1 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:11,040 Is it just me, or is everybody sitting here going, "I'm gonna go have 2 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:13,440 a bread bowl with a side of pasta"? 3 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:21,160 Oh my goodness, I'm excited about what God is going to do. And 4 00:00:21,160 --> 00:00:24,880 I also had a moment— guys, listen, I have a little bit of a sarcastic 5 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,000 thing that happens sometimes, and I know you've never noticed, 6 00:00:29,040 --> 00:00:32,830 and— but I'm thinking, You know what? All the introverts in the room just 7 00:00:32,830 --> 00:00:35,870 went, "He didn't say it had to be 40 different names." 8 00:00:41,710 --> 00:00:43,470 So I'm gonna be calling a lot. 9 00:00:47,630 --> 00:00:50,750 Like I said, he'll be back and I'll be in trouble. It'll be fine. Anyway, 10 00:00:50,750 --> 00:00:54,350 we're gonna talk about love this morning, which seems very 11 00:00:54,430 --> 00:00:58,270 appropriate on Valentine's weekend, you know? I love the way 12 00:00:58,270 --> 00:01:01,910 the Lord works that out. And we are going to— for some 13 00:01:01,910 --> 00:01:04,770 of you who who come on Thursday nights, are able to be in here on 14 00:01:04,770 --> 00:01:07,930 Thursday nights, we will call this an encore 15 00:01:08,490 --> 00:01:11,930 because Pastor Kevin, a few weeks ago, asked me if I would share 16 00:01:12,170 --> 00:01:15,610 this, this morning. Now, we do have some handouts if you 17 00:01:15,850 --> 00:01:19,370 feel like you want to take notes, and if you didn't get one coming in, 18 00:01:19,690 --> 00:01:22,410 you'll let us know. If you'll just raise your hand, we'll bring one to you. 19 00:01:22,410 --> 00:01:26,210 If you don't want to write things down, I would encourage you, 20 00:01:26,210 --> 00:01:29,230 if there's something in the path And there's gonna be 21 00:01:30,030 --> 00:01:33,830 a couple for, a couple of things I'm gonna ask everybody to take out your 22 00:01:33,830 --> 00:01:36,750 phone. I know it's a crazy thing to ask in the middle of a service, 23 00:01:36,990 --> 00:01:40,510 but there's gonna be a point in time, if you have a phone, then I'm 24 00:01:40,510 --> 00:01:42,910 gonna say, would you take a picture of the screen? Because I want it to 25 00:01:42,910 --> 00:01:46,430 be your screensaver for a week or two, if at all possible. So 26 00:01:46,430 --> 00:01:49,270 we're just gonna see what the Lord does with that. But if you need a 27 00:01:49,270 --> 00:01:53,110 handout, would you raise your hand for just a second? And we will 28 00:01:53,110 --> 00:01:55,470 have them run them down to you. 29 00:02:03,450 --> 00:02:07,130 God is so good. He is so 30 00:02:07,130 --> 00:02:10,850 faithful all the time. He is so faithful, and 31 00:02:10,850 --> 00:02:14,210 we are going to get into his Word. We are going to do what Pastor 32 00:02:14,210 --> 00:02:17,410 Kevin just asked us to do. We are going to get into the Word and 33 00:02:17,410 --> 00:02:21,170 abide. I'll never forget, for a lot of 34 00:02:21,170 --> 00:02:24,410 years here, Ash Wednesday, we would have 35 00:02:25,190 --> 00:02:28,990 we had a priest that would come and they would do the application of 36 00:02:28,990 --> 00:02:32,710 the ashes to enter into the Lenten season. And I 37 00:02:32,710 --> 00:02:35,670 just remember it was a very solemn 38 00:02:37,750 --> 00:02:41,510 occurrence. It was a very solemn assembly. But I just remember 39 00:02:41,510 --> 00:02:45,110 it really marked that season heading into 40 00:02:47,510 --> 00:02:51,350 what the Lord would have for us in this time. Okay, we got everybody? 41 00:02:53,050 --> 00:02:56,290 Okay, we are gonna jump into the Word in just a second. We are going 42 00:02:56,290 --> 00:02:59,690 to be reading from Matthew 22. If you have your 43 00:02:59,690 --> 00:03:03,530 Bibles, I encourage you, pull out your Bible. 44 00:03:03,530 --> 00:03:07,290 Don't take it for granted that I'm going to be telling you the truth. 45 00:03:07,290 --> 00:03:11,130 However, I am. I'm gonna do my best to. But you know what? 46 00:03:11,450 --> 00:03:14,970 Get in the Word for yourself and see it. And we're gonna begin with 47 00:03:14,970 --> 00:03:16,730 Matthew 22. 48 00:03:19,540 --> 00:03:22,900 And we're gonna talk about, "As I have loved you." 49 00:03:23,860 --> 00:03:27,620 As I have loved you. In 50 00:03:27,620 --> 00:03:31,220 Matthew 22, let me set it up for you just a second. We see 51 00:03:31,380 --> 00:03:34,860 the Pharisees and the Sadducees, it's like, you know, the Republicans and the 52 00:03:34,860 --> 00:03:38,100 Democrats, and they're trying to prove— it's the political parties 53 00:03:38,740 --> 00:03:42,100 and social hierarchy. One is richer than the other. One 54 00:03:42,740 --> 00:03:46,500 is supposed to be grassroots. Anyway, they're trying to trip Jesus 55 00:03:46,500 --> 00:03:50,190 up. And so they're having this conversation with Jesus and they're 56 00:03:50,190 --> 00:03:53,950 asking him questions. And they throw out the question of, 57 00:03:54,270 --> 00:03:57,830 well, you know, this man is married to this woman, and then this woman— the 58 00:03:57,830 --> 00:04:01,630 man dies, and then the woman marries her brother, and 59 00:04:01,630 --> 00:04:05,070 then the brother dies. And then they're throwing out all of this stuff about, 60 00:04:05,150 --> 00:04:08,910 well, whose wife is she gonna be 61 00:04:09,070 --> 00:04:12,670 when they reach eternity? And I love that Jesus 62 00:04:12,830 --> 00:04:16,670 doesn't buy into their stuff, doesn't buy into it. 63 00:04:16,670 --> 00:04:20,370 He basically tells them, One thing 64 00:04:20,370 --> 00:04:23,450 he says, the very first thing on your paper, 65 00:04:24,250 --> 00:04:28,010 "You are in error because you do not know the scriptures 66 00:04:28,170 --> 00:04:32,010 or the power of God." In other words, 67 00:04:32,250 --> 00:04:36,090 he's looking at these power brokers in the room, and they're 68 00:04:36,090 --> 00:04:39,530 asking these questions trying to make him seem like he doesn't— 69 00:04:39,610 --> 00:04:43,410 isn't who he says he is. And he basically says, "You have no 70 00:04:43,410 --> 00:04:47,190 idea what you're talking about." Because you don't know the Scriptures. 71 00:04:47,670 --> 00:04:51,270 And so, they couldn't trip him up, and then the other 72 00:04:51,270 --> 00:04:55,110 sect comes in and tries to trip him up, and they do this. 73 00:04:55,110 --> 00:04:58,230 And if you would stand, we're gonna read one passage, just a very short 74 00:04:59,590 --> 00:05:03,390 Scripture. And let's read 75 00:05:03,390 --> 00:05:06,790 it so that Pastor Kevin hears this, okay? He's in East Tennessee, so I'm just 76 00:05:06,790 --> 00:05:09,750 gonna have to really do a good job. All right, ready? 77 00:05:10,230 --> 00:05:13,950 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the 78 00:05:13,950 --> 00:05:17,690 law?" Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your 79 00:05:17,690 --> 00:05:21,530 God with all of your heart and with all of your soul and 80 00:05:21,530 --> 00:05:25,370 with all of your mind. This is the first and greatest 81 00:05:25,370 --> 00:05:28,930 commandment. And the second is like it: 82 00:05:29,170 --> 00:05:32,930 Love your neighbor as yourself. All the law 83 00:05:32,930 --> 00:05:36,530 and the prophets hang on these two commandments.' 84 00:05:36,770 --> 00:05:40,050 Father God, I thank you that you draw bottom lines for us. 85 00:05:40,540 --> 00:05:44,220 I thank you, Father God, that you give us clarity through your Word, 86 00:05:44,460 --> 00:05:48,060 Father, a starting point. And Father, this morning, I'm asking, Lord, 87 00:05:48,220 --> 00:05:51,700 that you would awaken our hearts to be taught of you, Lord. That's the prayer 88 00:05:51,700 --> 00:05:55,340 that David prayed, and that's the prayer that we pray, Lord, that we would be 89 00:05:55,340 --> 00:05:59,100 taught this morning. And Lord, I just ask that your Holy Spirit would 90 00:05:59,100 --> 00:06:02,860 deliver the Word, not me, Father God. I thank you. Let my stuff fall 91 00:06:02,860 --> 00:06:05,500 and you stand, in Jesus' name, amen. 92 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:10,120 Amen. And the very first thing on your list is exactly what I just shared 93 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:13,800 with you. When he spoke to them, "You are in error because you 94 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:17,520 do not know the Scriptures or the power of God." And see, 95 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:21,200 a lot of times, guys, we make mistakes or we head 96 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:24,920 down pathways that aren't consistent with what the Lord would have because 97 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:28,680 we don't know what the Lord really wants in that moment, 98 00:06:28,680 --> 00:06:32,400 right? Have you ever walked into a mall and seen 99 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:36,320 a sign that says, "You are here"? And so you can kind of acclimate 100 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:39,620 yourself to, okay, this is what This is where I am right now, and so 101 00:06:39,620 --> 00:06:41,860 I need to go this way, or I need to go this way to get 102 00:06:41,860 --> 00:06:45,460 where I'm going. Well, the Word does that for us. The 103 00:06:45,460 --> 00:06:49,300 Word tells us, this is where you are. This is your starting 104 00:06:49,300 --> 00:06:53,100 point. This is the baseline that I want to 105 00:06:53,100 --> 00:06:56,820 begin with you. And I believe that that is something that the 106 00:06:56,820 --> 00:06:59,260 Lord wants to do with today's message. 107 00:07:01,020 --> 00:07:04,420 Sometimes the most clarifying things we can do is to 108 00:07:04,420 --> 00:07:08,060 scripturally define the bottom line so that this can become 109 00:07:08,300 --> 00:07:12,040 our let's start here. Here, okay? Let's start 110 00:07:12,280 --> 00:07:16,000 here. We're not starting with doctrine. We're not starting with 111 00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:19,800 opinions. We're not starting with, you know, which religion is right, 112 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,680 which person is right, which is— and what. We are starting with 113 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:27,400 a bottom line. Why am I calling it that? Because Jesus 114 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,160 was the teacher. He was 115 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:35,040 the teacher. There were— you know, 116 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:38,040 Scripture says, "Never a man spake like this man." 117 00:07:38,790 --> 00:07:42,550 Nobody talked like him. Nobody taught like him. So 118 00:07:42,550 --> 00:07:46,230 if we are going to listen to the words of someone who 119 00:07:46,230 --> 00:07:50,030 is the ultimate teacher, wouldn't you think if they 120 00:07:50,030 --> 00:07:53,870 said, "This is the most important thing," that we 121 00:07:53,870 --> 00:07:57,350 would want to know what the most important thing is? 122 00:07:57,670 --> 00:08:01,510 Well, that's where he's getting ready to take us. So this is where we're 123 00:08:01,510 --> 00:08:05,250 gonna start today. We are going to start Everybody, 124 00:08:05,250 --> 00:08:08,970 just in your mind right now, just erase that whole chalkboard that's going 125 00:08:08,970 --> 00:08:12,730 on in your mind of all the dos and the don'ts and the rules and 126 00:08:12,730 --> 00:08:15,810 the regulations and what it looks like to serve God and being 127 00:08:16,770 --> 00:08:19,530 a good Christian and all this. And we're going to erase all of that right 128 00:08:19,530 --> 00:08:23,090 now. And we're just going to go, we're going to start right here. 129 00:08:23,810 --> 00:08:27,610 We're going to start right here with when the— he says, which is 130 00:08:27,610 --> 00:08:31,370 the greatest command? He says, love the Lord your God with all 131 00:08:31,370 --> 00:08:34,710 of your heart, with all of your soul, with all your mind, with all of 132 00:08:34,710 --> 00:08:38,430 your strength. And the second is like it, love one another 133 00:08:38,750 --> 00:08:40,670 as you love yourself. Now, 134 00:08:42,270 --> 00:08:45,990 that's a high standard, right up to the point that you don't 135 00:08:45,990 --> 00:08:49,590 love yourself, right up to the point that you really 136 00:08:49,590 --> 00:08:53,150 aren't respecting who you are and don't really have such a high 137 00:08:53,150 --> 00:08:56,830 opinion of yourself. And then sometimes you just treat everybody else like 138 00:08:57,070 --> 00:09:00,840 that. And God is going, you know, I just, I want 139 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:04,120 you to understand that there's a different way. 140 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:09,760 When it comes to loving God and loving our neighbors, it is love for our 141 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,400 neighbor that tends to suffer the greatest. You know, it's so easy to go, 142 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,960 God is so good! God is so faithful! I love 143 00:09:16,960 --> 00:09:20,760 him so much! I love him so much! 144 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,360 And that neighbor thing comes in there. 145 00:09:25,500 --> 00:09:29,180 You know, there's something that's kind of heartbreaking for me 146 00:09:29,500 --> 00:09:32,620 that has become a little bit trite and trivial 147 00:09:33,900 --> 00:09:37,260 in the church. You know, you hear things like, 148 00:09:37,740 --> 00:09:41,420 "Man, I so love God, it's his people I have a problem with." 149 00:09:41,900 --> 00:09:45,500 Or, "That church would be great if it just wasn't for the people." 150 00:09:46,140 --> 00:09:49,860 And, you know, we laugh it off, and we, you know, push 151 00:09:49,860 --> 00:09:53,620 it aside, and we make our jokes. And I believe that there's something 152 00:09:53,620 --> 00:09:57,120 in it that, that that God and the Holy Spirit are 153 00:09:57,120 --> 00:10:00,600 grieved by. Because see, I can look at 154 00:10:00,600 --> 00:10:04,360 Justin and Jessica, and I can go, "I love you guys, 155 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,480 and I mean it. I mean that I love you." 156 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:12,040 And then you follow it up with, "Oh, but that Lily and Noah." 157 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,960 You know? Seriously. And you're going, 158 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:21,200 "Wait a minute. Lily and Noah are their 159 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,950 heart." And so, how can I tell them 160 00:10:25,910 --> 00:10:29,750 that I love them and totally disregard 161 00:10:30,150 --> 00:10:33,350 or have a disdain for the thing that has totally 162 00:10:33,350 --> 00:10:36,870 captivated their hearts? God 163 00:10:36,870 --> 00:10:40,270 checks our love language to see whether it's true and 164 00:10:40,270 --> 00:10:44,030 authentic. And see, that same love that captivates them with all 165 00:10:44,030 --> 00:10:47,750 of their babies now— all— let me say that again, all 166 00:10:47,830 --> 00:10:51,560 of their babies now, That 167 00:10:51,560 --> 00:10:55,400 is the love that God has for you. So 168 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:59,000 much greater. And not just you, but the person 169 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,640 who's sitting next to you. He feels that way about 170 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:06,520 them. He feels that way about the person that made you 171 00:11:06,520 --> 00:11:10,240 the maddest this week. He feels that way 172 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:13,680 about the person who cut you off in traffic this week. 173 00:11:15,680 --> 00:11:19,200 I'm not even going to tell you. Somebody was so ugly to me this— 174 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,040 it doesn't matter. Okay, I'll 175 00:11:24,060 --> 00:11:27,900 tell you. They were so ugly to me, and I had a heart 176 00:11:27,900 --> 00:11:31,580 check. They were coming down the wrong lane, and they did 177 00:11:31,580 --> 00:11:35,340 things I should— I'm not even gonna tell you about. And— but they were 178 00:11:35,340 --> 00:11:38,860 upset with me, and old Barbie, last Tuesday, 179 00:11:39,100 --> 00:11:42,740 would have— old Barbie would have 180 00:11:42,740 --> 00:11:46,580 gotten upset. But you know what my response was? God, it's okay, 181 00:11:46,580 --> 00:11:50,230 don't hurt them. Don't hurt them, Lord. I know 182 00:11:50,230 --> 00:11:52,590 you're upset for me in this moment, 183 00:11:54,590 --> 00:11:57,150 but Lord, I'm gonna let it go. So Lord, you go ahead and let it 184 00:11:57,150 --> 00:12:00,470 go, okay? That 185 00:12:00,470 --> 00:12:04,150 $150 speeding fine that they're gonna get down there is 186 00:12:04,150 --> 00:12:06,190 not our fault, Lord. Anyway, 187 00:12:07,630 --> 00:12:11,390 God checks those places in us because he loves 188 00:12:11,550 --> 00:12:15,310 his people. And so he's not gonna let us get by with not loving 189 00:12:15,310 --> 00:12:18,500 his people. His people are not a footnote 190 00:12:19,060 --> 00:12:22,340 in the journey. They're not a footnote in the story. 191 00:12:22,740 --> 00:12:26,500 So when it comes to loving God, we need to be able to— 192 00:12:27,940 --> 00:12:31,780 "If anyone boasts, 'I love God,' and goes right on hating his brother 193 00:12:31,780 --> 00:12:34,900 or sister, thinking nothing of it," what does that say? 194 00:12:36,900 --> 00:12:39,780 He's using a word I wasn't allowed to use in my house. 195 00:12:40,580 --> 00:12:44,420 He is a liar. If he won't love the person he can 196 00:12:44,420 --> 00:12:47,060 see, how can he love the God he can't see? 197 00:12:49,290 --> 00:12:53,010 The command we have from Christ is blunt. Loving 198 00:12:53,010 --> 00:12:56,330 God includes loving people. You have got to do 199 00:12:56,650 --> 00:13:00,290 both. What? It's not an option? We don't get to pick and 200 00:13:00,290 --> 00:13:04,050 choose. Well, I like them, but them I'm not so 201 00:13:04,050 --> 00:13:07,850 sure about. It's not an option. It doesn't say, you know, if 202 00:13:07,850 --> 00:13:11,450 you feel like it, because most of us don't need to be doing the things 203 00:13:11,450 --> 00:13:12,570 we feel like doing. 204 00:13:16,070 --> 00:13:18,470 I'm just— I'm just putting that out there. Anyway, 205 00:13:20,070 --> 00:13:23,790 then he goes and does this. You know, we were 206 00:13:23,790 --> 00:13:27,510 doing pretty good. We could do okay when we could love somebody as we 207 00:13:27,510 --> 00:13:30,670 love ourselves, you know, 'cause we're pretty limited in that. But then he goes and 208 00:13:30,670 --> 00:13:33,910 does this. He says, "A new command I give you: 209 00:13:34,310 --> 00:13:37,870 Love one another as I have loved 210 00:13:37,870 --> 00:13:41,670 you." Can you say that with me? "As I have 211 00:13:41,830 --> 00:13:45,680 loved you." What? '"So must you love one another. 212 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:49,440 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love 213 00:13:50,000 --> 00:13:50,640 one another.'" 214 00:13:53,440 --> 00:13:57,160 Okay, Jesus raised the bar from "love your neighbor 215 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:00,560 as yourself" to "as I have loved you." And in doing 216 00:14:00,640 --> 00:14:04,320 this, our blueprint became his love rather than 217 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:06,960 our own. Wow! 218 00:14:08,720 --> 00:14:12,420 His blueprint. Became— 219 00:14:12,420 --> 00:14:16,260 his love became our blueprint. That's 220 00:14:16,260 --> 00:14:19,260 a higher standard. It's a deeper call. 221 00:14:20,140 --> 00:14:23,420 There's more to it than that. And when I look at that, I'm like, okay, 222 00:14:23,980 --> 00:14:27,500 how do we do that, Lord? Because, you know, your love— I mean, 223 00:14:27,580 --> 00:14:31,350 you know what? The disciples probably could have told you what Jesus loved to like, 224 00:14:32,460 --> 00:14:36,220 what he, you know, what he enjoyed. And, you know, I'm sure John 225 00:14:36,220 --> 00:14:40,040 could have told you all about his love and how much Jesus loved him more 226 00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:43,720 than everybody else. But John would have known about the love 227 00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:46,720 of Jesus. He experienced it on a daily basis. 228 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,840 Peter experienced it in a completely different way. But if 229 00:14:50,840 --> 00:14:54,560 you put their voices together, these are the people who walked with him daily, 230 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:58,240 in and out, good days, bad days, horrible days, 231 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:02,000 blessed days. They could have told you about the love of Jesus, right? 232 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,640 I can look at people in my life and I can tell you, I can 233 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:09,280 tell you that my husband's love, the way that he loves is 234 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,320 faithful, and he is a protector, and he is 235 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:16,560 witty, and he is gentle-spirited. And 236 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:20,720 I can tell you what he is like. He is as faithful in 237 00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,360 his love as the day is long. 238 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:27,600 But that's because I have walked with him for almost 239 00:15:27,600 --> 00:15:30,880 43 years, and he has been consistent, 240 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:35,080 consistent in it. Now, if I try to tell you about the 241 00:15:35,080 --> 00:15:38,080 love of Jesus, I can tell you what it looked like in my life and 242 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:41,940 what that redemptive price that was paid and who he is He has 243 00:15:41,940 --> 00:15:45,780 been in my life. But according to scripture, you know, it would 244 00:15:45,780 --> 00:15:49,340 be really dismissive of us to go, 245 00:15:49,580 --> 00:15:53,260 "Well, yeah, but Jesus died for everybody, and so his love 246 00:15:53,260 --> 00:15:57,020 was that sacrificial love that just died," you know, "and did that." And it seems 247 00:15:57,020 --> 00:16:00,500 so far beyond our ability to do anything like 248 00:16:00,500 --> 00:16:04,260 Jesus did. And yet we wear these shirts like, 249 00:16:04,260 --> 00:16:07,120 "Love like Jesus." 250 00:16:08,150 --> 00:16:11,950 And we don't even know what that means, nor 251 00:16:11,950 --> 00:16:15,190 do we move toward trying to do that. 252 00:16:16,230 --> 00:16:19,870 So, I'm looking at this, and I'm going, "Okay. Okay, God, then I don't really 253 00:16:19,870 --> 00:16:23,430 know how to love like Jesus. I don't really know. If you said, 254 00:16:23,750 --> 00:16:26,710 'As I have loved you, so you must love one another.'" 255 00:16:27,430 --> 00:16:30,910 I believe that the Word will give us instruction on everything that he 256 00:16:30,910 --> 00:16:33,910 asks us to do. And I don't think he ever asks us to do anything 257 00:16:33,910 --> 00:16:37,590 that's impossible, right? So, I believe he gave us a 258 00:16:37,590 --> 00:16:41,210 plan and an idea. Scripture tells us, All 259 00:16:41,210 --> 00:16:44,730 Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, 260 00:16:44,730 --> 00:16:48,330 rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the 261 00:16:48,330 --> 00:16:51,490 servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good 262 00:16:51,810 --> 00:16:55,610 work. Would you say that learning to love your neighbor as yourself 263 00:16:55,610 --> 00:16:59,170 would be a good work? Would you say that learning to love 264 00:16:59,170 --> 00:17:03,010 like Jesus, that, that He could teach us how to do that, 265 00:17:03,250 --> 00:17:06,610 that He could correct us when we're not getting it right, and that He could 266 00:17:06,610 --> 00:17:10,170 train us so that we can love like Jesus? I believe 267 00:17:10,170 --> 00:17:13,190 He can. Well, if all Scripture is God-breathed, 268 00:17:13,870 --> 00:17:17,590 then it would be a natural progression for me to go, "Okay, Lord, where 269 00:17:17,590 --> 00:17:21,230 in Scripture do you talk to us about how to love?" Because 270 00:17:21,230 --> 00:17:24,870 if you are going to teach me how to love, and I'm not talking 271 00:17:24,870 --> 00:17:28,510 about Cupid love, I'm not talking about box of chocolates 272 00:17:28,510 --> 00:17:31,790 love, though those are nice. I'm not talking about 273 00:17:32,030 --> 00:17:35,830 Valentine love. I'm not talking about that, and neither 274 00:17:35,830 --> 00:17:39,350 is he. Neither is he. So, we're gonna see, 275 00:17:39,590 --> 00:17:42,550 I believe that when Jesus— when the Holy Spirit 276 00:17:42,790 --> 00:17:46,550 breathed 1 Corinthians 13, I believe he was 277 00:17:46,550 --> 00:17:50,070 breathing a teaching to tell us this is how 278 00:17:50,070 --> 00:17:53,710 Jesus loves. And this is the instruction that I'm gonna 279 00:17:53,710 --> 00:17:57,350 leave for you in my last will and testament. I'm going to 280 00:17:57,350 --> 00:18:01,030 leave this instruction for you so that when you read somewhere 281 00:18:01,030 --> 00:18:04,830 down the road in 2026 that I'm asking you to 282 00:18:04,830 --> 00:18:08,650 love like I love, I wanna show you what that looks like. And so, that's 283 00:18:08,650 --> 00:18:12,250 what we're gonna do this morning. All Scripture 284 00:18:12,410 --> 00:18:16,210 is God-breathed. I also believe this. I grew 285 00:18:16,210 --> 00:18:19,970 up out in the country. I know it shocks you with this accent, 286 00:18:19,970 --> 00:18:23,130 you know. You're thinking London, Britain, whatever, but 287 00:18:24,570 --> 00:18:28,170 I grew up out in the country, and I had a cousin, and 288 00:18:30,730 --> 00:18:34,490 he was a snake handler before snake handling was, you know, 289 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:38,640 exciting. And he was— he knew exactly 290 00:18:38,640 --> 00:18:42,400 what he was gonna grab hold of. And I remember one 291 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:45,600 particular day— now, his mama wasn't very fast, 292 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:48,560 but she was that day. Anyway, 293 00:18:50,320 --> 00:18:54,120 his mama wasn't very fast, and I just remember him coming in 294 00:18:54,120 --> 00:18:57,040 the room, and he had this snake by the head, 295 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:00,660 and his mama's backing out of the room, and he's going, "Momma, 296 00:19:02,250 --> 00:19:05,930 it ain't poison. And look at here at its head, 297 00:19:05,930 --> 00:19:09,730 it's diamond-shaped. It ain't poison. And it's skinny, it's 298 00:19:09,730 --> 00:19:13,330 skinny. It ain't this." Because see, he knew that his mother's 299 00:19:13,330 --> 00:19:16,730 peace relied on what it wasn't rather than what it was. 300 00:19:17,050 --> 00:19:20,770 And so, he was going really quickly to describe everything 301 00:19:20,770 --> 00:19:24,490 that it wasn't. And that makes total sense when you begin to look 302 00:19:24,490 --> 00:19:28,070 at 1 Corinthians 13. Because what we 303 00:19:28,070 --> 00:19:31,710 find in this passage of Scripture is that the Lord gives us 304 00:19:32,030 --> 00:19:35,830 2 descriptors of what 305 00:19:35,830 --> 00:19:39,630 it is and 8 of what it isn't. You 306 00:19:39,630 --> 00:19:43,070 know what that tells me? It tells me that the Holy Spirit 307 00:19:43,150 --> 00:19:46,750 knew that we would have a problem trying to call something 308 00:19:46,750 --> 00:19:50,550 love that wasn't. And so, sometimes 309 00:19:50,550 --> 00:19:54,330 we're better served by knowing what something isn't rather than what it 310 00:19:54,330 --> 00:19:58,090 is. Because those are clarifiers, guys. If I can 311 00:19:58,090 --> 00:20:01,730 give you some things from the Word that go, "This is what it 312 00:20:01,730 --> 00:20:05,410 is, and this is what it isn't," you might just be able 313 00:20:05,410 --> 00:20:09,169 to grab hold of it and go, "Oh, okay. Okay, 314 00:20:09,169 --> 00:20:12,610 Lord." And that becomes your starting point. 315 00:20:13,010 --> 00:20:16,610 Because guys, some of the things that we call love, it 316 00:20:16,610 --> 00:20:20,270 ain't. It ain't love. It's got other words 317 00:20:20,270 --> 00:20:24,110 for it, but it ain't love. And I hope, and my prayer would be, 318 00:20:24,110 --> 00:20:27,710 that we would begin to define some of this. According to the 319 00:20:27,710 --> 00:20:31,350 Scripture, true love has two 320 00:20:31,350 --> 00:20:35,109 initial authenticators. If you want 321 00:20:35,109 --> 00:20:38,350 to know if it's love, the two things that it will be 322 00:20:38,830 --> 00:20:42,030 is it will be patient, and it will be kind. 323 00:20:42,830 --> 00:20:46,550 Love is patient, and it is kind. And if 324 00:20:46,550 --> 00:20:50,230 you are in a relationship, or you're seeking a relationship, or you're looking 325 00:20:50,230 --> 00:20:53,750 for that person, and boy, they're pretty, or boy, they're 326 00:20:53,750 --> 00:20:57,550 handsome, are they patient? And are they 327 00:20:57,550 --> 00:21:01,270 kind? Because that's gonna matter in 328 00:21:01,270 --> 00:21:04,910 your life. That is gonna matter in your life. 329 00:21:05,390 --> 00:21:09,230 Looks fade. Popularity wanes. Kindness, 330 00:21:10,190 --> 00:21:12,430 patience, that's what you want. 331 00:21:14,270 --> 00:21:17,990 Kindness, and patience. Let me 332 00:21:17,990 --> 00:21:21,670 give you this first one. Patience is the 333 00:21:21,670 --> 00:21:25,350 level of endurance one exemplifies in difficult 334 00:21:25,350 --> 00:21:27,870 circumstances before moving into negativity. 335 00:21:30,190 --> 00:21:33,830 How patient are you? How patient 336 00:21:33,830 --> 00:21:37,670 are you? When things start to go south, do you jump in the deep end 337 00:21:37,670 --> 00:21:41,490 with them? Or do you try to point them toward the shallow end, 338 00:21:42,050 --> 00:21:45,810 a way out? Do you go negative? Patience. 339 00:21:46,130 --> 00:21:48,850 You know what? Patience destroys 340 00:21:50,290 --> 00:21:53,890 the— I'm sorry, impatience 341 00:21:53,890 --> 00:21:57,490 will destroy kindness. It will just destroy it. 342 00:21:57,650 --> 00:21:59,330 Patience, the level of endurance. 343 00:22:02,130 --> 00:22:05,920 When people talk about you, or your name gets brought 344 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,560 up, do they say that about you? 345 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:14,920 Do they like, "Oh man, they are just so 346 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,440 positive. They are so positive. They live in this land 347 00:22:18,680 --> 00:22:22,240 of positivity." It's a 348 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,640 marker of His love. And then there's this, 349 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:29,080 kindness, marked by good and charitable behavior, 350 00:22:29,240 --> 00:22:32,840 having a pleasant disposition, and showing genuine 351 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:36,200 concern for others. Is that you? 352 00:22:37,880 --> 00:22:41,280 When people talk about you, do they say, "They have the most 353 00:22:41,280 --> 00:22:44,600 pleasant disposition"? Or 354 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:48,320 when you start down the hallway at church, do you see people starting to pretend 355 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:51,880 they're on their phones? Because that could be an indicator. 356 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:55,800 When all of a sudden they have a phone call and step into a side 357 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:57,960 room until right after you pass. 358 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:03,170 Do you have a pleasant countenance? Has God done enough in 359 00:23:03,170 --> 00:23:06,850 your life for you to be grateful and walk around like you're grateful? 360 00:23:07,090 --> 00:23:10,370 I mean, seriously, come on. We're not all 361 00:23:10,690 --> 00:23:14,530 born happy, you know? But the goodness of God and 362 00:23:14,530 --> 00:23:18,210 what he has done should provoke a smile from time to time. 363 00:23:18,610 --> 00:23:22,450 I mean, we should be the most peace-carrying people on 364 00:23:22,450 --> 00:23:26,050 the planet, and yet we look so miserable sometimes. 365 00:23:26,610 --> 00:23:29,170 Speaking of driving in cars, as we were talking about earlier, 366 00:23:30,550 --> 00:23:33,830 Have you ever looked at people's faces as they drive past you? 367 00:23:35,670 --> 00:23:38,310 Oh my goodness, did they have a bad day? 368 00:23:39,430 --> 00:23:43,270 Or a bad year? We don't know. But it's like, 369 00:23:44,230 --> 00:23:47,990 when the Lord started pointing that out to me, I have the fakest 370 00:23:47,990 --> 00:23:51,830 smile when I drive because I'm like, "What if somebody passes?" 371 00:23:57,710 --> 00:23:59,950 But I'm honest about it. Anyway, 372 00:24:01,230 --> 00:24:04,830 patience and kindness. Guys, those are the only 373 00:24:04,990 --> 00:24:07,790 two things he says that love is. 374 00:24:09,070 --> 00:24:11,630 Love is patient. It is kind. 375 00:24:12,830 --> 00:24:16,630 That's what you want. That's what you want to be, and that's who 376 00:24:16,630 --> 00:24:20,310 you want to be involved with, right? Now, let's talk about the 377 00:24:20,310 --> 00:24:24,080 nots. Let's talk about what it isn't. Because 378 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:27,720 a lot of times, the enemy tries to tell you that what you are 379 00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:31,320 experiencing is love, and it's 380 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,760 not. Patient kindness. And let me tell you what else it 381 00:24:34,760 --> 00:24:38,240 isn't. "Love is not envious or jealous, 382 00:24:38,720 --> 00:24:41,840 boastful or proud. It is not 383 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:45,640 dishonoring or self-seeking. It is not easily angered or unforgiving." 384 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:49,200 Now, let's break that down for just a second. Okay, 385 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:53,480 envy. Everybody's like, "Oh, envious and jealous, they're the same things." No, 386 00:24:53,480 --> 00:24:57,120 they're not. Envy is rooted in 387 00:24:57,120 --> 00:24:57,760 fear. 388 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:05,480 No, I'm switching those. Jealousy is rooted in fear. Jealousy is 389 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:09,040 rooted in fear because you are afraid someone is going to 390 00:25:09,040 --> 00:25:12,800 take something that you have. And so, you are 391 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:16,160 jealous and you're not at peace with it because 392 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,600 you don't want anybody messing with what's yours. Well, it ain't yours. 393 00:25:20,730 --> 00:25:24,170 It ain't yours. Anything we have, God gave into our hands, and either He can 394 00:25:24,170 --> 00:25:27,330 keep it in our hands or He won't. And if He doesn't, we didn't need 395 00:25:27,330 --> 00:25:30,410 it in the first place. Jealousy, 396 00:25:30,810 --> 00:25:34,330 envious. Envious is to be rooted— it's rooted in 397 00:25:34,330 --> 00:25:38,130 lust. Envy is rooted in this place, "Well, why did they 398 00:25:38,130 --> 00:25:41,730 get that? They've got this, and I want that, and 399 00:25:41,730 --> 00:25:45,330 I deserve that, and I want that." And that is jealousy and 400 00:25:45,330 --> 00:25:48,730 envious. If you are in a relationship where the person you are with 401 00:25:49,310 --> 00:25:53,150 does not celebrate your victories and wants to hold you back and keep 402 00:25:53,150 --> 00:25:56,630 you from moving forward in the Lord, this is an area of 403 00:25:56,630 --> 00:26:00,070 prayer. Because we're not supposed to be jealous or 404 00:26:00,070 --> 00:26:03,790 envious with our mates. We're just not supposed 405 00:26:03,790 --> 00:26:07,550 to. Boastful or proud. Guys, listen here. If the person 406 00:26:07,790 --> 00:26:10,950 that you are trying to do life with wants to tell you how good they 407 00:26:10,950 --> 00:26:14,590 are all of the time, it's probably not a good, good reason to be with 408 00:26:14,590 --> 00:26:18,350 them. If somebody gives you their resume, You know, 409 00:26:18,990 --> 00:26:22,590 can I just tell you, there's no reason for 410 00:26:22,590 --> 00:26:25,950 one single person in this room, myself 411 00:26:25,950 --> 00:26:28,270 included, to boast. 412 00:26:29,630 --> 00:26:33,070 I don't have anything to brag about except the goodness of God, 413 00:26:33,309 --> 00:26:37,110 and that's on Him. He did that, not me. I don't need 414 00:26:37,110 --> 00:26:40,830 to tell you what I've done. And if somebody else— now, if somebody else 415 00:26:40,830 --> 00:26:44,210 wants to talk to people about how good you are, yay! Yay! 416 00:26:44,370 --> 00:26:47,970 God has done something with your reputation, and that needed to be done anyway. 417 00:26:48,290 --> 00:26:51,650 But if somebody else wants to do that, that's fine, that's good, but don't sing 418 00:26:51,650 --> 00:26:55,250 your own praises. And if you're with somebody who wants to tell you how 419 00:26:55,250 --> 00:26:59,090 lucky you are to be with them, don't be. 420 00:27:01,810 --> 00:27:04,130 Proud, proud. 421 00:27:05,810 --> 00:27:09,620 Do you receive correction? Are you 422 00:27:09,620 --> 00:27:13,460 able to go, "Yeah, I was probably wrong there. Yeah, I'm sorry about 423 00:27:13,460 --> 00:27:17,140 that." Love means never having to 424 00:27:17,140 --> 00:27:20,820 say you're sorry. Who made that 425 00:27:20,820 --> 00:27:24,620 up? I say it multiple times 426 00:27:24,859 --> 00:27:27,100 every single day, and it's necessary. 427 00:27:28,140 --> 00:27:31,860 Seriously, apologize. You know what? I 428 00:27:31,860 --> 00:27:35,630 don't need to be prideful. I missed it. I miss it all 429 00:27:35,630 --> 00:27:37,910 the time, and I'm so sorry. 430 00:27:39,430 --> 00:27:42,470 Be quick. That's called repentance. 431 00:27:43,190 --> 00:27:46,950 Turn and go the opposite direction. If you've got to say— tell 432 00:27:46,950 --> 00:27:50,710 the Lord you're sorry. Now listen, there is a sorrow that 433 00:27:50,710 --> 00:27:54,310 leads to death, according to Scripture, and it is a worldly sorrow. 434 00:27:54,310 --> 00:27:57,830 And you can be sorry all day long and never change a thing. 435 00:27:58,070 --> 00:28:01,780 But there is a godly sorrow According to Scripture, that 436 00:28:01,780 --> 00:28:04,820 leads to repentance, and that leads to life. 437 00:28:05,220 --> 00:28:08,820 Don't just be sorry, repent and don't do it again. 438 00:28:08,900 --> 00:28:12,700 Rowan and Nora were playing this past week, and I 439 00:28:12,700 --> 00:28:16,060 think Nora took something from Rowan, and they started 440 00:28:16,060 --> 00:28:19,820 bickering, and I said, "Okay guys, okay, all 441 00:28:19,820 --> 00:28:23,540 right, stop." They're 4 and they're 5, but I've heard 40 and 50-year-olds 442 00:28:23,940 --> 00:28:27,470 do it too, anyway. But I said, "Okay guys, stop. 443 00:28:28,190 --> 00:28:31,710 Now, let's fix this." And Nora says, 444 00:28:33,070 --> 00:28:36,430 "Okay, Rowan, I apologize." 445 00:28:37,230 --> 00:28:39,310 And he says, "Well, I forgive you. 446 00:28:42,350 --> 00:28:45,550 I forgive you, but we're not gonna do that again." 447 00:28:48,670 --> 00:28:52,510 And sometimes that's okay, right? You 448 00:28:52,510 --> 00:28:56,330 know, I forgive you, And he said, "But that wasn't okay." 449 00:28:56,650 --> 00:29:00,250 And sometimes, it's okay to let people, "You know what? That 450 00:29:00,250 --> 00:29:04,090 wasn't okay. I forgive you, but that wasn't okay." 451 00:29:04,490 --> 00:29:07,370 You know? Anyway, it's not 452 00:29:08,970 --> 00:29:12,570 dishonoring or self-seeking. It's not easily angered or unforgiving. 453 00:29:12,570 --> 00:29:16,330 Okay, this is the one, if you are willing, I would like you to 454 00:29:16,330 --> 00:29:17,770 get a 455 00:29:20,260 --> 00:29:24,020 Screenshot. If you've got your phones, would you pull them out? Because 456 00:29:24,020 --> 00:29:26,900 I feel like this is where we're supposed to live for just a little while. 457 00:29:26,900 --> 00:29:30,620 And if it's on your phone, I know people look at 458 00:29:30,620 --> 00:29:34,020 their phone at least once a day, you know, once a second 459 00:29:34,340 --> 00:29:37,060 anyway. This right here. 460 00:29:41,700 --> 00:29:44,340 Love will not bring dishonor. 461 00:29:45,710 --> 00:29:49,310 It will not cause you to feel shame or disgrace. 462 00:29:50,430 --> 00:29:53,950 It will not remove your honor, diminish your worth, 463 00:29:53,950 --> 00:29:57,550 affect your honesty, or compromise the integrity 464 00:29:57,950 --> 00:30:00,270 of your personal values. 465 00:30:04,830 --> 00:30:08,350 Love will not remove your honor, 466 00:30:08,990 --> 00:30:12,350 diminish your worth, Affect your 467 00:30:12,350 --> 00:30:16,150 honesty or compromise the integrity 468 00:30:16,550 --> 00:30:20,350 of your personal values. Lay 469 00:30:20,350 --> 00:30:23,790 that against the blueprint, guys. When the 470 00:30:23,790 --> 00:30:27,350 enemy comes and tries to tell you, "Oh, but it's love, but 471 00:30:27,350 --> 00:30:31,150 it's love, but it's love," is it that? Are you 472 00:30:31,150 --> 00:30:34,950 compromising? Is it affecting the way you're walking in the earth? Are you 473 00:30:34,950 --> 00:30:38,710 having to lie to your parents? Are you having to make up excuses? 474 00:30:38,870 --> 00:30:41,940 What is it? Love does not dishonor you. 475 00:30:42,740 --> 00:30:46,420 It just doesn't. Jesus' love, 476 00:30:46,660 --> 00:30:50,300 His love will not bring dishonor. So 477 00:30:50,300 --> 00:30:53,900 we, to love like Jesus loved, cannot put 478 00:30:53,900 --> 00:30:57,500 ourselves or anybody else in a situation where 479 00:30:57,500 --> 00:31:00,180 we're calling something love and it's bringing dishonor. 480 00:31:01,300 --> 00:31:05,020 Okay? Shouldn't affect 481 00:31:05,020 --> 00:31:08,080 your honesty. Shouldn't have to lie about it. 482 00:31:08,640 --> 00:31:12,240 Shouldn't have to hide it. Love is pure. Love is 483 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:15,440 pure, and it's kind, and it is patient. 484 00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:19,920 Anything that isn't that, you need to really 485 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:23,480 examine it. It 486 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:26,960 isn't self-seeking, guys. Contrary to 487 00:31:26,960 --> 00:31:30,480 popular belief, love doesn't put itself 488 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:34,330 first. You don't get everything 489 00:31:34,410 --> 00:31:37,930 your way. It's not all going to always work out 490 00:31:38,010 --> 00:31:39,450 to where you win. 491 00:31:41,610 --> 00:31:44,650 Love will take a back seat 492 00:31:45,610 --> 00:31:49,370 and allow other people to shine and prosper and grow in 493 00:31:49,370 --> 00:31:49,690 Him. 494 00:31:59,460 --> 00:32:03,220 It isn't easily angered. This takes us back 495 00:32:03,220 --> 00:32:06,660 to the very beginning, guys. One of the initial 496 00:32:06,820 --> 00:32:10,580 markers was that it was patient and it was kind. 497 00:32:11,700 --> 00:32:15,540 It isn't easily angered. Now listen, I get— I 498 00:32:15,540 --> 00:32:18,820 run into this from time to time, more often than I would like to, 499 00:32:19,620 --> 00:32:23,380 people who have issues with anger. People who just blow off 500 00:32:23,380 --> 00:32:27,207 steam at the people that they say they love the most. And they 501 00:32:27,207 --> 00:32:30,760 just, they're just easily angered in this a hair trigger and you can go off 502 00:32:30,760 --> 00:32:34,480 with anything. And what I hear the most is, "Well, I'm just like 503 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:37,760 that," or, "Well, he did," or, "She did." 504 00:32:38,320 --> 00:32:41,520 Listen, you are not like that. 505 00:32:42,400 --> 00:32:46,200 God did not create you with a short fuse. The world 506 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:49,600 did that to you. And if you are struggling, and if you are 507 00:32:49,920 --> 00:32:53,280 anger-driven, and you're causing everybody in your household to have to walk on 508 00:32:53,280 --> 00:32:56,990 eggshells, That is 509 00:32:56,990 --> 00:32:59,830 not a— that is not part of your personality. That is a lack of the 510 00:32:59,830 --> 00:33:03,670 fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of the Spirit of self-control. And 511 00:33:03,670 --> 00:33:06,910 if you will begin to pray, the Holy Spirit can bring about 512 00:33:07,470 --> 00:33:10,590 self-control in your life. Guys, 513 00:33:12,590 --> 00:33:16,430 as long as we make excuses, as long as we make 514 00:33:16,430 --> 00:33:20,150 excuses, the enemy will let us make excuses, and 515 00:33:20,150 --> 00:33:23,950 we will continue down with patterns and things in our life that God 516 00:33:23,950 --> 00:33:27,530 never intended for us. You know what? God created 517 00:33:27,530 --> 00:33:31,330 you whole, not broken. God created you with a 518 00:33:31,330 --> 00:33:35,010 propensity toward the eternal. He created you to 519 00:33:35,010 --> 00:33:38,770 love, and to be kind, and to display all 520 00:33:38,770 --> 00:33:42,329 of the attributes of the fruit of the Spirit. So when you find yourself 521 00:33:42,329 --> 00:33:46,050 deviating from those things that He says, then it's a 522 00:33:46,050 --> 00:33:49,650 spirit issue. It's not a flesh issue. We try 523 00:33:49,650 --> 00:33:53,400 to fight it with our flesh, and we can't. And that's 524 00:33:53,400 --> 00:33:57,000 why we say, "I'm just like that." No, your flesh is just like that. 525 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:00,360 But if you will flip the triangle, and if you will allow your spirit 526 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:04,360 to lead you, you'll find that you have more strength, more 527 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:08,200 integrity, more honor, more patience, more peace 528 00:34:08,200 --> 00:34:11,080 than you ever dreamed imaginable. 529 00:34:11,800 --> 00:34:15,400 Because that's what God does, and that's what the Holy Spirit does when 530 00:34:15,400 --> 00:34:19,129 he takes control. Love is 531 00:34:19,129 --> 00:34:22,209 not easily angered and it isn't unforgiving. 532 00:34:23,489 --> 00:34:25,889 I'm going to ask the worship team to come out here in just a second, 533 00:34:26,049 --> 00:34:29,729 if they'd come on out. Can I tell you something? 534 00:34:30,929 --> 00:34:33,169 Love doesn't throw your past up in your face. 535 00:34:35,009 --> 00:34:38,769 Love doesn't get into arguments and remember what you did 3 years 536 00:34:38,769 --> 00:34:42,489 ago, and when you said this, or you did that. See, the love that I 537 00:34:42,489 --> 00:34:46,329 see from God says that He casts our sins as far as 538 00:34:46,329 --> 00:34:49,619 the east is from from the west into the sea of 539 00:34:49,619 --> 00:34:53,299 forgetfulness. His love erases that 540 00:34:53,379 --> 00:34:56,979 in our life, right? So, when you find 541 00:34:56,979 --> 00:35:00,099 yourself wanting to throw someone else's past up, 542 00:35:00,899 --> 00:35:04,739 understand that yours can be brought up too. And I 543 00:35:04,739 --> 00:35:08,499 sure don't want the Lord bringing mine up. I sure don't want 544 00:35:08,499 --> 00:35:11,619 to have to deal— I already dealt with my past once, or twice, or three, 545 00:35:11,619 --> 00:35:15,170 or four, or five, many times, all right? I don't want to have to go 546 00:35:15,170 --> 00:35:18,770 there again because he's not going there again. God 547 00:35:18,770 --> 00:35:22,410 has cleansed my heart. God 548 00:35:22,410 --> 00:35:26,210 has forgiven me. The Word tells me that if I 549 00:35:26,210 --> 00:35:29,570 confess my sins, he is faithful 550 00:35:29,890 --> 00:35:32,770 and just and will forgive me 551 00:35:33,890 --> 00:35:37,410 and, and cleanse me 552 00:35:38,290 --> 00:35:41,900 from all unrighteousness. You can't change 553 00:35:41,900 --> 00:35:45,260 what happened yesterday. You can't change how you 554 00:35:45,260 --> 00:35:48,980 behaved yesterday, but you can do a "let's start here." 555 00:35:49,620 --> 00:35:52,860 You can do a "let's start today." Let's start to 556 00:35:52,860 --> 00:35:56,700 redefine what relationships look like in my life. Let's 557 00:35:56,700 --> 00:36:00,540 begin to redefine what I'm putting out 558 00:36:00,540 --> 00:36:04,180 into the world. What kind of love am I portraying 559 00:36:04,740 --> 00:36:05,620 in this world? 560 00:36:10,410 --> 00:36:11,930 Now, if we know what it isn't, 561 00:36:15,210 --> 00:36:18,890 that means we know what it is, right? Because that 562 00:36:18,890 --> 00:36:20,810 would be the opposite, correct? 563 00:36:22,650 --> 00:36:25,770 I'm going to share this, and then we are going to stand and sing, 564 00:36:26,650 --> 00:36:30,330 and then I'm going to finish it because I want to 565 00:36:30,330 --> 00:36:34,180 show you If it isn't this, then 566 00:36:34,180 --> 00:36:37,820 it's this. And after I've read these to 567 00:36:37,820 --> 00:36:41,540 you, we're going to take just a moment and 568 00:36:41,540 --> 00:36:44,500 we're going to worship. We're going to just have a moment 569 00:36:45,300 --> 00:36:49,060 where we allow the Holy Spirit to take these things and 570 00:36:49,060 --> 00:36:52,740 to examine our heart. And then we'll come right back 571 00:36:52,740 --> 00:36:56,460 into this because this is what it says. If knowing what 572 00:36:56,460 --> 00:37:00,260 it isn't serves to clarify what it is, we can know this: 573 00:37:01,060 --> 00:37:04,340 if it isn't envious, it is content. 574 00:37:05,860 --> 00:37:08,820 It is content. I know that doesn't make sense to some of you, but 575 00:37:09,860 --> 00:37:13,300 when you're not satisfied, when you're not 576 00:37:13,300 --> 00:37:16,860 satisfied with what God has done, you 577 00:37:16,860 --> 00:37:20,620 lose that contentment. If love isn't envious, it's content. If it 578 00:37:20,620 --> 00:37:23,460 isn't boastful, it is modest. 579 00:37:24,260 --> 00:37:28,020 Has a right estimation of who they are in Christ. It's 580 00:37:28,020 --> 00:37:30,820 settled. If it isn't proud, it is what? 581 00:37:32,420 --> 00:37:34,580 And if it isn't dishonoring, it is 582 00:37:35,700 --> 00:37:39,540 honorable. Honorable. If it isn't self-seeking, 583 00:37:39,980 --> 00:37:43,420 it is selfless. If it isn't 584 00:37:43,420 --> 00:37:47,180 easily angered, it is— and if 585 00:37:47,180 --> 00:37:50,020 it isn't unforgiving, it is 586 00:37:51,300 --> 00:37:54,590 compassionate. How is that? How is that? 587 00:37:56,750 --> 00:38:00,350 Because see, if I can't forgive you, then I'm not having compassion for where 588 00:38:00,350 --> 00:38:03,630 you're standing. I'm not able to go, I, 589 00:38:03,870 --> 00:38:07,430 I'm, I have so been there. We have a high 590 00:38:07,430 --> 00:38:11,150 priest who is touched by the very feeling of our 591 00:38:11,150 --> 00:38:14,950 infirmities. And when you 592 00:38:14,950 --> 00:38:18,590 blow it, or I blow it, and they mess up, and everything 593 00:38:18,590 --> 00:38:22,310 in you wants to get angry, my prayer would be that compassion would 594 00:38:22,310 --> 00:38:26,130 rise and go, Lord, I've done that myself. Lord, except for the grace of 595 00:38:26,130 --> 00:38:29,810 God, there I would be. Lord, birth 596 00:38:29,810 --> 00:38:32,970 compassion as you are compassionate, 597 00:38:33,930 --> 00:38:37,490 as you are compassionate, as I have loved 598 00:38:37,490 --> 00:38:41,170 you. Guys, we're just going to dim the lights for a minute. I'm going 599 00:38:41,170 --> 00:38:44,850 to get you guys to just ponder this a moment. Go 600 00:38:44,850 --> 00:38:45,850 ahead, Jonathan. 601 00:38:51,060 --> 00:38:53,620 I believe the Lord is sharing this with us 602 00:38:54,900 --> 00:38:58,620 because there's a higher call in a world that 603 00:38:58,620 --> 00:39:02,100 doesn't know what love looks like, that doesn't understand 604 00:39:02,580 --> 00:39:06,420 this kind of compassion, this kind of calling. God is going, 605 00:39:07,220 --> 00:39:10,020 I need you to be that. I need you 606 00:39:10,820 --> 00:39:14,180 to be that. Love like I love. 607 00:39:15,550 --> 00:39:19,150 Jesus' love was content, modest, humble, 608 00:39:19,710 --> 00:39:23,150 honorable, selfless, patient, 609 00:39:23,470 --> 00:39:26,670 and compassionate. And in the end, guys, 610 00:39:27,550 --> 00:39:31,350 the stamp of love's authenticity is its willingness to surrender its own 611 00:39:31,350 --> 00:39:34,990 will, and in doing so, serve a 612 00:39:34,990 --> 00:39:38,510 greater good that we sometimes cannot see or understand. 613 00:39:40,030 --> 00:39:43,790 We're not always going to see the end result. We're not always 614 00:39:43,790 --> 00:39:47,430 going to see why the Lord has us apologize or 615 00:39:47,430 --> 00:39:51,150 move this way or act in compassion or lay down our 616 00:39:51,150 --> 00:39:54,950 rights or, or set things aside. We're not always going to know why, 617 00:39:55,990 --> 00:39:59,590 but we can know that he is faithful and he is good, 618 00:40:00,950 --> 00:40:04,630 and he sees the beginning from the end, and he 619 00:40:04,630 --> 00:40:08,440 knows the outcome. Guys, there's a 620 00:40:08,440 --> 00:40:11,680 better kind of love, a better kind of love. 621 00:40:13,600 --> 00:40:17,200 Greater love has no one than this, to lay down 622 00:40:17,200 --> 00:40:19,760 his life for his friends. 623 00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:25,680 As I have loved you, 624 00:40:26,960 --> 00:40:30,680 so must you love one another. He 625 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:34,490 wouldn't have asked us to do it if it wasn't possible. He 626 00:40:34,490 --> 00:40:37,290 wouldn't have put that in front of them and it be unattainable. 627 00:40:38,250 --> 00:40:41,410 So this is what's on my heart this morning. If you will allow, if you 628 00:40:41,410 --> 00:40:45,210 would stand, I would like the honor of praying over you. 629 00:40:56,970 --> 00:40:59,660 And if you feel led, if you just raise your hand. 630 00:41:03,090 --> 00:41:06,930 Father God, I thank you so much for each of these, and I thank 631 00:41:06,930 --> 00:41:10,370 you, Lord, that you set the standard, not 632 00:41:10,370 --> 00:41:13,930 anybody else, Lord. You set the standard. And so, 633 00:41:13,930 --> 00:41:17,490 Father, I thank you, Lord, that you are calling us, entrusting us 634 00:41:17,650 --> 00:41:21,450 with a higher kind of love, a better kind of love, the only kind 635 00:41:21,450 --> 00:41:25,090 of love that you offer that's selfless and kind and 636 00:41:25,250 --> 00:41:29,040 compassionate and patient, Father God. And Lord, I 637 00:41:29,040 --> 00:41:32,680 pray even at this moment, Lord, that you would do something in our 638 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:36,400 hearts, Lord, that we would move toward that kind of love.