What it Really Means to Love God

What It Really Means to Love God

by Greg Laurie on May 19, 2019

Event:

Sunday morning

Scripture:

Series:

Relentless Grace: Paul

Ephesians 5:2 ESV

[2] And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

The greatest ability is dependability. 

Finishing well.

Grow in love.

1 Corinthians 13:2 ESV

[2] And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

1 John 3:18 NKJV

[18] My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

1 John 3:14 NKJV

[14] We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in death.

Romans 12:9-12 NKJV

[9] Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. [10] Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; [11] not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; [12] rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

1. Our Love Should Be Real, Not Fake.

Romans 12:9 NKJV

[9] Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

Do loving things if you like it or not. Your emotions can catch up to you.

Judas Iscariot is a clear example of loving with hypocrisy.

2. If I love what God loves, I will in turn, hate what God hates.

Psalm 97:10 NKJV

[10] You who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.

Be horrified by evil. We should hate evil.

3. If you really love God and others, you will be glued to what is good.

Cling to what is good.

Romans 12:9 NKJV

[9] Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

“The expulsive power of a new affection.” - Thomas Chalmers

Meditate in God’s word day and night.

4. If we really love God and others, we will love our Christian Family.

John 13:35 NKJV

[35] By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

5. If we really love God and others, we will not be slackers. “Not lagging in diligence.”

Romans 12:11 NKJV

[11] not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

What ever we do for Christ, must be done with intensity, enthusiasm, passion and excellence.

There is no room for doing the bare minimum.

6. If we really love God and others, we will be on fire for Christ!

Keep your heart burning by being in the word.

Would someone else describe you as being on fire for Christ?

No one is forcing you to serve, but if you are on fire you will serve.

If you want to serve God, you will be attacked.

Romans 12:12 NKJV

[12] rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

This could be translated, “devoted to prayer.”

Our church needs your prayer.

Another of those spiritual weapons is preaching the Gospel.

Harvest Crusade is celebrating 30 years.

God willing!

A Second Chance in Life

Notes: A Second Chance in Life
Pastor Greg Laurie
Jonah 1
May 5, 2019
Harvest OC

Pastor Greg is giving the message from Joppa.

do you have something to say?

God does not call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Acts 10:9-16 NKJV
[9] The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. [10] Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance [11] and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. [12] In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. [13] And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." [14] But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean." [15] And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common." [16] This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

Are you willing to leave your comfort zone?

Jonah was called too. The story of Jonah is probably the most ridiculed story in the Bible.

Jonah was still insensitive to the people of Nineveh after the great awakening.

Jonah 1:1-3 NKJV
[1] Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, [2] "Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before Me." [3] But Jonah arose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.

Sin will take you further then you want to go. It will keep you longer then you want t stay. It will cost you more than you wanted to pay.

Jonah 1:4 NKJV
[4] But the LORD sent out a great wind on the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship was about to be broken up.

God will always have the last word!

Jonah was running from God.

Jonah 1:5-16 NKJV
[5] Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep. [6] So the captain came to him, and said to him, "What do you mean, sleeper? Arise, call on your God; perhaps your God will consider us, so that we may not perish." [7] And they said to one another, "Come, let us cast lots, that we may know for whose cause this trouble has come upon us." So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. [8] Then they said to him, "Please tell us! For whose cause is this trouble upon us? What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?" [9] So he said to them, "I am a Hebrew; and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." [10] Then the men were exceedingly afraid, and said to him, "Why have you done this?" For the men knew that he fled from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them. [11] Then they said to him, "What shall we do to you that the sea may be calm for us?"-for the sea was growing more tempestuous. [12] And he said to them, "Pick me up and throw me into the sea; then the sea will become calm for you. For I know that this great tempest is because of me." [13] Nevertheless the men rowed hard to return to land, but they could not, for the sea continued to grow more tempestuous against them. [14] Therefore they cried out to the LORD and said, "We pray, O LORD, please do not let us perish for this man's life, and do not charge us with innocent blood; for You, O LORD, have done as it pleased You." [15] So they picked up Jonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. [16] Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice to the LORD and took vows.

The sailors came to believe even when Jonah was running .

Message of the book of Jonah is God Gives Second Chances.

Storms come in to the lives of Christians. Protecting, Correcting, and Perfecting storms.

Protecting are just that.

Correcting storms are usually brought upon ourselves.

Prayer can be Publicity, privately, verbally, or silently. Eyes open or closed.

Ephesians 6:18 NKJV
[18] praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints-

Jonah 2:1-9 NKJV
[1] Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the fish's belly. [2] And he said: "I cried out to the LORD because of my affliction, And He answered me. "Out of the belly of Sheol I cried, And You heard my voice. [3] For You cast me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the floods surrounded me; All Your billows and Your waves passed over me. [4] Then I said, 'I have been cast out of Your sight; Yet I will look again toward Your holy temple.' [5] The waters surrounded me, even to my soul; The deep closed around me; Weeds were wrapped around my head. [6] I went down to the moorings of the mountains; The earth with its bars closed behind me forever; Yet You have brought up my life from the pit, O LORD, my God. [7] "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple. [8] "Those who regard worthless idols Forsake their own Mercy. [9] But I will sacrifice to You With the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay what I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD."

Jonah prayed the word of God.

It is a good idea to pray the scriptures. It’s not remind God, it’s to remind us.

Jonah 2:7 NKJV
[7] "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer went up to You, Into Your holy temple.

H.O.P.E.
Holding On with Patient Expectation

You don’t give thanks to God only when he has fixed your problem. You always give thanks.

Jonah 2:10 NKJV
[10] So the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.

Jonah 3:3 NKJV
[3] So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three-day journey in extent.

Nineveh was an awful place. They did horrible things and Jonah didn’t want them saved.

God doesn’t work through you, till he has worked on you.

Everybody is loved by God. Aren’t you glad someone prayed for you.

Best regards, 

Adam