Spirit of Freedom – IV Character of God

November 26, 2017

Spirit of Freedom IV

THE CHARACTER OF GOD – LOVE

WHAT WE WILL ANSWER TODAY:

What is God Like?
How has God demonstrated Himself to you?
How do you demonstrate God to others by His leading and power?

1-What is God Like?

Gal. 5:22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 22. Gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

a-Absolute statements of eternal Condition

1 John 4:7-8. 12, 16-17, King James Version (KJV)
7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
8He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us.
16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.
17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

b-Religious ways do not produce fruit

“For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision avails anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love” (Gal. 5:6).

EXAMPLE: Here were some religious charlatans in Ephesus who pretended to have special, miracle-working powers. Sceva, who is identified as “a Jewish chief priest” (Acts 19:14), had seven sons “who went around driving out evil spirits” (verse 13).
Seeing the success that Paul had in exorcising demons, the seven sons of Sceva began using a new formula invoking the name of Jesus. They would say to the demon, “In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out” (verse 13).This ploy of Sceva’s seven sons backfired one day.
A demon they were trying to cast out refused, saying, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?” (Acts 19:15).
The demon then turned on them viciously.
The demon-possessed man “jumped on them and overpowered them all.
He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding” (verse 16).
The seven sons of Sceva were no match for the demonic power they were toying with

(see Mark 5:1–4).

Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon

5 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. 2 And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him.

Passion of Love

Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this” (John 11:4). By the time Jesus arrived to see him, Lazarus had been dead four days.
Jesus revealed the magnitude of His sorrow after he came face to face with Mary. When Jesus saw her crying, He was “deeply moved” (John 11:33). Then He cried too.
Jesus grieved over the loss of His friend, but He was also responding to Mary’s deep anguish. As any true friend would, Jesus offered His own tears, mourning right along with her.
Jesus followed the crowd to the tomb and asked them to roll away the stone. Then He prayed a passionate prayer of thanksgiving. “Father, thank you for hearing me” (John 11:41).
He didn’t pray for Lazarus to wake up.
He didn’t pray for God to perform a miracle.
He thanked His Father for always being available in times of need, for always hearing.
He prayed so others would see Him and believe.

2-How has God demonstrated Himself to you?

Personal testimony: God’s passion in us. God’s Passion to pray in love for the broken, sick, afflicted, possessed.

How do you demonstrate God to others by His leading and power?

“We know love by this ,that He laid down His life for us…” 1 John 3:16 (See 1 Cor. 13 on what love looks like)

God loved you through Christ’s sacrifice
Central aspect of the transformed life
- Where are you building?
- To extend grace or demand rights?