Eld. Dr. Richard D’Almeida
How can a human being love God?
26th August, 2018
The celebration was a joint service with the youth, English, Akan and French assemblies.
Kwesi Owusu Sekyere and the Royal Vessels led the people of God in a time of worship. The conductor for the service Elder Owura Kwaku Sarfo exhorted the church from Psalm 150:1-8, 12-15 before the Royal Vessels led the church in a time of praise to God. The youth ministry and the French assembly also brought songs of praise to God. The Royal Vessels incorporated ministered a song before the preaching of the word. The speaker for the service was Elder Dr. Richard D’Almeida. He spoke on the topic “How can a human being love God” and his main text was from John 5:1-9. A summary of the sermon is as follows.
In the village we ask people “Have you heard the rumor?” When they ask “What rumor?” it opens the door for a conversation about the coming of Jesus Christ. To my mind, civilization is drawing to a close. The decay and corruption in the world is increasing but it will culminate in the coming of the Lord, at which point all of it will come to an end. The church has a duty to redeem what is lost. In the midst of all this chaos and confusion, how can a human being love God, a god we do not see?
The man by the pool had been invalid for thirty-eight years, sitting there for some time. The pool was stirred from time to time and whoever got in first was healed. So the man could see the water stirred but could not get in. Who put the man by the pool and left him there? If I were there at the time and saw that man by the pool, what motivation would I have to go fetch him and put him in the pool? Could it be that the person who left him there did not care enough to ensure that he could be put in the pool after the stirring?
When Jesus asked him whether he wanted to be healed, he started telling stories and said “I have nobody.” The pool was in a public place and had visitors but how come nobody helped him? Is it possible that nobody noticed him? Is it possible that there are people in our backyards who are saying to God “I have nobody”? There are people right across the street who see this building and wonder if somebody will one day bring them to this pool. What would motivate you and me to bring them here?
Scripture says only three things remain: faith, hope, and love. (1 Corinthians 13.13) Paul also admonishes us to examine ourselves to see if we are still in the faith. When you test yourself you find out if you believe in our doctrines. Do you still have Christ in you?
Having faith implies that you have hope because faith is the assurance of hope. What about love? Faith works on hope and is driven by love. The cripple left at the pool complained that he had no one to help him. What would motivate you to help someone in need? James 2.14 says faith needs to be proven. James 2.18 says to show our faith by our works.
You can love God by exercising your love which is embedded in faith because only three things remain. If you don’t exercise love, faith and hope are dead. We must reconcile the world unto the Lord. All of us who have believed in Christ have become rivers of living water. (John 7.37) We ourselves are pools that are being constantly stirred. We have to stand in front of people entangled in demonic power and deliver them.
You can love God by proving your faith. You use your love by standing in front of a fellow human being and declaring the word of God. The love of God has nothing to do with your feelings. It is making up your mind to stand in front of another person and preaching the gospel to them. We all have faith and hope and love but has our love been used to deliver somebody yet?
In John 21.15, Jesus asked Peter repeatedly “Do you love me?” Peter was troubled that Jesus kept repeating the question but Jesus asked him to demonstrate his love to him by feeding his lambs. When the Lord asks you whether you love him, he is asking if you can work for him. If my wife asked me if I loved her, I would say “Of course.” If she asked a second time, I would probably think she wanted something from me. But if she asked a third time “Do you really love me?” I would probably think she wanted to give me a near impossible task to do.
What can we do? We should not wait for any special program. The word is in your mouth so you just move. You just need to stand—you don’t need money. You don’t need to go to the village. Even in your workplaces there are people who need the word of God. What is it that inhibits the Christian from preaching the word of God? Some are even afraid to declare they are Christians at their workplaces but you are full of rivers of living water.
Let’s not make excuses anymore. We have postponed delivering the world unto the Lord for far too long, yet, we have all it takes to execute God’s agenda. There is someone who is suffering who needs the word of God. I have a habit of looking out for the coming of Jesus Christ. I look into the skies several times a day. The world is so corrupted now but the coming of the Lord Jesus will bring all of this to an end. Revelation 1 says that some of those who will see Jesus Christ coming will mourn. Some will mourn because they never had the chance to know the Lord and that will be because we withheld our love. It won’t be long and the Lord will come. There is power in the gospel that is invoked when we speak.
If you are in the church, you must discipline yourself by the doctrines of the church. You are an ambassador and every ambassador has a message so why are you keeping your message to yourself? Your charge is to go to every place and declare the word of God. We preach both the good and the bad news. The good news is that salvation is found in Christ while the bad news is that judgment is coming. You must always preach about the coming judgement. They have to know and understand that Jesus is coming. They must see the workings of the Holy Spirit and a demonstration of his power.
We know that we love God when we keep his commandments. (1 John 5.2-3) It is possible for a human being to love God. It is not a question of emotions but the word of God. We see the power of the lawless one already working through the activities of some but it is because we have withheld our love from them. We need to turn this city upside down. Everybody here can stand and declare the word of God. God is appealing to you.
The word is in your mouth; you just have to move. Nobody should say like the cripple “I have nobody” because you are here and are ready to show love. Go there and tell the people about the coming judgement, about the salvation of the world, about receiving Christ, and receiving deliverance.
I want to encourage you to be strong and steadfast in the faith and courageous in the work and to do everything in love. It is possible to love God. It is not difficult to do because he has given you all you need to bring people to salvation. Only declare his word. By doing so you show love to God and man. 1 Corinthians 16:13-14. If you are not exercising love, your faith is possibly lacking.
Elder Owura Safo led the church in prayer based on the word that had come. The Royal Vessels led the church to bring their tithes and offering and the second offering. Elder Dr. Tweneboah Koduah and the media team brought the church notices for the week. Elder Dr. Aflu said the closing prayer and Elder Dr. Richard D’Almeida said benediction for the end of the service.
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