Love That Abides
Notes
Transcript
Love That Abides
Love That Abides
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
Love That Abides
Love That Abides
Acts chapter 1 & 2 has become the pivotal moment in the church as we know it. It was marked with supernatural power through unusual miracle, healings and acts of faith.
The Promise
The Promise
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
The Holy Spirit
++God’s Power To Us
++God’s Power Upon us
++God’s Power Through us
The Holy Spirit brought an effectiveness in the life of the believer. No other single event would have this type of long lasting impact on their life. It changed their life and they would never be the same again.
Supernatural Faith Brings Change
Supernatural Faith Brings Change
29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,
30 while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.
The Holy Spirit Empowers Faith
The Holy Spirit Empowers Faith
Faith is not the absence of struggle, pain, fear or doubt
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
2 For by it the people of old received their commendation.
3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Faith is
++Confidence in God
++Comfort from God
++Consciousness of God
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Faith declares
++God is here
++God is generous
++God is worthy
35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.
Supernatural Power is attractive
Supernatural Power is attractive
9 But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.
13 Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.
18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
Simon had a reputation
++He amazed the people
++They saw him as someone special
++Simon believed because of what he saw
++Simon wanted the power
The Spirit Impacted church was powerful
The Spirit Impacted church was powerful
Peter came to the upper room
++With baggage
++He denied Christ
++Abandoned Christ in his darkest hour
When the Spirit came
++He was empowered
++He was emboldened
++3,000 souls were added
++He was changed
Through the power of the Holy Spirit lives were transformed both physically and spiritually.
32 Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.
33 And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
It was a church of
++Great Power
++Great Grace
The Resurrection of Jesus was declared with power.
The Resurrection of Jesus was declared with power.
1 And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom.
4 and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,
5 so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
Power isn’t everything
Power isn’t everything
Power is influence
Power is influence
Influence can be come by
++What we Say
++What we Know
++What we do
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Entering the kingdom is not about
++What we Say
++What we know
++What we do
What gets us into the kingdom?
What gets us into the kingdom?
16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
We must have the mind of Christ
We must have the mind of Christ
He had
++No benefit
++Everything to loose
++Nothing to gain
Jesus was good.. For nothing
Jesus was good.. For nothing
28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
This is the nature of love
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
Don’t do it ...for nothing
Don’t do it ...for nothing
They spoke it ...for nothing
They spoke it ...for nothing
2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
They new it ...for nothing
They new it ...for nothing
3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
They did it ...for nothing
They did it ...for nothing
If you want to be good.. for nothing
++Say it...without love
++Know it...without love
++Do it...without love
1 Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.