God Can Make You Increase In Love by Zac Poonen

phrase in 1 John 1 which says God is light and in fact it says this is the main message 1 John 1 verse 4 this is already verse 5 1 John 1 verse 5 this is the message we have heard from him now first of all he says that the reason we are proclaiming this to you in verse 3 is that you might have fellowship with the father and with us you know fellowship with God and fellowship with one another in the church that is the purpose of all Christian teaching fellowship with the father and fellowship with one another and this in order to get there he says this is the first message you need to understand God is light verse 5 and in him there is no darkness at all that means he cannot tolerate the smallest sin if you don't understand that you will never come into fellowship with God and within the church the number one message you need to understand is that God cannot tolerate the smallest little sin in thought or word or deed or attitude towards others our motive with which you do something the smallest little sin there is no darkness in him at all and so for six if you say you have fellowship with him and walk in darkness that means there are what is the meaning of walking in darkness it's not that they are murdering people or committing adultery every day it just means some small little thing in your life which you know is sin you ignore it you ignore it by saying oh that's not serious that means you haven't understood that there's no darkness in God at all and so if you say your fellowship with God and you walk in darkness you're telling a lie you know what the Holy Spirit says you're telling a lie if you allow some sin to exist in your life I don't mean that you have to have perfect victory over sin my point is when you slip up do you feel sorry for it do you repent of it do you immediately say oh lord that's terrible that I did that thing then at least you're sensitive you know it's like leprosy raining people have leprosy you poke them with a pin they don't feel it that's serious when your conscience comes to that place where you can do something wrong walk in darkness and not even be disturbed you don't have to have victory that takes time but you're not even disturbed by the fact that's darkness there then it says you're a liar you're not really practicing the truth so this is the number one message but in contrast if we walk in the light in the light that God gives us as God is in the light then we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sin so we need to understand what this light is because light is a it's an illustration of something else what does it mean when God is light we would think it is holiness but in the same letter where he says God is light he explains in chapter four and verse eight God is love so the light is love and true holiness is love so we need to understand that he didn't say God is holy which is true but John says God is love so I want to point you to a verse that has come to my mind many many times it's in 1 Thessalonians chapter 3 in 1 Thessalonians 3 it says here that in order for God verse 13 I want you to look at 1 Thessalonians in chapter 3 and verse 13 god wants to establish your heart without blame in holiness before God and father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all the saints this is our goal our goal is at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints our hearts should be established without any blame in holiness and since the verse begins with so that it means it tells us in the previous verse how that can be done here's how it's done may the Lord verse 12 cause you to increase and abound in love for one another and for all people just as we do for you then he'll be able to establish your heart without blame in holiness we think of holiness and love as two different things but this verse teaches us if you don't love you're not holy if you're holy you love you love God you love Jesus with all your heart and you love others so and it's not something that will be stagnant it's not just one level it says we pray the Lord will cause you to increase bound in love so that he can establish your heart without blame in wholeness I want you to meditate on these two verses even after this meeting is over because in my life it's helped me tremendously that I don't fool myself what holiness is because you know the world's understanding of holiness just like the world's understanding of humility could be completely wrong in in the scriptures holiness is love and not just love but like verse 12 says increasing and abounding in love then we are established in holiness so if I'm not increasing and abounding in love according to this these verses I'm not really ready for the coming of the Lord now increasing and abounding in love means I'm discovering areas in my life where I don't love as I should where I don't love Jesus as I should and I don't love one another as I should maybe you don't love your husband or wife as you should you don't love those your who hate you as you should you don't love your enemies as you should it's a failure in love that prevents us from being established in holiness and that means we are not ready for the coming of the Lord see most believers think I'm ready for the coming of the Lord even though they have so many things in their life which they haven't said right but here in our church we keep emphasizing be ready for Christ's coming he's going to examine everything we said did spoke attitudes etc and everything is going to be tested by the standard of love you know when people grow older they realized that many others younger than them have died and then of course we're thankful that God has allowed us to live to such an agent in the world many people want to outlive others that means they find a certain credit a certain satisfaction that I've lived longer than them and I've outlived people say I've outlived my father or I outlived others around me but in the Christian life what's come home to my heart is it's not to outlive others Jesus outlived very few people he died at 33 he is our example so living a long life to 70 80 90 or 100 is not the goal in the Christian life in the Old Testament that was a great thing but what did Jesus do he did not outlive others he out loved others and so our goal as Christians must not be to outlive others but to out love them that means not that we live longer than them but we love more than they do whatever the level of love people around us have our love is more that is out loving people and I want to encourage you my brothers and sisters in this year in this new year to pursue that it doesn't matter if your health is not so great and you may not live too long okay but out love people Jesus lived only 233 so there's no great admirer complex to all of God's will by the time he was thirty three and a half he had finished he said father I finished the work he gave me to do you don't need to live long to finish God's work and Jesus is the classic example of that Steven who died before he was thirty James the Apostle died thirty years old they completed their work otherwise God would not have me Stephen and James was among the most wholehearted people in the early church and God would never have allowed them to die if they had not completed their task honor the tasks that God had planned for them they completed by the time they were thirty years old but other people even there are 78 years old they haven't completed what God wanted them to do so if you make this your goal in life Lord I want to out love that means I want to I want to be in a competition of love not in the competition of age there are many competitions of the world people want to look more handsome and get more marks in school right from school days we aren't taught to compete with others to come first in the class in do well in athletics or come first in athletics or something like here is a pursuit of a few people are engaged in to out love others to love more than others do I don't know how many of you will take up this challenge and always begin in your family and then in the church you cannot love the world before you first love your own family and love people in the church you know it was a relation to his disciples that Jesus said I give you a new commandment turn with me to John chapter 13 I know these are elementary things looks like kindergarten lessons but sometimes we have forgotten our kindergarten lessons and we need to be reminded have you ever thought of this verse whenever you read a scripture meditate on it and you'll find something interesting John chapter 13 and verse 34 John 13:34 a new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you that you love one another by this all men will know you're my disciples if you have love for one another not because you meet in a church not because you carry a Bible not because you hang a cross around your neck no people will know you're my disciples by the fact you love one another now the question I want you to ask is when you read a new commandment you ask is this really a new commandment isn't it there in the Old Testament as well in fact when somebody asks Jesus in Matthew chapter 22 Matthew 22 somebody asked him in verse 36 teacher what is the great commandment in the law and Jesus gives the answer from the Old Testament Matthew 22 it is love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul in all your mind this is the great and foremost commandment and he says I can't stop there you asked me only for one but I cannot tell you about only one because it's like a coin which is something is printed on the other side too and if nothing is printed on the other side of a coin it's a fake so it says I have to tell you the second side of it also you shall love your neighbor as yourself so love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself is one commandment and that is the answer to what is the great commandment in the law so Jesus already the God already gave that commandment in the Old Testament to Moses you must love your neighbor as yourself that includes everybody then how is this a new commandment you read in Matthew in John 13:34 a new commandment I give to you this is a new covenant that was an Old Covenant commandment in the Old Covenant they don't have to love their enemies you only had love their neighbors there but Jesus taught us to love our enemies as well but here he says a new commandment at the end of his earthly life he tells them at the Last Supper that you love one another so he's talking about a love among the people in disciples among the disciples which is to be greater than love for others outside the church and also it's a new commandment in the sense in the old commandment in the old testament the commandment was love your neighbor as yourself the new commandment is not love one another like you love yourself but love one another like I loved you that's how it is new so what does that mean to love one another in the church let's start with our family and the church how did Jesus love us in the love that Jesus had for me there was a cross on which he died to show his love for me that's how he demonstrated that love is not in words it is not by helping us financially and healing our sicknesses in fact many of God's children struggle financially they don't have enough sometimes and many of God's chillun get sick and die of sicknesses so it's not by giving us money and healing that's the way we show love to people but Jesus love for us was not shown in giving us a lot of earthly gifts or you say we we love people by visiting them and praying for them that's not how Jesus showed his love for us he showed his love for us by the most costly way possible he died in order to save us he died entire life he died to himself some totally might never sinned and thereby offer a perfect sacrifice so when it says about loving one another as I have loved you the command is that in your love for others you must be willing to die to yourself and I want to say to you that's it's a very high standard your love for others in your family must be one way you don't think of yourself and your needs first you die to yourself and love your wife you die to yourself and love your husband that's the ideal family not where they smile at each other and give gifts etc Jesus standard is you to die to yourself but in his love for me there was a cross on which he died in my love for my wife there must be a on which I died in your love for your husband there must be a cross on which you die and in your love for one another also there must be a cross on which you are willing to die and if you're willing die you won't get offended why is it so many people get offended even in the church I've seen I've seen people who are I'm thinking a number of people who were in this church and have left they the moment they leave they forget all the good we did to them through many years and they only remember the one word of rebuke Oh correction isn't that amazing that all the good that was done to them for years and years and years in the church they completely forget in a moment and all they can remember is one rebuke their God that shows the utter selfishness there is and it's a good thing I say it's a good thing that such people leave the church such selfish people who can only think of they want to get and get and get and get is better they leave because Jesus said is more love is something that gives not keeps on Gary so that's a good question to ask yourself who are still sitting here and you haven't left have you forgotten all the good things you received in the church I can only think of certain Corrections you got or certain rebukes you got are those the uppermost things in your mind it's not a question if you were nobody you asked you of course you can say yeah I got this I got this but what's in your mind are you disturbed when you are corrected like I said earlier if you have never heard a word of Correction from the Lord you not heard God at all you're fooling yourself that you're listening to God if you have never heard a word of Correction so in the love of Jesus for me there was a cross on which he died to show his love for me that's one part of it and the other we read in Revelation chapter 3 and verse 19 how did just how does Jesus show his love for me love one another as I have loved you how did he love me he laid down his life for me he died on the cross I must be willing to lay down myself life that means if somebody speaks to me harshly I just died to myself and say okay maybe he was in a moment of pressure that's why he said it I make some excuse for him so I don't blame him for speaking in that rude and crude way to me I say maybe he was under some pressure maybe he's had a bad day and therefore he was under some tension and that's why he spoke in such a sharp way to me I'm surprised but I'm not gonna say that he is always like that he's not always like that this particular moment he slipped up that's I died to myself at that moment if you don't die to yourself you say ah he's always like that he's not always like that but the other way Jesus proves his love for us it's revelation 3:19 is by rebuking us those whom I love I rebuke and discipline so in my younger days if you ask me how does how do you know Jesus loves you I'd say he died for me on the cross because I all and he suffered but today if you ask me is a mature Christian how do you know Jesus loves you I say boy here approves me and disciplines me and you say really brothers AG here approves you also he's sure many times I hear his rebuke correction because I seek to listen I never want to stop listening to what the Lord has to say to me and it's not always encouragement and you're doing great and you're a great guy he does say that sometimes but as a reproof that was wrong what you did that word that you spoke was unnecessary it was wrong and your attitude to that person is wrong I thank God for that it's a proof of his love for me and if some brother is kind enough to tell me the same thing I I think that's a proof of his love for me to those whom the Lord loves he rebukes and not only rebukes but disciplines I have experienced discipline from the Lord and I ask the Lord I have never questioned discipline because I know that's a mark of his love my younger days probably I didn't understand it but I know it clearly that one proof of Jesus love for me love one another as I have loved you he disciplines me and because I love my children I discipline them and if I have a responsibility in a church as an elder I have to show my love by approving and disciplining all right I'm not a good elder otherwise I hate people that means I see them going astray and I won't correct them I say let them go to hell no I love them I have to reprove them and discipline them they may get offended and leave the church well that's up to them but I can stand before the Lord in the final day and say Lord I did my part I loved them by reproving them and disciplining them maybe they didn't listen to me maybe they got offended they accepted all the words of encouragement and nice words I said about them but when the moment a little correction came they got offended that's between them and the Lord but I did my duty please remember this that God's love is not a wishy-washy soft type of love that just gives us gifts and tells us nice words he lays down his life and tell you this sometimes I've had to lay down my life when I have had to rebuke somebody it's not easy if you're a good father you don't find it easy to discipline your child here to lay down your soft feelings and die to that and you know punish your child and it's like that many times I've had to reprove people in his brought it's been very very difficult and I had to think about it pray about it long to God before it and I say oh I'm gonna do it see is that type of love that will build this church love one another as I have loved you so dear brothers and sisters don't get offended when the elders in the church seek to love you as Jesus loved them by reproof and discipline because they are doing it for your good just like Jesus does it to us for our good and what did we see in 1 Thessalonians 3 turn back there for a moment this is how we get established in holiness and we are unblameable when the Lord comes I want to be unblameable I want to be without blame when Christ comes again you've heard me say many times that when I stand before the Lord I want the Lord to say about me I have nothing against you nothing to tell you because everything in your life you set right as soon as you heard my voice you said it right that's the meaning of without blame it's like saying I got a hundred percent is it possible to get a hundred percent in mathematics yes there are people who get a hundred percent in even these public examinations is it possible to get a hundred percent when you stand before the Lord yes in 1 Corinthians 11 I think is verse 30 which says if we judge ourselves we will not be judged that means if I judge myself every day I'll get a hundred percent at the judgment seat of Christ don't you want that that's the only way to get a hundred percent with the judgement seat of Christ you judge yourself every day and the Lord reproves you and disciplines you say Lord why was that why did you do that to me and the Lord will show you why he disciplined you don't show you when you read scripture and a word comes to use like a reproof see don't just take the words of encouragement in scripture sometimes there's a word of reproof there don't say well that's for somebody else that's also for me take it and say Lord what are you trying to tell me that's the way you'll grow so then you'll be without blame in the final day you'll get a hundred percent that's the meaning of without blaming holiness verse 13 before God at the coming of the Lord 100% my dear brothers and sisters aim for that aim for a hundred percent of the judgment seat of Christ that is my aim I want to get 100% of the judgement seat of Christ I don't care meanwhile what people think other people think I'm getting through percent of 40% is absolutely unimportant when Christ comes if he tells me well done good and faithful servant you are my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased that'll be worth all the misunderstanding and rebuke that people gave so live for that and in order to get there let's look at verse 12 again increase and abound in love for one another and for all people that means begin with one another then go to the outer circle of others as well increase and abound in love and the part I wanted to show you is that first part may the Lord cause you in other words this is where I want to conclude I have to come to God and say Lord I can't manage this it's too much there are some people I just can't love that's Lord if you can cause me to do it I'll do it isn't that encouraging may the Lord cause you to increase in love it's not just increase in love I say Lord I can't oh the Lord calls you to increase oh sure Lord if you want to do it in me do it and it's amazing if you come to the Lord like that and say Lord I find it difficult to increase and love for that person there are wives who say I find it difficult to love my husband difficult to love my wife because they are so selfish and they don't care about me shall you go to this verse and Lord you cause me to increase in love for my husband an increase in love for my wife maybe you find a very rebellious child and you feel like hitting him and turning him out of the house may the Lord cause you to increase in love for your rebellious child for your wayward son or daughter asked God to cause you that means do a work in you where he makes you love supernaturally what you cannot do yourself to me that's the wonderful thing about the New Covenant in the Old Covenant it would be abound in love just go ahead about in love for another and for all people but in the New Covenant is differ may the Lord cause you to abound in love this is the fundamental difference between Old Covenant and New Covenant Old Covenant is a commandment and the New Covenant is I will write my law in your heart in your mind others I will make you do it turn to Philippians chapter 2 verse 13 very very important verse it's you'll never find this verse in the Old Testament God is at work inside you whenever you read in the New Testament that God is at work inside you it's the work of the Holy Spirit outside God the Father works all things for our good that's his work inside us the Holy Spirit works to do what first of all to choose God's will and second to do God's will let me paraphrase that to willing to work his good pleasure means God works in you through the Holy Spirit to choose his will and to do his will both first of all let me ask you I'm sure many of you sitting here you really have a desire to do the will of God isn't that right I believe so I really believe you want to obey the Scriptures I really believe you want to do the will of God do you humbly acknowledge let me ask you there's a difficult question do you humbly acknowledge that it is not you but God who put that desire in you you've got to be very arrogant and proud to think that you desire to do God's will absolute nonsense why is it people in your family don't have a passion to do God's will like you have why is it some of your relatives have no interest like you have to do the will of God completely don't be proud and think that you are so special that you had that desire no it's God who worked in you to choose his good pleasure to will will if you don't humbly acknowledge that you will not get grace for the next step and maybe that is the reason why you never got grace to do his will because you as you that you are the one who desired to do his will now at least today acknowledged that even that desire to do God's will was planted by God I say Lord I can't take any credit for it I can't take any credit over my family members or anybody else that I have a desire to do God's will you put that desire in me acknowledge that every day of your life and secondly if God put that desire in you he also he says in the same verse he will give you this power to do it he works in you to will and then to actually do it so if he did the first part how is he going to leave out the second part impossible it's like two legs you stand on God didn't make you born with one leg he makes you desire his prey his will and do his will that is New Covenant in the Old Covenant it was only I desire to do your will let me show you that Psalm 40 this is the psalm of David the man after God's own heart you see what he said Psalm 40 and verse 8 this is one thousand years before Christ a man could say I delight to do your Will O my god your laws within my heart do you say that good you come as far as the Old Covenant you come as far as Psalm 40 you come as far as 1000 BC I delight to do your will why don't you actually do it see I want to do it but I don't do it well you're an Old Covenant Christian that's all you're living in 1000 years before Christ that's here I delight to do your will your laws within my heart Lord your Commandments are in my heart and I like to do them but they would say the only thing is I can't do them and I see but she by forget all about your commandments even though your law is in my heart I just can't do it that is Old Covenant Christianity when I sit in front of my computer I forget about how pure I'm supposed to keep myself uh-huh but in the New Covenant the same verse exactly the same verse is quoted in Hebrews in chapter 10 see how its quoted here psalm 40 verse 8 is quoted here like this psalm 40 is quoted in Hebrews 10 verse 7 has behold I have come this is referring to Jesus behold I have come in the role of the book is written me to do your Will O God not to delight in your will to do your will and again it's repeated verse 9 behold I have come to do your will that Psalm 40 in Hebrews 10 you see the difference between Old Covenant a new covenant Old Covenant wise I delight to do your will your laws within my heart but Lord when I actually come to time of temptation I don't do it get out of that Old Covenant and say Lord working me may the Lord cause you to abound in love trust the Lord to do it the Lord who gave you that desire if you're humble enough to acknowledge that even the desire came from God then God will give you grace to actually do it Lord I've come to do your will behold I come to do your will is repeated twice and we are to walk as Jesus walked because it says there verse five when he comes into the world that is the beginning of the New Covenant he opened a new and living way where he not only delighted to do the will of God like David but actually did it when you delight to do the will of God you're following David when you actually do it you're following Jesus and I think most Christians in the world are only following David without even knowing it and they think they are very spiritual when they follow David they are ignorant I don't despise them they haven't heard about the New Covenant but we have heard so I say Hebrews 3:12 says may the Lord caused you to abound in love towards him and towards one another an increase in abound so that when he comes again you'll get a hundred percent that is our goal let's pray Heavenly Father we pray that these things will never remain just theory Lord but become real in the coming days in our life to believe that you who planted a desire in our heart to please you and do your will will also complete that work and give us that other leg to stand on to do your will because both are your work we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit we want to be filled with the Holy Spirit we know we want to die to our own choices and give us grace even for that so that we can do your will we pray in Jesus name Amen

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Keywords: Revival, Character Of God, Free Sermons, Video Sermons, Jesus Christ, What Is The Gospel, SermonIndex, What Is The Truth, Zac Poonen

Id: L5kx-eMz9kk

Length: 36min 6sec (2166 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 20 2020