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We're going to go ahead and
dismiss our kids to NBC Kids Church.

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They're going to go ahead and
head on out and learn about Jesus.

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And we're going to learn about
Jesus in here.

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And so if you're staying with
us, we're going to be in Romans chapter

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12.

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You can turn there with me.

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Romans chapter 12.

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We're looking at verses 11,
12, and 13 here this morning.

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The title of the sermon is
God's Love in Action.

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It's a practical application
of the love that God gives us.

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Last week we looked at verses
9 and 10, and that was all about

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the character of Christian
love, what it looks like on the sense

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of the definition of it.

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So we talked about agape, we
talked about Philostorge, which was

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the.

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The family love.

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We talked about Philadelphia,
which was the brotherly love.

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And we saw that there's
different aspects to that love.

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And really, it all boils down
to a choice that we have to make.

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We're going to choose to love
the Lord.

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We're going to choose to love
our fellow brother or sister in Christ.

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And with that choice comes sacrifice.

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And.

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And with that sacrifice comes challenges.

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But through all that, we have
the bigger picture that it's because

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that God has demonstrated his
love toward us.

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That's what Romans chapter 5 says.

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Romans chapter 5, verse 8 says
that God demonstrated his love towards

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us in that the fact that we
were sinners and the fact that while

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we were still sinners, Christ
died for us.

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And so because God
demonstrated His love for us, we

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are called to demonstrate the
love that he gives us to others,

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that we come across in our
daily walk.

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So God doesn't merely give us
love for the feeling of love, even

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though there's emotions that
come along with godly love.

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But godly love is more than
just a feeling.

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It's a love that acts, it's a
love that serves, it's a love that

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endures, it's a love that
prays, it's a love that gives, a

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love that welcomes, it's a
love that sacrifices.

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And so the question becomes
not, does God love me?

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Because I think the answer to
that is very clear.

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Yes, God loves me.

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But then the question should
be this.

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What does God's love look like
when it gets lived out in my life?

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And that's what we're going to
be looking at here this morning.

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So let's go ahead and open up
with a word of prayer.

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And then we're going to dive
right into love in action.

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Lord, I pray that you be with
us here today as we look into your

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word.

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We're thankful for the love
that you have demonstrated to us

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in our lives.

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And I pray that that love can
not only change us in the fact that

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it saves us, but also, Lord,
that it grows us and that it sustains

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us and that it gives us a hope
that we can only find in you.

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Lord, I pray that today that
there might be people here that are

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struggling with understanding
your love, maybe struggling with

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giving your love.

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Lord, I pray that today can be
a day in which we can have our hearts

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open and broken to you, Lord,
and to your will and to your way

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in our lives.

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And I pray that you can remove
any distractions from our minds and

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from our hearts and allow us
to see your word clearly here today.

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And we ask all these things in
Jesus name.

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Amen.

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So we saw Last Week verses 9
and 10 all about authentic love,

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all about love being displayed
within the body of Christ.

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And we see in verse number 11
this new phrase, it says, not slothful

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in business, fervent in
spirit, serving the Lord.

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And so the Bible tells us that
we are to be busy about something.

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Oftentimes in our life we can
be very busy, but not busy for the

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right reasons.

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And so I want to ask a few
questions as we start out here.

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As we look at verse number 11,
what are we busy with in our lives?

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What occupies our time?

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What receives our attention?

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What are we focusing on?

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You know, everybody is busy
with something.

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And what happens is, is that
what we're busy with in our lives

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usually is what we love.

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It's usually what we're
putting on a pedestal.

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You know, if there's things in
my life that I love, I'm certainly

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going to spend a lot of time
with it.

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If there's things in my life
that I love, I'm going to give all

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of my attention to that.

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And here in verse number 11,
he says, don't get slothful or apathetic

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or lazy in the business of
loving, in the business of ministry,

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in the business of serving the Lord.

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He says, we're called not to
be slothful, but to be fervent in

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the Spirit serving the Lord.

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And so the challenge here is
that we should not get lazy or apathetic

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and allow that to steal away
our purpose.

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Slothfulness or laziness can
cause us to neglect what God has

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called us to do.

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Apathy can cause us to know
what needs to be done.

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Apathy can cause us to sit in
a service and agree with what's Being

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said to read something and
agree with it and.

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And understand what needs to
be done.

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But then what apathy does is
that it makes us lose our urgency

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to live it out.

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How many times as Christians
have we understood what we're supposed

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to do, understood what God
calls us to do, but we lose the urgency

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to be busy about it.

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We get slothful in our
Christian walk.

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And so he says, don't get slothful.

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Don't get lazy.

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But in verse number 11,
fervent in the spirit, and that phrase

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is so interesting, that word
fervent in the original Greek carries

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over the idea of something
boiling or being on fire.

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Essentially, what God is
saying is, be on fire for my cause.

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Be on fire for the gospel.

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Be on fire for the love that I
have called you to love within the

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church.

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Be on fire for serving me and
serving others.

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That idea of fire is such an
interesting thing.

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We were at the Peach festival
last week, and we had our tent with

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our church, and then we had
next to us our Trail Life tent.

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And we were.

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Obviously, you're always
trying to figure out ways in which

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people will come over the tent.

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So this year we had a spinning wheel.

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And that spinning wheel, for
whatever reason at our tent, caused

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people to come over.

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They heard that clicking, and
they're like, oh, they're winning

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something over there.

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So they walked over and it was
just a great example for us to bring

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them in and then give them the
truth of the gospel and invite them

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to church and.

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But I'm going to tell you what
the Trail Life guys were doing.

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They had these little sticks
that caused it to be sparks to spark

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a fire.

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And they were asking,
particularly young boys walking by,

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hey, do you want to start a fire?

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And you know what?

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Most of the young boys that
were walking by were like, yeah,

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I'd love to start a fire.

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So they're throwing out these
sparks, and I don't know the safety

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of all that, but I'm pretty
sure nothing caught on fire and no

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one got hurt.

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But there was something to be
said about that, the fire being sparked.

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And a lot of times in our
life, we have things that happen

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that whether it be God working
or someone preaching or something,

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that I've learned that.

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That there's a spark, there's.

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That there's that instance in
which we're excited about something.

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But oftentimes things of this
world, distractions, pain, suffering,

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whatever it might be, just
laziness, as this verse says, can

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cause things to basically stop
that fire, maybe just lower it or

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get it to a place in our life
that it's not glowing, that it's

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not boiling, it's not on.

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On a place where it's overflowing.

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And that's what he's saying here.

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He says, don't get stuck with
all the distractions of this world.

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Don't get lazy, don't get apathetic.

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And so the question is, is,
are we on fire for the Lord?

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I heard someone recently say,
you know what, Pastor?

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I'm not where I need to be in
my spiritual walk.

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And I think we all understand
what that means, but I think all

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of us, to some degree, by way
of testimony, should say that I'm

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not where I need to be.

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Because all of us can be
growing and our love and our zeal

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for the things of God, even if
we're better than we were yesterday,

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the.

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The true test is not where we
are today, it's going to be where

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we are tomorrow.

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And so here he says, don't get
lazy, don't get apathetic, don't

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get stuck in a rut, because
why God's love should produce a heart

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that is eager to serve others.

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And really, that's how God's
love is proven in our lives.

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Number one, it's through obedience.

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Jesus says, if you love me,
keep my commandments.

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And part of his commandment is
in first John, is that we are to

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love one another.

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He says that if you say you
love me and you don't love your brother,

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you don't have the love of
God, you're lying to yourself.

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So he says here in this
passage, don't get lazy in business.

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Be passionate for the Lord, in
the spirit, serving the Lord.

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And I want you to see that
motivation in the mission.

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Really, oftentimes if we think
about loving others and serving others

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and, and it's all about them,
and then they don't act the way that

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we expect them to act, or they
actually are rude to us or they reject

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our help.

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Oftentimes we can lose that
passion for the Lord.

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But you see that the mission
is not necessarily only to serve

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others, even though that's the
way that it's seen.

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He says at the end of verse
12, or, excuse me, the end of verse

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11, it's serving the Lord.

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So when I'm serving somebody
else, if.

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When I'm loving someone else,
ultimately I'm serving the Lord.

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Oh, we are to rejoice or be
joyful in the hope that we have as

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Christians, we are called to
be joyful.

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I can point you to many
Passages of scripture that speak

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to a growing Christian is a
joyful Christian.

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Look at the book of Galatians.

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Galatians, chapter 5.

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One of the elements of the
fruit of the Spirit is joy.

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Philippians 4.

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4.

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Rejoice in the Lord Alway and
again I say rejoice.

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Now, when Paul wrote
Philippians, Chapter four, some of

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you know where I'm going with this.

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Where was he at?

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He was not in a place that we
would all want to be.

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Paul was in prison for doing
the right thing.

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And if anything, we would
expect Paul to say, man, my life

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is bad right now.

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I tried to serve God, but this
is what happened.

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Let me tell you all my problems.

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Let me tell you all my excuses.

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But what does he do?

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He says in Philippians 4,
verse 4, rejoice in the Lord always.

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And again, again I say rejoice.

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There's an emphasis for the
Christian to have joy and to show

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that joy to others around them.

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Christian joy is not dependent
upon everything going well, though

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sometimes it's.

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It's easy for all of us to be
joyful when things are going well.

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Like you get a raise at work,
your children obey you that day,

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you get your favorite meal,
whatever it is.

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We can find a reason to be
joyful in circumstances.

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But a person who does not have
Jesus can understand that principle.

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The biblical type of joy is
not ultimately found in our circumstances.

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Why?

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Because circumstances can change.

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Our health can change, our
finances can change, our relationships

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can change, our life in
general can change.

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But one thing does not change
if you are a believer.

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Your hope in Jesus Christ does
not change.

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So that's the best thing to
place your joy in is the hope that

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you can find in Jesus Christ.

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Now, what's our hope in Jesus Christ?

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Or our hope is found not only
in Jesus Christ, but also in the

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person in work of Jesus Christ
that He has offered us a hope in

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salvation.

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He died for us.

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He conquered death through the resurrection.

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And through that we can have
everlasting life.

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Through that, we can have a
relationship with Him.

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Through that he equips us and
he serves us, and that he strengthens

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us and gives us all the
opportunities to live abundant lives

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here and now and for all eternity.

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Biblical hope is not what the
world's hope is.

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What's the world's hope?

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00:11:01,140 --> 00:11:03,700
Well, I'm going to just cross
my fingers and wish something's going

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to happen.

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Like, for example, I hope that
my team wins today.

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I don't know if my team's
going to win today.

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I might wish that they win I
think that they might win, but I

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don't know for sure if they're
going to win.

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That's the type of hope that
we see within the world.

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00:11:15,380 --> 00:11:16,900
Biblical hope is something different.

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00:11:17,620 --> 00:11:20,820
What's wrapped up in the
definition of biblical hope is a

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00:11:20,820 --> 00:11:24,100
confident expectation that God
will keep his word.

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It's basically trusting in the Lord.

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00:11:27,490 --> 00:11:31,570
Hope is not just wishing that
something will happen, but it's knowing

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that God will do what he says
he will do.

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Why?

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Because we know that God is faithful.

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We know that God is faithful.

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00:11:39,210 --> 00:11:42,130
Therefore, a Christian can
rejoice even when the circumstances

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00:11:42,210 --> 00:11:43,010
are difficult.

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00:11:43,570 --> 00:11:45,010
Well, how can I have that type
of hope?

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00:11:45,010 --> 00:11:47,090
Well, you have that type of
hope because of faith.

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00:11:47,650 --> 00:11:49,890
Let's go to Hebrews chapter
11, verse 1.

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Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1
tells us the definition of faith.

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And in this definition of
faith comes the understanding of

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why we can have hope and comes
the understanding of why we continue

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00:12:02,430 --> 00:12:05,390
to go back to the Lord in the
midst of the struggles that we face

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within our life.

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So God's love brings us to
this hope.

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Hebrews chapter 11, verse 1
says, now faith is the substance

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00:12:12,950 --> 00:12:18,730
or the assurance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things

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00:12:18,730 --> 00:12:19,930
not seen, or the.

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00:12:19,930 --> 00:12:22,250
The conviction that I find in
my life.

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That's.

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That's really what he defines.

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00:12:23,850 --> 00:12:27,770
And so faith gives substance
to what we hope for.

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00:12:28,490 --> 00:12:30,730
Our faith rests upon God's promises.

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00:12:30,810 --> 00:12:33,850
So I'm only going to have
faith in the one that I trust.

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00:12:33,850 --> 00:12:36,730
I'm only going to have faith
in the one who has given me promises.

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00:12:37,130 --> 00:12:39,690
And then what happens is, is
that we can either put our faith

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00:12:39,690 --> 00:12:44,010
in someone who is here on this
earth, or we can put faith in ourselves,

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00:12:44,010 --> 00:12:46,490
or we can put faith in our
government, or we can put faith in

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00:12:46,750 --> 00:12:49,630
Hollywood, or we can put faith
in something and guess what?

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00:12:49,630 --> 00:12:51,230
They have made promises to us.

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00:12:51,230 --> 00:12:53,230
But those promises are not
sure promises.

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00:12:53,230 --> 00:12:53,470
Why?

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00:12:53,470 --> 00:12:54,910
Because they failed us before.

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00:12:55,390 --> 00:12:58,070
And the one thing that we can
be sure of as believers is that God

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00:12:58,070 --> 00:12:59,230
has never failed us.

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00:12:59,550 --> 00:13:01,630
And so our circumstances may change.

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00:13:02,110 --> 00:13:05,790
But our reason for rejoicing
does not have to change because our

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00:13:05,870 --> 00:13:09,470
reason for rejoicing is in the
promises and the assurance to know

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00:13:09,470 --> 00:13:12,130
that God is going to keep his
word and that I have a hope that

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00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:13,480
bigger than this earth.

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00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,600
If this Paul talks about this
in another passage of scripture,

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00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:21,360
he says, if this world is all
we are living for, then that's a

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00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:22,680
very hopeless life.

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00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:27,040
To think that even if I get a
hundred years, even, even if I'm

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00:13:27,040 --> 00:13:30,680
the richest person on the
planet, even if I have all the people

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00:13:30,680 --> 00:13:33,480
in the world loving me, that's
still a very miserable existence

301
00:13:33,480 --> 00:13:34,560
because it's final.

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00:13:34,560 --> 00:13:35,160
It's over.

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00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:37,880
And even that, we've seen
people that have all the money in

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00:13:37,880 --> 00:13:39,980
the world still live with hopelessness.

305
00:13:40,220 --> 00:13:43,220
We see people that have all
the fame in the world still live

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00:13:43,220 --> 00:13:43,980
with hopelessness.

307
00:13:43,980 --> 00:13:44,300
Why?

308
00:13:44,380 --> 00:13:46,300
Because this world is not enough.

309
00:13:46,460 --> 00:13:49,460
This system that has been
created here on this earth through

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00:13:49,460 --> 00:13:51,580
the enemy, that's all about materialism.

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00:13:51,580 --> 00:13:54,340
It's all about fleshly lust
being fulfilled.

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00:13:54,340 --> 00:13:55,860
These are all going to fall short.

313
00:13:55,860 --> 00:13:59,500
The Bible says that the only
true hope can be found in the constant.

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00:13:59,500 --> 00:14:03,940
And that constant is found in
knowing and living and abiding in

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00:14:03,940 --> 00:14:04,620
Jesus Christ.

316
00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:08,920
So he says the type of love
experienced and the type of love

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00:14:08,920 --> 00:14:13,320
seen in busyness for the Lord
and service for the Lord will produce

318
00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:15,880
a rejoicing that is found in hope.

319
00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:19,960
But with that rejoicing in
hope, with that hope that we have,

320
00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,680
that confident expectation, it
can give us the fuel to be, as the

321
00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:27,000
next phrase says in verse 12,
patient in tribulation.

322
00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,970
Now, if we were writing this,
we would say rejoicing in hope and

323
00:14:31,970 --> 00:14:33,490
everything goes okay.

324
00:14:34,290 --> 00:14:37,090
And our prayer for each other
usually is, I hope everything works

325
00:14:37,090 --> 00:14:37,450
out for you.

326
00:14:37,450 --> 00:14:38,770
And I understand why we say that.

327
00:14:38,770 --> 00:14:42,490
But the reality is, is that
it's not all going to be perfect

328
00:14:42,490 --> 00:14:43,130
in our life.

329
00:14:43,130 --> 00:14:45,250
We will face tribulation.

330
00:14:45,410 --> 00:14:49,210
And that word tribulation
there just means trials or test doesn't

331
00:14:49,210 --> 00:14:52,690
necessarily mean sin in our
life, or it doesn't necessarily mean

332
00:14:52,770 --> 00:14:55,130
that people are actively
persecuting us.

333
00:14:55,130 --> 00:14:57,630
It might mean that, but it
just simply means that we're going

334
00:14:57,630 --> 00:15:00,870
to face tribulation, we're
going to face tests, we're going

335
00:15:00,870 --> 00:15:02,430
to have trials in our life.

336
00:15:02,750 --> 00:15:05,670
So he says, when you
understand God's love and when you're

337
00:15:05,670 --> 00:15:09,590
walking in service to him for
the right reasons, you're going to

338
00:15:09,590 --> 00:15:13,070
then have that joy found in
the hope that he has given us.

339
00:15:13,230 --> 00:15:17,750
And in that hope we are going
to have that endurance, that patience

340
00:15:17,750 --> 00:15:19,950
in the tribulations that are
to come.

341
00:15:19,950 --> 00:15:24,060
I think another really great
verse or verses to look at is in

342
00:15:24,060 --> 00:15:26,820
Romans chapter five, where we
started this morning.

343
00:15:27,700 --> 00:15:31,340
He talks about being justified
by faith, declared righteous by our

344
00:15:31,340 --> 00:15:31,660
faith.

345
00:15:31,660 --> 00:15:35,100
In verse one, he says that we
have something called the peace with

346
00:15:35,100 --> 00:15:35,460
God.

347
00:15:35,460 --> 00:15:37,620
And a lot of people are
looking for the peace of God.

348
00:15:37,620 --> 00:15:40,460
That's what Philippians
chapter four says, the peace of God

349
00:15:40,460 --> 00:15:41,700
which passes all understanding.

350
00:15:41,700 --> 00:15:43,300
And we want that in our lives.

351
00:15:43,540 --> 00:15:48,900
But we cannot have the peace
that is of God in Philippians chapter

352
00:15:48,900 --> 00:15:52,630
four, unless we have the peace
with God, which we see In Romans

353
00:15:52,630 --> 00:15:56,470
chapter 5, Peace with God
means I'm aligned with him, that

354
00:15:56,470 --> 00:15:57,950
I've submitted myself to Him.

355
00:15:57,950 --> 00:15:59,470
I put my faith in him.

356
00:15:59,790 --> 00:16:02,830
And so we can have the peace
of God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

357
00:16:02,830 --> 00:16:03,670
That's verse one.

358
00:16:03,670 --> 00:16:08,030
And then he says, by whom also
we have access by faith, so we have

359
00:16:08,030 --> 00:16:08,710
access to God.

360
00:16:08,710 --> 00:16:09,710
He doesn't shut us out.

361
00:16:09,950 --> 00:16:10,910
He gives us grace.

362
00:16:10,910 --> 00:16:16,310
And that's where we stand in
we rejoice in hope of the glory of

363
00:16:16,310 --> 00:16:16,630
God.

364
00:16:16,630 --> 00:16:17,710
We see that theme here.

365
00:16:17,950 --> 00:16:20,950
Paul says, we're rejoicing in
something, but we're rejoicing in

366
00:16:20,950 --> 00:16:22,910
the hope that God gives us.

367
00:16:23,150 --> 00:16:25,470
And then he goes on to say in
verse three, and not only so, but

368
00:16:25,470 --> 00:16:29,390
we glory or rejoice in tribulations.

369
00:16:29,390 --> 00:16:30,350
Those are trials.

370
00:16:30,910 --> 00:16:33,550
Knowing that tribulation
worketh patience.

371
00:16:34,270 --> 00:16:37,230
So he says, hey, tribulation
is teaching us how to endure things

372
00:16:37,230 --> 00:16:40,110
in our life because we have
that hope and patience, experience

373
00:16:40,270 --> 00:16:40,910
and experience.

374
00:16:41,230 --> 00:16:44,270
Hope and hope maketh not
ashamed because the love of God is

375
00:16:44,510 --> 00:16:47,560
shed abroad and in our hearts
by the Holy Ghost, which is given

376
00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:48,200
unto us.

377
00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:52,720
So we see it's this beautiful
cycle that when we rejoice in the

378
00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:56,080
hope of God, we're able to go
through various trials in our life

379
00:16:56,080 --> 00:16:56,680
with patience.

380
00:16:56,680 --> 00:16:59,000
And that experience gives us
more hope.

381
00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:02,960
And that hope then produces
the patience that we can find again.

382
00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:05,400
And that happens over and over
again in our life.

383
00:17:05,880 --> 00:17:08,160
So Christianity doesn't
promise life without trouble.

384
00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:11,280
But what the Bible does
promise us is that when tribulations

385
00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,900
come, and we assume that they
will, we know that they will, that

386
00:17:14,900 --> 00:17:18,740
God will give us the hope and
the strength and the endurance to

387
00:17:18,740 --> 00:17:20,900
go through these things,
knowing that he is with us.

388
00:17:20,900 --> 00:17:23,780
Our hope in Christ gives us
something greater than our present

389
00:17:23,780 --> 00:17:24,580
circumstances.

390
00:17:25,300 --> 00:17:27,700
Because we know God is faithful.

391
00:17:28,260 --> 00:17:32,300
And because ultimately that
Romans 5 progression, that as we

392
00:17:32,300 --> 00:17:35,260
go through trials, we're
experiencing those trials, but we

393
00:17:35,260 --> 00:17:36,980
know that God gets us through
those trials.

394
00:17:37,060 --> 00:17:39,620
And as he gets us through
those trials, then we can understand

395
00:17:39,620 --> 00:17:43,190
that there is more hope in him
and we can trust in him more.

396
00:17:43,190 --> 00:17:46,590
And then as that hope comes,
we're able to experience God's love

397
00:17:46,590 --> 00:17:47,190
more and more.

398
00:17:47,190 --> 00:17:50,950
He says that at the very end
of verse 5 of Romans 5, because the

399
00:17:50,950 --> 00:17:54,630
love of God is shed abroad in
our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which

400
00:17:54,630 --> 00:17:55,590
is given unto us.

401
00:17:56,390 --> 00:17:57,910
So this is how we can see it.

402
00:18:00,470 --> 00:18:01,070
As we.

403
00:18:01,070 --> 00:18:03,990
As God allows us to go through
trials, he is there with us through

404
00:18:03,990 --> 00:18:04,110
it.

405
00:18:04,110 --> 00:18:06,350
And as he's there with us
through it, we can understand him

406
00:18:06,350 --> 00:18:06,630
more.

407
00:18:07,000 --> 00:18:08,760
We can trust in his promises more.

408
00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:11,960
And therefore, we are able to
experience his love more.

409
00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:14,040
Now, you might say, I don't
understand that.

410
00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:14,760
I don't get that.

411
00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,200
Basically what he's saying is,
is that we aren't really going to

412
00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,160
experience his demonstration
of love until we go through it.

413
00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:22,799
Where that is going to be
tested when we're put to the fire,

414
00:18:22,799 --> 00:18:25,000
when the rubber meets the
road, however you want to say it,

415
00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,080
folks, if we live in a life of
comfort constantly, that we are trying

416
00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:31,000
to create for ourselves, and
we're not trusting in God to get

417
00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:33,640
us through the trials, we're
never going to grow in our trust

418
00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:35,710
for him when more trials come
our way.

419
00:18:35,710 --> 00:18:37,670
And that's what he's saying
here in this passage.

420
00:18:38,310 --> 00:18:44,310
So hope produces joy, and joy
produces endurance or patience.

421
00:18:44,710 --> 00:18:48,310
Christian endurance is rooted
in confidence in God, not confidence

422
00:18:48,310 --> 00:18:48,950
in ourselves.

423
00:18:50,230 --> 00:18:54,670
So one way you could put it is
that the love of God produces endurance

424
00:18:54,670 --> 00:18:55,190
in our life.

425
00:18:55,190 --> 00:18:57,830
We're able to face the trials
because we experience the love of

426
00:18:57,830 --> 00:18:58,150
God.

427
00:18:58,470 --> 00:19:00,470
We don't endure because we're
naturally strong.

428
00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:03,720
We endure because God is faithful.

429
00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:08,680
As we saw at the Peach
festival was that last Saturday,

430
00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:11,720
there was this 5k and a bunch
of people from our church were running

431
00:19:11,720 --> 00:19:11,960
it.

432
00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:17,200
And I was out there and I was
trying to run it, but it was more

433
00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:22,440
like a jog slash, fast walk,
fast slash catching my breath.

434
00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:24,600
And it was a lot of endurance.

435
00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:26,760
And, you know, when we're not.

436
00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,960
When I wasn't running a lot,
it seemed like it was.

437
00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:31,920
I thought I was gonna die.

438
00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:32,360
I really did.

439
00:19:32,360 --> 00:19:33,320
I was like, this is it.

440
00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:34,520
I'm not gonna make it.

441
00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:38,840
And I was stopping, checking
my phone, and I.

442
00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:40,960
The worst thing was I had to
watch on that.

443
00:19:40,960 --> 00:19:42,360
Told me how far I was running.

444
00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:44,480
And I was like, no, I don't
want to look at it.

445
00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:46,400
I don't want to look at it
till it's one mile.

446
00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:47,920
I'm gonna look at it one per mile.

447
00:19:47,920 --> 00:19:48,840
And I was running.

448
00:19:48,840 --> 00:19:51,400
I'm like, I have to be at two
miles by now.

449
00:19:51,480 --> 00:19:52,120
And I was.

450
00:19:52,120 --> 00:19:52,840
I was just.

451
00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:54,280
My lungs were on fire.

452
00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:56,200
Everything I looked down, and
I don't even want to tell you what

453
00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:56,480
it said.

454
00:19:56,480 --> 00:19:56,920
It said.

455
00:19:57,080 --> 00:19:58,160
I'll tell you what it said.

456
00:19:58,160 --> 00:19:59,160
It said, 0.4.

457
00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:00,440
It wasn't even a half mile yet.

458
00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:01,960
I said, this is not good.

459
00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:02,440
And then.

460
00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,360
Then you start doing this
weird mental gymnastic math.

461
00:20:05,360 --> 00:20:09,840
Like, I've got to do this five
more times, six more times, and it's

462
00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:10,360
a struggle.

463
00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:12,400
And that's sometimes how we
face the Christian life.

464
00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:15,480
If we're not in it if we're
not doing it, that trial might feel

465
00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:18,240
like it's, this is done, I'm
not going to be able to make it through

466
00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:18,520
this.

467
00:20:19,090 --> 00:20:22,610
But there was a time, believe
it or not, that one mile was like

468
00:20:22,610 --> 00:20:23,490
the warmup.

469
00:20:23,490 --> 00:20:26,490
Okay, I ran a half marathon
like two years ago.

470
00:20:26,490 --> 00:20:26,810
Right.

471
00:20:26,810 --> 00:20:28,650
And that didn't come
overnight, I can tell you.

472
00:20:28,650 --> 00:20:30,850
That was day after day of running.

473
00:20:30,850 --> 00:20:33,730
And when you are able to
experience those things in your life

474
00:20:33,730 --> 00:20:36,970
as a Christian, it doesn't
mean that the hardship is any easier

475
00:20:36,970 --> 00:20:39,730
to go through, but it's that
you know that God is there with you

476
00:20:39,730 --> 00:20:43,090
and you've exercised yourself
to trust in him in those moments.

477
00:20:43,250 --> 00:20:44,730
And so that's what he's
talking about here.

478
00:20:44,730 --> 00:20:47,730
He's not saying that trials
are just something that get easier.

479
00:20:47,810 --> 00:20:51,050
It's just that I'm able to
withstand them in the endurance that

480
00:20:51,050 --> 00:20:54,130
God produces in my life as I
go through these things.

481
00:20:54,610 --> 00:20:58,130
And then he talks about what
we would consider to be one of these

482
00:20:58,130 --> 00:20:59,410
spiritual disciplines.

483
00:20:59,650 --> 00:21:03,410
He says, okay, patient and
tribulation through continuing instance

484
00:21:03,410 --> 00:21:04,290
in prayer.

485
00:21:05,330 --> 00:21:06,850
So how do we strengthen ourselves?

486
00:21:07,410 --> 00:21:11,900
How do we get to a place in
our life where we can tap into the

487
00:21:11,900 --> 00:21:13,220
strength that God provides for us?

488
00:21:13,220 --> 00:21:16,740
What he says here, be
persistent or constant in prayer.

489
00:21:17,700 --> 00:21:21,820
You can endure today's trials
because you have hope in tomorrow's

490
00:21:21,820 --> 00:21:22,260
promises.

491
00:21:22,740 --> 00:21:26,100
But then how do I grow in my
knowledge of who God is?

492
00:21:26,100 --> 00:21:28,420
Well, I go to His Word and I
communicate with Him.

493
00:21:29,060 --> 00:21:32,100
Any relationship is based upon
good communication.

494
00:21:32,500 --> 00:21:33,860
How do I communicate with God?

495
00:21:33,860 --> 00:21:35,140
Well, it's through prayer.

496
00:21:35,540 --> 00:21:37,540
So prayer fortifies the
Christian life.

497
00:21:37,540 --> 00:21:40,550
Prayer is not an emergency
button that we turn to when everything

498
00:21:40,550 --> 00:21:42,910
falls apart, even though we
can use it that way.

499
00:21:43,150 --> 00:21:48,110
Prayer should be an ongoing
connection between God and the believer,

500
00:21:48,110 --> 00:21:49,550
between the believer and God.

501
00:21:50,190 --> 00:21:52,110
That's why the Bible says pray
without ceasing.

502
00:21:52,510 --> 00:21:55,270
That's why the Bible says to
be instant or constant in prayer.

503
00:21:55,270 --> 00:21:58,110
That's why this passage of
scripture tells us it's so important

504
00:21:58,110 --> 00:22:00,910
to be in that state of prayer
throughout our lives.

505
00:22:01,070 --> 00:22:05,550
Prayer is connected to our
faith because we pray because we

506
00:22:05,550 --> 00:22:06,750
believe God hears.

507
00:22:06,750 --> 00:22:09,070
We pray because we believe God cares.

508
00:22:09,150 --> 00:22:13,690
We pray because we believe God
will and can can act upon our behalf.

509
00:22:13,690 --> 00:22:18,330
We pray because we trust God's
wisdom, even when his answers don't

510
00:22:18,330 --> 00:22:19,770
always line up with what we expect.

511
00:22:20,410 --> 00:22:22,690
We go to God in prayer because
we trusted Him.

512
00:22:22,690 --> 00:22:25,210
If we don't trust in God,
we're not going to go to him in prayer.

513
00:22:25,210 --> 00:22:27,210
If we don't believe he can do
anything for us, we're not going

514
00:22:27,210 --> 00:22:27,730
to go to Him.

515
00:22:27,730 --> 00:22:30,890
So that's why he's been
talking here about that faith, that

516
00:22:30,890 --> 00:22:34,730
hope, because that hope ties
us to that need for prayer.

517
00:22:35,610 --> 00:22:37,930
So trials should not drive us
away from God.

518
00:22:37,930 --> 00:22:40,830
What he's saying here is that
trials should drive us toward prayer.

519
00:22:40,830 --> 00:22:44,870
And so the love of God will
bring us to a place that if we love

520
00:22:44,870 --> 00:22:46,310
him, we'll go to him in prayer.

521
00:22:46,390 --> 00:22:49,590
And when trials come, he keeps
us grounded in his hope.

522
00:22:49,830 --> 00:22:54,070
Prayer keeps us connected to
the one in whom our hope rests.

523
00:22:54,310 --> 00:22:56,270
So he says, continue, don't
quit praying.

524
00:22:56,270 --> 00:22:59,230
Don't become discouraged, even
if the answers aren't coming right

525
00:22:59,230 --> 00:22:59,510
away.

526
00:23:00,150 --> 00:23:05,430
Part of loving God and loving
others is by is through seeing experience,

527
00:23:05,430 --> 00:23:06,760
through praying for others.

528
00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:09,320
I don't know if you've ever
prayed for someone for an amount

529
00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:12,280
of time and they didn't do
what you were praying they would

530
00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:12,600
do.

531
00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:15,800
Sometimes the temptation is to
quit on them.

532
00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:18,120
But if you love them, you'll
keep praying for them.

533
00:23:18,360 --> 00:23:21,320
If you love them, you're going
to pray and then put feet to those

534
00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:21,800
prayers.

535
00:23:22,359 --> 00:23:23,680
And that's what he's talking
about here.

536
00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:27,320
He says, if you want to
demonstrate the love of God continuously

537
00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:29,160
pray for those that are around you.

538
00:23:29,240 --> 00:23:30,520
Pray for those who are in need.

539
00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:32,280
Pray for your brothers and
sisters in Christ.

540
00:23:32,770 --> 00:23:37,770
Don't let God's what we would
consider to be silence, but God telling

541
00:23:37,770 --> 00:23:40,410
us to wait, to get us to a
place where we quit on him, where

542
00:23:40,410 --> 00:23:41,730
we quit on those that we love.

543
00:23:42,290 --> 00:23:45,810
So what he's saying here is
that when life gets difficult, don't

544
00:23:45,970 --> 00:23:47,730
worry more, just pray more.

545
00:23:47,730 --> 00:23:51,010
And the way that we can trust
in that is by experiencing his love.

546
00:23:51,490 --> 00:23:55,090
And then it's all brought together.

547
00:23:55,090 --> 00:23:58,650
Here in verse 13, he says
distributing to the necessity of

548
00:23:58,650 --> 00:24:01,100
the saints given to hospitality.

549
00:24:01,580 --> 00:24:04,260
So he says, if we're
experiencing God's love and we're

550
00:24:04,260 --> 00:24:08,660
walking in his work and his
mission, and if we're rejoicing in

551
00:24:08,660 --> 00:24:11,740
the hope that he has given us
and we're patient and growing in

552
00:24:11,740 --> 00:24:14,380
our endurance and
tribulations, we're constantly in

553
00:24:14,380 --> 00:24:14,620
prayer.

554
00:24:14,620 --> 00:24:15,980
We're constantly going to Him.

555
00:24:15,980 --> 00:24:17,180
What is that going to look like?

556
00:24:17,180 --> 00:24:19,900
Well, it should look like
distributing to the necessity of

557
00:24:19,900 --> 00:24:22,780
the saints, meaning give to
those people who are in need.

558
00:24:23,100 --> 00:24:26,680
Distributing to the necessity
of saints means that we are to meet

559
00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:29,360
legitimate needs in fellow
brothers and sisters lives.

560
00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:31,440
Christian love notices needs.

561
00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:34,160
Christian love doesn't simply
say, well, you know what, I'll pray

562
00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:35,440
for you and then forget about them.

563
00:24:35,600 --> 00:24:37,480
Christian love says, yes, I
will pray for you.

564
00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:39,960
And then if there's something
that I can actually do, I will do

565
00:24:39,960 --> 00:24:40,240
it.

566
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,200
So God's love moves through generosity.

567
00:24:43,200 --> 00:24:46,680
And as it says, they're given
to hospitality, that's practical

568
00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:47,040
care.

569
00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:52,220
I know that for me, one of the
areas that I struggle with is thinking

570
00:24:52,220 --> 00:24:55,780
that if I do this for
somebody, I am going to miss out

571
00:24:55,780 --> 00:24:58,380
on something or I'm going to
lose something, and I'm not sure

572
00:24:58,380 --> 00:25:01,380
if I have enough or I'm not
sure if I can actually afford to

573
00:25:01,380 --> 00:25:02,140
give to that person.

574
00:25:02,460 --> 00:25:04,180
Well, that's a very selfish
way to view it.

575
00:25:04,180 --> 00:25:06,220
It's not a model of Christian love.

576
00:25:06,380 --> 00:25:09,580
Model of Christian love means
I can do this for somebody.

577
00:25:09,660 --> 00:25:11,260
I can help this person in need.

578
00:25:11,260 --> 00:25:14,580
And we saw this in the Good
Samaritan story that I am willing

579
00:25:14,580 --> 00:25:15,940
to sacrifice for that person.

580
00:25:15,940 --> 00:25:17,740
I'm willing to give up
something for that person.

581
00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:19,840
I'm willing to pursue them.

582
00:25:19,840 --> 00:25:23,920
And that's really what that
phrase there in verse number 13 says,

583
00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:25,360
given to hospitality.

584
00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:28,760
That, that word, that phrase
there, given to hospitality in the

585
00:25:28,760 --> 00:25:31,520
Greek actually carries the
concept of not just loving those

586
00:25:31,520 --> 00:25:35,760
that we know and that love us,
but actually loving strangers, actually

587
00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:38,800
helping those that we don't
know if they're going to ever help

588
00:25:38,800 --> 00:25:39,360
us back.

589
00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:43,080
Biblical hospitality isn't
just having people over for dinner,

590
00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:46,530
even though that's part of it,
but it's intentionally opening our

591
00:25:46,530 --> 00:25:50,650
lives to people who are not
naturally part of our lives outside

592
00:25:50,650 --> 00:25:52,570
of the circle of the faith.

593
00:25:53,130 --> 00:25:57,530
And actually the Greek word
has a nuance to it that talks about

594
00:25:57,610 --> 00:26:00,570
pursuing somebody in this hospitality.

595
00:26:01,210 --> 00:26:02,770
I know for me, where I struggle.

596
00:26:02,770 --> 00:26:05,410
And again, I don't need to
confess to you, but I'm going to

597
00:26:05,410 --> 00:26:07,610
share with you because maybe
it'll help you in some degree.

598
00:26:07,770 --> 00:26:10,170
For me, a lot of times it's,
hey, I'll help you.

599
00:26:11,690 --> 00:26:12,970
If you need anything, just let
me know.

600
00:26:13,210 --> 00:26:14,490
That's how I sometimes come across.

601
00:26:14,490 --> 00:26:15,570
And I truly mean that.

602
00:26:15,570 --> 00:26:18,850
If they would let me know that
they had a need, I would love to

603
00:26:18,850 --> 00:26:19,170
meet that.

604
00:26:19,170 --> 00:26:21,050
But that's not always
sometimes how it works.

605
00:26:21,370 --> 00:26:24,530
What sometimes has to happen
is that we have to pursue and help,

606
00:26:24,530 --> 00:26:27,250
even when a person might not
even know what they need for their

607
00:26:27,250 --> 00:26:27,770
own help.

608
00:26:28,010 --> 00:26:29,330
And that's what he's talking
about here.

609
00:26:29,330 --> 00:26:32,690
He says, given to that
hospitality, pursuing someone, we

610
00:26:32,690 --> 00:26:35,130
pursue opportunities to
demonstrate God's love.

611
00:26:35,130 --> 00:26:37,530
It's not just if it pops up,
we will help.

612
00:26:37,910 --> 00:26:41,470
He says, as a Christian, we're
actually called to look and pursue

613
00:26:41,470 --> 00:26:44,230
opportunities to show the love
of God to someone.

614
00:26:44,230 --> 00:26:46,710
Maybe it's a fellow brother or
sister within the church.

615
00:26:46,870 --> 00:26:49,070
Maybe it's Someone in my
neighborhood, maybe it's someone

616
00:26:49,070 --> 00:26:49,510
at work.

617
00:26:49,510 --> 00:26:53,350
But really we're called to
look for the person who needs the

618
00:26:53,350 --> 00:26:55,670
connection and not just the
connection with us.

619
00:26:56,150 --> 00:26:58,710
Ultimately, it's the
connection with the Lord, because

620
00:26:58,710 --> 00:27:01,110
we know that the Lord is the
one who can change someone's life.

621
00:27:01,350 --> 00:27:04,430
So the most loving thing that
I can do for someone is introduce

622
00:27:04,430 --> 00:27:08,090
them to a relationship with
our Savior, because I know what he

623
00:27:08,090 --> 00:27:11,010
has done for me, I know what
he's done for this person over here,

624
00:27:11,010 --> 00:27:14,450
and I know what he can do for
someone if they just submit to Him.

625
00:27:14,450 --> 00:27:17,650
And that really is where we
see love becoming action.

626
00:27:18,530 --> 00:27:19,930
We go back to verse number nine.

627
00:27:19,930 --> 00:27:22,290
He says, let love be without dissimulation.

628
00:27:22,850 --> 00:27:24,930
That means don't let it be hypocritical.

629
00:27:25,490 --> 00:27:28,050
Real Christian love isn't
something we feel.

630
00:27:28,370 --> 00:27:31,010
It's something that we do, and
it's something that we pursue.

631
00:27:31,500 --> 00:27:35,060
There's a passage of Scripture
in Ephesians, chapter four that speaks

632
00:27:35,060 --> 00:27:39,260
to pursuing or endeavoring to
keep the unity of the church.

633
00:27:39,740 --> 00:27:42,940
I think one of the things
within churches that we should pursue

634
00:27:43,180 --> 00:27:46,580
is to pursue unity because
it's not going to be the natural

635
00:27:46,580 --> 00:27:46,820
thing.

636
00:27:46,820 --> 00:27:48,060
It's not going to be the norm.

637
00:27:48,940 --> 00:27:52,140
The norm is everyone in the
church becomes divided over little

638
00:27:52,140 --> 00:27:53,260
things that don't really matter.

639
00:27:54,220 --> 00:27:57,380
But on top of that, the Bible
tells us in this passage that we

640
00:27:57,380 --> 00:28:01,090
should pursue love because
love is not going to be the norm.

641
00:28:01,250 --> 00:28:03,570
I'm not going to naturally
want to love someone who's different

642
00:28:03,570 --> 00:28:04,010
than me.

643
00:28:04,010 --> 00:28:06,370
I'm not going to naturally
want to love someone who has a different

644
00:28:06,370 --> 00:28:07,170
ministry than me.

645
00:28:07,170 --> 00:28:10,370
I'm not going to naturally
want to love someone who isn't loving

646
00:28:10,370 --> 00:28:10,810
to me.

647
00:28:10,810 --> 00:28:12,930
But the Bible says that's
something that we have to pursue.

648
00:28:12,930 --> 00:28:15,410
We have to intentionally wake
up and make a choice.

649
00:28:15,410 --> 00:28:17,650
I'm going to choose to seek
unity today.

650
00:28:17,650 --> 00:28:19,330
I'm going to choose to seek love.

651
00:28:19,410 --> 00:28:21,250
I'm going to choose to sacrifice.

652
00:28:21,810 --> 00:28:23,530
And so that's authentic love.

653
00:28:23,530 --> 00:28:24,610
That's hypocritical.

654
00:28:24,610 --> 00:28:26,810
Love is, well, I love you, if
it all makes sense to me.

655
00:28:26,810 --> 00:28:29,190
And I. I'm there for you, but
not this time.

656
00:28:29,190 --> 00:28:30,590
And I'm there for you, but not
this time.

657
00:28:30,590 --> 00:28:33,550
Now, obviously, our love has limitations.

658
00:28:34,510 --> 00:28:39,070
Now, let's say this past year,
I was.

659
00:28:39,390 --> 00:28:40,750
I went to Rwanda.

660
00:28:40,910 --> 00:28:41,270
Yeah.

661
00:28:41,270 --> 00:28:46,270
I'm six hours ahead, thousands
and thousands of miles away.

662
00:28:46,510 --> 00:28:48,150
And one of you called me on
the phone.

663
00:28:48,150 --> 00:28:48,390
You.

664
00:28:48,390 --> 00:28:51,670
You got my, you know, number,
and you called me and you said, hey,

665
00:28:51,670 --> 00:28:54,950
Pastor Josh, I really need you
right now to pick me up at this Place

666
00:28:55,190 --> 00:28:59,350
I would tell you I love you, I
want to be there for you, but I can't

667
00:28:59,350 --> 00:29:00,310
be there for you right now.

668
00:29:00,470 --> 00:29:01,550
I physically can't.

669
00:29:01,550 --> 00:29:02,350
I'm limited now.

670
00:29:02,350 --> 00:29:05,110
I could maybe help someone
else get you where you need to go

671
00:29:05,110 --> 00:29:05,750
or be there.

672
00:29:06,230 --> 00:29:08,950
That's the reality of the
limitations of our love.

673
00:29:09,030 --> 00:29:12,110
And so as a Christian,
sometimes we feel guilty that we

674
00:29:12,110 --> 00:29:13,430
can't do everything for everyone.

675
00:29:13,670 --> 00:29:15,430
We cannot do everything for everyone.

676
00:29:15,430 --> 00:29:15,750
Why?

677
00:29:15,750 --> 00:29:17,430
Because we are always limited.

678
00:29:18,470 --> 00:29:19,990
Some are more limited than others.

679
00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:23,600
But then we refer back to the
love that God has for us.

680
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,720
And God's love is not limited
because I could be in Rwanda and

681
00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:29,640
call out to God and he can
hear me and meet my need.

682
00:29:29,640 --> 00:29:31,960
And you can be in Middletown,
Delaware, and you can hear.

683
00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:34,960
He can hear you, and you can
call out to him and he can meet you

684
00:29:34,960 --> 00:29:35,480
in your needs.

685
00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:38,440
And that's the beauty of
knowing God, is that God is not limited

686
00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:40,840
by anything because his love
is abundant.

687
00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:43,720
And so it's not just about for
us as Christians.

688
00:29:43,720 --> 00:29:46,440
Well, I feel for that person,
but I can't really do anything for

689
00:29:46,440 --> 00:29:46,680
them.

690
00:29:46,950 --> 00:29:47,150
It's.

691
00:29:47,150 --> 00:29:49,750
I feel for that person, and I
want to meet them in the need that

692
00:29:49,750 --> 00:29:51,270
God has provided to.

693
00:29:51,350 --> 00:29:52,430
For my knowledge to know.

694
00:29:52,430 --> 00:29:53,950
And then how I can help, I
don't know.

695
00:29:53,950 --> 00:29:55,390
But I'm going to try to do my
best to help.

696
00:29:55,390 --> 00:29:57,910
And so it's putting God's love
into action.

697
00:29:58,550 --> 00:30:02,190
So as we get to this place,
here at the end of this portion of

698
00:30:02,190 --> 00:30:05,590
Scripture, he's talked to us
about what biblical love looks like

699
00:30:05,910 --> 00:30:09,190
on the concept side of things,
the character side of things.

700
00:30:09,430 --> 00:30:13,440
But now, verses 11 through 13,
he tells us, really, what does it

701
00:30:13,440 --> 00:30:16,160
look like in a practical
sense, being lived out?

702
00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:19,880
And remember Romans, chapter
12 on for the rest of the book is

703
00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:21,880
all about living out what we
believe about God.

704
00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:25,640
So if I believe that God loves
me, this is what it looks like to

705
00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:26,160
love others.

706
00:30:27,040 --> 00:30:30,200
Well, it says, serve them and
serve the Lord with fervency, with

707
00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:30,680
passion.

708
00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:32,160
That's verse number 11.

709
00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:35,640
So the question that could be
tied to that point is, what am I

710
00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:37,600
doing for the Lord and what am
I doing for others?

711
00:30:38,520 --> 00:30:41,640
There's always a place in our
life that there's room for evaluation.

712
00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:44,280
Sometimes evaluation is a hard thing.

713
00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,480
So sometimes evaluation is not
a pretty thing because we always

714
00:30:47,480 --> 00:30:50,000
want to think of ourselves as,
hey, everything's going well.

715
00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:53,400
But evaluation sometimes is
identifying areas that need to change,

716
00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:57,000
identifying areas that we need
to add to, identifying areas that

717
00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:58,720
we need to pull out of our life.

718
00:30:58,720 --> 00:31:02,760
And so the question would be
Are we serving the Lord and serving

719
00:31:02,760 --> 00:31:04,920
others with a passion or a fervency?

720
00:31:05,570 --> 00:31:08,130
But then we see number two,
rejoicing in hope.

721
00:31:09,010 --> 00:31:11,690
What am I trusting God to do
in my life?

722
00:31:11,690 --> 00:31:13,250
Where am I finding my joy?

723
00:31:13,730 --> 00:31:14,050
Where.

724
00:31:14,050 --> 00:31:17,410
Where am I spending those
intimate moments?

725
00:31:17,730 --> 00:31:19,570
Am I spending it with others?

726
00:31:19,570 --> 00:31:21,329
Or am I spending it with my.

727
00:31:21,410 --> 00:31:23,730
My hobbies or my entertainment?

728
00:31:23,730 --> 00:31:25,330
Or am I spending that with the Lord?

729
00:31:25,330 --> 00:31:28,450
Am I rejoicing in the hope
that God has given me?

730
00:31:28,610 --> 00:31:29,730
Because that's true love.

731
00:31:30,050 --> 00:31:31,730
True love is spending time
with people.

732
00:31:31,810 --> 00:31:32,690
True love is.

733
00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:33,080
Is.

734
00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:35,160
Is giving over to them.

735
00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:36,280
Preferences.

736
00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:39,400
So, for example, we saw this
in another passage of Scripture.

737
00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:40,440
Preferring one another.

738
00:31:40,840 --> 00:31:43,560
That means getting someone
else to a place where they're taking

739
00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:44,440
first place.

740
00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:45,920
Are we putting God first?

741
00:31:45,920 --> 00:31:47,400
That's essentially what we see here.

742
00:31:48,599 --> 00:31:52,120
Biblical love can get us to a
place where we're enduring tribulation.

743
00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:55,600
And so the question would be
asked this way, how am I responding

744
00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:56,520
when life gets hard?

745
00:31:57,560 --> 00:32:00,360
Do I still rejoice in the love
of God when things are difficult?

746
00:32:00,850 --> 00:32:03,650
Am I pointing other people to
the love of Christ in the midst of

747
00:32:03,650 --> 00:32:04,610
their difficulties?

748
00:32:05,970 --> 00:32:08,130
Then we see there's the idea
of prayer.

749
00:32:08,530 --> 00:32:10,130
Am I staying connected with God?

750
00:32:10,370 --> 00:32:11,570
Am I praying for others?

751
00:32:12,050 --> 00:32:15,970
Does my love look like a time
in which I am going to pray for others

752
00:32:15,970 --> 00:32:16,370
in need?

753
00:32:16,370 --> 00:32:19,250
Or all my time that I'm
spending in prayer about me?

754
00:32:19,410 --> 00:32:21,890
And certainly there's a time
and a place to pray for your own

755
00:32:21,890 --> 00:32:22,610
personal needs.

756
00:32:22,770 --> 00:32:26,530
But biblically speaking, we
should take up time to pray for others

757
00:32:26,530 --> 00:32:28,050
that are in need around us.

758
00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:33,400
And then lastly, as we saw in
verse 13, distributing to the necessity

759
00:32:33,400 --> 00:32:34,880
of the saints given to hospitality.

760
00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:38,200
How am I putting God's love
into action to those around me?

761
00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:40,160
How am I proving God's love?

762
00:32:40,960 --> 00:32:43,600
And so you could wrap it all
up in this main thought.

763
00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:47,600
God's love is not meant to
remain in our hearts as a feeling,

764
00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:50,560
though there will be an
emotional appeal.

765
00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:55,410
You know, I can't sometimes, I
can't explain it, but sometimes a

766
00:32:55,410 --> 00:32:58,410
song that we're singing in
church will just hit me in such a

767
00:32:58,410 --> 00:33:01,450
way that I think about the
phrase that we just sang.

768
00:33:01,930 --> 00:33:05,530
Or there'll be a time in which
a preacher's preaching and I'll hear

769
00:33:05,930 --> 00:33:11,450
an analogy, and that love of
God just boils over and we can't

770
00:33:11,690 --> 00:33:14,770
express it other than the fact
that we're just overwhelmed with

771
00:33:14,770 --> 00:33:17,690
joy or overwhelmed with the
love of God.

772
00:33:18,090 --> 00:33:19,690
But it can't stop there.

773
00:33:20,510 --> 00:33:23,470
It's meant to flow through our
lives as action.

774
00:33:23,950 --> 00:33:26,950
Just as God demonstrated his
love towards us, we are called to

775
00:33:26,950 --> 00:33:30,230
demonstrate his love towards
us and then our love towards him

776
00:33:30,230 --> 00:33:32,590
by loving others and serving others.

777
00:33:33,310 --> 00:33:35,070
So you could put it in a
phrase like this.

778
00:33:35,150 --> 00:33:41,030
God's love is it should be in
us, but God's love in us should produce

779
00:33:41,030 --> 00:33:42,670
God's love through us.

780
00:33:43,150 --> 00:33:46,750
And that's really the way that
we can see Christians understanding

781
00:33:46,750 --> 00:33:48,190
and growing in the love of God.

782
00:33:48,710 --> 00:33:49,710
I can't gauge your heart.

783
00:33:49,710 --> 00:33:52,510
I can't look at you and go,
hmm, do you love God?

784
00:33:52,510 --> 00:33:55,430
Well, you're in church, so you
must love God.

785
00:33:55,750 --> 00:33:58,070
That person who's not in
church, they don't love God.

786
00:33:58,550 --> 00:34:01,310
That's not really a great
standard of understanding whether

787
00:34:01,310 --> 00:34:02,550
or not someone loves God.

788
00:34:02,790 --> 00:34:05,910
I can know your heart, but
what I can see is that the way that

789
00:34:05,910 --> 00:34:10,030
God's love is changing you,
God's love is growing you, as God's

790
00:34:10,030 --> 00:34:13,110
love is convicting you, as
God's love is bringing you to a place

791
00:34:13,110 --> 00:34:14,950
where you're wanting to show
other people that love.

792
00:34:15,250 --> 00:34:17,570
That would be a good
indication that God's fruit of his

793
00:34:17,570 --> 00:34:19,170
love is being seen in our life.

794
00:34:20,610 --> 00:34:24,370
And so this gives us a
connection, really.

795
00:34:24,370 --> 00:34:27,370
In Romans, chapter 12, he
starts out in verse number one by

796
00:34:27,370 --> 00:34:30,130
telling us that we are to
present our bodies a living sacrifice.

797
00:34:30,530 --> 00:34:31,890
So that's the directive.

798
00:34:32,370 --> 00:34:33,810
Be a living sacrifice.

799
00:34:34,370 --> 00:34:37,210
And then he says, the way that
you do that is don't be conformed

800
00:34:37,210 --> 00:34:37,650
to this world.

801
00:34:37,650 --> 00:34:38,770
Don't live like the world.

802
00:34:39,090 --> 00:34:40,290
Don't think like the world.

803
00:34:40,370 --> 00:34:43,780
Verse two, he says, be
transformed by the renewing of your

804
00:34:43,780 --> 00:34:46,300
mind to follow the will of God.

805
00:34:46,780 --> 00:34:49,060
And then he says that we
should live a certain way, talks

806
00:34:49,060 --> 00:34:49,940
about us being humble.

807
00:34:49,940 --> 00:34:54,100
He talks about us loving the
Lord and ultimately loving others

808
00:34:54,100 --> 00:34:54,780
around us.

809
00:34:54,780 --> 00:34:56,780
And then he says that we're
all gifted in certain ways.

810
00:34:56,780 --> 00:34:59,340
And then we went through that
study in our spiritual gifts.

811
00:35:00,220 --> 00:35:02,140
And please, I would encourage you.

812
00:35:02,140 --> 00:35:05,060
One of the steps to
understanding the way that God wants

813
00:35:05,060 --> 00:35:07,420
you to live out your life is
by understanding the way that God

814
00:35:07,420 --> 00:35:07,980
has gifted you.

815
00:35:07,980 --> 00:35:11,060
Because that way you're able
to walk with the knowledge of, hey,

816
00:35:11,060 --> 00:35:11,500
you know what?

817
00:35:11,500 --> 00:35:14,460
This is something that I can
do and that I enjoy doing for the

818
00:35:14,460 --> 00:35:14,780
Lord.

819
00:35:15,020 --> 00:35:18,620
And that motivation can be
very helpful in the process of ministry.

820
00:35:18,860 --> 00:35:21,500
But then he says, okay, we've
all been gifted a certain way.

821
00:35:21,660 --> 00:35:24,500
This is how we're supposed to
live out these gifts with other brothers

822
00:35:24,500 --> 00:35:25,420
and sisters in Christ.

823
00:35:25,820 --> 00:35:30,140
Verses 9, all the way to verse
13, tell us how we can deal with

824
00:35:30,140 --> 00:35:33,740
other Christians in love with
what God has gifted us.

825
00:35:34,380 --> 00:35:37,200
Then we're going to come back
next week and we're going to talk

826
00:35:37,200 --> 00:35:41,280
about something I think even
more difficult and that is doing

827
00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:44,840
good unto others who aren't
part of the family of God or maybe

828
00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:46,520
others that have wronged us.

829
00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:48,440
How do we deal with forgiveness?

830
00:35:48,520 --> 00:35:51,360
How do we deal with someone
who is persecuting us?

831
00:35:51,360 --> 00:35:54,680
How do we deal with anything
that we might consider to be evil

832
00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:55,960
that is done in our life?

833
00:35:56,040 --> 00:35:58,720
Are we supposed to get back
even with them, or are we supposed

834
00:35:58,720 --> 00:35:59,400
to do something different?

835
00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:02,380
Well, he says we're supposed
to be different not only in the way

836
00:36:02,380 --> 00:36:04,980
that we treat one another, but
how we treat others that are outside

837
00:36:04,980 --> 00:36:05,700
of the church.

838
00:36:06,660 --> 00:36:09,900
And I'm encouraging you to
come back and continue on with this

839
00:36:09,900 --> 00:36:13,020
study because I do believe
that some of the hardest things for

840
00:36:13,020 --> 00:36:17,340
us as Christians to do and I
think for anyone is to love someone

841
00:36:17,340 --> 00:36:20,900
who is not being lovable, to
sacrifice for someone who is not

842
00:36:20,900 --> 00:36:23,980
sacrificing, to forgive
someone who has wronged us.

843
00:36:23,980 --> 00:36:26,660
And we're going to come back
and talk about, I believe, the biblical

844
00:36:26,660 --> 00:36:29,700
model in which we are to do
that in accordance to Romans chapter

845
00:36:29,700 --> 00:36:30,020
12.

846
00:36:30,580 --> 00:36:33,060
And so I hope that this has
been an encouragement for you as

847
00:36:33,060 --> 00:36:36,140
we've studied the love of
Christ, and we talked about this

848
00:36:36,140 --> 00:36:36,540
last week.

849
00:36:36,540 --> 00:36:39,700
But I do think it's helpful
for us to understand this again,

850
00:36:40,340 --> 00:36:44,700
is that when a pastor or
anybody says we're supposed to love

851
00:36:44,700 --> 00:36:48,020
other people, the world's
concept is this.

852
00:36:48,020 --> 00:36:50,660
Well, if I'm supposed to love
someone, that means I have to agree

853
00:36:50,660 --> 00:36:51,700
with everything that they do.

854
00:36:52,740 --> 00:36:55,300
And the way that the world
tells us is that Christians aren't

855
00:36:55,300 --> 00:36:58,220
loving, because Christians say
that some things are wrong and some

856
00:36:58,220 --> 00:36:59,540
things are right, and that's
not love.

857
00:36:59,930 --> 00:37:02,090
What love is saying is like
your right is your right.

858
00:37:02,090 --> 00:37:03,370
Your choice is your choice.

859
00:37:03,450 --> 00:37:06,290
And I'm going to tell you here
today, just because I love someone

860
00:37:06,290 --> 00:37:09,210
doesn't mean that I condone
every action that they commit.

861
00:37:10,090 --> 00:37:10,970
I can, I see.

862
00:37:10,970 --> 00:37:14,650
I saw that even more so when I
had children because I can love my

863
00:37:14,650 --> 00:37:15,690
children abundantly.

864
00:37:15,690 --> 00:37:17,650
But I don't agree with some of
the things that they do.

865
00:37:17,650 --> 00:37:20,490
When they talk back to me, I
can understand that that's wrong.

866
00:37:20,490 --> 00:37:20,890
Okay.

867
00:37:20,890 --> 00:37:23,170
When, when they're not
listening, that's, that's, that's

868
00:37:23,170 --> 00:37:25,610
evident for me that if I love
them enough, I'm going to tell them

869
00:37:25,610 --> 00:37:25,890
the truth.

870
00:37:25,890 --> 00:37:27,490
To say that's not going to
help you in life.

871
00:37:27,490 --> 00:37:29,880
That's, you're going to have
to learn this very early on in life

872
00:37:29,880 --> 00:37:32,200
because if you get older and
have the same model, there's going

873
00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:33,240
to be A lot of problems.

874
00:37:34,200 --> 00:37:37,800
And so loving somebody is not
condoning their evils.

875
00:37:37,800 --> 00:37:41,360
Loving someone is identifying
that they are someone who is in need

876
00:37:41,360 --> 00:37:44,640
of Christ, identifying that
you want to do what's best for them.

877
00:37:44,640 --> 00:37:47,680
And doing what's best for them
sometimes is explaining to them that

878
00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:48,360
they need to change.

879
00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:51,840
Sometimes it's just sharing,
hey, this is what I believe about

880
00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:52,440
the Lord.

881
00:37:52,440 --> 00:37:54,440
This is why I believe this
about the Lord.

882
00:37:54,690 --> 00:37:56,770
And I hope that one day you
can see this as well.

883
00:37:57,250 --> 00:37:57,570
So.

884
00:37:57,570 --> 00:38:00,690
So love is patient, love is
kind, love is gracious, but love

885
00:38:00,690 --> 00:38:01,490
is truthful.

886
00:38:01,810 --> 00:38:04,530
And so when we say that we
love somebody and we're called to

887
00:38:04,530 --> 00:38:07,690
love other Christians, that
doesn't mean that if I'm even within

888
00:38:07,690 --> 00:38:10,649
a church setting and someone
does something wrong to me that I

889
00:38:10,649 --> 00:38:12,530
go, well, I'm supposed to love
them, so I'm supposed to overlook

890
00:38:12,530 --> 00:38:13,090
what they're doing.

891
00:38:13,090 --> 00:38:14,850
No, that's not what it is.

892
00:38:15,250 --> 00:38:18,610
And we don't want to buy into
the way that the world tells us and

893
00:38:18,610 --> 00:38:19,970
conform to that model.

894
00:38:20,220 --> 00:38:20,580
We can.

895
00:38:20,580 --> 00:38:23,940
We are renewed in the way of
thinking to say that love is about

896
00:38:23,940 --> 00:38:24,420
truth.

897
00:38:24,420 --> 00:38:25,700
Love is about sacrifice.

898
00:38:25,700 --> 00:38:29,500
Love is about doing good unto
others so that people can see Jesus.

899
00:38:29,980 --> 00:38:33,660
One of the verses that I quote
almost every sermon, and one that

900
00:38:33,660 --> 00:38:36,940
we quote within our house
quite frequently, is that we don't

901
00:38:37,180 --> 00:38:41,380
want to just be good, to be
good so that people call us good.

902
00:38:41,380 --> 00:38:44,820
Matthew 5:16, Let your light
so shine before men that they may

903
00:38:44,820 --> 00:38:46,940
see your good works and
glorify your Father, which is in

904
00:38:46,940 --> 00:38:47,260
heaven.

905
00:38:47,820 --> 00:38:50,700
So I tell my kids, hey, it's
not just about being a good kid,

906
00:38:51,020 --> 00:38:53,740
because I appreciate why
people do this.

907
00:38:54,140 --> 00:38:56,500
But, you know, we drop our
kids off somewhere, and they're like,

908
00:38:56,500 --> 00:38:57,820
man, your kids were so great.

909
00:38:58,060 --> 00:38:59,580
And I'm like, what kids did
you have?

910
00:38:59,580 --> 00:39:00,780
I mean, like, this is.

911
00:39:00,940 --> 00:39:02,340
They were so respectful.

912
00:39:02,340 --> 00:39:03,100
And I'm going.

913
00:39:03,339 --> 00:39:05,980
And then so the kids hear
that, they go, I'm a good kid.

914
00:39:06,380 --> 00:39:07,900
It's like, well, again, you
know what?

915
00:39:07,900 --> 00:39:11,660
You might be relatively good
today, but you're not good.

916
00:39:11,900 --> 00:39:12,780
There's none good.

917
00:39:12,780 --> 00:39:13,580
No, not one.

918
00:39:14,170 --> 00:39:16,490
And so what we want our
children to understand, and what

919
00:39:16,490 --> 00:39:18,930
I want to understand, what I
want everyone to understand, is that

920
00:39:18,930 --> 00:39:22,290
we don't do good things within
our Christian life just so people

921
00:39:22,290 --> 00:39:24,890
will say, wow, look how
amazing that person is.

922
00:39:25,290 --> 00:39:25,890
Look how.

923
00:39:25,890 --> 00:39:29,850
Look how much of a testimony
that person is not for himself.

924
00:39:30,170 --> 00:39:31,210
It should be.

925
00:39:31,290 --> 00:39:35,010
I'm trying to live differently
so that people can see the love of

926
00:39:35,010 --> 00:39:37,290
Jesus in me, so that they can
experience that change.

927
00:39:37,610 --> 00:39:39,450
It's all about reflecting it
to him.

928
00:39:40,030 --> 00:39:42,790
So there's ever an individual
that says, look at me, look at me,

929
00:39:42,790 --> 00:39:43,950
look how great I am.

930
00:39:44,350 --> 00:39:48,710
That in that very moment we
see that he or she is not doing what

931
00:39:48,710 --> 00:39:49,830
God has called us to do.

932
00:39:49,830 --> 00:39:52,510
Now Paul does say, follow me
as I follow Christ.

933
00:39:52,990 --> 00:39:54,390
But again, it's following Christ.

934
00:39:54,390 --> 00:39:57,070
It's not following a person
and then it ends there.

935
00:39:57,950 --> 00:39:59,270
So to love someone is not.

936
00:39:59,270 --> 00:40:01,150
Well, I'm loving them and I
hope someone saw that.

937
00:40:02,510 --> 00:40:04,310
Sometimes in my life I've
tried to learn this.

938
00:40:04,310 --> 00:40:05,350
My dad used to tell me this.

939
00:40:05,350 --> 00:40:08,030
He says, hey, sometimes it's
good that no one sees what you do

940
00:40:08,030 --> 00:40:08,630
for the Lord.

941
00:40:09,030 --> 00:40:10,550
Because then it's like, hey,
you know what?

942
00:40:10,950 --> 00:40:13,550
I get my praise one day in
heaven and I don't, I don't need

943
00:40:13,550 --> 00:40:15,110
to have this notice right now.

944
00:40:15,510 --> 00:40:17,910
And that's what it's about
with the love of, of Christ.

945
00:40:18,310 --> 00:40:20,390
The love of Christ is not a
self seeking thing.

946
00:40:20,390 --> 00:40:23,230
It's not the, the mission is
not, well, look at me, look how much

947
00:40:23,230 --> 00:40:23,750
I have.

948
00:40:23,830 --> 00:40:27,350
It's about, look how much God
has done for me and how he has changed

949
00:40:27,350 --> 00:40:27,510
me.

950
00:40:27,510 --> 00:40:28,470
That's the motivation.

951
00:40:29,030 --> 00:40:32,190
And so I hope that we can all
see the love of Christ is a different

952
00:40:32,190 --> 00:40:32,870
type of love.

953
00:40:33,860 --> 00:40:36,980
The love of a brother and
sister in the Lord is a different

954
00:40:36,980 --> 00:40:37,460
type of love.

955
00:40:37,460 --> 00:40:40,260
We talked about this last
night at our fellowship here.

956
00:40:40,900 --> 00:40:44,380
We had different generations
represented, we had different cultures

957
00:40:44,380 --> 00:40:48,220
represented, we had different
backgrounds represented.

958
00:40:48,220 --> 00:40:52,740
And you know, that could look
at from the outside, they could look

959
00:40:52,740 --> 00:40:53,780
like, how do all these people come?

960
00:40:53,780 --> 00:40:54,980
Why do all these people come together?

961
00:40:55,220 --> 00:40:58,500
Why does someone from Florida
get together with someone from Philadelphia?

962
00:40:58,770 --> 00:41:01,650
Why does someone from this
country get together with this person?

963
00:41:01,970 --> 00:41:04,330
How, how old people and
younger people get together?

964
00:41:04,330 --> 00:41:05,090
What, what is that?

965
00:41:05,090 --> 00:41:06,090
What's the purpose of that?

966
00:41:06,090 --> 00:41:07,290
You don't have anything in common.

967
00:41:07,290 --> 00:41:09,090
Well, we do know that we have
something in common.

968
00:41:09,250 --> 00:41:12,370
What's in common is our love
for Jesus Christ and the love that

969
00:41:12,370 --> 00:41:16,650
God gave us and the transition
from being a port, a really portion

970
00:41:16,650 --> 00:41:21,090
of the world, a product of the
world, to being now renewed in our

971
00:41:21,250 --> 00:41:22,090
walk with Christ.

972
00:41:22,090 --> 00:41:23,730
And so that's why we can come together.

973
00:41:24,300 --> 00:41:26,620
That's why we get together on
Sunday mornings and celebrate and

974
00:41:26,620 --> 00:41:27,180
rejoice.

975
00:41:27,420 --> 00:41:29,980
That's why we can say that
there's hope beyond this world.

976
00:41:30,140 --> 00:41:32,620
That's why we can say that
there's something bigger and that

977
00:41:32,620 --> 00:41:34,060
we should sacrifice one for another.

978
00:41:34,460 --> 00:41:36,780
Because on paper it doesn't
make sense to come together on a

979
00:41:36,780 --> 00:41:37,220
Sunday morning.

980
00:41:37,220 --> 00:41:40,219
There's a lot of places that
you could be right now the weather's

981
00:41:40,219 --> 00:41:40,579
nice.

982
00:41:40,579 --> 00:41:41,820
You could be a lot of places.

983
00:41:43,180 --> 00:41:47,100
It doesn't make sense on paper
to give to the church or to sacrifice

984
00:41:47,100 --> 00:41:47,940
for someone else.

985
00:41:47,940 --> 00:41:49,100
I could save that for me.

986
00:41:49,100 --> 00:41:51,700
That would make a lot more
sense if I kept that in my own pocket

987
00:41:51,700 --> 00:41:53,020
and used that for my own good.

988
00:41:53,410 --> 00:41:56,370
It doesn't make a lot of sense
to help someone in need if they're

989
00:41:56,370 --> 00:41:57,810
not going to bring anything
back to you.

990
00:41:58,450 --> 00:42:01,250
But what it does make sense is
that what God has done for us, he

991
00:42:01,250 --> 00:42:04,130
says at the end of verse
number one, it is our reasonable

992
00:42:04,130 --> 00:42:06,050
service to do everything that
he's asked us to do.

993
00:42:06,050 --> 00:42:06,370
Why?

994
00:42:06,370 --> 00:42:07,810
Because he has given us so much.

995
00:42:08,210 --> 00:42:11,570
And I encourage you as we
close here today, if you're struggling

996
00:42:11,570 --> 00:42:15,610
with understanding the love of
God in your life, go back to the

997
00:42:15,610 --> 00:42:15,970
cross.

998
00:42:16,850 --> 00:42:18,450
Go back to what he has done
for you.

999
00:42:19,340 --> 00:42:21,420
Go back to who you are and who
he is.

1000
00:42:21,900 --> 00:42:23,420
What does the Bible say about us?

1001
00:42:24,460 --> 00:42:26,540
Ephesians, chapter two is a
good place to look.

1002
00:42:27,020 --> 00:42:29,100
Romans, chapter three is a
good place to look.

1003
00:42:29,420 --> 00:42:32,580
Romans, chapter six is a good
place to look in and of ourselves.

1004
00:42:32,580 --> 00:42:34,140
We are not worthy of anything.

1005
00:42:34,460 --> 00:42:35,980
The Bible says we are not good.

1006
00:42:36,380 --> 00:42:37,420
We are of flesh.

1007
00:42:37,580 --> 00:42:39,420
We are children of this world.

1008
00:42:39,660 --> 00:42:42,900
But what Jesus did is he died
on the cross for us so that we don't

1009
00:42:42,900 --> 00:42:44,300
have to be stuck in that.

1010
00:42:44,660 --> 00:42:46,340
That we're not in the bondage
of sin.

1011
00:42:46,420 --> 00:42:49,380
He's brought us from darkness
into marvelous light.

1012
00:42:49,620 --> 00:42:51,020
That is what God has done for you.

1013
00:42:51,020 --> 00:42:51,860
He has changed you.

1014
00:42:51,860 --> 00:42:52,340
He is.

1015
00:42:52,420 --> 00:42:53,420
He's equipped you.

1016
00:42:53,420 --> 00:42:54,660
He hasn't left you alone.

1017
00:42:55,060 --> 00:42:57,660
And if that's not something
that you can say has happened, the

1018
00:42:57,660 --> 00:42:59,980
only way that that's happened,
as we saw in Romans chapter five,

1019
00:42:59,980 --> 00:43:02,580
it's by having peace with God.

1020
00:43:02,580 --> 00:43:04,020
How can you have peace with God?

1021
00:43:04,020 --> 00:43:05,420
Well, it's only through Jesus Christ.

1022
00:43:05,420 --> 00:43:06,980
It's only through trusting in Him.

1023
00:43:07,220 --> 00:43:08,500
It's not about works.

1024
00:43:08,580 --> 00:43:09,620
It's not about performance.

1025
00:43:10,350 --> 00:43:12,670
It's not about any membership
of any church.

1026
00:43:12,830 --> 00:43:16,790
It's about coming to Jesus
Christ in humility, saying, I cannot

1027
00:43:16,790 --> 00:43:17,630
save myself.

1028
00:43:17,870 --> 00:43:20,110
I can only look to you for my salvation.

1029
00:43:20,190 --> 00:43:22,830
And the Bible says, the one
who knew no sin, the only one who

1030
00:43:22,830 --> 00:43:25,710
walked this earth that was
perfect, gave himself up for us.

1031
00:43:25,710 --> 00:43:26,790
He became sin for us.

1032
00:43:26,790 --> 00:43:28,350
He paid the price for our sins.

1033
00:43:28,350 --> 00:43:30,190
And he offers that gift of salvation.

1034
00:43:30,190 --> 00:43:32,670
And this morning, it's just
about receiving that gift and believing

1035
00:43:32,670 --> 00:43:33,150
in Him.

1036
00:43:33,470 --> 00:43:35,070
Now there's steps to come
after that.

1037
00:43:35,150 --> 00:43:36,510
But that's not about salvation.

1038
00:43:36,510 --> 00:43:39,480
That's about understanding
your salvation and growing in the

1039
00:43:39,480 --> 00:43:40,640
grace that God has given you.

1040
00:43:40,640 --> 00:43:43,840
And then knowing that it's
only respectable, it's only honorable

1041
00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:47,040
for me to turn back and do
everything I possibly can for him.

1042
00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:50,160
And so this morning, if you
need Jesus as your Savior, we're

1043
00:43:50,160 --> 00:43:52,400
going to have a time for you
to respond.

1044
00:43:52,880 --> 00:43:55,280
But maybe you've trusted in
Jesus Christ as your Savior, but

1045
00:43:55,280 --> 00:43:59,640
you've lost sight of the
grandeur, the infinite nature of

1046
00:43:59,640 --> 00:44:01,760
the love that God has
demonstrated towards you.

1047
00:44:02,160 --> 00:44:04,880
And maybe you've had some
struggles loving somebody else.

1048
00:44:05,990 --> 00:44:08,150
Maybe you say, well, Pastor,
it's not that I don't like them,

1049
00:44:08,150 --> 00:44:11,350
it's just I have no desire to
reach out and to love anyone else.

1050
00:44:11,590 --> 00:44:15,230
I would encourage you today to
go back to the well that never runs

1051
00:44:15,230 --> 00:44:17,830
dry by understanding the love
that Jesus Christ had for you and

1052
00:44:17,830 --> 00:44:21,470
let that fuel you for your
love and for your service as you

1053
00:44:21,470 --> 00:44:22,790
go about your daily walk.

1054
00:44:22,950 --> 00:44:26,310
Not slothful in business, but
fervent in spirit.

1055
00:44:26,310 --> 00:44:28,470
Serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope.

1056
00:44:29,110 --> 00:44:30,950
Maybe some of you have just
lost your joy.

1057
00:44:31,700 --> 00:44:35,900
I don't want to judge anyone
here today, but I've been there where

1058
00:44:35,900 --> 00:44:37,780
my joy has just been depleted.

1059
00:44:38,420 --> 00:44:41,460
I wake up in the morning and
truly, if I was honest with people

1060
00:44:41,460 --> 00:44:44,020
around me, I would say I don't
have a reason to be joyful today.

1061
00:44:44,260 --> 00:44:47,900
But that's such a travesty to
what God has done for us because

1062
00:44:47,900 --> 00:44:50,500
the Bible says that we have
every reason to be joyful.

1063
00:44:50,660 --> 00:44:53,140
So if you've lost your joy
today, go back to the hope that you

1064
00:44:53,140 --> 00:44:54,500
can only find in Jesus Christ.

1065
00:44:55,300 --> 00:44:57,380
Endure those tribulations
through his strength.

1066
00:44:57,900 --> 00:45:01,060
Go to him in prayer for every
need, and then allow that to drive

1067
00:45:01,060 --> 00:45:03,660
the way that you love and
serve others around you.

1068
00:45:03,900 --> 00:45:06,260
I'm gonna ask if you're able
to to stand with me, every head bowed,

1069
00:45:06,260 --> 00:45:07,620
every eye closed as the music plays.

1070
00:45:07,620 --> 00:45:11,660
This morning we've talked
about a lot, but ultimately it's

1071
00:45:11,660 --> 00:45:13,740
wrapped up in this love in action.

1072
00:45:15,100 --> 00:45:17,820
God's love was proven by his action.

1073
00:45:19,340 --> 00:45:23,620
Does our love for him manifest
itself by the way that we live?

1074
00:45:23,620 --> 00:45:24,660
By the way that we act?

1075
00:45:24,660 --> 00:45:25,900
By the way that we respond?

1076
00:45:26,890 --> 00:45:29,450
Do we need to just be reminded
here this morning about the great

1077
00:45:29,450 --> 00:45:31,210
love that God demonstrated
towards us?

1078
00:45:31,850 --> 00:45:33,130
Are you lacking in the joy?

1079
00:45:33,130 --> 00:45:34,410
Are you lacking in the hope?

1080
00:45:34,410 --> 00:45:36,330
Are you lacking in the confidence?

1081
00:45:36,330 --> 00:45:39,930
Well, maybe it's just about
going back and finding more of an

1082
00:45:39,930 --> 00:45:41,530
in depth relationship with him.

1083
00:45:41,690 --> 00:45:45,610
Of course I'm not going to
trust in someone who I don't know.

1084
00:45:45,930 --> 00:45:48,610
But the more you know God, the
more he will prove himself to you

1085
00:45:48,610 --> 00:45:49,970
that he is trustworthy.

1086
00:45:49,970 --> 00:45:51,330
That he will never fail you.

1087
00:45:51,330 --> 00:45:52,410
He will never leave you.

1088
00:45:52,840 --> 00:45:54,040
He will never forsake you.

1089
00:45:54,280 --> 00:45:56,760
If you need Jesus Christ as
your personal savior we'll have some

1090
00:45:56,760 --> 00:46:00,280
people up front you can come
forward and see in the Bible what

1091
00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:03,800
it means to trust in Jesus and
have the salvation that can never

1092
00:46:03,800 --> 00:46:04,920
be taken away from you.

1093
00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:08,440
But maybe this morning you
just need to be reminded and renewed

1094
00:46:08,440 --> 00:46:12,200
in the love and in the hope of
who Jesus Christ is to you.

1095
00:46:12,360 --> 00:46:15,320
I pray that today can be that
day where you can go back to that

1096
00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:19,770
place where that spark, that
fire started and made that fire begin

1097
00:46:19,770 --> 00:46:23,290
to grow in your life and your
heart and allow it to be seen by

1098
00:46:23,290 --> 00:46:24,210
others around you.

1099
00:46:24,370 --> 00:46:27,770
Let's never be ashamed of
being excited for the Lord in our

1100
00:46:27,770 --> 00:46:28,050
life.

1101
00:46:28,050 --> 00:46:30,370
Lord I pray that you be in the
time of invitation working hearts

1102
00:46:30,370 --> 00:46:30,650
and lives.

1103
00:46:30,650 --> 00:46:35,130
We thank you for all that you
do pray that you can work in conviction

1104
00:46:35,130 --> 00:46:38,090
and comfort and confidence
here this we ask all those things

1105
00:46:38,090 --> 00:46:39,250
in Jesus name amen.