We finished up our series on Ready?  Then for the last couple of weeks, we have had some guest speakers come through our church. This Sunday instead of jumping right into our new series called Servant, Pastor Lynn wanted to do this stand-alone message called Growing up by growing in love as a bridge message between the two series.

In the past, God has emphasized messages to His church. We have walked through a time of ‘God is our Friend’ and ‘God is a Father’ to sons and daughters but what has often happened is that we have grabbed hold of the new and walked away from what God has given in the past. We must know God fully in all the ways He has revealed Himself. God is a very dramatic way humbled Himself to reveal Himself as Servant and we are servants of God. It is part of our identity. God put on human skin so that we could recognize Him. He washed the disciple’s feet. He has woven into the fabric of our identity to be a servant, one who is an exporter of God’s love.

Ephesians 4:14-16 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

God doesnt want us to be children who are tossed all over the place not knowing what truth and being deceived by fancy words. Paul in this verse says RATHER, meaning God’s preferred future for you is this. We are to be a people who IN LOVE speak truth to one another and a people who IN LOVE build each other up. We have to stop falling into the trap of complaining about the darkness and go become one who loves and is light in that darkness.

PROPHETIC WORDS

In the years since Pastor Lynn has been here, there have been a few notable prophetic words and visions about our church. Dave Dostal, when Lynn first came to Springs, saw in a vision a flow of water that went out from our church. It flowed to the lights places and they became brighter. It flowed to the gray places and they became lighter. It flowed to the dark places and they became light. The Lesley Keegal who visited and shared at our church a couple years ago said that he saw 2 springs. The first spring would bring a cleansing flow and if we would allow the sanctification the 2nd spring would bring a revival of refreshing and renewal. The last vision was told to Pastor Lynn just the year that a number of people would be coming to Springs of Life and we were to get ready!

If we are going to be ready for what God is doing then the church cannot be a spectator event. This is an all hands on deck kind of thing. The greatest thing concerning preparation for maturity is in the way that we love one another.

Over the past several months our church has been going through a time of transition. We are launching new systems and ways of organization. We have some ministries that are creating job descriptions and missions statements but guess what? A job description won’t get you to love someone. Only the Holy Spirit can change your heart so that we become people who live to love and love to give. So what do we do? We have to understand that love grows when we have a deeper relationship with God.

Philippians 1:9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment

 

We have to have revelational intimate kind of knowledge. We have to know God in a deeper way. We have to have a passion for Christ that understands the love that God has for us so that, that love, can flow out of us. We have to start responding to the love that God has given us. Then with that love we recieve, we must become skillful in the way we love others. Don’t just go through the motions! There is no substitute for the love of God.

The Problem

We cant be lukewarm anymore. Many of us are so distracted. Our love has turned cold. We lack intention, purpose, and focus. Many of us just say to God, “You have to make me feel it God” and then you will respond. If we did that in our marriage relationships we would have a dead marriage. One-sided relationships don’t last! We must begin to prime the pump of the heart to stir and provoke it to go to God. Do a check up on your relationship with God. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.

The Key: 

Who are you hanging out with? Are the people that you are hanging out with provoking you to go further in God? If you want to run harder and faster for God, you have to find those that are running faster than you. – Tweet This!

Your life will be defined by the people you hang out with. You have to intentionally run harder and pick better friends. The people you pick to hang out with will take you places for the negative or the positive. Choose wisely.

We must be proactive with God and with one another. We need to practice in the church what God is wanting us to take to the community. So, here is your assignment:

BE PRESENT WITH EACH OTHER IN THE MOMENT!

Focus when you are with your brothers and sisters. Affirm to them the value that they have as God’s children. Affirm to them their dignity. They matter. They are a gift.

 

Thanks for Listening,

Starla