02/26/2023 - Lord, Make Me A Believer (Love Month)

Grace Place Atlanta COGBF 4700 Mitchell Street Forest Park, GA 30297 Website: atlantacogbf.org Email: info@atlantacogbf.org Phone: (404) 241-6781 Wayne D. Mack, Pastor / Pastor Wayne D. Mack Sermon Notes February 26, 2023 Lord, Make Me A Believer – In You! John 20: 24-31 24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So, he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” {Believe what?} 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 29 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. GM GP The Lovely Love Month of February is sunsetting here at GP, but I pray that the Love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts is as alive and as vibrant as ever. This last Sunday in February gives us a final opportunity to celebrate Love Month in what has become our custom here at GP which is to select a popular love song and preach a message around it that reveals a deeper spiritual truth. It’s the same practice that Jesus used with parables when He took an everyday occurrence to illustrate a spiritual principle. So, Love Month at GP is a time that we make it our priority to be intentional about celebrating the love among us as a church family, as well as being most thankful to God for the everlasting love He has showered upon us through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Oh, how He loves us. And because of that, our loving Him back ought to be as Easy as Sunday Morning – in the most positive of ways. Given that, let’s focus our attention on today’s message which is centered around Love and Believing. Let’s begin . . . Today’s love song was submitted by Elder James Boone. Thank you, Reverend Boone. The title of his submission is: Make Me a Believer by Luther Vandross. What a safe and appropriate love song title for a preacher to submit. The song was written Luther Vandross. During his career, Vandross sold over twenty-five million albums and won eight Grammy Awards including Best Male R&B Vocal Performance four times. About today’s love song -- One rendition of the meaning of Make Me a Believer is that the singer is obviously singing to a woman he has an attraction for but somewhere in his mind, he is a bit unsure about her feelings towards him. It could be that she is saying one thing but doing another. Or, it could be that she has not even noticed him yet -- but in his own mind he creates a place for her in his life. The song is an attempt to convey how powerful are the mind is by bringing to reality something that is imagined. One writer said "Make Me a Believer" is perhaps a peek into Luther's progressive spirituality, as it were: Whatever you conceive and chose to believe becomes your reality. Here’s a taste of the lyrics . . . to Make Me a Believer Superman can fly high-- way up in the sky 'Cause we believe he can So, what we choose to believe can always work out fine It's all in the mind So, think of a place and imagine a time And let's go be lovers Believing me, Ooo Wee baby Is believing right-oh yeah, and I wanna love, wanna have, wanna hold you girl So, make me a believer Wanna love you girl Ooo so near And forever keep you here Forget all about whatever we fear And let's just be lovers Loving and loving, oh love is the way To make me stay I know the way to persuade me over to your side And I am sure you can So if you get me to believe It all will work out fine 'Cause you'll blow my mind So, let's pick a place, a day, and a time And then we'll be lovers Loving and loving, oh love is the way To make me stay Play it Uriah . . . Even though I’m not terribly familiar with the song, others are. Here’s what some fans said about how this song resonated with them: Comments: • This is the epitome of what a love song should sound like and feel like. It should tickle your senses. This song transcends time. The melody. The voice. It makes you pause, sway, nod and say 'that's good music”. • I just discovered this song this year and I can’t stop listening to it. • This song is very personal to me. It reminded me of my teenage crush and what a time to be alive. Nostalgic at its best. This will never get old its timeless and ageless. • This song is absolutely magnificent.. it takes you away to another universe. Luther was a genius! • This song puts me in a trance. Instant tranquility • It has been 20 years since my mother has passed. This was her favorite Luther ballad. She taught me how to slow dance to this song. When I miss her the most, this song rushes through my heart. Rest in Peace to a woman gone to soon . . . • This song takes me to another dimension! 💫 • This song got me when he was expressing the power of the mind, and the power of attraction. This song clearly has deep meaning for many people. The title itself conveys a strong sense of determination and resolve . . . Both in the natural and spiritual realm. For the sake of this message, I see a title like Make Me A Believer as an invitation to win someone over to another way of thinking. It also comes across as a challenge for a prospective lover to believe in something or someone in a way other than what is their current conviction. Make Me a Believer one of those titles or statements that is packed with a determined drive to convince, persuade, to change or sway a probable lover to different way of thinking. [Anybody ever been here?] Make me a believer is an emphatic challenge! It is permission for the person or significant other in question to so-called hit me with your best shot—lover boy or sophisticated lady. And what am I believing in? Make me a believer in WHAT? In simple, Make me believe in you. . . My Morning Star, My Girl, My One in a Million. [Give me a good reason to do so!] The main character in this scenario of Make Me a Believer is saying “I see you -- now make me believe what I see is “All That”, or that it’s not just a façade. Make me believe that what I see is what I get. Make me a believer. In a natural love relationships, when in search of someone to believe in or that you want to believe in you: “How do you make someone a believer? Here are three simple things on the Top side . . . : • First Know Thyself – Personal Self Awareness and Awareness of Others – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly • Ensure that you are WHOLE – Healthy disposition; Complete and only want someone to Compliment. • Able to Share and Care beyond Self – Not Set in Your ways – ready and able to celebrate true love and togetherness. [This is for the saved in the unsaved . . . equally yoked for the saved] On the Bottom Side, making someone a believer begins with: • Begins with striking, attracting and holding someone of interests attention. • Showing and sustaining Kindness and Responsiveness (Chivalry) • Expressing a deep and sincere Interest in a prospective person you’re trying to make a Believer. • Proving your worth and worthiness In a general way, we have gleaned some nuggets from this message on how to Make A Believer of someone from the natural side. In fact, it should be clear to you that it is our Love Goal or Love Motive in the natural to make or entice someone to believe in US . . . . me and you. Me, Myself, and I. But as True Believers, our spiritual charge and mission as Christians is to Make Believers of men and women in Christ our Savior, Lord, and King. Yes, in love relationships, we are challenged to believe in someone or have them believe in us, but the ultimate priority of God is to Make Me and You Believers in the One Who loved us more than we love ourselves. In fact, His love was/is so great He laid down his life for us and called us His friends. He is the true Lover of our souls. How does Our Lord make believers of us? Certainly, by giving His life for us, forgiving us of our sin and sins, and washing them away; but consider Jesus’ heart on making believers in Him – one believer at a time. Turn with me to John 20: 24-31 . . . In this passage we see a case where Thomas, one of Jesus’ 12 disciples is the epitome of the mantra “Make Me a Believer”. It is the case where the disciples are telling Thomas they had seen the Savior. For some reason, Thomas was absent and wasn’t present to see Him. Now, let’s let the Scripture do the talking: 24 Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So, he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” {Believe what?} 26 And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” 27 Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” 28 And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 29 30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. How do we make Believers of men and women? John 13:35 says . . . 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another.” What will it take for you to Believe? • Jonah in the belly of the whale • Elijah – small still voice • Paul on the road to Damascus • Lady with the issue of Blood • Zacchaeus in the tree • Jairus – His daughter • Gamaliel – Thou almost persuaded me • Rich young ruler . . . Lord, Make Me A Believer – In You!