LOVE FIRST
THE LOVE TEST
CHRISTIANITY IN THE LAST THREE DECADES HAS BEEN BASED ON CONSUMERISM. IN OTHER WORDS ITS BEEN ALL ABOUT THE CUSTOMER. THE MODERN CHURCH PLANTING MOVEMENT HAS DEPENDED BY AND LARGE ON SLICK ADVERTISING, MARKETING, AND PERFORMANCE. OUR WORSHIP SONGS HAVE BEEN CENTERED ON A QUEST FOR SELF-FULFILLMENT, PRESENTING A GOD WHO IS ALL ABOUT US…OUR NEEDS, OUR DESIRES, OUR DREAMS, HOPES, AND ESPECIALLY OUR FLAWS, AND WEAKNESSES.
THESE STRATEGIES HAVE BEEN WILDLY SUCCESSFUL IN DRAWING SEEKERS TO SANCTUARIES ACROSS AMERICA AND THE WESTERN WORLD. THE NUMBERS IN CHURCH ARE CERTAINLY UP BUT GENUINE CONVERSIONS, THAT IS PEOPLE CLAIMING A REAL TRANSFORMATION OF CHARACTER, HAVE BEEN DOWN DRAMATICALLY….With each generation, progressively fewer adults retain the Christian identity they were raised with, which in turn means fewer parents are raising their children in Christian households.
THAT IS UNTIL THE LAST FEW YEARS.
Conversions (Estimate)
- Christianity 2.8-3.2 million
- Islam 1.1-1.4 million
- Buddhism 400,000-600,000
Honestly, what surprised me most wasn’t just the volume but the patterns. While Islam grows faster through birth rates, Christianity leads in actual religious switching. And get this – over 60% of these conversions happen in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. That flies in the face of the “Christianity is declining” narrative we often hear.
1. Bible Sales Are Surging
2. Young People — Especially Young Men — Are Returning to Church
3. Christian Worship Music Is Cracking Mainstream Charts
4. Media Renewal: Faith-Based Storytelling Going Mainstream
5. Revival-Themed Films Resonate Again
6. Baptism Revivals — Tens of Thousands Publicly Declaring Faith
7. College Revivals — Asbury’s Outpouring Spilling Onto Campuses Nationwide
8. Stadium-Scale Gatherings and Prayer Mobilizations
The question facing believers today is not whether the Spirit is moving, but how they will respond: Will they join the movement, pray for continuation, and steward the harvest?
THERE ARE THREE QUESTIONS I WANT ALL OF US TO ANSWER:
1. DO I LOVE CHRIST MORE THAN ANYTHING OR ANYONE IN THE WORLD?
1 JOHN 2:15-16 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
DO YOU KNOW IT IS NOT YOUR DETERMINATION TO LIVE RIGHT THAT TRANSFORMS YOU, BUT RATHER YOUR WILLINGNESS TO LOVE RIGHT!
WE DO NOT SERVE GOD FOR ANY OTHER REASON BUT THAT HE LOVED US FIRST AND WE LOVED HIM BACK
ROMANS 5:5-8 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we[c] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. 6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
LOVE IS GOD’S LANGUAGE OF GENUINE SALVATION AND CHANGE. THAT’S WHY WHEN WE HAVE SUNK TO DEPTHS OF SIN, REBELLION, AND DISOBEDIENCE THAT APPALL US….THE FIRST WORDS YOU WILL HEAR AS YOU RETURN TO THE FATHER ARE I LOVE YOU!
2. DO I LOVE CHRIST AND PEOPLE ENOUGH TO STEP THROUGH MY FEAR AND SHARE GOD’S LOVE FOR THEM?
Acts 9:10-22 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsusnamed Saul, for he is praying.12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kingsand to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
IF YOU WANT TO BE PART OF THE HARVEST, IT WILL TAKE A LOVE-DRIVEN BOLDNESS!!
THIS WAS TERRIFYING TO ANANIAS…IT WOULD BE LIKE PRAYING FOR A NOTORIOUS TERRORIST!
NOW WE WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE FACED WITH A MOMENT LIKE THIS, BUT FEAR IS FEAR AND THE BIBLE SAYS..
1 JOHN 4:18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.
HOW MUCH DO WE LOVE JESUS IS OFTEN REFLECTED IN HOW OFTEN WE GIVE OTHERS A CHANCE TO KNOW HIM TOO…
3. DO I LOVE MYSELF ENOUGH TO TELL MYSELF THE TRUTH ABOUT THE LIFE I’M LIVING?
TELLING OURSELVES THE TRUTH ABOUT OURSELVES IS OFTEN THE MOST LOVING THING WE CAN DO FOR OURSELVES.
LOVE OURSELVES ENOUGH TO BE HONEST ABOUT OUR SIN, OUR COMPROMISE, OUR CRITICAL WORDS, OUR PRIDE, OUR AMBITION, OUR LIES, OUR LAZINESS, OUR BITTERNESS, OUR UNFORGIVENESS, OUR JUSTIFICATION OF OUR LIFESTYLE ON SO MANY LEVELS….
WE CANNOT BE PRODUCTIVE HARVESTERS UNTIL WE LOVE OURSELVES ENOUGH TO CHANGE.
TO CHANGE OUR THOUGHTS/ HABITS/ PATTERNS OF SPEECH
GOD WILL USE A FLAWED, IMPERFECT VESSEL, BUT HE WILL NOT USE ANYONE WHO IS NOT WILLING TO BE REMOLDED BY HIS HOLY HANDS.