Great...large (in magnitude and extent), in number, in intensity, in importance!

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "Great...large (in magnitude and extent), in number, in intensity, in importance!"

Nathaniel Collins
5 years ago
Views:

1 Apostle Keith Wesley GOD'S LOVE IS GREATER! Great...large (in magnitude and extent), in number, in intensity, in importance! HIS LOVE IS HIGHER THAN THE HEAVENS GOD'S LOVE IS DEEPER THAN THE OCEANS GOD'S LOVE IS WIDER THAN WIDE AND IT IS LONGER THAN CAN BE MEASURED! Jeremiah 31:3 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. KJV Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD appeared to them from a distance: I have loved you with a love that lasts forever. And so with unfailing love, I have drawn you to myself. CEB John 4:16-21 And so we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him. If God s love is made perfect in us, then we can be without fear on the day God judges us. We will be without fear, because in this world we are like him. Where God s love is, there is no fear, because God s perfect love takes away fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear. So love is not made perfect in the person who has fear. We love because God first loved us. If someone says, I love God, but hates his brother, he is a liar. He can see his brother, but he *hates him. So he cannot love God, whom he has never seen. And God gave us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. ICB WE CANNOT ALLOW THE DEVIL TO LIE TO US SO AS TO SUPPRESS THE GREAT LOVE WE HAVE FOR GOD AND FOR ONE ANOTHER BY HIS ACCUSATIONS WHICH PRODUCES FEAR. THE BLESSING OF HAVING RIGHT RELATIONSHIPS WITH GOD AND EACH OTHER MUST PREVAIL OVER EVERYTHING SATAN ORCHESTRATES TO BREAK THEM.

2 WE MUST ALLOW GOD'S GREATNESS TO PREVAIL BY BONDING AND BUILDING OUR RELATIONSHIPS BECAUSE IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY FOR THE KINGDOM TO BE ADVANCED! THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF LOVE...AGAPE, PHILEO, AND EROS. AGAPE IS GOD'S LOVE...a self-giving love that does not seek anything in return. It's a love that endures even when another person becomes unlovable. It's self-sacrificing and "other-centered". PHILEO IS BROTHERLY LOVE...a friendship, companionship love. It denotes mutual attraction, cooperation, and communication between brothers and sisters. This love is us-centered. EROS IS PHYSICAL NATURAL LOVE...it's a love that seeks its own. Unlike agape, it is self-centered, sensual, and inspired by the selfish human nature. It's a conditional love that is me-centered. In order to be restored in God's house, we need to grow in agape love and phileo love...phileo is the love which real Christians have that cherishes and nourishes each other as brethren! It is fraternal affection... Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue. KJV Hebrews 13:1 LET LOVE for your fellow believers continue and be a fixed practice with you [never let it fail]. AMPC Hebrews 13:1 Brotherly love must continue. LEB 1 Thessalonians 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: KJV John 4:16-21 And so we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him. If God s love is made perfect in us, then we can be without fear on the day God judges us. We will be without fear,

3 because in this world we are like him. Where God s love is, there is no fear, because God s perfect love takes away fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear. So love is not made perfect in the person who has fear. We love because God first loved us. If someone says, I love God, but hates his brother, he is a liar. He can see his brother, but he *hates him. So he cannot love God, whom he has never seen. And God gave us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. ICB THE #1 ENEMY TO BUILDING WITH GOD'S LOVE OUR RELATIONSHIPS IS FEAR... FEAR IS A NEGATIVE EMOTION THAT WORKS TO CANCEL OUR FAITH IN GOD... FEAR IS A TORMENT IN OUR SOULS... FEAR KILLS CREATIVITY AND THE DESIRE TO GROW IN GRACE. FEAR MAKES US RUN FROM GOD RATHER THAT TO HIM. FEAR SAYS I DON'T WANT TO GET CLOSE TO ANYONE BECAUSE I FEAR GETTING HURT, OR REJECTED, OR CONDEMNED. WHEN THAT KIND OF THINKING DOMINATES OUR MIND WE WILL LIVE OUR LIVES WALLED IN. WE SAY OUR FEAR OF FURTHER HURT IS NOT WORTH THE TIME IT TAKES TO WALK IN A LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH PEOPLE. GOD'S LOVE IS VULNERABLE BECAUSE IT IS DISPENSED UNCONDITIONALLY WITHOUT KNOWING WHETHER IT WILL BE RETURNED. THIS WALL CALLED FEAR IS BUILT IN OUR MIND. THIS WALL BIBLICALLY IS CALLED A STRONGHOLD. A STRONGHOLD MEANS to have or (hold) possession of the mind. (It refers to alarm, agitating emotions, etc.), it is a castle, a fortress, or

4 an unbiblical thought that sticks with fastness to our thought process. THIS IS WHERE THE SPIRITUAL BATTLE IS...AND ONLY SPIRITUAL WEAPONS CAN BREAK IT! THE STRONGHOLDS IN OUR MIND HAVE TO BE TORN DOWN IN ORDER TO BE REPLACED BY KINGDOM THOUGHTS AND PRINCIPLES. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 For though we walk (live) in the flesh, we are not carrying on our warfare according to the flesh and using mere human weapons. For the weapons of our warfare are not physical [weapons of flesh and blood], but they are mighty before God for the overthrow and destruction of strongholds, [Inasmuch as we] refute arguments and theories and reasonings and every proud and lofty thing that sets itself up against the [true] knowledge of God; and we lead every thought and purpose away captive into the obedience of Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One), AMPC 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Isaiah 43:1 But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. KJV FEAR IS FALSE...EVIDENCE...APPEARING... REAL FEAR IS SPIRITUAL FAKE NEWS SENT FROM THE DEVIL TO THE MIND TO TEAR DOWN THE BELIEVERS CONFIDENCE IN GOD AND IN HIS ETERNAL CHARACTER. FEAR IS THE DEVIL S PHYCOLOGICAL WARFARE THAT IS SENT TO DISENGAGE US FROM THE LOVE OF GOD. John 4: And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God,

5 and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. KJV THIS "EXPERIENCE IN GOD'S LOVE" WILL CAST THE SPIRIT OF FEAR OUT. THAT S WHY THE DEVIL USES IT...HE DOESN'T WANT THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO KNOW IT AND RELEASE IT BECAUSE IT ABSOLUTELY DOMINATES HIM! John 4:16-21 And so we know the love that God has for us, and we trust that love. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God lives in him. If God s love is made perfect in us, then we can be without fear on the day God judges us. We will be without fear, because in this world we are like him. Where God s love is, there is no fear, because God s perfect love takes away fear. It is punishment that makes a person fear. So love is not made perfect in the person who has fear. We love because God first loved us. If someone says, I love God, but hates his brother, he is a liar. He can see his brother, but he *hates him. So he cannot love God, whom he has never seen. And God gave us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother. ICB (*Hate in this scripture means that a brother or sister detests another brother or sister (especially to persecute); to hate then in God's way of looking at things means to love less than you once did!) SO GOD IS THE INITIATOR OF LOVE. WE CAN'T LOVE GENUINELY WITHOUT FIRST PERSONALLY EXPERIENCING IN A REAL WAY, GOD'S LOVE. NOT JUST ONCE BUT OVER AND OVER AGAIN!

6 Experience = Experience may be acquired in two ways; by observation which is known by noticing facts or, secondly, by experiment intentionally putting in action those facts we have observed. This is called doing or working the Word. It's our part, it's what we can control by our choice. IT IS IN HIS PRESENCE THAT GOD FILLS OUR SPIRIT AND SOULS WITH HIS LOVE. Psalms 16:11 You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures. CSB WE THEN MUST MAKE THIS A PRAYER PRIORITY, LIKE THE APOSTLE PAUL, TO EXPERIENCE GOD'S LOVE SO WE CAN ACTIVELY GIVE IT TO OTHERS! OUR CRY SHOULD DAILY BE HERE'S MY LOVE CUP LORD FILL IT UP! Eph. 3:17-19 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to *comprehend with all saints what is the breadth,(width), and length,(straight line), and depth,(deep things of God), and height,(spiritual elevation); And to know, (ginosko...intimately), the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,(gnosis...general knowledge), that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. KJV THIS WAS PAUL'S PRAYER AND THIS SHOULD BE OUR DAILY PRAYER, "LORD, HELP ME TO KNOW THE FULL DIMENSIONS OF YOUR LOVE SO THAT I CAN LOVE LIKE YOU LOVE!" HE USED THE PHRASE *"ROOTED AND GROUNDED" IN LOVE. (*This means that we are so intent on living in the love of God that we are caused to strike root, to be strengthen within the roots of our souls, that we are rendered firm and fixed and established in The agape love of God in the core of our lives. To be grounded means to make stable or be established in God's love as the foundation for our Christian lives!)

7 (*To Comprehend biblically means Christ by his holy power and influence lays hold of the human mind and will, in order to prompt and govern it to follow his ways, which equals a true biblical experience as a believer) LOVE, GOD'S LOVE, IS THE FULNESS OF GOD IN HIS PEOPLE...THIS MEANS WE KNOW GOD PERSONALLY... FULNESS IS THE repletion or completion that our souls long for. That is, what fills us as it relates to the contents of our hearts and minds. To be filled again; completely filled; full; charged; and abounding. It is liken unto the effects of taking a daily vitamin supplement to our diets, God's love builds us physically on the inside. Without it we lack genuine expression of who God is! Without it our souls go bankrupt. We can't be satisfied long term without a daily encounter with God's love. Psalms 107:8-9 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. KJV The soul= that which breathes, the spiritual breathing substance or being, the inner being of man! Longing soul= to be eager or greedy or thirsty on the inside! Hungry soul= to be more or less intensely hungry on the inside! We will be satisfied with the goodness of His love, that is with those necessities that are good, and beneficial, that aid in our welfare of which His Love is key. We need a fresh experience in the Lord's love...because there is no greater experience we can find on this earth. Trying to be fulfilled with earthly substitutes are temporary at best. EVERYDAY WE NEED TO READ THE LOVE CHAPTER AND DISECT IT PIECE BY PIECE SO WE CAN EXPERIENCE GOD'S LOVE IN OPERATION MORE AND MORE EVERYDAY. THEN REAL

8 RESTORATION CAN BE SEEN IN US AND AMONG US! 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 I may speak in the languages of humans and of angels. But if I don t have love, I am a loud gong or a clashing cymbal. I may have the gift to speak what God has revealed, and I may understand all mysteries and have all knowledge. I may even have enough faith to move mountains. But if I don t have love, I am nothing. I may even give away all that I have and give up my body to be burned. But if I don t have love, none of these things will help me. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love isn t jealous. It doesn t sing its own praises. It isn t arrogant. It isn t rude. It doesn t think about itself. It isn t irritable. It doesn t keep track of wrongs. It isn t happy when injustice is done, but it is happy with the truth. Love never stops being patient, never stops believing, never stops hoping, never gives up. Love never comes to an end. There is the gift of speaking what God has revealed, but it will no longer be used. There is the gift of speaking in other languages, but it will stop by itself. There is the gift of knowledge, but it will no longer be used. Our knowledge is incomplete and our ability to speak what God has revealed is incomplete. But when what is complete comes, then what is incomplete will no longer be used. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways. Now we see a blurred image in a mirror. Then we will see very clearly. Now my knowledge is incomplete. Then I will have complete knowledge as God has complete knowledge of me. So these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the best one of these is love. GW LORD TEACH US HOW TO WALK LIKE YOU WALKED...EVERYWHERE YOU WENT YOU RELEASED THE LOVE OF YOUR FATHER...HELP US LORD TO MAKE NEW LIFE A LOVE FEAST AND A PLACE OF CELEBRATION EVERY-TIME WE MEET! HELP US TO LOVE BASED ON JESUS COMMANDMENT IN John JOHN 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By

9 this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. KJV JESUS WAS SAYING TO HIS DISCIPLES THAT LOVE ALWAYS STARTS AT HOME. DON'T LOVE OUTSIDERS MORE THAN YOU EXPRESS LOVE TO YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS RIGHT BESIDE YOU! Galatians 6:10 Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone especially to those in the family of faith. NLT 1 John 4:7-12 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. KJV

Brethren, the most astonishing thing is what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.

Brethren, the most astonishing thing is what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Series: 1 John Title: God s Purifying Love Text: 1 John 3:1-3 Date: November 8, 2018 Place: SGBC, NJ 1 John 3: 1: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called