Becoming Love – 1. As He Is So Are We

1Cor. 13.13 (NKJV) And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

1Cor. 12.31 (NKJV) But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.
1Cor. 13.1 (NKJV) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.
1Cor. 13.2 (NKJV) And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.
1Cor. 13.3 (NKJV) And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

This morning is an important message for all of us here at New Day.

After 16 months I am beginning o see more clearly what God is attempting to infuse into us as His people. There is a move that God is doing and going to do in greater measure at New Day and just a few weeks ago I believe I saw what that is going to be.

A MOVE of His Love transforming us into those who embody His love.

1Tim. 1.5 (NKJV) Now the purpose of the commandment is love… from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith,

When love rises, “self” along with selfishness dies.
Self = I have a right to be___________________

If you don’t see it in Jesus you didn’t learn it from Him…

When love rises, Color no longer matters.
When love rises you see the value in everyone.
When love rises, expectations decrease.
When love rises, forgiveness flows freely.
When love rises, ambition and preferences cease.
When love rises, opinions change.
When love rises, hurts heal.
When love rises, hatred and division cease.
When love rises, needs are met.
When love rises, Hope rises.
When love rises, faith grows.
When love rises people experience God.
When love rises, everything changes.

As I have said many times before, God is and has been taking all of us on a journey of discovery – of Who He is and how we can best represent Him to all those we interact with and rub shoulders with each and every day.

My hope is that the pressure to perform, to earn and or to impress God is lifting from your life. And you are beginning to learn how to simply ENJOY God. To seek Him not because of what happens if you don’t, but because you are starting to realize that He longs for a relationship with you. That He actually delights in you. That He has Joy when he thinks about you.

He is relentless in LOVING you and I. He is love and releases it each and every day. He is calling us to be just like Him.

1John 4.7 (NKJV) Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
1John 4.8 (NKJV) He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

1John 4.11 (NKJV) Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1John 4.12 (NKJV) No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

1John 4.13 (NKJV) By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.

1John 4.16 (NKJV) And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.
1John 4.17 (NKJV) Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

This message of LOVE is not about what you need to DO or how you need to ACT, but it has everything to do with CATCHING God’s heart for you and His heart for people.

Ultimately, yes love is ACTION. There is always this contention between BEING and DOING. My prayer is that BEING takes precedence in your life. Because of your being will lead you to DOing.

First and foremost having a LOVE for others stems from RECEIVING God’s Love and then allowing yourself to be a conduit of that LOVE wherever you go.

Just like this pipe, we were never meant to keep it all for ourselves!

Before New Day started the Lord began to deal with me about the mission and focus of WHO we are as a church. We certainly aren’t there yet, but we are building toward it. I see glimpses of it already happening inside you, especially those who attend New Day on a regular basis. And truthfully, that excites me.

Our MISSION is simple – to REACH/MEET people (as many as we can) right where they are with God’s LOVE so they can be TRANSFORMED.

I want to make this statement – We are not in the TRANSFORMATION business. We are in the LOVING business.

We do our part – LOVE people. God will do His part – TRANFORM lives.

At New Day we are being called by God to LOVE endlessly, relentlessly and passionately AND I know as a result God will transform many lives through our efforts.

The mission of New Day is summed up in one parable that Jesus shared. A story of a man who LOVED endlessly, relentlessly and passionately. The good Samaritan.

People all around us are crying out to God in their pain and confusion. They are looking for someone to come around them in these vulnerable places and be a conduit for the love of God.

God wants to pour Himself out through us, but are we ready and equipped for these moments?

Those in community with you.

1Th. 5.11 (NKJV) Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.
1Th. 5.12 (NKJV) And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you,
1Th. 5.13 (NKJV) and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.
1Th. 5.14 (NKJV) Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all.
1Th. 5.15 (NKJV) See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all.

Those you interact with on a relational level.

Col. 3:12-14 (TPT)
12 You are always and dearly loved by God! So robe yourself with virtues of God, since you have been divinely chosen to be holy. Be merciful as you endeavor to understand others, and be compassionate, showing kindness toward all. Be gentle and humble, unoffendable in your patience with others. 13 Tolerate the weaknesses of those in the family of faith, forgiving one another in the same way you have been graciously forgiven by Jesus Christ. If you find fault with someone, release this same gift of forgiveness to them. 14 For love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark[k] of true maturity.[l]

Those who knowingly are struggling with Sin.

Galatians 6:1-5
My beloved friends, if you see a believer who is overtaken with a fault,[a] may the one who overflows with the Spirit[b] seek to restore him. Win him over with gentle words, which will open his heart to you and will keep you from exalting yourself over him.[c2 Love empowers us to fulfill the law of the Anointed One as we carry each other’s troubles. 3 If you think you are too important to stoop down to help another, you are living in deception.4 Let everyone be devoted to fulfill the work God has given them to do with excellence, and their joy will be in doing what’s right and being themselves, and not in being affirmed by others. 5 Every believer is ultimately responsible for his or her own conscience.[d]