Apps for "A Love Revolution"

Matthew 7:13-23

July 26, 2009

Have you ever heard the quote, "This church would be great if it wasn't for the people!" It is often so easy to disregard people because relationships are hard, messy and disappointing. In 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Paul makes it clear that the greatest thing we possess is love, and without love we become annoying, we are nothing and we gain nothing. Real discipleship is obedience to loving as Jesus loved and we often find out that it is a narrow gate and many do not wish to participate. The fruit that a disciple of Jesus should always cultivate is love. Here are this week's apps to help cultivate Christ's love in your life.

App #1: "Exercise the fruit of love more than your personal gifts." Often we may wrongly think someone's fruit is their gifting. In other words, one may be a great preacher and when we read "you will know them by their fruit," we think, "preaching," is their fruit. But my own personal experience shows me that preaching as Jesus did is much easier than loving as Jesus did. Preaching may be my gift, but Christ-like love is my fruit. Exercising our gifts rarely makes our love grow, but exercising our Christian love always allows our gifts to grow.

App #2: "Practice loving people authentically. They will notice!" Anything can be turned into legalism... including love! No one really wants to feel like a charity case. People want to be loved because of who they are, not so you feel better about yourself.

App #3: "Bless three people this week and make sure that one does NOT deserve it!" Now, I understand that biblically none of us "deserve" it, but I think most of you know what I mean. Try tipping a crabby waiter really well or giving a sincere compliment to negative co-worker and see what happens... A blessing can go along what to change someone's day (not to mention their life).

"Apps" for Judgment, Correction & Jesus

In the spiritual life, "there's an app" for everything to aid us in beginning to observe the transformation of Jesus in our lives.  During the sermon last week called "Judgment, Correction & Jesus" covering Matthew 7:1-12 we learned three life application steps in our section called "There's an app for that."  We saw that our desire is to move from giving a spirit of condemnation to living in a spirit of grace.  For those that missed, you can listen to the sermon back on our website.  Here are the apps:

App #1 - Admit you are powerless to change others and yourself.  How much time do we waste worrying about changing those closest to us?  We think, and often say, "If they would just do -blank-," or "if only they would listen to me!"  Little do we recognize the toll and worry we carry ourselves as we try to force our way on others and get them to change.  No matter how good and "Godly" your wisdom is you are often "throwing your pearls away" (Matthew 7:6).

App #2 - Always ask "how would I want to be treated?" and do it!  The entire passage of scripture in Matthew 7:1-12 is framed by one of the last sentences Jesus says, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."  You can't change others and if you're really honest with yourself, you can't stand when others try to change you!  So realizing I am powerless to change others, and asking how I would want to be treated, is a great start to move from a spirit of condemnation to a spirit of grace.

App #3 - Take off the "condemnation plank," kneel on it and pray.  If we realize our inability to change others and approach our relationships through asking "how would I want to be treated?", we can take that plank of condemnation off (Matthew 7:3-4), kneel on it and pray (Matthew 7:7-11).  Praying for others and for my attitude towards them is one of the best actions you can do to demonstrate your dependence on God's transformation and the worthlessness of my ability to change others or myself.    

God Bless all of you as we allow Jesus to transform us into a people that live in His grace rather than our condemnation.

Paul Scanlon on Joyce Meyer

So, I will say up front that Joyce Meyer has not been on my top reading list.  In fact, I have never read one of her books.  She is not on the "most listened to" list on my iPod.  In fact, I don't think I have ever really listened to her.  Get the point??? She is not typically my "go to" person for information.  But one night last month I couldn't sleep and I flipped on the television at 4 am. There she was interviewing a guy named Paul Scanlon, a pastor from the U.K., on the church moving from stance of exclusion to one of inclusion.  This guy articulated stuff I have had in my heart for years and has not left my mind for the past four weeks since it aired.  Rather than writing all my thoughts about it, i'll just post it and let you watch it yourself.  God works in mysterious ways...  

Paul Scanlon Pt 3

Paul Scanlon on Joyce Meyer

Paul Scanlon Pt 2

Paul Scanlon on Joyce Meyer

Paul Scanlon Pt 1

Paul Scanlon on Joyce Meyer