To be a Christian ?

20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?
21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (1 John 4:20-21)

True Christianity requires us to be Christ-like. Jesus says we are to love as He loves us. Love is not a feeling but a decision to put the needs of someone else's first. That is what Jesus did at Calvary for you and me.

If I call myself a follower of Christ and abuse my neighbor, my spouse my children or deal with my customer wrongly, where is the love of Christ in that? How shall I introduce them to Christ when Christ is obviously not in me.

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 
(1 Corinthians 13:1-8)



The only way for the world to see God is through you and me by showing them something they do know or see much of in this world which is pure love with no catches or if and buts, just God's true love


8 Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandments, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (

10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)


Jesus demonstrated love for us.     Long before we knew what love was. The Bible tells us there is no greater love than a man to lay down his life for another. In our case, it was a sinner like me that Jesus paid the price for a crime He didn't commit. Justice demand my life but grace and mercy and the love of Christ said oh no I will pay the price for Willis not because I was worthy but because Christ loved me, He died for me, and because Christ I live also. To be a follower of Christ mean to me to Love even those who hate me and persecute me, after all, they hated Jesus first and put him to death. For my sins for He was innocent, but guilty of loving a sinful creature like me.

The love of the Father

 

Then He said: “A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father and will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.”’ “And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this, my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry. (Luke 15:11-24)

This story is more about the Father, whose love was so great that he daily waited for the return of his son, Notice in the story, "But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him." This indicated the father was waiting for the return of his wayward son. I said to you doesn't matter how far you have gone from God he is standing there with arms wide open waiting for you.

God loved us so much that He left Heaven to redeem us, we had separated from him because of sin.  Did you realize that no matter how great your sins were God refuses to leave us in our present state? Oh Children of God do you not know? Nothing can separate you from the Love of God! He proved the depth of His love for you. He gave His life at Calvary for you! To the world, the cross is foolishness and a stumbling block to others. To the true children of God, the cross is grace and mercy being demonstrated by the king of the universe for you! No other gods or religions, do we know of that Creator of all became a man and suffered in the place of His creation. Only one and  His name is Jesus Christ. In Him and Him alone must be where you place your faith and hope and trust.  

Direct Orders (sermon)

 

A Song: Love God and love people.

A show of hands of those who served in the military. How many of you have obeyed the Direct Orders given to you by your CO?

 Direct orders are commands that must be obeyed when handed down.

         

   If I said you are a soldier in God’s army, would believe me?  Don’t let's instead look at what the word of God says.

Join me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

 (2 Timothy 2:3-4).

 

So, it is Paul who calls you soldiers in God’s army!

 

The Scribes, Pharisees, and other religious leaders tested Jesus, trying to find fault in Him. In the book of Matthew, a lawyer asks Jesus, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

In response.

 

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment.

³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

(Matthew 22:37-40).

 

You have been given Direct Orders. My question is what are you going to do about it?

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. The First is to love GOD with all your hearts and soul in doing so you.

³ “You shall have no other gods before me.

⁴ “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, or in the water under the earth. 

⁵ You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,

⁶ but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷ “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain. (Exodus 20-3-7).

 The church was given   Direct Orders. When Jesus says I give you 2 commandments These are Direct Orders from your king Himself! when we say that we are believers then we should be found doing the thing that our King commands. So that the world could see God moving in the church? So that they might believe the gospel to be more than words. Uttered in hypocrisy. hypocrisy” refers to the act of claiming to believe something but doing something different.    

2. Second Direct Order Tell us how to treat others aka your neighbors

You will honor your father and mother (Exodus 20:12).

 You will not murder anyone (Exodus 20:13)

 You will not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14)

 You will not steal from anyone (Exodus 20:15)

 You will not lie (Exodus 20:16)

 You will not covet anything that belongs to someone else (Exodus 20:17).

We can keep the entire law simply by obeying these two Direct Orders. However, the kicker is without the power of the Holy Spirit. The church has zero chance of ever adhering to Jesus’s Direct Orders. Only through the Holy Spirit and not our flesh,   can  the church begin to follow Jesus’s Direct Orders.

 

In the gospels, Jesus teaches the church what God’s Direct Orders are. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.

In other words, we are to love God with our whole being. Love your neighbor as yourself.

Jesus is not asking you He has commanded you!

 

Why hide your light under a bushel or put it out? If all you ever do is shine your light in church how does that bring the pre-Christian to Christ? Is that what you were commanded to do?

 

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age”

(Matthew 28:19-20).

 

We are commanded to go the highways and byways to share the good news. We send missionaries over sea’s but what about the mission fields here in America? What about making followers of Jesus here? Church, do you understand this is not your home, Jesus says in His Father’s house there are many rooms! How many of you are inviting others to come home with you to your Heavenly Father’s house?

 

But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.

(1 Samuel 12:15).

Ruth Graham once said if God does not deal with America He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah. Many times, the Jews focus too much on being the chosen race. Instead of focusing more on what God commanded them to do.  So, Church what are you going to do?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am a soldier in the army of my King.
The Lord Jesus Christ is my Commanding Officer.
The Holy Scripture is my code of conduct.
Faith, prayer, and the Word are my weapons of warfare.

I have been taught by the Holy Spirit, trained by experience, tried by adversity, and tested by fire.

I am a volunteer in His army, and I am enlisted for eternity. I will not get out, sell out, be talked out, or be pushed out. I am faithful, reliable, capable, and dependable. If my King needs me, I am there. I am a soldier. I am not a baby. I do not need to be pampered, petted, primed up, pumped up, picked up, or pepped up. I am a soldier. No one must call me, entice me, or lure me. I am a soldier. I am not a wimp. I am in place, saluting my King, obeying His orders, praising His name, and building His kingdom!
I do not need to be cuddled, cradled, or catered to. I am committed I cannot be discouraged enough to turn back. I cannot lose enough to cause me to quit. When Jesus called me into His army, I had nothing. If I end up with nothing. I will still come out ahead. I will win. My King has and will continue to supply all my needs. I am more than a conqueror. I will always triumph. I can do all things through Christ Jesus. The devil cannot defeat me because I’m in Christ. People cannot disillusion me. Weather cannot weary me. Sickness cannot stop me. Battles cannot beat me. Money cannot buy me. Governments cannot silence me, and hell cannot handle me. I am a soldier in the king of the king’s army! Even death cannot destroy me. For when my Commander calls me from His battlefield, He will promote me to captain and then allow me to sit at His right hand. I am a soldier in the army, and I’m marching claiming victory. I will not give up. I will not turn around. I am a soldier, marching heaven-bound.
Here I Stand! Will you stand with me?

 

 unknown author

 

Crazy love

 

How many of you here are married raise your hand if you are. How many of you are engaged? Imagine you are being told that you will have to endure something so horrible that it can only bring you pain, and shame from the one you love! Would you endure it?  What if you were to give; give, and give, and never get anything back, except complaints, and unfaithfulness, that would be your reward? What if this was the person you’re married to, in return for your love they give you shame and lies, destruction.  What if it was your child in this situation would you advise them to continue in this relationship filled with abuse and no love being given to them? 

I just described to you the relationship between you and God. Yet God loves us, even when we choose other gods to worship and follow. You probably think not me Pastor Willis, A god is anything that you put first in your life. It could be your car, your home, your job, your spouse, your children,  or even a ministry.

 (Hosea 1:2)    When the LORD first spoke through Hosea, He said to him, “Go marry a prostitute who will bear illegitimate children conceived through prostitution because the nation continually commits spiritual prostitution by turning away from the LORD.

 

(Hosea 3:1) The LORD said to me, “Go, show love to¹ your wife² again, even though she loves³ another man⁴ and continually commits adultery.⁵ Likewise, the LORD loves⁶ the Israelites⁷ although they turn to other gods and love to offer raisin cakes to idols.”

That’s a Crazy Love that nothing can separate Him from you

 

 (1 John 4:10) “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” Wait does that mean even while I was yet His enemy?  C.S. Lewis said, “Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.”  So, God's love is unchangeable!!

That’s a Crazy Love that nothing can separate Him from you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Psalms 139:7-12)

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
    if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
    your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

            King David tells us that there is nowhere he could hide from God’s love,

That’s a Crazy Love that nothing can separate Him from you

 

In the song “Reckless love”.

There's no shadow You won't light up
Mountain You won't climb up
Coming after me
There's no wall You won't kick down
Lie You won't tear down
Coming after me

That’s a Crazy Love that nothing can separate Him from you

He left the ninety-nine for you and me!!!  That is not logical most time you count that sheep as a loss and protect the flock. Not your heavenly Father He has been chasing after you and He wants to stop till He has all your heart! Even though we don’t deserve His love He gives it to us freely not because we earned His love, but because we couldn’t earn it, which is why the Gospel exists. For we are depraved and have no hope outside of Jesus's never-ending love for us, which is what brought Him to earth for a date on and cross on Calvary to buy back that which He loved more than anything else in the universe.

 That’s a Crazy Love that nothing can separate Him from you

 

Romans 8:35, 38,39). ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 

³⁸ For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

That’s a Crazy Love that nothing can separate Him from you

 Love requires action. God poured out His perfect love for us on the cross. He crushed His Son so that you may live. His perfect love is not dependent on what we do, or what we are going to do. God’s perfect love is greatly shown by what He has already done for you. I have heard it said, “God loves you more in a moment than anyone could in a lifetime.”

I once heard this said it was not the nails that held Him on that cross, but it was our sins and His love for the Father who sent Him to introduce us to God’s perfect love and to demonstrate just how far God was willing to die for us!

That’s a Crazy Love that nothing can separate Him from you

It is so hard to grasp His love for us especially when we look into the mirror and see all of our failures. Without knowing how much God loves you, you are bound to feel like that red-headed stepchild. 

God is patient and kind. “God never gives up.  God never loses hope, and never quits.” That's the kind of love we are dealing with when it comes to how God loves us.
 . The accuser tells me daily God can’t love me, that I’m not good enough, how can I be a child of the King when I can’t stop sinning? The better question I should be asking myself is do I believe God would bring me this far and forsake me? Do I believe that He who started a good work is not able to complete what He has begun in me? Sometimes I believe the lies of the accuser more than the Father’s loving words. Perhaps the issue is that I see God’s love through my darkly lite lens of conditional love. The Father’s love is unconditional.

That’s a Crazy Love that nothing can separate Him from you

 

(Romans 5:7-8). For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet perhaps for a good man, someone would even dare to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

 

 We cannot escape His love nor can we hide from it, He didn’t bring you this far to leave, so regardless of what your emotions or even your head are telling you about your present plight. You’re not alone; the enemy wants you to believe the lie that your Heavenly Father is absentee. Our Father promised He would never forsake or leave you. It’s us who believes in the lie of the enemy, we think our issues are not important to God! You are so important to the Father that he sent his only begotten son down to pay the price in our stay.

 

That’s a Crazy Love that nothing can separate Him from you

 

God's love can’t be earned, and we certainly don’t deserve it which is why He has given it to us!

We can never be good enough to earn our way into heaven.  Jesus makes it clear when He says call no man good except the Father, meaning if we measure our good it must be measured against God and our very best is as filthy rags meant to be taken out and barred. God loves us despite our sinful nature. God’s love never fails we fail Him.

            That’s a Crazy Love that nothing can separate Him from you

  He is love and He is a just God meaning sin will not go unpunished for anyone not willing to accept Jesus’s gift of Salvation.

 (Joshua) No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake

 In (Jeremiah 31:3) God speaks about His everlasting love and faithfulness to us.

 In the singing, You love me Anyway   part of the lyrics say

I am Judas' kiss
But You love me anyway
See how I am the man who yelled out from the crowd
For Your blood to be spilled on this earth-shaking the ground
But You love me anyway

Rejoice in the fact that your Father never gives up on you and He wants all of you!!! After all, He gave it all for you on a cross!!! Even then He asked the Father to give us!

That’s a Crazy Love that nothing can keep Him from you

Anthem

 

The title of today’s message is called Anthem because God's love for us should be like a song that is sung in our hearts and played out in our daily lives.  Let me give you the definition that I'm using to justify the usage of the word Anthem. The definition I’m using from the dictionary is Identified with a particular subculture, movement, or point of view. Aka us Christians. Pastor John says God has him preaching on grace oftentimes. For me, it seems that my Heavenly Father wants me to speak on love.  Sadly I must admit that I have no clue about love, I say that because if I truly love God I would keep the two commandments dealing with love, but yet I don’t. What a hypocrite I’m.  Despite my failure our Heavenly Father still loves me.  It’s a love I don’t deserve; it’s a love I can’t earn! The good news is you have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb! That is an Anthem worth shouting and sing from the top of our lungs. Yet I don’t!

 

(1 John 4:10). Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 

 I want to remind you that our Heavenly Father’s love is not based on how well we tide, or sing songs of praise, or how many Christian events we attend weekly,  it is based on His nature, for you see God is love, that is the reason we received grace and mercy.  We can never earn His love or the gift of salvation. Both are gifts of a good Father, who is not willing to let anything separate us from Him. An Anthem we should sing daily!

 

(Psalms 94:16-17). Who stands up for me against the wicked? Who takes a stand for me against evildoers? 17 If the LORD had not been my helper, I would soon rest in the silence of death.

 

Not only does the Father stand up for us, but He sent Jesus down for us because we couldn’t go up to Him.

  (John 15:13).  No Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.

 

  That was love, for the sinner. Yet each time the enemy tells me I’m not loved and I’m not a child of the king.  I’m reminded that my Heavenly Father, will never abandon me or leave me. Each one of you is carrying some form of hurt or pain or shame and our Heavenly Father wants you to surrender it all to Him and take instead His perfect love. That is the Anthem we should reflect daily to all that we come into contact with.

 

 For you see from the beginning God knew He would never give up on us, nor leave us in our broken state. So the Father makes a promise in Genesis to redeem us at any cost.  Jesus gave all of Himself on a cross for you and me, that’s the Father’s love. He became a curse so we could become the redeemed.  That’s the Father’s love. That is the Anthem we should shout from the tops of the mountains!

 

 

 

 

 

Love is woven throughout God’s word. Love came and lived among us so that we might know the Father’s love for us. Jesus,  demonstrates this through His death and resurrection, proving the power of God’s love,  that nothing will separate us from His love. That is the Anthem we should proudly sing to all that will listen about the Father’s love for them!

 

(Romans 8:38-39).  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I know these words to be true in my life! That is the Anthem I want to proclaim to all I meet.

 

Granted when you have been cast into darkness and your cries go unanswered, it hard to see the Father’s love in that. Everything you once had is taken away and now you are told that your only value is what they say it is.  It’s hard to see the Father’s love in that. Cast into prison and forgotten, it's hard to see the Father’s love in that. Now Joseph tells his brothers that what the enemy did for evil the Lord our God has turned to good. At that moment Joseph can see the Father’s love!  Joseph Anthem is about the Father’s love and how now he can see it in his life. What is it that is keeping you from seeing the Father’s love moving in your life today?

 

Is it past pains? Fear, shame? Or The lies of the enemy that have convinced you that you have no value?  You are more precious than anything else in the universe to God. He loves us even in our present state. Remember that is why He called us to come to Him just as we are!  Remember the Father sent His son who just happens to be skilled with His hands and knows how to make all things new.   Many of you have tried to hide your scares, pretend bad things never happen to you, Jesus stands there with arms wide open waiting for you to bring all your pain, all your tears, to Him and take upon yourself His perfect love.  Do you understand just how deep His love is for you? David discovered that there was nowhere he could hide from the Love of God. Our Heavenly Father loves you so much that He won't allow anything to come between you and Him. If He has to tear down every idol in your life, He will because His love for you and me will not allow anything to steal our heart from Him! That is an Anthem that we should speak of daily.

 

His love for you and I is perfect so are His plans for your life. 

 

 Nothing else in creation has been given such promises, not the fallen angels, only mankind has been offered redemption.  The Father makes a promise that He keeps to, a mere man who is simply dust and shall return to dust. Even death can’t separate us from the love of God! That is an Anthem my life should reflect daily to the world.

 

(Psalms 8:4-6). What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor. 6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all [things] under his feet.

 

 

 

That is the Father’s love!  Our Father sacrificed His only begotten son out of love for you and me. All He wants is for you to believe in Him and trust in Him let His perfect love flow through you!  He won't quit till He has all of you! Know what He has begun in you, He is faithful to complete.  Because of His love for you. That is an Anthem that the redeemed of the Lord should sing!

 

(Mark 12:30-31)“Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31 “The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”

 

It was God’s Love that redeemed us, Love fights for us, Love wants to teach us, to abide in the Father’s love and give love, not just to those you feel deserve it.  But like us, give it to those who don’t deserve it or could earn it. Cause we deserve hell, Despite our failing faith, God's love is there to guide us through the darkest hours.  God will never give up on you!

 Daily when the accuser stands before the Father and accuses me, it's Jesus who stands up for me! Reminding the Father that I was bought by His love and I’m covered by His blood!

(1 John 4:7-8)

Brothers and sisters, let us love one another, as God commanded us to do so that the world might see and know what love is. That is the Anthem that the believer should let shine brightly into a dark world. Everyone who shows loves is born of the Father and knows God. Love can only come from God so if we have no love for each other then we don’t truly know the Father. Jesus said He did the things He saw His father do! He dies for me and you because He knew how much the Father loved you!!!!

So daily our voices & our lives should be reflections of God’s love. We should be salt and light in the lives of the people that we come into contact with. In other words, if we want them to believe in God then we need to show them, God. By His love,  reflected through us to one another. I want my life to be an Anthem of God’s love.  What does your life say to those around you? Does it speak of God’s love? God’s redemption for a lost world? What Anthem does your life speak of? What  Anthem does the world hear and see loudly come from you???