Everlasting Love

Good morning, children of God! He has given us another wonderful day to come together to worship Him and declare His glory in fellowship with like-minded believers. Before we start this morning, I need to speak about something. If you are joining us here or online this morning and think you are perfect or close to perfect in your flesh, you’re wrong. You do not have to believe me, but the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 3:10:

Romans 3:10 NLT

10 As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous— not even one.

The Apostle Paul goes on to tell us in Romans 3:23:

Romans 3:23 NIV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

The murderer, the liar, and the abuser fall short of the glory of God, but so do you and I. You may be on a little higher moral ground than I am. You may be on higher moral ground than another believer. Another believer may be on higher moral ground than you. Heck, you may be at the peak of the Alps of moral ground and I may be in the lowest ravine of moral ground! That microcosmic distance makes very little difference in touching the stars.

WE ALL FALL SHORT OF GOD’S GLORY! Yet, through Christ Jesus, righteousness is imparted to all who claim Him as their Lord and Savior.

God, in His mercy, does not give us what we deserve.

God, in His grace, gives us what we DO NOT deserve.

Because of what Christ did at the cross, righteousness was given to the believer as a possession. In His grace, God laid righteousness upon the believer as a covering. Jesus clothed us in his righteousness.

In 2 Corinthians 5:21, the Apostle Paul tells us:

2 Corinthians 5:21 NIV

21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

The perfect and un-blemished Lamb of God stood in the place I deserved to stand. Outside of Christ, NO ONE stands righteous before a Holy God. It is impossible to stand right before God outside of Jesus Christ. Brothers and sisters, we may not stand righteous before this world, but in Christ, we stand righteous before God. You are made right this morning through your faith in the Only begotten Son of God!

I put out a message on Facebook asking you to give me “one word” that has been used to negatively describe or hurt you. I was thinking “I will get a few replies to use in Sunday’s message.” A few days passed, and Pastor Dakota asked if I had looked at the post. I had not looked. I do not get on Facebook everyday. Well, I went and looked. Y’all did not fail in responding! I sat in front of my computer and wept at what I was reading. We say so many hurtful things to each other. It is heartbreaking how we treat each other at times.

Here are some of the hurtful words that many of you shared. I am going to read a bunch of them. I want you to listen this morning and think about how you would feel if someone you love or look up to was calling you these things or treated you this way.

Lazy, unwanted, indecisive, simpleton, annoying, callous, inadequate, incompetent, racist, a mistake, naive, unloved, unworthy, needy, unapproachable, shiny, negative, stubborn, unteachable, self-centered, worthless, a complete failure, too intense, nothing but a drunk, crazy, Old lady, too demanding, stupid, unsupportive, ugly, made to feel invisible, childish, unlovable, disappointment, unqualified, and a fool.

These are words that are meant to be hurtful, degrading, to tear down, and inflict pain. Do how much damage these words would inflict if they were stones? They inflict an equal if not greater amount of emotional pain. I know that this is not an exhaustive list, these are the ones that you shared. Several were shared multiple times by different people.

How many of us have been called a bunch of those things and more? How does it feel? IT HURTS! Even when someone is “just joking,” it leaves a mark on the heart. You know, people will use that as an excuse “I was just joking” after they hurt or degrade someone, like it is a pass to be a jerk. Well stop it! You know it hurts the person, why would you say it to them? It can be difficult, but I TRY not to joke around like that anymore. Even if the other person takes it in jest, it leaves a wound.

Now, those are the words that the world says to you, others say to you, and some things that you may even believe about yourself this morning. Then, there are the words the Father speaks to you and over you. Before we hear what Abba Daddy has to say to you this morning, please pray with me.

Prayer

Father God, we invite Holy Spirit into our presence, to dwell within our hearts and to fill our minds. LORD, you know your servants hearts. We plead the blood of Jesus over this congregation, over our loved ones, and over your church. Open our hearts and minds to fully receive your Words and your thoughts toward us this morning. Remind our hearts of your love, mercy, and grace. We thank you for the healing of hearts and relationships taking place right now. May those healings be a witness unto your son Jesus Christ and a testament to your power and glory. In the beautiful, powerful, unmatched, and unparalleled name of Yeshua Hamashiach, Jesus the Christ, Amen.

Let’s see, by His very own Words, how God feels about you this morning.

Genesis 1:27

For you were made in my Image.

Acts 17:28 (NLT)

In me you live and move and have your being… for you are my child.

Ephesians 1:11–12 (NIV)

I chose you when I planned creation

Psalm 139:15–16 (NIV)

You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

My plans for you have always been filled with hope.

Jeremiah 31:3 (NIV)

I love you with an everlasting love.

Exodus 19:5 (NIV)

You are my treasured possession.

Zephaniah 3:17 (NIV)

I am with you… I take great delight in you… I rejoice over you with singing.

Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)

I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine.

2 Thessalonians 2:16–17 (NIV)

I am your greatest encourager.

2 Corinthians 1:3–4 (NIV)

I am your Father in Heaven who comforts you in all your trouble.

Psalm 34:18 (NIV)

When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you.

Isaiah 40:11 (NIV)

As a shepherd carries a lamb, I carry you close to my heart.

Revelation 21:3–4 (NIV)

One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes...

And I will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth.

John 17:23 (NIV)

I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus Christ.

John 17:26 (NIV)

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.

Hebrews 1:3 (NIV)

He is the exact representation of my being.

Romans 8:31 (NIV)

He came to demonstrate that I am for you, not against you.

2 Corinthians 5:18–19 (NIV)

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.

1 John 4:10 (NIV)

His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you.

Romans 8:31–32 (NIV)

I gave up everything I loved that I may gain your love.

YOU ARE BELOVED BY GOD ALMIGHTY! Whatever you struggle with, whatever someone else says about you, whatever the enemy is whispering to you, whatever lies you may be buying this morning; They DO NOT define who you are! As believers, as followers, and as disciples of Christ, you and I are defined by God! NOTHING CAN CHANGE THAT! Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We either believe what the world tells us, what the enemy convicts us of, what we tell ourselves, or who God says we are. Out of those four, the world, the enemy, me, and God, God is the only one who has not been caught in a lie.

This brings me to the next part of today’s message. We all have something the Lord is helping us clean up in our lives. Something, or for me, multiple somethings, that we struggle with. We are all works in the Potters hands. He continues to shape you EVEN IN THIS MOMENT! Jesus is the standard we are to base our lives on. As believers mature, we want the conviction, correction, and leading of Holy Spirit in us. Seven of the greatest words ever spoken about maturing in Christ were spoken by Jesus’ Christ’s cousin, John the Baptist!

John 3:30 NKJV

30 He must increase, but I must decrease.

John was referring to his ministry decreasing so that Jesus ministry would continue increasing . John the baptizer also knew that for Christ to increase in our hearts and in our lives, we must decrease. That simply means we choose to be self-centered or Christ centered.

Most of us admitted to being called some hurtful things or being made to feel less than who God says we are. How many of us are willing to admit, here today, that we have called someone else some really hurtful things? How many of us have made someone else feel “less than?”

You all know how I feel about transparency and accountability. I share because I am accountable to you. Mostly, I share because I want my life to be a testimony to the power of Christ. Like the Apostle Paul said, I could be counted a chief sinner among men.

What I am going to tell you may sound funny, and at one time I thought it was. I used to make up new curse words to call people. I used different permutations of nasty phrases because I became so bored with repeating the same vulgar things all the time. I had called people every name in the book so much that I literally made up new words to put in the book.

True story, Carolyn will tell you, I used to write down insults and terrible things on large pieces of paper . I would keep them in my car, and hold them up for people to read because I knew they could not hear me cursing them out. THANK GOD FOR GOD, FOR JESUS, AND THE CONVICTION OF HOLY SPIRIT! I am not proud of those days, I am deeply embarrassed by those actions.

When we call others the things we have been called or treat others the terrible ways we have been treated, we are casting stones at them. We need to realize that we only get a snapshot of most people at a singular point in their life. It is like we snapped a picture, and suddenly we know everything about them?

When we put ourselves in the position of an omniscient God, thinking we know everything about someone, we have removed Christ, quashed Holy Spirit, and end up mirror the world’s behaviors. We are casting the very stones that should be cast at us!

Remember in the Great book of John, chapter 8, when the Pharisees brought the woman caught in adultery before Jesus? They wanted to stone her to death. They were trying to trip Jesus up with the Law of Moses, but look at what Jesus says to them in John 8:7

John 8:7 NLT

7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, “All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!”

“You without sin cast the first stone.” They knew Jesus was right, they were all sinners! One of them was probably caught in adultery with this woman! I always wondered “Where is the guy she was caught with,” because Mosaic law required they both be brought before the people and stoned. Just saying. Anyway, they dropped the stones and slunk away. But look what happens next:

John 8:10–11 NLT

10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11 “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.”

NEITHER DO I! Jesus did not condemn this woman, he called her to repentance, to turn from her sin. He did not pick up the stones and start throwing them at her! We are not to condemn one another. It is true enough that we are to judge one another within the body, but for the express purpose of lifting one another up out of temptation and sin. Not to cast stones at someone because they have slipped and fallen.

This world WILL condemn you, others WILL condemn you with their words. You may condemn yourself at times with your words. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, does not condemn you. He came to save you and me from condemnation. The Father loves you.

I love this Max Lucado quote!

As we leave here today, and every day, let us commit and recommit to the increasing of Christ in us. Allow Holy Spirit to lead us in the ways of Christ. Remember Him in every moment and know that He is with you. As this world casts stones at you, tempts you, and attacks you,remember, YOU FALL UNDER THE PROTECTION OF THE KING OF KINGS! Let us speak truth into THAT this morning!

Worship Team/Alter Call

If you feel the need to come to the alter and pour it all out to God, to leave it at the cross this morning, the alter is open and it always is! Most of us in here go to the alter of God often. If you are unsure about who Jesus is or you want to turn your life over to the Way, the Truth, and the Life this morning, please see Pastor Dakota, Pastor Paul, or me. There is no better life than a life in Christ. God Bless you.