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Hello, and welcome to the
Middletown Baptist Church podcast,

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where we are proclaiming the
truth to the world.

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My name is Pastor Josh, and I
want to thank you for listening to

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this podcast.

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I hope that this podcast can
be a blessing to you and strengthen

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you in the word of God.

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Now come along.

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Let's look into the Bible and
see what God has for us here today.

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This morning, we're going to
be talking about true love.

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True love.

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And not what the world says
about true love, but what God's word

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says about true love.

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And as I was looking about in
this world and thinking about what

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is a great example of the love
of God, what came to mind is the

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greatest love that I have ever
seen in my life is a love of a mother,

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like brother Michael just sang
about here this morning.

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That's a great example of what
it means to have true love.

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And I think that's what we do
this morning, is not elevate necessarily

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only mothers, but elevate the
love of Christ, elevate the love

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of God to show how a mom can
love, to show how any of us in this

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room can have true love in our lives.

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And so what I would like to do
here this morning is.

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Is.

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Is liken.

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Yes, the love of a mother.

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But ultimately see that the
reason why a mom can love is because

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the truth of God is love.

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And this morning, I want us to
look at that message.

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You know, the Bible actually
says in the book of Isaiah that the

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love of God is actually
similar to a love of a mother.

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You can see that there in
Isaiah 49, verse 15, that you can

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write that down if you'd like,
or you can follow along there with

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me.

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But in Isaiah 49, 15, we see
that God likens the love of his people

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to a love of a mother.

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And I find this interesting
because a lot of times we think about

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God the Father.

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And this doesn't mean that
it's God the mother, by the way.

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It just means that God's love
is complex.

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It's deep.

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It's in a way that sometimes
we cannot understand.

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And so God and His love for us
tries to explain it in ways that

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we can understand.

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And Isaiah 49, verse 15 says,
Can a woman forget her sucking child

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that she should not have
compassion on the son of her womb?

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Yea, they may forget.

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Yet I will not forget thee.

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And so part of God's love for
his people is the fact that he says,

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I will never forget you.

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Part of my love for you is
that I'm not distracted, just like

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a New mom is so focused on her
child the same way God is so focused

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on us.

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There's not something that's
going to pull him away from his love

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for us.

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I know that.

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I learned a lot more about
love watching Alicia demonstrate

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the love for her children.

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I love our kids so much, but
she loves them in a different way,

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right?

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And as she was, you know,
raising our children and as I'm raising

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with her, I learned a lot from
the love that she has.

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A mom's love is sacrificial.

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You know, as a dad, I try to
love to the best of my ability.

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But you know what happens when.

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When my children fall and
scrape their knee?

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I remember this.

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You know, Micah falls and
scrapes his knee, and he's like 2

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years old.

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And I'm like, all right, he's
going to run to me and I'm going

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to pick him up and I'm going
to console him.

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He runs by me with the best
move that a football player could

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ever make and gets around me
and goes, right, mom, help me.

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And so he goes to Mom, Why?

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Because he knows mom is there
for him and there's compassion, and

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she's willing to sacrifice her
time and her talents and all of these

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things for him.

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And so God says Here in Isaiah
49, 15, can a mom forget about her

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nursing son?

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No.

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A good mom cannot forget that.

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And so therefore, God will not
forget about us.

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And there's another passage of
Scripture later on in the book of

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Isaiah.

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Isaiah 66, verse 13, again,
likens the love of God to love of

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a mother.

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In this case, comforting.

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And I think that obviously we
need to understand the comfort of

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God through his love.

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And Isaiah 66, and if you go
down to this verse here, verse, well,

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we can start in a few
different places.

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There's comfort there.

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And.

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And so when we look at God, we.

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We say that, yes, God is.

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We say that, yes, God is loving.

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But there's a passage of
scripture that tells us more than

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just the fact that God is loving.

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1 John, chapter 4.

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This is going to be our main
text here this morning.

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First John, chapter four.

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The Bible says something more
about God, that God is love.

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But we need to know this
proper definition of.

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Of love.

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Love is not what the world says.

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Love is not a feeling.

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There's feelings with love,
but true biblical love is a choice.

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A mom chooses to love her
child, even if her child is not reciprocating

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that love back.

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And so, so there's this
sacrificial love, the word that we

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get in The New Testament is
the Greek word agape.

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It's sacrificial.

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It's saying this.

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I will love this person even
if they don't love me back.

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I will love this person even
if they are difficult.

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I will love this person even
if they come against me.

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And the truth is is that,
biblically speaking, that's how God

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loves us.

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We love him because he first
loved us.

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And so in First John, chapter
four, we'll start in verse number

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seven, it says, beloved, let
us love one another, for love is

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of God.

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And everyone that loveth is
born of God and knoweth God.

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He that loveth not, knoweth
not God.

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For God is love.

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And so the attribute of love
is this sacrificial love, this selfless

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love that not only does God
demonstrate, but the Bible says that

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God is this type of love.

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And so for us to understand
this love in a perfect way is to

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understand who God is and what
he has done for us.

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And so when we look at a mom,
the only reason that a mom can love

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her child that way is because
of the love of God.

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The only way that a person can
love a spouse properly is because

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of the love of God.

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The only way that I can love a
fellow brother and sister in Christ

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is because of the love of God.

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The only way that I can love
the lost and try to win them to Christ

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with the Gospel is because of
the love of God.

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The Bible says that the source
of this love is Christ.

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The source of this love is the
love of God demonstrated in His Son,

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verse number nine.

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In this was manifested the
love of God.

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So God proved His love.

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God demonstrated his love.

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And so true love is sourced
from God.

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It's sacrificial.

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And it serves as we see here
in this case.

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It says, and this was made manifest.

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It's demonstrated because that
God sent His only begotten Son into

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the world that we might live
through Him.

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The Bible says that God
demonstrated His love for us by sending

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his only begotten Son, by
offering us salvation.

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And so we have the attribute
of love.

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That's the sacrificial love,
the selfless love, the love that's

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willing to do things that
don't necessarily have things returning

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back to us.

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But then we see that there's
the affirmation of love.

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The affirmation of love is the
proving of the love.

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I can say all day that I love
somebody, but the affirmation of

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that love will be me
demonstrating that love.

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I can say all day that I'm the
best husband in the world that I'm

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the best father in the world,
but that doesn't make me a good father.

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What makes me a loving father,
and I know this isn't rocket science,

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is that I love.

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What makes me a loving person
is that I demonstrate love.

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Not what I say, but what I do.

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And so we have the attribute
of love, but then we have the affirmation

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of love.

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And the affirmation of love is
seen there in verse number nine.

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And this was manifested the
love of God toward us because that

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God sent his only begotten Son
into the world that we might live

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through him.

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Romans, chapter 5, verse 8.

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But God commended or
demonstrated his love towards us

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in that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.

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Over and over and over again,
the Bible reminds us that God proved

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his love for us.

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John 3:16.

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For God so loved the world,
what did he do that he gave his only

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begotten son?

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Right?

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The the greatest act of
selfless sacrificial love was that

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God sent his only begotten son
to us, for us, so that we might have

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salvation.

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Now, many of you this morning
are saying, pastor, you're preaching

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the gospel to us.

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That is for unsaved people.

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Yes, true, it is for unsaved people.

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The unsaved person needs to
understand the love of God through

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the sacrifice of Jesus Christ,
and we need to proclaim that.

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But on the other side of
things, we as Christians also need

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to understand the gospel.

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Just because you trusted in
the gospel long ago or recently,

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that doesn't mean that we wipe
that out and we forget the love of

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God.

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Why?

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Because there's going to be
times in our life where we're tempted

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to think that God doesn't love us.

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Or there's going to be times
in our life where we're tempted to

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think, hey, you know what?

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It's not worth loving this person.

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And the truth is, is that all
of us as believers today must rest

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in the gospel.

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Everything that we do must be
driven in the gospel.

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And I mentioned that word, gospel.

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What is that word, Gospel?

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It just means the good news,
the good news of Jesus Christ, the

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love and the sacrifice that he
gave for us.

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And so there's that
affirmation of love in scripture

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over and over again.

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God is confirming that I love you.

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I'm showing you that I love you.

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I prove that I love you.

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What if it was like this?

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What if.

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What if I told my wife on the
day that we got married, I love you.

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I love you so much.

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Twenty years later, I haven't
said I love you again.

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I haven't shown that I love
her again.

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She's going to be tempted to
think, maybe my husband doesn't love

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me anymore.

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Right?

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So we need to be reminded of
that original love throughout our

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lives.

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Same thing with the Lord.

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Sometimes we are tempted to
think that yes, God loved me 2000

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years ago by sending his only
begotten Son for me.

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But sometimes I'm tempted to
think about, does he love me today?

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And folks, that's why the word
of God reminds us over and over again,

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hey, he has proven his love
for us.

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And so there's that
affirmation of love.

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There's that affirmation of
what he has done for us in our salvation.

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Another passage of scripture
that puts it so clearly is Ephesians

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chapter 2.

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If you'd like to turn there
with me, I'd like to explain a little

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bit of this here this morning,
because sometimes we forget actually

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what God's love means for us.

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We become so loved that we
become almost to the place of entitlement.

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You know what?

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Yeah, of course God loves me.

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Why wouldn't he love me?

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You know, there's a time in
our lives where we need to go back

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and remember what God saved us from.

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What God?

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The way that God loved us in
spite of who we were prior to salvation.

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And in Ephesians chapter two,
it tells us all about that.

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00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:52,200
Ephesians chapter two tells us
this is what you were prior to God's

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love being understood in your life.

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This is what you are after that.

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And, and the change came
because of that offering of that

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00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:00,600
sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

251
00:11:01,000 --> 00:11:03,200
So Ephesians chapter two,
we're going to start in verse number

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one here and we're going to
see more of this affirmation of love.

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And this reminder of love says
in verse one, and you hath he quickened

254
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or brought to life?

255
00:11:12,200 --> 00:11:14,040
That word quicken means just
brought to life.

256
00:11:14,880 --> 00:11:20,640
And you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins.

257
00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:23,920
So what does the Bible say
that we were, before we came to Christ,

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before we were brought to
life, we were dead in our sins, Dead.

259
00:11:29,440 --> 00:11:35,000
Not just bad people, not just
hopeless, but dead in our sins, on

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00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,680
our way to destruction, on our
way to judgment.

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00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:41,600
But verse two, he says,
wherein in time past ye walked according

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to the course of this world.

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00:11:43,320 --> 00:11:46,670
It says here, before you came
to Christ, whether it was when you

264
00:11:46,670 --> 00:11:49,790
were a child or an adult,
before you came to Christ, you were

265
00:11:49,790 --> 00:11:53,150
walking in the way of this
world, whether you knew it or not,

266
00:11:54,510 --> 00:11:58,270
according to the prince of the
power of the air.

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00:11:58,270 --> 00:12:00,790
The Bible says before we came
to Christ, we were walking in the

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ways of this world, guided by
the prince of the power of the air.

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Now who is the prince of the
power of the air?

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Satan, our enemy.

271
00:12:06,430 --> 00:12:09,870
We were actually partnered
with Satan whether we knew it or

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not.

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00:12:10,030 --> 00:12:15,320
The Bible says that we were
enemies of God then it says the spirit

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00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:18,920
that now worketh in the
children of disobedience.

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We were children of disobedience.

276
00:12:22,040 --> 00:12:22,680
We, we.

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We didn't have our Father in God.

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We had our father in the
prince of the power of this.

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Of the.

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00:12:28,360 --> 00:12:30,280
Of this world, of the prince
of the power of the air.

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00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:30,920
Verse 3.

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00:12:31,560 --> 00:12:36,240
Among whom also we all had our
conversation in times past in the

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00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:41,210
lust of our flesh, fulfilling
the desires of the flesh and of the

284
00:12:41,210 --> 00:12:41,490
mind.

285
00:12:41,730 --> 00:12:45,210
And we're by nature the
children of wrath, even as others.

286
00:12:45,210 --> 00:12:45,890
Meaning this.

287
00:12:46,130 --> 00:12:50,210
The only thing that we could
do prior to salvation was feed our

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00:12:50,210 --> 00:12:52,450
flesh, feed our desires.

289
00:12:52,690 --> 00:12:56,130
The way that we think, the way
that we act is only based in what

290
00:12:56,130 --> 00:12:59,690
we feel and how we want and
how we desire.

291
00:12:59,690 --> 00:13:01,650
It's not about anything else
beyond us.

292
00:13:03,660 --> 00:13:06,900
And so it paints a pretty
bleak picture of who we were prior

293
00:13:06,900 --> 00:13:07,340
to Christ.

294
00:13:08,780 --> 00:13:09,380
Not me.

295
00:13:09,380 --> 00:13:10,540
This is what the Bible says.

296
00:13:10,540 --> 00:13:11,260
We were dead.

297
00:13:12,060 --> 00:13:15,500
We were serving ourselves, we
were serving Satan.

298
00:13:15,580 --> 00:13:16,820
We were in this world.

299
00:13:16,820 --> 00:13:18,540
We were children of disobedience.

300
00:13:19,180 --> 00:13:21,980
We were by nature children of wrath.

301
00:13:23,100 --> 00:13:27,260
And then we see in verse four,
two words that change everything.

302
00:13:27,980 --> 00:13:30,220
Two words that can change
everything for you.

303
00:13:30,750 --> 00:13:34,070
Two words that can change
everything for anyone who trusts.

304
00:13:34,070 --> 00:13:35,710
And it says, but God.

305
00:13:36,590 --> 00:13:36,910
So.

306
00:13:36,910 --> 00:13:39,630
So this is who you are in your
own strength.

307
00:13:39,790 --> 00:13:42,590
This is what you can do in
your own strength.

308
00:13:42,670 --> 00:13:44,750
This is who I am outside of God.

309
00:13:44,750 --> 00:13:46,510
But then God comes on the scene.

310
00:13:47,070 --> 00:13:55,470
But God who is rich in mercy,
for with his great love, wherewith

311
00:13:55,470 --> 00:13:56,350
he loved us.

312
00:13:56,680 --> 00:13:57,800
I love how that's worded.

313
00:13:57,800 --> 00:13:59,800
With his great love, he loved us.

314
00:14:00,280 --> 00:14:02,600
With his abundance love, he
loved us.

315
00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,680
With his infinite love, he
loved us that sacrificial love, that

316
00:14:06,680 --> 00:14:07,640
selfless love.

317
00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:12,320
But God through his love,
verse five, even when we were dead

318
00:14:12,320 --> 00:14:14,800
in sins, have quickened us
together with Christ.

319
00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:19,400
He brought us to life by grace
you are saved and have raised us

320
00:14:19,400 --> 00:14:24,400
up together and made us sit
together in heavenly places in Christ

321
00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:25,000
Jesus.

322
00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:27,880
So he takes us from darkness
and he moves us to light.

323
00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:30,200
He takes us to hopelessness
and he moves us to hope.

324
00:14:30,200 --> 00:14:33,000
He takes us from death and
moves us to everlasting life.

325
00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,240
That is God's love for us.

326
00:14:35,720 --> 00:14:36,440
Verse 7.

327
00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:40,840
That in the ages to come he
might show the exceeding riches of

328
00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:43,600
his grace and his kindness
towards us through Christ Jesus.

329
00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:45,000
He says, here, look.

330
00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:49,760
So for all time we are able to
see the love of God through Jesus

331
00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:50,120
Christ.

332
00:14:50,690 --> 00:14:51,250
You want to.

333
00:14:51,330 --> 00:14:53,090
You wonder if God loves you.

334
00:14:53,890 --> 00:14:54,250
Look.

335
00:14:54,250 --> 00:14:55,050
Look at Jesus.

336
00:14:55,050 --> 00:14:55,970
Look at what he did.

337
00:14:56,370 --> 00:14:57,490
Yes, he loves you.

338
00:14:58,130 --> 00:15:01,610
The Bible says that father and
mother may betray you, that friends

339
00:15:01,610 --> 00:15:05,610
may turn their backs upon you,
that God, though, is still there

340
00:15:05,610 --> 00:15:09,250
with you no matter what, that
God's love can never be taken away

341
00:15:09,250 --> 00:15:09,730
from us.

342
00:15:10,050 --> 00:15:13,290
And then it says in verse 8,
for by grace are you saved through

343
00:15:13,290 --> 00:15:14,570
faith, and that not of yourselves.

344
00:15:14,570 --> 00:15:17,940
It is a gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast.

345
00:15:17,940 --> 00:15:22,020
For we are his workmanship,
created in Christ Jesus unto good

346
00:15:22,020 --> 00:15:25,220
works which God hath before
ordained that we should walk in them.

347
00:15:25,220 --> 00:15:27,460
Meaning there is a purpose to
God's love.

348
00:15:27,460 --> 00:15:29,540
It's not just for us to sit
and say, thank you, Lord.

349
00:15:29,540 --> 00:15:33,700
It's for us to glorify him, to
praise him, to show other people

350
00:15:33,700 --> 00:15:34,580
about that love.

351
00:15:34,740 --> 00:15:36,540
And so we see the attribute of love.

352
00:15:36,540 --> 00:15:38,340
We see the affirmation of love.

353
00:15:38,340 --> 00:15:41,300
But I also want you to see
here this morning the access of this

354
00:15:41,300 --> 00:15:41,620
love.

355
00:15:42,030 --> 00:15:42,990
What do we get with this?

356
00:15:42,990 --> 00:15:45,870
Well, we know we get
salvation, but what does salvation

357
00:15:45,870 --> 00:15:46,830
really even mean?

358
00:15:47,390 --> 00:15:49,630
It means that we have access
to God.

359
00:15:49,950 --> 00:15:50,630
First John.

360
00:15:50,630 --> 00:15:51,710
Go back to First John.

361
00:15:52,110 --> 00:15:53,470
We were First John, chapter four.

362
00:15:53,470 --> 00:15:55,150
Go to First John chapter three
with me.

363
00:15:55,550 --> 00:15:57,710
This is what we have in the
love of God.

364
00:15:58,270 --> 00:16:00,270
We have access to Him.

365
00:16:02,110 --> 00:16:04,550
And I think a lot of times
what we think is that when we're

366
00:16:04,550 --> 00:16:06,750
saved now we're part of the
family of God.

367
00:16:06,750 --> 00:16:07,070
And.

368
00:16:07,070 --> 00:16:09,470
And now I have a ticket to heaven.

369
00:16:09,470 --> 00:16:11,150
And, and now I can be part of
the church.

370
00:16:11,150 --> 00:16:12,390
And these are all good things.

371
00:16:13,190 --> 00:16:15,830
Obviously, everlasting life is
an amazing thing.

372
00:16:16,150 --> 00:16:19,990
But I want you to see here
this morning that the greatest gift

373
00:16:19,990 --> 00:16:22,150
is not just I get to live forever.

374
00:16:22,870 --> 00:16:26,390
The greatest gift is that I
become a child of God.

375
00:16:26,390 --> 00:16:28,390
And now I'm in the family of God.

376
00:16:28,390 --> 00:16:30,710
And now I get to be with my
Savior forever.

377
00:16:31,190 --> 00:16:33,830
That's the best thing is a lot
of times it's all about selfishness.

378
00:16:33,830 --> 00:16:34,790
I get to live forever.

379
00:16:35,030 --> 00:16:37,110
I do get to live forever, but
with my Savior.

380
00:16:37,550 --> 00:16:39,750
And so here in First John,
chapter three, what does it say?

381
00:16:39,750 --> 00:16:41,950
It says, behold, wake up.

382
00:16:42,110 --> 00:16:43,230
Take notice of.

383
00:16:43,390 --> 00:16:48,510
Behold what manner of love the
Father hath bestowed upon us.

384
00:16:49,790 --> 00:16:50,350
What is.

385
00:16:50,350 --> 00:16:51,550
What is John saying here?

386
00:16:51,550 --> 00:16:52,510
John is saying this.

387
00:16:53,149 --> 00:16:57,310
Wake up to the greatness, the
type of love that God has given you,

388
00:16:58,590 --> 00:17:02,150
that we should be called the
sons of God, that we should be called

389
00:17:02,150 --> 00:17:03,230
the children of God.

390
00:17:03,390 --> 00:17:07,290
Therefore, the world knoweth
us not because it knew him not meaning

391
00:17:07,290 --> 00:17:07,570
this.

392
00:17:08,690 --> 00:17:12,210
When we are identified with
Christ, we are now children of God.

393
00:17:12,210 --> 00:17:13,970
We are now part of the family
of God.

394
00:17:13,970 --> 00:17:15,330
That gives us some sort of access.

395
00:17:17,010 --> 00:17:18,930
My children have different
access than.

396
00:17:18,930 --> 00:17:20,450
Than you guys have in this room.

397
00:17:20,450 --> 00:17:20,810
Okay?

398
00:17:20,810 --> 00:17:25,210
My children see me at my best,
and my children see me at my worst.

399
00:17:25,210 --> 00:17:26,530
My children see me in my home.

400
00:17:26,530 --> 00:17:27,890
My children see me everywhere.

401
00:17:28,210 --> 00:17:30,050
My children have access to me.

402
00:17:30,130 --> 00:17:33,270
They can come into my office,
they can throw the door open, jump

403
00:17:33,270 --> 00:17:35,270
up on my lap, say, dad,
where's the candy?

404
00:17:35,350 --> 00:17:37,430
Most people aren't able to do
that within the church.

405
00:17:37,430 --> 00:17:37,910
Okay.

406
00:17:37,990 --> 00:17:38,830
Not going to let you do that.

407
00:17:38,830 --> 00:17:40,310
I'm going to say, okay, guys,
all right, there's a.

408
00:17:40,310 --> 00:17:42,710
There's an open door policy,
but at least knock first, okay?

409
00:17:42,710 --> 00:17:43,350
As you come in.

410
00:17:43,510 --> 00:17:44,590
My kids don't worry about that.

411
00:17:44,590 --> 00:17:44,790
Why?

412
00:17:44,790 --> 00:17:45,750
Because I'm their dad.

413
00:17:45,910 --> 00:17:47,150
They have access to me.

414
00:17:47,150 --> 00:17:48,550
They know that I am there.

415
00:17:48,550 --> 00:17:49,950
They know that mom is there.

416
00:17:49,950 --> 00:17:52,350
And so therefore there's
something different when we become

417
00:17:52,350 --> 00:17:53,270
children of God.

418
00:17:53,910 --> 00:17:54,230
And.

419
00:17:54,230 --> 00:17:55,190
And I want you to show.

420
00:17:55,190 --> 00:17:57,590
Want you to show you here this
morning what that looks like.

421
00:17:57,740 --> 00:17:59,580
If you go over to Hebrews
chapter 4.

422
00:18:00,220 --> 00:18:01,420
Hebrews chapter 4.

423
00:18:02,540 --> 00:18:07,900
The love of God given to us
and we become the children of God

424
00:18:07,900 --> 00:18:11,980
brings us access to the
Father, brings us access to his grace.

425
00:18:11,980 --> 00:18:13,500
It brings us access to His.

426
00:18:13,660 --> 00:18:14,059
His.

427
00:18:14,220 --> 00:18:14,980
His mercy.

428
00:18:14,980 --> 00:18:16,580
It brings us access to his wisdom.

429
00:18:16,580 --> 00:18:19,260
It brings us access to him in
a personal way.

430
00:18:19,340 --> 00:18:23,900
Folks, if I could explain to
you, one of the most important things

431
00:18:23,900 --> 00:18:26,220
within the Christian faith is this.

432
00:18:26,780 --> 00:18:29,460
It's not about religiosity.

433
00:18:29,460 --> 00:18:31,540
It's not about trying to do.

434
00:18:31,540 --> 00:18:33,500
It's not about trying to achieve.

435
00:18:34,140 --> 00:18:37,740
It's about knowing him and
having a personal relationship with

436
00:18:37,740 --> 00:18:38,220
God.

437
00:18:38,620 --> 00:18:38,940
That.

438
00:18:38,940 --> 00:18:40,220
That is the point of all of this.

439
00:18:40,300 --> 00:18:44,940
And so in Hebrews chapter
four, we're going to look at verse

440
00:18:44,940 --> 00:18:45,300
number.

441
00:18:45,300 --> 00:18:46,380
We'll start in verse number.

442
00:18:49,820 --> 00:18:50,740
I don't know here.

443
00:18:50,740 --> 00:18:51,140
We could.

444
00:18:51,140 --> 00:18:52,100
We could start all over the place.

445
00:18:52,100 --> 00:18:53,100
Let's start in verse number 13.

446
00:18:54,220 --> 00:18:55,218
Well, let's start in 4.

447
00:18:55,262 --> 00:18:55,460
14.

448
00:18:55,460 --> 00:18:56,620
Let's start in verse number 14.

449
00:18:56,860 --> 00:19:01,460
Seeing then we have a great
high priest, that's Jesus that has

450
00:19:01,460 --> 00:19:02,420
passed into the heavens.

451
00:19:02,420 --> 00:19:03,380
Jesus, the Son of God.

452
00:19:03,380 --> 00:19:06,140
Let us hold fast our
profession, for we have not a high

453
00:19:06,140 --> 00:19:08,620
priest which cannot be touched
with the feeling of our infirmities,

454
00:19:08,620 --> 00:19:11,220
but was in all points tempted,
like as we are, yet without sin.

455
00:19:11,220 --> 00:19:11,900
That means this.

456
00:19:12,860 --> 00:19:14,700
Jesus understands where you are.

457
00:19:15,020 --> 00:19:16,620
Jesus understands your pain.

458
00:19:16,620 --> 00:19:18,780
Jesus understands your temptation.

459
00:19:19,270 --> 00:19:22,270
The Only difference is, is
that he went through all of that

460
00:19:22,270 --> 00:19:23,190
without sin.

461
00:19:23,510 --> 00:19:24,910
We go through it and we sin.

462
00:19:24,910 --> 00:19:26,350
Jesus did not sin.

463
00:19:26,350 --> 00:19:29,910
And so because of Jesus, and
because of his holiness and because

464
00:19:29,910 --> 00:19:32,870
of his sacrifice, verse number 16.

465
00:19:34,070 --> 00:19:38,950
Let us therefore, because of
this, come boldly or confidently

466
00:19:38,950 --> 00:19:44,910
unto the throne of grace, that
we may obtain mercy and find grace

467
00:19:44,910 --> 00:19:45,990
to help in time of need.

468
00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:47,680
So what does this mean?

469
00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:51,920
Yes, you have eternal life,
but you also have access to the Father

470
00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:53,160
in every element of your life.

471
00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:56,640
In time of need, in time of
doubt, in time of pain, in time of

472
00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:58,720
suffering, you can go to him
and access Him.

473
00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:00,040
Go to him in prayer.

474
00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,440
Go to him and know that he
will hear you.

475
00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:05,480
If you come to him with a
humbled heart, if you come to him

476
00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:07,280
with a repentant spirit, he
will hear you.

477
00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:10,160
And so the Bible says here
that we have access to the Father

478
00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,160
because of his love for us.

479
00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,240
So you have the attribute of
love, you have the affirmation of

480
00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:18,120
love, you have the access of love.

481
00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,840
But then you know what the
Bible actually says that we have

482
00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:25,960
something that we have to do
to demonstrate our love.

483
00:20:25,960 --> 00:20:26,240
Because.

484
00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:28,600
Because by the way, go back to
first John chapter four.

485
00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:31,440
We were in First John chapter
three there, but now go ahead to

486
00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:32,120
chapter four.

487
00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,680
And it says, and this was
manifested verse nine, the love of

488
00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:36,560
God toward us.

489
00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,720
Because that God sent His only
begotten Son into the world that

490
00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:40,720
we might live through Him.

491
00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:42,000
Herein is love.

492
00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:45,560
Not that we love God, but that
he loved us and sent His Son to be

493
00:20:45,560 --> 00:20:48,400
the propitiation or the
satisfaction for our sins.

494
00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:49,440
Be loved.

495
00:20:49,440 --> 00:20:52,880
If God so loved us, we ought
also to love one another.

496
00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:57,200
So the Bible very clearly
tells us that yes, God loves us,

497
00:20:57,200 --> 00:21:00,520
but there are expectations for
us to demonstrate our love to others

498
00:21:00,520 --> 00:21:01,120
and to Him.

499
00:21:01,360 --> 00:21:03,680
Now you might say, what does
that look like?

500
00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:08,960
Well, John 14:15 tells us how
we demonstrate our love.

501
00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:12,520
Because just as God
demonstrated His love, if we truly

502
00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,680
want to have God's love in our
life, we have to demonstrate love

503
00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:16,160
as well.

504
00:21:16,640 --> 00:21:21,760
And so John 14:15 tells us
exactly what we are to do to show

505
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:22,800
our love to God.

506
00:21:23,680 --> 00:21:25,280
We we are called to love God.

507
00:21:25,520 --> 00:21:29,600
Matthew chapter 22 says that
the greatest commandment is that

508
00:21:29,600 --> 00:21:30,880
we love God with everything.

509
00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,520
With our hearts, with with our
souls, with our minds, with everything.

510
00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:37,880
Okay, so, so God says, hey,
you want to know the greatest commandment?

511
00:21:37,880 --> 00:21:39,560
Love me, love me with everything.

512
00:21:40,360 --> 00:21:41,560
And then second is this.

513
00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:43,080
Love your neighbor as yourself.

514
00:21:43,480 --> 00:21:47,520
And so if we could boil down
everything in the Bible, all the

515
00:21:47,520 --> 00:21:50,800
teachings in the Bible, you
would say, pastor, that's A strong

516
00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:51,160
statement.

517
00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:54,800
He says in Matthew, chapter
22, all, everything, the law and

518
00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:55,240
the prophets.

519
00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:57,160
Hang on these two things, okay?

520
00:21:57,730 --> 00:22:00,690
The Bible, in a succinct way,
and the commands of Scripture say

521
00:22:00,690 --> 00:22:00,930
this.

522
00:22:00,930 --> 00:22:03,570
To love God with everything
and to love your neighbor as yourself.

523
00:22:05,410 --> 00:22:07,890
The, the Ten Commandments are
that the first ten commandments are

524
00:22:07,890 --> 00:22:09,650
about loving God with all your
heart, with everything.

525
00:22:09,890 --> 00:22:12,770
And the second ten, the second
half of the Ten Commandments, the

526
00:22:12,770 --> 00:22:15,730
second five commandments are
about loving your neighbor.

527
00:22:15,730 --> 00:22:17,890
You're not going to steal from
your neighbor if you love them.

528
00:22:17,890 --> 00:22:19,890
You're not going to murder
your neighbor if you love them, right?

529
00:22:19,890 --> 00:22:23,650
And so the idea of living out
our Christian life is to love God

530
00:22:23,650 --> 00:22:25,410
with everything and to love
our neighbor as ourself.

531
00:22:25,740 --> 00:22:26,140
Okay?

532
00:22:26,540 --> 00:22:28,700
Now how do we show that?

533
00:22:29,340 --> 00:22:31,580
How do we show that we love
God with everything?

534
00:22:31,820 --> 00:22:33,500
John 14:15 says this.

535
00:22:33,660 --> 00:22:34,900
This is Jesus speaking.

536
00:22:34,900 --> 00:22:39,260
He says, if ye love me, keep
my commandments.

537
00:22:40,220 --> 00:22:41,740
A way that we could put that
is this.

538
00:22:41,740 --> 00:22:43,700
If you love God, you will
listen to him.

539
00:22:43,700 --> 00:22:44,700
You will obey him.

540
00:22:45,420 --> 00:22:47,340
If my children love me,
they'll obey me.

541
00:22:47,580 --> 00:22:48,420
Dad, I love you.

542
00:22:48,420 --> 00:22:49,980
Okay, son, go do your chores.

543
00:22:49,980 --> 00:22:50,300
Why?

544
00:22:50,300 --> 00:22:50,940
Don't want to do that?

545
00:22:50,940 --> 00:22:51,940
Well, that's.

546
00:22:52,010 --> 00:22:53,170
Son, that's how you show your love.

547
00:22:53,170 --> 00:22:54,810
If you say you love me, you obey.

548
00:22:54,890 --> 00:22:56,090
It's the same thing with God.

549
00:22:56,250 --> 00:22:59,770
If we say we love God and God
says to love him.

550
00:23:00,570 --> 00:23:01,930
You see that circular thing?

551
00:23:01,930 --> 00:23:02,690
God, I love you.

552
00:23:02,690 --> 00:23:02,970
Okay?

553
00:23:02,970 --> 00:23:04,250
If you love me, obey me.

554
00:23:04,410 --> 00:23:05,770
Well, I'm not willing to obey.

555
00:23:06,490 --> 00:23:07,610
Then you don't really love him.

556
00:23:08,250 --> 00:23:10,210
God, I love those Christians
around me.

557
00:23:10,210 --> 00:23:11,850
Well, do you love them as you
love yourself?

558
00:23:12,570 --> 00:23:14,010
Because we all want to take
care of ourselves.

559
00:23:15,370 --> 00:23:17,370
If I'm hungry, you know what I
do when I'm hungry?

560
00:23:18,500 --> 00:23:21,220
Sometimes I try not to eat as
much, but I feed myself, right?

561
00:23:21,220 --> 00:23:22,540
I'm hungry, okay?

562
00:23:22,540 --> 00:23:23,300
I need to eat.

563
00:23:23,700 --> 00:23:26,460
So if I love someone and
they're hungry, what should I do?

564
00:23:26,460 --> 00:23:28,420
I should treat them the way
that I would want to be treated.

565
00:23:28,580 --> 00:23:30,820
I give them food, okay?

566
00:23:31,060 --> 00:23:32,660
You see, that's a basic principle.

567
00:23:32,660 --> 00:23:35,540
God wants us to love people
the way that we love ourselves.

568
00:23:35,540 --> 00:23:37,260
And that means we try to take
care of them.

569
00:23:37,260 --> 00:23:40,660
We put actually our needs
behind their needs and we try to

570
00:23:40,660 --> 00:23:41,300
take care of them.

571
00:23:41,460 --> 00:23:42,620
So that's the idea here.

572
00:23:42,620 --> 00:23:44,660
And so if we love God, we keep
his commandments.

573
00:23:45,220 --> 00:23:45,380
So.

574
00:23:45,380 --> 00:23:49,380
So if I love God, I have to,
number one, know his commandments.

575
00:23:49,380 --> 00:23:51,860
Number two, I have to obey his commandments.

576
00:23:52,180 --> 00:23:54,900
We're studying the parables in
our small group on Sunday morning.

577
00:23:55,140 --> 00:23:57,060
There's two elements to
understanding A parable.

578
00:23:57,060 --> 00:23:59,300
Number one, understanding the
truth that Jesus is teaching in the

579
00:23:59,300 --> 00:23:59,660
parable.

580
00:23:59,660 --> 00:24:02,020
And then number two, applying
that principle to our lives.

581
00:24:02,420 --> 00:24:03,860
It's the same thing with all scripture.

582
00:24:03,860 --> 00:24:05,420
We have to understand what the
Bible says.

583
00:24:05,420 --> 00:24:06,660
Yes, that's the first step.

584
00:24:06,740 --> 00:24:09,140
You can't obey God unless you
know what he is saying.

585
00:24:09,220 --> 00:24:12,100
But then second part of that
is, now that I know what he is saying

586
00:24:12,100 --> 00:24:12,880
in His Word, I.

587
00:24:12,950 --> 00:24:15,790
I have to do my best and
everything that I have to try to

588
00:24:15,790 --> 00:24:18,910
obey him to the best of my
ability to follow him, to trust in

589
00:24:18,910 --> 00:24:19,190
Him.

590
00:24:19,750 --> 00:24:23,910
And so the Bible very clearly
teaches that the action of love is

591
00:24:23,910 --> 00:24:24,550
obedience.

592
00:24:25,270 --> 00:24:25,590
The.

593
00:24:25,590 --> 00:24:27,510
The action of love is obedience.

594
00:24:27,510 --> 00:24:32,030
And so I know that as a
believer, my love for God is seen

595
00:24:32,030 --> 00:24:33,110
in my actions.

596
00:24:33,430 --> 00:24:36,470
My actions are not the thing
that actually is dem.

597
00:24:36,470 --> 00:24:36,790
Is.

598
00:24:36,790 --> 00:24:37,070
Is.

599
00:24:37,070 --> 00:24:38,070
Is the love, right?

600
00:24:38,230 --> 00:24:44,550
So for example, me helping
somebody out, that's not me necessarily.

601
00:24:45,430 --> 00:24:46,670
That's not me loving God.

602
00:24:46,670 --> 00:24:47,390
What's what?

603
00:24:47,390 --> 00:24:51,070
I love God in my heart, but
the action thereof proves that love.

604
00:24:51,070 --> 00:24:52,310
It's the same thing with
faith, right?

605
00:24:52,950 --> 00:24:55,750
Okay, so my works don't save me.

606
00:24:55,910 --> 00:24:57,030
My faith saves me.

607
00:24:57,030 --> 00:25:00,190
But the way that I show that I
truly have faith in God is by my

608
00:25:00,190 --> 00:25:00,870
works, right?

609
00:25:01,110 --> 00:25:02,670
So faith will produce works.

610
00:25:02,670 --> 00:25:04,310
The works don't produce faith.

611
00:25:04,310 --> 00:25:05,350
And so it's this way.

612
00:25:05,590 --> 00:25:07,590
The actions don't produce love.

613
00:25:07,590 --> 00:25:09,710
It's the love that produces
the actions.

614
00:25:09,710 --> 00:25:11,430
And I hope that you can follow
me with that.

615
00:25:11,430 --> 00:25:13,230
And so a lot of times what
people will do is they'll say, well,

616
00:25:13,230 --> 00:25:15,030
I'll just try my best to do
all these things.

617
00:25:15,110 --> 00:25:16,630
And hopefully the love comes about.

618
00:25:16,870 --> 00:25:19,550
The truth is, is that if we
don't love God properly, we will

619
00:25:19,550 --> 00:25:21,750
never do the things that he
wants us to do with the right motives.

620
00:25:21,910 --> 00:25:22,350
We'll.

621
00:25:22,350 --> 00:25:23,990
We'll do it in emptiness.

622
00:25:23,990 --> 00:25:25,750
We'll do it for other reasons.

623
00:25:25,750 --> 00:25:27,990
We'll do it so that people
will notice us.

624
00:25:28,070 --> 00:25:32,030
The Bible says that love is
again that agape is that love that's

625
00:25:32,030 --> 00:25:34,150
selfless, that doesn't need to
be recognized.

626
00:25:34,370 --> 00:25:35,410
And that's what we see here.

627
00:25:35,410 --> 00:25:36,530
The action of love.

628
00:25:36,530 --> 00:25:39,810
The action of love is
believing in my heart who God is

629
00:25:39,970 --> 00:25:41,290
understanding his love for me.

630
00:25:41,290 --> 00:25:44,050
If you go to first John,
chapter four, Beloved, let us love

631
00:25:44,050 --> 00:25:44,490
one another.

632
00:25:44,490 --> 00:25:45,770
For love is of God.

633
00:25:45,770 --> 00:25:48,450
And everyone that loveth is
born of God and knoweth God.

634
00:25:48,530 --> 00:25:51,010
He that loveth not, knoweth
not God.

635
00:25:51,010 --> 00:25:53,970
So the Bible says the only way
that we can properly love is by knowing

636
00:25:53,970 --> 00:25:55,970
God and knowing his love in
our life.

637
00:25:57,010 --> 00:25:58,250
And so it's not a fake.

638
00:25:58,250 --> 00:25:58,410
It.

639
00:25:58,410 --> 00:25:59,450
So you make it scenario.

640
00:25:59,450 --> 00:26:02,440
It's letting God change me
from the inside out.

641
00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:03,320
And.

642
00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:05,200
And that's the action of love.

643
00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:07,720
But then I want you to see
here the assignment of love.

644
00:26:07,960 --> 00:26:09,040
The assignment of love.

645
00:26:09,040 --> 00:26:13,080
The assignment of love is this
Matthew, chapter 22, verses 37 through

646
00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:13,400
40.

647
00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:19,480
To love God with all of our
hearts, with everything that we are.

648
00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:20,960
To love God with everything.

649
00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:22,520
And to love our neighbor as ourself.

650
00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,320
Okay, what does that look like?

651
00:26:26,730 --> 00:26:28,890
To love God with everything
means to obey Him.

652
00:26:28,970 --> 00:26:32,170
One of the things that God
calls us to do is something found

653
00:26:32,170 --> 00:26:34,890
in Matthew chapter 28, called
the Great Commission.

654
00:26:36,090 --> 00:26:37,410
I want you to go there with me.

655
00:26:37,410 --> 00:26:40,410
Here, Matthew, chapter 28.

656
00:26:40,810 --> 00:26:42,010
Look at this, with me.

657
00:26:43,290 --> 00:26:44,250
I love God.

658
00:26:45,370 --> 00:26:47,850
Okay, great.

659
00:26:48,490 --> 00:26:51,290
If you love God, everyone, why
do you love him?

660
00:26:53,140 --> 00:26:53,940
Why do you love Him?

661
00:26:54,100 --> 00:26:58,500
Well, I love him because he
gives me this and he gives me that.

662
00:26:59,940 --> 00:27:02,300
The Bible says we love him
because he first loved us.

663
00:27:02,300 --> 00:27:03,460
And so the reason why.

664
00:27:03,540 --> 00:27:03,860
So.

665
00:27:03,860 --> 00:27:06,660
So the motivation behind our
love for God is because he loved

666
00:27:06,660 --> 00:27:08,100
us and he sacrificed for us.

667
00:27:08,260 --> 00:27:11,780
But then the next step would
be like, okay, great, you love God,

668
00:27:12,100 --> 00:27:13,460
but how do you demonstrate
that love?

669
00:27:13,460 --> 00:27:14,340
Well, I obey Him.

670
00:27:14,340 --> 00:27:14,980
What do you obey?

671
00:27:14,980 --> 00:27:16,500
Well, you know, I don't steal
from people.

672
00:27:17,980 --> 00:27:19,100
I don't lie.

673
00:27:19,980 --> 00:27:21,060
Okay, that's great.

674
00:27:21,060 --> 00:27:21,580
That's good.

675
00:27:21,580 --> 00:27:22,220
That's a start.

676
00:27:22,460 --> 00:27:26,940
But there are sins of
commission and omission, right?

677
00:27:26,940 --> 00:27:29,980
So sins of commission are
things that I do that are wrong.

678
00:27:30,140 --> 00:27:32,859
Sins of omission are things
that I don't do that I should be

679
00:27:32,859 --> 00:27:33,180
doing.

680
00:27:33,260 --> 00:27:35,740
It's the same thing with
demonstrating my love for God.

681
00:27:35,740 --> 00:27:38,700
There are some things for God
that I don't do because I love him,

682
00:27:38,700 --> 00:27:41,900
but there are some things that
I do because I love Him.

683
00:27:42,550 --> 00:27:43,590
You understand what I mean by that?

684
00:27:43,590 --> 00:27:45,110
And so the idea would be this way.

685
00:27:45,190 --> 00:27:47,910
If I love God, I'm just going
to not do all these bad things.

686
00:27:47,910 --> 00:27:49,350
That's one side of it.

687
00:27:49,510 --> 00:27:53,310
But what are the things that
we are doing to show God our love

688
00:27:53,310 --> 00:27:53,830
for Him?

689
00:27:53,990 --> 00:27:57,750
Well, Matthew, chapter 28,
Jesus says here in verse 18, all

690
00:27:57,750 --> 00:28:00,230
power is given unto me in
heaven and in earth.

691
00:28:00,550 --> 00:28:01,950
And then here's the challenge.

692
00:28:01,950 --> 00:28:05,590
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations.

693
00:28:05,590 --> 00:28:06,030
That's.

694
00:28:06,030 --> 00:28:09,570
That's make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name

695
00:28:09,570 --> 00:28:12,410
of the Father and the Son of
the Holy Ghost, teaching them to

696
00:28:12,650 --> 00:28:15,330
observe all things whatsoever.

697
00:28:15,330 --> 00:28:16,210
I've commanded you.

698
00:28:16,210 --> 00:28:18,730
And lo, I am with you always,
even to the end of the world.

699
00:28:18,890 --> 00:28:22,170
So the Bible says that the
greatest act of love that we can

700
00:28:22,490 --> 00:28:28,970
demonstrate for God is to lead
other people to him, to Tell other

701
00:28:28,970 --> 00:28:31,330
people about the love of
Christ to demonstrate.

702
00:28:31,330 --> 00:28:32,330
And why do we love others?

703
00:28:32,330 --> 00:28:34,330
We love others because Christ
told us to love others.

704
00:28:34,640 --> 00:28:37,160
But we love others so that
other people can see the love of

705
00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:37,440
Christ.

706
00:28:37,600 --> 00:28:39,200
Matthew, chapter 5, verse 16.

707
00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,880
Let your light so shine before
men that they may see your good works

708
00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:45,360
and glorify your Father, which
is in heaven.

709
00:28:45,520 --> 00:28:47,720
The whole point of showing
love to other people is not so that

710
00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:48,560
they'll love you back.

711
00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:51,360
Because that's sometimes what
we, we think as a Christian.

712
00:28:51,520 --> 00:28:55,360
Well, if we love this family
over here, one day they'll come around

713
00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:58,640
and they will be benefiting
the church by loving us.

714
00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:00,960
That's not the biblical model
of love.

715
00:29:01,530 --> 00:29:03,690
The biblical model of love is
I'm going to love this family.

716
00:29:03,690 --> 00:29:06,650
I'm going to love this person,
even if they don't ever show me love

717
00:29:06,650 --> 00:29:06,970
back.

718
00:29:07,210 --> 00:29:07,610
Why?

719
00:29:07,690 --> 00:29:09,850
So that they can see the true
love of Christ.

720
00:29:10,330 --> 00:29:13,530
So that they can see what
sacrificial agape love looks like.

721
00:29:13,610 --> 00:29:15,610
And so what we do as a church
is we do this.

722
00:29:15,690 --> 00:29:19,450
We point people to the love of
Christ so that we can see disciples

723
00:29:19,450 --> 00:29:20,810
forming within the church.

724
00:29:21,610 --> 00:29:26,330
Folks, my vision, my goal is
not to build things and do things.

725
00:29:26,410 --> 00:29:30,000
If, if God took everything
else, what's the vision of the church?

726
00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:31,840
To make disciples for Jesus Christ.

727
00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:33,040
That's what it is.

728
00:29:33,280 --> 00:29:34,160
That's what it is.

729
00:29:34,240 --> 00:29:37,160
Everything else is a conduit
to get people to the gospel of Jesus

730
00:29:37,160 --> 00:29:37,520
Christ.

731
00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:40,080
Every ministry that we have is
to make disciples.

732
00:29:40,320 --> 00:29:42,720
Every fellowship we have is to
make disciples.

733
00:29:43,280 --> 00:29:43,640
Every.

734
00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:45,920
Every service that we have is
to make disciples.

735
00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:48,720
Whether we're edifying the
saints for the work of the ministry

736
00:29:48,960 --> 00:29:51,920
or we're reaching the lost so
that they can come in and start that

737
00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:54,860
process of spiritual growth is
always about that.

738
00:29:54,860 --> 00:29:56,620
And so you say, what are you
talking about this morning?

739
00:29:56,620 --> 00:29:57,620
I thought we were talking
about love.

740
00:29:57,700 --> 00:29:58,660
That is love.

741
00:29:58,980 --> 00:30:01,540
The greatest thing that I can
do for someone is to speak the truth

742
00:30:01,540 --> 00:30:02,420
to them in love.

743
00:30:03,140 --> 00:30:05,140
If I love you enough, I'm
going to tell you the truth.

744
00:30:05,460 --> 00:30:06,420
Sometimes it's hard.

745
00:30:07,140 --> 00:30:09,020
Sometimes it's hard to tell
someone the truth.

746
00:30:09,020 --> 00:30:14,180
But if I love them enough, my
fear of their reaction will go away.

747
00:30:14,180 --> 00:30:16,300
If I love them to the point of
saying, you know what?

748
00:30:16,300 --> 00:30:17,340
I don't care what they say.

749
00:30:17,340 --> 00:30:18,420
I don't care what they do.

750
00:30:18,420 --> 00:30:19,700
I've got to tell them the truth.

751
00:30:20,730 --> 00:30:22,330
I'll use my children as the example.

752
00:30:22,650 --> 00:30:24,490
I love my children so, so much.

753
00:30:24,490 --> 00:30:25,290
I really do.

754
00:30:26,090 --> 00:30:29,530
And, and sometimes if I see
them doing something or saying something,

755
00:30:30,250 --> 00:30:31,210
I don't fear.

756
00:30:31,210 --> 00:30:33,050
The way that they're going to
respond to me.

757
00:30:33,050 --> 00:30:35,330
I don't care if my children
say, dad, I don't love you anymore

758
00:30:35,330 --> 00:30:36,290
because you told me this.

759
00:30:36,290 --> 00:30:39,450
I'm going to tell my children
the truth because I love them.

760
00:30:40,010 --> 00:30:43,450
Same thing with the idea of
the person who was unsaved.

761
00:30:44,010 --> 00:30:46,010
Because we're called to love
the unsaved, right?

762
00:30:46,010 --> 00:30:48,540
God loves those who are lost.

763
00:30:48,540 --> 00:30:48,940
Why?

764
00:30:49,100 --> 00:30:50,380
So that they can come to him.

765
00:30:50,620 --> 00:30:53,140
The Bible says that he was
moved with compassion upon those

766
00:30:53,140 --> 00:30:53,740
that were lost.

767
00:30:54,060 --> 00:30:55,900
And so are we moved with compassion.

768
00:30:56,700 --> 00:31:00,420
Are we willing to tell someone
the truth of Jesus Christ or are

769
00:31:00,420 --> 00:31:01,100
we saying, you know what?

770
00:31:01,100 --> 00:31:02,220
I don't love that person that much?

771
00:31:03,980 --> 00:31:06,540
Are you willing to love your
family enough to tell them the truth

772
00:31:06,540 --> 00:31:07,260
of Jesus Christ?

773
00:31:07,900 --> 00:31:10,100
Some of you have unsaved
family members that you come across.

774
00:31:10,100 --> 00:31:11,980
Are you willing to tell them
the truth of Jesus Christ?

775
00:31:12,310 --> 00:31:14,550
Some of you have other
Christians in your life that they're

776
00:31:14,550 --> 00:31:17,270
trusting Jesus Christ as their
savior, but they're not walking the

777
00:31:17,270 --> 00:31:18,150
way that they should walk.

778
00:31:18,230 --> 00:31:20,870
Are you loving them enough to
tell them the truth of Jesus Christ?

779
00:31:21,350 --> 00:31:24,190
The Bible says I need to love
God so much that I tell others, and

780
00:31:24,190 --> 00:31:26,910
I need to love others so much
that I continue to tell them of who

781
00:31:26,910 --> 00:31:28,150
Jesus is and what he has done.

782
00:31:28,470 --> 00:31:30,390
And so the assignment is this to.

783
00:31:30,550 --> 00:31:35,310
To proclaim the love of Christ
everywhere that we go, to show by

784
00:31:35,310 --> 00:31:38,750
what we do and by what we say
and by how we sacrifice.

785
00:31:38,750 --> 00:31:41,790
And so it kind of comes full
circle there in First John, chapter

786
00:31:41,790 --> 00:31:42,070
four.

787
00:31:42,800 --> 00:31:44,760
First John, chapter four comes
full circle.

788
00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:46,400
And I want us to end here this morning.

789
00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:51,614
First John 4.

790
00:31:51,706 --> 00:31:52,120
7.

791
00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:53,840
Beloved, let us love one another.

792
00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:55,200
Okay.

793
00:31:55,440 --> 00:31:56,880
What's the assignment of love?

794
00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:57,920
To love one another.

795
00:31:59,440 --> 00:31:59,840
Why?

796
00:31:59,840 --> 00:32:00,960
For God is love.

797
00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:01,840
God is of.

798
00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:03,600
For the love is of God.

799
00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,320
And everyone that loveth is
born of God and knoweth God.

800
00:32:06,800 --> 00:32:10,300
So if you have God's love in
your life, love other people.

801
00:32:10,860 --> 00:32:12,860
He that loveth not, knoweth
not God.

802
00:32:12,860 --> 00:32:13,980
For God is love.

803
00:32:14,300 --> 00:32:15,180
So here's the.

804
00:32:15,180 --> 00:32:17,660
Here's the contradiction that
he's talking about here.

805
00:32:18,380 --> 00:32:20,300
Well, I love God, but I don't
love other people.

806
00:32:21,900 --> 00:32:22,420
I love.

807
00:32:22,420 --> 00:32:24,700
I love God's Word, but I don't
like the church.

808
00:32:26,060 --> 00:32:27,580
I understand that sentiment.

809
00:32:27,580 --> 00:32:30,340
There's been a lot of people
over the years that have been hurt

810
00:32:30,340 --> 00:32:31,980
by people within the church.

811
00:32:32,540 --> 00:32:35,820
There's a lot of people that
have been wronged inside of the confines

812
00:32:35,820 --> 00:32:36,620
of a church building.

813
00:32:37,590 --> 00:32:39,830
That doesn't mean that we stop
loving other people.

814
00:32:40,390 --> 00:32:42,750
It just means that some people
have not been good examples of the

815
00:32:42,750 --> 00:32:43,350
love of Christ.

816
00:32:43,750 --> 00:32:45,990
What we need to do is we need
to break that chain.

817
00:32:46,470 --> 00:32:47,990
We need to break the cycle.

818
00:32:48,070 --> 00:32:48,990
We need to say, you know what?

819
00:32:48,990 --> 00:32:50,910
Yeah, there's been a lot of
churches that have hurt people over

820
00:32:50,910 --> 00:32:52,869
the years, but we don't want
to be one of those.

821
00:32:52,869 --> 00:32:55,310
We want to be above and beyond
loving people for the best of our

822
00:32:55,310 --> 00:32:57,030
ability, for the cause of the gospel.

823
00:32:57,190 --> 00:32:58,190
And so what does it say here?

824
00:32:58,190 --> 00:33:01,430
It says, he that loveth not,
knoweth not God.

825
00:33:01,430 --> 00:33:02,950
This is not a hyperbole.

826
00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:06,640
This is saying you are not
walking and fellowshipping with God

827
00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:07,840
if you're not loving other people.

828
00:33:09,120 --> 00:33:10,320
It's not a give and take.

829
00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:11,840
It's not buffet Christianity.

830
00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:14,400
I like buffets because I can
pick the food that I want.

831
00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:16,720
And then if I really like that
food, I'm gonna come back and get

832
00:33:16,720 --> 00:33:17,240
more of that food.

833
00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:18,080
And it's not limited.

834
00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:20,480
That's sometimes how we want
to live our Christian life.

835
00:33:20,880 --> 00:33:24,360
We want to go down the line of
the buffet and go, okay, all right,

836
00:33:24,360 --> 00:33:27,640
so I like loving this person
because this person makes a lot of

837
00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:29,240
sense for me to love because
they're going to bring something

838
00:33:29,240 --> 00:33:30,520
back to me, this person.

839
00:33:30,520 --> 00:33:34,080
And not so much I want to love
God, but I don't want to love this

840
00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:34,600
aspect.

841
00:33:34,600 --> 00:33:35,960
I want to do this.

842
00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:39,160
And the truth is, is that the
Bible very clearly teaches here that

843
00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:42,680
if we are not walking with
love for other people, we're not

844
00:33:42,680 --> 00:33:43,640
walking with God.

845
00:33:44,120 --> 00:33:46,960
It doesn't mean that we're
unsaved, that we're no means to be

846
00:33:46,960 --> 00:33:47,560
familiar with.

847
00:33:47,560 --> 00:33:48,040
I think.

848
00:33:48,040 --> 00:33:50,240
And so I think that here in
this case, verse number eight is

849
00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:52,720
saying, if you have a hard
time loving other people, you need

850
00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:55,120
to go back to understand the
love of God and the love that he

851
00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,650
has shown you in your life in this.

852
00:33:57,650 --> 00:34:01,050
And by the way, if we forget
what the love of God really is, he

853
00:34:01,050 --> 00:34:04,530
says in verse 9, in this was
manifested the love of God toward

854
00:34:04,530 --> 00:34:07,610
us because that God sent his
only begotten Son into the world

855
00:34:07,610 --> 00:34:08,610
that we might live through Him.

856
00:34:08,610 --> 00:34:09,330
So he goes back.

857
00:34:09,330 --> 00:34:10,450
What does he go back to?

858
00:34:10,450 --> 00:34:11,730
The heart of everything.

859
00:34:11,810 --> 00:34:15,730
The gospel, the heart of the
love of God is the gospel.

860
00:34:15,730 --> 00:34:18,850
The truth of our salvation,
the truth of his sacrifice.

861
00:34:19,010 --> 00:34:23,660
Anytime we're tempted to
doubt, go back to the gospel, herein

862
00:34:23,660 --> 00:34:24,220
is love.

863
00:34:24,300 --> 00:34:31,260
Not that we love God, okay, we
didn't earn this love, but that he

864
00:34:31,260 --> 00:34:36,460
loved us and sent his Son to
be the propitiation for our sins.

865
00:34:36,780 --> 00:34:39,580
We could go down that whole
line of what that word propitiation

866
00:34:39,580 --> 00:34:39,900
means.

867
00:34:39,980 --> 00:34:42,860
It essentially just means the
satisfaction of God's wrath.

868
00:34:43,020 --> 00:34:44,700
God had to Punish sin.

869
00:34:45,340 --> 00:34:48,220
Jesus was that one who took
that punishment for us.

870
00:34:49,440 --> 00:34:50,320
So then, verse 11.

871
00:34:50,320 --> 00:34:56,480
Beloved Christians, if God so
loved us, we ought also to love one

872
00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:56,800
another.

873
00:34:59,680 --> 00:35:00,400
Verse 16.

874
00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:04,040
And we have known and believe
the love that God hath to us.

875
00:35:04,040 --> 00:35:04,960
God is love.

876
00:35:04,960 --> 00:35:07,760
And he that dwelleth in love
dwelleth in God and God in him.

877
00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:12,160
Herein is our love made
perfect that we may have boldness

878
00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:17,440
in the day of judgment,
because as he is, so are we in this

879
00:35:17,440 --> 00:35:17,760
world.

880
00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:19,440
There is no fear in love.

881
00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:22,520
But perfect love casteth out fear.

882
00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:26,120
Are you afraid of what might
happen if you show this love and

883
00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:26,840
this vulnerability?

884
00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:30,760
The Bible says that perfect
love casts out fear because fear

885
00:35:30,760 --> 00:35:32,600
hath torment, folks.

886
00:35:32,600 --> 00:35:34,920
I can tell you from firsthand
experience, I have been tormented

887
00:35:34,920 --> 00:35:35,760
by fear in my life.

888
00:35:36,000 --> 00:35:39,320
The fear of man is a snare
that will hold you back.

889
00:35:39,320 --> 00:35:41,950
Well, if I show this, this,
I'll be abused here.

890
00:35:42,110 --> 00:35:42,430
I.

891
00:35:42,430 --> 00:35:45,310
I've done this 100 times and
this will be the 101st time that

892
00:35:45,310 --> 00:35:46,310
I'm going to be rejected.

893
00:35:46,310 --> 00:35:49,790
The Bible says that perfect
love, God's love, complete love,

894
00:35:49,950 --> 00:35:52,830
understanding who he is and
what he has done, cast out that fear.

895
00:35:53,790 --> 00:35:56,590
He that feareth is not made
perfect in love.

896
00:35:56,590 --> 00:35:58,510
We love him because he first
loved us.

897
00:35:58,590 --> 00:36:01,670
If a man say, I love God and
hateth his brother, he is a liar.

898
00:36:01,670 --> 00:36:04,990
For he that loveth not his
brother whom he hath seen, how can

899
00:36:04,990 --> 00:36:06,750
he love God whom he hath not seen?

900
00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:10,840
And this commandment hath we
from him that he who loveth God,

901
00:36:10,840 --> 00:36:12,240
love his brother also.

902
00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:14,880
Summarize right there.

903
00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:17,360
Can't even give a better
analogy than what the word of God

904
00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:17,680
says.

905
00:36:18,160 --> 00:36:20,080
He says, don't be afraid.

906
00:36:20,480 --> 00:36:24,640
We can have confidence because
of our access to God.

907
00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:28,800
And therefore the assignment
would be to love God with everything,

908
00:36:30,480 --> 00:36:33,360
to love God and love our neighbors.

909
00:36:33,760 --> 00:36:36,760
And therefore that connection
would be that if we have this new

910
00:36:36,760 --> 00:36:39,680
commandment, if we love God,
we'll obey his commandments.

911
00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:40,520
Verse 21.

912
00:36:40,520 --> 00:36:45,960
And this commandment have we
from him that we that he who loveth

913
00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:47,760
God, love his brother also.

914
00:36:48,160 --> 00:36:52,560
So the way we can connect dots
with this is God says to love him

915
00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:54,080
because he loved us.

916
00:36:54,240 --> 00:36:56,640
If we love him, we will obey him.

917
00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:00,290
If we obey him, verse 21, we
obey his commandments.

918
00:37:00,290 --> 00:37:00,970
What do we do?

919
00:37:01,210 --> 00:37:03,530
We love our brother also.

920
00:37:04,090 --> 00:37:05,610
We love our fellow Christians.

921
00:37:06,170 --> 00:37:07,530
We love those around us.

922
00:37:08,170 --> 00:37:11,450
And that's the aspect of true love.

923
00:37:11,930 --> 00:37:14,330
And I hope that here this
morning, I know that you hear love

924
00:37:14,330 --> 00:37:15,130
a lot in the church.

925
00:37:15,450 --> 00:37:16,930
We talk about God's love all
the time.

926
00:37:16,930 --> 00:37:19,210
And we should, we should
celebrate God's love.

927
00:37:20,570 --> 00:37:23,290
But what we have to understand
is that God's love does not mean

928
00:37:23,290 --> 00:37:24,250
acceptance either.

929
00:37:24,250 --> 00:37:27,810
So if I get up here this
morning and say, God loves everybody,

930
00:37:27,810 --> 00:37:31,050
which we believe he does, in
the extent that he has offered salvation

931
00:37:31,050 --> 00:37:31,570
to all.

932
00:37:32,770 --> 00:37:35,970
But God does not love what
everybody is doing, okay?

933
00:37:35,970 --> 00:37:37,810
God does not condone what
everybody is doing.

934
00:37:37,970 --> 00:37:38,290
So.

935
00:37:38,290 --> 00:37:43,650
So, for example, if I can love
my children, but at the same time

936
00:37:43,650 --> 00:37:47,570
not be happy with what they
are doing and try to lead them to

937
00:37:47,570 --> 00:37:48,370
a better place.

938
00:37:49,010 --> 00:37:50,290
And so the same thing with God.

939
00:37:50,290 --> 00:37:54,200
God loves individuals, but yet
he might not love what you are doing.

940
00:37:54,200 --> 00:37:57,080
Therefore, there is that sense
of repentance.

941
00:37:57,080 --> 00:37:59,240
There is that sense of
conviction in our life that we have

942
00:37:59,240 --> 00:38:00,160
to turn away from that.

943
00:38:00,720 --> 00:38:02,800
And so you, in your life, you
might say, you know what?

944
00:38:02,800 --> 00:38:05,600
God loves me for who I am, and
that doesn't matter what I'm doing.

945
00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:06,880
It does matter what you're doing.

946
00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:09,040
God cares about you.

947
00:38:10,240 --> 00:38:12,640
Don't fight the conviction of
the Spirit in your life.

948
00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:14,240
Don't fight that.

949
00:38:14,240 --> 00:38:14,760
You know that.

950
00:38:14,760 --> 00:38:17,680
That thing that you feel in
your life that, that you know what?

951
00:38:17,680 --> 00:38:18,960
I should be loving my neighbor.

952
00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:19,860
But, but you know what?

953
00:38:19,940 --> 00:38:22,460
And you have all that
justification not to do what God

954
00:38:22,460 --> 00:38:23,300
has called you to do.

955
00:38:23,380 --> 00:38:24,540
Don't fight that conviction.

956
00:38:24,540 --> 00:38:27,420
The Bible says that when we
submit ourselves to him, that's,

957
00:38:27,420 --> 00:38:30,620
that's talking about dying to
the flesh and living in the Spirit,

958
00:38:30,620 --> 00:38:32,100
walking in the will of God.

959
00:38:32,260 --> 00:38:35,179
Folks, it's so easy for us to
justify ourselves right out of what

960
00:38:35,179 --> 00:38:36,260
God has called us to do.

961
00:38:36,740 --> 00:38:39,940
But what we have to do is we
have to see God's Word as the clear

962
00:38:40,660 --> 00:38:43,140
and singular guide to our life.

963
00:38:43,140 --> 00:38:46,400
And if the Bible says to love
God with everything, we love him

964
00:38:46,400 --> 00:38:46,840
with everything.

965
00:38:47,160 --> 00:38:50,440
The Bible says loving God
means obeying him, we obey him.

966
00:38:50,600 --> 00:38:54,640
If obeying him means loving my
neighbor, it means that I have to

967
00:38:54,640 --> 00:38:55,320
love my neighbor.

968
00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:58,600
And when we see it from that
perspective, we're not going to be

969
00:38:58,600 --> 00:39:01,479
perfect on it, but we can get
back to a place in our life where

970
00:39:01,479 --> 00:39:03,880
we're fully submitted to him
and saying, lord, I need you.

971
00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:06,920
I love you because you first
loved me.

972
00:39:07,240 --> 00:39:08,600
Go back to the gospel.

973
00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:12,160
Some of us remember those days
where we were broken with the fact

974
00:39:12,160 --> 00:39:14,040
that Jesus died on the cross
for our sins.

975
00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:18,840
But we have over the years
being so desensitized to that message

976
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:21,160
because of the things of this
world that we go, yeah, Jesus died

977
00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:21,440
for me.

978
00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:22,440
Yeah, that's the gospel.

979
00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:25,000
But some of us have to get
back to that brokenheartedness of

980
00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:26,440
what Jesus did for us.

981
00:39:26,680 --> 00:39:29,400
And that should drive us to
service, that drives us to love,

982
00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:30,840
that drives us to sacrifice.

983
00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:32,880
And just as a loving mom says,
you know what?

984
00:39:32,880 --> 00:39:34,360
I'm willing to give this up
for my children.

985
00:39:35,320 --> 00:39:39,370
Just as a loving mom says, I'm
willing to face pushback from my

986
00:39:39,370 --> 00:39:40,770
children by doing this in
their life.

987
00:39:40,770 --> 00:39:43,490
I'm willing to clean up their
messes, I'm willing to discipline

988
00:39:43,490 --> 00:39:43,690
them.

989
00:39:43,690 --> 00:39:44,690
I'm willing to do that.

990
00:39:44,690 --> 00:39:49,170
The same thing goes for us as,
as Christians, there's a time in

991
00:39:49,170 --> 00:39:52,210
our life where we have to say,
look, this love might not make sense,

992
00:39:52,210 --> 00:39:56,010
but because of who I am and
because of what God has done, I will

993
00:39:56,010 --> 00:39:56,370
love.

994
00:39:56,370 --> 00:39:58,450
And so I have the attribute of love.

995
00:39:58,610 --> 00:40:01,650
I have the affirmation of love
in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

996
00:40:01,810 --> 00:40:03,930
I have access to God through
His love.

997
00:40:03,930 --> 00:40:04,210
I.

998
00:40:04,360 --> 00:40:06,800
I have the action of love that
we are to live out in our life.

999
00:40:06,800 --> 00:40:09,080
And I have the assignment to
love, to love God with everything

1000
00:40:09,320 --> 00:40:12,520
and to love my neighbor enough
to show them who Jesus is and what

1001
00:40:12,520 --> 00:40:13,080
he has done.

1002
00:40:13,720 --> 00:40:15,760
And so here this morning,
we're thankful for our moms.

1003
00:40:15,760 --> 00:40:17,800
We're thankful for the love
that a mom can have.

1004
00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:20,599
My mom loved me so many.

1005
00:40:20,600 --> 00:40:22,520
She still loves me to this
day, praise God.

1006
00:40:22,520 --> 00:40:25,000
That is a miracle in itself
that she still loves me.

1007
00:40:25,640 --> 00:40:27,280
But through a lot, she loved me.

1008
00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:29,560
And I'm so thankful for that.

1009
00:40:30,430 --> 00:40:33,070
But even more so, I'm thankful
for the love of God that He loved

1010
00:40:33,070 --> 00:40:34,190
me through all of that too.

1011
00:40:34,670 --> 00:40:35,950
Some of us would say, you know what?

1012
00:40:35,950 --> 00:40:37,390
Because of my life, God doesn't.

1013
00:40:37,630 --> 00:40:38,670
God shouldn't love me.

1014
00:40:38,670 --> 00:40:39,790
I don't deserve his love.

1015
00:40:40,350 --> 00:40:41,630
That's all of our testimonies.

1016
00:40:42,110 --> 00:40:45,510
But at the end of the day, God
commanded His love towards us in

1017
00:40:45,510 --> 00:40:47,710
that while we were yet
sinners, Christ died for us.

1018
00:40:47,790 --> 00:40:50,630
God knows our failures, he
knows our struggles.

1019
00:40:50,630 --> 00:40:53,430
But he still loves us, doesn't
condone those wrongs.

1020
00:40:53,430 --> 00:40:55,230
He wants us to get back to
where we need to be.

1021
00:40:55,890 --> 00:40:58,050
But at the end of the day,
don't ever doubt that God loves you.

1022
00:40:58,050 --> 00:41:00,450
Don't ever doubt that God is
there for you.

1023
00:41:00,610 --> 00:41:01,890
How can he forget us?

1024
00:41:03,330 --> 00:41:04,290
He can't.

1025
00:41:05,490 --> 00:41:06,970
How could he turn his back
against us?

1026
00:41:06,970 --> 00:41:08,690
He won't if you're his child today.

1027
00:41:08,690 --> 00:41:11,250
The Bible says in Romans
chapter eight that, that nothing.

1028
00:41:11,890 --> 00:41:15,170
And we could go through the
long list there in Romans, but nothing

1029
00:41:15,170 --> 00:41:16,850
can separate you from the love
of God.

1030
00:41:17,730 --> 00:41:19,410
So what does the love of God
mean for you?

1031
00:41:19,410 --> 00:41:21,330
Does the love of God change
the way that you live your life?

1032
00:41:21,330 --> 00:41:23,450
Does the love of God change
the way you love your spouse?

1033
00:41:23,450 --> 00:41:25,570
Does the Love of God change
the way you love your children?

1034
00:41:25,940 --> 00:41:28,260
Does the love of God change
the way you love your coworker?

1035
00:41:28,260 --> 00:41:31,100
Does the love of God change
the way that you love the lost in

1036
00:41:31,100 --> 00:41:31,620
your community?

1037
00:41:32,260 --> 00:41:33,140
I hope that it does.

1038
00:41:33,140 --> 00:41:36,580
I hope that the love of God
stirs you to service, stirs you to

1039
00:41:36,580 --> 00:41:40,660
sacrifice, serves, stirs you
to commitment to the place where

1040
00:41:40,740 --> 00:41:44,620
we want to demonstrate that
love to those around us because of

1041
00:41:44,620 --> 00:41:45,940
what Christ has done for us.

1042
00:41:46,180 --> 00:41:48,940
I'm going to ask you to stand,
if you're able to, this morning.

1043
00:41:48,940 --> 00:41:50,260
Every head bowed, every head close.

1044
00:41:50,260 --> 00:41:53,660
As the music plays, we have an
opportunity to respond to the love

1045
00:41:53,660 --> 00:41:53,980
of God.

1046
00:41:53,980 --> 00:41:56,540
I'm not going to sit here and
give a long invitation.

1047
00:41:56,540 --> 00:41:59,660
All it is this morning is
where do you stand in the love of

1048
00:41:59,660 --> 00:42:00,020
God?

1049
00:42:01,540 --> 00:42:03,620
Have you experienced the love
of God today?

1050
00:42:03,940 --> 00:42:06,340
If you have, fantastic, wonderful.

1051
00:42:06,660 --> 00:42:09,220
How are you demonstrating that
love to those around you?

1052
00:42:09,620 --> 00:42:11,540
Maybe you haven't trusted in
the love of God.

1053
00:42:11,540 --> 00:42:15,140
Maybe today is the day where
the Bible says you can know everlasting

1054
00:42:15,140 --> 00:42:17,900
life, that you can know
forgiveness because of the love of

1055
00:42:17,900 --> 00:42:18,220
God.

1056
00:42:18,220 --> 00:42:20,020
The Bible says that you can be saved.

1057
00:42:20,020 --> 00:42:22,870
For God so loved the world
that he gave his only begotten Son

1058
00:42:22,870 --> 00:42:26,190
that whosoever believeth in
him should not perish, but have everlasting

1059
00:42:26,190 --> 00:42:26,510
life.

1060
00:42:26,910 --> 00:42:27,870
Trust in him today.

1061
00:42:27,870 --> 00:42:29,030
Trust in that love today.

1062
00:42:29,030 --> 00:42:30,190
Rest in that love today.

1063
00:42:30,350 --> 00:42:32,670
Some of you have trusted in
Jesus Christ as your Savior.

1064
00:42:32,830 --> 00:42:35,270
But that love has grown
distant from you.

1065
00:42:35,270 --> 00:42:36,429
You've become apathetic.

1066
00:42:36,429 --> 00:42:37,950
You've missed the point today.

1067
00:42:37,950 --> 00:42:42,750
Go back to that love of
Christ, that simple but infinite

1068
00:42:42,750 --> 00:42:43,550
love of Christ.

1069
00:42:44,190 --> 00:42:48,160
If you do so, I know according
to the word of God, that it will

1070
00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:48,720
change us.

1071
00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:50,400
He will stir us.

1072
00:42:50,560 --> 00:42:53,520
It will get us to a place in
our life where we are desiring him

1073
00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:54,400
more and more.

1074
00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:58,480
The more I understand the love
of a spouse, the more I want to love

1075
00:42:58,560 --> 00:42:59,120
her more.

1076
00:42:59,120 --> 00:43:01,800
The more I understand the love
of God, the more I will want to love

1077
00:43:01,800 --> 00:43:02,320
him more.

1078
00:43:02,639 --> 00:43:05,360
And so this morning I pray
that you can have that same desire

1079
00:43:05,440 --> 00:43:07,960
to love him more and to
understand his love in a greater

1080
00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:08,400
way today.

1081
00:43:08,480 --> 00:43:10,520
Lord, I pray that you be in
this time of invitation, working

1082
00:43:10,520 --> 00:43:11,040
hearts and lives.

1083
00:43:11,040 --> 00:43:12,080
We thank you for your love.

1084
00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:13,480
We're thankful for your grace.

1085
00:43:13,480 --> 00:43:17,040
I pray that you can be with us
this morning as we rest and ponder

1086
00:43:17,600 --> 00:43:19,520
and live in the truth of your love.

1087
00:43:20,320 --> 00:43:21,880
We ask all these things in
Jesus name.

1088
00:43:21,880 --> 00:43:22,400
Amen.

1089
00:43:23,040 --> 00:43:25,680
Thank you again for listening
to the Middletown Baptist Church

1090
00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:26,320
podcast.

1091
00:43:26,560 --> 00:43:28,880
I hope that this sermon has
been a blessing for you.

1092
00:43:29,520 --> 00:43:31,800
If you would like to find out
more information about our church

1093
00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:35,280
or this sermon, you can find
us at middletownbaptistchurch.org

1094
00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:37,780
or find us on Facebook or YouTube.

1095
00:43:37,850 --> 00:43:43,850
To you can also email me
directly at Josh massaro@middletownbaptistchurch.com.

1096
00:43:44,250 --> 00:43:47,810
if you've enjoyed this
podcast, please subscribe and follow

1097
00:43:47,810 --> 00:43:50,570
along for future podcast and updates.

1098
00:43:51,290 --> 00:43:52,170
Thank you so much.

1099
00:43:52,410 --> 00:43:53,130
God Bless.

1100
00:43:53,370 --> 00:43:54,730
Have a wonderful day.