A Gospel Love Affair

James Weidner III - April 21, 2024

Luke 24:44-48 (ASV) 44 And he said unto them, These are my words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must needs be fulfilled, which are written in the law of Moses, and the prophets, and the psalms, concerning me. 45 Then opened he their mind, that they might understand the scriptures; 46 and he said unto them, Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer, and rise again from the dead the third day; 47 and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name unto all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 Ye are witnesses of these things.

This week we continue with *Preach the Gospel*.
My goal is to motivate you towards Gospel centric living.
The Gospel of Mark says more famously says regarding the Great Commission:

Mark 16:15 (NKJV) And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

Fundamental #1 Preach the Gospel.

The good news must be proclaimed.
God, the Father, sent His Son to proclaim good news to the captives.
In all the world.
To every creature.
Open your mouth and speak the Good news.
Ela… imagine if every Christian, told every person the Gospel, every time the opportunity arose…. Jesus would be coming quicker.
How precious are the feet of those who bring.

Mt. 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

2. Believe and be baptized.

Believe to the point of change in your beliefs.
Believe tot he point of changing your mission.
Believe to the point of changing your course in life.

Why would we prioritize a life on Gospel mission…?

3. The motivation of the Gospel is love.

John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Heaven is a world of love because God is love.
God’s love fills heaven like the sun’s light fills the earth.
There is no place one can go to not feel the affect of the love of God.
Before the Gospel good news that *God so loved* the world and sent His son each of us ran after our own loves and desires.
Not only did we each run after our own loves we were also unlovely in every way.
Even today we sit here today each having other loves tugging on our heart strings every day.
God so loved so that the world could begin to love back.
The progression of love growing in our hearts.
The greater one loves the more they are willing to give.
Our love of God will directly impact our love for a loss and dying world.
Ela… A loving father would instantly sacrifice his own life in place of his Child’s without a thought.

Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.

4. Our love of God will affect our desire to be in Heaven.

Some thoughts about heaven to prick your heart.
A heart that is longing for heaven is a Holy heart.
Heaven is a world of love ..
In this world of love those who loved the greatest will be exalted the highest but with pride or arrogance far removed as far as hell is from heaven.
The lovers of God in their exaltation will not cast their downcast gaze upon those who are honored less because those who love the greatest are also the greatest in humility.
As pride and arrogance and the lustful eye no longer has any place in this world of Love.
And those who are honored less will by no means lust after the honor of those who are honored more because they are happy they received their just reward.
Edwards says “those in the highest glory are those that are highest in holiness”

5. The increase of holiness in our walk with Christ, is not a result of determination, but an increase of love, which creates a determination.

1 Pet. 4: 7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

In the end the only thing you need to do is love.
the love in our heart for God and then creates the love for the world that we are suppose to be preaching good news too.
If we each were consumed with the *God so loved* we would love more determinedly.
When love wanes in your heart it is because God’s wanes in your life.
Our love can be so quickly thwarted from it’s design.
So rather than one trying to hype themselves up to be more lovely or to love more we instead need to position ourself to experience more and more of the pure love of God.

Conclusion: Gospel Missional Living

In Acts Chapter 2 and 4 we see the Church selling what they had to provide for the needs of others. Realizing that the greater riches is to hep a brother in need.
An easy way to structure our life to stay in balance and moving the Gospel mission forward is the 4Ts principle or you could say the principle of the tithe.
The 4Ts principle says: A tenth of your time, a tenth of your treasures, a tenth of your talents being sowed into the Gospel.
Now if you think to yourself that is sounding a little religious or legalistic let’s examine that thought…: what is more pleasing to the Lord… making a Gospel Mission Plan and executing it… or for the sake of not being religious… not making a plan… but also not living out a Gospel mission. If you are of the minority that cannot make a plan and still execute effective Gospel mission , then continue to do what you are doing.
8,760 hours in a year.
5000 sleeping and working hours.
3760 available hours for eating, showering, house chores, family, Gospel, fishing, hunting, playing.
17 hours a week of Kingdom sowing and being sown into.

1 Timothy 6:17 (NKJV) 17 Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. 18 Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.