DRESSED

for

SUCCESS

Ephesians 4:22-24You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

Mark 12:28-31One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

God’s perspective

is VERY DIFFERENT

Matthew 26:36-44Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.

Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Isaiah 51:17Awake, awake! Rise up, O Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes men stagger.

Jeremiah 25:15-16The Lord God of Israel showed me a vision in which he said, “Jeremiah, here is a cup filled with the wine of my anger. Take it and make every nation drink some. They will vomit and act crazy, because of the war this cup of anger will bring to them.” 

Psalm 75:8In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

Matthew 26:40 – 44Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.”

When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.

HERE’S THE POINT:

Jesus was NOT FEELING LOVING

about going to the cross

Nevertheless, Jesus did what his Father wanted ...

“Not my will but yours be done”

“Love is not a feeling – it’s an act of the will”

Jesus didn't die for you because it was funHe hung there for love because it had to be doneAnd despite all the anguish his word was fulfilledLove is not a feeling it's an act of your will

LOVEIS TO ACT IN SUCH A

WAYTHAT THE OTHER

PERSONFEELS LOVED

John 13:34-35“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

This is what makes marriages great ...

Ephesians 5:25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

This is what makes sex (making love) great

1 Corinthians 7:2-5But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband.

The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife.

Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

John 15:13 (NIV)Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

John 15:13 (CEV)The greatest way to show love for friends is to die for them.

John 15:13 (NLT)The greatest love is shown when people lay down their lives for their friends.

TO LOVE is to act self-sacrificially so

that THE OTHER PERSON

FEELS LOVED

Matthew 5:43-44“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.

Luke 6:27“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you Luke 6:35But love your enemies, do good to them.

Francis Chan:

I need God to help me love God.And if I need his help to love Him, a perfect being, I definitely need his help to love other, fault-filled humans.