Bob Josey - Thriving in Jesus Chapter 12- Expressing His Love - May 29, 2022

SLIDES

Thriving in Jesus

Chapter 12

Expressing His Love

Introduction

The online Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word commitment as an agreement or pledge to do something in the future. Another definition of the word commitment is a promise or firm decision to do something. When a couple has children, there is usually a commitment to take care of their children physically, mentally, and maybe spiritually. Most couples follow through with this unwritten commitment to their children. One reason some churches have baby dedication services is to being this commitment to the forefront if it is not already there. The New Testament definition of agape’ love is being committed or devoted to someone by showing unselfish loyalty to them.

Let’s list just a few ways that parents can show a commitment to their children.

· Love them unconditionally

· Provide for their spiritual and educational needs

· Discipline them

· Teach them to be responsible individuals

· Teach them to love God with all their heart, soul, and mind

· Teach them to be financially responsible.

I know there are more that could be added to this list, but you get the point of that we are to be committed to our children.

Pastor Joel demonstrated through Scripture that God the Father was dedicated to God the son. Our study today will focus on how God shows or demonstrates His love or commitment to us today and how we can return that love and commitment. The first point is very obvious and also very profound.

1. By the sacrificial death of Jesus, God continually shows and demonstrates His commitment to believers.

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Did you notice the word demonstrate is not in the past tense but in the present tense. We would expect a past tense verb here. As a matter of fact, when some people read this verse, they automatically say demonstrated instead of demonstrates. Since demonstrates is in the present tense, it shows that every second of every day God the Father demonstrates, proves, or shows evidence that He loves us. He demonstrates that He is committed to the believer He saved continually by the cross of Christ. Jesus death on a daily basis demonstrates that Gid is committed to the believer. If there are times in your life when you doubt that God loves, look back to the cross.

Let’s me say a few more word about the word love again. The New Testament definition of agape’ love is being committed or devoted to someone by showing unselfish loyalty to them. God was so committed to sinful and lost mankind that He showed His unselfish loyalty to man by sending His own sinless Son to the cross 2000 years ago. This one point is enough to demonstrate to believers that He is committed to us. Even though that is true, let’s look at some other way in which God demonstrates that He is committed to us as believers in Jesus.

2. God discloses His ministry activities to obedient believers.

John 14:21 - He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and (result) I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.

We looked at this verse several weeks ago. The word manifests or discloses means “to provide information, make clear, explain, inform, make a report … Of matters that transcend physical sight or mere verbal statement – reveal, make known”. God shows or demonstrates that He is committed to us by manifesting or disclosing His ministry activities to the obedient believer. As we shall see later, there are two aspects of obedience. Moses at the burning bush is a great example of God disclosing His ministry activities to an individual in Exodus 3:6-8.

6He said also, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

7The Lord said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.

8“So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

God disclosed to Moses that He was working in Egypt to deliver the people of Israel from bondage of the Egyptians. That was a big deal. God’s big plan was to deliver the people from the Egyptians and to take them to the land He had promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Abrahamic Covenant in Genesis 15. God disclosed this big plan first to Moses. At the end of verse 8, the Lord is also suggesting in an indirect manner that these people listed are going to have to be defeated as part of the process of conquering and seizing the land promised.

Obedience and commitment are the keys that moves God to disclose or manifest His ministry activities to the believer. God usually does not disclose His ministry activity to disobedient believers. Louis Castles once said, “Jesus did not say, ‘Come to me and get it over with.’ He said, “If any man would come after me, let him take up his cross daily and follow me.” Daily is the key word. Our commitment to Christ, however genuine and wholehearted it may be today, must be renewed tomorrow … and the day after that … and the day after that … until the path comes at last to the river.”

3. God invites obedient believers to join Him in His ministry activities.

God is so committed to the obedient believer in Jesus, that He will not only disclose His plans and ministry activities to him or her, but ask them to join Him in these plans or ministry activities. After God disclosed Him ministry plans concerning delivering the people of Israel from Egypt and taking them to the Land He promised them, He invited Moses to join Him in His plan.

Exodus 3:10 - Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.

It’s one thing for God to tell you about His ministry activities, but it’s quite another to be invited to join Him in that activity. Moses is probably thinking “Amen, God.” PTL! That’s really great that you are finally going to get involved in delivering Isarel from Egypt and taking them to he promised land. It’s been such a long, long time?” “You are such an awesome God to finally take action in this matter.” But then God dropped a bomb on Moses. Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.

Moses, since I have now told you my plan for Isarel, I want you to join in two activities with Me of delivering Israel from Egypt and leading them to the promised land. Moses then makes the excuse that he is not qualified to do what God is asking Him to do. But God tells Moses in verse 12.

And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”

Moses made several other excuses why he should not lead Israel out of Egypt to the promise land. God counter acted each excuse that Moses had. Then in the last four verses of chapter 3, God told Moses how He would deliver them and that they would plunder the Egyptians.

19“But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion.

20“So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go.

21“I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.

22“But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.”

God explained to Moses that God would deliver Israel with 10 great miracles. Each of these miracles were against the gods of Egypt to prove that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob was more powerful than their gods. Verse 22 is a curious verse. We know what the clothes plundered from the Egyptians would provide clothing and fabric for the clothing the Israelites, but what would they do with the gold and silver. Part of the fabric and the silver and gold would be used in constructing the Tabernacle.

4. God’s invitation to join Him in a ministry activity leads one to a crisis of faith.

In the first three points shows that God is committed to those who trust in Christ as Savior. God died for the sins of believer and asks the obedient believers to join in ministry activities. God wants us to co-minister with Him in the world. These ministry activities activity may be for only an hour, a day, but could be designed for several days, a month or more and maybe even years. Has He ever asked you to witness to someone? Has He ever asked you to make a commitment to teach for several months or longer? Has He ever asked you to go on a mission trip that would cost you money and several weeks of your time, maybe in a dangerous place in the world? Has he ever asked you to contribute to a special cause or a ministry?

I’m sure everyone can think of many times you said yes. But try to think of ministry opportunity God called you to do, where you said no. You were not skilled enough or intelligent enough. You may think you were too old or too young or maybe did not have enough money to do it. Time may have been a factor. Lord, I cannot commit myself to do something every week that ties me down or maybe I will have to spend too much time during the week preparing for it. I just don’t have enough time. Lord, we just don’t have the money for me to go on that mission trip or contribute of that minster.

When the Lord calls, many times what Henry Blackaby calls a “crisis of faith” that occurs. The believer has to make a decision to follow the Lord’s leading or not follow the Lord’s leading. Basically what the believer will say is, “Yes, Lord I will follow you and be obedient to your call to join you in the activity you designed for me. Or, the believer will say “No, Lord, I will not follow you in the activity you have designed for me.” The bottom line is when a crisis of faith occurs, it shows how dedicated a person is to Jesus, It shows how committed we are to Him.

Noah, Moses, Joshua, two of the 12 spies, Isaiah, Jeremiah, the 12 disciples, George Muller, DL Moody, David Brainerd, Billy Graham said yes to God when He called them.

Adam and Eve, the ten spies, most in the nation of Isarel, Jonah, most of the Kings of Isarel and, Judah, many of the believers in Jerusalem refused to take the gospel to Judah, Samaira, and the remotest parts of the earth. Each of these said no to God’s calling.

How many time have each of us said no?

One evening I was returned from a week of recruiting at Dallas Theological Seminary. I deplaned, got my luggage, and was on my way to the shuttle to take me to my truck. As I stepped outside the terminal, there was a woman who was upset. As I walking toward her, the Lord nudged me to speak to her to see if I could help in some way. I was tired so I just kept walking to the bus. To this day, every time I think about that I regret not stopping. The Lord said stop and I said no. How many times has the Lord nudged you to stop on the side of the road and help someone with a flat tire or car trouble. How many times had he Lord nudged you to witness to someone and you said no? Even though I love and thrive on sharing the gospel with people, there have been times when God nudged me to witness to someone and I said no How many times has the Lord nudged you to give to a ministry and you either said no or you did not give very much. We have all said no the Lord too many times.

So, we see that obedience is seen in two different ways. First, the believer must be obedient to God’s general instructions found in the New Covenant. God will not disclose the activities or ministry that He has for a believer if he or she is disobedient to His general instructions. When a believer is obedient and has a heart to follow God, God will manifest or disclose His plans to them concerning activities and ministry in which He wants them involved. When they say yes to God, then God will manifest what He wants them to do step by step. When a believer is obedient to one step, then God will provide light and guidance for the next step. He does not usually disclose all of it at one time.

5. Believers who join God in ministry activities grow more and more in an intimate relationship with Him.

Obedience to God’s leading in ministry activities step by step allows one to grow in a more intimate relationship with Him. George Muller trusted God every day for provision for orphans under His care. He had as many as 2000 at the same time. Every day there was new challenge that only God could meet so Muller had to trust God every day to provide for the orphans. When God provided for that need, it strengthened Muller’s faith in God and made the intimate relationship with God deeper. The deepening of this intimate relationship day by day went on for decades.

Application

Think of this. The Lord was so committed to you 2000 years ago as a sinner that He sent His sinless Son to die for your sins so that you could be offered eternal life through faith. Before you were born and before you were saved, He designed specifically for you good works for you to accomplish. The eternal God who created everything, including you, wants you to join Him in His ministry activities. Did you hear that? God want you to join Him in ministry. When you were saved, He gave you the specific spiritual gift(s) to accomplish these good works He designed just for you as we see in 1 Corinthians 12:7.

But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

Think about this as well. When God does call you to accomplish a ministry activity, you will not be doing it alone and in your own strength. Paul understood the dynamic at work here as we see in Philippians 4:13.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

If God has called you to a task or ministry, He will also provide for that ministry or task. Paul knew that dynamic as well as we see in Philippians 4:19.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Are you at the point in your relationship with the Lord and commitment to Him that you are sensitive to His leading into a ministry activity each day – short or long term - wherever you are and whatever you are doing? Are you at the point in your relationship with the Lord that when He does lead you into a ministry activity that you trust Him enough, regardless of what the ministry activity is, what the time factor is, and/or what the financial cost to join Him in that ministry activity is?

So the next time God calls any of us to join Him in a ministry activity for short-, medium-, or long-term ministry, remember He has given us the spiritual gift(s) to accomplish it, will provide the power, strength, and wisdom through the indwelling of the Holy Spriit to accomplish it, and will provide the financial means to accomplish it. So why would any of us ever say no to Him?

Questions and Comments

Selah!