(#065) 1 Corinthians 13 - What is Love?

If you have to ask then I must have to earn it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

/Welcome To 

BARAH MINISTRIES

a Christian Church

 

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher\

 

Good Morning!  

 

Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with worldwide impact.  My name is Pastor Rory Clark.  Welcome to this Bible lesson!  

 

In Philippians, Chapter 3, Verse 1, the apostle Paul communicated the essence of a Pastor’s job.  We teach you by REMINDING you of everything the Lord Jesus Christ thinks!  The apostle Paul says…

 

/PHILIPPIANS 3:1

Finally…my brethren (believers in Christ)…rejoice in union with the Lord. To write the same things (in my letters…over and over) again is no trouble to me…and it is a safeguard for you.\

 

Today, every day, incessantly, we hear people say BE SAFE in the midst of this alleged global pandemic.  The meaning of BE SAFE for Christians is to keep on having our minds renovated over and over again by hearing the same truths over and over again from the Word of God.  We are safest when keep on learning about God and His Word.  Repetition is a vital part of learning.  

 

It’s no trouble for me to keep on reminding you who Jesus Christ is…at Barah Ministries we know this truth…that Jesus Christ is God.  As the Lord He is 100% Deity…He is God the Son, a member of the Triune Godhead.  He is also 100% human just like you and me, and His name is Jesus Christ.  The Lord…God the Son…became flesh…Jesus Christ...and lived among us.  He is the uniquely born One…meaning He is 100% God and 100% man in one Person forever.  No one else ever can make that claim.  He is the Sovereign God of the Universe.  He is the Jewish Messiah.  

 

It’s no trouble for me to keep on reminding you why Barah Ministries exists.

At Barah Ministries, we make a difference by teaching the Word of God

from God’s perspective and not from man’s perspective.  As those who make Barah Ministries our spiritual home, we are Christians.  Being a Christian means we believe in the DEITY of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with Him.  

 

It’s no trouble for me to keep on reminding you about God’s enemy!

God has an enemy, Satan, whom God made ‘the ruler of this world.’  In John, Chapter 16, Verse 11, the Lord says…

 

/JOHN 16:11

…the ruler of this world has been judged.\

 

Satan is a liar who deceives the whole world, including you and me.  He doesn’t want us to get to know God, and he interferes with our chance to know God.  Satan’s strategy against the human race is religion, which is designed to make us either indifferent toward God or antagonistic to God.  God is NOT a fan of religion because it is a deception!  Religion deceives many into thinking they are saved when they might not be…and it works really well!  By the way, there is no such thing as a Christian religion.   That’s a deception, too. 

 

Satan knows the importance of your thinking…so he attacks your mind so you won’t pay attention to the truth of God’s Word.  He introduces doubt about God, and he leads you into temptations to sin…so that you “miss the mark” of the plan of God for your life.  

 

What is God’s plan for your mind?  Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 6 says…

 

/ROMANS 8:6 

…the mind set on the flesh is death…but the MIND SET ON THE SPIRIT is the resurrection life and it results in peace...\

 

The apostle Paul does not want Christians to be involved in Satan’s counterfeit life offering.  Second Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 3…

/SECOND CORINTHIANS  11:3

But I (Paul) am afraid that just as the serpent (Satan) deceived Eve (in the garden of Eden) by his craftiness (in deceitful scheming), your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.\

 

Billions of people are deceived.  

 

The Word of God…the Bible…is the truth…and it informs us about Satan's insidious deceptions.  

 

It’s no trouble for me to keep on reminding you not to strive to please God.

Psalm 46, Verse 10 says…

 

/PSALM 46:10

“Cease striving and know that I am God…I will be exalted among the nations…I will be exalted in the earth.”\

 

If you’re wondering who is running things in the universe, it’s the Lord!  Believers in Christ are not fighting FOR the victory in this life…we are operating FROM victorious ground.  As believers in Christ, we are in union with Christ, and we have the victory over Satan through our Lord, who has overcome the world.  

 

/TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON

What is Love?\

 

LESSON INTRODUCTION

 

Happy Valentine’s Day!  In the world, in Satan’s kingdom, this is a day for celebrating EROS love.  Eros was the Greek god of love.  His Roman name was Cupid.  Eros love is a feeling…the love of passionate, physical desire. Legend has it that without warning, Eros selects his targets and forcefully strikes their hearts with an arrow, bringing confusion and irrepressible passion…he “loosens the limbs and weakens the mind.”  I call this “Lighter Fluid” love…the king that flares up…it’s fun and it’s passionate for a while, but it dies out very quickly.  Today and every day, Christians celebrate AGAPAO love…the unconditional love inspired insight of us by our amazing God.  This kind of love is part of the fruit of God the Holy Spirit.

In today's lesson, we'll get a taste of real love as we continue our study of First Corinthians, Chapter 13.  Also, as we do every month, today we'll celebrate The Lord's Supper.  In it, we’ll get a chance to hear God’s perspective on real love.

 

SONG INTRODUCTION

 

The Lord Jesus Christ is a man of action.   First Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 18…

 

/FIRST PETER 3:18

For Christ also died for sins once for all…the just dying for the unjust…so that Jesus might bring us believers in Christ to God the Father, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit…\

 

The Lord’s love for us is not a feeling…it’s a demonstration.  Here’s June Murphy to sing about God’s DEMONSTRATED LOVE.

 

/MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

DEMONSTRATED LOVE

June Murphy\

 

 

/MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

DEMONSTRATED LOVE

June Murphy\

 

/OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray...\

 

We’re grateful, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of studying Your absolute truth...the Word of God…

 

Father, thank you for loving us unconditionally…show us how to love as You love…

 

…we ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ's

name...Amen.

 

/TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON

What is Love?\

 

We continue our study of First Corinthians, Chapter 13.  In his letter to the Corinthians, the apostle Paul has been addressing divisions and disunity in the first-century church at Corinth.  The latest divisiveness came from the elite believers in Corinth who told the 'lesser members’ … “My spiritual gifts are better than yours!”  The gift they were talking about is the gift of tongues.  Paul is teaching the Corinthian believers the proper mindset about spiritual gifts.

 

To Paul, the issue is a math equation!  Your spiritual gift minus love equals nothing.  Here are the verses we studied last week…First Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verses 1 to 3, where Paul highlights what spiritual gifts are like without love…

 

/FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:1

If I (Paul) speak with human tongues…and I do…and if I speak with the tongues of angels, and I do…but I do not have unconditional love (as my speaking’s foundation)…I have become a noisy gong (a sounding brass) or a clanging cymbal.\

 

/FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:2 

If I (Paul) have the gift of prophecy…and I do…and if I know all mysteries and all knowledge…and I do…and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains (doing the impossible)…and I do…but do not have unconditional love, I am nothing.\

 

/FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:3 

And if I (Paul) give all my possessions to feed the poor (philanthropy)…and I do…and if I surrender my body to be burned (martyrdom)…and I do…but do not have unconditional love…it profits me nothing.\

 

Paul has quite a resume!

 

Now in the next section of the passage, one that will be familiar to you, Paul discussed what love is, and what love is not…First Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verses 4 to 7…

 

/FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:4 

Love is patient…love is kind and is not jealous…love does not brag and is not arrogant…\

 

/FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:5 

…love does not act unbecomingly…love does not seek its own…love is not provoked…love does not take into account a wrong suffered…\

 

/FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:6 

…love does not rejoice in unrighteousness…but love rejoices with the truth…\

 

/FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:7

…love bears all things…love believes all things…love hopes all things… love endures all things.\

 

/FIRST CORINTHIANS 13:8 

Love never fails!  But if there are spiritual gifts of prophecy, and there are, they will be done away…if there are spiritual gifts of tongues, and there are, they will cease…and if there is a spiritual gift of knowledge, and there is, it will be done away.\

 

Paul introduces this idea…here’s a spiritual gift without love…here’s a spiritual gift with love.

 

God’s love is active!  Love is the Greek word agapao.  June Murphy had the perfect title for her opening song today because agapao love is demonstrated love.  Romans, Chapter 5 Verse 8…

 

/ROMANS 5:8 

But God the Father demonstrates His own unconditional love toward all mankind, in that while we were yet sinners (while we were unbelieving… while we were unrighteous…while we were ungodly ones), the Lord Jesus Christ died for us (as a substitute…taking our place in death).\

 

What is agapao love?

 

It is a love that is demonstrated by God…it is unlimited in capacity…and it’s a kind of love that is continually demonstrated…habitually.  There is no greater demonstration of unconditional love than what occurred at the Cross…John, Chapter 15, Verse 13…

 

/JOHN 15:13

Greater love has no one than this…that one lay down his life for his friends.\

 

Paul also discusses what love is not in these few verses.  Do you love someone?  One of the great things about the Word of God is that it keeps on inviting us to check ourselves…Second Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 5…

 

/SECOND CORINTHIANS 13:5

Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith (demonstrating it)…examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is indwelling you—unless indeed you fail the test?\

 

As a man of action Himself, God expects us to reflect His actions.  He loves ub=nconditionally…He wants us to love the same way.  This section of the passage gives us a way to assess our own love.  Do you love?  How is your agapao love manifested?  Is it clearly visible?  What is not the manifestation of agapao love?

 

When agapao love is manifest…        When agapao is NOT manifest…

 

Builds up                                         Tears down

 

Patient                                           Impatient

 

Kind                                               Unkind

tender hearted forgiveness

 

Trusting                                          Jealous

                                                      negative about the success of others

Humble                                           Braggadocious

                                                      in a way that wounds others

                                                      “a windbag”

 

Other Focused                                  Arrogant

 

Poised                                             Acts Unbecomingly

                                                      retaliates

 

Looks out for others                          Seek its own

                                                      Eros and philos love

 

Not provocative                               Easily Provoked

                                                       

Forgiving                                        Takes into account wrongs suffered

                                                      keeping a record of wrongs

                                                      not tolerant of injustice

                                                      easily irritated

                                                      

Rejoices with the truth                      Rejoice in unrighteousness

 

Bears all things                               Breaks under pressure     

                                                      faints in the soul

 

Believes all things                           Stubborn and skeptical

 

Hopes all things                              Hopeless…doomsayer

 

Endures all things                           Runs at the first sign of danger

 

It never fails                                   It always falls short                                    

God the Father gave us agapao love…unconditional love…as a gift… Colossians, Chapter 1, Verse 12…

 

/COLOSSIANS 1:12

…(we believers in Christ) keep on giving thanks to God the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.\

 

As we continue our study of First Corinthians, Chapter 13 next week, we’ll see what Paul is up to in his instruction of the Corinthians.  Simply stated, without agapao love as our motivation, our spiritual gifts are useless... indeed, we are useless.

 

When we return from the break, we’ll celebrate the Lord’s Supper and we’ll see how much the Lord loves us…a love He demonstrated at the Cross.  

 

/FIVE MINUTE BREAK

NOBODY

Casting Crowns\

 

/TODAY'S BIBLE LESSON

What is Love?\

 

Our God always encourages generosity…Proverbs, Chapter 11, Verse 25 we learn…

 

/PROVERBS 11:25

The generous person will be prosperous…and he who waters will himself be watered.\

 

You've probably heard the expression, "Nothing ventured…nothing gained."  It means you can't expect to reap if you don't sow!  In God’s plan, a person who gives freely always has plenty…but the person who hoards, the person who neglects to give to those who are in need, the person with a scarcity mentality is always in need himself.  Keep on giving generously!  At Barah Ministries we thank you for thinking of others before you think of yourself.

 

/THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall\

 

/OFFERING VERSE

 

PHILIPPIANS 3:13

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of the things of spiritual maturity yet…but one thing I do…forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead…\

 

/OFFERING VERSE

 

PHILIPPIANS 3:14

…I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God the Father…in union with Christ Jesus.\

 

/OFFERING SONG

THERE IS NONE LIKE YOU

Don Moen\

 

/THE LORD’S SUPPER CELEBRATION

At the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ Demonstrated Unconditional Love\

 

Welcome to The Lord’s Supper Celebration, the most intimate expression of our deep, intimate, and loving personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  In this celebration, the Lord reminds us of the unity all believers in Christ possess by sharing His body and His blood with us.  In First Corinthians, Chapter 11, Verse 26, the apostle Paul says, on behalf of the Lord…

 

/FIRST CORINTHIANS 11:26

…as often as you eat this bread (representing His body)…and as often as

you drink this cup (representing His blood)…as part of the Lord's Supper Celebration…you proclaim as a reality and you announce the significance of the Lord Jesus Christ's death on the Cross…and His resurrection from the dead…until He comes again at the second coming.\

 

Every month, we celebrate The Lord's Supper to REMEMBER.  We

REMEMBER that we are believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, dependent on Him for our so great salvation; we REMEMBER that we believers in Christ are in union with Christ and we can't get out of our union with Him;  we REMEMBER that the Lord loves us unconditionally; we REMEMBER that we are forgiven for every sin we commit…past, present, and future; and we REMEMBER that we have the Lord's grace to help in times of need, especially when we make mistakes.

 

The Lord's Supper Celebration is often called communion.  It's our chance to commune with the Lord.  It's a sacred celebration, so it's not something we take for granted.  It's not something we do "on the fly."  It's a time to have bread and wine in front of us, and as we enjoy the elements, we remember our dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ, both for our physical sustenance and for our spiritual sustenance.

 

During the Lord's Supper Celebration, Jesus wants His believers to look

back for a few moments.  We look back to the Cross to REMEMBER how He rescued us from the kingdom of darkness…we look back to the Cross to REMEMBER the sacrifice of His shedding blood to cover our sins…we look back to REMEMBER the deliverance to the resurrection life He orchestrated, bringing us into His kingdom of light.  During the Lord's Supper Celebration, Jesus wants His believers to look forward as well, in ANTICIPATION that He IS coming again.   

 

As we celebrate The Lord's Supper, we ask ourselves in reflection, "What did the Lord Jesus Christ do for us at the Cross?"   This month we acknowledge that at the Cross, the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated unconditional love.

 

The Lord Jesus Christ said seven different things as He hung on a Cross, paying for the sins of the world.  He said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34) “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43)  “Woman, behold, your Son” (John 19:26)  “My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?” (Mark 15:34)  “I am thirsty” (John 19:28)  “It is finished.”  (John 19:30)  “Father, into your hands I commit My spirit.” (Luke 23:46)

 

This week I was imagining what it might have been like if a small child had a conversation with the Lord as He hung from the Cross.  The you child might have asked the Lord, “What are doing up there?”  The Lord’s response would likely be, “I love you?”  The young child might then ask, “What do you mean?"  The Lord would then break out into a June Murphy song…a song called WHEN I SAY I LOVE YOU.  It's a song sung from God's perspective.  What I'd like for you to see is how biblical this song is…it is one of the greatest songs ever written…a song inspired by God the Holy Spirt and delivered to us through one of the most unlikely of sources…a source the elitist Corinthians would have considered a "lesser" person.

 

We are blessed to have June as a part of this congregation.  Let’s look at this amazingness that came out of heart head and her heart.

 

/I am the Lord your God…and I love You…so much that I laid down my life…\

 

Isaiah, Chapter 45, Verse 5…

 

/ISAIAH 45:5

“I am the Lord…and there is no other…besides Me there is no other God.”\

 

First John, Chapter 4, Verse 8…

 

/FIRST JOHN 4:8

The one who does not love unconditionally does not know the Lord, for the Lord IS unconditional love (unconditional love is His Person and His identity).\

 

First Peter, Chapter 2, Verse 24…

 

/FIRST PETER 2:24

…and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself bore our sins in His own body on the Cross…so that we might die to the sovereignty of sin and live to absolute righteousness…for by Jesus’s wounds you were healed.\

 

Philippians, Chapter 2, Verse 8…

 

/PHILIPPIANS 2:8

Being found in appearance as a man, Jesus Christ humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a Cross.\

 

/My love, you will always be precious to me…I will never put you away or push you aside…\

 

Deuteronomy, Chapter 31, Verse 8

 

/DEUTERONOMY 31:8

“For the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you…He will be with you…He will not fail you or forsake you…so do not fear or be dismayed.”\

/There is nothing good or bad about you that would make a difference in what I have to say…\

 

Mark, Chapter 2, Verses 16 and 17…

 

/MARK 2:16

When the scribes of the Pharisees saw that Jesus was eating with sinners (unbelievers and prostitutes) and tax collectors, the scribes said to His disciples, “Why is He eating and drinking with tax collectors and sinners?”\

 

/MARK 2:17 

And hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician…but those who are sick need a physician…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) did not come to call the righteous to salvation…but I came to call sinners to salvation.”\

 

/My death has made a way for you to be perfect in My eyes…so no matter what…I’m gonna love you anyway!\

 

Colossians, Chapter 1, Verse 22…

 

/COLOSSIANS 1:22

…Jesus Christ has reconciled you in His fleshly body through death…to present you before God the Father holy and blameless and beyond reproach—\

 

Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 21…

 

/SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:21

God the Father made Jesus Christ who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in union with Him.\

 

 /When I say, “I love you,” I’m not giving you hoops to jump through…\

 

Psalm 103, Verse 12…

 

/PSALM 103:12

As far as the east is from the west…that far has the Lord removed our transgressions from us.\

/When I say, “I love you,” I’m not telling you, “When you blow it, we’re through” …\

 

John, Chapter 1, Verse 16…

 

/JOHN 1:16

For of the Lord’s fulness we believers in Christ all keep on receiving…one grace after another grace.\

 

/When I say, “I love you,” I know at times you will be untrue…\

 

Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 10…

 

/ROMANS 3:10

…as it is written, “There is no creature who is righteous…not even one…”\

 

/But I won’t take My love from you … ‘cause when I say, “I love you” … I do…when I say, “I love you”\

 

Romans, Chapter 8, Verse 39…

 

/ROMANS 8:39

…nothing will be able to sever us from the unconditional love of God the Father, who is for us believers in Christ through our union with Christ Jesus our Lord.\

 

/I love you with a love unconditional and it will last for an eternity…\

 

John, Chapter 3, Verse 16…

 

/JOHN 3:16

“For God the Father loved the world unconditionally…and He loved the world so much…that He gave His uniquely born Son (the God-man…the Lord Jesus Christ…to be crucified on a Cross) … so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but has eternal life.”\

 

/My love for you is not emotional…it’s part of who I am…and it flows from My integrity…\

 

Hebrews, Chapter 6, Verses 17 and 18…

 

/HEBREWS 6:17

In the same way, God the Father, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath…\

 

/HEBREWS 6:18 

…so that by two unchangeable things…in which it is impossible for God to lie…we believers in Christ…who have taken refuge in Him would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.\

 

/I can teach you to love unconditionally with the power of the Spirit working in you…\

 

Ephesians, Chapter 5, Verse 18…

 

/EPHESIANS 5:18

And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but keep on being filled with the Spirit…\

 

/So when you’ve been betrayed…and even lied to…you can still love others as I do, if you want to…\

 

In Matthew, Chapter 5, Verses 43 to 45, Jesus says…

 

/MATTHEW 5:43

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’”\

 

/MATTHEW 5:44 

“But I (the Lord Jesus Christ) say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…”\

 

/MATTHEW 5:45 

“…so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven…”\

 

Matthew, Chapter 26, Verse 25…

 

/MATTHEW 26:25

And Judas, who was betraying Jesus Christ, said, “Surely it is not I (who is betraying you), Rabbi?” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.”\

 

In Luke, Chapter 23, Verse 34…from the Cross…

 

/LUKE 23:34

Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them…for they do not know what they are doing.”\

 

/‘Cause when I say, “I love you,” I’m not giving you hoops to jump through…\

 

Romans, Chapter 11, Verse 6…

 

/ROMANS 11:6

…if salvation is by grace (a free gift from God) … and of course it is…it is no longer on the basis of works…otherwise grace (as a free gift) is no longer grace (it is not free).\

 

/When I say, “I love you,” I’m not telling you, “When you blow it, we’re through” …\

 

Matthew, Chapter 18, Verses 21 and 22…

 

/MATTHEW 18:21

Peter came and said to Jesus, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?”\

 

/MATTHEW 18:22 

Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.”\

 

/When I say, “I love you,” I know at times you will be untrue…\

 

Romans, Chapter 3, Verse 23…

 

/ROMANS 3:23

…for all creatures have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…\

 

/But I won’t take My love from you … ‘cause when I say, “I love you” … I do…when I say, “I love you” …\

 

John, Chapter 10, Verse 28 says…

 

/JOHN 10:28

“…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) give eternal life to believers in Christ, and they will never perish…and no one will snatch them out of My hand.”\

 

Love is patient and kind…it does not act unbecomingly…it does not envy or boast…Love forgets a wrong suffered…it Is not provoked…and it does not seek its own…Love rejoices in TRUTH…not in unrighteousness…it bears and hopes all things…it believes…it endures…it prevails…this kind of love never fails…this is what I say, when I say, “I love you” … when I say, “I love you”

 

That, of course, is First Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verses 4 to 7…the subject of our study for today! The child would be satisfied…I am satisfied…and in a few moments, we'll hear June sing the song for you.  At the Cross…we learned what true love…unconditional love…really is!

 

/THE LORD'S SUPPER CELEBRATION

Enjoying the Lord's Supper Elements\

 

Bread and wine.  The Lord gave us these things to remember Him.  We will enjoy the elements together in a few moments as we listen to The Lord’s Supper Song.

 

Obeying our Lord's command, we keep on celebrating Christ regularly…we eat bread to remember who He is as a PERSON... the One and ONLY Sovereign God of the Universe…we drink wine to remember His WORK on the Cross…the voluntary sacrifice He made to deliver us from sovereignty to sin.  We remember with gratitude what God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ have done to save us.  Luke, Chapter 22, Verses 14 to 16…  

 

/LUKE 22:14

When the hour came (and His crucifixion was set for the next day)…Jesus reclined at the table…and the apostles reclined with Him.\

 

/RECLINING AT THE TABLE SLIDE\

 

/LUKE 22:15-16

And Jesus said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer…for I say to you, I shall not eat it again until all that it means is fulfilled in the kingdom of God."\ 

Luke, Chapter 22, Verses 19 to 23…  

 

/LUKE 22:19 

And when Jesus had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body, which is being broken for you…keep on doing this in remembrance of Me."\

 

/LUKE 22:20 

And in the same way, Jesus took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup, which is poured out for you, is the new covenant in My blood."\

 

Jesus continued the celebration, pointing out that He has an enemy…

 

/LUKE 22:21 

"But behold, the hand of the one betraying Me is with Mine on the table."\

 

/LUKE 22:22 

"For indeed, the Son of Man is going (back to the Father) as it has been

 determined…but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed!"\

 

/LUKE 22:23 

And the apostles began to debate among themselves which one of them it was who was going to do this.\

 

As believers in Christ, we have chosen not to betray our Lord.  Instead, we choose to obey our Lord with this celebration.  Let's keep on eating this bread…let's keep on drinking this cup…and let's do both to REMEMBER the Lord.  Let this celebration encourage our hearts and our minds, filling us  with awe and reverence and gratitude.  Let's keep on being transformed by the Lord's life…His death…His burial…His resurrection from the dead…His ascension to God the Father…His seating at the Majesty's right hand…and by the nourishment we get from His Word, which feeds our souls. 

 

SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Today’s Lord’s Supper song is the one we just examined in The Lord’s Supper lesson.  Let’s hear June Murphy sing one of the best songs ever written in human history…a song sung from God’s perspective…WHEN I SAY I LOVE YOU.

 

/LORD’S SUPPER SONG

WHEN I SAY I LOVE YOU

June Murphy\

 

/GOD WANTS YOU!

Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life\

 

The Sovereign God of the Universe, the Lord Jesus Christ, wants a relationship with you!  He sends evangelists to you to bring you the good news concerning what He did to save you at the Cross.

 

Unfortunately, God has an enemy who sends evangelists to you as well.  First Peter, Chapter 2, Verses 1 to 3 say…

 

/FIRST PETER 2:1

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.\

 

/FIRST PETER 2:2 

Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned…\

 

/FIRST PETER 2:3 

…and in their greed, they will exploit you with false words…\

 

When a person evangelizes to you, they are guiding you to a gospel message for your consideration. They know they cannot "convert" you, although the pressure you experience from some of them might feel like that's what they want to do.  They are giving you facts to consider.  Are their facts true or false?  For example, if you've ever had Jehovah's Witnesses come to your door, they are evangelizing to you.  If you've ever had members of the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints come to your door, they are evangelizing to you.  Unfortunately, both of those groups are inviting you to share eternity with them in the Lake of Fire, because neither of these groups believes that Jesus Christ is God.  I have family members who are part of one of these religions, and in spite of my best evangelism efforts, my family members don't want to hear anything that God has to say to them through me.

 

Many parents are leading their children to a destiny in the Lake of Fire.  If you want to assess whether or not you’re a good parent, just ask yourself a simple question…are you influencing your children to have a relationship with the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Sovereign God of the Universe? 

 

God the Father has a plan to get you to heaven.  Jesus.  He is the ONLY WAY to get to heaven according to John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…

 

/JOHN 14:6

Jesus said to the doubting apostle, Thomas, “I am the way (to salvation), and I am the truth (through the gospel message…the Word of God), and I am the resurrection life…and no one comes to God the Father (in heaven) but through believing in Me.”\

 

If a gospel message makes it sound like you have to work to get to heaven, it’s a false gospel message.  Romans, Chapter 11, Verse 6 says we don’t have to work to be saved…

 

/ROMANS 11:6

…if salvation is by grace (a free gift from God) … and of course it is…it is no longer on the basis of works…otherwise grace (as a free gift) is no longer grace (it is not free).\

 

Romans, Chapter 4, Verse 4 says you CAN’T work for salvation…

 

 

 

/ROMANS 4:4

Now to the one who works (for salvation), his wage (for his work) is not credited (to his account) as a favor (from the grace of God), but (his wage is credited) as what is due for the work.\

 

Unfortunately, your hardest work is not perfect enough to earn you a spot in heaven. 

 

What can you do instead of working for your salvation?  Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31 says…

 

/ACTS 16:31 

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”\

 

John, Chapter 3, Verse 36 warns…

 

/JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”\

 

John, Chapter 3, Verse 17 highlights Jesus’ mission…

 

/JOHN 3:17

For God the Father did not send God the Son (the Lord Jesus Christ) into the world to judge the world…but the Father sent the Son into the world that the world might be saved through Him.\

 

Who is this God who saves you?  The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ…in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4… 

 

/FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3

For I (Paul) delivered to you as of first importance the gospel message I also received…that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Scriptures…\

 

 

/FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 

…and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Scriptures…\

 

Take the free gift of eternal life right now!  There’s no time to waste!  God wants you.  If you want to go to heaven when you close your eyes in this life, simply believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.  

 

SONG INTRODUCTION

 

Colossians, Chapter 3, Verses 9 and 10 say…

 

/COLOSSIANS 3:9

Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices…\

 

/COLOSSIANS 3:10 

…and you have since put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created you—\

 

As believers in Christ, we have been made a new creation by God.  Why?  June Murphy says ALL BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO Lord!  Let’s listen…

 

/CLOSING SONG

ALL BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO

June Murphy\

 

/CLOSING VERSES

 

         A Doxology of Praise to Our God\

 

/PHILIPPIANS 4:6

Stop worrying about anything…instead, in everything by prayer and petition with an attitude of thanksgiving…let your requests be made known to God the Father.\ 

 

 

 

/PHILIPPIANS 4:7 

And the peace of God the Father, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds (flooding your souls with peace)…you who are in union with Christ Jesus.\

 

/JUDE 1:24

Now to Jesus Christ…the One who is able to keep you from stumbling…and the One who is able to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy…\

 

/JUDE 1:25 

…to the only God…our Savior…through our union with Jesus Christ our Lord…be glory…majesty…dominion…and authority…before all time…and now…and forever. Amen.\

 

/CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...\

 

/Thanks for coming!

Thanks for watching!

Thanks for listening!

www.barahministries.com\  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE STRUCTURE OF PRAYER

 

FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:17

…pray without ceasing…

 

God wants you to make prayer a habit.

 

All prayers are directed to God the Father

 

JOHN 17:1-2

Jesus spoke these things…and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come…glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You…even as You gave Me, Your Son, authority over all flesh…that to all whom You have given Me, I may give eternal life.

 

We pray for ourselves…it’s called PETITION.

 

LUKE 18:13

“The tax collector…standing some distance away…was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven…but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me…a sinner!’”

 

We pray for others…it’s called INTERCESSION.

 

/COLOSSIANS 1:9-11

For this reason also, since the day we heard of your faith in God and your love for the brethren, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding…so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord…to please Him in all respects…bearing fruit in every good work…and increasing in the knowledge of God…strengthened with all power according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience…

 

We pray for our ENEMIES.

 

MATTHEW 5:43-44

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I (the Lord Jesus Christ) say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you…

 

We GIVE THANKS to God in prayer.

 

FIRST THESSALONIANS 5:18

…in everything give thanks…for this is God the Father’s will for you who are in union with Christ Jesus.

 

We give thanks for the blessings of tribulation.

 

ROMANS 5:3-5

…we exult in our tribulations…knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance…and perseverance brings about proven character…and proven character brings about hope…and hope does not disappoint… because the unconditional love of God the Father has been poured out within our hearts through God the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

 

We give thanks for answered prayers.

 

PSALM 34:17

The righteous (believers in Christ) cry out to the Lord…and the Lord hears them…and the Lord delivers them out of all their troubles.

 

We give thanks for blessings of prosperity…times when things go well 

 

JAMES 1:17

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above…coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights…with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

 

We pray through the ENABLING POWER OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT.

 

EPHESIANS 3:18

…that you may be strengthened with (enabling) power through His God the Holy Spirit in the inner man…

 

We pray IN CHRIST’S NAME.

 

JOHN 14:14

If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.

WHAT IS PRAYER?

 

 

PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all [d]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

What relationship do you have where you don’t talk to the person?

 

If you don’t talk to God, are you growing the relationship?

 

Martin Luther says, “Prayer is the most important thing in my life.  If I should neglect prayer for a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith.”

 

Prayer is your chance to talk to God and to solicit His very present help in times of trouble with things you struggle with in your life.  

 

Prayer is your chance to invoke God’s supernatural power in your human circumstances, especially when human power isn’t effective.

 

We pray for physical things.  We also pray for spiritual things.  

 

As we see God answer our prayers, it teaches us to trust God….to have faith in God…to place our hope in God…to love God.


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