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The Love of Many
I believe that for those who are in faith, who trust in Jesus for salvation, that this is the acceptable year of the Lord.
We must not look back but instead we need to press toward the blessings of God.
Illustration: Land navigation.
Destination.
Location.
Azimuth.
Travel.
Another year has ended and a new year has begun.
Ending well should be the goal for all of us.
WIth that goal in mind, let us consider how we might live this year.
As the disciples sat with Jesus they asked Him about the end of the age.
They knew that Jesus’ coming meant that things were going to change.
They were waiting for that to happen.
Jesus reminded them that there will be an end of this world, but there would be things that we would face before that time comes.
There would be people saying they are “the Christ.”
These seek to offer salvation apart from Christ.
There would be wars and rumors of wars.
There would be famines, pestilences (pandemics), earthquakes.
There would be persecution against believers.
People will become offended, betray one another, and hate one another.
False prophets will rise up and deceive many.
Abounding lawlessness—the proliferation of sin and its dominance in society—will cause the love of many to grow cold.
Many of us take the time to reflect at a new year.
And I would say that if we spent any time reflecting on the world we would see that these things are happening today.
All of these things point to brokenness and the fallenness of our world.
And these things are things we often see within ourselves.
Areas of brokenness and fallenness.
We’ve been affected by the world we live in.
Let me ask a question: is this the world that God created, or is it the one that is the consequence of man’s fall into sin and away from God?
God did not create the evil that is in the world.
God did not create the evil in our own lives.
In the beginning, the testimony of creation is that it was good.
God is good.
The world God created is good.
The creatures God made were good.
And when God made man and women, together, He declared them good.
The Internet, the news, the world, even our experience often lead us to a different place.
The world we live in is not good.
People are not good.
Life, in some ways, is not good.
God wants to bring you out of the world and into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
The devil does not want you to walk in freedom or favor or blessing or life.
But this is the year of God’s favor.
The good news today is that God wants you to walk in His goodness, restored and redeemed.
He crowns the year with His goodness and His paths drip with abundance and that is what He desires for you (cf.
Psalm 65:11)!
All of these things that Jesus listed were considered warnings against deception.
And the goal of this deception was to cause the love of many to grow cold.
Growing Cold
Some theologians consider the seven churches that Jesus spoke to in Revelation to represent different dispensations of church ages leading to the return of the Lord.
Laodicea is often thought of as a letter to the modern church who has become apostate.
We are familiar with Jesus’ words to the church of Laodicea.
The Lord called Satan the father of lies and the Scripture calls him the dragon who deceives (John 8:44, Revelation 12:9).
His deceptions are focused on turning your love for God cold.
Laodicea was situated south of Hierapolis which was noted for its hot springs and north of Colossae which had a cold clear stream with good drinking water.
It depended on an aqueduct to provide water when the River Lycus dried up in the summer.
The water grew lukewarm and it became impure and sometimes even foul, making people sick.
I think that it is notable that going up from Laodicea was where there was hot springs and that going south (down) from from where they were was cold.
Going up towards God leads to a fire for Him and going down away from Him leads to coldness and separation.
But a terrible place to be is in the middle.
A place where it is neither hot nor cold.
A place where spiritual sickness can set in.
On Fire for God
God wants us to be on fire for Him.
When we are on fire for God our prayers change the world (cf.
James 5:16).
When we are on fire for God people come to find out what is going on.
When we are on fire for God things happen in our lives.
Being on fire for God really means being deeply in love with Him.
It’s about being passionate.
It’s about being devoted to Him.
Being on fire for God protects you from deception and brings you into the kingdom of God.
And being in the kingdom of God means abiding in His goodness, favor, and abundance.
It means righteousness, wholeness, peace, and joy.
God gives us His Holy Spirit so that we might walk in intimacy with Him.
When God began the church, He poured out the Holy Spirit and fire.
As we begin the new year, we need the Holy Spirit and fire.
Four Practices to Stir Up Love
The early church practiced four things that positioned them to receive the fire of God.
When they received the Holy Spirit they were dauntless.
They were bold.
They lived in holiness and power and they changed their city.
Families were saved, people were healed, and the church grew…all because of their love set on fire.
Waiting
Jesus told the disciples that they need to wait for the Promise of the Father....the gift of the Holy Spirit.
But this type of waiting isn’t just about time and patience, it was about expectation.
If you want to enter into God’s promises for you take time to stir up your expectation.
Lean in to the presence and promises of God.
We do this by declaring His promises, praying and declaring the prophetic words He has given us.
Worship
Not only were they waiting in the upper room, but they were worshipping.
Worshipping God not only draws His attention (Psalm 22:3).
It focuses ours.
The more we look upon the Lord the more we see Him high and lifted up.
And like Moses who came out of the Lord’s tent radiant with glory, we too will come out of His presence with the glory of God.
Prayer
When the Holy Spirit fell on the disciples in the upper room, they were praying.
Prayer is a practice in which we come before God’s throne of grace.
It brings us before Him.
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