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May 19, 2019 3:00 pm
Harvest messages are brought to you by harvest partners receive free email daily devotions or to become a harvest partners, please visit us online@harvest.org what we are over there in Israel.
We have the opportunity to hear from the American ambassador to Israel. David Friedman get dressed are groups I was having dinner with them earlier, and he mentioned this full of silo dig that is not open to the public and I'd not heard about it least it would you like to go and I said I would love to go so we were given access to the spot which will be open to the public in the relatively near future but meant to walk in those steps and think Jesus walked in these very steps in and then go back to that story get it just incredible.
Because those stories come alive was speaking of stories come alive. Let's grab our Bibles now and turn to Romans chapter 12. Now you have to understand I haven't been back long so I still have serious jet lag and if you've ever had jet lag. You know what I'm talking about your saying something that all of a sudden your mind blinks out so I apologize in advance for any brain lapses that I when I have today. So let's pray together. Father were so thankful to be in church will be can worship you openly and hear your word and we don't even for a moment.
Take this for granted the Lord as we dig in the Scripture again and we look at the topic of love and how important it is helpless to be known as loving people and speak to us from your where what word we would pray now in Jesus name, amen.
You know something I was thinking about as I walked in that spot was I wish everyone could have this opportunity to be where I am. But here's the good news you don't have to go to Jerusalem to walk where Jesus walked. You can do that right here where you are because the Bible tells us that we are to walk with him. The Bible says as you received Christ as Lord walk in him. So what is it mean to walk in the him well. The idea of taking a walk is to be in sync with someone you know, my wife and I will go on walks every now and then and I tend to walk a little faster than her. Josie Greg slowdown.
Let's walk together all say something she's like you know a mile behind me, not that far but a bit and she won't hear what I said so to last me the phone number. The reality of what she wants to walk fast, she's faster than I am.
But the ideas walk together as one unit now from walking a grandchild all slow down my pay so I'll be in sync with them so only talk about walking with God. It means not that were asking God to keep pace with us, but were rather choosing to keep pace with him or be in sync with him and there is no greater way to walk with God than to walk in love. Ephesians 52 says walked in love as Christ loved you and gave himself up for us the title of my message today is what it really means to love God and in our last message in Romans. We looked at spiritual get and I hope all of you are praying about what gifts God has given you, and your developing them and using them but no, the shift goes more toward how we should operate those gifts.
And the thing the Paul really underscores for us is we should use these gifts in these abilities God has given us in love it. Over the years I found myself far more impressed with character, then charisma, more impressed with persistence and power, and more impressed with faithfulness over thing, and I have found that I think maybe the greatest ability of all this dependability. People that start something and they finish it because as the years have passed.
I've seen a lot of very gifted people are just sort of self-destruct for no real reason that one can understand they start well. They have this gifting given to them by God.
But then they just go off the rails and I think the ideas as we want to finish what we begin finishing well is the greatest thing of all, not just tardy well finishing years ago. I wanted a bike ride with my wife and some of her friends. She was really in a road biking at that point and does so I went on and I got a bike and I got even an outfit to match it because you know if you're out there is a road biker.
They have these things, they wear that well. I don't know how to describe them there sort of made out of nylon and in the zip up in, and they have this padding in the bottom so anywhere and you feel like you need your diaper change a little bit and then you have these little shoes that can ago.
Click Claxton there made to click into the panels so we are peddling you a greater control so I had my little clicky shoes of my little outfits and awfully went 10 in on these are all seasoned writers and so I thought while this isn't that hard night, left a ball in the dust.
We wrote around 10 miles reach our destination had a couple coffee. Then I realized I have no strength left. It was so said they had to literally push me on my bike back. They took turns pushing me because I use all of my energy on the first leg and had nothing left for the second leg that can happen in our Christian life as well. We start out with a bang with the ideas we want to finish what we have begun and we want to grow in love. You know, as I've gotten older I have noticed that everyone ultimately turns into an exaggerated version of themselves or maybe I should say a fully realized version of themselves weird people just get weirder. You know cranky people just get cranky here and loving people seem to just become more loving, having spent time with Billy Graham. I saw what a loving man he was. You know he first started out as a preacher in Los Angeles. He was full of fire and passion, and he never lost that really but he talked a lot about God's judgments and and that's an important thing to talk about. We don't want to neglect it. But as he got older he just was such a loving God, not just publicly when he would speak to crowds and remind them that God loves them but privately he would tell people I love you.
I member having to say to me I love you and I would just like states of the leg under note to say result.
Why would you love me and why do you even acknowledge my existence here, but that is what he became a realized version of himself know when I talk about love. I'm not talking about a touchy-feely kind of love genuine love.
There are some people that will say they love you, but they don't show it by their action in first Corinthians 13 says of I can speak God's word, the power, revealing all of its mysteries and making everything plain as day that I have faith that so strong I can say to a mountain jump in. It jumps that's good.
But if I don't have love, I'm nothing.
So it comes down to that.
Are you known as a person who loves others know what is love months not so easy to define use songs as a guide, you might get very confused.
One song says love is a many splendored thing. Then there's a profoundly insightful song. Yummy yummy yummy.
I've got love on my tummy Beyonc� has a song saying she is drunk in love and Rihanna has a song that's called love on the brain will real love doesn't make you drunk and it's not in your tummy and it's not really all that yummy and shown in what you do for some 318 says, dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other.
Let's show the truth by our actions. Listen if you are not a person who is known for your love for others. You are falling short of what God wants for you as a believer first John 314 says we know we have passed from death on the life because we love the brothers and sisters, you know, after Jesus rose again from the dead, he met the disciples on many occasions in one of those places was by the sea of Galilee effect on this last trip we actually went to the Sea of Galilee and built a little fire and got a fish and put it on top of the fire and kind of re-created the scene of John 21 all show that to you later.
But it was really so cool to be in that actual area where this would've happened. Originally, but as you recall how the Lord rose again. He the disciples rub fishing they caught nothing early in the morning he called up from the start they Boise.
Did you catch anything, the probably think it is a calm voice, they said no because once it's over. Then the other side of the boat you get a big catch and they did and the catch was enormous.
So then they came into land and there is this beautiful picture of Jesus by the fire cooking fish and he says bring of the fish that you've just caught so they bring the fish in. And now Jesus has a conversation with Simon Peter and he asked him a very important question. Here's what he has to. He says Simon Peter, do you love me didn't ask Simon Peter.
Are you theologically correct, though that's very important note of the Simon Peter to have mountain moving faith, though that's great to have no brother.
He said Simon Peter to you love me, why is it so important because you can be theologically correct and be an unloving person. There are people that cross their teas and thought their eyes. They mark their Bibles but their Bibles don't market them. They go through the word of God, but the word of God doesn't seem to go through them there people that are hypercritical, always finding faults and flaws and other people you could describe them as judge E people always down on others and this is not love.
And that's the focus the Paul brings us to hear. Now in Romans 12 that we've already seen in Romans chapters 1 to 12 all that God is done for us. How he for gave us of all of our sins in Christ died for us and adopted us into his family. In Romans 12 wanted to start with these words, I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, present your bodies to him as a living sacrifice, and don't be conformed to this world but be transformed with the renewing of your mind. Then Paul goes on to talk about the gifts that God is given to us. We been many, are one body in Christ everyone members having gifts to one each of us have gifts that we can use the let's use our gifts. Now here in chapter 12 verse nine he shifts gears and shows us how to use these gifts and how to live our lives in a loving way that brings glory to God.
Let's read together. Romans 12 starting #let love be without hypocrisy or poor what is evil. Cling to what is good, becomingly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honor your preference to one another, not lagging intelligence fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints and be given the hospitality is a lot more after that bubble just deal with this little chunk of Scripture. If you're taking notes here is point number one our love should be real, not fake our love should be real not think verse nine let love be without hypocrisy noticeably honest.
There are some people that are just how shall we put it unlovable, prickly people. People that always are irritating other folks and I hate to break this to you but you may be one of these people you know are always good to say whether then there very lovable in their heart of you with what about if you're that person and it may be that God is placed one of these people in your life, it's possible you might be married to them, it might be a coworker that has their cubicle right next to yours are a student in class that has their desk right next to your desk to up to deal with this every day. So God says love this person and don't tutor the fake weight dude in a real way, let your love be without hypocrisy. So you might say well you know I don't love this person. It would be hypocritical of me to do loving things for them when I'm not feeling the love in my heart. Therefore, I will do anything loving toward them at all. That is not what Paul is saying he is saying here that we should be loving to that person while repenting of not being loving. In other words do loving things for them. If you feel it or not, the sink can be applied to marriage a let's say you feel like you've lost the romance in your marriage.
So my advice to you would be will go back and start doing romantic things again.
You might say well I don't feel it if I don't feel it I can do it. Yes, you can just start being romantic same romantic things and you'll find the emotions will catch up you can apply the same thing. The giving of our finances know the Bible says God loves a cheerful giver. You might say well I don't feel cheerful when I give therefore I won't give brilliant conclusion about repenting of the fact that you don't feel joyful when you give and give and your emotions will catch up with you.
So the idea here is be true in your love to be a hypocritical person in the way that you love could be illustrated by Judas Iscariot. This is a guy that appeared so devout he appeared to be concern for the needs of the poor. On one occasion, when in reality he was pocketing the money that they carried together. And then, of course. How did he identify Jesus. He told the temple bullies. Okay I'll get Jesus for you and he'll be the one that I kiss wide of the need to identify Jesus will because Jesus didn't stand out from the crowd as we usually think he does a religious argument whenever there's a piece of art with the Jesus in the scene. He's very easy to spot.
He's got the robe and he's got the lamb wrapped around his neck and you know just give us a just find the guy walk around with the staff. You know any does this sometimes enter where this came from.
It seen instinct as he there's Jesus. Go get up or go get the guy the glows in the dark. He started not using you easy to find what Jesus was ordinary in appearance so Judas that I will identify him for you. He could've done with a handshake. He could have done it by pointing to Christ saying that CM but instead he tended with the kids and not just one because because in the original language can be translated. He kissed them repeatedly. Ironically, at the moment that he seemed to be the most about it was actually the most devious that that's the clearest example of loving with hypocrisy and was unlovable. I can deal with the person I would say to my face. I don't like you actually Greg at all. I don't like anything about you all say well okay I know where I stand with you. It's far easier to deal with that person than it is for the person puts her arm around you and says all love you so much Groen and you let me pray for you and that they stab you in the back and they actually hurt you. That's loving with hypocrisy.
So we don't want to do that.
Point number two if you really love God and you love others you will heat evil. If you really love God and want to love others you hate evil. We might think of love and hate cannot coexist but hatred of evil is the other side of love of I love what God loves. I will hate what God hates some 97 verse 10 says the fear of the Lord is also to heat evil in the words of Paul uses here for he is be horrified, be horrified by evil. My concern is one of horrified by evil anymore we see certain things and we say well you know what can you do there.
It is, and we become somewhat tolerant of that I think of the words of Jeremiah when he said to the people of God you forgotten. Even how blush. Not only should we hate evil, but we should go to great lengths to even avoid the very appearance of evil. Number three if you really love God and others. You'll be glued to what is good, you'll be glued to what is good. Verse nine. Cling to what is good, nor cling to be translated. The glue I member as a kid we had this little thing we would say if someone was insulting you. You would say well I'm rubber and you're glue everything bounces off me and sticks to you. Remember that if any of you ever say that while just me, Kate. I want to take credit for that saying that I just invented it. No yeah I'm rubber you're glue everything bounces off me and 60, you're an idiot I am rubber you're glue so everything bounces off me and sticks to you. The idea being glued to something conveys holding onto it willingly. It's not reactive it's proactive. It's something that we choose to do. Sort of like if you were climbing up the face of a cliff you're holding on so we should clean to what is good.
Hold onto that thing. But then at the same time, a poor that which is bad. A preacher named Thomas Palmer from the 1700s called this the explosive power of a new affection. I like that phrase. The explosive power of a new affection.
The ideas of I love God more than anyone or anything else at that new affection overpowers my former affection for things that were destructive to me.
Someone tells us of the happy man the blessed man and it tells us that his happiness is derived from pipe from what he does not do as well as essence derived from what he does. So the happy man the blessed man of someone does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of the scornful. He does not do those things. But then he goes on to say, but he is the light is in the word of the Lord, and in it, does he meditate day and night, so he stays away from evil influences and embraces what will strengthen And I think sometimes after church am I going to lunch afterwards and and someone says you know I was really blessed by this point in the message and they dared to literally pull a Bible out and put it on the table you like. Do we only paid her dues, a church, what are you doing you know what went of a Bible study.
Why not. I love this verse. What you guys ago we got enough of that. We only went to church why you doing this out. That person has a right because the man of God, the woman of God, the happy person meditates in God's word day and night. Point number four. If you really love God you will love your Christian family. If you really love God you love your Christian family. Verse 10 be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love and honor giving preference to one another. A Paul uses two Greek words for love one is flail which means brother love we get our English word Philadelphia from it and then the other word is Stargate which means family love.
So Paul is saying how brother love have family love for your Christian brothers and sisters listen, we are related in the church as by blood or blood relatives. The blood of Christ that was shed for our sin. It's a special bond. The church is not like a family, the church is a family should already have this affection for each other and Jesus said in John 1335 by this shall all men know you are my disciples, if you of love one for another point number five if you really love God and others.
You will not be a slacker if you really love God and others. You will not be a slacker. Verse 11. Don't be lagging in diligence, or is another translation puts it, not lazy and zeal and intensity. Whatever we do for Christ must be done with enthusiasm and passion, intensity and excellence that's always been our objective here harvest over the years, always wanting to do the best job we possibly can do. That means periodically re-examining the way we've done something maybe for a certain period of time.
Maybe there's a more effective way of doing that thing sometimes it's swimming here it's adding their I believe you take the harvest Crusade of 1990 and compare it to the harvest Crusade of today. Much different in many ways, but in other ways. It's exactly the same we remember what our mission is, but we want to also be relevant for each new generation because we want to help broken people get fixed.
We want to give people hope for this life for the afterlife and we want you to come help us change the world. Therefore, there is no room for phoning it in, are just doing the bare minimum. Solomon counseled in Ecclesiastes 910. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all of your mind.
Point number six. If you really love God and others. You'll be on fire for Christ. Verse 11 says fervent in spirit that can be translated beyond fire or be boiling over another translation puts it, never let the fire in your heart go out serve the Lord and keep it a lot. The Bible says whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother you're staying alive, though there was a Bee Gees but some sin that's in the Bible notice but will this part of at least keeping the fire alive.
How do you keep a fire alive. We put another log on. You continue to feed the fire.
The fire stay strong and even get stronger. The way we keep this fire alive despite feeding the spire. How do we do that while you're the one thing during the word of God. Going back to a resurrection appearance of Christ. Remember, he appeared to those disciples on the Emmaus Road and after they had a long conversation with them. They said did not. Our hearts burn within us while he walked with us on the way opening the word. One way you'll keep your heart burning for Christ is by being in God's word and tell you one thing God does not like lukewarmness when we put it more bluntly, he hates it.
Jesus actually says of the church of Laodicea.
You know what, I'd rather you be cold or hot but because you are lukewarm all vomit you out of my mouth so the Lord would rather we all have this fire, or even be called instead of that miserable state of lukewarmness. Let me ask you with someone else describe you as being on fire for Jesus Christ. If you're on fire for Jesus.
You'll do the following you'll serve the Lord because again it says that we should be fervent boiling over serving the Lord and so I think when you really have a love for Christ. You want to do something for his glory.
You want to serve him in some way shape or form but some people don't want to do this when Gideon was growling an army to go against the Midianites apparently was a little too large so it was still pretty small compared to the Midianite Army so the Lord's, and I want you to go to your troops and say if you're fearful and afraid. Go home and much to Gideon shocked many of his troops went home back to the Hebrew for what Gideon said to them was return this mommy -itis, which translates to go home to mommy know that such remedy that really here if you want to do this, don't do it no one's forcing you know it is a gun to your head. You don't have to do it but if you're on fire for Christ you want to be serving Christ and if you're serving Christ you're going to go through times of tribulation verse 12, patient in tribulation continuing steadfastly in prayer distributing to the needs of the saints given the hospitality listen when you say I want God to use me you will be attacked. The devil will come out as a lot of ways I shall come at us outwardly. Sometimes it's a threat on our life sometimes at someone slandering us or insulting us or other things and and we don't like this but this is what happens when were serving God. So what should we do react in reaction to that the giver slope continuing steadfastly in prayer. Another way to translate that is, be devoted to prayer, be steadfast and unwavering in your prayers. Listen not only in petition but also in praise after God answers our prayers sometimes are like those 10 lepers who were healed by Jesus and only one came back to give thanks and Jesus as the question were the other night know what were in trouble 100 tribulation was good, too hard to work calling out to God all God, hear my prayer, Lord deliver me alone. I need a good report from the doctor, Lord, I need this other thing the work of my favorite please Jesus help me that he hoped to what you do. Thanks God CNX crisis. You should give thanks with this much passion as you cried out for help when we're in is on this last trip others a friend we have over there.
His name is Sammy and he's wonderful man who is a messianic Jew, which means that he's a was born in a Jewish family buddies embrace Jesus as Messiah and Sammy has cancer and also we talked about it at great length, and obviously it's a great concern to him a very uncertain future and that he was very burdened and worried about it and so we have lunch and afterwords I said why don't we just pray right now and commit this to the Lord, and you could see it was like the weight of the world was on his shoulders. And so we pray and I and he told us you know I'm in a get a report from the doctor on Monday. This was maybe Friday and he said to really pray.
So we prayed Lord, let there be a positive report from the doctor on Monday and as soon as our prayer ended his phone rang and he answers his phone and he disappears and needs, according to go. He said all his wife just called the got the report back sooner than Monday. In the report is good. The cancerous stop spreading door like wow I mean literally, the prayer ended, and the phone rang and it was an answer to the prayer and you I think sometimes were shocked when God answers our prayers quickly right were so used to waiting and waiting and praying and praying and often that's the way the Lord will have a go but then there are other times you'll save Lord did you do this for me, Lord, to skip all now remember to give thanks so then someone suggested why don't we offer a prayer of thanks to God right now absolutely. So then we prayed and thanked the Lord that fast answer to our prayer, so we need to pray for each other. I hope you pray for me.
I need your prayers are church needs your prayers because we are in a spiritual battle and we need to use spiritual weapons. One of those weapons of courses preaching the gospel. I want you to know that your harvest we are not backing down from that mission to do everything we can to bring the gospel to our generation. You know, this last year or this year.
Rather I should say our focus is been bringing the gospel home doing things in our own community but home is also California and were getting ready to celebrate our 30th harvest preceded Angel Stadium. So were very excited about that and were praying. It will be our best ever but were already planning for the future. Were thinking about 2020. By the way, does not sound so futuristic 2020. Like where's my stinking spaceship and I grew up as a kid watching a cartoon called the Jetsons how many of you know about the Jetsons. Yeah so well in spaceships. Why don't I have a spaceship anyway. 2020. So were getting ready to do another harvest America event and as you recall, we have done them in multiple places we've done them in the Philadelphia and of course in Texas two times at the AT&T stadium, but in 2020, or 20, 21 will have to see. Depending on the availability of this stadium were going to a place we've never been before. That's right in our backyard. It's the Butte Los Angeles stadium and it looks like this. Now this isn't done yet.
This is about 70% done. This is an artist rendering but it's going to see around 70,000 people. Ultimately, upwards of 100,000 people. What you see on the top that blue ring is actually a massive HD video screen they've spent billions of dollars on this thing. Even more than AT&T stadium here some other images of it that's what it looks like from the air.
Here's another image kind of what it looks like walking into it and then I here's one more image of what it looks like, but let's go back to that big image there.
So this is going to be the site for harvest America and when we read AT&T stadium a few years ago, we have the largest single one day live evangelistic event of evangelistic event in American history and were praying will break our own record this time my harvest America course, I mean that normally is the event happening live at the Los Angeles stadium, but it's also happening live in churches and theaters in front rooms around the United States and even around the world. Another thing that's very exciting. This can happen in 2020 is the Irwin brothers who brought us the film. I can only imagine, which was a huge success is working with the major Hollywood film studio called Lions gate now and they're going to do a film called Jesus revolution and so this is gonna tell the story going to tell the story of the last great American revival is good. My stories going to be in it as well. How I met my wife and how we saw this great awakening, breakout, and this will be released internationally and this is all going to happen in 2020. So what were seeing this as possibly the greatest of evangelistic year in the history of our ministry 20 and 21 very exciting developments. So that's what were headed in the future, God willing, but to me it's not about numbers. I mean I'm thankful when I here's some large number of people came out, but it's always about individual stories and I just got this email and I thought this was a very interesting and somewhat unusual testimony or story of how someone came to Christ. It's from a young man named Martin and he writes the following and I quote, I was a practicing Muslim for 17 years. I pray five times a day I fast during Ramadan, and I followed the tenants of the faith until the letter, but I decided to attend Sunday services on Easter know this is last. These are just An apparently Martin and heard us on the radio and got interested so he decided to attend church and then he said it was there that I made my decision to accept Jesus Christ's neck. Ray says I felt the power of the Holy Spirit as I never have before.
Pastor Lori not given the line about these things but I'm telling you, I really felt something the physical and mental sensation that remains indescribable even to this day, so I decided to go one step further and get baptized. The following Sunday. I love this guy, you know, so he accept the Lord on Easter they get baptized. The following Sunday and he says and again I have to tell you what I was raised out of the pool. I felt a tremendous burden lifted from my shoulders even as I type these words. My hands are trembling.
This was undoubtedly the most important decision I've ever made.
I feel the Holy Spirit so strongly that I feel the loving presence of Jesus Christ, I tell you pastor I've never felt this way, not in Islam. And I know that this is where I need to be so I can say with an insurmountable expression of inner joy. I am now a Christian. Thank you so much. I'll pray for all of you and pray for me. Great. So that's the power of the gospel is in it.
That's the power that seems our lives. That's a power that can teach any life every generation you know that there were folks that help to build this church over 40 years ago people that had the vision to get involved in servant and give of their finances and so they had the faith. Build the building that were in right now and they had the faith to say let's do these evangelistic outreach is in and they invested in this ministry that we enjoy today and now here we are and we need to think about the next generation. How can we invest in them so they can hear the gospel as well. So as we get involved in all these things in this coming year.
I'm in a pray that every one of you is an active part of it again. You know we want to be on fire for God's serving the Lord. What a joy it is to do this, let me close by saying I am jetlagged but one of the things I hope that message was cohesive fight because I'm not sure until I hear later did not let anything closing.
There might be somebody like art here. Maybe you're watching the screen on one of our campuses. Maybe you're listening, or you're watching online or wherever you are. Want to just say what happened to Martin, the young man who came to Christ can happen for you as well.
And if you've never asked Jesus to come in your life are prayer for you is that you will see how much he loves you and you will realize that he showed that love by dying on the cross for your sin and rising again from the dead. And if you will believe in him to forgive you of all of your sin, you can have the hope for this life and hope for the afterlife. And if there's anybody that wants Christ to come another like today.
Let me lead you in a simple prayer as we close our service. If you've never asked Jesus to come in your life you can do it right now. Let's pray father I pray for any that may not know you yet, wherever they are. Help them to come to you, and believe now we ask in your name if you want Jesus to come into your life.
You could just pray this simple prayer after me is pray these words Lord Jesus I know in the center but I know you the Savior who died on the cross for my sin.
I turned from my sin.
Now I choose to follow you from this moment forward as my Savior and Lord is my God and my friend in Jesus name I pray. Amen.
God bless you