Church Alive - Temperature Check
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Vision
Vision
We have talked for weeks of churches mostly dying or dead
These churches compromised, tolerated, lost focus - lost vision
Without revelation people run wild, but one who follows divine instruction will be happy.
Without vision or direction we go no where.
We need a baptism of clear seeing. We desperately need seers who can see through the mist–Christian leaders with prophetic vision. Unless they come soon it will be too late for this generation. And if they do come we will no doubt crucify a few of them in the name of our worldly orthodoxy. ~ A.W. Tozer
How do we know if we are missing it or have strayed - we take our temperature
Universal for a year we took temps to prevent anyone who could be sick spreading it
The temperature let us know if something was wrong
The temperature is an outward sign of an inward issue
So how do we take our spiritual temperature -
There should be outward signs of our inward transformation - should be marked by love
Matthew 22
We are going to take our temp this morning as a church and individuals
Let’s pray
Temperature Check
It is love that is the measure
When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him: “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”
Temperature Check
The great commandment - everything points to this - not a feeling - it is a lifestyle
3 areas will show our love - Our motive, method our mission
Church Alive
Our Motive: His love for us
We love because he first loved us.
He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
We can love with everything because He loved with everything
But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Church Alive
Our Motive: His love for us
Think about it you are completely loved
Nothing can make Him love you more or less
It is not just something I say or sing - that's our nest check
Church Alive
2. Our Method: Obedience
The one who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father. I also will love him and will reveal myself to him.”
Church Alive
2. Our Method: Obedience
You can’t just say it I love Him - it should be reflected in out actions.
Christians don't tell lies they just go to church and sing them.
- A. W. Tozer
Are we living lives that point to Jesus?
You can love church and not love Jesus, but you cannot love Jesus and not His church, His Bride
We should be growing -
For those he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, so that he would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.
We should be looking more and more like Jesus - not the distorted view we have today -
He called out sin in love - sacrificed everything, nothing more important than Loving God
It will show
Church Alive
3. Our Mission: Love God by Loving Others
“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Church Alive
3. Our Mission: Love God by Loving Others
If we have got the true love of God shed abroad in our hearts, we will show it in our lives. We will not have to go up and down the earth proclaiming it. We will show it in everything we say or do.
- Dwight L. Moody
Church Alive
3. Our Mission: Love God by Loving Others
Sheep and goats - about people treating Israel, but applicable today
When we love people in word and deed we are worshipping God
The goats in the story did not realize that by not loving people they missed Jesus
The sheep - was just second nature love others in tangible ways didn't notice
That's the goal - that loving people will be our worship and it will become second nature
Church Alive
Church Alive
So what’s your temperature?
It is all of us together - all of us heading the same direction
Broken being healed - unlovable loving others
The church is not a select circle of the immaculate, but a home where the outcast may come in. It is not a palace with gate attendants and challenging sentinels along the entrance-ways holding off at arm's-length the stranger, but rather a hospital where the broken-hearted may be healed, and where all the weary and troubled may find rest and take counsel together.
- James H. Aughey
Church Alive
Church Alive
Do you know your loved?
Are you living in Obedience?
How are you loving others?
At Universal we will tell people sorry your temp falls outside our guidelines - can’t come today
In that passage about sheep and goats - Jesus looked at the goats and said:
“Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
Either you know him or you don’t
If you do know him it will show
What’s your temperature?
Let’s pray