Jesus' time that you may not have thought Jesus would come for because they were so hated, and that was Zacchaeus. He was a rich tax collector, kind of like Matthew. Luke 19, 5 through 10 says and when Jesus came to the place he looked up and saw him and said to him Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house. Zacchaeus, like I said, was a tax collector and he was hated by society, but he was wealthy. He wanted to see Jesus. Just to get a glimpse of him, so bad that he climbed a tree. But his encounter with Jesus changed him completely. He went back to the poor and repaid those that he had cheated, despite his reputation. Jesus dined with him. Luke 19.10 says For the Son of man has come to seek and save that which was lost. Zacchaeus shows us that even those who make mistakes and are looked down on find redemption in Jesus Christ. And what happened to Zacchaeus? Jesus was pleased with him, god was happy with him, and Luke 19.9 says Today, salvation has come to this house. Zacchaeus wasn't perfect, but he had a heart for Jesus Christ and that brought joy to the Lord.
Speaker 1:Another person that in those days you may not have thought would come to Jesus, and it was a Roman centurion. We don't know his name, but Matthew 8, 5 through 10 says Now, when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him pleading with him, saying Lord, my servant is laying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented, and Jesus said to him I will come and heal him. This centurion was a high-ranking officer, he was a Gentile, he was Roman, but he had great faith in Jesus Christ. He humbled himself and even told Jesus that he was not worthy for Jesus to come to his house. And I will tell you Jesus was pleased with him. Matthew 8.10 says Surely. I say to you I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel. Jesus was pleased. The centurion shows us that even those in power and outside the Jewish faith can have faith that moves the heart of Jesus.
Speaker 1:Now let's look at the woman at the well. Oh, you think you're bad. Well, look at the woman at the well. And the woman was a Samaritan, which is only half Jew. And Jesus told her whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. The Samaritan woman was an outcast. She was hated by the Jews. She had a painful past by the Jews. She had a painful past, yet Jesus intentionally offered her living water or eternal life. Despite her past, she believed in Jesus. She became the first evangelist, bringing her entire village to meet Jesus. You know, christianity is not for the righteous or the good people. Jesus went straight to a sinner, an outcast, and gave her new life.
Speaker 1:Zephaniah 3.17 says the Lord, your God, in your midst, the Mighty One will save, he will rejoice over you with gladness, and you know what Jesus is pleased with you too. Romans 10.13 says For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. When God told me, he was happy with me, happy when I'm happy, happy with the person I was becoming. All of that is true for you too, if you walk in His ways, trust Him, seek Him, and God delights in you.
Speaker 1:Psalms 147.11 says the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him and those who hope in his mercy, no matter where you are in your life, no matter if you're an outcast or you're a rich person, or if you're hated, or if you're a Gentile or whatever you are. Jesus came for you and he loves and he rejoices in you when you come to him. Jesus came for the rich, the poor, the religious, the outcasts, the powerful, the powerless. He came for you and I want to leave you with this. Zephaniah 3, 17 says the Lord, your God, in your midst, the Mighty One will save you. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing. God doesn't just love you, he rejoices over you.
