Grace Church Metropolis

12 Habits to a Closer Walk with Jesus

Habit 1: Loving Jesus

12 Rules for Living.
1. Famous Book
  1. Jordon Peterson
  2. I created my own list.
2. Rule One
  1. It is the greatest commandment.
  2. It’s also my hearts greatest desire.
Back to the Beginning
1. Garden of Eden
  1. What must it have been like?
  2. ____________________________________
2. They walked with God.
  1. Genesis 2:25 (NLT) — 25 Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
  2. Genesis 3:8–10 (NLT) — 8 When the cool evening breezes were blowing, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking about in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, “Where are you?” 10 He replied, “I heard you walking in the garden, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked.”
3. Notice a couple of things.
  1. They walked with God.
  2. Can you imagine that kind of fellowship with God!
  3. The greatest gift that God had given Adam and Eve was not the beautiful garden.
  4. It was his presence.
4. A broken relationship
  1. They saw themselves and were ashamed.
  2. They had broken their amazing relationship with God.
  3. But what did God do?
    1. He went looking for them.
    2. Why did God go looking for them? _______
  4. When our relationship is broken with our Lord.
  5. God doesn’t turn his back on you but chases after you.
  6. Hymn: Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling
Coming to Love Jesus.
1. Habit One.
  1. John 15:9 (NLT) — 9 “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.
  2. Jesus reminds us that love is central to our relationship with him.
  3. Just as Christ calls for our love, He assures of His love.
  4. Love is the covenant that cannot be broken.
  5. Someone gave a great definition for a covenant: It’s a “bond in blood sovereignly administered.
2. It’s a “bond”.
  1. We are bond to this covenant because of what Christ has done.
  2. Ephesians 2:8–9 (NIV) — 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—9 not by works, so that no one can boast.
3. Fixed in blood.
  1. The covenant we have with Christ is one sealed with His blood, the very life force of the body.
  2. Hebrews 9:22 (NLT) — 22 For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness.
  3. Our only defense and hope is the blood of Christ.
4. Administered by a Sovereign Go
  1. It is not for the creature to determine how we will relate to the Creator.
  2. In this relationship, God has all the rights.
  3. We lay ourselves at his mercy.
  4. 1 John 4:19 (NLT) — 19 We love each other because he loved us first.
The greatest habit (discipline) is love.
1. Don’t try harder trust more.
  1. You first and foremost calling is love.
  2. It isn’t becoming a better spiritual person.
  3. It’s to trust more to love more.
  4. All the other habits flow from that love.
2. Holiness
  1. Another term for “a closer walk” is holiness
  2. As we love deeply, our lives will be separated (holy) for His holy purposes.
  3. The more often we hold up love.
  4. The more habitual our holiness will become.
Rule one.
1. What’s on your list.
  1. ___________________________________
2. Who are we?
  1. At the end of the day, we must ask ourselves who we want to become.
  2. “If only His character and love could flow into me, then I would truly understand the heart of the Father.”
3. I still a beginner.
  1. But so are you.
  2. Put it first on your list.
  3. It is after all the greatest commandment.
  4. Mark 12:30 (NLT) — 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.