Forgiveness: A Sure Sign of Faith (Pastor Sarah Omakwu) 19-03-2017

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Family Worship Centre (FWC)

Wuye, Abuja

First Sunday Service

19th March, 2017

☆ SERMON:

* Speaker: Pastor Sarah Omakwu

* Theme: The Just shall live by Faith.

* Topic: Forgiveness: A Sure Sign of Faith

* Text: Mark 11:25 →"And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.”  

* Faith is connected to forgiveness

★ Hebrews 10:38 → "Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”

★ Hebrews 11:6 → "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."

* "There can be no spiritual progress without faith" - Derek Price

* If you are not willing to step out in faith, you have come to the end of your spiritual progress

* The spiritual life is a series of plateaus and at every step, you need to take a step of faith at every level

* Whenever you get to the point where you feel as if you are not making a headway, just know that you have take a step of faith

* The Holy Spirit stirs your heart to take a step of faith

* Unforgiveness and bitterness can block your faith

* Unforgiveness will make your faith to be rubbished

* When there is genuine forgiveness there will be:

⇒ Reconciliation

⇒ Peace

⇒ Harmony

⇒ Fellowship

⇒ Joy

⇒ Restoration

* Where there is NO genuine forgiveness, there will be:

⇒ Alienation

⇒ Discord

⇒ Fights

⇒ Sadness

⇒ Disharmony

⇒ War

★ Genesis 13:1-14:16

* NOTE: Lot got blessed by his association with Abram

* The Spirit of Christ is not a spirit of fighting, wrangling and strife

* Brethren are not supposed to fight

* You must eschew anything that will truncate your journey of faith

* NOTE: Abram did allow himself to be cheated by Lot (who took the best part of the land) Genesis 13:9-10 

* When you let go of that person who hurt you, then God will take over

* NOTE: Choosing the best part of the land was not the worse mistake that Lot made, but that He left Abram. 

→ There are people in this life that you should never leave

→ NOTE: On the other hand, there are people that you should separate from if you must make progress in life. 

* The people you must never abandon: your parents & your spouse.

→ You MUST never leave anywhere, any business or association without a blessing! 

* NOTE: Ruth held on to Naomi even when there was no reason to do so. She perceived that Naomi was a carrier of God's blessings. (Ruth 1:16-18) 

* There are certain things and people you need to let go so that God can give you forever blessings

* Live your life in such a way that generations that come after you can live off your legacy

* People who let go (forgive) go back to God

* Lot fell into trouble because the left the covering of the anointing (of Abraham)

* Any thing outside the God of Israel has no blessing

* When you hand over a matter to God, He takes over

* Before you claim Abraham's blessings, ask yourself if you can do what he did.

* Many people are vindictive because they place priority on money and material things

★ 1 Corinthians 6:1-7

* Abraham forgave Lot a lot!

* Believers should be able to settle their matters among themselves without resorting to legal action.  

* Have the Abraham's kind of life

⇒ It is better to allow yourself to be cheated than gain undue advantage over others. 

→ NOTE: You bring a curse on yourself when you cheat others

* Faith And unforgiveness cannot work together

* Forgiveness is a sign that you are wise and that you trust God to vindicate you

* Do not chain yourself to a person who has hurt you

* That person you are fighting with has something from God that you can be blessed with!

* Recommended Book:

→ Unbroken Curses (by Rebecca Brown)

Thanksgiving without Offense (Pastor Sarah Omakwu) 13-11-2016

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Family Worship Centre (FWC)

Wuye, Abuja

2nd Sunday Service

13th November, 2016

Picture Credit: FWC Media

☆ SERMON:

* Speaker: Pastor Sarah Omakwu

* Topic: Thanksgiving without Offence

* Text: Matthew 5:23-24 → "Therefore if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering." 

★ Matthew 18:15 → "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother."

★ 1 Samuel 15:20-23

* As Thanksgiving Service approaches, will your gifts and sacrifices be acceptable to God?

⇒ Or will it be an exercise in futility?

* You must realise that your thanksgiving matters to God

* Satan intends to have a field day at God's expense

→ this happens when we harbour resentment, bitterness, sin, unforgiveness etc. 

* NOTE: God will not be present at a thanksgiving that there is offence

→ He brings these things to our notice so that amends can be made

★ Psalm 133:1-3

* We must get rid of offence else, God will not be involved in our thanksgiving

* God knows that we love Him and He will enable us to walk uprightly

★Matthew 5:23-24 → "Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift."

* In God's arithmetic, reconciliation is uppermost

→ God will not accept an offering that proceeds from a heart of offence (given or taken)

⇒ God wants you to make peace with every person around you

☆ Some Types of Offences that exist among Christians:

→ Singing with an offence in their heart

→ People refusing to forgive immediately

→ Family members not talking to each other

* Before you render your offerings, ensure that you are free of bitterness, malice, etc.

* Human beings are more important to God than the offerings of money or precious things

* If God keeps forgiving us, then we must make allowances for each other

★ Matthew 18:15 → "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother."

* As long as we are human, we are bound to offend each other (sometimes on purpose, sometimes unintentionally)

→ But we must always forgive each other and make allowance for each other

→ It takes humility to seek reconciliation

* Always approach and confront those who offend you

→ give people an opportunity to explain themselves

→ do not allow the 'technicalities of settlement' get in the way of reconciliation

→ You must realise that a person may offend you many times

* There is no defence against "I am sorry"

* When you confront any person who offends you, it is not to shame or disgrace that person, but it must be to gain that person back

* There is nothing that two human beings cannot resolve if there is humility

* NOTE: Offence is subjective

→ Do not trivialise an offence when someone confronts you with it

* Anytime you go to settle a quarrel, and the settlement was not successful, know that you are operating outside the will of God

* Do not wait for the offender to come to you

→ They might never come!

→ You must humble yourself and seek peace

* NOTE: Your greatest asset is not money or the things you acquire, but the people in your life. 

→ Any time a person leaves your life, you loose!

* For how long will you continue to be hurt?

→ let it go!

* As a believer, do not drag a fellow believer to the Law Enforcement Agencies. 

→ Allow the Church to resolve the matter (1 Corinthians 6:1-8)

⇒ There is no case that the Church of Jesus cannot resolve! 

* Get rid of any offence before thanksgiving

* It amounts to rebellion when you know what to do (forgive someone) and you refuse to do so in obedience to God's Word 
(See: James 4:17)

* When you refuse to forgive, you are living in rebellion and the Bible says that it is tantamount to witchcraft!

* A Christian must keep short accounts:

→ Release anyone who offends you as soon as practicable 

☆ What is an Offence?

→ Any act that brings annoyance, resentment, displeasure and anger

→ Anything that a person does that generates anger and resentment in you

→ Resentment is a strong bitterness that you feel when someone hurts you

→ Lack of politeness

→ Wounding the feelings of others

☆ How Do Offences Come?:

* Offences come by

1. Words;

2. Thoughts (there are people who think themselves into a rage!); or

3. Actions.

* NOTE: Majority of the time, the person you judged and holding an offence against are not even aware of what they did

* What you say or do matters a lot

★ James 4:1 → "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?"

* Don't go around offending people

⇒ And don't make it your business to 'collect' offences

* When someone hurts you, do not brush over it.

→ Talk over it together so that it doesn't repeat itself again

★ Proverbs 19:11 → "A person's wisdom yields patience; it is to one's glory to overlook an offense."

* You should believe the best about people

★ 1 Corinthians 3:7 → "Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

☆ Why do offences Come?

→ Because we are different!

→ Because we are imperfect

→ Because we are human

→ We have different upbringings, cultures, perspectives, etc

* If you can offend yourself, why expect less from others who are different from you?

* You should not keep throwing people off because they hurt you

⇒ People have shortcomings but they are not bad

☆ How do you know You are offended?

→ When you feel resentment

→ When you feel uncomfortable around the person

→ When you nurse a thought of hurting the person

→ When you avoid the person or withdraw from the person

→ When you think of the person but you feel irritated or bitterness

→ When the person's progress does not excite you

→ When you avoid, withdraw or avoid the person

☆ What Should You do?

→ Do not deny how you are feeling or shove it under 'the carpet'

→ Confront the issue in love and humbly with a view to make amends

* It is possible to dress up nice and yet still look or feel ugly

→ Beautiful people are people with a clean spirit

* Unless you can talk to the person who offended you peaceably, you still hold offence

* You must have a mindset of reconciliation

* You must be easily entreated

→ Don't make it difficult for people to be reconciled with you

* You must realise that the offender is not your enemy.

→ The devil is your real enemy

* God forgives and love, so must you!

* Offerings brought to God with a pure heart of love are pleasing to Him

* Unless you experience the forgiveness of God, you cannot forgive others

* Unforgiveness undermines your potentials in God

* Offences hinder God's blessings

☆ PRAYER

Father, grant me the grace

to obey your words.

Release me from every iota of resentment;

May offences never keep me in bondage;

Help me to walk in forgiveness; and

Help me to believe the best

about every one.

Love Forgives Always (Pastor Sarah Omakwu) 01-05-2016

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Family Worship Centre (FWC) 

Wuye, Abuja 

2nd Sunday Service 

1st May, 2016 

☆ SERMON 

* Speaker: Pastor Sarah Omakwu 

* Topic: Love Forgives Always 

* Text: Matthew 18:21-35  

★ Mark 11:25-26 →"Whenever you stand up to pray, forgive whatever you have against anyone, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins. But if you do not forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins.”

★ Psalm 133:1-3 →"Look how good and how pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil on the head, descending to the beard— even to Aaron’s beard— and flowing down to the edge of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon falling on Zion’s mountains. For there the LORD commanded his blessing— life everlasting." 

* Forgiveness is the intentional and voluntary process by which a victim undergoes a change in feelings & attitudes regarding an offence, let's go of negative emotions like vengefulness and wishing the offender well 

* Repentance literally means to turn, reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrong. It involves a commitment to personal change and to be more responsible and humane   

* You have not repented unless you have made a decision 

→ repentance always involves a decision to do something definite & positive and stick to it  

* Only a foolish person would refuse to forgive and keep score of every offence 

→ It is futile and stressful to keep counting every offence done to you by a single person every time 

→ it is easier to forgive and let go

* NOTE: You offend God many times daily, yet He forgives you every single time! 

* Whatever we owe one another, can never be compared to what God has done for us 

* NOTE: when it comes to the issue of forgiveness, God does not deal with us in groups 

→ He holds each person personally accountable 

→ God is angry whenever you forget what he has done for you and you refuse to forgive anyone who offends you - no matter the gravity of the offense 

* Usually, it is those who had been forgiven much that are more vindictive and judgmental

* The basis of Christianity is forgiveness

→ God had to forgive us in order to relate with us

→ You cannot be like God if you walk in unforgiveness 

* Leave the issue of vengence to God [Romans 12:19, Deuteronomy 32:35] 

→ It is not your duty to fight for God!

* NOTE: Every offence is forgivable! 

→ Every sin can be forgiven

* All the offences we have committed are nothing compared to the measure of forgiveness we have 

* You have to forgive in order to remain a Christian 

→ unforgiveness is unchristian 

* There can be no love without forgiveness

★ Psalm 99:8 →"LORD our God, you answered them; you were their God who forgave them, but also avenged their evil deeds." 

* Anytime you refuse to forgive, you become the victim of unforgiveness 

* If you don't forgive, you tie your life to it - and you carry the burden everywhere you go 

* There are certain things you forgive, but you should allow the consequences take their natural cause   

* NOTE: The fact that you have been forgiven does not mean you will escape the natural consequence of what you have done 

★ Hebrews 8:12 →"For I will be merciful regarding their wrong deeds, and I will never again remember their sins.”

* You must learn to forgive like God

→ when you forgive, you must forget the source of the offense and you must not remember it afterwards [see: Isaiah 43:25] 

* Forgiveness is not optional 

→ God demands and requires you to live and walk in forgiveness 

* Forgiveness is the glue that holds every relationship together 

→ There is no relationship where there are no offences 

→ The longer a relationship has lasted, the more the parties involved have had to forgive each other! 

* Even in your relationship with God, you must keep forgiving, and  trusting Him [regardless of the times you feel God has hurt/offended you] 

→ NOTE: God will not apologise for offending you 

→ The only time God was sorry was because He made man [see: Genesis 6:6] 

★ Job 13:15 →"Even though he kills me, I’ll continue to hope in him. At least I’ll be able to argue my case to his face!" 

* Unforgiveness causes men to lose out on God's prepared blessings for them 

★ Luke 17:3-4 →"Watch yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. Even if he sins against you seven times in a day and comes back to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”

☆ NOTE: when you walk in forgiveness, you are taking heed to yourself & preventing yourself from becoming a victim of the devil

* Forgiveness should be unconditional and devoid of self-justification 

* True repentance should be without conditions and pride 

* Every time you say "sorry" genuinely, you get bigger and stronger 

* An unforgiving person is a weak and vulnerable person 

* When you don't forgive, you are:

→ separated from God 

→ separated from people

→ vulnerable to all manner of  diseases & health issues 

→ subjected to demonic oppression and torment 

→ unable to 'shine' and make progress in life 

→ cut off from enjoying peace, joy and freedom 

* Fighting with people and refusing to humble yourself to forgive them  is the devil's way of cutting you off from your [physical and spiritual] supplies 

* Pride and arrogance robs people of getting their share of blessings from God and from people who had offended them! 

* You know you have truly forgiven when you relate with the person(s) that offended you without any iota of bitterness  

* You must forgive: 

→ everyone 

→ everything  

→ everytime 

* You must refuse to take offence at the blessings of others

* You must release everyone of your personal judgement 

Be Merciful When Your Spouse Fails (Rev. Dinfa Lamda) 26-12-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Jiyep - Hwolshe;

Jos, Plateau State - Nigeria

26th December, 2015

WEDDINGS:

☆ GAMPAN & NANMAN HAGGAI

☆ MUSA & FLORENCE SAMBO

SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. Dinfa Lamda

* Topic: Be Merciful When Your Spouse Fails

* Text: Exodus 32:11-14

* God was angry with the Israelites and wanted to destroy them.

→ He wanted to break the covenant that existed between Him and the Israelites due to their unfaithfulness;

→ Moses interceded for them & God relented in his intention to destroy

* Remember that there may be failures on the part of your spouse as long as you live

⇒ Offenses are inevitable

→ Even best friends offend each other periodically

* Note: Israel was not the best nation on earth, but God decided to chose and love them

→ Similarly, out of all the men and women in the world, married couples have decided to choose each other - this is a good thing, regardless of what happens (good or bad)

* Sometimes, what you are expecting from your spouse is not what you will get, but you must continue to love him/her - because you have vowed before God to do so

* Many people do not understand the implication of Christian marriage which is meant to be permanent

* NOTE: Though Moses was a motal man, but God listened to him when he interceded for Israel

→ Some people are adamant when their spouse offends them and is seeking reconciliation

* As a believer, you must give allowance for the shortcomings of others who offend you

→ You must always forgive freely

* Refusal to forgive is a sign of spiritual immaturity

* Divorce should not even be an option in Christian marriage

* Don't listen to the voices of men when bad advices come

* Always weigh every advice in the light of God's Word

* As a child of God, the Scripture must be your standard

* Always remember that people around you are observing your conduct

* The only secret of success in marriage is to do all things as unto God and for His glory

* When you take the vow "for better for worse", NO EXCUSE will suffice as justification for breaking your sacred covenant with your spouse, taken in the presence of God and the Church

★ Revelation 2:10 →"Don’t be afraid of what you are going to suffer. Look! The devil is going to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested. For ten days you will undergo suffering. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the victor’s crown of life."

* Your faithfulness to your marriage vows must be unconditional - even to the point of death

* There is a difference between patience and longsuffering!

→ longsuffering starts where patience is totally exhausted

* You cannot 'soften' God's Word to suit your circumstance when things are not going your way in marriage

* Remember your covenant and always try to fulfil them as long as you are alive

* As a Christian, your life must be governed by the Scriptures, not your emotions, societal expectations or your culture

* You must keep your marriage covenant even when it hurts you

→ Psalm 15:4

☆ Marriage is a choice: You must accept the good or bad consequences of your own choice for the rest of your life

* NOTE: Marriage would bring extra problems to you

→ A person who does not want extra problems in his life should not get married at all!

* Marriage is a test of your patience and your ability to withstand challenges in life

How to grow in Faith) (2) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 15-12-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

15th December, 2015

Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

Topic: Prevailing by faith (How to grow in Faith) (2)

Text: Luke 17:1-6

* It is your responsibility to grow by faith

* God expects you to keep growing in faith

* Take care about what you think, say and do so that you do not cause offense

* Many Christians do not want to be rebuked for any sin they commit

* It requires a high level of faith to forgive offences, especially repeated offences

★Proverbs 15:3 →"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good."

* There is no offence that anyone does to you that the Lord is not aware of

* Many will misconstrue your forgiveness be weakness

* NOTE: Forgiveness is an act of meekness

* It takes faith to remember that vengeance is God's prerogative

* The efficacy of faith is not dependent on the size of faith

→ You do not need a very big faith in order to do what God desires

* NOTE: As small as a mustard seed is, it is still a real & complete seed that, given the right conditions, it will become a fruitful and productive tree! 

* As long as your faith is genuine, true, complete, credible, active and real, it will overcome every challenge

★ Mark 4:35-40

* Because the Lord is in your boat, he expects that you activate your faith in the face of every storm instead if panicking 

How to grow in Faith) (1) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 14-12-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

14th December, 2015

Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

Topic: Prevailing by faith (How to grow in Faith) (1)

Text: Luke 17:1-6

* The most important thing in our relationship with God is faith

* Every thing you do as a believer revolves around faith

* Anywhere man is found, sin is in abundance

→ Market, hospitals, hotels, Churches, etc

→ It is virtually impossible to run away from sin

* But woe onto the man by which the sin comes

* Jesus requires that despite the abundance of sin, you must always forgive

* NOTE: It takes faith to walk in perpetual victory and to live the Christian life  

☆ You need Faith to forgive:

1. Knowing that God indeed saw the offence

2. Knowing that God has already forgiven you also (Matthew 6:14)

3. Knowing that God holds exclusive monopoly of vengeance (Hebrews 10:30-31) 

→ Many people decide to revenge due to a lack of faith

* Prayer:

"God I thank you because you are a forgiving God and that no matter how heinous my sins are, you will always forgive me."

A New Commandment (Pastor Victor T. Amos) 19-07-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki - Abuja, Nigeria

19th July, 2015

Pastor Victor T. Amos

☆ SERMON

* Speaker: Pastor Victor T. Amos

* Topic: A New Commandment

* Theme: Growing Up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Growing in Love

* Service Leader: Mrs. Aisha Telta

* Text: John 13:31-35

* NOTE: Love is not the same thing as lust, as many young people (erroneously) think

→ Many things have gone wrong in our country today because of a widespread lack of love

☆ Illustration:

The story is told of a married couple who were blessed with three children. The man was latter discovered to be HIV positive. His wife berated and stigmatised him seriously. She even left their matrimonial bedroom for him and slept in the guest room. One day, the man got a syringe, extracted his blood and injected the woman with it while she slept. She was eventually also diagnosed to be HIV positive.

* What made the couples in the story above behave the way they did towards each other?

→ Lack of love

→ The desire for revenge on the part of the husband

→ The wife's unforgiveness

* We are living in a generation of lack of love which is demonstrated in the following:

→ An increasing lack of devotion for God

→ The media is full of bad news (terrorism, suicide bombings, genocides, wars, assassinations, rapes, ritual killings, armed robberies, etc)

→ Incest among family members

→ Domestic workers killing their employers because of material things

→ Young people misbehaving

→ Increase in rate of suicides

* The incentive to perpetrate such evils ultimately comes from lack of love for God 

* What goes around comes around: when you refuse to respect your parents, your own children will not respect you

* You cannot find yourself in a situation that you are totally incapable of forgiveness (except you choose not to)

* Questions for young people:

→ Who are your friends?

→ Are you showing genuine love? (towards God and others)

→ Are you being controlled by lust?

* There is a general lack of love in marriages today because of pursuit for material things. Both husband and wife are struggling to make more money at the expense of their families

→ This is evidenced by increase in the rate of divorces

→ Malachi 2:16 → “Indeed, the LORD God of Israel says that he hates divorce, along with the one who conceals his violence by outward appearances,” says the LORD of the Heavenly Armies. “So guard yourselves carefully, and don’t be unfaithful.”

* An ungodly quest for power exists today even in the Church.

→ Some 'believers' want to undermine their leaders, elders & parents. This is not love

* NOTE: God is Love - therefore, embracing God is embracing love

→ This is the solution for all our problems

* When a person says "I love you", (agape love), this means they accept you unconditionally, regardless of your faults and weaknesses

→ Agape love is the secret to long & happy marriages

* Some people love others only when it is convenient or when they can get something in return 

* You don't need to have any reason why you should love people

* Love is a mystery

→ It is more than just a feeling,

→ It is God working in your heart to accept another person

* We claim to love each other in Church, but, how many people can you die for and support sacrificially?

* NOTE: Jesus' love for you has no limit and has no conditions attached to it.

→ His love towards us is so practical & He demonstrated it by coming into the world and even dying for us on the Cross of Calvary!

* True love exists in the realm of humility

→ Pride and arrogance hinders a person from reaching out to others sacrificially

* Leadership is all about serving others in love

→ Jesus led by example when He washed the feet of his disciples

(see: John 13:1-17)

* God expects us to love, honour and serve one another in humility

(see: Philippians 2:3-4)

☆ Luke 22:21 →"Yet look! The hand of the man who is betraying me is with me on the table!"

→ Jesus knew that Judas will betray him, but he loved him still

* God's model for true leadership is anchored on selfless service and humility

* Why did Jesus demand this kind of love from us?

→ Judas betrayed Him, Peter denied Him three (3) times, yet His love for them was not affected. It was consistent!

* NOTE: Jesus knows your disobedience, self-centeredness, and sins, yet He keeps making allowance for you

* Similarly, you must always make allowance for others when they hurt and betray you

* If you are a Pastor, do not carry yourself with arrogance and pride

→ You must be humble

* As a child of God, you must understand the concept of 'glorification'

→ The concept of glorification entails praising someone in a manner that places that person in the limelight

* God is going to be glorified in your character when you live in obedience to Him

* It is impossible to glorify God when you are living in sin

* When you live in total obedience to God, He is glorified

* If Jesus' quest in life is to glorify His father, you must have the same priority

* When you do something and the name of God is being glorified, He is honoured

* Why did Jesus call the people Little Children in John 13:33?

→ He is their creator, provider and protector

→ Regardless of their age, social status or experience, Jesus existed before them

* No sinner can See God:

→ To see Christ, you must be born again and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior

(see: John 3:3; Romans 10:9)

* There is no hope for a person who does not have any relationship with Christ

☆ 1 Corinthians 3:13 → "Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."

☆ Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “I’m going where you cannot follow me now, though you will follow me later on.”

* Jesus made the above statement because:

→ It was not yet their time to die

→ He was going to leave them on earth to peach the Gospel

→ He needed them to stay behind and plant Churches

→ He needed them to take care of the Saints

→ He was going to prepare a place for us (See: John 14:1-2)

* What we call 'love' today is also done by many unbelievers and people who have no regard for God. There is no difference

→ As a child of God, your standard of love should be higher, genuine and unconditional

* How many people (in your Church, office or community) can declare boldly that they have felt God's tangible through you?

* How many people (in need) have you reached out to?

* NOTE: People don't care how much you know, unless they know how much yon care!

* Whenever you go out for evangelism and you discover some needs, meet them first and the people will be more willing to listen to you afterwards

* Many Christians are sitting comfortably in Church while there are so many people in our communities & Churches who are destitute, orphans, widows and in need of the basic necessities of life (water, food, shelter & clothing) & everyday these needs go un-met

* What makes this Command New?

1. Jesus introduced a new standard of love: 'Just as I (Jesus) have loved you' (John 13:34)

* In the past, the standard for love was 'as you love yourself' (Matthew 22:39)

* Jesus is now taking the standard of love a notch higher to 'Just as I have loved you.'

* Jesus expects you to love others with His kind of pure, genuine and sacrificial love

⇒ NOTE: Jesus' love for you and I caused Him to experience and endure unpleasant things on Calvary, including humiliating death

2. The focus shifted from 'love your neighbour' to 'love one another.'

→ Those around you must experience God's love though you on a daily basis

* This new commandment is given to those who are disciples of Christ

→ Question: Are you a disciple or a bully?

☆ PASTOR'S CORNER

Unconditional love is so essential in human existence so much that it has become the greatest need of man. Agape love is a divine from above, we all wish for it and no one can effectively exist in life without it. Love from our families, from friends and associates. True and sacrificial love from that fellow you consider the most important person. It was love that drove Jesus to the cross.

God is love and love is God, when true love happens to you, it is God himself that happens to you. But unfortunately sacrificial love is so scarce and rare in our present generation and I can strongly submit that, the faces of calamities we see in the world presently is the result of lack of unconditional love for one another.

The last period of Jesus' life on earth was full of practical teachings. He admonished His disciples to love one another unconditionally and sacrificially just as He loved them and gave up His life for them. Jesus spoke from a heart that is absolutely full of unquenchable love to the entire world. Jesus is still calling on you and I today to obey His NEW COMMANDMENT, to love one another unconditionally. If indeed you love Him, your quest in life will be to obey Him.

☆ MISSION CHARGE

"Every person should have a special cemetery lot in which to bury the faults of friends and loved ones. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you."

→ John Mason

☆ QUOTE

"The greatest need of man is love and this love is stronger than any addiction... I shall puss through this life but once. Any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness I can show, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it. For I shall never pass this way again."

→ Etienne de Grelet