FINISHING WELL

VIDEO - FINISHING WELL - PART 1
VIDEO - FINISHING WELL - PART 2

VIDEO - FINISHING WELL - PART 3

FINISHING WELL

SERMON BY PASTOR MARK TAYLOR

MARCH 18, 2012

“I Have Glorified You on the Earth.  I Have Finished the Work Which

You Gave Me to Do.” (John 17:4)

God wants you and I to “Finish Well”.  He wants us to be able to say as Jesus did: “I have glorified You upon the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4) There is a lot at stake in this matter of serving the Lord.  First of all it is a privilege that you and I have been chosen to be one of God’s children; Jesus said:  “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you” (John 15:16).

Most people who read this message will remember their commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ.  They will remember the day they asked the Lord to forgive them of their sins, save them, and give them eternal life.  Many of these people decided to live a life pleasing to the Lord and become faithful in attendance and giving in a local church.  However, some of these are not “Finishing Well”.  Their lives have become so busy and full of other things, they have very little time for worship of the God who saved them or fellowship with those who are living for the Lord Jesus. 

It is both dangerous and short-sited for you or I to turn back on serving the Lord Jesus after He has done so much for us.  “Now,The Just shall live by faith. But if he draws back, My soul shall have no pleasure in him." (Hebrews 10:38). We will be in danger of losing the blessings and protection that God wants to give us.

 God choose Saul to be the first king of Israel.   After Saul had reigned as King for two years, he committed a great sin against God by taking Samuel’s responsibility of offering burnt offerings before he went into battle.  Listen to what God told a King who He honored and loved:  “And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly: you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you…But now your kingdom shall not continue: the LORD has sought him a man after His own heart…because you have not kept that which the LORD commanded you” (I Samuel 13:13-14).  And in another situation Saul disobeyed God again:  “Samuel said unto Saul: for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel” (I Samuel 5:26).  “But the spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.”  (I Samuel 16:14).  One of the problems we see in Saul’s life is pride.  He became proud of his position and power.  He felt like he could do God’s work better than God. He felt like he did not need God.  Twice God gave him specific instructions and twice he disobeyed them.  When God’s Holy Spirit quits working in a person’s life, there is an empty vacuum.  We can be sure if God held Saul accountable for his sins, He will hold us accountable if we don’t “finish well”.  Serving God is not a game, it is an eternal commitment on your part and on God’s part.

The days before Resurrection Sunday are days of repentance and recommitment. 

The first way is to know if you are “Finishing Well” is to ask yourself: “Am I keeping His Commandments”.  “And by this we know that we have known Him, if we keep His commandments” (1 John 2:3). There are two important commandments that our Lord Jesus emphasized.   “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:38-39).  Do you really know the Lord and love Him as your God and Savior?  Do you ever tell Him you love Him?  Do you ever show Him you love Him?  Jesus said:  “If you love Me, keep my commandments.”  (John 14:15).  Maybe you started out keeping His commandants and loving Him, but what about today?  Are you “Finishing Well”?

Another way to know if you are “Finishing Well”, is to look at your priorities in life.  Do you love the Lord Jesus and His work more than the things of this world?  “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).  Have you asked the Lord Jesus his opinion about the things you are doing and how you are living?  Would you take the Lord Jesus with you where ever you go?  Would you invite Him to hang around your friends and participate in the activities you call fun?  Would you invite the Lord to watch your favorite TV shows with you and look at what you see and write on the internet?  “Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, who has sealed you until the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30).   If not, then you are not “Finishing Well”.  Be careful that you do not end up like Saul and lose all the wonderful blessings that He wants to give to you.  “If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:6).

A third way to know if you are “Finishing Well”, is to evaluate how much you love His Church.  “Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it”.  (Ephesians 5:25).  How often do you attend the worship services and Bible studies?  How often do you spend time with other Church members and talk about the Lord and His work?   “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the (Christian) brothers (and sisters). He who does not love his brother (or sister) abides in death” (1 John 3:14). Jesus said: “By this all shall know that you are My disciples, if you have love toward one another” (John 13:35).  Just because you had some faith at one time in your life, will not guarantee you will “Finish Well”.  “What does it profit, my brothers and sisters, though someone says they have faith, and they do not have works?  Can faith Save Him?.....Even so faith, if it does not have works is dead, being alone.”  (James 2: 14, 17).

As we enter this Resurrection Season, let us consider all the advantages of “Finishing Well”.  “But as it is written, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard," nor has it entered into the heart of man, "the things which God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).  If we haven’t been “Finishing Well” then we need to ask for forgiveness and “Finish Well”.  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  

THE CROSS COMES BEFORE THE RESURRECTION

VIDEO LINKS TO THIS MESSAGE

THE CROSS COMES BEFORE THE RESURRECTION - PART 1

THE CROSS COMES BEFORE THE RESURRECTION - PART 2

THE CROSS COMES BEFORE THE RESURRECTION - PART 3

THE CROSS COMES BEFORE THE RESURRECTION

“And Jesus said to them all:  If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”  (Luke 9:23)

The resurrection season we call Easter is a wonderful time of celebrating the life, and  resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Some people may feel bad about the fact that Jesus had to died.   Listen to what Jesus said about His death and resurrection: "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. "No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." (John 10:17-18).

Jesus was able to bear His cross because of what He saw in the future.  You and I have a great future.  Jesus was able to see Heaven and His Father.  He had been with Him before the world was created and He knew he would soon be with Him again.  This is what He wants us to see. 

We need to understand that the important thing about the Lord’s death and resurrection is that it was planned before the beginning of the earth:  “ He came to Earth to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation” (Hebrews 9:26-28)

Some people have a cross of poor health.  Some people bear a cross of being abused as a child or as an adult, which has led to poor self-esteem and emotional problems.  Some people bear a cross of having little of this world’s economic goods.  These are crosses that either other people have put on us, or we have put on ourselves.

The spiritual application is this: Sometimes the Lord removes our crosses from us, and sometimes He helps us carry them.  Each day it may be difficult to keep going, but He wants us to “take up” our cross and “follow Him”.

Jesus chose to endure self-denial during His time on the earth and to die on the cross for you and me.  He wants us to follow His example.   “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).  

Taking up your cross does not mean that you cannot be happy.  Throughout the New Testament we are taught to “rejoice”, to think positive and to live a life of love and service.  Even though you have a cross, you keep your eyes of Jesus.  That is why He said to “follow me”.  If you are following Him, He will be in front of you and you will have the strength to make it.  He is not asking you to walk where He has not already walked.

Taking up your cross and following Jesus may require you to endure some hardships. Paul was able to heal many people and be a blessing to many others, but Paul had a physical illness that God did not cure, even though Paul himself requested this healing several times.  This does not mean we do not pray for healing, deliverance, or victory.  In many cases the Lord will give us the desires of our heart.  But sometimes we have to “take up our cross” and “follow Him”.

“For this thing I besought the Lord three times, that it might depart from me. And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”   (2 Corinthians 12:8-9)

The last few days of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, were not filled with healing, social ministries to the multitudes, or trying to reform religious institutions.  He did spend most of the three years of His ministry doing these things.  However, His last days were spent in giving important instructions and examples to His disciples and to you and I.

One of the last things our Lord did was to have a meal with His disciples.  We know this as the “Last Supper”.  This was a meal that all Jewish people were having called the “Passover”.  This was a meal for them to remember their deliverance from captivity from Egypt. A lamb was killed and the blood was put on the doors of all the Jewish houses to protect them from the “death angel” who would come that night to take the first born of anyone who did not have the blood on their door.  This would demonstrate the power of God to the Pharaoh and cause him to release the Jewish nation from slavery.  Jesus would become that lamb for you and I. 

Early in His ministry He was identified as that Lamb. “The next day John sees Jesus coming to him and says, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).  He would deliver us from sin by shedding His blood for us.  God had this planned for you and I.  “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). "For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:28).

Regardless of the cross you are bearing today, the Lord Jesus wants you to “take it up”, and “follow Him”. Don’t allow your cross to turn you into a victim.  Allow the Lord to help you carry it and experience a victory over you problem. The cross you bear will one day turn into a resurrection.  

Taking up your cross and following Jesus does mean that there is some self-denial involved.  This may take the form of service to others.  The Lord may also ask you to use some of your time, money, talents and skills to help others.  But everything you give to the Lord will be blessed and multiplied.  “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shown toward his name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10).

Remember after the carrying of the cross, and the crucifixion, there was a resurrection.  You and I have a resurrection and will share in Christ’s glory. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us” (2 Timothy 2:12).  There is much to look forward to in this life time and the one to come if we will “Take up our cross daily, and follow Him”.

THE UPSIDE-DOWN ECONOMY OF GOD

VIDEO LINKS FOR THIS MESSAGE

GOD’S ECONOMY - PART 1


GOD’S ECONOMY - PART 2


GOD’S ECONOMY - PART 3

THE UPSIDE-DOWN ECONOMY OF GOD
Message by Pastor Mark Taylor

“Give, and it shall be given unto you..”  (Luke 6:37)

“Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister..” 
(Matthew 20:27)

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, left Heaven and came to Earth on a mission.  It was not as a King to conquer, or a Judge to deliver judgement on a sinful world.  He did not come to demonstrate His God-given gifts to receive recognition, wealth, or fame.  He did not come to set up rules of moral conduct or even enforce the one’s His Heavenly Father had already set up.  All that will come later when He returns to Earth to set up His Kingdom, and we will participate with Him in His rule and reign on Earth. “Blessed and holy, are those that have a part in the first resurrection:on such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”  (Revelation 20:6).

But first, the Lord Jesus came to you and me and this world for one reason, and that was to show us how much God really loves us.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever would believe on Him, would not perish, but have everlasting life.”  (John 3:16).

In our economy, we expect others to show us love, meet our needs, and give us respect first.  In other words, people have to earn our love and respect.  In God’s economy, He demonstrated His love first. “But God demonstrated His love toward us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).  Before we showed Him any love or respect, He loved us.  Before we deserved forgiveness, He gave it to us freely.  And even now, when we know how much He loves us and we fail to return that love and respect, God still gives to us freely because of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  “He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things.”  (Romans 8:32).

Giving is part of the nature of God.  He loves to give.  He has instituted a spiritual law of giving to us.  “Give, and it shall be given unto you..”  (Luke 6:37).  “For what ever a persons sows (gives), that shall they also reap (receive).” (Galatians 6:7).  “The person who sows (gives) sparingly shall reap (receive) also sparingly; and the person who sows (gives) bountifully shall reap (receive) also bountifully.” (2 Corinthians 9:6).  These scriptures could include money, but it is referring to a life of giving service and love to others.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, came to give to you and me.  “The Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister to others, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45).  It is a wonderful truth that the Lord has come to serve you.  He has come to answer your prayers, to bless you, to give you the ability to use your gifts and talents to serve others. He has come to give to you to give to others.  “Feed the hungry and help those in trouble.  Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon.  The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength.  You will be like an ever-flowing spring.” (Isaiah 58: 10-11).

Another thing that is upside down in God’s economy is that He wants you to give thanks when there does not seem to be anything to be thankful for. We usually say “thank you” after something is given to us, but God likes for you to be thankful before He answers your prayers.  Because, when you show gratitude to God, you are showing faith in Him.  You are looking through eyes of faith instead of looking at your current situation.  This is called “faith”.  We can exercise faith with “thanksgiving”. “Do not be anxious for anything, but in every thing by prayer and intercession for others, with thanksgiving, let your requests be make known unto God.  And the peace of God, which goes beyond all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).  Even our salvation and blessings are associated with our gratitude.

And certainly God appreciates and rewards those who are thankful when their prayers are answered.  In Luke 17:17-19 the Lord Jesus healed ten people and only one said “thank you”.  Jesus said to this one who had returned: “Rise and go; your faith has made you whole.”  Not only was he healed, but he received complete wholeness to live a full life and salvation to enter into eternal life.  What precedes most miracles is thanksgiving.

The Lord Jesus demonstrated how God’s economy worked when He gave thanks for the suffering and death which He would soon endure at the cross.  “And He took bread, gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them.” (Luke 22:19).  The resurrection was what the Lord Jesus could be thankful for.  Not only for Himself, but for all those who loved Him and believed in Him.  “Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ?  And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?” (I Corinthians 10:16).  The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, invites us to give thanks for the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection.  But it also invites us to give thanks for His help in our suffering.

As we approach this Easter season, let us approach it as the Lord Jesus did.  He did it with giving of Himself to others.  He did it while serving others by humbling Himself.  He did it through being thankful to His Heavenly Father.  He did it by encouraging others about the great future He had for them after the resurrection.  “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15.

It would be good if we could look at things the same way our Heavenly Father does.  Yes, it is true, it seems upside-down compared to the way we have been taught, and live our lives.  But when we follow God’s economy, we will be blessed and so will many other people.   We would be so much richer if we gave the way God gives, minister the way God ministers, and be thankful the way God has asked us to be.

ARE YOU LISTENING?

VIDEO MESSAGE LINKS

ARE YOU LISTENING? - PART ONE ARE YOU LISTENING? - PART ONE

ARE YOU LISTENING? PART TWO

ARE YOU LISTENING?

"This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. LISTEN TO HIM!"

Matthew 17:5

ARE YOU LISTENING? Sometimes it pays to listen a very long time. Especially, when it comes to listening to God in His Word. We should never stop listening to the Word of God.   Someone said, "Talk and you say what you already know, but listen and you learn something new."

ARE YOU LISTENING? If so, then you are learning. And we all need to learn more about life, about others, and especially, about the Lord!  It pays big dividends to listen to the Lord and learn from Him whether through a sermon, a Sunday School lesson, a radio program, or through your own personal reading of God’s Word.

Matthew 13:18-23  The parable of the sower Jesus speaks of four different kinds of hearers or listeners.  1- The hard-hearted listener  2- The shallow-hearted listener3- The clutter-hearted listener4- The good-hearted listener

I. THE HARD-HEARTED LISTENER

Matt. 13:19 "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path."

The hard-hearted listener is hardened to the Gospel because they can’t seem to understand it or grasp it. Satan snatches any little bit or piece was sown in that person’s heart before it can start to grow and bear fruit.  I would imagine this is the casual hearer that comes to Church only a few times a year.  If God allows them to hear a good message and the Holy Spirit convicts them of something they need to change in their lives, they soon forget it.  If God encourages them to use their gifts and abilities to help someone else, they easily become distracted and lose their desire.

II. THE SHALLOW-HEARTED LISTENER

Matt. 13:20-21 "The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away."

The shallow-hearted listener doesn’t have any staying power. They are quick to believe, receive and rejoice, but they don’t stay with the program or the person, that is Christ.  As soon as someone hurt their feelings or they did not get their way, they quit serving the Lord.  Many people lack staying power when it comes to anything in life. 

III. THE CLUTTER-HEARTED LISTENER

Matt. 13:22 "The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful."

The clutter-hearted listener has cluttered up his life with the things of this world. The more we receive in silent prayer, the more we can give in our active life. We need silence to be able to touch souls. The essential thing is not what we say, but what God says to us and through us.  We need to do as our Lord Jesus did when He left the busy activities of His life and went to the top of a mountain to pray.  There He gave us the example of how to get new strength and focus to do the work that His Heavenly Father had called Him to do.

IV.  The good-hearted listener hears the Word, understands it, and bears fruit. 

The good-hearted listener sees himself in the mirror of God’s Word and doesn’t like what he sees. Consequently, he does something to change that image. He believes and obeys the Word of God. He allows God’s Word to bear fruit in his life.

The Lord Jesus has invested a lot of time, energy, and even His life to give you all you need to live a victorious Christian life.  A life full of blessings, and He is trying to send you seeds to grow in your life.  The more you listen, the more faith you will receive, and in turn the more blessings you will receive and the greater blessing you will be to all those around you.

“Faith comes by hearing, and hearing comes by the Word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

Are you listening? Jesus is knocking on the door of your heart. He is knocking in many ways and by means of many people. Do you hear him? Are you listening? He is not saying, "let’s do lunch." He is saying, "Let’s do life together." Are you listening?  When we fail to listen to someone, we cut ourselves off from them. So when we fail to listen to God, we cut ourselves off from Him.

Jesus said in Rev. 3:20  "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

Take time this week to listen to the Lord Jesus.  His power contains the solutions to all your problems.  His love contains the source of power to help you overcome your weaknesses.  His Word contains all the instructions you need to “love God and love our neighbor as yourself”.

ARE YOU LISTENING?  He is speaking to you.  Listening will keep you out of a lot of difficulties.  It will bring you a lot of blessings.  And it will bring you closer to the God who loves you.

“HE THAT HAS AN EAR, LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS..” (Rev 2:7)

WAHT DOES GOD EXPECT OUT OF ME?

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OUT OF ME?

Video sermon links of "What Does God expect out of me?"

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OF ME? - PART 1

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OF ME? - PART 2

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OF ME? - PART 3

WHAT DOES GOD EXPECT OF ME? - PART 4

WRITTEN MESSAGE

“LET US HEAR THE CONCLUSION OF THE WHOLE MATTER: FEAR GOD AND KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS: FOR THIS IS THE WHOLE DUTY OF MAN”

(ECCLESIASTES 12:13)

What does God expect of us?  The words “trust” and “belief” are the answer to that question.  The words often translated into “belief” occur over 220 times in the New Testament alone.  The meaning of belief is “to put one’s faith in and to trust.”  Belief and trust are verbs - something you do, not something you think or feel.

Fear can mean many things to many people.  In Ecclesiastes to “fear God” can have the meaning of  “reverence” and “respect”.  This means to value and believe what God says.  It is obvious that “keeping His commandments” means to keep His commandments.  When our Lord and Savior, Jesus was asked which is the greatest commandment, He replied.  “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it.  You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  ( Matthew 22:37-38).  That leads us to the question on “How do we love God?”.  We can love Him the same way we love others, and that is through “trust” and “belief”. 

When Jesus was asked this question:  “What shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them:  This is the work of God, that you believe on Him, who God has sent.”  (John 6:28-29).  This is our daily work, the work that God has asked you to do - to trust in the Lord Jesus to help you make it through each day.  When you can do this you will receive results from your prayer and in turn receive joy in your Christian life.  There is no joy without trust.

Can you see yourself through the eyes of God?  You can if you read His Word.  “He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?”  (Romans 8:32).  If God didn’t withhold His very own Son that He gave on the Cross for you and me, then will God withhold anything else we need?  The answer is no.  If trust must be earned, God has earned that trust through the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

It is thanksgiving that shapes a theology of trust.  The Bible is a book of memories recounting the results of many different groups of people and individuals who put their trust in God.  God reveals Himself in rearview mirrors.  At the Last Supper, the Lord Jesus Christ asks us to remember by giving thanks.  “And He took bread, and gave thanks, and broke it, and gave it to them saying: This is my body which is given for you: This do in remembrance of Me.” (Luke 22 19).  If Christ gave thanks for His broken body and shed blood, we can show our trust in Him, by thanking Him during difficult times of our lives.  We can trust that even in suffering and pain, He will allow us to have a resurrection.   “Behold I make all things new....”  (Revelation 21: 5).  Even though God never changes, He can change all things, and that includes working miracles in our lives when necessary.

Another meaning for the word “fear”, is failure to believe.  If saving faith is trusting, then the opposite of faith is not just doubt, but fear.  A failure to be thankful and trust is a failure to believe.  A lack of being thankful and a lack of trusting is both doubt and fearing that God will fail.  Fear and doubt are the ideas that God’s love ends.  Fear and doubt believes that  there is not going to be enough love and miracles for you because you have failed so many times.

There is a desire the Holy Spirit puts into God’s children, and that desire is to please our Heavenly Father.  There is no mystery into pleasing our Heavenly Father.  It is a simple word called “faith”.  We have already described “faith” with the synonyms of “trust” and “belief”.  There is a whole chapter in the Bible dedicated to examples of faith.  One verse in Chapter 11 of Hebrews summarizes the importance of these words.  “Without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards them that diligently seek Him.”  (Hebrews 11:6). 

What does God expect from you?  He expects you to believe in Him and in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  He expects you to believe that He loves you and has your best interest in mind. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you a good future.  Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will listen to you.  And you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.”  (Jeremiah 29: 11-13).

Why would the children of God live in a life of doubt and fear when he has given us this promise?  Jesus said: “If you can believe, all things are possible to the person that believes.”  (Mark 9:23).  This includes eternal life; healing; help with material needs; deliverance from harmful habits, worry, stress; and wisdom and strength to solve daily problems.  

The Lord has many wonderful things planned for your life on Earth and in Heaven.  He is not asking you to live a perfect life or achieve some unrealistic goal.  There may be times when the Lord Jesus asks you to change some things in your life.  “If any person will come after me, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23).  Believing is acting upon what you know, think and feel.  It is not just words.  “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26).

Thanksgiving is another way to demonstrate your “Faith”.  Just tell God ahead of time “thanks, for helping me in this situation”; “thank You for what You are going to do”; “let Your will be done, and I will trust You, even if it wasn’t the answer I wanted”.

Today, you have been taught what it is that God expects of you as one of His children, as a born-again believer, and as someone He loves very much.  If you are having trouble with trust and believing in what God can do for you, pray the prayer of another person who came to Jesus and said:  “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24). 

LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH ACTION

                           LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH ACTION
Watch Video of this sermon
LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH ACTIONS - PART ONE
LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH ACTIONS - PART TWO
LOVE ONE ANOTHER WITH ACTIONS - PART THREE

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12)

Loving one another with action, is doing things for others that you would want them to do for you. Our Lord and Savior said this: "Therefore, whatever you want people to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12).  You can show your love to others by doing things for them.  Love is not just a feeling, it is action.  “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue only, but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

Loving one another with action is doing something the Lord Jesus Christ both demonstrated and taught us to do. “So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, "Do you know what I have done to you? "You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. "If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.” (John 13:12-14).  Today, in our society, we do not demonstrate or love for each other with this custom,  but there are many ways we can “wash each other’s feet” through loving each other with tangible acts of love and service.

Many people are locked into “gender” gaps and “generational” gaps which identify and limit them in the types of service that they are willing to give to those they love.  For instance, some men will not wash the dishes, because their dads never washed the dishes.  They view that service as something the wife should always do.  Some women feel that it is the husband’s job to take out the trash and wash the car.  When we allow ourselves to think and live the way our parents did, we limit our capacity to show our love to others with acts of service.  “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.” (Philippians 2:3).  “Remember there are no rewards for maintaining stereotypes, but there are tremendous benefits to meeting the emotional needs of those you love.”  You may do a lot of things right, but if you don’t do it with love, you will not meet the needs of those who need your love. “And though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

Loving each other with action is not limited to the husband and wife relationships.  This command of “loving one another” applies to our friends, fellow Christian brothers and sisters, children, and grandchildren. It is a love language that should be spoken by each of us to each other.  Love is a choice and cannot be demanded or manipulated.  Each of us must decide daily to love or not to love each other.  This is true in all our relationships.  We also can choose to demonstrate our love with our actions.  Good intentions are not enough.  Things we have done for each other in the past cannot substitute for showing actions of love today.  Each day is a new day in which we have the opportunity to be more like our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, by our actions of love. 

One of the best ways to express our love to the Lord is with our actions toward Him.  “Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.” (Psalms 100:2).  This includes attending worship services, giving, praying, and giving testimonies of His goodness.  “Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men!” (Psalms 107:8).

Random acts of kindness are ways to show love at unexpected times.  This kind of love can be done without the other person even knowing who is doing it for them.  You can pay for someone’s meal or send them some flowers or a fruit basket.  They do not need to know that it comes from you, but that someone loves them.  It can be as simple as giving a piece of candy to a child or taking a magazine or newspaper to an elderly shut-in.  Random acts of kindness is the way the Lord gives to you and me -often unexpected and with no preconditions.  It is not the kind of love that says that I want something back in return for my kindness. “For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the LORD, who has mercy on you.” (Isaiah 54:10)

Remember, love is something you do because the Lord has already done it for you. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).  Demonstrating your love for others is not a matter of them deserving it or not, it is a matter of God’s grace in you.  “We love Him because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19).   Family and friends can express actions of love for each other in many ways.  If you are not sure what another person would want or need, simply ask.  Another practical way to do this is for two people or a family to write down two to three things they can do for each other to make each one feel more loved.  You can show your love for God by doing meaningful things for one another.   "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."    (John 13:35).  When people see you demonstrate your love with actions, is a testimony to your family, your friends, your church family, and most of all to your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.”    (1 John 4:7).

One way to demonstrate your love, is to give gifts to each other.  Gifts may be purchased, found, or made.  They do not need to be expensive nor do you have to wait for a special occasion.  To develop a better and more meaningful relationship with your spouse, your children, or your friends, you need to give physical things to the person you love.

Another action is something that cost nothing, but means so much to those that need our love is kind words and encouragement.  A smile is a gift that cost nothing but will give encouragement to those who are sad and lonely. “Pleasant words are as a honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones” (Proverbs 16:24.)

The most important action of love you can demonstrate is giving of self, or the gift of your presence.  Your time is something that only you can give.  Your undivided attention is a gift that those you love will appreciate and cherish.  The Lord Jesus appreciates your presence at worship services and the time you spend with Him in prayer and Bible reading.   

Let’s love like our Lord Jesus did with our lives and our actions.

WORDS OF LOVE

A GREAT VALENTINE GIFT - WORDS OF LOVE 

"VIEW THIS VIDEO SERMON" 

WORDS OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS - PART 1

WORDS OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS - PART 2

WORDS OF LOVE AND FORGIVENESS - PART 3

"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”   (John 15:12)

As we enter the month of February, our thoughts turn to love.  There are many things we can do for each other during this Valentine month.  One of the least expensive and most appreciated is a gift called “Words of Love”. Husbands and wives should give each other “Words of Love”.  Parents and grandparents and children should give “Words of Love” to each other.  Verbal compliments or words of appreciation are powerful communicators of love.  “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.” (1 John 4:7).

The object of love is not getting something you want but doing something for the well-being of the one you love.  When we receive “Words of Love”, we are far more likely to be motivated to give others encouragement.  Most of us have more potential than we will ever develop.  What holds us back is often courage.  You may not be good at giving encouraging words to people at first.  That will be especially true if you have a pattern of critical and condemning words, but you can change.  This is especially true to those who we live with.  “And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32).  Love is kind.  If we are to communicate love verbally, we must use kind words.  That has to do with not only what we say, but the way we say it.  The manner in which we speak is exceedingly important.

“Words of Love” doesn’t bring up past failures.  None of us is perfect.  Forgiveness is the way of love.  Don’t bring into today the failures of yesterday and ruin today.  The best thing we can do with the failures of the past is to let them be history.  Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a commitment.  It is a choice to show mercy, not to hold the offense up against the offender.  Forgiveness is the way of love.  “Love suffers long and is kind;... bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”   (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

We all appreciate kind and loving words.  "Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”  (Luke 6:38.)


  This includes “Words of Love”. If you want to receive “Words of Love”, then you must give that gift to others.

Let us look at some ways to give “Words of Love”

GIVE COMPLIMENTS 

Tell the people you love something good about them every day.

Tell them thank you for something they did for you recently.

Tell them how good they did something you asked them to do for you.

Tell them how important they are to you in what they do.

 As your loved ones try to improve, tell them how much they have improved on something you criticized them about.

GIVE COURAGE

Encourage someone you love to display their talents.

Encourage someone you love to try something that they have expressed interest in.

Encourage someone to try again in an area they have failed in.

Encourage someone by letting them know you will help them.

GIVE COURTESY

Be respectful of people you love in the way you talk to them.

Allow those you love to have their way when you have a choice.

Perform random acts of kindness without expecting something in return.

Be complimentary of the people you love in public.

The purpose of giving “Words of Love” is to become more like Christ.  Our Lord and Savior reminds of our value to Him and how much we are loved by Him.  Our relationship must be right with Christ before it can be like it should be with others.  Having Christ in your heart and life is the key to all successful relationships.  After that we should demonstrate that love for Christ, by our love for others.  Don’t be afraid of showing and speaking “Words of Love” to each other. Start today!! “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.”  (1 John 4:16-18).

Words are a reflection of our thoughts. Loving words come from loving thoughts, negative words from negative thoughts. It is really that simple. Watch the words that come out of your mouth and you will have a good idea of the direction your thoughts are facing, and as a result, your life.  You can choose the words you say and make a big difference in your life and in the life of others you love.

(For additional messages or video sermons go to:  www.sermonstotheworld.blogspot.com)