726 01292012Morn

 

Pastor Richard "Buddy" Wimberly "Unconditional Love" 1 Corinthians 13, Romans 5:6-8

Storge – Affection; like in a family; you don’t necessarily like their characteristics but you love them because they are part of your life
Phileo – Friendship; a strong bond between people of like interest or common activities; brotherly love by choice
Eros – Romance; erotic; it is the case of “being in love”; couples develop this kind of love for each other
Agape – Unconditional Love; the God-kind of love; without conditions or boundaries; unselfish; seeks no return; is not emotionally based. I Cor 13
God is the only one who can truly agape. Our love is always rooted in our self interest. We often think that we love unconditionally but our conduct toward those we say we agape changes based on their response or reciprocation to our offer of love.
Rom 5:6  For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
Rom 5:7  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
Rom 5:8  But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
God loves everyone, whether they accept His free gift of eternal life or reject it. Once we receive this precious gift with no strings, the powerful presence of God’s Spirit dwells within us and we began to see that through evidences of the God-kind of love that will start to manifest itself in us.
1Jn 4:7  Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
This love always gives and never requires a return. We can only love Him because He first loved us. Then we serve because of that love and not for reward. Then He rewards because of that love not to receive more service.
Do you love Him? Jesus asked Peter twice if he agape Him and Peter responded that he phileo Him. Jesus asked the third time if he phileo Him and Peter was grieved and answered yes. Are you just an acquaintance or do you have His Spirit dwelling in you demonstrating His love.

725 01252012Wed

Pastor Richard "Buddy" Wimberly "Profitable" Philemon 1:4-21

724 01222012Eve

Pastor Richard "Buddy" Wimberly "Oh How He Loves Us" Romans 5:6-11

God loves us more than we deserve.
God's love is all inclusive. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
We are made part of the family by Christ's death and Jesus' life in us.
Love can make the pain of this world go away.
When we were weak, Christ died for us and helped us. God helps them that can't help themselves.
Atonement: at one ment with God.
We don't have to wait until the ship starts sinking to know God has a plan.
God not only carries us through the traumatic situations, but also through the minor events, and the good times. He's there in the mountains and the valleys.
He saves us in His time. We need to have patience with God because He is always at work in us.
The love of God can mend a broken heart.
We always have an audience with God.

723 01222012Morn

Pastor Richard "Buddy" Wimberly "Reasons" Luke 14:16-24

It’s always easy to find a reason to reject. Reasons or excuses aren’t new and always fall into one of the three categories (Lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life). I heard excuses or reasons all the time why people cannot come.
God is the “certain man” v16. The Holy Spirit is His servant v17. Your reasons why you cannot come anger the Master v21. He commands that we move with urgency and bring in the outcast of this world, even whosoever will.
Notice the definite article statement of our Lord in v 24: none which were bidden shall taste of my supper! This confirms that rejection of the Holy Spirit is the “Unpardonable Sin”. Reasons or excuses not to go are easy to come by, do you know why? The Enemy, Satan, will be glad to offer you an unlimited supply of reasons. Maybe you will come later? No so according to the Master v24. Many reasons not to come, only one reason that you should; He has called you v17.

722 01182012Wed

Pastor Richard "Buddy" Wimberly "Hate Your Family" Luke 14:25-27

God doesn’t measure spirituality by numbers. A large crowd does not mean more spiritual and a smaller crowd doesn’t indicate less spiritual. Actually it is easier to pretend to be spiritual in the larger crowd. Anyone can get caught up by the masses and the enthusiasm that is generated by the multitudes and then find yourself just following along on the fringes of the crowd but not willing to surrender what is necessary to be a disciple (learner).
Hate vs love. This is a part of speech known as hyperbole (exaggeration to illustrate a point; like mile-high ice cream cone). Jesus certainly did not literally mean for us to hate our family in order to be His disciple for He tells us in Luke 6:27 to “love our enemies”. What He is referring to is what we love most! In Col 1:18 we are told “that in all things he might have the preeminence” (first place). In other words, the greater love that we have for Jesus will be of such priority that our love for our family will compare as if it were hatred although it be great love.
Then He even goes so far as to touch the sacred ground of our own lives (will). He says that we must hate our own life in comparison to the love that we have for Jesus. If this is not the case – you can not be His disciple.
Bear (carry) his cross is to take the walk of death. The only way to Life is through Death.

721 01152012Eve

Pastor Richard "Buddy" Wimberly "Altogether Lovely" Song of Solomon 5:8-16

The bride elicits all the daughters of Jerusalem to search for this lover of her soul for she is love sick for Him. The daughters marvel that one as fair as the bride would not just take another lover. “What is so special about this beloved of yours?” Mine is the fairest of ten thousand. Her continued description of Him entices the daughters to desire to seek after Him. For the bride gives an unparalleled description of her beloved. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Many of this world cannot comprehend the great beauty that we perceive in our beloved Savior until they see Him as their Beloved also.
His mouth is most sweet. Her description is of one who is flawless and yet she cherishes His mouth most of all. His lips are sweet for the words that He speaks to and of His beloved bride. Truly He is Altogether Lovely…(in every whit perfect, without flaw) and He is more than my lover … He is my friend.

720 01152012Morn

Pastor Richard "Buddy" Wimberly "Grace" Romans 4:5

GRACE is God’s unmerited favor. Grace can not coexist with the working of the law. We are Justified (made righteous in God’s sight) by Grace not by works. To insist on the demonstration of works to deserve justification actually annuls justification.
FACT: God loves sinners. All are sinners. God loves all.
    You cannot deserve God’s love by good works nor can you lessen His love for you by the sin you commit. Rom 5:20  Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
God loves the saved and the lost alike. John 3:16 For God so loved the world…
Even after you are Born Again you do not merit Grace. You can’t start out in Grace and then continue in works of righteousness to sustain your right standing with God. When you sin … God does not turn away from you. In fact He does everything to lead you back into fellowship with Him. This is for our good, to spare us from the consequences of our sin - not because He don’t love us or can’t bless us.
Which of these sins are greater than our God’s love: Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings Gal 5:19
He does not condone or ignore our sin… just the opposite… He took them upon Himself and the awful price for every single one of them. He knows better than self-righteous judges how awful our sin is.
When you consider the Grace of a Holy God. To adopt ungodly sinners into His family and pay in over-abundance our sin debt. You will desire more than ever to live a Godly life and not out of duress (law).