Friday, September 13, 2013

Sunday's Sermon....Acts 4:32-37

Sunday's sermon didn't go quite like I had planned, but I believe it went exactly like the Holy Spirit planned. In the message I spoke of how the early church grew. They grew because of their actions toward each other and the lost, and at the heart of their behavior was the transforming love of Christ. Their lives had been forever altered because of this love, altered inwardly and outwardly. They were generous just like their Heavenly Father is generous. They prayed for each other and the lost. They were compassionate toward all. They placed others selflessly in a position of priority. The text highlights Barnabas as a model church member.

I used several passages as I spoke about this transforming love. I John 2:3-5, 9-11, 15-17; I John 4:7-21. I hope you will wrestle with these verses just like Jacob wrestled with The Lord, and I pray you will overcome. Jesus said in John 13:34-35, "A new command I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." That's a big "IF!" I pray the whole world beginning outside our front door knows we are disciples of Jesus because we love them like Jesus.