Mission Him-possible

Message for Jan 5th 

Matthew 22.37-40

“ 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.” 

When He was asked what is the greatest commandment Jesus said to Love God and Love others.  If we do this we will obey every other law, every desire of God for our lives.

Love God; Love others -C3’s mission

To love God we must know Him

The word for ‘love’ used here is ‘Agapaō’ This is a verb. The noun is ‘Agapē’ which is used in:

1 John 4.16

 And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.

• These Greek words were used seldom in any writing besides the Bible because it was a peculiar word.  

“Normal” human love is based on attraction, the behavior, or connection we have to the ones we love. This Christlike kind of love is based on the One who gives the love. This word reveals that love is a deliberate choice the “lover” makes, rather than a response to the object that gets love.  In other words God is love and He loved us even though we were not worthy of it.  This is the quality of love God must have from us.  This is the love we are to have for others.

Romans 5.8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

This is love because of Who God is, not because of who we are

How do we get to know God?

As we get to know God, we are able to love Him, we are able to receive His perfect love.  Not a human or sentimental emotion, but true, pure, perfect love.  God’s Agape’ 

When we are experiencing that perfect love, we are able to love God with that love, which is the only acceptable love there can be to God.  Anything else is profane.  God’s standard is perfection.  Only His perfect love will do.  

People often hurt, neglect, betray, or purposefully wound us; often the people we love the most.  Only God’s perfect love in us can go through this and not leave us bitter, nasty.

• So we must get to know God.  

We must know Him on His terms.  God doesn’t need us, He loves us.  But He is complete without us.  

• We have to know who God is and how He intends us to know Him.

He says in Isaiah 1.18 “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord,...” 

He wants to talk to you about His plan

Ephesians 2.10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works”

But how?  How do we come?

Ephesians 2.13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.”

First we must be born again.  I know this phrase has taken on a bad taste in our mouths, but it is simply a fact.  The person you were born into this world being cannot inherit the kingdom of God. 

Psalm 14:3

They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one

Romans 3:23

”For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”

By the shedding of that perfect, sinless blood on the cross, we are forgiven; our debt of sin is paid.  We are entitled to be called the children of God. 

We are born of the Spirit of God

Romans 5.6

“...Christ died for the ungodly”

Mark 10:45 says Jesus gave “His life a ransom for many.”

1 John 3.1

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!

• These are His terms and they are glorious.  

Are you willing to turn away from your sin?  I didn’t say are you able.  Are you willing?  Turn to Him and be turned from sin.  Present yourself to God, give yourself to Him; He washes, He cleanses and He gives you new life.  

2 Corinthians 6

But this is just one step.  A baby knows when he has been fed and cleaned and kept warm, but He knows nothing about the person who does it.  He loves the care, but  not the care-giver.  As he grows he comes to know and love the ones who carefully love and nurture him.

2 Corinthians 6.16-18

And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”

17 Therefore

“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”

18 

“I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the Lord Almighty.”

To know Him we must be available, to consecrate ourselves to Him.

God sanctifies, we consecrate. 

Sanctification means God separates us.  Once we belong to Him we can never fully fit into the world system the same way again.  Things just don’t seem right unless we are agreeing with God.  It is a progressive process.  Sanctification is holiness.

Consecration is being dedicated to God’s service.  This doesn’t mean being a pastor or a full time missionary for the Lord, it means living life mindful of why we’re here, and Who it is we really belong to.

A mom may cook dinner, but she continues to be a mom, monitoring and often investing in her children as she prepares the meal.

We do our jobs, love our families, have fun and live our lives knowing we do not belong to ourselves.  We are His.  He bought us with His blood.

Consecration also means we avoid the things we know will block our fellowship with God. Walk in the door and tell your spouse to shut up, you’re probably not going to have great fellowship that evening.  

Though it is the power of God that saves us and conforms us to His image, our choice of consecration is vital!

Jesus predicted that in the end times in John 24.12 “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” 

John 15.9-17

“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you;”

• Think about that, the quality of that love that He is loving you with right now!

“abide in My love.”

• Stay with, live in it

v10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love."

• Consecrate yourself.  Separate yourself from filth of world, even from your own opinion when it doesn’t agree with God

v11 “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." 

• Choose to be obedient and let God empower you to live as you were meant to from the beginning.

As we are loved by God and love Him IN His love, we naturally love people with that same love.

This love is not based on their worthiness, on how they treat us or what they do.  

It’s based on the worthiness, the quality of God’s perfect love

This is the love everyone is searching for.  

C3