Thank you for being here today. Thank you for
our worship team and everyone that has ushered
in the presence of the Lord into this place today.
930 service is not always the easiest, but you
chose to be here. So most of you must be mourning
people. I'm not. But when I get the opportunity
to come into the house of the Lord, I'm glad
to be here. I'm thankful to be here. Take out
your Bibles. It's an honor and a privilege to
be able to stand before you today. We have been,
since the year begun, pastors been preaching.
And I know Brother Mark Fowler has also preached
a lot about the kingdom. And I don't know if
for many of you remembered probably a month ago,
he preached in this pulpit. And he said to the
both of us, he said, preach the kingdom. And
then this ice came and then the snow came and
then everything got disrupted. And so here I
stand with the word that the Lord laid upon my
heart a few weeks ago. As a matter of fact, I
wasn't even supposed to preach today. I'm filling
in today. So God must have somebody, something
for someone today. And I'm happy to be able to
bring the word of the Lord to you today. Tomorrow
chapter, and I give honor to our pastor and Sister
Linda who are not here today. I'm thankful to
the Lord for their leadership and I look forward
to what the Lord has for us in the future. Mark
chapter 12, verse 29 through 31. We pick up on
a conversation that the Lord is having with a
scribe and that he had been having with the Pharisees
and the Sadducees as they were trying to debate
him. And this is a subject that is not unfamiliar
to us. but I hope to be able to remind us today
about what the Lord wants us to do, how he wants
us to be in his kingdom. Mark 12, 29 through
31, Jesus answered, the most important is, here
O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
And you shall love the Lord your God with all
your heart and with all your soul and with all
your mind and all your strength. The second is
this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.
And for a few minutes today, this morning, I
want to speak to you on this subject the Lord
laid upon my heart, the kingdom that love built.
The kingdom that love. Let's pray and ask the
Lord to speak to our hearts and our minds today.
Lord Jesus, we thank you, Lord, for the privilege,
the opportunity to worship you, to lift you up
and to bless your mighty name, oh Lord. Thank
you for bringing us into this place, oh Lord.
Let your anointing flow through this service,
oh Lord. I thank you, Lord God, for your worth.
I thank you for your anointing. I thank you for
all those who... On a regular basis, pray for
our services, oh Lord. Those who have prayed
for this service today, thank you Lord God for
hearing and answering our prayer. In Jesus' name,
amen. You may be seated. Every kingdom is built
on something. Whether it's power, wealth, fear,
military or military might. But Jesus revealed
the kingdom unlike any the world has ever seen
The kingdom isn't built. This kingdom isn't built
on force or politics. It's built on love When
a scribe asked Jesus the most important question
about the greatest commandment or the most important
commandment Jesus gave an answer that laid the
very foundation of God's kingdom Jesus made it
very clear that the kingdom of God is rooted
in love. And so while the Pharisees and the Sadducees
were trying to debate Jesus about paying taxes,
they were debating him about the resurrection
from the dead, they were debating him about who's
going to be who's wife in heaven, who's gonna
be married to whom in heaven. There was a scribe
that was listening and he came forward and he
asked, Jesus, which commandment was the most
important? His answer to the scribe or Jesus's
answer to the scribe who asked him the question
Wasn't to go down a list of do's and don'ts in
the kingdom Because it was so much simpler than
that Jesus simply gave this educated religious
scholar a summary Believe that God is one And
He said, love Him with everything in you, with
all your heart, which is the center of your emotions
and your desires, with all your soul, which is
the depth of your very being and identity, with
all of your mind, which is your intellect, thoughts,
and reasoning, with all of your strength, your
physical energy, actions, and resources. Love
God with... everything there's nothing left off
of the list nothing left out and love he said
the second is like unto it which is similar basically
the same thing he said love your neighbor as
yourself jesus didn't make it complicated it
is so simple that even children can understand
it The scribe was an expert in the law. He knew
the Torah. He knew it left and right, from back
to front. He was a lawyer. He knew the laws of
God. He knew the do's and the don'ts. What I
shouldn't do, what I should do. He'd been coming
to church, going to church probably for most
of his life, if not all of his life. And he knew
the do's and he knew the don'ts. But he wanted
to test Jesus. Is this about do's? I'm standing
here, I'm hearing all these the Sadducees and
the Pharisees, I'm hearing all these religious
rulers ask you what to do, what not to do, what's
good, what's not good, and then this scribe knowing
that this is not just about do's and don'ts,
he knows this is about something so much deeper
than that, he steps forward and he asks Jesus
which is a great command, which is more important.
He knew the Ten Commandments found in Exodus
chapter 20 verses 1 through 17 He knew and then
and in Deuteronomy chapter 5 6 through 21 That
so many people are familiar with also known as
the moral laws. They are unchanging They simply
tell us the Ten Commandments simply tell us how
to love God and how to love our neighbor Judaism
counts 613 laws that God gave to them that include
the Ten Commandments. In the New Testament, there
are about 1 ,050 instructions for Christians,
commandments for us to follow. Yet when Jesus
was asked by this scribe, he only mentioned two.
No need to walk around. There's no need for us
to walk around with a notebook of what to do
and what not to do. The Holy Ghost in us will
bring us into alignment with the Word of God
when we receive the teaching and the preaching
of the Word of God. We need to have the Holy
Ghost. You need to have the Holy Ghost. If you
don't have the Holy Ghost, it's for you today.
Repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, infilling
of the Holy Ghost, evidence by speaking with
other tongues, as the spirit of the utterance
gives utterance. Today is a day of salvation.
Speaking to his disciples of the Holy Ghost that
was going to be poured out Jesus said in John
chapter 6 verse 13 He says however when he the
spirit of truth has come He will guide you into
all truth for he will not speak on his own authority
But whatever he hears he will speak and he will
tell you things to come Jesus said in John chapter
14 verse 15 if you love me keep you will keep
my commandments the scribe this lawyer this expert
in the law in the Word of God received the answer
from Jesus that he was looking for and he even
agreed with Jesus the scribes said to him responded
to Jesus in Mark chapter 12 verses 32 to 33 he
said so the scribes said to him well said teacher
you have spoken the truth for there is one God
and there is no other but he and to love him
with all your heart and with all the understanding
and with all the soul and with all the strength
and to love one's neighbor as oneself is more
than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
So the scribe was now turning around and trying
to tell Jesus or teach Jesus what the law, oh
you're right Jesus, you're right. You're the
one that gave the laws in the first place. Thank
you for telling me, you're right. But Jesus didn't
let him go so easily Jesus curiously said to
him in Mark chapter 12 verse 34 Now when Jesus
saw that he answered wisely He said to him you
are not far from the kingdom of God and After
that no one dared ask dared question him It's
one thing to know the laws of God but our eternity
with Jesus will depend on whether we obey Him
and obey those laws. Love must be put into action
toward God, heart, soul, mind, and strength and
toward everyone else. We are to love Him with
everything within us. He is the only idol that
we should have. Love is what dominates these
two commandments because the kingdom of God's
very foundation is love. Kingdom love differs
vastly from the world's understanding of love.
Many people understand love to be conditional.
For example, I will love you if you treat me
well. If you make me happy, I will love you.
That's how the world understand love. Jesus said
in another place, Do unto others or the Word
of God says another place do unto others as you
would have them do unto you Jesus did not attach
conditions to the love that we are commanded
to have for him and each other We are to love
whether it's reciprocated to us or not I know
this is very familiar to everyone or most of
you sitting in this place today We can know when
we are truly loving God though, because we do
our very best to keep His commandments. It's
easy to say, I love God, but do we really love
God? That's a question that only you and God
have the answer to. Only God truly knows your
heart, only God truly knows my heart. Only God
truly knows your motives, and only God truly
knows my motives. That's why Jesus said to the
scribe, he said, you're not far from the kingdom.
Because when that scribe stood in front of him,
Jesus was looking directly into his heart. This
scribe knew the law, he knew the do's and the
don'ts, but God was looking past the fact that
he was studious. God was looking past the fact
that he had studied and memorized the word of
God. He was looking directly into his heart,
and he said to him, you are not far from the
kingdom. He never said you've made it. He never
said, well done, that good and faithful servant.
He said, you're not far from the kingdom. There's
still more for you to do. And that more for you
to do is that you've got to live the laws of
God. It's not enough just for us to know it.
It's not just enough for us to come to church
and worship God and sing the praise of God. But
we've heard it already today, Monday through
Saturday, we've got to love God. When nobody
else is looking, we've got to love God. When
nobody else sees, we've got to love God. He knows,
Jesus knows through our trials and disappointments
if we truly love Him. He also knows that if we
love him through our successes but in today's
message Loving God we under I think a lot of
us understand that and there have been many messages
I'm sure many to come that will be preached on
this But in March chapter 12 verse 31 the second
when Jesus said the second is like unto the first
You shall love your neighbor as yourself There
is no other commandment greater than these And
this is where I felt the Lord wanted me to focus
today. Loving others isn't always convenient
or comfortable, but it is commanded. 1 John chapter
4 verses 7 through 8 says, is love. God is not
only love, but we know he is holy. 1 Peter chapter
1, verses 15 through 16 says, but as he who called
you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct
because it is written, be holy for I am holy.
Holiness begins in our heart and it transforms
our lives so that we are able to truly love.
We cannot love truly love without the holiness
of God operating inside of our lives. God transforms
our heart, soul, mind, and strength, the ability
to live for Him by His Holy Spirit. Ephesians
chapter 3 verses 17 through 19 says, so that
Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
That you being rooted and grounded in love may
have strength to comprehend with all the saints
What is the breadth and length and depth and
height and to know the love of Christ? Christ
would surpass his knowledge that you may be filled
with all the fullness of God I Don't know if
you've taken notice But in our world today our
world today is lacking love for each other We
live in a world that is more divided than ever
before. And it really should be no surprise to
us because the word of God tells us that this
was going to happen. And if we are not careful
as children of God, we can allow what we see
and what we hear to get in our hearts, in our
minds. And before we know it, we begin to think
like them. We begin to act like the world. But
Jesus, that's why Jesus, it was so very important.
This kingdom is built on love. And we are not
like the world. We are not of the world. We are
a holy nation. We are a peculiar people. We have
been called out of darkness into his marvelous
light. We are different from the world. And as
the world gets increasingly divided against each
other, the kingdom in this kingdom of God, we've
got to love each other more and more and more
as we see, especially as we see the day of the
Lord approaching. Love is a verb. It's an action
word. It's not passive. We don't just automatically
love, okay? You have to teach parents, you know
you have to teach your kids to love. You have
to teach them to do right and to treat others
right or else fights break out all over the place.
This is what happens, so you have to teach, so
it has to be. We have to actively learn and teach
love. It's a verb. It's not passive. Love requires
purposeful action. When we say we love someone
or something, it is evidenced through our expression.
You don't just say you love and then that's it.
You have to express. You have to show that individual.
You have to show that person. You have to show
that love. Love won't always be convenient though.
It won't always be comfortable, but it is right,
it is holy, and it is commanded. It wasn't convenient
or comfortable for Jesus to be beaten with leather
whips embedded with pieces of bone, metal, and
lead balls to have a crown of thorns pressed
into his skull. It wasn't convenient, it wasn't
comfortable. He was nailed to a cross and he
had a spear that was pierced into his side. It
wasn't convenient. He hung on that cross and
they stripped him of his clothing, embarrassing
him. But it was love that put him there. It wasn't
convenient. It wasn't comfortable. Because God
so loved the world the scripture that we know
so often He had to put it into action and he
had to be stripped of everything He did it knowing
that most people in the world Would never love
him and return when he did what he did on the
cross when he came Jesus knew and God knew that
he would never most people would never Return
that love to him He knew that in the day that
we lived, they would use his name as a swear
word. He knew that people would not believe in
God. They would say that there's no God. He knew
that there would be agnostics. He knew that there
would be people who would not believe in him,
but he did it anyway. Colossians chapter 3 verses
12 through 13 says, Therefore, as the elect of
God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies,
kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering,
bearing with one another and forgiving one another,
if anyone has a complaint against each other,
even as Christ forgave you, so you also must
do. Verse 14 says, but above all these things
put on love, which is the bond of perfection
love Love, love is a thread that binds the books
of the Bible together. Love is the main theme
from Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 to Revelation
chapter 22 verse 21. You could never preach enough
on love. You could never cover the subject of
love throughout the Bible in one message in a
30 -minute or 35 -minute period, much less over
an entire year. There's no way. It's impossible.
There are many scriptures that I'm leaving out
today. I was to stand here and read the scriptures.
You'd go out and get food and come back and sit
here and listen to me while you eat your food.
Because there just wouldn't be enough time for
me to go or for us to go over this today. God
created us because of love. He saved Noah and
his family because of love. He brought the children
of Israel out of Egypt because of love. He put
on flesh and suffered and died. on a cross because
of love. He sent the Comforter, the gift of the
Holy Ghost, and washed away our sins in the waters
of baptism because of love. And He is coming
back for a bride because of love. And we will
spend eternity with Him. Why? Because of love.
Everything in the kingdom of God is predicated
on love. And so that's why we are commanded to
love Him and to love each other. Matthew chapter
22 verse 40, and on these two commandments, Matthew
would put it this way, depend all the law and
the prophets. You know, everything that you read
in the Bible, all the laws, all the preaching,
all the teaching that the prophets taught and
the elders taught. You know what it's all predicated
on? Love. It comes out of love. Every law in
the book is based on love. Jesus said everything
that they came before and taught, everything
that was done was done because I love you. But
I also want you to love each other. The Apostle
John When you read the gospel according to John,
John and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, John, he wrote more
about love than any of the other apostles did.
He even wrote more about love than Paul did.
1 John chapter 4 verse 20, verses 20 through
21, if someone says, I love God and hates his
brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love
his brother whom he hath seen, how can the love
of God, how can he love God whom he has not seen?
None of us know what God looks like. We don't.
But you know what? I think that love, I think
that God looks like each and every one of us
in this room today. So what a word of God says,
you've got to love your neighbor as yourself
because when you love them, you're loving me.
You don't know what I look like physically, but
when you look into their eyes, you're looking
at me because we were created in his image. So
when we look into the eyes of a family member,
a friend, a neighbor, a stranger on the street,
we look into those eyes, we're seeing the image
of God inside of them. And so if we hate that
person, we have a problem with that person, guess
what? We're hating God. We're having a problem
with God. No, I'm not saying that we're all gonna
be best friends and we're all gonna be loving
each other, getting along with each other and
doing all that stuff because, you know, you're
not gonna do that for me because I got issues.
And I gotta pray about my stuff. So I'm not going
to blame you if, you know, every once in a while
you see something, you're like, I don't know
about this guy sometimes. That's natural and
that's okay, but pray for me that God would help
me to become more like Him. more and more every
day. But that's why we have to love each other.
His commandment in verse 21 says, and this commandment
we have from him, that he who loves God must
love his brother also. One of the greatest examples
of love in action is found in John chapter 3
verse 16. We know it very well, for God so loved
the world. that he gave his only begotten son
that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have everlasting life. News flashed to us
today God is not willing that any of us should
perish. God loves every soul. He loves the person
today who is denying him. He loves the backslider
today who is not here that should be here. God
loves everybody and we should also. The next
great love event that will take place is a rapture
of the church When that trumpet sounds on that
glorious long -awaited day First Thessalonians
chapter 4 verse 16 through 17 the Apostle Paul
wrote he said for the Lord himself Will descend
from heaven with a shout? With the voice of an
archangel and with the shout and with the trumpet
of God and the dead in Christ will rise first
Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught
up together And then with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air and thus shall it
always always be We shall always be with the
Lord. I think we should clap our hands for that.
I think we should thank the Lord for that I think
we should thank the Lord for that. The actions
that God has taken and that are still to come
demonstrate His great love for us. And so how
should we demonstrate our express our love for
each other? Well, I'm glad you asked. John chapter
13 verses 34 through 35, Jesus said, a new commandment
I give to you. that you love one another just
as I have loved you. You also are to love one
another. And he goes on to say in verse 35, by
this all people will know that you are my disciples
if you love, if you have love one for another.
There are a lot of people today having church.
There are a lot of people today singing. There
are a lot of people there are great churches
great edifices all throughout this community
all throughout this nation and all throughout
the world and They have as a part of their logo
on the front church But everybody is not loving
the way Jesus said they are to love He said by
this shall all men know that you are my disciples
your love one for another When they come amongst
us and they see how we are with each other and
they see how we love each other, that's why they
come into our church and you hear them say, there's
something different about you people. There's
something different. It's a Holy Ghost that's
inside of us. But you know what they're also
looking at? They're also looking at the way that
we interact with each other. They're looking
at the way that we love each other. And it's
extremely important because that's why we're
following the commandment of Jesus Christ when
he said, that's why when they walk away, they'll
say there's something different. Because this,
these people must be the true disciples of Jesus
Christ. They must be the true disciples of Jesus
Christ. Because many people will say, I go to
a lot of other churches, but I don't feel what
I feel here. And I submit to you today, it's
more than just a gift of the Holy Ghost inside
of us, but it's that gift of the Holy Ghost that's
being expressed by our love for each other. That's
why we must do everything in our power, fight
for it, keep it, make sure that we... Everything
comes in and divides us. Make sure that we fight
for it so that we can win a lost world and so
that we are keeping the commandment of Jesus
Christ. This is love that is called agape love.
It is a godly love. It is selfless, unconditional,
sacrificial, benevolent, empathetic, and accepting.
It differs from philia love. which involves the
emotional bonding of siblings. There's a difference
between godly love, which is called agape love,
and felia love, which is a love, just a love
that you may have for someone because you have
something in common with them or because they're
a family member. Felia love covers emotional
siblings, friendships, companions. Felia stems
from affection and shared interest. Whereas agape
is profound. It's deliberate. It's a choice that
we make to love universally, even to love our
enemies as demonstrated by Jesus. The love that
God commands us to have for each other goes beyond
having shared interest. That's what social clubs
and podcasts are for. It goes beyond just liking
someone because we get along with them. But it's
a love that we choose to have because Jesus said
that we've got to love our neighbor as ourselves.
Romans chapter 12 verse 9 through 10 says, don't
just pretend to love others. Really love them.
Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good.
Love each other with genuine affection and take
delight in honoring each other. We are to outdo
each other in honoring each other. It's loving
each other with a holy love, even though we are
different culturally, even though our languages
may be. Separate us somewhat even though our
socioeconomic condition may be different from
your neighbors even though the education that
you've received or not received may be different
From your neighbors. It's a genuine affection
a genuine love that says I don't care who you
are I don't care what you look like. I love you
anyway First John chapter 4 verses 11 through
12 says beloved If God so loved us, we also ought
to love one another. No one has ever seen God.
If we love one another, God abides in us and
His love is perfected in us. Read that before.
We are the family of God, the greatest family
in the world. John 15, 13 says, greater love
has no one than this, that someone may lay down
his life for his friends. It's that selfless,
sacrificial love. that risks life and limb for
someone else. Our love for each other needs to
be purposeful. Like that fireman who runs into
a burning building to save others. Not knowing
if he himself will make it out, but he made a
choice to go in because it's part of his duty.
It's part of what he's supposed to do. The average
person today, you and I, will probably not have
to run into a burning building. at any point
during our lifetime, but there are sacrifices
that we're going to have to make in order to
love people. At times it's not going to be comfortable,
it's not going to be convenient like Jesus hanging
on that cross, but we're going to have to love
without expecting anything in return. Our love
needs to be sacrificial like several people who
ran back into the World Trade Center tower on
9 -11 and saved people. While they themselves
perished in the towers Again, you probably will
not have may not have to do that in the physical
But in the spiritual You're probably gonna have
to save somebody While it's so inconvenient while
you yourself are being damaged in the process
Philippians chapter 2 verses 3 through 4 do nothing
The Apostle says, from selfish ambition or conceit,
but in humility count others more significant
than yourselves. Let each of you look not only
to his own interests, but also to the interests
of others. Make sure that when you're taking
care of yourself, you're taking care of your
brothers and your sisters also. Like the story
of the Good Samaritan, the religious people walked
by and looked and kept going. Not my problem
Not my issue Who knows what he did to get himself
into that situation? Maybe he deserved it Maybe
he started a fight that he couldn't finish and
that's why he's laying on the side of the road
suffering from his wounds but a good Samaritan
came along and said I Don't care who this is.
I don't care what happened to him. I don't care
whether it was his fault or not I'm gonna take
this man up I'm gonna take him, and I'm gonna
not only take, I'm gonna take him to that inn,
and I'm gonna give more than what I should give
in the event that it is needed. That's love.
That's care. Not convenient. Not comfortable.
I preach today this message, and the number one
person I'm preaching to is myself. I might as
well have a mirror standing here, looking at
it. Hopefully not cracking it, but looking at
the mirror. Knowing that I'm preaching to myself
We've got to obey the Apostle Paul said and I'm
closing with this We all know first Corinthians
chapter 12 chapter 13 verses 1 through 13 It's
quoted many times. I'm not gonna read the whole
the entire scripture the entire Chapter, but
I just want to highlight some things that he
says here on how love should be He said, if I
speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
but I do not love, I'm a resounding gong or a
clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy
and cannot fathom more mysteries and all knowledge,
if I have faith that cannot move mountains and
I do not have love, he says, I am nothing. He
said, if I give all that I possess to the poor
and even give my body to hardship. But I don't
have love. He said I gain nothing. He says love
is patient. Love is kind. It doesn't envy. It
doesn't boast. It isn't proud. It does not dishonor
others. It's not self -seeking. It's not easily
angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. It does
not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
always perseveres. Love never fails, but where
there's prophecies, they will cease. Where there's
tongues, they will be still. Where there's knowledge,
knowledge really is going to pass away. Then
he goes down to verse 12, or goes to verse 13,
and he says, and now these three remain, faith,
Hope and love But he said that the greatest of
these is love First Peter chapter 4 verse 8 Above
all keep loving one another earnestly Since love
cover is a multitude of sins But this shall all
men know that you are my disciples you are the
disciples of Jesus It's by our love for each
other The two greatest commandments to me, these
two greatest commandments were exemplified by
two people in the Bible and you probably have
your own, but that came to my mind. Love God
with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
I think of King David because of his love for
God He put himself on the line because of everything
inside of him loved God He put his body he put
his self on the line to go and fight Goliath
He said I love God too much I love God too much
Not to put myself on the line for that David's
love for God led God to call him a man after
his own heart and led him to be Israel's great
King. The second, love your neighbor as yourself.
I see it in Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ
came, as I mentioned before, hung on a cross
for you and I gave it all, laid it on the line
because he loved you. He loved me and he was
setting an example for each and every one of
us that we ought to love each other If we could
all stand today If you're not saved today if
you don't have the gift of the Holy Ghost today
Love said that he is not willing Then it should
perish and we know that God is love He says that
you're not far from the kingdom But we need to
make it into the kingdom If you've never entered
the kingdom the door is open today to all If
you've been loving God with only part of your
heart Give him all of your heart today If you've
been withholding love from others Because you
may be upset with them don't like them anymore
Whatever has happened We've got to put love into
action today and say you know what? I'm gonna
love I Don't care. I'm going to love because
that's what Jesus commanded. That's what Jesus
did Let love build something new in your heart
today towards that individual. It may be someone
who's here, it may be someone who's not here,
but let love build something new in your heart
towards them today. If you've been not far from
the kingdom, but the kingdom is not on the inside
of you, today is a day to step through. That
door to say God here. I am I surrender my life
to you today I end this message today the same
way that I begin it with the simplicity of Jesus
saying Love your neighbor with all your heart
soul mind and strength and love you love you
Love me with all your heart soul mind and strength
and love your neighbor as yourself very simple
He said to that man, that scribe, he said, you're
not far from the kingdom. And I want to just
make this statement today that if you don't love,
you cannot make it into the kingdom. You might
say, I love God. I'm here today. I love God.
But if you don't love your neighbor, it's impossible
to make it into the kingdom. That's why Jesus
said to that man, he said, you're not far. I
don't know what Jesus knew was in his heart.
He just said to him, you're not far from the
kingdom. Basically, Jesus is saying, I want you
to do more. I want you to walk in obedience to
my word. I want you to love me. I want you to
love others. I want you to put it into action.
As you come to this altar today. I wonder if
you would just examine your heart today. Lord,
is there anything inside of me? If I'm not loving
the way that I should, Lord, I open my heart
and I surrender myself to you today. Is there
someone that I'm not necessarily getting along
with? Is there a parent? Is there a family member?
Is there someone that I've not been treating
right or acting right towards? Today, Lord, I'm
giving my heart to you. I'm surrendering my life
to you because I don't want it to be said of
me that you're not far from the kingdom. I want
the Lord to say, well done to our good and faithful
servant. I want him to say, enter into the joy
of the Lord. That's what I want the Lord to say
to me today. That's what I want him to say to
you and I today. Let's lift him up today. Let's
worship him. Let's surrender our hearts to him
today.