This is the last of a three-part series on Seeking God. But this should not be just a good start to 2018. This should be our passion throughout the year, not just in January.

Seeking God should not be our passion just in the New Year but throughout the year. ~ Gordon Small #SeekingGod #EastwoodTulsa

The Bible says that “Christ is our life”. If that is true, and it is, then we are hard wired to seek God. In fact, it is contrary to our new nature to not love and seek Him! I can’t stress this enough. If you have been born again, Christ is your life. His love compels us!

The Bible says that “Christ is our life”. It is contrary to our new nature to not love and seek Him! ~ Gordon Small #SeekingGod #EastwoodTulsa

Today, we are going to look at what part love plays in Seeking God. There are a lot of reasons why we seek the Lord. When we are in trouble, in a time of physical pain, in financial need. And we should seek God in these times; He wants us to! Any kind or hurt or pain or problem should drive us to seek the Lord, not run away from Him.

The Bible is full of reasons why people seek God. I would like to think that all of them are good if they cause us to seek Him. But, since God knows our heart; He knows why we do what we do. He knows the reasons behind our actions. The Proverbs can help us at this point.

‘Weighing the heart’ is a phrase that means that God is examining our heart, our motives. Why do we do what we do? Only God knows perfectly. He does test our hearts. He never tempts us to do evil. When He opens our eyes, and causes us to see our heart condition, it is His goodness leading us to repentance and joy.

After Jesus multiplied five barley loaves of bread and two fish to feed a multitude, he sent everyone away. The next day people came looking for Him. “When the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they also got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You come here?” John 6:24–25 (NKJV).

The people had seen the miracle of the loaves and fishes and saw Jesus as their meal ticket. He recognized their heart motive right away. The people were exerting a tremendous amount of energy to get physical food. Jesus reminds us that God feeds the birds and we are much more valuable than birds. He will feed us also. He wants us to seek first the Kingdom of God. In doing that we must seek the God of the Kingdom, too! For the right reasons.

It can seem scary that God knows exactly what we are thinking and what we are going to say before we say it. Here’s the best news. God loves us in spite of our heart motives. ~ Gordon Small #SeekingGod #EastwoodTulsa

But He wants us to go after what is most important. He says it is the food which endures to everlasting life (John 6:27).

Eternal life is a gift. It’s not earned; it’s given. And it’s free. But it is not cheap; it was paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. ~ Gordon Small #SeekingGod #EastwoodTulsa

So, what should our heart motive be? Do I have to be so introspective that I don’t come to Him until I feel my motive is perfect? No. He will reveal to you where you are in relation to Him. He will let you know as you get to know Him better and better. The title of this message gives you a hint up front: Seeking God: The Love Factor. Love for Jesus is the greatest motivation for seeking Him.

Loving God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength is the greatest commandment and the second is like it. We love our neighbor as ourselves. All the Law and Prophetic writings hang on these two. Loving God with everything we are is a lifelong joy. Our love for Him should grow. He is infinite and so is His love for us and to us. Our love for God and Christ is the strongest motivating factor in seeking Him.

Love should immediately remind us of relationships. And I’m not talking about my/your love relationship with ice-cream, or movies, or traveling, or any other ‘things’ you say that you love. And especially if you put God’s Name in that same list. Surely my love for God must be greater than any other competing love. Jesus said it must exceed any other love, even father, mother, son or daughter (Matthew 10:37).

My love for God must be greater than any other competing love. ~ Gordon Small #SeekingGod #EastwoodTulsa

As we begin to take the steps we need to take to make love our motive for seeking God, I want to refresh our memories about a first century church. Open your Bible to Revelation 2:1-7.

These are strong words and some of the last words of the resurrected Jesus. They are penned to the Church of Ephesus. This was the largest city in Asia Minor located close to Smyrna in what today we call Turkey. Paul wrote a letter to seven churches, Ephesus was the first one. Within roughly 30-35 years the Church at Ephesus had left their first love (Rev. 2:4). Notice it wasn’t that Jesus had a problem with their work, effort, endurance, or doctrine (Rev. 2:2-3). They were doing the right things. But they weren’t doing them because of their love for Jesus. The rebuke is stern and scary. If they don’t remember and repent, their light, influence, and church would be removed!

So what happens with us in the 21st century? The good begins to replace the best. Working for Jesus takes the place of loving Jesus and allowing Him to work through us! In the Old Testament the prophet Isaiah said it this way: ...“These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me...” Isaiah 29:13 (NLT). Jesus quoted this Isaiah passage in Matthew 15:8. Remember these were the ‘religious people’, the ones who went to the temple. The ones who knew the Scriptures. We must guard against letting our works for Jesus replace our love for Him.

So how do we make love our reason for seeking God? How can we love God with our whole heart, soul, mind, and strength? How can we passionately pursue Him? Look again at Jesus’ rebuke in Revelation 2:1-7.

We can REMEMBER. Jesus says to the Church at Ephesus remember from where you have fallen. Remember your first encounter with Jesus; how your love for Him was exciting and real. Remember how He forgave you and gave you new life, His life. Take time to be still before Him and allow your mind to go back to the time when you were saved. If you were a small child and don’t remember, then go back to a time when Jesus was the most real to you and when you loved Him passionately. If you are not still in that place of love, then you have fallen. We have to remember, reflect. We have to be honest with ourselves and God.

We must REPENT, too. Luke describes the repentance of the Ephesians in Acts 19. When the Jews and Gentiles heard of the miracles done by Paul those “who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed” (Acts 19:19–20 NKJV).

Every one of us starts our experience with God in repentance. Every one of the prophets called God’s people to repentance. John the Baptist, Jesus, the early disciples and Paul all preached repentance. The same message.

In order to repent we must remember. The goodness of God leads us to see the real self, our sins. As a believer, His Spirit gives us the grace a He exhorts us to remember and repent. As a follower of Jesus, the Holy Spirit probably quickens us when this love factor begins to lessen. If we don’t respond we could wind up like the Ephesian church members. We must repent. Is your love for Jesus as strong as it has ever been? Have you fallen from your first love? Are you just going through the motions?

In our time of invitation and ministry God is calling us to turn away from anything that has caused us to fall away from our first love. You probably know right now if your love for Jesus is not intense, passionate, and growing. Come and kneel here and ask God to restore that first love for Jesus to your heart.

Jot down the verse below and read it this afternoon. Spend some time talking to God about the love factor. How would you answer Jesus’ question: “Do you love Me?” Listen for what He tells you to do.

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