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Revelation of Love Ministries

David Machado

Champion of Love

Lord anytime I come and speak, Lord, I am humbled because before I preach this sermon you've preached it to me.

And every time, Father, I get before your children, I don't feel worthy, Lord.

Today, Father, as we talk about the champion of love, I pray, Lord, that somehow I may disappear and Jesus would appear, that He would be lifted up and that all people would be drawn to you.

Give us your Holy Spirit, I pray in Jesus name, amen.

All right, any of you have any idea who is the most decorated Olympian of all time?

The most decorated Olympian of all time, he's also considered to be the greatest Olympian of all time.

He has won 28 medals, 23 of those are gold medals.

He became the first American male swimmer to qualify for 5 Olympic teams in June of 2016.

He became the youngest male Olympian since 1932.

And he had 8 gold medals in 2008 Olympic Games.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, every champion, every Olympian has a routine that they live by.

Michael Phelps, who is arguably the greatest swimmer of all time, had 1 of the most craziest routines of any Olympian.

To receive the amount of medals he received, you had to be.

He said that for 5 straight years, he never took a day off of training.

He has spent more time in water than on land and he's not a fish.

If he said if you take 1 day off it takes 2 days off to get back to where you were.

So he never took a day off for 5 years straight and became perhaps the greatest Olympian of all time.

Yet at the peak of this man's career, He suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts.

He contemplated ending his life multiple times.

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a statistical fact that over 80% of all Olympians suffer from what is called post Olympic depression.

These are the people that are the most athletic, the healthiest people on planet earth.

And yet, why is it that over 80% of these individuals suffer from depression.

Many of these individuals win medals, not just any ordinary medal, the greatest medal offered in their category of sport in the world.

When Michael Phelps won the gold that put him on the pedestal of there's no 1 greater than you in all the world.

And so all these Olympians that are getting the highest medals that anyone, any athlete could ever receive after they've won gold after gold after gold after gold, they start to wonder is there anything else worth living for?

I've come to the mountaintop and I've experienced it, but what more?

Michael Phelps started to recognize that all the gold that he has around his neck isn't sufficient to fill the void that's down deep within the soul.

Ladies and gentlemen, there is a champion this morning I would like to talk about that never received any medal on planet Earth, any gold medal, he was thought at 1 period of time to be a god because of the miracles that God was doing in this man's life.

He never competed in the Olympic games, but he stood as a champion in heralding the gospel to the onlooking universe.

This calling that Paul received from the Lord Jesus Christ wasn't just unique to him, ladies and gentlemen, but you will find it is given to every follower of Jesus Christ.

This morning, I want us to see how we could be a champion for Christ.

Let's go to our closing fruit in the series of the fruit of the spirit.

Notice what the Bible says here in Galatians chapter 5 verse 22 and 23.

But the fruit of the spirit is what everybody?

Love, joy, Peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and there is that last 1.

Now any of you know what the word temperance means?

Any of you have any idea what that word means?

Literally in the Greek, that word temperance means self-mastery or self-restraint or self-control.

Every Olympian has to have self-control in order to make it to the top.

Michael Phelps, for 5 years straight, was in the water at 07:00 in the morning every single day.

Ladies and gentlemen, to be a champion you have to exhibit 1 of the hardest characteristics known to mankind and that is self-control, Temperance.

Now did Paul exercise temperance in his life?

Did Paul exercise temperance in his life?

Was he able to self-restrain himself in things?

In order to be a champion for Christ, what kind of exercises did Paul do on a daily basis?

He's speaking to Timothy and he says in 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 8, listen to this, for bodily exercise, Paul says to Timothy, profits how much?

Godliness is profitable unto all things Paul is telling Timothy, you know what physical exercise It profits some but not nearly as much as your relationship with the Lord my all God Almighty Amen Godliness this is following the example of Jesus What kind of exercises did Paul manifest?

Rather than going to the gym every day or getting in the water or being the fastest runner, Paul sought to be more like Jesus every day.

The Bible says in Acts 24, verse 16, listen to this.

To have always a conscience void of offense towards God and towards man.

And what did he find his daily routine consisting of?

A daily walk with Jesus Christ, a desire to be more like Christ.

He sought in his life to exercise, to always make sure his conscience is void of offense towards man and towards God.

Now ladies and gentlemen, did Paul go through any trials or tests?

Towards the end of Paul life, Paul got to speak to some prestigious people in society, governors and kings.

And I want you to know, towards the end of Paul, listen to what the message was.

He spoke to a man by the name of Felix, who was a governor, and this man was not of noble stature, if you will.

History tells us, speaking of Felix, for the character of Felix was base and contemptible.

It was said of him that in the practice of all kinds of lust and cruelty, he exercised the power of a king with the temper of a slave.

Paul is now brought forth before the governor, later before a king, and Notice Paul doesn't change his message.

He is not 1 that wants to please and become popular with men.

He goes before Felix and he says this, After certain days when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix, what everybody?

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Champion of Love

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