You Are Loved
In the days when Jesus was walking the earth, teaching people about himself and the kingdom of God, there was some confusion and a lot of talk about who he really was. So one day Jesus asked Peter, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” That was a faith-filled and bold declaration to which Jesus replied, “On this rock”—meaning, on this strong statement about who Jesus is—“I will build my church.” And then he added this about the Spirit-filled power of the church: “And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:13-20).
The church, according to Jesus, is unstoppable.
It's launch weekend at Harvest! A new ministry year is upon us, and it promises to be one like no other in our 15+ years of doing this. We believe that God is leading us to do something that will assault the very gates of hell. With that in mind, we are going to start the new ministry year with a teaching series called The Unstoppable Church. This weekend we will look at that famous Harvest benediction, “You are loved!” which is said at the end of every worship service. Over the course of the series, we will look at “what a church is and does” and “what a disciple is and does.” These messages will lay out our DNA as a church, reinforcing our mission, our approach to ministry, and our values.
Sermon Notes
The Unstoppable Church
You Are Loved
Pastor Todd Dugard // Various Scriptures
September 10–11, 2016When you hear the words “You are loved”
...you must believe that God loves you unconditionally
(John 3:16; Romans 5:8; Galatians 2:20; 1 John 4:10)...which makes it possible for you to love him in return
(1 John 2:15; 4:19; 5:3)...and, as a result, to love
(Matthew 22:37-38)...your fellow believers
(John 13:35; 1 John 4:7-8, 11, 20-21)...those who live on the margins of society
(Matthew 25:34-40; Luke 18:16; James 1:27)...and even your enemies
(Luke 6:27-36; 10:25-37)