I know God loves me, but does he like me?

Short teachings from Hillcrest Church further exploring Sunday's teachings.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hey, I hope you're doing well today. Tim here, and we are uh we are diving deep. Um so today, in this episode, I wanted to. This is a question that somebody asked me on Sunday that I thought would be a great uh episode this week. And by the way, you know, this uh friend at Hillcrest just said, hey, um I think it's great. He he this is what this guy was saying to me. He said, I think it's great when you answer questions on the podcast. So once again, like if there's things that come up in the sermon series or even otherwise, uh don't hesitate to reach out Tim.k at hcbellingham.com. I think it's kind of a fun way uh uh to interact as we as we dive deep into all these different uh biblical topics. But the question he asked was, and this was actually something someone had asked him this, uh, and but the question was um, I know God loves me. Uh does God like me? I know God loves me. Um, you know, uh the probably this idea of God, God is God, God is good, that's what he's supposed to do, it's his job. But does God uh like me? And um and I wanted to speak about that. There's a book, if you're interested, uh by Jeff with a G, G E O F F, um, and then Sid, that's his wife, C Y D Holesclaw, H-O-L-S-C-L-A-W. Does God really like me? That I think is a good uh good jumping off point if it's something you want to dive deeper into. Um, but does God uh does God like me? And um the uh well the the I'll let me give the simple answer and then a more kind of uh thought-out answer. The simple answer is yes. Um I think if somebody were to ask me that question, I'd say yes, God does like you. Um uh God does not merely love us, God likes us. Uh that being said, I do want to fill that out with biblical language because I think it's possible that we could misunderstand what that means when we say that God uh likes us. Um because I think I think what can happen is that we think um uh God loves me because he's supposed to, but God likes me. We like we could misunderstand that in a in a what what like a hallmark sentimental way that God liking God likes me means God likes everything about me. God is always happy with me. Um and those things aren't true. Um clearly, I mean, we could talk about our shadow side, our the sin orientation, our our the way we're curved in on ourselves. We we we're bent towards idolatry. Um God doesn't like everything about us. We have I have actions and attitudes and words and beliefs that God desires me not to have. Um and so it's not this kind of sentimental um idea. And yet, uh I think if we only affirm God loves us or God wants us to be righteous and holy, uh we can have this idea that God is at a distance. God's like a teacher who wants us to get good grades. Um you know, who knows how he feels about us, but he wants us to, he wants us to get those righteous grades, you know, this kind of thing. And there's this distance. And I think that's not biblically accurate either. Um it's much like much more uh I think biblically accurate to think of uh God as a parent who who loves uh us as his children and is heartbroken over the things that wound us, um, and it has deep affection for us, even while we may be stuck in sinful patterns. That doesn't uh break his affection for us. And so to kind of, you know, when to say God likes us, um, I think maybe more some like what does it mean? What does it even mean when somebody likes you? Because it like once again doesn't mean God likes everything we do. God never God is God never is disappointed at things we do. That's clearly not what it well what well what is a deeper sense of what does it mean to like somebody? Well to like somebody means that you want to be with them. If you like someone, you desire their presence. If you like someone, you they're that you like when they're when they're their true self, that it just brings you joy. I think about my kids. Um when they're doing uh when they're doing ballet or playing the viola or they're running uh at a track me or or learning to juggle a soccer ball or learning to play the E chord and the guitar. Like I I just I delight in watching them do things that they're made to do. And so to like someone is to desire is to desire to be with them, um, to delight in them, and even more like to to um to have joyful like communion or joyful connection. Uh I mean another way um that to look them in the to look them in the face brings like a sense of joy. Um and and and I think and um that kind of a sense of of like of close connection that um that that God has that toward God wants that with us. Um and none of those, and I think those can all be true at the same time. And I think again that like parent-child metaphor, those can be true at the same time as being heartbroken over the things that that distort or diminish a child or harm a child. We can be heartbroken and never cease to want nearness to them and delight when they're when they're being who they're made to be, and to look in their face and find joyful connection. And so this, so does God um so does God like does God like us? Yes, not in a hallmark sense, but in the sense of like does does God um desire nearness to us? Yes. God wants to be near to you. Not God does not merely desire your right behavior, God does not merely desire your official forgiveness, God wants to draw near, God wants your presence. This is the entire biblical story of from walking in the garden of Eden to God coming down the new heaven, like heaven coming to earth, um, to Jesus walking this earth. And I think um, and I think about uh I think about images in the gospels of um of the the the fat Luke 15, the prodigal, uh the prodigal son and the father, the father standing at the horizon, waiting for his son to come home, and then running as soon as he saw his son coming back. And Jesus says, This is what my heart is for you, this is what God's heart is for you, because God wants to be with you. And that is not mere obligation, that is desired closeness. The father in the prodigal son story liked the son, not in the sense of approved of everything the son did, but in the sense of desired to be with the son with an aching heart. I think about um in uh the book of John, the Gospel of John, there's this moment um where uh the author of the Gospel refers to himself as the beloved disciple, and then and in the in the um the kind of the Last Supper scene, it talks about him leaning back on the chest of Jesus. Um where is that? Now that I'm talking about it, I'm not gonna be able to find it. Um uh where is that? Um yeah. I'm not gonna be able to find it here as I'm talking to you. Um yeah, here. Yeah, the uh John 13, 23. One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, uh, was uh was reclining next to him. And then Simon um motioned to this disciple and said, Ask him which one he means. Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him. And the and in Greek it's it's like he's got his head on Jesus' chest, the beloved disciple, and it's this this just friendship, warmth, um, nearness. Um and uh this is this is God's heart, like God doesn't just want your behavior, God doesn't want your official forgiveness. Yes, God cares about those, yes, God cares about our righteousness or holiness, but God wants our nearness. God wants, you know, the the the famous blessing, Lord bless you and keep you and turn his face towards you. God wants to look at you face to face. That is where this whole thing is going. Um uh uh and so joyful, joyful, intimate, like close relationship, God's nearness to us, God's delight in us as we are, who he made us to be, like a good parent over child. Like this is the heart of God. And so um uh uh and so to the question of God, does that does God not just love me, but does he like me? Um uh not in some kind of uh hallmarky way, but in this deep sense of the God of Scripture who um uh who who who he he he stares at the horizon longing for you to come home, the God of Scripture who runs runs towards you, the God of Scripture who delights in you living the kind of life you were made to live. Um and the abilities he's given you when you use those. He just he delights over you. Uh the God of Scripture who who desires your uh your resting uh your head on his chest and listening to the rabbi's heartbeat. Um that uh that is um that is what our God is like. Uh sometimes I bet on with the kids, I'll l listen to their heartbeat, and I'll just listen, and then I'll um I'll I'll have them put their head on my chest and their their ear right there in the middle of my chest, and I'll okay, put your head down. And right when they they put their ear down there, I'll just start whispering, I love you.

unknown 10:44

I love you. I love you.

SPEAKER_00 10:47

Um because I want them to know that's what my heart is beating. And I think uh I think that's what Jesus heart beats for us too. Um and it's not obligation, um, it's delight in the ones he wants to draw near to himself. All right, praise in peace.