God with us (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 02-02-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki, Abuja - Nigeria

2nd February, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

* Topic: God with us

* What Kind of life has Jesus Come to Give?

★ John 6:33-35 →"The bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Then they told him, “Sir, give us this bread all the time.” Jesus told them, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never become hungry, and whoever believes in me will never become thirsty."

* The life that Jesus has come to give us is a life of satisfaction

* What Physical Bread does to the body:

- nourishes

- energizes

- supports

- Sustains

- Creates the craving for more

* what bread does for the physical body, Christ's principles & words does for Our Souls

* Any man that comes to Jesus is Satisfied

* Some of those Principles:

1. He is the mediator between God and Man

★ 1st Timothy 2:5 →"For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."

→ There is no hope for a man who is not in Christ

2. He is our peace

★ Ephesians 2:14 → "For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us."

→ If you take away Christ, chaos will reign

3. He is our redeemer

★ Job 19:25 →"For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth."

4. He is our righteousness

★ 1st Corinthians 1:30 → "But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

→ On our own, we cannot be right in God's eyes

5. He is the new & living way by we can approach the throne of mercy

★ Hebrews 10:20 → "By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh."

→ Sometimes you find ourselves in a difficult situation and you don't know what to do, but He makes a Way out for you

* The man that does not have Christ, does not have peace

* That which the soul hungers, and thirsts after, only Jesus can provide

God with us (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 03-02-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ NDIC/DMO Chapel
Central Business District,
Garki, Abuja - Nigeria
03-02-2015

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu
* Topic: God with us

*Jesus is the only one that can give men genuine satisfaction

★ John 6:32-35

* Every man on earth needs this bread that only Jesus can give

★ John 4:10-15

* Jesus does not only give us bread to satisfy hunger, but He gives us to water of life to also quench our thirst

* A man without Jesus will always be hungry and thirsty in the soul - regardless of how wealthy that individual is

* The hope we have in Christ is the hope that does not make us ashamed (Romans 5:5)

★ John 5:26 → "For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself."

→ It is God that appointed Jesus to give this life to men

* There are many things to know in the world; but do not know everything in the world without knowing Jesus!

★ John 6:27 → "Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed."

→ Every thing on earth will perish, but only the truth in Jesus will endure for ever

* You must live like a solid, uncompromising Christian in the earth

★ John 6:40 →"And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day."

* Eternal life comes only through Jesus Christ

* Those who live in sin will never enjoy eternal life

* Even today, Jesus is still lifting up people from crises and challenges

God with us (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 04-02-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District

Garki-Abuja, Nigeria

4th February, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

* Topic: God with us

* Real life can only be found in Christ Jesus

* How is this real, abundant life received?

→ It can only be received by believing in Christ

* Act 16 :29-31→ "The jailer asked for torches and rushed inside. Trembling as he knelt in front of Paul and Silas, he took them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved.”

* John 6:28-29 → "Then they asked him, “What must we do to perform God’s works?” Jesus answered them, “This is God’s work: to believe in the one whom he has sent.”

* 'Doing the work of God' entails believing in Jesus

* John 9:35-38 →" Jesus heard that they had thrown him out. So when he found him, he asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” Jesus told him, “You have seen him. He is the person who is talking with you.” He said, “Lord, I do believe,” and worshipped him."

* Many today claim that they believe Jesus, but they worship no one except themselves (the prevalence of the culture of self-centeredness)

* True belief causes you to worship the object of your belief

* Luke 8:49-50 →" While he was still speaking, someone came from the synagogue leader’s home and told him, “Your daughter is dead. Stop bothering the teacher anymore.” But when Jesus heard this, he told the synagogue leader, “Stop being afraid! Just believe, and she will get well.”

* The situation you are fencing may be bad, but shut your ears to what you are hearing, shut your eyes to what you are seeing or feeling, your situation will change only if you believe

* Anyone who is not in Christ is spiritually dead

* Luke 9:60 → "But he told him, “Let the dead bury their own dead. But you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

* A man onside of Christ is dead, regardless of his/her material possessions or social status

* John 5:24 →"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

* John 6:47→ "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life."

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

MY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS

→ Believing in Christ will cost you your doubts and unbelief. You have to discard them for your faith to be effective

God with us (Pastor 'Lola Owotumi) 11-02-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki-Abuja

11th February, 2015

SERMON

* Speaker: Pastor Owotumi

* Topic: God with us

 

★ Matthew 1:21 → "She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he is the one who will save his people from their sins.”

★ 1 Corinthians 14:33 → "For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints."

* God wants us to order things right in our lives

* God is not the author of confusion - In the Matthew account (of Jesus Birth), the " naming Ceremony" came before the birth. There was no confusion!

* God does not make mistakes

* Get saved first, then You can benefit from His divine presence

★ Romans 6:1-3

* If You want to benefit from the presence of God, then you must follow the divine order

* You are saved by grace, and you must not take God's grace for grace

* Get Saved, before you call Immanuel. In fact, if you are clean, You do not need to struggle for His presence

* You must deal with the issue of Sin before you invite His presence

* Making heaven must be your priority

☆ Prayer:

Give me the life of Salvation. Transform my life.

God with us (Pastor 'Lola Owotumi) 10-02-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki-Abuja, Nigeria

10th February, 2015

SERMON

* Speaker: Pastor 'Lola Owotumi

* Topic: God with us

* Matthew 1:21-25

* The story of our redemption is the story of love

 

★ John 3:16 → "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

* The wonderful story of love is the GOSPEL

* Perception is very key. The Israelites almost missed their destined promised land because of faulty perception

* As perception is key to you, it is also key to God

* Matthew 1:21 → "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins."

* God is not a confused person

* 1st Corinthians 14:33 → "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints."

* Everyone wants Jesus to be "Immanuel" to them, but He will not be Immanuel to everyone

* You cannot claim that Jesus is Immanuel to you if you are living in sin and disobedience

* The primary perception of God is that you will be saved from your sins first then you

* NOTE: Verse 21 comes before Verse 23 of Matthew 1. (The 'naming ceremony' came before the birth of the child, Jesus)

* Unless you know Jesus as Immanuel, and Saviour, the efficacy of His name will be lost to you

* First things first: Get salvation, then "Immanuel" will be applicable to you.

* "Immanuel" ( the abiding presence of God) does not work for sinners

* Your perception will determine what you get and how far you go

* Prayer:

"Father, deliver my soul;

Save me from sin;

Be "Immanuel" to me"

Growing Up (Rev. David Kwamkur) 01-02-2015

SUNDAY SERVICE

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN)

Area 1, Garki-Abuja, Nigeria

1st February, 2015

SERMON

* Speaker: Rev. David Kwamkur

* Topic: Growing Up

* Theme: Growing up in Christ

* Sub-Theme: Intentional Growth

* Service leader: Mr. Stephen Barthner

* Text: Hebrews 11:24-26

* The life of Moses began as a Journey of faith. (See: Exodus 3)

* Moses' parents demonstrated faith for the protection of their child even in the midst of danger

* You can destroy your future if you disregard your past.

* Parents have a significant role to play in the life of their children's spiritual growth and maturity

→ Note: Moses' parents were not afraid of the verdict of the Pharaoh. They trusted God to preserve their son

* One thing that is destroying many people today is fear

★ Matthew 10:28 → "Stop being afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the soul. Instead, be afraid of the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell."

* If you are interested in growing deeper spiritually, you should study the life of Moses - His life Was a life of faith

* Benefits of Studying the life of Moses:

(a) It will help you understand that God is greater than every evil scheme or person in the world

(b) It will help you to focus on God, rather than on your circumstances

(c) It will help you understand that God is faithful and will never fail to keep His promises

→ The most dangerous thing you will ever do in life is to doubt God's faithfulness

→ Hold on to God until your situation changes

(d) It will help you let God work through you

→ God will not force you to do anything (including submitting to Him) that you don't want to do willingly

(e) It will help you realise that you are not an ordinary person

→ NOTE: You are the Child of the King of the Universe & you are important to God

* Moses made faith decisions:

→ if you are ever going to grow spiritually, you must walk by faith all the time

→ Children cannot make certain decisions on their own because they are immature

→ The quality of your decisions is an indication of your maturity (or immaturity)

→ If you do not know how to make decisions, other people will decide for you based on what they want for you

* Decisions You Must make if you want to grow in Christ:

1. Refusing the wrong

* Hebrews 11:24

→ It is not enough to know what is right or wrong, but you must be courageous enough to out-rightly refuse to do what is wrong in the sight of God

→ When faith comes into operation, your ability to recognize and refuse to do anything that is contrary to God's will is strengthened

* Examples of persons who refused to do what was wrong, even at the cost of their lives:

(a) Joseph refused to sleep with Potiphar's wife (Gen 39:9)

(b) The 3 Hebrew boys

* Daniel 3:12 → “Certain influential Jewish men whom you appointed to manage the city of Babylon — Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—have neither paid attention to you, your majesty, nor served your gods. And they won’t worship the golden statue that you set up.”

* It did not make any (reasonable) sense why they would choose to disobey the King's express orders at the detriment of their political positions and even their lives

*NOTE: When faith is in operation, your reason is inactive.

(c) Daniel refused to obey a Royal ban on prayer→ Daniel 6:13

"Then they told the king, “Daniel, who is one of the Judean exiles, pays no attention to you, your majesty, or to the written decree, since he is still praying three times a day.”

(d) Peter and John refused to obey a decree not to preach in the name of Christ → (Acts 4:17-20)

- They did not allow themselves to be intimidated by the Jewish Council (the most powerful and influential entity in Israel at the time)

* You must always refuse to do the wrong thing, even when it is the most popular thing to do

* Nobody grows in Christ by doing the wrong thing

* If you don't want evil to multiply, you must always refuse to do what is wrong

* Don't follow your reason; follow your faith

* God is calling you to refuse anything that is contrary to your faith

2. You must choose to do what is right

→ It is Impossible to choose to do what is both right and wrong at the same time. You have to choose only one

* Sometimes, the right thing to do does not appeal to your reasoning, But you must always follow faith, rather than your reason

* You must be wise in making your decisions

* Always make decisions in the light of tomorrow and eternity

* Don't mortgage your tomorrow for the brief pleasures of today

* If you choose to be a believer/disciple of Jesus, You Must be willing to pay the price:

★ The cost of Discipleship

(Luke 14:25-33)

→ You must be willing to cut links with your family and loved ones, if need be (verse 26)

→ You must carry His cross (verse 27)

→ give up everything for the sake of Christ (verse 33)

* A person who is not a faithful disciple of Christ cannot enter His kingdom in eternity

* Making the right decision would always cost you something (time, privileges, relationships, possessions, advantages, certain pleasures, your life, etc.)

3. You must run away from any appearance of wrong/evil

→ Running away from evil does not mean you are a coward

* Temporal things are just temporal - they will not last

* Amos 5:14-15 →"Pursue good and not evil, so that you may live, and this is what will happen: The LORD God of the Heavenly Armies will be with you, as you have been claiming. Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in court— perhaps the LORD, the God of the Heavenly Armies, will be gracious to the survivors of Joseph.’

* Titus 2:11-12 →"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. It trains us to renounce ungodly living and worldly passions so that we might live sensible, honest, and godly lives in the present age."

→ As a Christian, God expects you to always renounce all forms of ungodliness

→ Renunciation must be total: You're not expected to go back to something you have renounced already

→ It is the by the grace of God that you are able to renounce every act of ungodliness, not by your own power or will

★ 2nd Timothy 2:19 →"However, God’s solid foundation still stands. It has this inscription on it: “The Lord knows those who belong to him,” and “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord must turn away from evil.”

→ Departing from evil is a prerequisite for serving God faithfully and effectively

* 2nd Timothy 3:1-5

→ People that have a form of godliness but deny its power must be "quarantined" from your life before they infect and pollute you too

* 2nd Timothy 2:22

→ "Flee from youthful passions. Instead, pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love, and peace together with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart."

* Mark 8:36 →"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"

→ It is foolish to mortgage your life and eventually loose/destroy your soul

* Romans 8:17 →"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."

→ There is an eternal glory that comes after our temporal sufferings here on earth

* Look beyond your senses and depend or your faith

* If you have faith, you have everything!

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

MISSION CHARGE

"Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming"

→ Ephesians 4:14

QUOTES

"The beginning of anxiety is the end of faith, and the beginning of true faith is the end of anxiety".

→ George Mueller

"Sadness takes you away from true worship of the Lord."

→ Rev. David Kwamkur

"Satan will always make you feel that there is no reason to be happy. He will give you reasons to be angry at everyone, everything and even at yourself."

→ Rev. David Kwamkur

God with us (Pastor J. K. Abiodun) 28-01-2015

NDIC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki-Abuja, Nigeria

28th January, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor J. K. Abiodun

* Topic: God with us

* Luke 1:31-35

* Matthew 1:20-23 →" But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

* Psalm 40:6-8

* Jesus came principally to do the will of God

* Do You know the purpose for which You were sent on earth?

* Hebrews 10:5

→ Jesus came as an atonement for our sins so that we do not have to sacrifice bulls

* John 10:10 →"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

→ Jesus came to neutralize the works of Satan in our lives

* Jesus has come to bring life

* John 17:3 →"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

* He has made us to pass from death to life

★ John 1:4-5

- Jesus has come to bring light into the world & our lives

* Isaiah 60: 1-3

* The coming of Jesus has ushered the qlory of God

* 1st Peter 2:6-10

* NOTE: The same Jesus that is the Cornerstone is also a stumbling block to those who are disobedient

God with us (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 27-01-2015

NDlC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki, Abuja - Nigeria

 

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu  

* Topic: God with us

* 27th January, 2015

★ WHY JESUS CAME

* John 10:10 →"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

* Jesus came to give us life

- What is life?

- What kind of life?

1. Life is the force, energy & power of being

- Anyone that lacks that Cannot be said to be alive

2. life Is the opposite of death/perishing

- It is the Cessation of destruction & death

* John 5:24 →"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

* NOTE: The cessation of death and decay can only be through Jesus

3. The life that Jesus gives is eternal

* Genesis 3:22 →" And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever."

* Eternal life Was deprived Adam & Eve because of their sins

* John 17:3 → "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

* Many people today are holding on to Something that is false and will not give them eternal life - they will be disappointed in the end

* Every soul will live eternally (both Saints & Sinners)

* The Kind of eternal life Jesus is speaking about & offering is not one of duration, but one of quality and bliss

4. This eternal life is found only in Christ. No one else.

*1st John 1:2 →" (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)"

* John 1:4-5 →"In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not."

* There is no two-way about It: outside Christ, there is no life

★ PRAYER:

"I want this eternal life;

Give me your eternal life;

let nothing deprive me of it"

God wth us (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 26-01-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

* NDIC/DMO Chapel

Central Business District,

Garki - Abuja

26th January, 2015

 

★ SERMON

* Topic: God with us

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu    

* Text: Matthew 1:23 → "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us."

* NOTE: "The virgin will be with child" and not miscarry or experience any other misfortune in the process of pregnancy

* WHY DID JESUS COME?

* In a broad sense, Jesus came for one reason: Jesus came to do His Father's will

★ Psalm 40:6-8 → " Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart."

★ Hebrews 10:1-14

* The blood of bulls and sheep cannot wash away the sins of men

(Hebrews 10:4)

* To make atonement for our sins, Jesus gave His own body

* Three (3) things that Jesus Did freely (voluntarily):

(a) He freely gave Himself as an atonement for our sins

(b) He chose to do so

(c) He fulfilled prophesy

 

★ Psalm 40:7 → "Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me"

★ Hebrews 10:7 → "Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God."

* There are things that are written about you in the Scriptures and it is left to you to trust God for the fulfilment of those prophesies and promises

* A knowledge of the promises of God will constrain you from sinning or going astray

REASONS WHY JESUS CAME:

(1) Jesus came to give abundant life & destroy the works of Satan into lives of men 

★ John 10:10

God's love (Leader's Meeting) (Pastor 'Lola Owotumi) 21-01-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel

Leaders' Meeting

Wednesday, 21st January, 2015

EXHORTATION

* Speaker: Pastor 'Lola Owotumi

* Topic: God with us (God's Love)

★ 1st Thessalonians 4:9 → "But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another."

* When you are convinced that God loves you, you will not be cheated by Satan

★ Isaiah 43:1-2, 4 → " But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. . . Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, and I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life."

* There is absolutely nothing that God cannot do for those who love Him

* Because you love God and He loves you, you should be bold enough to flaunt that love everywhere you go, publicly

* You must respond to God's love by a definate commitment to righteous living. In other words, you should reciprocate the love God is extending to you

* Do not take God 's Iove for granted

* Love the body of Christ (the Church)

* Those who are committed to serving God because they love Him, will be set apart for the demonstration of His grace & glory

God with us (3) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 21-01-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,

21st January, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

* Topic: God with us (3)

 

Points to Consider:

* Jesus is God by his nature

★ 1st John 5:20 → "We also know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true God. We are in union with the one who is true, his Son Jesus the Messiah, who is the true God and eternal life."

★ John 1:1 → "In the beginning, the Word existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God."

★ John 1:18 → "No one has ever seen God. The unique God, who is close to the Father’s side, has revealed him."

* Because Jesus (whom God sent to the earth) is also God, His own nature is love & He can love like no other!

★ John 13:1 → "Now before the Passover Festival, Jesus realized that his hour had come to leave this world and return to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end."

★ John 15:9 →"Just as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. So abide in my love."

* We have perfect love in the combined expression of the love of both God the Father and Jesus Christ

* The statement "God with us" is deeper than it seems:

→ God is not only "with" us, He lives "in" us!

★ Colossians 1:27 → "To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

* Sometimes, Jesus is with us but we do not realise that fact.

★ Luke 24:13-31

* He is not only "with" us and "in" us, He is "for" us

★ Romans 8:31 → " What, then, can we say about all of this? If God is for us, who can be against us?"

* God is also "among" us!

* John the Baptist declared: "I am baptizing with water, but among you stands one among you whom you do not know." (John 1:26)

* In the world, there are times that you may feel that you are all alone, but be consoled and encouraged that God is with you, and in you!

*******************

★ Additional thoughts from Pastor 'Lola Owotumi

* The Gospel is the wondrous story of love. When you take away love, there is no Gospel

★ Psalm 42:7-8→ "Deep waters call out to what is deeper still; at the roar of your waterfalls all your breakers and your waves swirled over me. By day the LORD will command his gracious love, and by night his song is with me — a prayer to the God of my life."

- God is Calling you to live a life of deeper love

- Sometimes, God allows you to go through Challenges, so that you will experience new dimensions of God's love

- Your situation can be handled by love

- Don't ever allow anything to take you away from the love of God

- You should allow God's love to be expressed through you to bring positive change in the world

★ 1st Thessalonians 4:9 → "Now you do not need anyone to write to you about brotherly love, since you have been taught by God to love each other. In fact, you are showing love to all the brothers throughout Macedonia, but we urge you, brothers, to keep on doing this even more."

God With Us (2) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 20-01-2015

★ MY SERMON NOTES
@ NDIC/DMO Chapel
Central Business District,
Garki-Abuja
20th January, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

* Topic: God With Us

★ WHAT IS THE BASIS OF GOD'S LOVE?

→ The basis of God's love is His nature

* 1st John 4:8 → "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

* God is Love - this is why He has the innate capacity to love even the most unlovable person

* God's love is so much different from the love that man professes

* God's love is consistent, pure and reliable. Man's love is unstable, conditional and sometimes out-rightly selfish

* 1st John 4:19 → "We love him, because he first loved us."

* God loved us even when there has nothing good in us

* God's love is not based on your performance or achievements

* Nothing you do (or fail to do) will ever change God's nature (of Love) towards you. He will always love You!

★ DIMENSIONS OF GOD'S LOVE

→ Ephesians 3:17-19

" . . . That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

- It is unconditional (It is not predicated on anything you did or said)

- It is Incomprehensible

- It is consistent

- It is eternal

- It is all-encompassing

- It is reliable

- It is inexhaustible

- It is resilient

- It is abundant

- etc.

(a) The breadth of God's Love:

- God's love is so wide, it is impossible get around it. It cannot be circumvented (avoided) regardless of what you do!

(b) The length of God's Love:

- God's love is from everlasting to everlasting. It is impossible to know its beginning or its end

(c) The depth of God's love:

- No matter how deep you have gone (in sin, sickness, challenges, waywardness, wickedness, immorality, occultism, etc) God's love will reach you and it can pull you out

(d) The height of God's love:

- No power, opinion, authority or influence is too high for the love of God to overcome

* NOTE: There is no situation you will ever find yourself that the love of God cannot reach you

* It is simply impossible for the finite mind of man to understand the love of God

* Romans 5:8 → "But God demonstrates his love for us by the fact that the Messiah died for us while we were still sinners."

* Without God's love, you would have perished

* The knowledge of God's love should change your attitude towards others and towards life in general

* NOTE: The hatred of men (no matter how intense) cannot deplete God's love!

God with us (1) (Pastor Ambrose Nwogu) 19-01-2015

MY SERMON NOTES

@ NDIC/DMO Chapel,  

Central Business District, Garki – Abuja   

Monday, 19^th January, 2015

* Speaker: Pastor Ambrose Nwogu

* Topic: God with us

* Text: Genesis 3:8

“Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.”

* NOTE: Under the Adamic covenant, God visited Adam occasionally to have fellowship with him, but under the dispensation of grace, God has made His dwelling with us – “God with us” as foretold in the Scriptures. (See: Isaiah 7:14 , Isaiah 8:8  and Mathew 1:23)

 * What Prompted God to send His Son to Come and Be with Us?

The answer is LOVE (John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”)

 *The world God loved is not the mountains, rivers, the animals, etc., but YOU. You must realize that God loves YOU.

* The Jews thought that God only loves those who were religious, not the irreligious; the good and not the bad; the pure and not the impure  . . . etc.

* Even today, many people (Christians inclusive) do not understand how God would possibly love people who are treacherous, impure, malicious, adulterous, the gossips, and the like.

* Matthew 5:45(b) – “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

* NOTE: God loves the sinner, not the sin.

* Romans 10:12 – 13 “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”     

* 1^st Timothy 2:4 – “. . . who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”

* 2^nd Peter 3:9 – “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” 

* John 10:16 – “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.”

* It is God’s desire that every man should be saved and delivered from the power of sin and eternal death.

* There are chances that because of what you are going through, you are tempted to think that God does not love you. But you must always remember that He loves you and NOTHING can change that fact, not even your shortcomings, failures, weaknesses and limitations.

 * It was because of His great love towards us that he went all the way to Calvary, so that we can be saved from our sins and become transformed into His image.  

* NOTE: God loves even the most ‘un-lovable’ person.

 I am so glad that Jesus loves me . . . Jesus loves even me!