Living a Courageous Kingdom love
Matthew 6:33(Amp) – But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right-the attitude and character of God], and all these things will be given to you also.
There’s no room for double occupancy in the Christian’s heart
James 1:8 (NIV) – Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
James 4:8(NIV) – Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double –minded.
Matthew 22:37- 40 (NIV) – 37Jesus replied: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and will all your soul and with all your mind.” 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 40All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Going back 25 years and removing from all pop, rock or country songs that dealt
With someone leaving his or her love, like Paul Simons song 50 ways to leave your lover.
I think all the tunes available will be cut in half. Judging by the music and condition of the world around us, it becomes pretty obvious that the world is in a love crisis.
The church unfortunately has not missed this crisis either.
You see it’s very possible for us as Christian’s to leave our first love.
The problem is that we mess up by taking our eyes and hearts off Jesus because we don’t put His Kingdom and way of living FIRST.
Jesus Christ called it leaving your first love
REV 2:2-5 (NIV) – 2I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. 3You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name and have not grown weary. 4Yet I hold this against you; You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place.
When Jesus looked at this church what did He see.
1] What they believed in was sound
2] He saw good works
3] He saw hard work
4] He saw they were not lazy
5] They endured hardship and persecution
6] They could even sniff out false teachers and false Apostles
7] Then they were bearing up under the load, not grown weary or became exhausted.
WHAT A CHURCH
But look at verse 4&5 – 4Yet I hold this against you; You have forsaken your first love. 5Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place.
What do we learn from this?
A] There is really no effective work accomplished if our first love has gone cold or we have left it.
B] Taken from a book called GOD calling.
“Only love lasts. If a man only saw how vain is so much activity!
So much work done in my Name is not acknowledged by Me.”
GOD not only wants our duty He wants our devotion.
GOD never meant for duty to replace our devotion
Hosea 6:6 (NIV) – For I desire mercy, not sacrifice and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.
Our whole spiritual life seeking the Kingdom way of Life revolves around our first love.
Jesus’ warning:
Matthew 24:10-13 (NIV) – 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.
All action and activity can only be effective when our first love is at the center of it.
Philemon 1:5 & 21(NIV) – 5Because I hear about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints.
Jude verse 21 – Guard and keep yourself in the love of God; Expect and patiently wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ which will bring you to eternal life.
Paul, after a very intensive word about our enemy and how to address him, closes his letter with this: (Ephesians 6:10-18 –Armour of God)
Ephesians 6:24 (NIV) – Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.
Romans 5:5 (NIV) – And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
“It is not that we keep His commandments first, and that then He loves; but that He loves us, and then we keep His commandments. This is that grace, which is revealed to the humble, but hidden from the proud.”
The Kingdom Love is a – fearless love.
1 John 4:18-19 (Amp) – 18 There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love]. 19 We love, because He first loved us.
#1 The protection of perfect love.
This gives us security and confidence.
When we have perfect love we will make other people feel secure and confident around us.
#2 The power of perfect love.
Psalm 36:7 (Amp) – How precious is Your loving kindness, O God! The children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
This love enables us to change and experience freedom from fear and all its forms.
#3 The potential of perfect love enables us to…
A: Live without condemnation.
B: Live free from rejection.
C: Live free from judgment.
D: Live free from the fear of man.
E: Live freely in a love that totally accepts you, forgives you and restores you.
#4 The problem of imperfect love (the one who fears)
When you are not living and practicing in the knowledge of God’s true agape love for your life…
…your life causes others to be drawn away from God by what your life is teaching about God.
John 13:34-35 (Amp) – 34 I am giving you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, so you too are to love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love and unselfish concern for one another.”
Living the Kingdom love is not an optional extra for those who are willing to have it in their lives.
It is a command for every child of God.
It’s your first love that drives you to keep His commandments and live a courageous Kingdom love.
If you are not so close to God like you used to be – guess who has moved!
Example of taking a wrong turn – you leave the road you are supposed to be travelling on and go back to where you went wrong.
