Meridianites, It was awesome to be back in the pulpit today at Meridian. It has only been three weeks, but it seemed like forever. Pastor Walter Love, Pastor Dan Bender and Minister Thomas Pittman did an outstanding job during my recovery. I am blessed to serve with such men. Today, I gave a little bit of a shout out to my father in the ministry Dr. Timothy J. Winters who has now joined that great roll of preachers with the Lord. I read The African Pastors Statement that he would recite before he preached. While I was recovering from my surgery I had an urge to read it not knowing why, just feeling that it was something I needed to read daily during that time. Im glad I did as it reminded my of Dr. Winters and led me to pray for him. He was great man of God who trained me well. I am blessed to report that God added to our fellowship a dear sweet young lady. Who truly felt moved by the Holy Spirit to surrender her life. Im thankful for the message that God laid on my heart, Reclaiming Love. The most difficult part will be the implementation. I firmly believe that God is moving the church out of its comfort zone and back to the radical sold out nature it once had. We have romanticized love and downplayed its sacrificial nature as demonstrated by Jesus himself. I encourage you to read John 13:34-35...meditate on it especially in terms of its context and audience. The n read Leviticus 19:18; Mark 12:30-31; Romans 17:2, and 1 Corinthians 13 in the same style. I believe you will find that in light of the context and audience we have not truly loved as Christ has called us to. Christs love to His disciples was self-abandoning, self-sacrificing love. I like the way matthew Henry summed it John 13:34-35 in his concise commentary... “Before Christ left the disciples, he would give them a new commandment. They were to love each other for Christs sake, and according to his example, seeking what might benefit others, and promoting the cause of the gospel, as one body, animated by one soul. But this commandment still appears new to many professors (my note: and to people in the church the church today). Men in general notice any of Christs words rather than these. By this it appears, that if the followers of Christ do not show love one to another, they give cause to suspect their sincerity.” The real danger in a Small Church (and Meridian is a small church) is being focused inward rather than outward. (Which leads to the Us 4 and NO more syndrome) We need to ask ourselves… 1. What are we doing? 2. Why are we doing it? 3. How are we doing it? 4. When are we successful? 5. Where is God taking us? If we are His disciples that we will truly love the way that He has loved us. Blessings, Pastor
Posted on: Sun, 16 Mar 2014 21:34:57 +0000
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