L.O.A - Part 1
Love One Another.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. –
1 John 4:11-13 NKJV
How important is loving people to God? It's one of His GREATEST commandments.
Matthew 22:37-39 NLT
Jesus replied, “‘You MUST love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.
Quote: “People don’t determine how I treat people ?
* Jesus Christ is the perfect example of this quote.
* Jesus loves us, in spite of us. While we were still sinners He died for us. (Romans 5:8).
* His love for you was not based on you returning this love back to Him. He loves because He IS Love.
* He desires to conform us into the image of His Son, so that we can have that same freedom to love. (Romans 8:29)
* True freedom. This is where He wants to take you. Are you ready?
* No freedom. No Unity. No Unity in the church, in your home, in your relationship and in your heart.
Let's be real. The Unity the Lord desires comes with a price for each one of us.
That's why we NEED His power.
Ephesians 1: 19-20: NLT I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms
What is the price? Forgiveness and Reconciliation.
We are going to have to forgive and receive forgiveness, then comes reconciliation, building back to unity.
He forgave you and has reconciled you back to Him through Christ.
Hard to do. - YES!. Empowered to do it? - YES!. Worth it? - YES!
The Living Word church motto for 2024 continues with the motto from 2023:
Show unity even more in 2024. 2023 was just the start, only the Lord knows where our striving for unity will end. He does know that if we don't grow in unity, I repeat there will be no Unity in the church, no unity in your home, no unity in your relationships and no unity in your heart.
If the Lord is commanding it, it sounds important to do. You say love Him, so keep His commands, they are under girded with His love because He has PROVEN HE love you. Be a receiver of this love and give it away.
How would this world be if we, God's people loved one another as we love ourselves?
John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. ?
One of the greatest tests and validation of our love for God is in how we love people.
Not LIKE people, but love people.
We may want to ignore this fact, shy away from this fact, but God set it this way for a reason.
As stated, God knew it would be hard, because we are selfish people at heart without God's power to be more like Jesus.
Jeremiah 17:9
“The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?
It all begins with love. God loves you, you love His people. He gives the commands
(The Bible), He gives the power (Holy Spirit). He even gives you the choice (Your will).
I believe God thought it best to show you instead of just tell you, in the hope that it would stick better. You know the phrase: ACTIONS speak LOUDER than words.
How have you received God's love in your life since you have been saved?
Give what you have received. Love others like God is loving you.
1 John 4:7 NLT
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God.
Did I say that loving people is hard but worth it?
It's not that easy. I know.
I hope we can all agree. Obedience brings blessings.
Did I say that loving people is hard but worth it?
I'm going to repeat this again.
Use your imagination for a moment. Imagine yourself being at this place in your walk with Christ when it comes to loving people.
“People don’t determine how I treat people ?
Wow. What if Christ loved you based on how you treated Him?
Romans 5:8: NLT But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Can you imagine where your life would be when there are no more buttons to be
pushed by others, no more strings to be pulled? To be able to love like Christ, simply because you are a child of God?
Don't be stressed or distraught if you are not there yet. We are all a work in progress.
Philippians 1: 6 NLT And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Remember we are ALL people. So it may be hard for people to love you as well.
I know we may not see ourselves like that but ask the Lord. "Lord, am I easy to
love or hard to love, strengthen me to hear your answer"
A Thought: Your God empowered love will cause somebody to change, not your judgment.
Did God love you into the kingdom? Has His love brought change into your life?
When we look at the world today as a whole, it is slowly moving away from God's
love.
Do we (Body of Christ) find ourselves turning our face up at people, turning our back on people, putting our mouth on people (criticizing) and not understanding people
because they don't fit your "standard" or your mold?
Never forget where Christ has brought you from - Amen.
Quote: Never look down on anyone. Only God sits that High
Think about it with just one bad move, one bad decision, one accident we can be the people that we turn our face up against and you are going to pray that somebody
would simply show God's love to you.
Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
EVERY human being gives what is inside their heart, what is inside of me
I give out. What does what I give out in my words and actions tell me about me?
Am I watchful of myself? Do I examine myself daily to see if I am in the faith? He wants me to know, because God knows our enemy is sneaky.
2 Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that
Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith.
I say again, will I allow what I give out to show me what is really inside of me or do I not want to see what is inside of me?
Matthew 7:12 “Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
It doesn’t matter how others treat me. The words and actions of others do not determine how I will treat them. Jesus gets to decide how I treat others.
As children of God, we treat others the way God tells us to.
Remember: “People don’t determine how I treat people ?. Christ at work in my life determines how I treat people.
Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
Hard to do. - YES!. Empowered to do it? - YES!. Worth it? - YES!
So be like Christ. Love God. Love His people. We can't have Unity without it.
Amen
Next Sunday: L.O.A - Part 2