Service Date: March 01, 2015
here’s what you can expect from today’s
sermon what you can expect from today’s
message is really your love being
founded on God’s love and really showing
it to the world on a different level I
think one of the gems that I took away
from today’s sermon was really that most
of our issues can be tracked back to a
lack of revelation of God’s love I’m not
talking about maturity because we
believe it’s a good idea or a good
sermon topic but we’re talking about
maturity because I believe with all of
my heart that God is saying my children
have to grow up
there’s the passage of Scripture we
looked at some of the previous weeks but
one of the writers in the scripture said
to the church at the time he said at the
time that you ought to be teachers you
need to be taught and so what that means
is that there are certain points in
times in our lives where God has
scheduled us to be mature so he says at
this point in time in your life and it
has nothing to do with age it just has
to do with living and it has to do with
an expectation that’s in God’s mind that
is not an ignorant expectation but it’s
because God has already seen you
according to what he’s scheduled for you
let me say it again so it’s not God
saying hey grow up it’s not that God is
saying that I’ve already seen the whole
of your life and at this particular
point in your life you are supposed to
be at this level of maturity because if
you are not at this level of maturity
you cannot be what I have predestined
for you to be so really it’s more of an
awakening to where you are to be in this
moment as opposed to you just you know
pulling up your boot strap
and being mature does that make sense so
what I’m talking about is an awakening
to your true spiritual age and so I’ve
been talking about maturity and the
reason why I’ve been talking about
maturity and matter of fact let me go in
another direction the reason why some of
you feel awkward in this season and
that’s actually why you’re here in
church
because if you didn’t feel awkward you
probably wouldn’t be here as
consistently not you but some people
that look exactly like you but there is
a stirring a stirring in your spirit
because God knows how to to stir you
towards what he’s bringing you into
that’s what I love about God he knows
how to cause you to desire what he wants
for you it’s like a divine setup and so
some of you are in transition some of
you are feeling something and you’re
really and what’s happening is the deep
that’s inside of you is crying out for
your mind to catch up with God’s plan so
as it relates to maturity there is
nothing that causes a believer to mature
like the love of God the love of God you
probably be startled or surprised to
learn that all of your problems both
personal and interpersonal can be traced
back to your revelation of God’s love
for you you let know that has no because
if he would act right
or if she would get her act together
then my life would be fine let me let
you in on something you being fine has
absolutely nothing to do with somebody
else well let you in on something you
being fine may mean that you are going
to have to grow and evolve in love so
that you can see clearly and know how to
navigate that situation so we’re going
to talk about the love of God now I’m
going to show you I’m going to prove to
you that most of the problems that
people have in life are love problems so
let’s go to Ephesians chapter 3 verse 14
we’re going to look at a prayer that a
man of God prayed and you would be
surprised what he prayed for he was
praying for his for his sheath he’s
praying for the church that he had
planted and you would think with with
all the things just imagining you know
he’s a big huge thousand multi thousand
multiple thousand member churches and
you think that if there are multiple
thousand member churches they have to be
at least a million needs several
thousand per person and so you would
think that he’d be there praying and Oh
God
you know I just pray that you would you
would you break this bring this
financial breakthrough or this
relationship thing heal it or you know
restore this family where you think he’d
be praying that and he’s not praying for
any of that look at what he’s prays for
he says for this reason I bow my knees
to the father of our Lord Jesus Christ
I’m praying to God from who from whom
the whole family heaven earth his name
that he would grant you according to the
riches of his glory that God would grant
you to be strengthened with might
through his spirit in where in the inner
man so he starts his prayer where to
keep going just a second back but he
starts his prayer saying I’m praying for
you but I’m not praying for things that
are outside of you I’m praying for your
insides
see see what I’ve learned and what I’ve
witnessed is that the most neglected
part of a person usually is their
insides oh we’ve got our outsides
together come on somebody we’re in the
closet leave the closet hit the bathroom
mirror leave the bathroom mirror hit the
bedroom member mirror then hit the long
door mirror come on somebody then you
make your way downstairs and there’s a
little mirror and before you get to the
door I’ll guarantee you there’s one more
mirror you’ve had 17 encounters with the
mirror before you even get in your car
we are wonderful at taking care of our
outsides but the most valuable important
and significant part of who you are
which very much affects your outsides
being your insides we avoid always spend
the least amount of time dealing with it
there’s a passage of scripture that says
that that man looks at the outward
appearance but God looks at the heart
and a lot of times you look at that
passage of Scripture and you get real
judgmental with it you know you say 9
man but God’s looking at your heart like
God look at your heart to judge you he’s
not looking at your heart to judge you
he’s looking at your heart to direct you
to the part of you that you need to be
looking at because your insides
determine your outsides i’ma say it
again it’s never an external problem
it’s always an internal problem that’s
why I celebrate in the pot each of you
becoming the church this morning your
insides will determine your outsides
imma prove it because you ain’t going
with me just yet we’re gonna come back
here go to proverbs chapter 4 verse 23
I’m gonna prove it
the Bible says keep your heart that
where it literally means guarded protect
it
Fort Knox it oh I feel heaven Fort Knox
you are keep your heart with all
diligence and then he gives the yy4 out
of get out of it spring the issues of
life so all of life’s issues can be
traced back to our insides do you see it
that’s why I’ll just say this little
caveat for some of you you have to learn
particularly relationships to extend
your heart without giving your heart oh
god help me I’m about to get somebody
right now I’m about to get somebody
right right right
right now your heart is the most
valuable thing that you have your
insides are everything and so you can’t
just give it away
you can’t just let anybody in and they
come in destroy your heart kick it down
beat it down spit on it stomp on it and
then leave it you’ve been there
and whatever you do do not blindly
follow your heart you’ve heard somebody
say oh girl just follow your heart
slap that person
not for real and I’ll prove to you what
you should but not for real it’s because
is there anybody in here who has ever
follow their heart into something and
you spent the next five years trying to
get your heart back because it gave it
to somebody crazy or something crazy you
cannot follow your heart you keep your
heart because your heart can get sick
let me show you something else real
quick let me highlight proverbs chapter
4 and verse 23 you get look at you huh
oh no no I’m sorry
probably chapter 23 verse 7 will flip
around it says for as he thinks in his
heart so is he
now that’s even scarier that means that
your heart can think then that might
seem encouraging but it depends on how
it thinks oh god it pens on how it
thinks thinking everybody thinks but
some people are cray-cray
so it’s not about thinking it’s about
how you think so it’s even crazier to
know that everything all of the issues
of my life are spring out of my heart
but my heart thinks and I can’t trust it
because I don’t know if my heart is
cray-cray or not
are you hearing me
and your thoughts are shaped by your
experiences how you process things or
how you do not process things that’s why
you can fill something in your heart and
it be true to you right because
perception is reality but reality
doesn’t mean it’s truth it’s just how
you see it
and how you see it is shaped on how your
heart thinks and so a healthy heart you
can follow but if your heart isn’t
healthy and whole you can’t trust it and
that’s why as we go back to Ephesians
three over together we still friends we
I want to have a few friends once I’m
done just a few at least so that’s why
he says when he’s praying for the church
he says I’m praying that you would be
strengthened with God’s by strengthened
with might through God’s Spirit in the
inner man in the inner men God wants you
to be strong inside I know we’d be doing
on push-ups I don’t be in the gym we on
slow so I get I do all that but God
doesn’t care about that care about it
that’s for you
be healthy by all means be healthy but
the most important part of you that
should be healthy is your heart mmm
raise your have you here Wednesday night
you need to go back and watch Wednesday
I feel like I might do something
different with you I’m on this series
called getting back to love I’ll
probably just be on it through Easter
but I think since not a lot of you were
here on Wednesday night I think I’m
gonna give you a little more on on what
I talked about Wednesday night before I
press into this and the good news is I
got six weeks so I can take my time and
really get you the way I want to get you
how do you have a healthy heart how do
you get a healthy heart how do you know
if your heart is healthy or not there’s
a passage of scripture in Jeremiah
Jeremiah
I think it’s 17 and 7 or 7 to 17 one of
the two just read the whole Bible I
promise you find it’s right that’s in it
but it says it says the heart is
deceitful above all things and
desperately wicked
then it says who can know it
it says desperately wicked and now talk
about why is this really wicked this is
second not wicked like yeah it’s wicked
like it’s desperate and it’s desperate
because it needs an encounter with God’s
love that’s why the heart is desperate
we are desperate we were born watch this
family we were born in the context of
pure love there was absolutely no fear
in the beginning imagine that no fear
even the baddest of us have a little
fear yeah you can tell that you’re vegan
little fear you can’t show it but you
fear something in the beginning we were
born in the context of absolutely pure
love so as humans we have an innate
desperation for love that only comes
from God now the tricky thing is we all
are pursuing love but don’t know it and
we’re so desperate for this love
that we will miss define it and even
settle for a cheap copy that’s how
desperate we are oh how bad do you want
it today yeah we’re desperate everything
that we do we do because we’re looking
for love you don’t get fly just to be
fly
you want somebody like you
yeah searching for love but don’t even
know it that’s why self-awareness is
everything you’ve got to know how you’re
wired and I’m telling you right now you
are wired to pursue love and I’ll make
it even more specific you are wired to
pursue a love that only God can give you
and you are desperate for it I mean
desperate you’re so desperate that
you’ll take anything that might bear a
resemblance to it
Paul says I’m praying that you’d be
strengthened on your insides I know that
you’ve got all of these things on the
outside that you’re concerning that
you’re concerned about but I’m telling
you your insides are going to determine
your outsides let’s keep reading so he
says I want to see you you grow in your
inner man and then he says that Christ
may dwell in your hearts through faith
and then watch this
he says I’m praying for you I want you
to be developed on the inside one should
be strong on the inside and your insides
and then he says that you being rooted
and grounded in love so God’s love roots
you and grounds you it is your resting
station you are no longer a love
wanderer when you find and grow up in
the revelation of God’s love you will no
longer be a wanderlust when you find
God’s love let’s keep reading
so it says being I want you to be rooted
and grounded in love and then he goes on
to say now let me tell you how it’s
going to happen he says I want you to be
able to comprehend with all the saints
what is the width and the length and the
depth and the height and to know the
love
verse 19 and to know the love of Christ
which passes knowledge that you may be
filled with all of the fullness of God
so so if we work it backwards he’s
saying that I want you to be full of God
I want you to be filled boy I want you
to be filled with the fullness of God
see here’s the reality you were created
in His image and the reason why I’m
saying getting back to love is because
you are going back to how powerful you
were before you forgot you where let me
say that again you’re getting back to
how powerful you were before you forgot
you were Jeremiah 1 before I formed you
in your mother’s womb I knew you and I
ordained you and I set you apart before
you got started you were something
something crazy but when you got here
you forgot and so you’re working your
way back into it and the way that you
work your way back into it is in you
evolving in your consciousness of how
loved you are because when you grow in
your consciousness of how loves you are
you will no longer be settling for cheap
replicas and cheap imitations of God’s
love because of your desperation because
those very things are feeding your
brokenness and if you feed your
brokenness you just get more broken
Paul’s serious he’s saying I’m praying
and Paul’s a pastor so they probably
going him past I’m having trouble here
I’m having trouble in my job I’m having
trouble getting this record deal I’m
having trouble with my girlfriend
I’m having trouble my boyfriend I’m
having trouble with my boyfriend and my
girlfriend I’m having trouble whatever
I’m just having trouble because anything
goes when you’re not perfected in God’s
love because you are desperate and
nothing other than God’s love is going
to satisfy you that’s why people move
from this to that and then from that to
this and this to that and you just keep
going because you’re desperate you’re
looking there’s a part of you that’s
looking for that thing that makes you
whole it’s not a game and so people in a
get real spiritual well if I just read
more of the Bible I’ll be whole not
necessarily he says right here that when
you grow in your understanding when you
are able to comprehend the length the
depth the height the width to know the
love of Christ which passes knowledge oh
I love that which passes knowledge you
may not be able to find the love of God
in the seminary
you may not be able to find the love of
God College you may not be able to find
the love of God in your pastor but
you’ve got to find the love of God
oh I fill it and when you don’t you put
unfair and unrealistic expectations on
everyone and everything else in your
life
wives are killing their husbands
trying to extract from them that which
only God can fulfill and vice versa
congregations are killing their pastor
because they are trying to get from
their pastor that which only God can
give you’re killing your parents you’re
killing your friends you will murder
everybody because if you don’t settle
where true love comes from you are going
to be an abuser an abuser is someone who
is attempting to make a withdraw on an
individual who has not you know this
bank isn’t big enough even if he gave
you everything that was in his bank it
would still be deficient but still be a
deficit and then you become an abuser
and you wonder why the relationship
isn’t working it isn’t working because
you’re trying to get which are not in
that relationship to get
here is the truth the truth is you’re
not even in any relationships to get
uh-huh and if you enter into any
relationship looking to get something
you have already signed up for failure
because the moment that you don’t get
something you’re going to feel like you
deserve something you’re going to feel
unappreciated and you’re going to drive
your partner absolutely nuts
unnecessarily you don’t get into
relationships to get something you
selfish little thing you you get into
relationships because you are whole
enough to give something
and in the interest of time I showed you
this is a series in the interest of time
I’m going to make this last point and
we’ve got some weeks on this you want to
get to the place where you can say I
don’t need you to anything or anyone in
your life that isn’t God ah huh huh yeah
yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
you’re gonna need to say I don’t need
you and mean it now I’m not talking
about saying I don’t need you from a
place of pride hey you thought you would
get enough I know I’m coming for you I’m
coming for you not from a place of pride
from a place of love here’s when you say
I don’t need you from a place of pride
somebody hurts you and you say well I
didn’t like you anyway if they couldn’t
have hurt you if you didn’t like them
stop lying to yourself I didn’t like you
I don’t need you anymore
you’re lying first of all that’s pride
and pride oh no no no you got to go to
my Instagram i retweeted is there some
TIA
when members of our church moved away
put this thing about pride on there I
mean brokedown pride who pride is a liar
because pride says I don’t need you it
doesn’t hurt when you know it hurt I
didn’t like you anyway that’s a lie and
here’s why that’s problematic pride is
not your friend pride keeps you from
saying ouch you need to say ouch you got
to say ouch how are you going to get
healed if you can’t say ouch how are you
going to get healed if you’re cray-cray
heart
tells you that you’re not strong for
saying ouch a cray cray heart will tell
you that especially if you’re a boy
we were raised well you better not cry
why not it hurt she got the croc why
can’t cry laugh ooh
[Applause]
and we got these guys walking around no
emotion I mean it can’t get no emotion
either
tickle them nothing because you least
laugh when I tickle you and the problem
with that is that nothing can get in so
it looks like it’s your Fred old pride
is slick
it looks like he’s your friend let me
tell I went through man I wish I had
time until I went through I went through
a shutdown man people hurt me and you
know in church people see people think
that that church hurt only goes from the
pulpit to the pews you have no know it
works the other way too the pews when a
pastor spends his life his life gives up
his life for not for himself for you and
he cries with you and he prays with you
and he visits your momma when she’s sick
and he puts money in your pocket
oh we do all that and we and he takes
care of you and he’s opened up to you
and he’s pouring love at you when you
hurt him and you don’t think about it
because you’re selfish because when you
haven’t tapped into the love of God for
yourself you become selfish and needy
putting unrealistic expectations on
everybody including your leaders
I went through a season where the Sheep
hurt me and I shut down and I started
saying stuff like I don’t care
lion a dick care my whole ministry is
based on caroms I don’t care but pride
says you say that to protect yourself
you won’t hurt me again but see pride is
not supposed to protect you love is
supposed to protect you
pride enslaves you see you at your best
is you full of love you at your best is
you full of love you at your best you
like God is you full of love you can’t
flourish if you shut it down you have to
get to a point to where you can say all
I need is God I don’t need you but not
from the place of pride from the place
where you have been so perfected by the
love of God that you mean it in the
kindest way I want you I like you I love
you I desire you but I don’t need you
because all I really need is he who
feels my soul and satisfies me and rocks
me and makes me whole and who is
faithful to me until you can say that
you really shouldn’t be in a
relationship
I didn’t meet my wife Sarah God wouldn’t
let us meet each other until we both on
two parts of the country said to God
without even knowing each other said to
God God all I need is you and when we
got to that place within weeks of us
both of us getting to that place never
heard never even been God brought us
together so the relationship wasn’t
built on codependency it wasn’t built on
dysfunction I want to show you one last
passage and when done first John chapter
4 done for this week this thing is it
we’re going in at least into Easter on
this one first John chapter 4 it says
the love has been perfected among us in
this that we may have boldness in the
day of judgment now first of all that’s
powerful here’s what saying it’s saying
when love is mature among you it will
bring your spirit to a place of peace
even on the day of judgment now that
might you might don’t graze over that
you gonna bring up all my stuff
everything a thing don’t nobody know
about but me and you but you have would
have been perfected in love in the
revelation of how God feels about you
woo and this love passes now that’s why
it’s hard to articulate you’re going to
be so perfected and how God feels about
you that you’re going to be able to walk
there with all of your stuff past
present stuff that yours
Shut stuff that you just have amnesia
about it so bad you just like it didn’t
happen it did not yes it did
[Music]
but even in the midst of that you’re
going to have so much confidence and
assurance that you’ll boldly walk up
there love has been perfected among us
in this that we may have boldness in the
day of judgement because as he is so are
we in this world and what you didn’t see
earlier is it says that God is love so
we are actually becoming love we’re
getting back to love I can’t wait to
finish this series let’s go to the next
verse it says there is no fear in love
whoa whoa imagine the universe of you
with no fear who would you be with no
fear who would you be with no
desperation for love you can just be you
you don’t have to try to please anybody
you know who would you be there’s no
fear in love but perfect love casts out
fear casts out fear it says because fear
involves torment the reason why God
can’t stand fear is because fear can’t
stand you because of how it makes you
feel there’s no fear in it so as you
mature so it says because you know he
perfect love casts out fear because fear
involves torment but he who fears has
not been made perfect and look in other
words you’re fearful because you haven’t
matured enough to understand that you
have nothing to fear
[Applause]
let’s keep going I got to stop and then
it says we love him because he first
loved us we’re getting back to love come
on stand with me we’re going to continue
on next week if you don’t have to leave
don’t leave I want to pray for you if
you’re here specifically and the Lord
touched you and you realize that you the
Spirit today helped you to understand
that some of the decisions that you make
and some of the actions that you take
are because you’re desperate for God’s
love I mean he was like I was right up
in your head and I was right up in your
heart and you’re here and you say you
know what I want to I want to grow in
God’s love for me I believe based on
what I’ve heard I believe based on what
I feel God is saying in my heart right
now that I need to grow in God’s love
some questions are being answered and
you can just come while I’m talking some
questions are being answered why why I
do what I do and why I act the way I act
and even why my relationship is not
working it’s because I’m trying to get
from that relationship I’m trying to get
from that thing I’m trying to get from
that career I’m trying to get from that
look I keep doing all these things but
it seems I’m
was satisfied I want you to come and
meet me at the altar if you hear you
want to know God’s love God is love he
is love so to know God is to know love
if that’s you I want you to come
thank you Jesus if you’re here and you
don’t know God at all but something was
said today you like you know I’ve been
in a lot of churches but something hit
home in my heart today and I really want
to take a step towards God I want you to
come as well I want you to come as well
and pray for you too
and here is the last point the last
point of the invitation is this if
you’re here and you know the Lord but
you straight like all have done and
today you say I’m home
I’m coming back I thank God I know he
loves me I didn’t think that that the
bets were still on but but but I believe
they are now I’m coming back and you’re
here you just want to come home you want
to rededicate your life I want you to
come as well it’s a love thing we’re
getting back to love I’m so excited
about this series what I’m doing we’re
going to be different people because
they’re you that you are when you know
that you are unconditionally and
radically loved by God to the point of
being full is a completely different you
otherwise it’s a different you you that
that you thinks differently that you
expects differently that you doesn’t
discount his or herself that you doesn’t
just take anything that comes your way
because you’re so desperate
it doesn’t take counterfeits that you is
patient that you is strong that you is
wise that you is focused that you will
easily give up the good thing in
anticipation for the god thing that you
is powerful that you doesn’t get
distracted
that you is strong and that you has an
accelerated destiny because you don’t
spend your time trying to get free from
the things that you’ve embraced looking
for love and we all are going to grow in
this love is it name anyone else who
wants to come if you feel like you
supposed to be down to just come I love
you we got to start another service in
nine minutes I’m not rushing you I’m
saying God has said enough come on down
we don’t have to say anything else if
you just feel like you’re supposed to be
here be here and here’s why I emphasize
that because I don’t want you to get in
your car saying man I wish I could come
down here and then then your great great
heart starts convicting you and making
you feel like you missed something no we
can just eliminate all that altogether
right now you’re just like he’s talking
you just come on down and meet me at
this altar right now that’s what I’m
talking about that’s what I’m talking
that’s what I’m talking about that’s
what I’m talking
that’s what I’m talking about you’re
gonna be able to say I love you but I
don’t need you and for some of you
you’re gonna say hit the road Jack and
don’t you come back you understand what
I’m saying hallelujah I love you I want
to pray for you
father thank you so much for this rich
time that we’ve had in your presence
here today
thank you for speaking these words of
truth I think that you’re maturing us
you’re growing us up God you want us to
be rooted and grounded in love you want
us to be strengthened in our inner man
strengthened on the inside strong enough
to handle anything God and you want us
above all to be filled with all the
fullness of God I thank you for those of
you touch that you’ve touched here today
and I thank you for new human beings
arising out of this experience we are
completely different when we encounter
your love when we hold on to your love
we think differently we walk differently
we talk differently
we expect differently we love
differently and I thank you god you’re
doing a new thing in the hearts and in
the minds of those are here at this
altar and god I pray God that all cheap
replicas would be ejected in the name of
Jesus hit the road Jack don’t you come
back the war the war the war
and I think AG you are the real thing
and you will satisfy over and beyond
anything because your love passes
knowledge perfect us in this love mature
us in this love ground us in this love
and I thank you for the joy that’s
coming back I thank you God for the joy
of the Lord and the joy of our salvation
which is our strength thank you God for
the beautiful work that you’re doing in
the lives these your beautiful people I
just want you to repeat after me
Heavenly Father I thank you for your
love I thank you for your grace and I
thank you for your goodness I thank you
for Jesus Christ thank you for making
him who had no sin to become all of mine
all of my insecurities all of my
brokenness all of my limitations all of
my shortcomings you placed in his body
nailed it to the cross and put it to
death but when he was raised up leaving
all those things in the grave I too have
been raised up free from insecurity and
full of love I receive your love right
now I receive the knowledge of your love
grow me in that love and I am forsaken
today all false love I release it right
now and let it go and I will no longer
expect other people and other things to
do for my heart that which only you can
I receive you Lord Holy Spirit come and
fill me up fill my heart with your love
and perfect me from glory to glory I’m
forgetting what’s behind me and I’m
excited for what’s ahead of me thank you
for this moment I’ll never be the same
in Jesus name Amen amen god bless you
[Music]