Love The People Around Us

Love the People around Us

“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:42-47

Intro: We are most like Jesus when we “Love the People around Us.”

The bible teaches us what this looks like here in Acts chapter 2.

The first church…, the prototype church…, the original church

Had a red hot Holy Spirit…, evangelistic…, disciple making temperature.

This is still our model for church today.

We sometimes forget this.

We need to be reminded from time to time to check our temperature.

To see if we have individually grown a little cool.

To see if we have corporately grown a little cool.

Has the red hot Holy spirit of God cooled a bit around us?

Do we really care about people as much as we say we care about people?

Do we really “Love the People around Us?” Like Jesus loved the people around him?

Today we are going to talk about What it means to truly love the people around us the way Jesus loves us.

Here we have a terrific snapshot of what a loving and caring Christian fellowship is supposed to be like.

The church was excited

The church was passionate about Christ and loving one another.

Christians understood that worship was not something you went too.

Worship was who you are.

They understood that loving God and loving people was and is and will always be the greatest commands.

God wants to take you to deeper relationships in our walk with Him,

and He wants to take us into higher places of blessing in our life.

But we cannot get there on our own.

Are you ready to be where God wants you to be?

If so, then how do you get there?

1. This is a great starting place to live. God could have put you someplace else.

So blessed………. I don’t want to say overblessed…. Maybe sometimes forget how good we have it.

Has the Holy Spirit gotten cooler?

Or has our temperature cooled down for the Lord?

The other side.

The Ugly Side

Paintsville Police Blotter

domestic disturbance.

theft complaint.

DUI complaint.

vehicle theft.

property dispute.

juvenile complaint.

public drunk.

shoplifting.

custody dispute.

fight in progress.

Drug abuse is a serious problem.

Children that are abuse and have to be removed from their homes.

Some mom or dad got this phone call that their son or daughter was picked up for D.U.I.

Let me just remind you this morning that about 62% of the people in this county

will not be in church this Sunday.

God gave his only son for the salvation of the world.

Come Holy Spirit come…, Burn like a fire in your people.

So I want to get real practical this morning.

How can I love the people around me?

Let me remind you that Jesus is our model.

Jesus knows he is getting ready to die.

Tell his disciple go to Jerusalem one last time.

He will be sacrificed.

Comes out of the city of Bethany that is at the top of a hill which we call the Mt. of Olives.

On a donkey

As he does people begin to cheer.

Hosanna

Which means praise----worship, rejoice, magnify, glory

But it also means SAVE US AND RESCUE US.---can’t do it without you. Need your help.

Jesus’Arch enemies the Pharisees is there.

Jesus tell disciple that if they stop

If they quit praising these rocks will praise him

The stones were their conscience---

Voice of the faithful who had served for years to make it possible for their faith

Martyrs and people suffered persecution---hardships and sacrifices to keep things going….

What does your conscience cry out to tell you this morning?

1. Self awareness

2. Heart---30 occurrences in the NT---all have to do with HOW WE BEAR WITNESS

How we love like Jesus loved.

As Jesus is coming over into Jerusalem

Jesus Looks

Models for us to what it means to love the people

You think it is tough coming here once a week.

It was really tough for Jesus to go to Jerusalem.

But as (Jesus) came closer to Jerusalem and saw the city ahead…

Luke 19:41a (NLT)

1. ___see________ the people as Jesus _____saw________ them.