Courtland Baptist Church

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Sermon for AUGUST 7, 2016

https://vimeo.com/home/myvideos

http://events.bible.com/en/event/edit/77012

“WHAT DO I HAVE NOW?”

MARK 12: 30-31

READ MARK 12:30-31

WE HAVE LOOKED AT GOD'S ATTRIBUTES:

GOD OF CREATION, GOD WHO LEADS, GOD WHO REMEMBERS, GOD WHO JUDGES, ETC.

THEN WE LOOK ED AT GOD AS WE ASKED HIM TO SEARCH US FOR WHAT WE PUT BETWEEN US AND HIM.

WE LOOKED AT THE GIFT GOD HAS GIVEN US IN JESUS CHRIST AS PAYMENT FOR OUR SINS.

NOW WE LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE TO DO WITH THAT INFORMATION.

A SCRIBE ASKED JESUS WHAT THE MOST IMPORTANT COMMANDMENT WAS. JESUS SAID LOVE GOD.

WHEN WE LOOK AT CHRISTIANITY TODAY, MOST PEOPLE LOOK AT IT AS A SET OF RULES AND REGULATIONS. IF WE DO THIS THEN WE GET THIS IN RETURN. WHEN WE DO THIS WRONG, THEN WE GET THIS IN RETURN. PEOPLE WANT TO FOLLOW RULES. EVEN CHILDREN WANT TO FOLLOW THE RULES. IN MY EXPERIENCE WHEN CHILDREN HAVE RULES AND CONSEQUENCES THEY ARE MUCH BETTER OFF. WE AS ADULTS ARE THE SAME WAY. WE HAVE RULES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE FOR US. WHEN WE FOLLOW THOSE RULES, MOST OF THE TIME IT TURNS OUT JUST FINE FOR US. WHEN THIS SCRIBE ASKED JESUS WHAT THE GREATEST RULE WAS, JESUS GAVE AN ASTOUNDING ANSWER. WE LOOK AT THIS ANSWER TODAY AND SEE HOW EXTRAORDINARY IT WAS AND IS TO US.

LOVE

THERE ARE THREE TYPES OF LOVE MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE.

1. AGAPE TRUE LOVE

2. PHILEO FRIENDSHIP

3. EROS BETWEEN MAN AND A WOMAN

THE LOVE THAT IS STATED HERE IS THE LOVE THAT GOD SHOWED FOR US BY SENDING JESUS CHRIST TO DIE FOR OUR SINS. THE LOVE THAT GOD HAS FOR US.

SO NOW THAT WE HAVE THE DEFINITION, WHAT IS IT?

WE WE ACCEPT THE GIFT OF JESUS CHRIST, WE ARE REGENERATED. WE HAVE A NEW LIFE, A NEW HEART. WE MUST LOVE GOD WITH ALL OF OUR HEARTS, SOULS, MIND AND STRENGTH.

LOOK AT THOSE THINGS:

HEART (REGENERATED HEART)

SOULS (ALL THAT WE ARE)

MIND (ALL THAT WE THINK)

STRENGTH (ALL THAT WE DO)

WE ARE TO LOVE GOD AS HE LOVED US. DO WE FAIL AT THIS? OF COURSE. OTHER DENOMINATIONS BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN LOOSE THE LOVE OF GOD (SALVATION). IF YOU CAN THEN GOD'S LOVE IS NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO CLEANSE US. IT IS NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD US. IT IS NOT WIDE ENOUGH TO ENCOMPASS OUR SHORTCOMINGS. IT IS NOT DEEP ENOUGH TO WASH AWAY ALL OUR SINS.

I SAY THAT GOD'S LOVE FOR US IS DEEPER THAN THE OCEN, WIDER THAN THE SKY, MORE THAN ENOUGH TO SAVE ME FROM MY SHORTCOMINGS AND STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD ME CLOSE TO GOD EVEN WHEN I CHOOSE TO DISOBEY HIM.

WHEN WE HAVE THAT TRUE LOVE THAT GOD GIVES US THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE ARE TO LOVE GOD WITH IT AND ALSO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR WITH THAT SAME LOVE.

HOW DO YOU SHOW YOUR LOVE TO GOD?

DO YOU SHOW HIM AGAPE LOVE OR FRIENDSHIP LOVE? DO YOU KNOW HIM WHEN IT IS CONVIENENT FOR YOU? DO YOU GIVE EVERYTHING TO HIM OR KEEP SOME FOR YOURSELF? DO WE HIDE SOME OUR LIVES AWAY FROM THE LOVE OF GOD?

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU LOVE GOD? LOOK AT SOMEONES LIFE THAT YOU KNOW LOVED GOD AND COMPARE YOUR LIFE TO THEIRS. THE ONLY PERSON WHO DID THAT WAS JESUS. WE ARE CALLED TO BE CHRIST LIKE.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/6icz4elxh9nwfep/sermon%208%207%202016.mp4?dl=0