Discipleship in AGAPE & HONOR in 4D
Sunday, September 24, 2023 – RECAP/Study Points
Pastor Mike: This love thing has been really challenging me, and I’ve noticed that everything we do works. Selah. It either works for you, against you, or on you. This lesson of Agape & Honor has been working on me, so much so that some realizations that I once lived in and kind of subscribed to are being challenged to the degree that it’s forcing me to change my posture and position. I thought I was in this love walk.
But as I seek to live this particular level of life, it’s become more and more intriguing and interesting to me. Because I think I’m onto something I’ve never seen, and it’s forcing me to want to uncover more of it. I want to expose myself, my dreams, my ideations, my aspirations, objectives, endeavors, and goals to the lifestyle of Jesus, whereby I now realize that heaven, as a Christian, is not my goal. At one time, heaven was the overall goal of receiving Him.
After years of understanding that heaven was not the primary or principal goal in the heart and the mind of Jesus, He came to preach the kingdom. He wanted us to convey the kingdom to this dying world so there would be some alternates. These alternatives would cause hope and excitement and show people that there’s a far better way to live than what has been presented to us.
When we’re moving toward another scripture theme reference, it relates to Faith City Central (FCC), which is Matt 5:14 – Let your light so shine, that men and women will see your good works they’ll glorify the Father, who is in heaven.
Who really knows the difference between your life and the life of this culture? As a matter of fact, the Apostle Paul told Timothy that in the last days, the Love of God would wax cold. That we would not consider people, even down to our brothers and sisters in Christ, in a manner that would glorify God and demonstrate to the world that we are indeed His disciples.
It’s been so intriguing to me that maybe I have not been mature enough as it relates to my love walk, Agape walk, even as Pastor. There have been times, even some of your responses to me, that moved me in such a way that I felt a certain way, and my feelings have gotten involved, and I responded negatively. I have matured to the place where I now live this offense-free lifestyle. It’s not enough to not be offended; you’ve got to take a look at what the love of Jesus looks like and go out of your way to appeal to the abuser, that person who has hurt you. Share with them to the capacity that they don’t understand how you do what you do after they’ve done what they have done.
I want to impact the world. Let me just start with you and impacting your life. To the degree that this transformative power, as it relates to the Agape of God, begins to work on you where you question your responses. And you start all of them off with, “As I have loved you…”.
Elder Soneil: With maturation, you ask yourself more questions than you ask others. Mature people spend more time looking inside than they do looking outside. As it pertains to this love question, am I a sell-out to love, or am I sold out to love? There’s a big difference. A man who discovers a treasure in a field sells all he has to acquire that field because he understands the value of what’s on the inside of that field (Matt 13:44-46).
It’s a difference between being a sell-out, giving up, caving in, and falling to the wayside versus being sold out. Because when you’re sold out to something, nothing will stop you and I from going after that thing. The price of love is far more valuable than being a sell-out. Today, we’re working on being sold-out and stop being sell- outs.
Pastor Mike: The standard as a believer is, “As I have loved you.” Now, it’s imperative to look at how Jesus loves me. To determine what my response would be to others. How quickly we will turn on others, but yet want to hold this banner of being a Christian. We have not identified with an unlimited capacity for love, which, in my opinion, is the threshold to signs, wonders, and miracles.
Resources beyond your comprehension because when you start exhibiting that kind of love, God will make you the distribution center in the earth that will begin to impact everything around you because of this capacity.
None of you can say I can’t do that, none of you can say I won’t do that because you’ve been given the capacity to love as He loves. I made a decision to break through that portal, of accessing the love of God to the degree that if Dr. DeeDee lost her mind, it would prove to me that she would need me more than I ever even understood.
Jesus vowed to us that He would never leave us nor forsake us. He would be with us always, even until the end of the world. But yet, there are conditions as to how you choose to love. Everybody isn’t going to walk in this because it requires the death of your feelings, emotions, and reputation. It requires that. I put aside how I feel and look to Him, the author and finisher of my faith.
How is it in the mind of Christ that when he died, he experienced the same level of assault? And He said, “Not my will, but Your will be done.”
I heard a man say that if this woman wants my heart, she will have to go to God to get it. In other words, if you don’t give your heart to God and people don’t seek God, they’ll never have your heart. I wouldn’t want for a man or woman whose heart is not with God and in God. I get the code, the combination of accessing her heart, from God.
We have this self-righteous, self-absorbed disposition about righteousness where we pick and choose who we will forgive or not. Who we’re going to look down our noses at because of what they have done. Look at what you have done. And Jesus is still standing right beside you.
The Bible says it’s so dangerous to make a vow and not keep it. As a matter of fact, He said don’t make it, if you’re not going to keep it. What thanks do you have if you only love those who love you? Let’s try loving those enemies. One thing that should never come out of your mouth as a believer is that I’m done with them.
Elder Soneil: It’s really good to listen to how you’ve comprehended the assignment. Because you mentioned the word comprehension, and comprehension is necessary to complete every assignment. A contemporary example about Hosea and Gomer, whose name means completion: because we serve such a loving God, God is not just one who loves the people who love us. He was trying to tell us that it’s our assignment to love even those who have strayed away, those who seem unlovable. We ALL have been given the assignment to complete this love assignment. But it starts with your comprehension. Completing this assignment is impossible if you don’t comprehend what’s being taught and demonstrated.
So, because we’ve entered into this building to learn, we’re learning through demonstration and Word, first and foremost from our Man of God, but secondly, through the partners. You are so valuable that God has set you here to help us comprehend what God’s love looks like so that all of us can complete our love assignment.
Pastor Mike: There is something to loving my enemies that will access me to something greater. The unthinkable, the exceedingly above all that I can ask or think (Eph 3:20). It’s an E320 life. And what I notice most about this is that if I’m going to have this life, I’ve got to go somewhere and die because you’ve got to be willing to lose your life to have this life (The E320 Life).
Not physically dying but crucifying your flesh and not giving it an opportunity to weigh in on matters that have been causing me to respond like the world. I’m not speaking to them anymore until they speak to me. And you’re a Christian.
Jesus went to many places where they didn’t celebrate Him. For example, He said, “I need to go into Samaria.” And one of the disciples said we don’t go there. He went there anyway and met the woman at the well. She said she did not have a husband, and Jesus told her she had five.
But He sat there and took time with her, and she told Him that they don’t have dealings with each other. He said that He would have dealings with her because He is the Son of Love.
You watch how I remain in responding to you. Have a test case; prove me to see if it’s real because I’ve tapped into something that ain’t no mountain high enough. I’m going to love you in spite of…
Elder Soneil:
Gal 2:20 (NLT)
- My old self has been crucified with Christ
- I no longer live, but Christ lives in me
- So, I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God
- Who loved me and gave Himself for me
Jesus gave Himself for ME, despite me. And I’m thinking about a Bob Marley song, you can run, but you can’t run away from yourself. It’s talking about me. Nobody knows me like me, and He still did what He did for me. Something happened when I read that scripture just now; it was so personal. I had to laugh at the love of God because the love of God has no boundaries when it comes to rescuing me. It’s about rescuing me from me. Not the things of this world, but rescuing me from how I think, how I was raised, and how things have been done to me. And He rescued me.
I don’t know about you, but this has to become personal for you. If it’s not personal, you won’t accept the life raft of love He’s throwing out to you. You’re sinking; you’re drowning; grab hold of the love He’s pouring out to you and I today. Don’t wait until tomorrow because tomorrow is not promised. This rescue of love that’s pouring out today is for you as much as it is for me.
I know me, and me needs Jesus. The only reason I’m standing here today is because of Him. The only way you’re going to stand is because of Him. You’ve tried everything; nothing else works. At some point, you have to come to the realization that Jesus is the way, the ONLY way. If He can rescue me, I know He can rescue you.
Pastor Mike: Me is trying to kill you. And you’ve got to kill me before me kills you. Paul said, I crucify myself; I’ve been crucified in Christ. God is not going to kill you. You’re going to have to kill you. He said, “But the life that I now live…”. So, I’ve got to know Him.
Which will segue me into this next series of lessons, this TSA. There must be a Total Surrender Agreement. When you think about TSA, you think about traveling, airport, customs, being cleared. They can go through your stuff. You need Jesus to go through your stuff, and you’re going to need an agreement. Jesus, if you find anything that is not like You, please save me from me.
John 15:11 (NKJV)
- These things I have spoken to you
- That My joy may remain in you
- And that your joy may be full
I understand that the love of God is unstoppable, unshakable, yet unsearchable. You come to this point in His love, and He takes you out further.
John 15:12 (NKJV)
- This is My commandment
- That you love one another
- As I have loved you
Value who Jesus is to you to stop opposing Him. Why do you keep opposing the One who loves you the most? That’s why He said, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” This is the standard for the believer. I love as He has loved me.
John 15:13-15 (NKJV)
- Greater love has no one than this
- Than to lay down One’s life for his friends
- You are my friends; if you do whatever I command, you
- No longer do I call you servants
- For a servant does not know what his master is doing
- But I have called you friends
- For all things that I heard from My Father, I have made known to you
I want you to win because love wins. Love never fails. When you’re in LOVE, you can’t fail. The thing Elder Soneil said about comprehension is critical. The more He reveals Himself to me, the more I want to reveal everything He is to others. My worship and praise go to another level.
Financial Tip:
1) Start Saving for Retirement as Early as Possible
If you are eligible for your employer’s retirement plan, get signed up and start contributing today. If you are not able to contribute to a plan through your employer, open an IRA and start an automatic contribution. Do not procrastinate on this. Proverbs 6:6-8 (NIV)
Assignment:
- Review and Study the Scriptures Below
Key Scriptures:
Matt 5:14 Gal 2:20 (NLT/NKJV)
Eph 3:20 John 15:11-15 (NKJV)
Remember: The difference between 3D and 4D is simply the difference between walking in the flesh versus walking in the Spirit. 3D is walking in the flesh, and 4D is walking in the Spirit.