Loving Jesus

Loving Jesus

By Pastor Gary Wayne

Text: Ephesians 3:14-19, Revelation 2:1-5, 1 John 4:19
“We love Him, Because He first loved us”. – What does this mean?

How many married couples here have been married for at least 20 years?

Knowing longevity takes blood sweat and tears, what are the steps you have taken at different seasons to kindle and re-kindle your love for each other?

I want to use this information and focus on our individual love for Jesus.
To emphasize my need to kindle and re-kindle my love for Him.

Rev.2:1-5
One of the major points this verse has always impacted me with is that this was written to a Christian church, fully active in doing good church things.
Yet void of the intimate relationship God wanted with His people.

A fact out of the OT that serves to be a scary warning to me is the different times God’s presence left the tabernacle, yet the priests went on with their religious activity without realizing God’s presences wasn’t there.

How many here have followed Jesus for over 20 years?

My goal today is to place some simple tools in your hands to kindle and
re-kindle your love for Jesus.

Eph.3:14-19
Paul prays that we would each be given a revelation of the love of God for us.
That each one of us would be able to “comprehend… the love of Christ which passes knowledge…”

But here is a problem I have experienced MANY times in my walk with God.
I go to an event where it is obvious the Spirit is moving and I don’t get from God what I was hoping for, or I pray for a situation and nothing seems to happen.
I walk away from those encounters with God wondering…..

Then there is the MAJOR factor we have an enemy who frequently whispers in my ear, “If God loved you He would…”.
Life’s pain and disappointments can attack my confidence that God is love.
And Satan uses the heartaches and doubts I face to question God’s intentions.

“Does God love you?” “Does He see you?” “Does He care that that little girl I prayed for still died?”
“If God was a God of love wouldn’t He….”

Romans 5:8 answers these questions VERY clearly. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Christianity is a walk of faith – when things don’t make sense, I believe what God says is true in spite of what I see and feel.

If my evaluation of the goodness of God is based on my interpretation of events, I am constantly looking for a new set of facts to prove He loves me.
I then evaluate these facts based on “my” understanding of events.
“My evaluation.” “My interpretation.” “My mood.”
An emotional rollercoaster of looking for “proof” of God’s love in the next turn of events.
So based on my reasoning, my feelings then, I want a god of my own understanding.

God proved His love beyond all doubts and for all time at the cross.
This is why Paul prayed for us to have a revelation of the love of God.

Let’s ask for that revelation and the help we need.
“Father, I want to be rooted and grounded in Your love.”
“I need to be rooted and grounded in Your love for me.”
“Grant me Your power, to enabling me to grasp how big Your love is for me.”
“I want to experience the love of Jesus for me again.”

Eph.3:19c-20

Take Communion Together

“Father, I ask You for a revelation of Your love for me.”

Now I want us to take a moment and love Jesus back.
Use your words, your voice, close your eyes and focus on Him and simply tell Him you love Him.

“I love You, Jesus.” “I love You, Lord.” “ I love You, God.”

Here is a MAJOR tool for you to take home. Set your alarm to go off at different times of the day and simply take a moment to say these words to Him.
“Jesus I Love You.”