TD Jakes - Gotta Love It
Hello everybody! I’m excited to be back with you and to begin sharing the Word of God. I want you to go to Ephesians chapter 3; we’ll begin reading from verses 7 through 13, and we’ll continue down through a litany of things that I believe are going to cause you to grow and be strengthened in the Word of the Lord. I’m excited and looking forward to getting into this. Are you ready? Let’s go into it!
Paul says in verse 7, «Wherefore I was made a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given unto me by the effectual working of His power. Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ.»
I want to use the subject «God of Love,» and I will delve a bit further into this verse. It is striking that we see the Apostle Paul, who is steeped in Judaistic tradition and an understanding of his history, enriched with all types of accomplishments—being a Pharisee, a member of the Sanhedrin, and respected as an intellectual and a scholar—refer to this moment in his life in such humble terms. This is a lesson for us as we understand the attitude that was prevalent in his day.
My subject will be «God of Love,» but this particular phrase segment is about the «Beloved Calling.» Paul sees this as a beloved calling to reveal the unsearchable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. Before his conversion, it wasn’t even considered appropriate to eat with Gentiles; they were referred to as dogs and were thought not to possess a covenant. However, after his conversion, his whole attitude shifted, and he began to see his calling as a privilege to talk to people he once wouldn’t have even shared a meal with and to show them the unsearchable riches of Christ.
To be used as a conduit that brings them into a deeper understanding of God’s plan for their lives reflects the amazing grace that has transformed his thoughts. One of the pervasive problems I see in the church today is that we accept the grace of God for the forgiveness of sin but fail to accept the grace of God for the transformation of our hearts toward sin. We rejoice that we’ve been forgiven, yet we neglect to seek the change that should accompany that forgiveness.
Paul underwent such a remarkable metamorphosis that he no longer resembles the same man who had once persecuted Christians, even among his own people, let alone the Gentiles. Formerly full of disdain for Christian Jews who had converted, believing they were heathens, he now ministers not only to them but also to Gentiles—those he once would not even have shared a meal with. If a Gentile had eaten with him previously, he would have considered it unacceptable because there was no fellowship between them as they were not regarded as people of the covenant.
You may recall how even Jesus referred to the Gentile woman who came to Him with her daughter, grievously vexed with a devil, saying, «It is not meat to give the children’s bread to the dogs.» He wasn’t insulting her; rather, He was acknowledging the fact that she lacked a covenant with Him. The Gentiles had no covenant with God, while the Jews—whether Orthodox or converted—still belonged to a covenant. Paul was killing converted Jews, apprehending them, and throwing them in jail until his life-changing experience on the road to Damascus.
Now, God has sent him not to preach to those he once sought to apprehend but to Gentiles deemed heathens and dogs, and he loves it! He speaks of it in such an elaborate manner that it is clear that God chose him and allowed him, by His grace, to share with the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. Christ possesses such wealth that even accountants cannot keep track of it.
I’m not just speaking of monetary wealth; I’m referring to glory, power, majesty, and might. Money is the filth of heaven! When Paul speaks of the unsearchable riches of Christ, he refers to His ability to be whatever He needs to be whenever needed.
To make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world had been hidden in God, underscores the importance of our interconnectedness—not just how we relate to God vertically but also how we are horizontally interconnected with Him.
He indicates that this has been hidden; it is a mystery—mysterion—that must be unveiled and unfolded. The question of how we fit together in the mind of God, without one being dominant over the other, is a mystery that has been obscured and still remains hidden in various parts of the world, expressed differently among different groups of people. Therein lies the perpetual need for superiority, domination, and the desire to be set apart.
Paul says that the mystery is that we are interconnected; fellowship, that very fellowship itself, is a mystery that needs to be revealed more and more. He emphasizes the grace given to him to unveil this mystery to Gentiles, viewing it as a gift. When he starts to talk about it, he delves into remarkable truths that will genuinely help you.
He perceives his calling as beloved, yet I see so many pastors today who do not regard their calling in such a light—either because they don’t feel appreciated, their churches aren’t growing as they had hoped, or they are grappling with ungrateful congregations. You must love what you do to genuinely serve effectively. Consequently, you might have to cast aside the idol of self-worship and recognize that you are not superior to your calling.
Consider the calling a grace God has bestowed upon you, granting you the opportunity to unveil the unsearchable riches of Christ—not based on flock size, not on adeptness in theological discourse, not on popularity, not because you appear on television, and not because you are invited to speak but because God allows you to pull the cord that rolls back the curtain, enabling a new audience to see the unsearchable riches of Christ.
If you do not have that attitude and do not perceive it as a beloved calling, and if you find yourself murmuring and complaining, then that’s part of the reason you aren’t effective. You need to love what you do! So tonight, I’ll be teaching on «Got to Love It"—not «Got to Do It» or «Got to Obey It,» but «Got to Love It.»
To genuinely love it, you must humble your feelings about yourself and recognize that you deserve nothing—no recognition, no acknowledgment. You must view it as a privilege God has granted you. Paul talks about his calling from a place of love, where the metrics he uses to honor that calling do not pertain to the size of his audience, the financial compensation, the publicity he receives, the accolades he garners, or the number of degrees he holds. The astounding grace lies in the fact that God allows him to share this with Gentiles who were once deemed far removed from the faith, regarded as dogs without a covenant, as stated in Ephesians.
To those without God in this world, without hope, Paul argues that the worse they are, the greater the grace he receives as God entrusts him with the task of unveiling the mystery of the unsearchable riches of Christ. Recognizing this change in attitude is transformative in itself.
Let’s continue because I want to delve into some matters I believe will be beneficial to you, and I want you to analyze: Do you possess the right attitude for your job? This question isn’t about whether you have the qualifications, insight, or revelation; it addresses the heart. One of the significant issues plaguing our churches, marriages, relationships, and homes is that everyone tends to believe they are far more important than they actually are, neglecting the concepts of service, submission, and endurance as graces bestowed upon them.
People often view suffering as something negative to escape, and see service as demeaning or menial. We are just beginning to recognize first responders for what they do, tasks that were once considered trivial. Our elitist society breeds shame in serving rather than viewing it as a grace. However, Paul sees serving as a grace entrusted to him—a humbling experience that allows him to serve those he once deemed inferior.
I encourage you to evaluate your assignment—whether it involves nurturing a child with dyslexia or autism or being joined to someone who seems unappreciative. Do you view your assignment as a calling on your life, as a grace God has entrusted to you?
You must love what you do; otherwise, you won’t excel or be effective. We talk about the beloved calling, and when God asks, «Who will go and work for us?» what did you expect? A vacation? A field trip? No! He mentioned work. So, there will be labor involved, but you can love what you do. You don’t have to resent it because it’s hard work or because you lack recognition from men.
You should find honor in the fact that God, who knows your deepest and darkest sins, weaknesses, and frailties, would ask you to do anything. The mere idea that He would ask you to undertake any task is astonishing! This attitude is rare, but if you find it, God will promote you.
Promotion doesn’t come from the east or the west, nor from the north and south; promotion comes from the Lord. God elevates those who feel entirely unworthy of the promotion He is prepared to grant them, and that is the essence of God’s grace.
Let’s explore deeper, as I want to discuss the beloved dwelling. In verse 10, he states: «To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which He purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.»
Here, he speaks of the principalities and powers in heavenly places knowing through the church the manifold wisdom of God. This understanding offers the church a glimpse—not just of the God of the church but of the God of the universe, the one who governs the constellations and entire galaxies. We catch a glimpse of the glorious aspects of who God is, according to the eternal purpose that He designed in Christ Jesus.
God took His plan, rolled it up like a scroll, and encapsulated it in the figure we call Jesus. Thus, Jesus represents the plan of God contained in flesh. Jesus is God’s love letter to us, revealing His will. To be biblical: Jesus is the Word made flesh, dwelling among us. Only through Jesus do we catch a glimpse of the wisdom of God, as He reveals to us that glory.
Next, we will discuss the beloved dwelling in whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him, now that in whom you must pay attention to, because that in whom deals with where we dwell. We dwell in Him; I live and move and have my being in the One in whom God took the whole glory of the Godhead, His authority, and His universe and planted it in Christ, and then put me in the body. Now I’m in the body, and I have the privilege of dwelling in the presence of the fullness of God, His mystery, His purpose, and His wisdom. That’s where I live—in His wisdom. That’s where you live—in His wisdom.
If you come out of your carnality, stop focusing on the things around you, and start focusing on the things inside of you, you will begin to recognize that all of God’s wisdom, all of God’s mystery, and all of God’s plan are within you. It is a beloved dwelling place. He talks about, «Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is for your glory.» He said, «Because in whom we have boldness,» verse 12. I’m going to return to that: «In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.»
So, He said, «Really, you are looking at my outer afflictions and feeling sorry for me.» He said, «But you’re not looking at where I’m dwelling. I’m not dwelling in my afflictions; I’m dwelling in my position, that I am positioned in Christ Jesus. I have access when I pray, when I worship, when I sing to reach the God who runs the galaxies and the universe with all authority.» In another text, He says these light afflictions, which are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding weight of glory.
Now, I admit this is not easy, but it is important for you to understand that you don’t live in your house, you don’t live in your city, you don’t live in your state, you don’t live in your country; you live in Christ. Amazing! That God would move you into His house and give you space to dwell in Him. I live, I move, I have my being because I am in Him. So, when I can’t find peace out there, all I have to do is look in here, because I am dwelling in Christ. All that matters about me dwells in Him. This material clay pot I live in is irrelevant. What really matters about me is that my life is hid in Christ with God. What an amazing dwelling place! So, my address is Jesus.
Look, when people ask you, «Where do you live?» say, «Jesus.» They are looking for 60714th Street. No, no, no, I live in Him. I live in Him, and anything that the enemy says to attack me, he has to go through Him in order to do it, because I live in Him. I’m calling it the beloved dwelling. The beloved dwelling. And he that dwelleth, Psalms 91: «He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.» The Bible lists things that will not befall you: a thousand shall fall at thy side, ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee, because I’m dwelling in Him, the secret place of the Most High. I’m dwelling in Him. Are you really dwelling in Him, or is it just church?
I want you to move, especially in this season where there is so much chaos around you, and I want you to start focusing on the spiritual place that you live in—Christ, where you move and have your being—in that beloved dwelling place. Begin to love it, to worship it, to love worship. One of the telltale signs that we are not producing that in the church today is that we’ve raised up a church of people who can skip the worship and go for the preaching. That’s strange because worship is the way we come boldly into His presence. We come boldly; the Bible says, «In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.»
That bold access that you don’t enjoy, that you don’t appreciate, is an indication that you are not yet living up to this text right here—that you’re not really dwelling in Him. You want to receive the children’s bread, but you don’t want to be in the kitchen where the bread is being made. You have to come a little bit closer to being in Him and enjoying being enveloped in worship, praise, honor, and adoration of Him, because it reminds you that this world is not your own. It is the antidote. While they are looking for an antidote to COVID-19, or something to end the pandemic, or some cure, or some vaccination, your spiritual cure is to not dwell on the worries of this world but to dwell in the presence of God.
«He that keepeth Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps,» and I’m dwelling in Him. That changes your whole attitude, changes your whole disposition, and then He breaks out the what I call the beloved family. I’m going to borrow that phrase, the beloved family, from Dr. King, but I will use it here because he undoubtedly borrowed it from the Apostle Paul when he says, «For this cause I bow my knee unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.» On the basis of understanding my calling and understanding my beloved dwelling, I now understand the beloved family. «For this cause I bow my knee unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.»
Don’t take that word Father lightly, because He’s setting the tone for you to understand family starts with understanding fatherhood—not in the contemporary sense of deadbeat dads or people who make babies and don’t take care of them. That’s not the biblical understanding of what a father is. The biblical understanding of a father is so much more than the releasing of a sperm cell—it is so much more than paying child support. The biblical understanding of a father is heritage, lineage, covering, and covenant. He said, «For this cause I bow my knee. I don’t mind submitting to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and in earth is named.»
Good God Almighty! Did you hear that? Of whom the whole family—it is one family. The family in heaven and in earth is one family, the saints who have gone and the saints who are living as one family, the saints who are coming as one family. It’s not going to be a different set of families; no, it’s one family. And He says, «When I bow my knee to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,» once I understand that, I also understand the beloved family—the whole family in heaven and in earth is named. That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man, because you’re in the family. That He would strengthen your inner man.
Somebody right now, you’re tired, frustrated, and weary, and you’re waiting on the conditions to change for you to be strengthened. But if you understand the beloved family, you can be strengthened in the middle of the storm. Noah’s family was strengthened in the middle of the flood. Do you understand that? They couldn’t stop the flood, but they could still be strengthened because they were in the ark. They were strengthened; they were prepared not because of the storm but because of the ark. As you begin to understand the beloved family, you look at life differently. You look at death differently. You didn’t lose your mother; you didn’t lose your son; you didn’t lose your daughter.
They are still part of the beloved family, both in heaven and on earth. You don’t disconnect from the family just because you moved out of the house. They may have moved out of the house, but they’re still in the family. God sees us as one family, both past, present, and future, as one family. Of whom the whole family, both in heaven and in earth, is joined. We’re connected; we’re connected in the most inextricable way. We are connected—not disjointed, not separated. What shall separate me from the love of God? Neither height nor depth, nor powers, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come—none of that separates me from the love of God. I’m still connected. Death cannot do it; love is stronger than death.
The Bible proves that love is stronger than death. Death cannot separate me. My mother died on August 14th, 1999, but death could not separate the love between us. That love still continues to generate; she is not present in the body. To be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord, but I still feel her love, and I believe she still feels mine, because love is stronger than death. I think we’ve been dwelling in dead places rather than dwelling in love. I think we’ve been dwelling in carnal places rather than dwelling in love. I think we see each other as competitors and not as brothers and sisters. We don’t understand the beloved family.
The beloved family is not separated by the color of our skin or the language we speak. We are part of the beloved family because of our Father. «All souls are mine, but the soul that sinneth shall die,» that’s what the Word says. The Word says «By one blood have God made all men.» So, to understand you are part of the family is important, because when I understand the beloved family, I don’t treat my brother just any kind of way. I don’t treat my sister just any kind of way. I might not like what they said; I might not agree with the way they think. We may have to have some discussion, but it’s a family discussion.
I’m not going to attack you with acrimonious, vicious terminologies that I would an outsider, because we are still family. Do you understand that when Abraham calls Sarah his sister, he was being deceitful? He was being deceitful but not totally dishonest, because you must understand that there is still the brother-sister relationship that should exist in every marriage. It goes to another level because you have another covenant, but the covenant of marriage, which makes you my wife, does not negate that my wife is my sister. I’m not going to beat my sister; I’m not going to abuse my sister. I may not agree with her, but she’s still my sister in Christ.
My wife is also my sister in Christ. You have to understand that now—that’s kind of heavy. But look at that: your husband is still your brother; he’s still your brother. He may not be the husband you want him to be, but he’s still your brother. So, turning all of your guns and all of your viciousness toward him negates the whole family. We’re still family, fitly joined together. We may be dysfunctional; we may have issues; we may have problems; we may not even work together as a couple, but you’re still my brother; you’re still my sister. I don’t want you to die; I don’t want you to be hurt; I don’t want to destroy you, because even if you’re not eligible to be my wife, you’re still my sister.
The mystery of the family—your pastor is your brother; those members are your brothers and sisters. You ought to only want what’s best for them. If they attack, well, I was raised old school, I admit it, but if you attack one of us, you’ve got to fight all of us! My mother raised us where if you jumped on my brother, you jumped on me. If you jumped on my sister, you jumped on me, and vice versa. That’s the whole family—the beloved family.
The beloved family makes you stop and check on me on the side of the road. The beloved family, when it’s cold at night, makes me worry about the homeless people—where they are sleeping, and if they are okay—because that could be my brother panhandling out there; that could be my sister panhandling out there. Just understanding the whole family changes your perception. The beloved family—not just how we interact with those amongst us; He’s also talking about how we understand those who have gone on before us, who still comprise the family of God. God sees both past, present, and future through one lens. I want to read a scripture out of Hebrews that I think is really good; it’s one of my favorites.
In Hebrews chapter 12: «But ye are come unto Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks of better things than that of Abel.» That’s what you’ve come into. You’ve not just come into the present; you’ve come into the past, the present, and the future. That’s what you worship in, that’s what you’re experiencing: the beloved family. The beloved family—the people with mental illnesses are still a part of the beloved family. People who are paranoid or suffer from depression are still a part of the beloved family.
Look at how Paul sees this and how he teaches this in Ephesians; it helps you to understand. Check yourself a little bit, uh, bring yourself in line a little bit, and then he starts talking about the beloved relationship that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, first of all, that Christ may dwell. Paul loves to talk about Christ in you, the hope of glory. He loves to talk about «in Him, I live and move and have my being.» If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Paul is bedazzled by the fact that Christ lives in your hearts by faith, that He actually lives with you and bathes with you, and lays down in bed with you, and goes to work with you in the morning, that you are never without Him inside of you. You’re never home alone; He’s always with you in the hospital, in mourning, in life, in death, in abasing and abounding. He’s always with you.
Maybe that’s why Paul said, «I’ve learned, whatever state I’m in, therewith to be content.» Because the state has nothing to do with my standing; He’s still inside of me. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith, that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able—and I love this, this is part of the love relationship—that you may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Wait a minute; the metrics—the breadth, the height, the depth, the length—of the love of God. He said, «I want you to know that the only way you can know that is that God reveals it,» and then he prays that you might know how broad God’s love is, how inclusive God’s love is, and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge.
Now that’s a play on words. He asks you to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge. How can I know something that passes knowledge? It has to be revealed by the Spirit. To know the love of God which surpasses intellectualism; he wants me to know something that he turns around and says is unknowable. And what is unknowable is the love of Christ. The hardest sermons to preach in church are sermons about love. You can preach about hate, you can preach about sin, you can preach about judgment, you can preach about eschatology, you can preach about the promises of Abraham; you can preach about anything else, we gobble it up. But when it comes to the love of God, we are like children with our noses pressed against the windowpane of a candy store. We love the idea of it, but we can’t quite get into it, because we are asked to know the unknowable—the unknowable love of Christ.
What do you compare it to? There’s no metaphor, there’s no simile, there’s no comparison to the love of Christ. If you knew the great depth to which God loved you, a lot of things that have got you stuck right now would have to turn you loose. So I want you, right where you are, to ask God to open up my heart and let me know, let me know the unknowable love of God; the height of it, the breadth of it, the width, the depth of it. Wow, you love me like that! I will never forget when my firstborn child got sick and I was holding her in my arms. I was on my way; I had just left the doctor’s office, and the doctor told me we needed to take her to the hospital. She had meningitis, I think, and I was very upset. I drove to my mother’s house, honked the horn, and motioned for my mother.
My mother, without any words, came out and got in the car. She knew I was upset; I wasn’t even talking. She knew something was wrong. We were driving down the road, and little by little, I started telling her what was wrong with my daughter. Then I looked over at her and said something I will never forget. I said, «Mom, you love me like this. I knew you loved me, but I didn’t know you loved me like this. I didn’t know this kind of love was possible. You love me like this.» That’s what God wants to show you—that He loves you like this. I was speechless. I shouldn’t have been holding her in my arms and driving, but I was.
This was years ago, and we didn’t have the laws we have now about car seats and all that. I’m holding the baby in my arms and driving the car and trying to figure out how in the world I’m going to tell Serena, my wife, that we have to put the baby in the hospital. It was an emotional moment for me as a father, and I told my mother, «I didn’t know you loved me like this.» Could it be possible that you don’t know how much God loves you? Sick, broken, weak, weary, discouraged, confused—whatever is going on with you right now—you ought to lift your hands and say, «You love me like this.» That’s what Paul has been privileged through his calling to be able to share with the Gentiles—saying, «God loves you like this.»
The Gentiles, y’all—the Gentiles—the polygamist Gentiles, the idolatrous Gentiles, the orgy-filled Gentiles, the partying, fornicating, perverted, promiscuous Gentiles—to unveil to them the love of God. Why does he do that? Does he unveil the love of God so that they can continue to live and say, «Man, no, no, no, no, no, that’s not what I’m saying.» He’s saying that they’re living like that because they don’t know the love. They don’t know the love; they don’t know the love. Do you really know the love with which God has loved you? My baby’s sick, and that’s when the love flows the most. It scared me, it threatened me, it worried me. I’m holding her. I’m afraid. I’m a father now.
A lot is said about a mother’s love, and it’s amazing, unspeakable; I can’t even articulate it. But little is said about a father’s love because men often don’t talk about how they feel, and there aren’t always as many examples of great fathers as there are of great mothers. And when there are great fathers, often you don’t get the credit for it that you should. But the father I’m talking about—"You love me like this.» I’m trying not to cry; I’m speechless, I’m worried, and it made me realize that my mother loved me like this. Do you realize this?
This is a revelation. Paul says it’s a mystery that God loves you like this—with meningitis, without meningitis, with a job, without a job, with a wife, without a wife, with a husband, without a husband. This is my child, and woe unto any man out there who’s not loving your child like this. Shame on you! Shame on you for being so consumed with yourself, your weaknesses, your own problems, your own issues, that you victimize the child with your inability to communicate your love. Shame on you! Shame on you! There is no divorce of a child. You can divorce the mother, but you can’t divorce the child; that’s still your child. Shame on you for shouting all over the church and not looking after your son or your daughter. Shame on you for not finding a way; send them a note, send them a text, send them love letters, send them something to let them know that they are loved. Then he gets to the final part I want to share with you, and I’m almost done—the beloved benefits.
Now unto Him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us. Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. I laugh every time I read this scripture because I used to read this scripture, and I had trouble believing it. I have such a great imagination, and my mind is so vast that I used to think, «You’re able to do more than I could think of.» God, do you know how much stuff I can think? I remember I had a contractor one time who said, «Anything you can think of, I can build.»
When I got through thinking, he was ready to pass out. I said, «I want this like this, I want that like that, I want this to come up, I want that to come down, I want this to slide back over here.» And he, after a while, was like, «Cuz, I can think of some stuff—y’all, I have a creative mind.» God said, «I’m not intimidated by your creative mind; I am able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that ye may ask or think. You will never run out of my ability with your creativity; I am your God. I am your God; there’s nothing too hard for me. Abraham, is there anything too hard for the Lord?»
And when we get down into this, this is the beloved benefit that comes from being a part of the beloved family that is born out of the beloved relationship that we have with God. I want you to get this: Through that beloved relationship, we have the beloved family, and out of that, we have a beloved dwelling place. Because of that, all of it starts with a beloved calling, and all of it has been given unto you. The secret that unlocks it, releases it, and manifests it—you’ve got to love it. So as we share Wednesday night Bible class with you, we talk to you about the Word of God.
Are you better at complaining than you are at loving? Because that’s what caused the children of Israel to wander in the wilderness for 40 years and die in the desert rather than build in the promised land. Because they weren’t good at loving—it was good at murmuring, good at complaining, good at feeling sorry for themselves. But in order to unlock the treasure of heaven, you’ve got to love it. Why do you have to love it, Bishop? Because God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. We talk about what He gave, but we don’t talk about what made Him give it. If you look at the gift, the gift is commensurate with the love. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.
I think most people don’t love God; they lust after God. They lust after God. Lust is about taking—what can you do for me? What can you give me? How can you please me? How can you satisfy me? How can you turn me on? We eroticize our relationship with God to the point that we don’t love God; we lust after God. Lust is about taking; love is about giving. Do you love God? You’re sitting on your talents; you’ve got singers who won’t sing, preachers who won’t preach, leaders who will not lead, and you’re not giving of yourself. We’ve got people who have been blessed; God brought you from down to up, and you don’t give. You don’t give up your resources, you don’t give up your finances; you just keep building bigger and bigger barns. Really?
I remember one time my income was really, really good; I just did a huge book deal and got a huge benefit out of it. I figured out what the tithe was, and I thought, «Oh my gosh, man, that’s a lot to give God.» God said, «If the 10% is too much to give me, you keep the 10; give me the 9.» I give Him 10, thank you, Jesus! He’s reminding me as you go up, your giving goes up. God so loved the world that He gave. So you talk a lot about the cross—a lot about Calvary; we talk about the sun refusing to shine, the ground beginning to tremble, the veil in the temple being rent from the top to the bottom, law collapsing over grace.
We talk about all the amazing things about what happened on Calvary, but we don’t talk about the power behind Calvary. It’s the invisible, unknowable, uncatchable—you love me like this. You know everything about me, and you love me like this. The reason you’ve got to love what God has called you to do, and where God has placed you, and what assignment God has given you, and what children God has given you, and what spouse God has given you, and what position in the kingdom God has given you is because it’s all about love—the whole thing, the whole book, the greatest love story ever told. You know why you don’t understand the Word of God when you read it? You’ve got to love it. If you love it, it’ll love you back; it’ll open up, it’ll show you things. I’m not talking about love and preaching; you have to love His Word.
«Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you.» You love me like this? Then peekaboo! Let me show you something. Isn’t it funny how when you know people love you, inhibitions go away, and you become more open, and you feel more safe? No wonder God reserves His mysteries for people who really love Him. At a time like this, instead of complaining about what you’ve lost and what you’ve been through, and who hurt you, and who forsook you, and who denied you, and who won’t give you an opportunity, and all of those immature, childish things, why don’t you go back to loving God and loving the fact that He’s given you an assignment to increase the mystery of the fellowship of how we can fit together? We can fit together! As fragmented as we are, broken as we are, we can fit.
Together in fellowship, we become one so that we can hold the love of God. I pray that what I’ve shared today speaks to you in a deep and personal way. I pray that you would not hate your assignment, whether it’s in your home, church, or job, that God would entrust you with someone else’s care, that He would make you a nurse to a broken child or a wounded woman. I pray that you would move beyond the anger and see the Lord in the little girl within her, beyond your selfishness to see the little boy in him. I often hear from strong women, «I’m not raising any grown man.»
Let me tell you something: in marriage, both of you raise each other. You aren’t as grown as you think; just because you’re strong in one area doesn’t mean you’re strong in all. Love works best when we uncover the mystery of how to make this crazy thing fit together. It starts with the love you have for God and the love you share with each other. It forms a three-fold cord that is not easily broken. You know you can get promoted on that job when you stop complaining about it. Your ministry will flourish and truly blossom when you begin to love His Word. You’ll know you have great friends when you give great love. The title of this Bible class is «You’ve Got to Love It.»
Is God answering someone’s prayer today? If you’ve been struggling to figure out how to escape, God says you need to love Him for things to work out. Love is hard work; let’s not romanticize it or leave it passive and effeminate. Love is strong, tough, and resilient, and despite what you might think, it hurts to love. Love is an investment; it will make you cry and may cause sleepless nights. This is why men often run from emotions—love makes you vulnerable. But God is saying to you, «I loved you with your imperfect self, with your broken, faulty, belligerent, and indignant self. If you’re going to be like Me, you must love what I gave you.»
Whether it’s a child, a church, or a business, you’re at your best if you love it. They say that if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. I’m saying to you, let’s close in prayer because I believe the Holy Spirit has opened someone’s heart. I believe someone sees that they need a heart transplant, just like Paul—who was a Christian killer and ended up loving the church and ministering to its weakest parts. You need a heart transplant; you need a Damascus road experience. I’m not saying you’re not saved, but you need to be knocked down off your beast and see something bigger than yourself.
Father, in the name of Jesus, we bow our heads right now. We ask that those meant to hear this word would absorb it in the deepest parts of their being, that they would be touched, strengthened, challenged, and most of all, changed by it. If while we’re praying, there’s anyone listening who is not a Christian, may they come right now and invite You into their heart and life to come and dwell with them. They should move in and live with You, and You should be the lover of their souls for the rest of their lives, as they confess with their mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in their hearts that He is risen from the dead. Your book says they are saved. Thank You for that salvation. Now lead them to a good ministry or church where they can be fed, baptized, and filled with the Spirit.
It all starts with love, and it all began tonight—a new beginning. If any man or woman be in Christ, he or she is a new creation—not because they are perfect, but because they are in Christ. May the Word of God dwell in your hearts by faith, and whatever you’re thinking of and believing God for, remember the benefits. He is able to do it, even if it’s just to change your life. But you’ve got to love it. I’m Bishop T.D. Jakes, the senior pastor of The Potter’s House. Have a wonderful evening.