Pastor John Gray | Speed of Love

[Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] god [Music] the father operated me satisfied that you will give our hearts the peace that they need on a day that was programmed to celebrate one particular kind of love we come to you tonight asking that you would touch our heart with the unconditional supernatural love of God that will heal us from the inside out and fill every void that remains in our lives so that the work that you created us to fulfill will get done in our lifetime and when it is time for us to see you face to face Jesus we will leave here on empty leaving nothing behind that was connected to our purpose he will finish what we were supposed to do and pass the baton to the next generation we love you we honor you in Jesus name Amen amen and amen can somebody give the Lord a great praise you can be seated happy Valentine's Day Valentine's Day as my daughter says you guys got to be real saved or real lonely to be in Turkish I'm for real but you know it's a wonderful thing to see so many people come out on Valentine's Day and it's all about love I want to thank Brian Courtney Wilson for this part then we thank God for our friend and our brother what an amazing gift where can we get this new project when does it come out March 23rd the new project is coming out you can pre-order it now anywhere you can get digital music and downloads they don't even make tapes no more so you can't get a tape CDs and such but thank you thank you so much Stacy we love you young nephew we proud of you having said that it is it is a night for romance and you know sometimes there are people who who are here and you let go of a relationship and I grew up there was a song I think that you should let him burn here to see surprised I couldn't announce it if I did it would have been crazy and here ladies and gentlemen put your hands together for Usher [Applause] uh-huh one to see how faint do I [Applause] you know I mean thinking about jeans he was just here did he pay uh sure thank you Jesus thank you [Applause] I meant and uh sure oh that's funny oh that bless me boy that is funny to me go to first John chapter four first John chapter four reading from the New King James Version I know the hour is already far spent but I want to give you this word I want to speak some things into you first John chapter four starting at the seventh verse beloved let us love one another look at somebody tell them love me tell somebody else they love me you're sitting next to somebody strange I'm sorry Jesus all right that's that's great that's great beloved let us love one another for love is of God and everyone who loves us born of God and knows God he who does not love does not know God watch this for God is love he doesn't love he is love so it's not like God he does something to love you he is love embody everything that God does is from the the substance of who he is the substance of God is love very important to grab this principle God is love in this the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him in this is love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son to be the propitiation for our sins beloved if God so loved us we also ought to love one another I want to talk tonight for a few minutes from the subject we're still in the speed of series he thought it was over it ain't over it ain't over today we're going to talk about the speed of love the speed of love so Valentine's Day was never my favorite holiday growing up I wasn't the the cool kid growing up I wasn't the guy who knew how to put the words together to talk to the ladies that wasn't me I didn't get that I was raised by a single mother say single mother who believed that you were to be a virgin when you got married which means we only need to talk about sex to you 37 so the idea of romance and dating was something that it took me a while to catch up on and so imagine the years of insecurity and misinformation and fear that come with trying to figure out and battle through adolescent hormones and then growing up in a quasi religious setting and I say quasi because my momma was saved but there were people around us that weren't and so I don't know who you are how you were raised but everything that I heard what knowledge about Jesus and everything I heard didn't always say walk out the word and live the word there were people in church that were living opposite of the word I know that doesn't happen here I know that never happens where you grew up but there were people who actually preached one thing and did another it's strange because the reality is all of us have things that we've battled through and things that we've struggled with the Valentine's Day that was a tough one because even from a young age they'll give you them little card so they pass them out in school will you be my Valentine of course I was hoping that somebody would say yes and it was stress you gotta laugh that hard it's funny because what seemed like innocence was actually a cry for acceptance anybody ever been there that there was somebody that you had feelings for hoping that they would respond anybody other than me and something I talk about in here now but just at some point in your life there was somebody that you hope you know ladies you've been there maybe it was in high school you and your girls talking and I'm here he comes walking down the hall girl she looked at me no he did was looking at me he was looking at me when he don't even now get he was looking at neither one of y'all it's funny because there were many times that I felt rejected felt undervalued felt overlooked and there were times when it hurt because I wanted to be accepted I wanted to have a girlfriend like some of these other 15 16 year-olds but now I realize that I wasn't ready spiritually or maturely mentally mature mentally to have that kind of relationship and I would really want to speak and encourage our parents not to push or allow our children to get into these premature relationships too early some teenagers in here mad at me but you don't need to be booed up at 15 you don't need that at 15 you don't need to be on the couch in the basement without supervision at 15 because your hormones will lie to you and get you caught up in something that your 25 year old self would never do can I get an amen from any parents can I get an 8 laugh from anybody who made a mistake and wish that somebody had told them earlier very rarely are we honest in church because we want to act like we came in here and had it all together but there were moments when our insecurities or need to be loved or need to be validated caused us to make decisions that had we been healthy and whole on the inside we would have walked the other way when that person called but we would have walked the other way when they offered something that now we know is a mistake but then it looked like an opportunity mmm but sometimes we make bad decisions because we feel like God is taking too long can I get an eye on both shots ah from somebody who's ever said god you are taking too long where are my single people there where you at that's why y'all in church and I know it's about three yards real deep no that's not why I'm in church I'm interested because I love Jesus and Jesus it's my boyfriend and Jesus is taking me out to dinner and Jesus is called dance with me tonight no he's not [Applause] Jesus is your Savior he is not your boyfriend he's much better than a boyfriend he's much he's much better than a booth somebody say the speed of love sometimes we're waiting for God to show up and since God doesn't move fast enough we answer our own prayers the problem with answering your own prayers is your last name is not Christ so you don't even know what you need even though you think you do you know what you feel but your feelings are liars so many of us got caught up in our feelings and then the truth came out but what you feel didn't line up with what it was but now you're left with the truth because your feelings clouded your judgment I'm trying to teach it tonight not to beat anybody up but to give us a foundation for what I'm getting ready to say because most of the time and this is what I found that in my own life many of the places where I felt rejection there have been many of those times when everybody else was out partying and I was sitting at that house with that woman Alice gray who's probably watching right now and every time was so angry I said why do I have to have a saved mama [Applause] anybody else reman thank you one anybody else Hey are you ever gonna stop praying oh I would bring people I would I would introduce people to my mother mind this is a young lady I like that she loves Jesus she goes to church one time there was one person I introduced her to and my mom got balls she says you're very nice you're just not what I prayed for [Applause] so I guess this is goodbye that made me so angry because of like mom I'm lonely everybody else has somebody it looks good from a distance [Music] how come I keep getting rejected how come I keep getting told no how come hey ain't even cute that man is not cute you got a cold-blooded woman pow you just thought it's only a girl I love you girl [Applause] this is what I had to realize God wasn't keeping me from a thing he was keeping me for a thing and tonight I need somebody to know that God is actually keeping you for a thing and so instead of being upset that maybe you're going home tonight and it's just you and prophesied it's just you don't let that part of the equation cause you to be upset with God he loves you so much that he doesn't want a temporary filler for an eternal position can we thank God that He loves you enough to be your Valentine the cover of your heart until the right one comes along there are many people in this room and those who are watching who will tell you when you get in front of God and you rush in front of God you make bad decisions and then you think well if I just get married that'll change it what God has put together let no man separate what if God didn't put it together you can put lipstick on a pig it's still a pig [Applause] how many people have tried to manufacture the anointing where none ever existed somebody say the speed of love see here's the thing about love love is truth see in the presence of God it's the presence of unmitigated truth and truth is uncomfortable because you can't hide truth this scripture gives us an idea about the type of love that you and I should be making a priority in our lives because right now today is a day that we celebrate romantic love but there are three types of love I'd like to talk about tonight this the eros there's the filius and there's the agape see the eros is the romantic love that's the closed the door then there's the fill yes I love you brother you're my brother and crew Louise then there's that agape love that godly love that says I see you and I still love you I see your flaws and it's not gonna make me turn away in fact I'm drawn to it the agape love is a godly love and God his love for us is not contingent upon our behavior or our circumstance I know that there are people who treat you conditionally and they look at you based on what they can get from you but you have nothing of value to give to God but he treats you like you're actually bringing something to the table someone should thank God this evening for an agape love and if by chance you were single or you are married and the agape love is not the foundation of the love you have or the love you're looking for may I lovingly offer you a suggestion that you reprioritize your relational goals because everybody's looking at pictures on Instagram and Twitter and Facebook talking about goals and hashtag goals hashtag relationship goals what you need to be doing is going after this word and talking about god you're my goal your presence is my goal because if I get in your presence then I'm not looking and trying to live vicariously through the photos of someone else who I don't know the reality of the situation I'm trying to help somebody tonight I feel like that'd be a good place for a praise break right there right there that arrives love is the romantic love it's the it's the love that is that is reserved for the intimate place of marriage it is the union of a husband and the wife is two coming together it's that moment and everybody thinks sex is dirty it's not dirty God created it he made it he produced it so why in the world would we go to the devil for answers for something that God created we don't talk about it in church because it's all of a sudden dirty and perverted and that's what the enemy does people think the devil created sex he did not created God created and they created it for the marriage and he created it for covenant he caused it for the place of two becoming one flesh for the husband to become one with the wife it is a natural expression of a spiritual truth that we are the the woman is the bride the husband is the groom and so when you cut a covenant that is a sacred place and only the high priest can go beyond the veil so you don't just let any old body come into the bride chamber because he has not cut a covenant and so let me encourage you that if you don't have a covenant do not allow anyone to go beyond the veil girl if you love me you'll let me that's a lie because we just learned in first John that God is love so when a man says I love you what he's really saying is I God you or I would do for you what God would do if he were me trying to help somebody in here love is not just getting you flowers love is not just taking you to the Cheesecake Factory he done bought you a meal and he wants the most precious thing you have is he crazy I'm messing up all kind of nights tonight because I'm tired of people walking around believing a lie and then our sisters are left holding the emotional luggage of a spiritual transaction that was illegal in the first place and it is the responsibility of godly men to control ourselves and say girl you so cold the night I'm telling you right now if I walk you to the door I'm gonna put you up against the wall so I'm gonna let you go on up the steps yourself but I'm gonna look like you're going I'm sure I'm gonna look like I'm a look right I'm a look like your own [Applause] because I've heard people say well man you're only human it's a need really I'm gonna leave it alone but I'm gonna just say it like this we've late we've given too much room to the enemy in this area and we've been too quiet about it in the church and that's why our children are running around here trying to figure out what they should do what's the boundary can I do this can I try that no the devil is alive holiness is still right the Bible is still right you don't need to be kissing 6 & 7 different people trying to figure it out I wish you would come to my door try to kiss my daughter in the mouth can I go to prom yeah I'm gonna be right there in between your dancing somebody say the speed of love so we have the arrows but that is reserved for the marriage chamber the filius is what the body of Christ should be functioning in Philly Isis that brotherly love dat agape love that means I will cover for you I will fight for you like we were blood related got quiet in here let me let me help you to understand everybody in my family doesn't mean I'm close to him I got blood relatives in it I don't talk to all the time we don't agree all the time Jesus even said it when he was his family was outside while he was teaching and they were like hey we need to talk to him and he was like who is my mother who are my brothers the people that do the will of my father these are my mother and my sisters and my brothers my point is this my family don't all look alike I got white family on the front row I got a white sister down here dressed in our black past at least you got on her Black History Month out there holla at me got on your Black Panther outfit well calm down I'm gonna be in there tomorrow doc I put on my black pants outfit tonight girl [Applause] Mills worship you're my brother silly-ass means if somebody messes with you they don't have a problem with me and because we have the same father we should fight for one another this is the problem with America right now we still tribal we we hang out with people that look like us we hang out with people that only grew up with us or think like us or you're a Republican then come on in are you a Democrat you come on in are you an independent come on in I find all of that stuff because silly ice means the blood of Jesus is bigger than who I voted for bigger than where I live bigger than my account silly I says we are family why don't you say hello to five of your family members right now preferably people that don't look like you tell them we are family hug the white person as a black person ties of Mexican hug an African cause of Canadian all two of them [Applause] somebody say the speed of love then there's that agape love that's the love that I was talking about in the scripture on a night like tonight for those who were like me who who came up in rejection was a part of your story let me help you to understand that there is a love that fills the gaps and heals the wounds I want to speak to somebody tonight because here's the thing all of us in here whether you tell me or not we've all got some deficit somewhere we all don't talk about it but here's the thing Brian what I've learned is that unfortunately in church culture we have been taught to mask the wounded place and we don't let the air in we don't let the wind of the Holy Ghost get a hold to it we don't let the medicine of the word get to it we're not we're not receiving the love of God and so we are now cynical of everyone else I'm getting ready to say and then I'm gonna let you go but this idea of receiving the love of God this scripture in first John this is I love the New Living Translation the verse 9 says God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world that we might have eternal life through him this is real love somebody say real love not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his son as a sacrifice to take away our sins this is the power of love the speed of love is receiving the love of God in your own life now what does that mean that means you got to believe that there was an eternal God that looked at you knew everything that you would do knew every mistake you and I would ever make knew every sin we would ever commit before we were even in our mother's womb still gave us breath still gave us life still clothed us and fed us every day still brought us this place I'm trying to help somebody and still covers you I love that coverage you some of us have a little bit of pride and we judge other people because they have different struggles than us but I hope you take a nice look in the mirror of your life and realize that there was God's love covering you too and God's mercy covering YouTube and that love should now be the foundation of how you treat other people you can always tell people who don't realize how much grace has been extended in their own life because they're quick to judge other people I've added my whole life with rejection insecurity body image issues I've joked it off I've laughed it off but the truth was I did not see myself as valuable or attractive or beautiful and it wasn't until very recently that I sat down and said God do you really love me because the truth was Brian while I was trying to get some female to love me what I was really saying is God will you be my Valentine will you created me a clean heart and renew a right spirit in me cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me then I teach transgressors your way God wants you show me who I am when I received the love of God then I'll be able to love other people properly receiving the love of God is the lens and filter through which you will love other people I have one more scripture to give you three points if we're going home here is the scripture mark 1228 the scribe said which is the first commandment one of the scribes came and having heard them reasoning together perceiving that he had answered them well asked Jesus which is the first commandment of all jesus answered him the first of the commandments is hear o Israel the Lord our God the Lord is one and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength this is the first commandment and the second is like it you shall love your neighbor as yourself there is no other commandment greater than these I've been trying pastor Clayton to figure out why I have a disconnect when I'm trying to love aventure gray the woman who seven plus years ago took my ring and within 11 months after the first time we found that we were having a baby within 11 months we had two kids this woman who laid down her dreams her hopes and her future to pick up my vision this woman who has so selflessly loved me why was I unable to fully receive the love that she was giving to me because I had never understood the love of God which is unconditional a love that was so complete that even though he sees every flaw he chooses to love me anyway so what God did in his love is send me a woman who sees my flaws see you guys see the 35 45 minutes in a sermon and it's like wow the Lord uses that's the anointing on me but I don't live in this place all the time there's a real man with real issues and real struggles there's a real man here that doesn't always get it right I don't always open the mail I don't always do everything I need to do I don't pray as much as I should I don't fast like I should I'm not in the word as much as I need to be for the level of calling on my life but I get up every day in the struggle and say God if you'll just help me I'll do it again and when I failed I'll try it again I don't know what I'm doing but I'm doing the best that I can for seven years she's had to deal with the man that was so afraid of his own ability to fail that I kept a part of myself at a distance screaming like a leper unclean unclean but God sent the love and this is for all the wives wives your love can literally heal the wounds of a broken man Sellars is you've got a wife that has loved you through mess and loved you through drama can we make some noise for our women tonight fellas stands up right now if you're engaged or you're dating somebody and she is dealt with your spiritual dirty drawers fellas get up and make some noise right now for your women no no we got to do better than that let these women know how much we love them how much we honor them how much we adore them because she could have chose somebody else her mama told her to choose the other one but she chose you you know why because women give minute the minute they choose credit for who they will be you know why because women have this you women have a prophetic eye that's why you think you can raise him [Applause] whoa I know it's late you gotta go drop the kids off plus you got you know you got reservations but I want to tell you this I want to thank God for a love that was sent to heal the broken places in me but it was rooted in her God fellows not just today but every day for the next 30 days find a way to honor that woman a brother oh no my sister he said every day for 30 days 30 day it doesn't have to be a monetary gift but finds something words of affirmation to tell her thank you and I can't thank God enough because that was a love that started helping me to see I'm valuable I'm worthy and I started running faster I started getting up and and I'm learning how to take authority and and doing things that I never saw in my life taking responsibility for areas I've never seen why because I have now received the love of God and I'm receiving the love from people that he sent and they see me and still love me now that isn't agape love I had some points Brian Courtney was singing all along like it's a black church so [Applause] [Applause] I want to say this the speed of loves there's three questions and this is for single and married how fast how soon how long for those areas in you that have been unresolved those places where you still have questions can God really love me can God love even the things that I've done maybe you don't love the things that you and I have done but he loves the person we are because we are not the things we've done we are not the things we have done i'ma say it again you are not your worst decision you are not your worst moment you are not your addiction you are not your bad habit you are not that mistake you are not that divorce you are not that place of indiscretion you are more than that that is why the blood of Jesus was sent you are loved by God it's a father's love of pursuing love how fast how fast can you run you can't run from God anybody in here ever ran from God let me see let me give you a trick you can't run from God you can only run into God because God is everywhere wherever you run and he already knew it so he's there waiting on me and he's not waiting on you with his arms folded he's waiting on you with his arms wide open saying I've been waiting on you the whole time am I gonna ever have love if so how soon I want you to know that the love of God is immediately available to you the love of God is immediately available if you've never given Jesus your life in three minutes you'll be able to give Jesus your life and there's a fresh love coming a love that sees you as you really are and loves you as you really are and it's ready to receive all of the worst moments of your life and trade them for the best moments of your life the best moments of your life are in front of you not behind you I bind the devil that tells you otherwise how fast how soon and how long how long do I have to wait how long how long will the love last how long you got because the last time I checked God dwells in eternity and if we dwell in him then we dwell in forever which means the love that's coming is not temporary this is not a booth in love that when it goes bad now you're left with the memories of what might have been and what could have been in what used to be not when you get this love this agape love this God love when you get that it settles you in your soul and then you begin to see yourself in a new way so then if you're single you're so comforted in who you are that you're not rushing to get away from that love you're watching people singing are you gonna keep me close to God are you pulling me away from God I need to know before I let you in because I'm in such a healthy place that I'm not willing to let this go for just any old body am I talking to somebody tonight and for us merry folk my prayer for us is that we will push our spouses into the presence of God through the reading of the word daily encouragement in Scripture prayer because the enemy hates couples that pray together hates it if y'all can just pray because if any to touch as agreeing on anything the father shall do it for them in heaven I'm telling you the enemy will send an argument just to keep you from praying don't say a man goes we gonna know you're been arguing the speed of love is a love that is so real that even if by chance you are single on Valentine's you're still taken in the spirit because the love of God is so real that you're not willing to chance that level of intimacy for something temporary and if by chance there are broken places in your marriage may I reintroduce you to the one that loved you first and loved you best and get a rekindling of that love so you can love your spouse the right way I'm learning how to love aventure I have not perfected it some of y'all been married 35 years and you haven't perfected it and guess what you know what it encourages young married folk is if y'all tell us the truth that it's not easy tell us every now and then how you got over we overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony I preached too long now your hands close your eyes God there's a love that we all long for it's deeper than a surface level it's deeper than a physical touch it comes from heaven it is rooted in the blood of Jesus it is available to us tonight it is an agape love it is the foundational love where we understand that even in our human frailty we are loved at our deepest level from their God we can have a filius love and then eventually in eros love but those levels of love only come after we fully embrace the God love that has been given to us so as my brother Teddy told me a few weeks ago get on the receiving plan sit still and receive the love of God so that we can be free to love others the way Christ first loved us and then Lord on tonight the night that the world celebrates as a romantic night for those who might be hurting in their heart or maybe have walked through a breakup or maybe they're married and they're battling right now I pray that you will rekindle the flame of our love for our original love the first love that's you God and then through that may we be able to love our spouses but most importantly love ourselves the second commandment Jesus said love your neighbor as yourself I realized in my own life I wasn't able to fully love my wife the way I needed to because I had not first loved myself I can't love my neighbor my closest neighbor is my wife until I love myself so God healed each of us in the area where we don't see your beauty and your value so that we can then love everyone else the speed of love is the speed of prayer it is the speed of worship and it is the speed of Thanksgiving we thank you tonight in Jesus name with your heads bowed if you're here you've never given your life to Jesus tonight as your night in 15 seconds if you have never given your life to Jesus or you need to rededicate on the count of three stand up where you are and give your life to Jesus one two three stand wherever you are stand wherever you are getting saved on Valentine's give the Lord your heart praise God anybody else anybody else let me pray this prayer for the people who are standing those who were seated praying with them Lord Jesus I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that Jesus is Lord thank you for the blood that was sent from me shed for me and eternal love came looking for me in my worst moment thank you you are my Lord and Savior in your name Jesus amen we believe if you prayed that simple prayer you just got saved tonight

Channel: John Gray Ministries

Views: 43,317

Rating: 4.9283385 out of 5

Keywords: #pastorjohngray, #jgm, #johngray, #johngrayministries, #lakewoodchurch, #houston, #ove, #speedofseries, #speedoflove, #love

Id: lOd_5L8sRys

Length: 41min 1sec (2461 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 14 2018