(Due technical issues this service wasn’t able to record on Youtube. A transcript of the service is below.)
“I love you all so much! I am so thankful for you… I know for many, this season we’re walking through is hard…
- I think it’s important to know… that this hasn’t been an easy decision for us…
- As I was wrestling with this in March, in prayer God told me this… “Be 100% until you’re not… Trust Me (God) in the process… He will provide for both you and the church…”
- In my flesh, in myself, I didn’t want to go… I love this community; I love this church this people… I love you all so much… God is placing within me the seeds of a great love for Lawrence, but right now this is comfortable and familiar… this community and church has become our home…
- But my first calling has to be to the Lord and His will…
- If I stay, then I’m standing in the way of the one who God is calling to take my place… and I’m missing God’s desires for the place He’s calling me to…
- God is preparing New Life Center and Lawrence for these ministries… I want you to see this in scripture…
In the Bible there is a concept of God using more than one person to execute His will:
- Moses (Took Israel to the Promise Land) – Joshua (Took Israel into the Promise Land)
- David (Was told not to build the Temple, so he prepared to materials and labor for the temple) – Solomon (Built the temple)
- Elijah – Elisha (Prophetic work against Pagan Worship)
- Paul (Established churches) – Titus & Timothy (Discipled and expanded the church)
God rarely uses just one person…
So today I would like to share with you ‘Important Things’…
John 13:34-35 NASB 1995
34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Love each other and love truth…
- Let love and truth be your code that you live by…
- love covers multitude of sins… love is the character of God
- love is something if you’ve been a part of this church for any length of time under my pastorate you’ve heard me talking about love… and I believe should define us as people… “they will know your my disciples by your love for one another…”
God’s called us to love each other truly and deeply…
- Bible tells us to love each other a lot… The reason He talks so much about love is that it’s a challenge because we are all human… and we do unkind things… this is not an excuse, only the reality of our world…
- We need to give the same grace that God has given us…
To love opens our hearts up to be hurt…
1 Peter 1:22-23 NASB 1995
22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently (deeply) love one another from the heart, 23 for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
God is calling all of us to love deeply and sincerely…
- Please… Don’t stop loving deeply… it’s hard whenever you love people and you get hurt…
- The temptation can be too close people off and put-up walls, but don’t do that… remain connected to people and to this church body…
- Isolation is not worth it to avoid the pain… if you love deeply, you’re going to hurt deeply…
Part of loving others is hearing others… and looking for the best in them…
- Be cautious about your own ideas, be optimistic about the ideas of others… of course anchor everything to scripture, but try to see through eyes that aren’t your own…
- In being cautious, simply examine not only the thought and idea, but the heart behind your ideas, ask God to reveal your motives to yourself first…
- And strive not to assume on the motives behind the ideas of others… strive to see the best in the ideas of others…
So continue to love one another, this time will be a time of stress… but this is only a season… seasons do change…
- Satan’s big play against the church is, and will always be, disunity…
- The enemy will pull and tug and try to create disunity… try to create dissension and factions and all these evil things… don’t give in to him, continue to love one another, and stay in unity as brothers and sisters in Christ…
- Don’t let the enemy get those victories in your life…
God has amazing things for this church, things I can’t even imagine, things that are only in the mind of God… they’re beautiful, they’re awesome… strive to be a part of that plan…
As the earthly ministry of Jesus was concluding and the Holy Spirit would take center stage this is what Jesus prayed over the disciples…
John 17:20-26 NASB 1995
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; 21 that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
22 The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
- Hear me clearly, I’m not saying I’m Jesus or whomever follows me is not the Holy Spirit… but Satan’s playbook hasn’t changed… Jesus’ final, recorded, earthly prayer over the church was unity found in love…
I want to pray over you and this church body this scripture and personalize it to this church body…
20 “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Jesus through their words; 21 that they may all be one; even as the Father and Jesus are one, that they also may be in Jesus and the Father, so that the world may believe that the Father sent the son Jesus.
22 The glory which the Father has given Jesus I pray would be received in this church, that they may be one, just as the Father and the Son are one; 23 that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that the Father sent Jesus, and loved this church, even as the Father has loved Jesus. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Jesus, be with Jesus one day in Heaven, so that they may see the glory of Jesus which the Father have given Jesus, for You loved the Son before the foundation of the world.
25 “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that the Father sent the Son; 26 … Your name is known to them, and will be made known, so that the love with which the Father loved Jesus may be in them, and that Jesus would make His home in them.”
Excited for all God has for this church body… I love you…”