The Greater Love Challenge - 2

How Do I Love God?

The Greater Love Challenge – Part 2

Greet the people – It IS good to be back together

· OCCUPY SERIES – we asked a question --- WHAT DOES THIS GENERATION NEED FROM US?

· 1. THE REVEALED TRUTH OF JESUS MUST NEVER BE COMPROMISED!

· 2. WE MUST ENGAGE WITH A GREATER LOVE

· 3. DEMONSTRATION OF THE SPIRIT

· 4. AN AUTHENTIC CHURCH – NOT A PERFECT CHURCH

· 5. THE RIGHT USE OF WEALTH

· Last week we began our greater LOVE CHALLENGE – we are challenging our LOVE TO COME UP TO A GREATER LEVEL – The world needs it and we will see from BIBLICAL PRESENTATION – IT IS ONE OF THE HIGHEST PRINCIPLES THAT YOU WILL SEE CONCERNING GODS DESIRE AND WILL FOR US!

· We began in matthew 24

MATTHEW 24 :11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.

· That Greek word for grow cold – PSYCHO – Love will grow psycho!!!

· ANOTHER rendering of that phrase is that LOVE WILL BECOME INACTIVE!...LOVE WILL BECOME INACTIVE

· REMEMBER LAST WE SAID THAT LOVE IS AN ACTION – AND THE ACTION OF LOVE WILL BECOME LESS ACTIVE!

MATTHEW 22.

· 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

· THE WHOLE LAW, ALL THE WRITINGS OF THE PROPHETS – ARE SUSPENDED BY THESE 2 COMMANDMENTS LOVE GOD AND LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOUR

We see that Love is Commandment

Therefore it is not something we feel it is something we do

We looked at last week that love is sacrificial - NO GREATER Love than whern someone lays down their life for another!!

IT is the greatest expression of love and it is also the heart of the salvation message that Jesus laid down his life for us

NOW before we talk about LOVING OUR NEIGHBOUR - We mentioned last week that the only way we can truly LOVE our neighbour as ourselves is by Honouring the FIRST PART OF THAT COMMANDMENT - LOVE GOD with out heart/mind/soul/strength/body

I want to answer the question HOW DO I LOVE GOD?

Again we have the conceptions about love and what it is and how it feels and how it should be done - whereas the Bible can present a much more layered perspective?

How do I love God?

Well guess where it BEGINS - With HIS LOVE - 1 John 4.19

The New King James Version (Chapter 4)

19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Ephesians 2The New King James Version (Chapter 2)

4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Go Back to 1 John 4

The New King James Version Chapter 4

10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

So the Scripture is clear - the only way we could Love God - is first by being the recipients of His love - OUR LOVE towards Him is the response to His love towards us

SO Practically How do we Love God according to the Scripture?

1. Obey His commandments -

John 21. 15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. (Jn 21:15–17)

Can you see the pattern here - Its not what we say “You know I love you Jesus”…NO IF YOU LOVE ME - FEED MY SHEEP - FULFIL YOUR PURPOSE, WALK IN YOUR ASSIGNMENT!

PEOPLE SAY THEY LOVE GOD OUT HERE DOING NOTHING FOR HIM!!

1 John 5.3

The New King James Version Chapter 5

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome

2. Loving God involves Love Jesus - 42 Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. (Jn 8:42)

Earlier on He told them - YOU DONT HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD IN YOU - BECAUSE OF THE WAY YOU HONOUR ME

The New King James Version Chapter 15

23 He who hates Me hates My Father also.

According to the Scripture you cannot love God and not love and honour Jesus

They are intrinsincally attached - the Father and the Son - a Divine Package Deal!

3. Love for God must be Expressed

Love MUST BE EXPRESSED

a) Delight in worship and in God’s House

The New King James Version (Psalm 27)

4 One thing I have desired of the LORD,That will I seek:That I may dwell in the house of the LORDAll the days of my life,To behold the beauty of the LORD,And to inquire in His temple.

I believe there is ample evidence in the Scripture - One of the ways we express love towards God is through worship and a love for His house!

The New King James Version (Psalm 26)

8 LORD, I have loved the habitation of Your house,And the place where Your glory dwells.

I WAS GLAD WHEN THEY SAID UNTO ME LET US GO....!!

One of the dangers of the Pandemic is that Believers may detatch their love of the House from their expression of LOVE towards God!

NO its not everthing but in both the old and new testament - ITS HIGH UP ON THE PANTHEON OF IMPORTANT THINGS that those that belong to God considered!!

B) We express our Love for God with a Love for Gods Word

The New King James Version מ‍ Mem

97 Oh, how I love Your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

Jeremiah said - 16 Your words were found, and I ate them,And Your word was to me the joy and rejoicing of my heart;For I am called by Your name,O Lord God of hosts (Je 15:16).

TO INCREASE IN A GREATER LOVE FOR GOD - YOU MUST DEVELOP AN APPETITE FOR HIS WORD!

C) Your Love for God is expressed in SELF SACRIFICE

JESUS - TEACHING ABOUT THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

.33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.(Lk 14:33).

FORSAKE - SAY FAREWELL - TO RENOUNCE

A PART OF OUR EXPRESSION OF LOVE IS RENOUNCING WHAT WE NEED TO RENOUNCE FOR THE SAKE OF THE RELATIONSHIP

Romans 12.1 - In light of Gods mercies and love - poresent your body as a living sacrifice which is our reasonable worship

D) Giving - 3 Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, my own special treasure of gold and silver(1 Ch 29:2–3).

WHEN we give it is an expression of our love towards God! David said I love God so much I have given over and ABOVE

The CHURCH IN MACEDONIA - ABOUND IN THEIR GRACE OF GIVING - They gave even beyond their ability…WHY???

8 I speak not by commandment, but I am testing the sincerity of your love by the diligence of others.(2 Co 8:8)

IT WAS A SINCERE LOVE THEY HAD FOR GOD AND OTHERS — IT CAUSED SUPERNATURAL GIVING EFFORTS IN THEIR LIFE!

E) TO LOVE GOD YOU HAVE TO LOVE OTHERS - 20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.(1 Jn 4:20–21

ONE WHO LOVES GOD - MUST LOVE HIS BROTHER

The BENEFITS OF LOVING GOD - 1 Peter

6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.10 Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you, 11 searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when He testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. 12 To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.

Living Before God Our Father

13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ

(1 Pe 1:6–13).