IN LOVE WITH JESUS

SERMON STARTER

27 So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.' "     Luke 10:27 (NKJV)

 

          I was serving as an Elisha Program ministerial trainee at Melodyland Christian Center, a 10,000 member church in Anaheim, California in 1975. My favorite apologetic professor at the School of Theology was speaking at both morning services on a Sunday morning. Walter Martin is the author of the original book, Kingdom of the Cults. He was at the time the world's leading authority on Cults and the Occult in the Western World.

          This particular Sunday morning in the early service something unusual happened. This logical-thinking, rational apologist experienced what Charismatics and Pentecostals call, "The Anointing."  The Holy Spirit fell on him and he began to speak from his heart. Under the Spirit's influence, he spoke prophetically of spiritual life and death.

          A prophet speaks what "Bubbles Up" from the deep recesses of his spirit. His words were like refreshing spring water to my soul. I cannot recall exactly what he said, but I eagerly drank in his words. As the Spirit slowly lifted His mantel from Dr. Martin I heard him recite the words I had learned from childhood in my Baptist Churches from the third verse of, "My Jesus, I love Thee."

3 I'll love thee in life, I will love thee in death,
and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath,
and say when the deathdew lies cold on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

          Dr. Martin was almost singing under the unction of God's Spirit of his love for Jesus. As it turned out this was a prophetic word about his own death. He died in 1989 fourteen years later from the complications of diabetes and coronary artery heart disease.

I especially remember his words,

"And when the death dew lies cold on your brow,

you'll be singing to Him,

If ever I love you, my Jesus 'tis now."

Dr. Martin was singing his Love Song to Jesus and we were the eager listeners to the prophetic song of his soul. I pictured his cold body, devoid of life in this time. Then, I saw him with rapturous love and adoration with his face shining in the Presence of Jesus. Even so come quickly Lord Jesus!

Pastor Phil Roland  <><<

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not just knowing ABOUT His Love, but in love with Him

 

 

 

 

 

 

September 30, 2018 - Sheepfold Ministries

Pastor Phil Roland  <><<

IN LOVE WITH JESUS

EPHESIANS 3:14-21

 

"People tell me they Love God or Love the Lord, but their lives do not reveal an "In Love" relationship with Jesus. How do you express your love to your loved ones, "Love you!" They reply, "Love you, too!" Can you love someone and not be "In love with them?" Can you love God and not be in love with Him?"                                                                         Pastor Phil  <><<

 

27 So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.' "     Luke 10:27 (NKJV)

 

"Yet there is one thing wrong: you don't love Me as at first!"     Rev. 2:4 TLB

 

PAUL'S BLESSING AND DOXOLOGY

John 17 hold Jesus' High Priestly Prayer for all believers, past, present and future. Ephesians 3 holds the Apostle Paul's Prayer of Blessing for the whole church and ends with a doxology. The Apostle Paul in today's text prays for his churches, converts and readers

 

OUTLINE: Ephesians 3:14-21

The content of Paul's Prayer is conveyed in Ephesians 3:16-19. Essentially there are four matters for which the author prays for the sake of his readers that they may have:

1. Inner spiritual strength

2. The indwelling of Christ in their hearts

3. The ability to comprehend all the dimensions of spiritual realities

4. Knowledge of the love of Christ

 

Paul's Blessing Prayer is for His Readers to Find. . .

I. INNER SPIRITUAL STRENGTH - Verse 16

16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be

    strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
          A. What happened to His Strength in you?

                    1. Either the world gets like us, or we get like the world

                    2. Systematic Desensitization - Eg. Frog in Beaker

                    3. We've slowly grown indifferent to spiritual things of God

                    4. Ephesus church was like that with their polytheism

                    5. Eg. Universalism, Morgan Freeman, The Story of God

          B. Religious Routines with no Romance

                    1. Spend time with what you Love

                    2. No longer have relational time for the One you love

                    3. Substitute work for Jesus for Relationship with Jesus
IN LOVE WITH JESUS, cont., p.2

 

          C. Service with no Substance

                    1. Serving God without the Passion

                    2. Going through the motions of following Jesus

                    3. Your Heart isn't Present in your Service

          D. Indifference towards Others - 1 John 3:16-18

            "By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also

             ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17 But whoever has this

             world's goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from

             him, how does the love of God abide in him? 18 My little children, let us not

             love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth."

                    1. Christian Believers care about the need in their midst

                    2. Hearts that are cold to others are hearts cold toward God     

          E. Grow Cold by Small Compromises - Song of Songs 2:15

                    1. "The little foxes spoil the vines"

                    2. Small little nibbling sins that chew away our spiritual lives

                    3. Attitudes that can act like the little foxes

a. "You deserve better. . ."

b. "You're entitled to a little indulgence. . ."

4. Bitterness of the Soul - Hebrews 12:15

                        "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root                grows up to cause trouble and defile many."

                    5. Bickering - 1 Peter 2:1

                        "Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and

                         all evil speaking,"

 

Paul's Blessing Prayer is for His Readers to find. . .

II. THE INDWELLING OF CHRIST  IN THEIR HEARTS - Verse 17

17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted

   and grounded in love,

          A. In Love With Jesus is more than just infatuation

                    1. Your initial adolescent emotional love was superficial

                              a. In Love with Love

                                    b. Adolescents are Fickle, weekly New "love" person

                    2. Believers are like that. . .Seduced by the world's lies

                              a. "And they lived happily ever after. . ."

                                    b. "It was Love At First Sight"

                                    c. "Beautiful People will never have problems"

          B. You may love Jesus, but does He live in your heart?

                    1. Have you made your heart a safe place for Him?

                    2. Not just His Name on the mailbox, but dwelling with you?

 

Paul's Blessing Prayer is for His Readers to find. . .

III. THE ABILITY PERCEIVE THE DIMENSIONS OF GOD'S LOVE

18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--

IN LOVE WITH JESUS, cont., p.3

 

Eg. A stressed lady at my first church laid down in one of the pews and                          lamented about how safe she felt there,

               "I love the sights of the church: dimly lit interior, carpeting. I love the                           smell of the church: Old Varnish, Musty smells, burnt candles. . ."

A. She was in love with the Physical Church

                    1. She didn't personally know the Jesus of the Church

                    2. She just felt His Peace in that Place

          B. No Knowledge that comes by Experience of Knowing Him

                    1. Christianity is more than a Head Religion

                    2. Christianity is Knowing / Experiencing Jesus in your Heart

                    3. To Know Him is to Experience His Love

 

Paul's Blessing Prayer is for His Readers to find. . .

IV. THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE LOVE OF CHRIST - Verse 19

19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
          A. Ancient Greeks were in Love with Knowledge

                    1. Knowledge that comes by Physical Experience

                              a. Intellectual

                                    b. Purely Rational. . .Logical. . .Loved Deductive Logic

                    2. Knowledge that comes by Spiritual Revelation

                    3. Paul Experienced Revelation Knowledge

                    4. It was on the Road to Damascus

          B. God's Agape Love vs. Greek Head Knowledge

                    1. Have you found him on a dusty Damascus Road?

                    2. Have you discovered Him at the Foot of His Cross?

                    3. Have you stayed from that In Love With Jesus?

                    4. Do you still have the Love you Had at the First?

 

"MY JESUS I LOVE THEE" - Darlene Zschech

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU_C3AFedoE

 

 

IN LOVE WITH JESUS

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NKJV)
14 For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,
17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height--
19 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,
21 to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

MY JESUS I LOVE THEE

 

1 My Jesus, I love thee, I know thou art mine;
for thee all the follies of sin I resign;
my gracious Redeemer, my Savior art thou;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

2 I love thee because thou hast first loved me
and purchased my pardon on Calvary's tree;
I love thee for wearing the thorns on thy brow;
if ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

 

3 I'll love thee in life, I will love thee in death,
and praise thee as long as thou lendest me breath,
and say when the deathdew lies cold on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

 

4 In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I'll ever adore thee in heaven so bright;
I'll sing with the glittering crown on my brow:
If ever I loved thee, my Jesus, 'tis now.

 

 

Not just knowing ABOUT His Love, but in love with Him. . .

Not just serving Him, but being devoted to Him with a heart of Love

 

 

"MY JESUS I LOVE THEE"

NOT JUST LOVING JESUS

In LOVE with Jesus

Darlene, Zuchlach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU_C3AFedoE

 

"MY JESUS I LOVE THEE"

Darlene, Zuchlach

Similar arrangement, different graphics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TCjVVzwE6M

 

"MY JESUS I LOVE THEE"

Choral Arrangement, w/lyrics, poor video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LPLxV3qxB0

 

 

 

Praying for your soul. . .

Interceding that you would be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man

We have prayed for more than 25 years in Penn-Ohio for a Revival in our region, but we have erred in how to pray. . .Focus must be on ourselves.

We must pray for a new heart of love for God

 

Ezekiel 11:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh,
20 that they may walk in My statutes and keep My judgments and do them; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (NKJV)
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.

 

In Love With Jesus. . .

I. PAUL PRAYS FOR HIS CONVERTS AND CHURCHES

Pray for one another

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IN LOVE WITH JESUS

27 So he answered and said, "'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,' and 'your neighbor as yourself.' "     Luke 10:27 (NKJV)

 

         

 

Ephesians 5:22-33

Ephesians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.
23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.