Do we know what love really is

                                            Seermon   (Do we know what love really is???)
Not what some love novel says or the media or your unsaved co-worker whose working on his or her 4th marriage, or that uncle who never read the bible or set foot in a church. The world’s definition of love is nothing like the love our Heavenly Father desires for us to move in and to reflect to one another.
1 John 4:16 tells us that "God is Love", but how do we as mere mortals define Love?
Webster’s Dictionary defines love as "an intense affection for another person based on familial or personal ties".  However God is Agape, which is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest form of love.

 However, for sinful man our version of love is conditional; in other words, we love because the other person fulfill a condition that we require in order for us to love them, until they are unable to meet that need. Then the love as the world understands it is over, “for you see I'm just not in love with him/her anymore.” How many times have you heard or said, "I love you because you are cute;" or "I love you because you take good care of me;" or "I love you because you are fun to be with"? Therapist describe love as a chemical reaction to outside stimuli

 We love based on feelings and emotions that can change from one moment to the next. In other words one day you stopped drinking their Kool-Aid so the marriage is over.
The divorce rate in the Christian community is higher than that of the non-Christians. Image if Christ would flip flop back and forth with His love for us. Image if Jesus said I love you Willis the next day He tells me that because I can’t seem to stop sinning He has grown weary of that behavior and is now leaving me.  Wow, I’m so glade my Savior does think that way, because he would have left me 3 minutes after he met me. God tells us to love even our enemies so why then can’t we practice love with our spouse first, learn to perfect it at home first.
You’re not commanded to do it when you felt like it. A person who is truly born again desires to do what God says even when he/she is not feeling it.  Our feelings have been corrupted by our old lives before we came to Christ. Our feelings are not automatically changed, when we come to Christ, however our feelings will continue to act like they were taught to act until we subdue them and bring them under the control of the direction of the Holy Spirit. It is hypocritical to act on what you feel instead of who you are in Christ Jesus.

If you can receive this basic truth that God's love is perfect, and God wants you to take upon yourself His perfect love so that you can begin to love to your spouse as God commanded not as the world taught you, Ponder this for a second God’s love for you is not based on the choices that you have made, nor on the way you act. Love as God loves with all of Himself. If Agape love is not in your marriage then God has not been invited into your marriage. A successful marriage requires God love to be the corner stone upon which a Christian marriage must be build upon. Is your marriage build on God’s Agape love???

Romans 5:8 says, "God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
God's love wasn't based upon what we had done for Him or what we deserved but upon His choice to love us. We didn't do anything to merit God's love. He just chose to give it to us. We can choose to receive that kind of love and then give it to others in the same way. An unmerited gift from God, not one us has earned his love what we earned was death and hell, but instead God’s love paid our sin debt.

 Can we really comprehend "unconditional" love? The closest example we have is a real mother's love for her children.   Without the help of God's Agape love cannot be manufactured for it is a perfect love, however we are certainly capable of Eros (which a passionate love meant for husbands and wives) but even that can fade away. Philia the love you have for a friend, today's friends could be tomorrow’s enemy. Agape love is what God expects us to give our spouse, our children, the body, our friends, our co-workers and our neighbors.  Agape love is long suffering and is kind; not envy; does not seek its own, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things it honors God, and heals. It is a perfect love, it’s the love God wants to give to the world but they want receive it, stop denying your spouse or your children this love.

The Word of God tells us that "God is Love” How does God define Love?

John 3:16,
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

 God defines love unselfish giving. God sacrificed His only begotten Son for a sinner like me, so that I would know what true unadulterated love is.
 
Matthew 22:37-39

 37 And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself

 I believe Jesus gave us two commandments to try to make it simpler for us. Because were God’ love abides

1. You want murder your neighbor
2. You want sleep with your neighbor spouse
3. You want lie on your neighbor
Are you seeing a pattern here what love prevents? For sin is selfishness and love is selflessness..

1 John 3:10 tells us that, whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother.  We are told that the world will know us by the Love we have one for another.  Instead I saying to you, he who does not love their spouse cannot love God since God ordained marriage.

Do you have love for those God has given you charge over!!! What would do for those around you? Would you die for the person next to you? Would you die for a murder or thief, a liar, an adulator, Jesus did just that for each of us, because He loved us. I want my marriage to reflect God's Agape love, because my love is shallow and based on emotions, which change more times than the tide does.

 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8).
We have to put on unconditional love of God in order for our marriage to produce good fruit.   As you endeavor to live with your spouse, you are going to learn all their faults and just how imperfect they really are.  When you operate in God’s Agape love, none of that matter because you are aware of how imperfect you are and how Christ yet loved you.
Let God ‘s perfect Agape love abide in you that way your spouse and your children will see Christ in you and your home will be blessed.

If we are the body

Sermon (If we are the body)

John 13:34

34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.

John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Jesus didn’t say to the lame man Hey I see your in need of healing but right now I’m busy, he went and did what Christ knew was right in the sight of his father.

1 Corinthians 12:27
 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it

Wait an minute did that scripture just say that each of you are part of the body? So does that mean that  the Pastor does not have to do it all by himself??? Years ago I was listening to song by Casting Crown Cause if we are body, I thought at first why would they title the song "if we are body". I want to take a moment tell you about a brother who was going through a storm. Daniel found himself in the middle of a storm; this storm brought him and his family to its knees. Now when the church heard about the storm they say lets us pray. Do not be deceived prayer is a power weapon in the arsenal of the believer. Now Daniel neighbors heard about this storm and came to his aid. One lady came over and begin to mow Daniel’s lawn. Another lady came over and left a card of good wishes was left on his door. Another lady prepared and brought a meal so that family would not have to struggle with cooking in the middle of their storm. You might say praise God, that what Jesus wants us to do, you would be correct if that was your cognition, however these ladies that performed these Godly acts were none Christians. Not one Christian brother or sister lifted a hand. Ask yourself this if you came to my house and you were hungry and told me this while I was feeding my family and said I will pray for you that God provide you with food tonight . where is my Christian love how can I claim to be a Christian when I"m unable to reflect simple Christian love how can I can claim to be a part of the body?

If we are body, why weren't the hands preparing the meals believers hands? Why weren't the feet & hand involving in mowing that grass a Christian?  The words written in the card why weren't they written by the body?
When Jesus said to  his followers that their love for one another would become their trademark. by which Christians would be identified by. At the end of the 2nd century, the church father Tertullian described the reputation that the early church had earned:  Tertullian said the world  had uttered “ ‘look how they love one another'” . Now let me ask you how many of you can actually say you know more 7 people at this churches number and talk to them more 2 twice a week????

Tell me how can we claim to love God whom we have never seen but seemly have issues with loving our brothers and sister in the body. Who here is not aware that love is an action verb????
 (John 15:12-13):

12. "This is my commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.(

If I love my brother then I should go check on him, when he is not at church or my sister, not to accuse but let him or her know they are loved and were missed)

13. "Greater love has no one than this that one lay down his life for his friends. But I’m not asking you to die for your brothers stead how about you offer to cook a meal offer to cut his grass, go visit them and let them know they are not alone. May we be a mirror for Christ to be reflected through us

John 15:17
 These things I command you, that you love one another. Love is a action verb what actions have  you put to loving your brothers and sisters in Christ?

If an unbeliever is aware of how to do good deeds for others how much more should the body do? If we are the body why are there not more hands helping, why aren't more  people ready and wiling to serve others.



When Jesus told his disciples that other people would know them by their love for one another. He was telling them about the main characteristic of a true Christian.    If we have God's Agape love in us, then doing for others in the body should be natural. If we practiced doing this, our mutual love and faith would increase proportionally.

I’m convinced that if we are about our Fathers business God will increase your faith and love for your brothers and sisters in Christ for God’s love has no limits. Doesn't it make you feel better when someone shows you real love that love via good deeds perhaps (hmm? Yes maybe??? Maybe not??)
Such expression of love helps lift us above our problems, and enables us give them to the Lord, that we would have peace?
We should remember the commandment Jesus gave us




So if we are the body? Why aren’t these hands doing more to heal? If we are the body, what are the talents God has given you, why are they not honor and glorify the Father today? If we are body


If Christ could visit the sick, sinner, those in need, what then should we do since we call ourselves  Christians, which is to be Christ like. So if we are body, then let us reflect Christ in our actions which must bra reflections of Christ love for us.  Each of you has been given a talents by God for his glory not your own. How many of you that can cook are ready to prepare for a needy family in the body or assist in a ministry where cooking is needed? How many of you men are gift to  building or mechanical  inclined? Are you using the gift God gave you to bless the body? Yes prayer is our first line of defense, but if a person  says to you  I thirst, do you just pray for them or do you get them a cup or water???

Sermon (Not my will, but yours be done oh Lord)

                                         “Not my will, but yours be done oh Lord

Before I get started tonight I should determine my audience. None Christians right?  Christians oh wait then this discussions going to last more than 10 minutes, if your truly a Christian wife you might want to strap in right about now, however if your not this might be the time you want excuse yourself for a bathroom break. Let's talk about submission in the Christian Marriage not the worldly marriage, I want you to ask yourself which kind of marriage do you have one that honors God or one that operates accord to the standards of the world?

 Did you know Protestant/Christians have 65% percent chance of divorce? Catholics have a 68% well maybe your thinking at least we better than those Catholics, but wait their is more. The divorce rate among Hebrews is only 3%.

This is where I was going hit the audience with a bunch of statistics but I realized two things

1. I hated Statistics in college

2. The Word of God must lead this conversation like Peter said in (Acts 5:29)

 “We ought to obey God rather than men.          

I want to see a show of hands for those who agree with Peter’s statement?

I'm not going to be concerned with how our divorce rates compares to the unbeliever.. Instead I want to speak to Christian wives about having a 100% success rate if your willing to have a Godly marriage, which means God, must be in the center of your marriage and his blue print the Holy Bible must be what your marriage is built with.

What does submission look like to Jesus?  Jesus submitted to the will of His Father in (Matthew 26:39).  A picture of Submission is Jesus in the garden, where Jesus grieves, but chooses to submit to the will of the Father.  Jesus said not my will but thy will be done. These were the words of Christ, Himself, within hours of His betrayal and then His crucifixion.  If ANYONE in the universe had a reason for wanting to find another way for people to be made right with God – it should have been Jesus but Christ submitted to the will of the Father.  Now understand like any Christian wife Jesus could have chosen to not submit to the will of the Father, but Jesus loved His Father and wants to honor His Heavenly Father. My sisters in Christ mimic Jesus in submitting not to men but to Your Heavenly Father. For as you submit to Christ You prove to be Christ like. How does a wife say she honors God whom she has not seen but yet dishonors God’s instruction. The Husband God gave you is meant to be a physical representation of Christ. A Christian woman therefore does not submit because her husband deserves it, she submits because she knows it is pleasing to her Heavenly Father. Christ didn’t wash the feet of his disciples, because they were greater than Him but to show them what submission looked like and to again honor the Father and Christ knew it was not about him but about God. Having a Godly marriage is obeying and living according to how Christ has commanded us to.

Submission takes humility.  It also takes a lot of prayer and relying on the Holy Spirit.  Christian wives must look to Jesus as an example, and reflect His love and Self-sacrifice as they lovingly choose to submit unto the husband.)Sisters you are not slaves but freed from sin both male and female alike must be bondservants to Christ.

     .

Sister I beseech you to lean on and allow God to guide and direct you in how to be the Godly daughter and how to play your part in having a Godly marriage. God does not operate on feelings and as a Christian God wants us to rely on Him and not on our flesh for the flesh is deceitful and is like a wave tossed to and fro.

 So if you’re a Christian wife and you want that 100% success rate for your marriage honor God, put not your trust in mankind but Trust in God and His Holy Word. Perhaps your sitting they’re thinking this guy does not know the kind of man I’m married too. You would be correct I do not know but God does, do you think if you put your marriage in the hands of the one who created the universe that your marriage is to great of issue for him to fix????

For you see the God I serve can do anything but fail. My God is a loving caring Father. Its time you trust God with your marriage instead of trusting women’s magazines, or Oprah, or your none Christian girlfriends or the latest how to fix your husband book. How about you trust the one who established marriage, which would be God??? Are you ready to trust God with your marriage??? For what God has commanded both spouses is action, which means you need to actually do something. Perhaps your that wife who said once he makes me happy then I will submit, Could you be so kind and stand up and tell me where that scripture is that says, ‘First the husband must for fill the desires of his wife’s heart and ensure she truly happy, once he has done then the wife will submit and honor him.  For I know I’m not even close to be a learned man, but I do not believe that is in the bible nor is that what God mean when told the husband to love his wife. Jesus loved the Father and God asked Jesus to die for you and I. I’m sure Jesus was not in the garden jumping for joy but instead Jesus honored the Father just as God expect you my sisters to.  Not my will but thy will be done must become your motto if you truly want to honor God in your marriage.

21. submitting to one another in the fear of God  (Ephesians 5:21)

Verse [21] tells the husband and the wife to submit one to the other in reverence of God..  Notice in Ephesian 5 Paul doesn't say, "Husbands, tell your wife to submit" or, "Wives, tell your husband to step up and be spiritual head of the home." Instead, he speaks to us and asks each of us to work on his or her obedience to God.

In Ephesians, Paul actually introduces something radical to the culture: that people with more power have greater responsibilities, Paul says to husbands, "Yes, you've got authority, but you've also got responsibility." In fact, Christian teachers from the earliest centuries have pointed out that what Paul asks the husband to do is actually harder than what he ask of the wife to do. He asks the wife to show respect and submit; he asks the husband to die.

Christian husbands are called to daily dying to the desires of their flesh, instead focus on the loving his wife as Christ demands she be love?"

 Sister it must be not your will but thy will be done I would say we ought to obey God rather than our feelings or the women’s lib movement. “Submission” in the sense that God uses it in the Bible is a concept that began in the Trinity in a relationship of Equals.  Jesus is not inferior in any way to God the Father.  They are one.  The Father has the position of authority, the Son honors His Father’s authority.  He is not a second-class citizen, a slave or of less value than the Father.  In fact, His willingness to submit to and honor His Father demonstrates perfect love. Eve was taken from the rib of Adam in no way did God see her as lessor creation, but she was to be Adam’s equal to be his helpmate.

What does submission look like for the modern day Christian wife? I’m not asking what it looks like to the modern day women’s movement but the woman who has decided to follow Christ, the true Christian wife.

Today, one of the most difficult concepts in God’s Word is biblical submission.  The word submission is not limited to wives alone. For example: Christians are told to submit to the government (Romans 13:1), Christians are told to submit directly to God (James 4:7). Another word for submission is Self-sacrifice, which is required in each circumstance.  Submission is neither easy nor is always convenient.  Instead, it should be viewed as service unto God.  A Godly wife attitude toward Christ, must be “Not my will, but yours be done oh Lord.”    The Godly wife desires God’s will above her own.  Her intimacy and relationship with Christ and her husband are MUCH more valuable to her than getting her way about a certain decision.

 The Godly wife knows She can express her feelings, desires, concerns and thoughts to God and her husband.  Once she has expressed herself, she trusts that God will direct her and her husband. {X]The Greek word for submission is hupotasso, “to subordinate…put under…” God exhorts women to voluntarily follow their husband’s leadership.  

22. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.

23. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.

24. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything (Ephesians 5:22-24).  

Submission should not be confused with a person being weak. When a Christian wives honors God and obeys what is being asked of her in Ephesians 5:22-24, she assures herself of blessing coming and going both in her marriage and with her children.

18.Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord (Colossians 3:18). 

Ultimately, each of us will answer to God for our obedience to Him.  Be VERY SURE you are operating in obedience to Christ.  Wives, God holds Christian husbands accountable for their leadership, love, gentleness and selflessness and God holds the wife accountable for demonstrating respect, biblical submission and obedience to the commands of God.  We will each stand accountable to God, so tread very carefully and reverently to God’s Word,. My Christians sister  lean not unto your own understand for human beings we are Only God can see the whole picture, which is when we obey God’s word we can expect victory in our marriages. 

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding  (Proverbs 3:5). Sisters submit to God not to the will of the flesh, if you are a true follower of Christ do as Christ Did “not my will but Thy will be done” If the God of universe could come as man and submit to the will of the Father who are you to refuse or decide that you will submit once your requirement are met!!! Christians we got stop playing with God’s word!!!

Sermon on (Distrations)

Distractions

What is your distraction??? The enemy uses distractions as method to take our eyes off of Jesus. When we become distracted we become separated from Jesus plan for our lives. The enemy wants to make us ineffective for the gospel. The same way we have to pay attention to road signs when driving on the freeway to ensure we exit at the right place.  A definition of distraction is drawing away, or diverting attention away. Distracting believers from the truth, from following Christ agenda for your life. Paul warned the brethren at Rome against some who would “by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” (Rom. 16:18) and lead them astray; he also warned the elders at Ephesus of some who would come from among them and “draw away the disciples after themselves” (Acts 20:30). In each of these cases, there is a distraction, or drawing away, of men from the truth and into error.

28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”

29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to    

    Jesus.

30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous,[a] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out,

     saying, “Lord, save me!”

31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why

    did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:28-31)

The devil is a pro at hindering brothers and sisters from the work God has called them to. Distractions appears almost from the moment we awaken in the morning, until we go to bed at night. The enemy knows he can’t affect your salvation but he wants to hinder you from being apart of the great commission.

Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Matt. 6:33).

The best way to prevent distractions from having authority over our lives is to Seek God first and move closer to our ultimate goal of total surrender to Christ.  Peter endeavored to do this when step out of the boat and walking toward Jesus, however a distraction took his eyes off of Christ and Peter began to sink. A disciple was someone who had chosen to be with his rabbi as much as possible in order to learn everything he could from him so he could one day be like him. In ancient times, disciples tried to be around the rabbi everywhere not just during formal teaching times.

Paul refused to allow distracted to stoop him from completed the race, though Paul was stoned, shipped wrecked, and in prisoned.  Paul was convinced that nothing was more important than preaching Jesus.

There are many types of distractions that the enemy uses to redirect our attention.

1.     Money: It can become our god

²⁴“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money (Matthew 6: 24).

³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

 1. Job: ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”  ⁴¹ And Jesus  answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁴² But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:40-41) 

2.     Electronic media: Internet, TV, movies, music, video games, newspapers, magazine all can become distractions

3. Family:  For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law ³⁶ and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.( Matthew 10:^A35-36)

4. Ministry: Yes you heard me correctly when you get so caught up in doing what you feel God has called you to, and you forget its not your ministry but God’s and that he does not need you but allows you to be apart of it. Our very best is filthy rags.

What are the distractions in your life??? What have you allowed to become your gods? Ours is a jealous God and He will not share his glory with anyone. Do not let distraction blind you to the fact we need God and we need to be about our Father’s will while it is dark

Keep Your Hands on That Plow

Keep plowing that field that God gave you to plow

Maybe it's the church that you are shepherding

Could be the Sunday school class you are teaching

Discipling that young christian who's new to the faith

Raising your children in the ways of the Lord and praying over them daily

Praying for that lost relative or friend to come to Christ

We've got to keep doing the works of our Father in Heaven

Those of us who realize that we've been purchased with a price

The precious blood of Christ

We need to keep our focus on Him

The world's getting crazier

It makes less sense today than it did yesterday

We know it's falling apart

It's near the end

When Jesus returns....

I pray that He finds each one of us....

Doing the works of Him who sends us

Letting Christ reach out through us

To a world hemorrhaging

From the wounds of the Enemy

And self-inflicted wounds.

So...

Keep your hand on that Plow!

You'll be rewarded by your Father in Heaven.

In Christ our Lord,

Don