Help, My Church Is A Mess"
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Teach Me How To Love
Teach Me How To Love
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only standard by which we measure the true character of our lives, which is founded upon LOVE.
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.
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He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
LOVE - common denominator…everything is built upon it
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It’s not accepted by God, if it’s not motivated by who He is…LOVE
It’s not accepted by God, if it’s not motivated by who He is…LOVE
Question: Do we really want to be like Jesus?
Suffer, Crucified, Buried
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The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying,
Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love:
Therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
GK (Draw)…means to drag
LOVE - the facilitator that brings us together…lubricant that reduces friction in us.
“Purposeful commitment to sacrificial action for another”
(determined to the cause of going beyond)
>Loved me past my rebellion, backslidings, weakness, sins
LOVE - expresses itself through giving ()
…Jesus set the bar/standard…He even washed the feet of Judas, His betrayer.
Apostle Jenkins - You have not truly loved until you love an enemy w/the love of a friend.
You can’t love when you don’t have substance.
(that’s why you’re still hateful/mean)
…God in His mercy still seeks to bring man back to Him, because man can’t live w/o His presence.
God reached out to the children of Israel to come back to Him…they failed. Then called some of Israel Levites(preachers) out to bring them back to Him…they failed. The Priests…they failed…the Prophets (Priests killed the Prophets)…because they were trying to tell them what God said.
NOBODY could help…So here goes God according to:
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But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
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But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
God doesn’t just want us getting along or putting up w/each other, but sharing a common bond (Unity).
…In-spite of the challenges & temptations, we stand bold to achieve an uncommon love.
1 reason why the church is a mess or suffering…NO LOVE
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What LOVE looks like in a real church -
Chpt. 13, Paul hopes to drown out the Corinthians high level of competition they hold against one another.
Wondering whose spiritual gifts are the greatest/better than the others, in order to establish some sort of superiority…but Paul follow up their intentions/questions w/Chpt. 13…telling them they need to love one another.
Not only should they love one another, but everybody else too because we are all children of God.
Pa
Paul was letting them know that they’re gifts are equally important & in exercising their gifts, they should make sure they are doing so in love & w/love seeping through every action.
Paul was dealing w/schisms w/in the Church know as “Worship Wars”
…Tongues, Expressions of Worship(Praise Leaders/Dancers, Musicians, Devotion, Music types, Marching in)
…Time limit on the Preacher, Service, Programs or Spontaneous Worship(flow in the Holy Ghost)
…What colors to wear, food to serve, dress code(formal, casual), Big screens, announcements, bulletins
Apostle Paul is writing because egos & pride has infiltrated the Church…it’s a mess
(This will kill your Influence of Love) in the Church
Our theology/positions has gotten the best of us…Whose idea is the best…attitudes all over the place.
We’ve allowed our gifts to wreak havoc…Leadership is a mess
We don’t want to submit to one another
Paul is trying to get the Church to understand the more excellent way…LOVE!
That’s our goal!!!
Embrace our differences & come together.
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God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Fellowship & Love is inseparable…gotta have both
(God & Christ)
A. Fellowship - a sign that you’re saved
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We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love other believers. The person who doesn’t grow in love remains in death.
…In essence, we need Fellowship to have a right Relationship w/God.
Our relationship w/God is a reflections of our relationship w/one another.
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Whoever says, “I love God,” but hates another believer is a liar. People who don’t love other believers, whom they have seen, can’t love God, whom they have not seen.
B. Fellowship - a proof of walking in the light
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But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin.
*Where there’s love, there’s no sin
C. Fellowship - proof of spiritual growth (maturity)
Closing:
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We must also consider how to encourage each other to show love and to do good things. We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.
If we go on sinning after we have learned the truth, no sacrifice can take away our sins.