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THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 15, 2013| 1 Comment »

INTRODUCING JESUS – THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL – SUNDAY 15TH DEC 2013 AM Introducing Jesus

Choose someone you would like to meet. Who would you choose? In all of human history, if you could choose to meet anyone, who would it be? Many of us have met Jesus, and we feel we know Him. But how well do you know Him? Would you like to know Him better? Listen as I share about the other side of Jesus.

What was Jesus like?

What was it like to meet Him and know Him? Can we get an insight into the experience that the 12 disciples of Jesus had as they met and travelled with Jesus for three and half years? He was, and is, the greatest figure in human history, He and His followers have made a bigger impact than any other person in history. Especially when you consider that he only walked the stage of life publically for three and a half years.

There was the people-person Jesus who preached simple but powerful messages, healed countless people and gathered the little children in His arms to bless them. This approachable Jesus, who healed foreigners even when He said He was called to Israel primarily, raised children to life from the dead, and gave a son back to his mother from the dead; had another side to His persona.

Jesus was incredibly focussed.

He had a mindset to that was unrelentingly pointed to one great purpose. His death.

The story began before the earth was formed.

Rev 13:8 And all the inhabitants of the earth will fall down in adoration and pay him homage, everyone whose name has not been recorded in the Book of Life of the Lamb that was slain [in sacrifice][a]from the foundation of the world.

In the beginning before time; the conversation may have gone something like this… The father says to the Son, Let us make man in our own image, male and female shall we create them. And they shall have dominion and rule the earth that we have made. Our love for them shall be complete. It is a love that shall cost us. What price shall we be prepared to pay for them? They shall need redemption. They shall need restoration and these things shall come at a cost, but whatever is of great value, our offspring, shall be bought with a price; and the price shall be that of blood. Jesus accepted the call and the charge pre-empting the words of Isaiah centuries later when asked who shall go for them?

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for Us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

Then that which was written before the beginning of time but recorded by John was established: John 3:16 For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten ([a]unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

The die was cast; the purpose set; the life of Jesus was destined for death and separation from the father for a time. He was now a man with a mission. And so He said:

Matt 20:28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

Luke 9:51 Now when the time was almost come for Jesus to be received up [to heaven], He steadfastly and determinedly set His face to go to Jerusalem.

John 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

Even when His well-meaning disciples were reticent to accept is impending death, He spoke strongly against their opposition:

Matt 16:21-23 21 From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised [k]from death.

22 Then Peter took Him aside [l]to speak to Him privately and began to reprove and [m]charge Him sharply, saying, God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to You!

23 But Jesus turned [n]away from Peter and said to him, Get behind Me, Satan! You are in My way [an offense and a hindrance and a snare to Me]; for you are [o]minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men.

Jesus single minded in His pursuit of His purpose was unassailable. He was a man born for purpose and nothing was going to dissuade Him from that purpose. Tell me if you can, what man is bent on death and the sacrifice of His life for others from the moment of His birth? Who in human history has determined to give His life for others as a long standing goal for their life? Can you think of one?

But this man, this God-man, who came from heaven was single minded and fixed in His purpose, so that the reason He came was clear and he remained unflinching to the end. His reason to live was that he may die, and not just die but die as a substitute, a ransom for many. There was the people-person side of Jesus but then there was this focussed, unflinching side of Jesus concerning His purpose. Every minute of every day He thought about why he came and He thought about what lay ahead of Him in Jerusalem at the last Passover.

Matt 16:21 21 From that time forth Jesus began [clearly] to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders and the high priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised [a]from death.

Was He focussed? Yes. Was He intense? No, because even at His moment of death He gave a criminal on the cross beside Him the answer for eternal life. No power on earth or in heaven would be able to dissuade Him from the grand purpose of His life and that grand purpose was death.

What now?

Do you know Him?

And more than that what is the purpose of your life?

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BUT HOW ARE YOU REALLY?

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on November 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

But how are you really? Sunday Night 10th November – Theme = Heal the Broken Hearted

Jesus came to heal the broken hearted.

Luke 4:18psalm-147-3-he-heals-shattered-hearts

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed; (NKJV)

Humanity is broken.

Many lives are wounded, forgotten, alone, sick, abused, depressed, sad – I could go on and on. Of course there are happy people everywhere, there are people who are achievers and people who are serving others and making life better for someone else.

But in every life there is some brokenness.

Who is there who has never faced rejection? Never faced loss? Never faced physical pain or illness.

 As Jesus walked among us, he encountered:

Jairus whose daughter had just died.

Blind Bartimeus who was born blind.

The man by the pool of Bethesda who was paralysed.

The woman at Samaria who had 5 husbands.

Zachaeus up in the tree, who every one hated.

 Jesus met them and turned their lives around. He heals the broken hearted.

I looked in the paper today…

A young man was killed by a drunk youth with one punch. The youth will now go to jail. Parents are broken, both sets. Girlfriends are broken, the man in jail is broken.

Typhoon Hayan in the Philippines killed hundreds and left millions homeless.

The story about domestic violence in PNG which has possibly the worst level for that crime  in the world

There is so much brokenness in the world.

Right here in our own city, every night people taking the drug “ice” are messing their lives and making life hard for staff at the Emergency Department at the hospitals. Family violence affects hundreds of families in this local area every year. Some people are losing their jobs. Someone just found out they have terminal cancer today.

Everywhere there is brokenness. We get on with life but deep inside there is pain for so many people.

I want to look at two particular men in the bible tonight who were broken people.

It’s the two thieves who were crucified with Jesus.

These two men were once little babies. Their mothers carried them around and had great dreams for them. They imagined their sons perhaps having a family of their own, or building a business or keeping sheep or maybe even being a religious leader.

But something went wrong. No mother ever plans for her son to commit a crime and be arrested. No mother plans to see her son executed for his crimes. Yet here we are two men being crucified beside Jesus.  One thief abused Jesus and called on Him to come down from the cross. The other asked for mercy.

Luke 23:39-43

39 One of the criminals who was suspended kept up a railing at Him, saying, Are You not the Christ (the Messiah)? Rescue Yourself and us [[m]from death]!

40 But the other one reproved him, saying, Do you not even fear God, seeing you yourself are under the same sentence of condemnation and suffering the same penalty?

41 And we indeed suffer it justly, receiving the due reward of our actions; but this Man has done nothing out of the way [nothing [n]strange or eccentric or perverse or unreasonable].

42 Then he said to Jesus, Lord, remember me when You come [o]in Your kingly glory!

43 And He answered him, Truly I tell you, today you shall be with Me in Paradise. (AMP)

Two thieves. Two broken people. Two people who had lost their way and missed their true destinies.

One thief was broken hearted, the other was just broken.

For some, Jesus can be right beside you and you just don’t get it.

Is Jesus someone to criticise or someone to help you?

Jesus came to heal the broken hearted, that means those who are not hard hearted. One thief met Jesus in paradise that day. He didn’t deserve it, but because of God’s great love and His mercy He forgave the man whose heart was broken and open to God. Today is your opportunity to open your heart to God.

Psalm 34:18
The Lord is close to those who are of a broken heart and saves such as are crushed with sorrow for sin and are humbly and thoroughly penitent.(AMP)

Whatever your need, whatever your pain, whatever your facing Jesus will make a difference and you can receive life and healing and strength. Will you open your heart to Him?

Pray this prayer with me: “Jesus, I come to you. My life is a mess. I have no answers. I need you. You are my only hope. I open my heart to you and I ask you to come inside by your Spirit and forgive me for all my wrongs and heal my wounded heart. I surrender to you Jesus. Help me walk with you and learn your ways”

Please keep talking to Jesus and find a good church to go to that loves Jesus and teaches God’s word. Try and hang out with other Christians and read the bible (start with the New Testament) Please leave a comment below if you prayed that prayer.

Watch this clip with me today… http://youtu.be/hHOG2Ktqoe0

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Is there anyone who has no pain, no brokenness?
  2. Why is it that some people reject Jesus and others run to Him for help?
  3. Describe God’s love and mercy as He reaches out to a person who is calling upon Him for help.
  4. If the answer a person needs is a practical assistance who will be the one to help them?
  5. Is there someone you know with a broken heart? Can you reach out to them with God’s love?

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FINDING MR. RIGHT OR MISS RIGHT

Posted in Church, Culture Watch, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

REALationships  # 3 PM 23 June 2013Boy Meets Girl 2

 THE DIVINE EMBRACE

We have spoken in week one about Gods great passion to have a people of His own.

God is firstly a Father and He longs for children to walk with Him.

 HOSEA

“But down the road the population of Israel is going to explode past counting, like sand on the ocean beaches. In the very place where they were once named Nobody, they will be named God’s Somebody. Everybody in Judah and everybody in Israel will be assembled as one people. They’ll choose a single leader. There’ll be no stopping them—a great day in Jezreel!” (Hosea 1:10, 11 MSG)

“And now, here’s what I’m going to do: I’m going to start all over again. I’m taking her back out into the wilderness where we had our first date, and I’ll court her. I’ll give her bouquets of roses. I’ll turn Heartbreak Valley into Acres of Hope. She’ll respond like she did as a young girl, those days when she was fresh out of Egypt. (Hosea 2:14, 15 MSG)

 PICTURE – God as the jilted lover, Israel as the unfaithful partner.  God, broken hearted keeps promising restoration if she will return.

 WHY DO WE, AS PEOPLE, FIND FAITHFULNESS TO A LIFELONG RELATIONSHIP SO HARD?

 1. The fruit of the tree you shall not eat… You want what you can’t have.

2. The grass is greener scenario.

 In Australia http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Cheating-hearts/2004/12/22/1103391840011.html?oneclick=true

Depending on which study you believe, between 30 per cent and 50 per cent of people in long-term relationships have been unfaithful, and, according to the Australian Institute of Family Studies, infidelity is cited as the main provocation in 20 per cent of divorce cases.

In the 2005 Global sex survey taken by the condom company Durex; Australia rated second highest nation on earth for the number of sexual partners respondents had. An average of 13.3.

 But for right now, friends, I’m completely frustrated by your unspiritual dealings with each other and with God. You’re acting like infants in relation to Christ, capable of nothing much more than nursing at the breast. Well, then, I’ll nurse you since you don’t seem capable of anything more. As long as you grab for what makes you feel good or makes you look important, are you really much different than a babe at the breast, content only when everything’s going your way? When one of you says, “I’m on Paul’s side,” and another says, “I’m for Apollos,” aren’t you being totally infantile? (1 Corinthians 3:1-4 MSG)

 Broken lives, sin soaked hearts, believing that you have to make it all happen yourself. Thinking God is not going to take care of you, wont keep his promise. He has promised to take care of you and provide everything for your needs. Your need for relationships is clear to Him.

  THEREFORE, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to and beg you to walk (lead a life) worthy of the [divine] calling to which you have been called [with behavior that is a credit to the summons to God’s service, Living as becomes you] with complete lowliness of mind (humility) and meekness (unselfishness, gentleness, mildness), with patience, bearing with one another and making allowances because you love one another. Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of peace. (Ephesians 4:1-3 AMP)

 So how does one build a great relationship with others especially someone who you want to share your life with – a life long partner?

  1. Put God first in your relationships. – intimacy with God brings life.
  2. Stop talking about yourself! Show interest in others.
  3. Sow what you want to reap – do unto others.
  4. Become the right person instead of looking for the right person.

  Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever I thought I could get by with, I’d be a slave to my whims. You know the old saying, “First you eat to live, and then you live to eat”? Well, it may be true that the body is only a temporary thing, but that’s no excuse for stuffing your body with food, or indulging it with sex. Since the Master honors you with a body, honor him with your body! (1 Corinthians 6:12, 13 MSG)

 There’s two needs women and men experience – intimacy and sex.

Within a marriage a woman will put up with sex to gain intimacy, and a man will put up with itimacy to gain sex.

 But before marriage God has a plan…

 Discover God and learn about people.

1Co 7:32  I want you to live as free of complications as possible. When you’re unmarried, you’re free to concentrate on simply pleasing the Master.

1Co 7:33  Marriage involves you in all the nuts and bolts of domestic life and in wanting to please your spouse,

1Co 7:34  leading to so many more demands on your attention. The time and energy that married people spend on caring for and nurturing each other, the unmarried can spend in becoming whole and holy instruments of God.

1Co 7:35  I’m trying to be helpful and make it as easy as possible for you, not make things harder. All I want is for you to be able to develop a way of life in which you can spend plenty of time together with the Master without a lot of distractions.

 Building great relationships is different today than in past times.

When your grandparents grew up it was most common fro a young man to court a young woman for a couple of years and they would decide to marry.

 Of course you have needs for companionship and for sex. The world says take what you need, the religion says deny what you need, but the answer is  acknowledge your need yield yourself to God.

 In my pre married days I had to make that transition from regular sexual involvement to celebacy as I became a Christian.  Its a high calling. Think of our grandfathers in th trenches in WW1.

 In my generation young couples met at parties and sometimes clubs and decided to go out. Later couples were connecting through mutual contact through school UNI and the workplace. Often groups of young adults hung out together and made relationship building a group affair.

 Things have changed a lot – in one episode of Jerry Seinfeld he’s dating a girl but can’t remember her name, he gets into all kinds of trouble trying to find out out what it is but can’t ask her because they are already sleeping together. This episode is dated over 10 years ago!!

 These days a fair percentage of couples get together through relationship and dating services.

When the Internet first began I married several couple who met someone through the Internet chat rooms and I was at first horrified. I thought for sure that these virtual relationships wouldn’t last, however I was surprised how many cof these coupes stayed together.

 DATING SERVICES

RSVP

Australian members: Two million – the most popular online dating site, according to recent figures. Who’s on it: Roughly 50/50 female and male; 48% of members are aged between 26 and 40, while 34% are between 41 and 60

 eHARMONY

Australian members: More than a million, according to an eHarmony spokesperson Who’s on it: About 51% males and 49% females; most members are aged in their 20s and 30s, but there are also a large number of older users

 Oasis Active

Australian members: About 1.6 million Cost: Free Who’s on it: Roughly 60% of members are male and 40% female; 64% are aged between 18 and 35, while 27% are between 36 and 50

 Some people may still feel a bit uncomfortable about connecting through an online dating service,  however if you use one you will more than likely have more success than if you didn’t use one. And why is that?

 Relationships are hard because people are time poor, expectations have changed a great deal and online communications have taken away genuine intimacy.

The reason these online services have a good strike rate is the extensive profiling of each  person that takes place before they meet. To apply you must give a complete review of all your personality, background and experience. They website computer program’s select people with similar values so that the potential for conflict is reduced.

 WHAT MAKES A GREAT RELATIONSHIP?

Do you look at a relationship and ask, “Will this relationship meet my needs?”

Then you may experience a lot of disappointment in relationships.

What makes a great relationship is the task of making someone else’s life beautiful.

 What makes a great relationship is what you give into a relationship.

Relationships are not 50/50 – It’s 100%

Are you looking for Mr. right or Miss Right? Or are you working on becoming Mr. Right or miss Right?

 Being needy or insecure in a relationship is going to make that relationship difficult. If the threat of ending a relationship brings fear to you then you may compromise your values to keep it. It’s not worth it.

 Here’s two great promises for you.

  1. God has planned your life. Jer 29:11  I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out–plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. (MESS) – Tina’s story
  2. God knows your needs –  Mat 6:7  “The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God.  Mat 6:8  Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. (MESS)

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Do you believe that a person’s relationship with God can be so fulfilling that they don’t need a partner? Discuss.
  2. Discuss how online communication such as facebook has removed a lot of the real intimacy in relationships.
  3. Discuss the differences in how young men and young women experience the challenges of singleness.
  4. If you are always talking about yourself, what does that do to your relationships?
  5. When people think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, they are often getting the wrong perspective. Discuss.

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SO YOU ARE HURT BY ANOTHER AND CAN’T FORGIVE?

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 15, 2013| Leave a Comment »

REALationships # 2 –  16th June 2013 AM – LOVE FLOWS DOWNREALationship

This month the theme is – REALationships

In APRIL we spoke about being baptised with, filled with the Holy Spirit. Then later in MAY we continued that theme by sharing what it means to be led by the spirit. During that theme, we spoke about walking in the Spirit which means our behaviour follows the nature and character of God and of course the way we treat others is guided by how we love each other as Jesus loves us. This month JUNE we are expanding on that theme and focusing on REALationships.

Last week we spoke about the Divine Embrace, which is God’s great passion to have a people. 11 times in the bible He says about His people, “I will be their God and they will be my people.” What a blessing to host a real wedding right here in the service last Sunday to illustrate the great love Christ has for the Church amply demonstrated in every marriage as a type of Christ and the Church.

Being SPIRIT FILLED means being SPIRIT LED, and to be a really great church, we will love one another unconditionally. Our relationships will be a picture to others of the love of God that is shed abroad into our hearts. For us as DISCIPLES OF JESUS – IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT ME! When we are born again we have a new perspective (Phil 2:5) Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. That is the way of humility and serving others. Our joy comes from serving others because we have a new heart, and we are filled with a servant heart and a desire live for others. If we are ever offended we look to Jesus to heal us; and then to the offender and wonder, “How has the enemy or the destructive paths of life messed this person up, so that they are reacting badly to my detriment.” We love and forgive, and duly consider how we may be in error in some way or maybe we have not seen a need that needs to be met.

When you and I receive a Revelation of the love with which He loved us, then we are filled with that love, it is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5) and we are full of the love that overflows and enables me to love my enemy, love the unloveable (which I was to God) and forgive my brother.

With PRIDE the FOCUS IS ON ME; with HUMILITY the FOCUS IS ON OTHERS

PARABLE OF THE TWO STEWARDS. – MATT 18:23-35

In this story the King who is owed a vast amount of money calls the steward who owes him and says, “Pay up!” The servant has no money so he begs for more time. The repayment is impossible, so the King makes a hugely gracious gift of forgiving the debt totally and wiping it out! (Do you get it?) The forgiven steward then goes out and accosts another steward who owes him a mere pittance and demands he pay up! When he to asks for more time, the first steward says, “No.” and puts him in jail! When the King hears of this he is rightly indignant and asks of the first steward, “Could you not have had mercy on your fellow steward as did for you?” and he casts the first steward into jail until he will pay out the reconstituted debt that he originally owed!!

The punch line is verse 35 where Jesus says that God will do likewise to us if we do not forgive our brother his trespasses. READ Vs 35 – Mat 18:35  So also My heavenly Father will deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses. (Matt 6:15; Mar 11:26.)

IMAGINE Your shock when, after you die, having lived a life as a Christian – you’re in hell and you realise that your enemy is in heaven!  Why? Because you did not forgive your brother his trespasses, and he, having trespassed against you, he is actually forgiven because he found Christ and held no grudges against his brethren.

Notice that your forgiving of your brother is “from your heart” so it’s not enough to mouth the words or even try to live above it, you must deep in your heart forgive, let go and love your brother who has sinned against you.

The IDEA is NOT that we all become perfect, BUT that we all become mature.

Mat 5:48  You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect. [Lev. 19:2, 18.] The word Perfect in the Greek language of the Original New Testament is – G5046 – Telios = Complete, of full age, like a machine having all the parts for effective working.

MATURITY – means loving one another despite our imperfections. In fact we reach maturity by practicing forgiveness.

LOVING ONE ANOTHER IS THE MOST OBVIOUS EVIDENCE THAT WE ARE CHRISTIANS.

Joh 13:34  I give you a new commandment: that you should love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too should love one another.

Joh 13:35  By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples, if you love one another [if you keep on showing love among yourselves].

God’s plan is for your development (Ephes 4:14-16). He allows, even plans offences, to see if you can forgive and love. One story that illustrates this is Jesus and John Baptist in John 11. John asks, “Are you the one?” I suppose that John may have expected Jesus to visit him in jail since He expected others to do the same. (Matt 25:44) Jesus replies, “Blessed is he who is not offended in me.”

In Matt 18:21 Peter asks a question that we all wonder about, “How many times do I have to forgive my brother? 7 times?” Jesus replies, “Not 7 times; 70X7.” We need to understand what kind of love we are filled with.

If we are SPIRIT FILLED then let us go on and be SPIRIT LED and as the HOLY SPIRIT leads us He will enable us to WALK IN THE SPIRIT, which produces the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT – LOVE, KINDNESS, PATIENCE, LONG SUFFEREINNG, SELF CONTROL.

These are all essential elements for loving one another.

WHY should we love one another?

–         By this shall all [men] know that you are My disciples – it’s the way to win lost people.

–         Being in One accord means The Holy Spirit moves – He is the spirit of unity. Ps 133 – Unity blessing commanded. Acts 4:24 When the church were in one accord the place where they were praying was shaken. Shaking is no big deal but it demonstrates that God shows up big time when His people dwell together in unity.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Have you ever stopped to consider just how much you have been forgiven of?
  2. The parable of the two stewards in Matt 18 gives us the very clear message: Although our sins are great, God freely forgives them and the offences committed against us by our brethren are comparatively small – discuss this.
  3. Can you as a Christian hold any grudge or bitterness or unforgiveness against anyone and still be forgiven yourself?
  4. How can one forgive when they are deeply hurting from an offence?
  5. Discuss how sinners view the church when it practices loving one another.

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SEX AND THE SINGLE

Posted in Church, Culture Watch, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 9, 2013| 1 Comment »

REALationships #1 PM  –  Sunday 9th June 2013  – Sex and the singleboy meets girl

There’s no doubt that sex can be a wonderful experience! It can also be a negative experience and even a soul destroying experience.

I lost my virginity when I was 17. That’s not very early these days. More about me later.

The common experience of non-Christians in Australia today is around

33% year 10 students; and 60 % year 12 students report having oral sex.

25% year 10 and around 50% year 12 report vaginal sexual intercourse.

Rates for young men over the last six years have remained stable or fallen slightly, while for young women, rates have increased particularly among year 12 girls, rising from 46% to 61%. (2008 figures)

For more info go to:

http://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/documents/SSASH040809.pdf

Of course the world is sex mad and if you’re not doing it – there’s something wrong with you. The amount of sex on TV and in all forms of entertainment is ridiculous!

But what does the designer have to say about it? It’s not cool to have sex with someone you’re not committed to for life.

MY STORY

Chris and I got together in Year 11 at high school. Neither of us were Christians.

We began a sexual relationship in Year 12 at school when we were 17 years of age and had that kind of relationship for 3 years. Then something happened.

We were both born again when we were 20 years of age.

As we came to Christ it was such a powerful experience. We were born again and Jesus became so real to us. We were born again about two months when Chris said to me I think it’s wrong that we keep on having sex now that we are saved. I said, “I was hoping you wouldn’t say that, but yes it has been on my mind too.”

We stopped having sex. And we stayed apart sexually for 18 months till we got married.

Some singles might say to me – it’s difficult! How can you stop? For us it was easy.

We changed our values. We didn’t spend 18 months struggling with lustful passions. We changed the way we did life. During those 18 months we saw each other a few times every week but it was almost always in the company of others. We had great fun as we joined into a young adults group that was part of the church.

Chris lived for most of that time in a youth house with live in house parents. We were quite happy to be alone with each other but not behind closed doors. We could spend time talking about stuff in rooms with open doors that afforded privacy but without secrecy. In any event we didn’t want to get worked up and have unfulfilled desires. Love was about spending time together getting to know one another better and now that we were saved, talking lots about what life held for us now.

So what are God’s thoughts about sex and the single life?

1Co 7:1  NOW AS to the matters of which you wrote me. It is well [and by that I mean advantageous, expedient, profitable, and wholesome] for a man not to touch a woman [to cohabit with her] but to remain unmarried.

1Co 7:2  But because of the temptation to impurity and to avoid immorality, let each [man] have his own wife and let each [woman] have her own husband.

1Co 7:7  I wish that all men were like I myself am [in this matter of self-control]. But each has his own special gift from God, one of this kind and one of another.

1Co 7:8  But to the unmarried people and to the widows, I declare that it is well (good, advantageous, expedient, and wholesome) for them to remain [single] even as I do.

1Co 7:9  But if they have not self-control (restraint of their passions), they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame [with passion and tortured continually with ungratified desire]. (AMP)

Eph 5:5  For be sure of this: that no person practicing sexual vice or impurity in thought or in life, or one who is covetous [who has lustful desire for the property of others and is greedy for gain]–for he [in effect] is an idolater–has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. (AMP)

Listen to God’s wisdom, because sex has the power to create new life, that new life, in God’s mind, has a right to a good home with a mum and dad who are committed to each other and will bring that child up in the ways of God.

God is looking for covenant to be in place before the mystery of sex is released.

1Co 6:15  Until that time, remember that your bodies are created with the same dignity as the Master’s body. You wouldn’t take the Master’s body off to a whorehouse, would you? I should hope not.

1Co 6:16  There’s more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, “The two become one.”

1Co 6:17  Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever–the kind of sex that can never “become one.”  (MESS)

Listen to some godly wisdom about the sex act and how different it is for men and women…

Go to: http://youtu.be/jL1l9ZtGC2w    Listen to the first 2:50 minutes.

Here’s the value changers.

  1. Hang with groups. Meet lots of people. Develop lots of different relationships as brothers and sisters. Don’t be quick to establish the “One and only”
  2. When you’re alone with a person of the opposite sex, put yourself out of the way of temptation. Be in a house with others, go out to a coffee shop, keep open doors between you and others.
  3. When you enter a love relationship, tell each other your boundaries and make an agreement to hold each other accountable to those boundaries.
  4. Develop your passions for God’s work, don’t let the world beguile you into thinking that sex is a measure of your happiness; or that you are missing out on something.
  5. Put the call of God first. That relationship is a seek first the kingdom one and God will add all these things to you.

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GIVE YOUR LIFE TO JESUS THIS EASTER

Posted in News Flash, Soul Winning, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 31, 2013| Leave a Comment »

The Crosspassion 111

What Jesus did on the cross was truly amazing.

It would be totally amazing if any person died on a cross willingly as a substitute for another person; but it is infinitely more amazing when God became a man and died this cruel death on the cross for people.

Why did He do it?

Because He loved you. God loves you so much. He loved you before you ever heard about His love, He loved you before you ever had a chance to respond to that love.

Jesus met an elderly woman one day – she was burying her adult son. Jesus had great compassion on her and raised her son from the dead. Can you imagine how that changed her life? That’s a demonstration of love!!

Jesus met a blind man by the roadside one day; He cured him of blindness on the spot. That’s an act of love!! I have seen blind eyes come open in church in Australia.

Jesus gave 10 lepers a complete healing one day restoring their diseased flesh with brand new flesh. That’s an act of love!! We have seen Jesus heal people of cancer in this church.

In the bible Jesus showed huge compassion to a woman who had been caught in the very act of adultery, a crime punishable by death in those days. He said to her I do not condemn you, go and sin no more. That’s an act of Love!!

No matter what you have done wrong, known or unknown, Jesus can forgive your sins and wash you clean. In this church there are many people who have a past that they are ashamed of, but now they walk free with their heads held high. How is this possible?

Through Jesus love! He loved you and me so much that he refused to leave us without hope, although that’s what we deserved. He instead took our place in receiving the punishment for each and every sin that all men have committed.

He was punished for your sin. He said these very important words.

Joh 3:16  For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Joh 3:17  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.

Joh 3:18  He who believes on Him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only-begotten Son of God.

It’s time to receive God’s love today. It’s time for you to receive the pardon he offers you.

Is your heart broken, He can heal the broken hearted.

Are you sick and facing challenging illness, He can heal you.

Are you depressed and hating yourself, Jesus can restore you and bring life to you.

Are you angry and bitter toward others? He can change your heart and pour new love into you. He is the answer. Jesus is the answer for the world today.

After all that He has done for you. It’s now your turn to respond. He is reaching out to you in love. Will you respond? If someone offered you a thousand dollars wouldn’t you respond? If someone offered to take a bullet for you wouldn’t you respond? If someone said to you I forgive you and I love you, wouldn’t you respond?

So why wouldn’t you respond when God himself says he loves you and died for you?

Here’s how you can respond.

Just say yes, yes Jesus, Pray this simple prayer and choose to have faith in Jesus, He died for you and right now He’s ready to step into your life.

Pray this prayer with me…….

My Lord Jesus, I come to you, please forgive all my sins. I believe that you died for me, I believe that you rose again from the dead. I choose to walk with you for the rest of my life. I ask you right now to come into my heart and lead me in this life. Amen.

Your next step is to go to to a bible believing church. If you reply to me I will send you literature that will help you. God bless you richly.

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What would you do for love?

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, tagged , , , , , on March 23, 2013| 1 Comment »

CRAZYLOVE 4 24/03/13 PM

What would you do for love?

Would you give up something of immense value?

King Edward VIII abdicated his throne to marry a divorced person Wallis Simpson in 1936.

On the night of 11 December 1936, Edward, now reverted to a prince, made a broadcast to the nation and the Empire, explaining his decision to abdicate. He famously said, “I have found it impossible to carry the heavy burden of responsibility and to discharge my duties as king as I would wish to do without the help and support of the woman I love.”

Would you spend your wealth and work for years?

The Shah Jahan an Indian emperor when his third wife died was so grief stricken that he built the world’s most famous mausoleum.( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taj_Mahal )palace 8

In 1631, Shah Jahan, emperor during the Mughal empire‘s period of greatest prosperity, was grief-stricken when his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal, died during the birth of their 14th child, Gauhara Begum.[11] Construction of the Taj Mahal began in 1632.[12]The court chronicles of Shah Jahan’s grief illustrate the love story traditionally held as an inspiration for Taj Mahal. It took 20,000 workers 12 years to build at a cost of 32 million rupees at the time.

Leave behind all the freedoms of doing what you want with your life?

Woman in Community Kitchen

Give up your peace of mind and enjoyment of life?

A parent looking after a child with Severe Autism.    http://youtu.be/s2lEyno1vwo

Stay there for how ever long it takes, even when there’s no return for your love?

Bill and Gladys Forward are a couple in their 50th year of marriage. Bill is doing fine and he cares for Gladys who has Alzheimer’s disease. Gladys can’t do very much at all anymore, but Bill lovingly cares for her with such devotion because, as he says, I made a promise fifty years ago.

http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au/article/8623153/for-better-or-worse

What did Jesus do for love?

Heb 12:2  looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.

Rom 5:6  Christ died for us at a time when we were helpless and sinful.

Rom 5:7  No one is really willing to die for an honest person, though someone might be willing to die for a truly good person.

Rom 5:8  But God showed how much he loved us by having Christ die for us, even though we were sinful.

He loved us so we must love one another.

1Jn 4:8  God is love, and anyone who doesn’t love others has never known him.

1Jn 4:9  God showed his love for us when he sent his only Son into the world to give us life.

1Jn 4:10  Real love isn’t our love for God, but his love for us. God sent his Son to be the sacrifice by which our sins are forgiven.

1Jn 4:11  Dear friends, since God loved us this much, we must love each other. (CSV)

 

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CRAZYLOVE # 4

Posted in Church, Preaching messages, Soul Winning, tagged , , , , , , , , , on March 23, 2013| Leave a Comment »

CRAZYLOVE #4 24/03/13 AMCrazyLove Series Logo

THE BRIDGE IS OUT

So Great is His love.

Eph 2:3 We all did it, all of us doing what we felt like doing, when we felt like doing it, all of us in the same boat. It’s a wonder God didn’t lose his temper and do away with the whole lot of us.

Eph 2:4 Instead, immense in mercy and with an incredible love,

Eph 2:5 he embraced us. He took our sin-dead lives and made us alive in Christ. He did all this on his own, with no help from us!

MESS BIBLE

When we get a revelation of how great His love is towards us; it shakes you up!

We realise we have been saved from a Christless eternity. We have been spared an eternal hell that contains only torment and agony; and we didn’t do anything to deserve this reprieve! God loved us – the unlovable! He reached out to us and sent His mighty Holy Spirit to show us the truth; that we are lost and without hope. We were blind and awaiting the swift judgement of a God who is just.

But God intervened and stepped in to take the punishment for sin that we all deserved. Jesus bore our sins and the full wrath of God the Father against that sin. Now we can go free, released just like a pardoned prisoner to be given a new chance at life.

Now what shall we do with this new chance?

A waisted life – the story of Robbie Simpson.

I met young Robbie Simpson on the street in Brisbane. He was a homeless glue sniffing kid whose life was heading for destruction. The youth street team witnessed to him and he gave his life to Christ. After some time we managed to get him away to a rehab farm the church ran far away from town. He was cared for and prayed for and shown the unconditional love that comes from God through Christians; but kept on running away and getting into trouble.

I went to court with him one day. It was Supreme Court and the charge was aggravated assault. This was serious and this little fellow was scared to death. The court was imposing in its appearance. He was terrified as well he should be when sure judgement comes. I gave a reference for him, saying how we as a church will do our best to work with him and help him. He was shown mercy and given a non custodial sentence – a good behaviour bond. Sadly he went back to the glue sniffing and after a short time he was found dead in the streets of a drug overdose.

Sometimes the story has a sad end. This story could be about anyone. You don’t have to be a glue sniffer or homeless to be in a mess. People all around us are in a mess because of brokenness and sin. We are al given at least one chance to make a break, to find life; and sitting here are many great stories of people who found Christ and made a break. Those who took the mercy offered and let God clean up their lives so that now they can do something great with it.

Nicky Cruz – a redeemed life

The story of Nicky Cruz (http://youtu.be/zelqF0mamCw ) is about a life redeemed. This former gang member and killer was made famous in the movie the Cross and the Switchblade. It follows the story of a preacher called David Wilkerson who goes to New York city and witnesses to gangs of violent youths. One gang leader called Nicky Cruz who had murdered many others comes to Christ. He undergoes change and become a preacher himself and now in his later years is still preaching the gospel all over America and round the world. (http://nickycruz.org/ )

Is your life a waisted life or a redeemed life?

What will you do with your life now that you have discovered this great love that was given to you? Does the love of God compel you to go and tell others about this amazing salvation you have. Not everybody has to be a full time preacher; but we are all called to go and reach the lost.

The bridge is out.

One rainy night a pastor and his wife were driving home. It was late and the rain had been very heavy all night. As they turned to go over the bridge and on towards home they saw a figure standing in the road ahead. This man was wearing only trousers and he had no shirt on. He was waving a shirt up over his head swinging it around and around like some crazy person. The pastor had to stop his car because this man was running towards them in the middle of the road. The pastor’s wife was frightened and said to her husband, “Lock the doors”. The pastor decided to get out in the pouring rain and see what the man was about. His wife was not happy. “Be careful,” she said as he left the car trying to shield his face from the driving rain with a coat.

The man was shouting and obviously distressed; and the pastor braced himself for the worst. The man was screaming at him, “The bridge is out. Don’t go there. People are dying.”

Pretty soon the pastor was out in the middle of the road too, waving his arms like a crazy man swinging his coat over his head, around and around to try and get the attention of the cars that were driving onto the bridge and on to certain death.

What would you have done in that situation?

You’re in that very situation every day of your life. The bridge is out. People don’t know, and they are headed for certain death and after that the judgement.

Rom 10:14 How can people have faith in the Lord and ask him to save them, if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear, unless someone tells them? (CEV)

This Easter we have a marvellous opportunity to tell people the bridge is out.

This month our theme is CRAZYLOVE. It’s all about this amazing love the father has given to us. When we see it, when we realise what we have… it’s life changing. Not only do we experience this amazing love for ourselves and receive His life and love and provision, but also we want to share it with others.

What I am asking you to do this week is invite someone to church over Easter.

Use these invitations to invite all your friends, acquaintances, work mates, school friends, relatives etc to come on Good Friday, or Sunday to hear the gospel proclaimed in a clear and powerful way.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. Have you got a story about how you gave out an invitation to someone?
  2. Can you remember back before you were a Christian, someone invited you to church or some event? How did you react?
  3. What do you do to get courage to invite or share your faith?
  4. Where would you be today if no one had reached out to you and invited you to church or some kind of opportunity to find Jesus?
  5. What’s your plan to be a great inviter?

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CRAZY LOVE 2

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, Soul Winning, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 10, 2013| Leave a Comment »

SUNDAY 10TH MARCH 2013 AM

HE LOVES THE UNLOVABLE

Mat 5:43  You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy; [Lev. 19:18; Ps. 139:21, 22.]

Mat 5:44  But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, [Prov. 25:21, 22.]

Mat 5:45  To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike].

Mat 5:46  For if you love those who love you, what reward can you have? Do not even the tax collectors do that?

Mat 5:47  And if you greet only your brethren, what more than others are you doing? Do not even the Gentiles (the heathen) do that?

Mat 5:48  You, therefore, must be perfect [growing into complete maturity of godliness in mind and character, having reached the proper height of virtue and integrity], as your heavenly Father is perfect. [Lev. 19:2, 18.]

This passage demands that we love the unlovable. If we do we are showing everyone that we are of our Father who is in heaven. We are like Him when we love the unlovable.

Rom 5:5  Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.

Rom 5:6  While we were yet in weakness [powerless to help ourselves], at the fitting time Christ died for (in behalf of) the ungodly.

Rom 5:7  Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a noble and lovable and generous benefactor someone might even dare to die.

Rom 5:8  But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

Rom 5:9  Therefore, since we are now justified (acquitted, made righteous, and brought into right relationship with God) by Christ’s blood, how much more [certain is it that] we shall be saved by Him from the indignation and wrath of God.

Rom 5:10  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more [certain], now that we are reconciled, that we shall be saved (daily delivered from sin’s dominion) through His [resurrection] life.

In this passage we see that God’s kind of love is given to us to love others with. He reminds us that Jesus died for us before we made any decision to follow Him, that is, when we were still sinners, the unlovable, in order that we would come into relationship with Him.

GOD’S LOVE FOR EACH AND EVERY PERSON ON EARTH IS COMPLETE. HE LOVES THE UNLOVABLE.

Everyone of us deserves His wrath, but everyone of us has been offered His mercy.

We must rid ourselves of the pride and deception in which we tell ourselves, “I’m a good person really. It’s all those other scum bags that God is talking about.”

Isa 64:6  For we have all become like one who is unclean [ceremonially, like a leper], and all our righteousness (our best deeds of rightness and justice) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away [far from God’s favor, hurrying us toward destruction]. [Lev. 13:45, 46.]

In spite of all that, God loved us, God reached out toward us, God saved us and gave us His righteousness.

Is there that moment in your life when you sense that overwhelming gratitude for what God has done for you?

Take a look at one of my grandkids…Tessa

What’s not to love? We as human beings find it easy to love when the object of our love seems worthy of it. But God shows His love is beyond that.

As Jesus was dying on the cross, one of the thieves who were crucified beside Him asked for mercy and Jesus gave it freely to him.

The two thieves perfectly illustrate all mankind. Both were guilty as is all mankind for we have all sinned and come short of the perfection of God. One thief was humble and penitent and one thief was proud and insolent towards his only hope. These two reactions are the only two reactions of all mankind towards Jesus offer of forgiveness and life.

God’s love towards us as sinners is remarkable. God’s great passion for relationship with anyone who would come to Him in humility and faith is unending.

Because of His righteousness He must judge all sin. Therefore God executes wrath against sin and punishes every wrong doer, however, so great is His love towards each and every lost person that he gave His only begotten Son to die in their place, to receive the punishment they rightly deserve so that they could be given an opportunity to go free.

Let’s take a look at this Crazy Love of God towards you. Not only did God send His son to die for you, and on your behalf, before you even had a chance to respond to Him; He then came out searching for you and calling you to come to Him.

Joh 6:44  No one is able to come to Me unless the Father Who sent Me attracts and draws him and gives him the desire to come to Me, and [then] I will raise him up [from the dead] at the last day.

1Jn_3:1  SEE WHAT [an incredible] quality of love the Father has given (shown, bestowed on) us, that we should [be permitted to] be named and called and counted the children of God! And so we are! The reason that the world does not know (recognize, acknowledge) us is that it does not know (recognize, acknowledge) Him.

The love with which God loved you is huge!

When God loved you; He loved the unlovable. He loved a sinner. He loved someone who had fallen way short of the standard of perfection needed for heaven.

But because of this great love He rescued you and me, and because of this great love you are now a child of His and filled with this same love.

Eph 3:17  May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

Eph 3:18  That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God’s devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

Eph 3:19  [That you may really come] to know [practically, through experience for yourselves] the love of Christ, which far surpasses mere knowledge [without experience]; that you may be filled [through all your being] unto all the fullness of God [may have the richest measure of the divine Presence, and become a body wholly filled and flooded with God Himself]!

Now that you have been saved by this love and filled with this love….

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH IT?

Yes, of course you will love God with it, we are to abide in His love, but also if He loved the unlovable and His love dwells in us then shall we not love the unlovable too?

The power to change a life begins with an invitation.

Our Vision as a church movement is to give every Aussie an opportunity to hear the gospel, and what better time to hear it than at Easter?

Will you invite a crowd to come to Easter?

How to invite someone.

Don’t worry about whether they may or may not be receptive. Invite everyone. You can’t tell who’s ready yet. Just invite saying, “Can I give you this invitation?”

“Hey, take a look at this, my church has special events on this Easter – I would love to invite you to come along.”

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.  Describe a time when you chose to love an enemy or someone who persecuted you.

2. When we love people who are hard to love, it’s too hard in our own strength so we need God’s love. How do we obtain it?

3. Why do you think God asks us to love the unlovable?

4. If we are full of His love – a love for the unlovable – will that enable us to go out and love the unsaved around us?

5. Who, in your sphere of influence ,can you invite to the Easter concert?

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CRAZY LOVE # 1

Posted in Church, Equip the Saints, Preaching messages, Soul Winning, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 3, 2013| 2 Comments »

Crazy love # 1 Sunday 3rd March 2013 AMCrazyLove Series Logo

In one of the greatest debates of our time men argue about whether we are created or evolved from chance. Some, who find it hard to swallow that a personal God created all this, are forced to concede to Intelligent Design because of the wonder and complexity of living things. Still others are fully persuaded that God is there and they can know Him.

As atheists account for around 22% of the Australian population and approximately 14-16% world wide, it still leaves many either wondering or confident about God’s existence. What I would like to show them all is how much God loves each and every one of them.

Do you know God loves you?

So often we measure this by how happy we are, or by how well things have gone for us or some other subjective manner.

Just as your child might say to you that you don’t love them because you didn’t give them what they wanted, we, as adult Christians, can be equally as obtuse when it comes assessing whether God loves us or not. Wisdom doesn’t come cheap – it can take a lifetime of living through the highs and lows of our experiences to come to the point of recognising God’s hand on our life.

How do you know God loves you?

If this were an apologetics seminar I would describe the logic behind the argument. But this is teaching from the word. We are fully persuaded about the authenticity and reliability of God’s word. (See the resources on this at http://pvc.podomatic.com/player/web/2010-04-09T06_14_02-07_00  and following 7 messages)

In the beginning God created man. Why?

1. Because He wanted Kids. It is the nature of God that He is a father.

Gen 1:26  God said, Let Us [Father, Son, and Holy Spirit] make mankind in Our image, after Our likeness, and let them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over everything that creeps upon the earth. [Ps. 104:30; Heb. 1:2; 11:3.]

Gen 1:27  So God created man in His own image, in the image and likeness of God He created him; male and female He created them. [Col. 3:9, 10; James 3:8, 9.]

Gen 1:28  And God blessed them and said to them, Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it [using all its vast resources in the service of God and man]; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air, and over every living creature that moves upon the earth.

In the New Testament Jesus reminds us of the father nature of God as His and our Father.

Mat 7:11  If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven [perfect as He is] give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!

2. Because He desires to have fellowship with us.

Joh 3:16  For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

Rom_6:11  Even so consider yourselves also dead to sin and your relation to it broken, but alive to God [living in unbroken fellowship with Him] in Christ Jesus. (AMP)

Joh 14:2  In My Father’s house there are many dwelling places (homes). If it were not so, I would have told you; for I am going away to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3  And when (if) I go and make ready a place for you, I will come back again and will take you to Myself, that where I am you may be also.

3. We are made for His Glory.

Isa 43:7  Even everyone who is called by My name, whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, whom I have made.

We bring Glory to Him through our relationship to Him.

Eph 3:10  [The purpose is] that through the church the complicated, many-sided wisdom of God in all its infinite variety and innumerable aspects might now be made known to the angelic rulers and authorities (principalities and powers) in the heavenly sphere.

4. This love is the culmination of His vast plan.

Eph 2:4  But God–so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us,

Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead (slain) by [our own] shortcomings and trespasses, He made us alive together in fellowship and in union with Christ; [He gave us the very life of Christ Himself, the same new life with which He quickened Him, for] it is by grace (His favor and mercy which you did not deserve) that you are saved (delivered from judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation).

Just how much does God love you?

Isa 49:13  Sing for joy, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth, and break forth into singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people and will have compassion upon His afflicted.

Isa 49:14  But Zion [Jerusalem, her people as seen in captivity] said, The Lord has forsaken me, and my Lord has forgotten me.

Isa 49:15  [And the Lord answered] Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you.

Isa 49:16  Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands; [O Zion] your walls are continually before Me.

God is painting a picture for you in this passage.

Is there any mother here today that can remember breast feeding her baby?

At that time, did you ever forget that you had a baby? – NO of course not, but God says in contrast to His love and devotion to you; yes, a breast feeding mother can indeed forget her baby.

Can you see a woman forgetting her baby that is still in the breast feeding stage of life? Is that even possible? God makes a contrast to bring out a point to you. He says compared to His attention level…. Yes, a mother of an unweaned child CAN forget her baby  –  yet I will not forget you.

Tattoos are pretty popular these days, but I notice that very few people receive tattoos on the palms of their hands. It hurts, yes for sure, but the palms face you, they are not for others to see. If you want to hold onto something tight, then you hold it inside your clenched fist inside your palms.  When I want to remind myself of something important I write it on my palm – that’s where I am most likely to see it.

God is painting a picture for you here today. His love and affection and devotion for you is greater than a mother toward her new born. He has a photo of you imprinted on His palm. How can He forget you? Your walls are ever before Him. These walls are the walls of Jerusalem that were broken down by the enemy, by lack of fully functioning Kingdom and lack of the care of God’s people. The broken walls speak of those places of brokenness, loss, dysfunction and failure that surround our lives. God cares and God has answers.

If we truly receive a revelation of how great His love is toward us – what then?

How shall we respond?

  1. Receive His love – be healed saved and restored. Accept His free gift of life and walk with Him in a bond of Love.
  2. Truly desire that others may live.  If His love is so great can we neglect to tell others of it? Shall we be partakers of complete salvation and deny the others in spite of the fact that others brought me to this place of discovery? As Paul cried – “I am a debtor” He had received so much that he considered he owed to others who had not heard.

This Easter will you reach out to others? So that others may live.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

  1. What was your first experience of God’s love?
  2. Has God’s love ever seemed distant from you?
  3. What verse from today’s blog most speaks to you about God’s love to you?
  4. How can we overcome disappointments to see the love of God at work in our lives?
  5. How would you share the love of God with others?

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