00:00 Taking a Risk –Gretchen’s Teeth
3:18 It Takes Courage to Love
5:01 Love Overcomes Fear
6:49 Jesus’ Love Completes Us
9:03 Activation Prayer: Jesus, Resurrect (bring to life) My Courage to Love
[See the video for Gretchen’s story]
Just as I had to risk Gretchen’s teeth to overcome my fear of German shepherds, we have to risk being hurt to receive Jesus’ love and the healing and restoration that flows only from his love.
Many of us are like I was with Gretchen. People or circumstances have beat us up and we don’t want to let anyone get too close. We’re afraid we will get hurt again. That same fear keeps us from really knowing Jesus or experiencing his love. The love that will heal us.
It takes courage to love.
The whole point of this is that it takes risk to overcome fear. Letting God love us is a risk, loving others is a risk. It’s not just one risk but many, many risks. Faith is a lifestyle of taking risks. Faith works in and through love.
Paul wrote in Galatians 5:6 (NIV):
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.
Paul is saying that it’s not about the do’s and don’ts anymore. It’s not about the rules or the law. We have a new, relationship covenant with God through Jesus. “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.”
The love of God compels us, it draws us. It creates desires in us to experience God’s love – to know His love experientially. And God’s love compels us to love others. We get filled to overflowing and can’t wait to share God’s love with the people in our lives.
As we take the step of faith and believe in Jesus, he brings to life (resurrects) love in our lives.
1 John 4:16 AMP
16 We have come to know [by personal observation and experience], and have believed [with deep, consistent faith] the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides continually in him.
Courage rises in our hearts as we experience the love of Jesus. It takes courage to go against your culture, the beliefs of your family and friends. It takes courage to open your heart to the love of Christ.
Jesus calls us to have the courage to step out and take risks. He calls us to believe in love –the selfless, unconditional love that comes only from God. He asks us to surrender our lives to his love. To trust him. And follow him, believing in his promises for our lives now and for the promise of eternity being loved by him. It takes courage to let go of old ways of thinking and old behavior to “Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Romans 12:2 NLT.
Jesus’ death brings resurrection life – resurrection power to us. Jesus resurrects courage in us to hope, to believe, to receive God’s love and to love.
1 Corinthians 13:13 EXB
And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.
Jesus’ Love Completes Us
1 John 4:17-19 (NIV)
17 This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. 18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
As we surrender to the love of Jesus,
1. His love is made complete in us (He fills us with His love). And our faith, our confidence in Jesus grows. Faith works in and through love. Faith expresses itself through acts of love. (See Galatians 5:6)
2. He makes us like Him (not someday in heaven, but here, now, on earth). “1 John 4:17 “In this world we are like Jesus.”
3. Fear is driven out. Jesus’ perfect love replaces fear.
What fear?
*Fear of changing, fear of new ideas
*Fear of punishment because of our sins or our past. When you know you have grace (the undeserved favor of God through relationship with Jesus) you aren’t afraid of your mistakes or sins. You love Jesus. And He loves you. And His love covers your sins and flaws. You are forgiven – past, present, and future as you continue to walk with Jesus.
*Fear of what people think. Jesus’ love draws us to live for his approval and his alone. It becomes the only thing that really matters.
Ephesians 3:19-20 (NLT) says it this way:
19 May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.
20 Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Activation (Pray the Activation Prayer in the Video)