Sermon
Reigning Faith p.6 with Ap. Marci Glisson
Publisher transcript
Transcript
-
We've been talking about reigning faith and hopefully
-
we're going to close it out tonight.
-
And. Finish up but we have been
-
coming out of second Peter on Wednesday nights breaking out
-
the. 7 qualities that we must. Add.
-
To our faith. Amen if.
-
We're going to increase and reign in our faith.
-
In. In second Peter, we see he talks
-
about 7 points, qualities, ingredients, companions.
-
That must be part of our faith walk if we're going to see the
-
promises of God take place in our lives.
-
So let's read that real quick because I definitely want to
-
finish out. And get through some stuff and
-
we have a lot to talk. About South in second Peter
-
chapter. One everybody ready to receive.
-
Hallelujah, Are you ready to receive the engrafted word of
-
God which is able to save our. Soul.
-
Amen. So second Peter chapter 1 verses
2 Peter 1 chapter mention
-
one through 11. Simon Peter, a bondservant and
-
apostle of Jesus. Christ.
-
To those who have received a faith of the same kind as ours
-
by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ, grace
-
and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of
-
Jesus our Lord. Seeing here it is that His
-
divine power we just talked about, that His divine power has
-
been granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness
-
through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own
-
glory and excellence. Verse 4 For by these he has
-
granted to us his precious and magnificent promises, so that by
-
them you may become partakers of His divine nature.
-
Say, I have his divine nature. Hallelujah if you are born.
-
Again. It's do you have made a
-
confession with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord that
-
the minute you did that His divine nature come on was then
-
put on the inside of you by faith.
-
And guess what we have the nature of God, Zoe life flowing
-
in our bodies, Amen. And everything that we need as a
-
Kingdom citizen in this earth, we get to be able to receive
-
from him all those promises, everything we need that pertains
-
to life and to godliness, to life and godliness.
-
Amen. And this is important because
-
everybody wants to talk about, yeah, I received the life of
-
God. But how about godliness?
-
Right, How about life and godliness, meaning we're going
-
to live a godly life while we're here in the earth, Amen.
-
And we're going to talk about that actually tonight.
-
So anyway, he said we've been partakers of this divine nature,
-
having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.
-
Now for this very reason, also applying all diligence in your
-
faith supply and we talked about this word supply and it means to
-
furnish your faith, to add to your faith.
-
It also means to bring nourishment to your faith.
-
So when he says, listen, there is something that we need to add
-
to our faith. There is a supply and that
-
supply we see are these seven ingredients of of things that
-
are very important to help support, minister to and nurse
-
our faith. And so it's a must.
-
And he? Tells us that we need to apply
-
it with all diligence. That means we have to be
-
intentional about it, right? We have to exert ourself.
-
The scripture, when you read the word diligent there, it means we
-
need to strive after these things.
-
Amen. They're not just going to fall
-
on us by osmosis. There's some work that we have
-
to do to participate with God, with our faith, through grace,
-
Amen. It's not in our own efforts of
-
striving, but it's through His grace empowering us to be able
-
to add these qualities to our walk in Him.
-
Amen. And so he.
-
Tells us that that word diligence means we need to
-
endeavor, we need to make. Effort.
-
And we need to be prompt to study.
-
It also means labor. Amen.
-
So if we're going to actually apply these qualities to our
-
faith, then there's going to have to be some effort to it.
-
There's going to have to be some work to it.
-
That means there's labor, there's intention, Amen.
-
And we're going to have to do it, allowing him to work through
-
us with the help of the Holy Spirit.
-
So what does he tell us that we need to add to our faith or
-
bring a nourishment to our faith?
-
Moral excellence and in your moral excellence, knowledge, and
-
in that knowledge, self-control. And in yourself control,
-
perseverance and in your perseverance, godliness.
-
This is where we were last week. We stopped at perseverance and
-
endurance because it's those who will what endure till the end.
-
So endurance is an important factor in quality to our faith.
-
Not just that we believe that Jesus died and rose, and yet
-
we'll go through life and all the things that are happening in
-
this world and not be able to endure and waltz some things out
-
that he's saying that endurance is a must to our faith.
-
Amen. So godliness, and in our
-
godliness, brotherly kindness, and in our brotherly kindness.
-
Love. For if these qualities are yours
-
and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor
-
unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-
All right, so we said this, that if these things are not.
-
Increasing in your. Life.
-
Then what is it going to do? It's going to render you.
-
Useless in the Kingdom. Remember the other scripture?
-
And I didn't even bring this up, but the Holy Ghost just reminded
-
me of the scriptures that we are to make ourselves a vessel of
-
honor. We're to make.
-
Ourselves a vessel of honor. We can be of common use, or we
-
can be a. Vessel of Honor and a.
-
Vessel of Honor is going to choose to put these qualities
-
and add these qualities and these ingredients to our faith.
-
Amen. And so we have to choose to say,
-
you know what, I'm going to be a vessel of honor.
-
I'm not going to just be common of common use.
-
No, I'm going to be a vessel that is going to be of honor and
-
I'm going to do whatever it takes to walk in the qualities
-
that God says. That I can walk into because I
-
know a. Lot of believers that are
-
they're not a. Vessel of honor, the way they
-
live, what comes out of their mouth.
-
Come on. They're not a vessel of honor.
-
I don't care if they're born again.
-
Their behavior, we're going to see what the scripture says is
-
not proving out their character of life.
-
Amen. And you know what?
-
Just like in the natural. We talk about.
-
Different qualities of life. And you can.
-
Decide what kind of quality you want of life, even in the.
-
Natural, even in the natural. You can decide, you know what, I
-
really don't care about life and I'm going to have a, you know,
-
broke down mentality and I'm not going to do anything to try to
-
take care of myself and different things.
-
And you can live through this life and have a poor quality of
-
life even in the natural, or you can choose to have a better
-
quality of life in the natural, work hard, go to school, get a
-
good education. Come on, see what I'm saying?
-
Well, it's the same true in the Kingdom of God.
-
Spiritually, you can choose to not have the good life or the
-
best quality of life that God says you can have and that
-
belongs to you, that you have an inheritance.
-
But you have to choose to take hold of that inheritance and
-
walk it out and have a better quality of life, even
-
spiritually. Amen.
-
And so he says this if they are fruitful.
-
Then you're going to see. These qualities developing in
-
your life. Now let's go to verse 9.
-
I think it is for he who lacks these qualities is blind or
-
short sighted. And I don't have time to teach
-
on all this scripture. But having forgotten His
-
purification from his former sins, therefore, brethren, be
-
all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and
-
choosing you. For as long as you practice
-
these things, those 7 qualities, you will never stumble.
-
You will never stumble. Hallelujah.
-
And we talked about what that word means.
-
You'll never make a mistake, you'll never air.
-
Come on. That's what that means when he
-
says you'll never stumble. You'll never make a mistake.
-
You'll never air Hallelujah. So then he goes on to say verse
-
11 for in this way the entrance is into eternal Kingdom of our
-
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to
-
you say I have a supply. Oh Hallelujah.
-
Now I love reading verse. 10 in the amplified of second Peter
-
and chapter 1. Therefore, believers be all the
-
more diligent to make certain about his.
-
Calling and choosing you be. Sure that your behavior reflects
-
and confirms your relationship. With God.
-
So you can say that you know God and have a relationship all day
-
long, but if your behavior, it is not in alignment with
-
godliness is what we're getting ready to see.
-
If it's not in alignment with Scripture, then it does not
-
confirm to me that you are a child of God.
-
You can say it all day long, but behavior is going to confirm
-
that you are a child of God, that you're a child of God
-
because your behavior not ought to be the way that it was when
-
you were lost. There has to be a change, right?
-
And the good thing about the Lord is He will help you.
-
Change glory to God, you. Cannot become all that God wants
-
you to become without His help. You can't do it yourself.
-
He's the only. One that can help you do it
-
through the power of the Holy. Spirit and you choosing to.
-
Yield to it so it. Confirms your relationship with
-
God, your behavior for by doing these things, actively
-
developing these virtues, these seven ingredients, these
-
qualities that he just talked about, you will never stumble in
-
your spiritual growth and will live the life that leads others
-
away from sin. Hallelujah.
-
If you're not leading others away from sin by them
-
recognizing your behavior, then you have to ask the question,
-
Have I allowed the Lord Come on to?
-
Help me, help me Jesus, so. We read moral excellence,
-
knowledge, self-control, temperance, perseverance,
-
endurance, and now we are on godliness, brotherly kindness.
-
And. Love.
-
And what I found about all three of these, godliness, brotherly
-
kindness and love, is that they're all working together.
-
They're all working together. And.
-
So let's read a few scriptures concerning godliness.
-
Isn't it amazing that he has to mention that just because you've
-
received the same faith as the apostles, right?
-
Just because you've received it doesn't mean you're going to
-
walk into it. And he has to tell you that he
-
expects you to live godly, A godly life.
-
Amen. And so.
-
Here. Let me find my scripture.
-
I'm on page 23. Yes, here we go, godliness.
-
What does godliness mean? Godliness when you look it up in
-
the Greek. Means reverence.
-
Reverence for the things of God it means.
-
Respect. For the things of God.
-
It actually means. Holiness, Holiness and in the.
-
Context of the fear of the Lord. In the context of the.
-
Fear of the Lord. Why is this important?
-
Because if you're going to live a godly, holy, reverent right
-
life, then that means I'm not going to want to do.
-
Anything that would go against. His word or go.
-
Against him because I honor him, because I reverence him, because
-
he's holy. He's holy.
-
And so this is what it means to live a godly life.
-
And just. Because you're born again does
-
not mean you're automatically godly.
-
No, what happens is when you get born.
-
Again, the spirit of the man now becomes alive unto God, and he
-
puts his. Spirit within you and then.
-
What does it say now? We're going to have to add.
-
Some things to our faith and these qualities will what work.
-
In our life, to produce, to produce.
-
Holiness to produce godliness within our life.
-
If we start walking because we talked about what did the
-
definition of moral excellence be it mean?
-
It means righteousness. When we got born again, what
-
does that mean? We were put into a posture of
-
righteousness before God, but now that righteousness has to
-
begin to what? Develop and grow.
-
And when we allow that righteousness, the moral
-
excellence meaning becoming right in everything that God
-
says in His word, right standing with him and everything that he
-
says in his word as a believer, then that will begin to what?
-
Produce a fruit we see, He tells us, that we are to produce.
-
Fruits of righteousness because. We don't want to be like the
-
hypocrites and the Pharisees, come on.
-
We want to actually produce it in our life.
-
And if we're going to walk in reigning faith and actually walk
-
in the dominion and the authority that God has given us
-
in this life, then we are going to have to allow Him to work
-
within us so that we can produce these fruits in our life.
-
Amen. And they will be seen.
-
In our behavior, this is what the Scriptures talking about.
-
That'll be seen in our behavior and this is what we're talking
-
about. Tangible faith.
-
I have faith in God and I am to live by faith and I'm to walk by
-
this faith every day. And therefore, what does that
-
mean? Then I'm going to produce this
-
lifestyle of faith that's going to be able to be proven and
-
tangible by the results of my life in the way that I interact
-
in everything that everything that I am doing.
-
It's going to be. Tangible, not just oh I'm going
-
to believe God for that house, how about no, I'm going to
-
believe God that I am going to have dominion and self-control
-
over my tongue, right? Amen.
-
So there's this is what we're talking about having a lifestyle
-
of faith, living by faith that where it produces within my life
-
everything that God says that I should be living like and
-
walking like and everything. No, not just the the material
-
things, not just the material things, but producing.
-
How about as? For me and my house, we're going
-
to serve the Lord and we're not going to have this junk up in
-
our house because we're godly, because we're holy, because we
-
fear the Lord. I'm not going to allow these
-
things in my home. That's just as important in me
-
believing God for a home, because what good is it if I
-
have this wonderful home but No Fear of God?
-
In it and my. Kids are rebellious and they
-
have all kinds of crazy stuff up in my walls and all kinds of
-
stuff. No, it's not going to happen
-
because I live by faith and I'm going to produce the results of
-
godliness and holiness in my life.
-
So my we're not going to allow this up in our house.
-
We're not going to allow those provocative movies and
-
pornography and, you know, cussing up a storm in movies
-
and, you know, all these kind of ungodly things.
-
And we wonder why our kids are struggling.
-
We're not godly, we're not holy anymore.
-
We have No Fear of the Lord, no reverence for true things that
-
are holy. First Timothy, chapter 4.
1 Timothy 4 chapter mention
-
And verse 7 through 8. It says this but.
-
Have nothing to do with. Irreverent.
-
This is the amplified folklore, silly myths.
-
On the other hand, discipline. Yourself.
-
For the purpose of godliness, keeping yourself spiritually fit
-
for physical training is of some.
-
Value and we talked. About this before, I know plenty
-
of people that want to be disciplined and what they eat,
-
how they work out, all these kind of things, but yet they
-
have no discipline and reading the word, they have no
-
discipline and keeping their mouth shut to their spouse, they
-
have no discipline. Come on, financially they have
-
no discipline. Living a godly life.
-
What's the profit? So he says.
-
But godliness, spiritual training is of value in
-
everything and in every way since it holds promise for the
-
press. This.
-
Present life and for the life to come, godliness.
-
Holds. Promise.
-
For this. Life and the life to come
-
godliness, holiness, reverence, the.
-
Fear of the Lord, because without it, the scripture says
-
we won't. See it?
-
We won't see him. First Timothy chapter 6 and
1 Timothy 6 chapter mention
-
verse 3 says this, if anyone. Teaches a different doctrine and
-
does not. Agree with the sound.
-
Words of our Lord Jesus. Christ.
-
And is there plenty of different doctrines that?
-
Are out there today. That just because you're saved
-
once saved, always saved, you're good to go.
-
Doesn't matter what you do, you're under grace.
-
Go ahead, sin like the world. He's already forgiven you
-
already. Is that godliness?
-
Is that holiness? Is that the fear of the Lord
-
right? And so he says, listen.
-
And with this doctrine and teaching which is in agreement
-
with godliness, personal integrity, and upright behavior.
-
Upright Behavior. First Timothy.
-
Chapter 6, verse 11. But As for you?
-
O man of God, flee. From these things, aim at and
-
pursue righteousness. Do you see that you have to
-
pursue it and that what we read, you have to be intentional, you
-
have to be diligent to add these things?
-
You're going to have to pursue it.
-
You are going to have to make a decision that I'm going to
-
pursue godliness as much as I pursue.
-
The athletic department. And the programs?
-
I'm going to pursue godliness. As much as I sit and scroll my
-
phone for two hours, I'm going to pursue godliness.
-
Come on, as much as I do running around and and doing all the
-
things I love to do, I'm going. To pursue godliness, whatever
-
he's. Doing that's what I want to be
-
doing come on, whatever he's doing, that's what I.
-
Want to be doing. And so he says, pursue
-
righteousness, true goodness, moral conformity to the
-
character of God, godliness, the fear of God, faith, love,
-
steadfastness and gentleness. And we've discussed all of these
-
through talking about the different qualities earlier on
-
our. Wednesday nights now look.
-
At first Peter chapter. One verse 15 through 16 it says,
-
But like the holy one who called you.
-
Be holy yourself in all your conduct.
-
Be set apart from the world by your world, godly character and
-
moral. Courage, because it is.
-
Written, you shall be holy, Set apart.
-
For I am holy. So we have to choose, just as I
-
said, and make a decision that I'm going to be a vessel of.
-
Honor, I'm going to walk in holiness, I'm going to walk in
-
godliness. I'm going to do it his way.
-
And I'm going to allow these things to nourish my faith so
-
that I can be assured that my faith is going to reign in.
-
Whatever I encounter if. I encounter an accident.
-
I'm going to have favor because you know what?
-
I've added supply. To my faith, because I have
-
character, because I have integrity, because I honor God,
-
because I sow my seed, because I live.
-
According to the word. Because I'm in upright standing
-
with him, because I guard my heart, I don't let a fence in
-
it. I don't.
-
I don't. I don't talk about people.
-
I don't. Gossip.
-
Come on. I don't do all these things that
-
would hinder my faith from reigning in every situation
-
because we're going to see how important.
-
That is in a few minutes in these scriptures, so in second.
2 Peter 3 chapter mention
-
Peter chapter 3 and verse 11. But I would like to give you
-
all. Homework because I can.
-
Guarantee you these 13 verses will take less time reading it.
-
It would only take you 13 minutes of reading these 13
-
verses that are in Second Peter chapter 3.
2 Peter 3 chapter mention
-
That weren't Yeah. Second Peter, chapter 3.
2 Peter 3 chapter mention
-
The whole chapter 13 minutes. You should be able to read one
-
verse right a minute. I mean y'all sit on Instagram
-
longer than that? And all the funny reels.
-
I found a funny reel and and I'm going to blame Pastor Lynette
-
Hagan on this now because yesterday she said to all the
-
pastors, how do? You, you know.
-
Have. Fun in ministry, she.
-
Says what she likes to. Do when she'll get in a
-
situation where you know. Ministry would be fun.
-
If it weren't for the. People.
-
So she has a whole folder. In her phone of the minions.
-
Y'all know what those are and you know there's all kinds of
-
reels, funny reels about these minions and she'll just laugh
-
her head off She'll just say when I need a good laugh I'll
-
just go through all these minions because.
-
I don't want to have to be concerned.
-
About all these problems, right with people and all these.
-
Things And so anyway, I found these cute little reels.
-
Now, so I'm going to blame her. With these babe, these AI
-
babies. Dancing.
-
Have y'all seen them? Oh.
-
My gosh, you know, you've seen how they're doing the AI babies
-
where they can take you. And turn you into.
-
A little baby and what they always look.
-
So I you know, I've always wondered, why do babies look so
-
cute, chunky and fat? But then when you become an
-
adult, that chunky and fat. Ain't so cute anymore.
-
All those roles, you know. Anyway, so now they've created
-
these reels with all. These babies, little babies, I
-
sent my daughter 1 today and they're dancing.
-
They've created them to do the Macarena and they're little
-
babies, you know, like 6 months old anyway, doing the Macarena
-
but oh, I just needed a good laugh today, so.
-
That's what I did anyway. So your homework.
-
I read my homework. The whole chapter of Second
2 Peter 3 chapter mention
-
Peter, chapter 3, I really want y'all to read that because in
-
context he's talking about in the last days, there's going to
-
be mockers, there's going to be all kinds of things happening in
-
the last days. And then he gives us a good.
-
Warning OK and so. Now we're in verse 11, right?
-
There's 13 verses I believe. 18 Oh, it's going to take you 18
-
minutes, OK anyway. So verse 11 says this since all
-
of these things are to be destroyed in this.
-
Way what kind of? People ought you to be.
-
In the meantime. This is what he's saying.
-
In the meantime, there's all kinds of things in the last days
-
that are going to be happening. People are going to be mocking
-
all kinds of things. But he says, in the meantime,
-
what kind of people ought you be?
-
As believers. In holy behavior, that is in a
-
pattern of your daily life that sets you apart as a believer,
-
and in godliness displaying profound reverence towards our
-
awesome God. This is what godliness means.
-
I have such a profound reverence.
-
I have such a profound fear of the Lord.
-
I know what he's done for me and where he's brought me out of.
-
And we've been given, Hebrews says, such a great salvation.
-
Come on, that we better not slip back.
-
He tells us. We better not be those that
-
shrink back from our faith, but if we're diligent to keep adding
-
these qualities to our faith and guess what's going to happen?
-
Come on, we are going to be so godly, so holy Hallelujah, that
-
when people see you, they're going to say, what must I do to
-
inherit the Kingdom of God? But when half the Christian
-
world lead lives so ungodly, how are they even recognizing?
-
Because we have No Fear and reverence for what's.
-
Holy anymore? So he.
-
Goes on to say number. 5 Brotherly affection, Brotherly
-
love, brotherly love because we've heard great faith teaching
-
that faith worketh by love. And I'm going to tell you, a lot
-
of our faith isn't working because of this right here.
-
Because the way you say. That you're loving has nothing
-
that I can see to do with scripture.
-
Romans chapter 12 and verse. 10 Be kindly affectionate. 1 To
Romans 12 chapter mention
-
another with brotherly love in honor, in honor preferring one
-
another in honor preferring one another.
-
This is what brotherly affection and love is.
-
That it doesn't matter what. You do to me.
-
I honor. You because the.
-
Scripture tells me to honor. You and I'm going to walk in
-
love. So you know what?
-
That means that means I. Don't run my mouth about you.
-
First Thessalonians because when you really are a person of
-
honor, you won't do that. But you know.
-
What if we don't honor God in the 1st?
-
Place. How in the world do you think
-
we're supposed to honor one another and prefer one another?
-
So he says in First Thessalonians chapter.
-
Four and verses. 9 and 10 now. Concerning brotherly.
-
Love. You have no need for anyone to
-
write you, for you have been personally taught by God to love
-
one another. Personally taught by God to
-
love. One another.
-
That is to have an unselfish concern for others.
-
And to do things for their benefit, no matter.
-
How you are being treated, you are going to prefer them, you're
-
going to honor them and you're going to do what's best for
-
them. That means I it does not matter
-
what's happening to me, I'm going to do what's right.
-
And to do what right is right is hard in the natural.
-
And in the flesh. But to do what's right with the
-
help of the Lord. Is easy.
-
And you know what he says? He says my burden is easy.
-
Yoke is easy. My burden is light.
-
So no matter what's going on, we can choose to do.
-
What's? Right.
-
And you know what? The Bible tells us that.
-
We should do what's right. We're going to read the
-
scripture in the minute we. Do not get to choose.
-
To not love one another. He says it's.
-
Actually a commandment. It's not a choice.
-
And how many Christians are? Making it a choice whether or
-
not they're going to honor someone, whether or not they're
-
going to. Write love.
-
Them the way the. Scripture says to love them.
-
And prefer them. So he tells us this.
-
He says this is the amplified right verse 10 for indeed you
-
already do practice it. Towards all the believers.
-
Throughout Macedonia by actively displaying your love and your
-
concern for them. But we urge you, brothers and
-
sisters. That you excel in this matter
-
more and more. So just 'cause you've done it
-
one time. Doesn't mean you're done, he
-
says. You can do better, you can excel
-
more and. Love towards your brother.
-
And brotherly affection. And come on.
-
Showing forth. Unselfish things when it comes
-
to preferring and honoring one another.
-
You can do a better job. You're doing.
-
Good. But guess what?
-
There's more, and that's what the Scripture talks about.
-
When you read, you know where he talks about in Ephesians, I
-
believe it is where, you know, there's depths and heights and
-
widths of love. Just when you thought, man, I
-
have walked in love so many times, guess what he's going to
-
say? Yeah, But there's another depth.
-
There's another level. There's another level of love.
-
Another level and he says that there is more for you to excel
-
in and first Peter chapter 1 and verse 22 it says this seeing you
1 Peter 1 chapter mention
-
have. Purified your souls in obeying
-
the truth through the Spirit. See this is this is the answer
-
right here. You've purified your souls in
-
obeying the truth, which is the word.
-
That's why he tells us we must Romans 12/1.
-
And two, we must renew our minds, come on to the Word daily
-
so that when you get into a situation, the word is there,
-
the truth is there. And the truth is, yes, this may
-
be affecting me. This may be a situation that I'm
-
going through, but the truth is I have to align myself up with
-
what the word of God says. And there is another depth and
-
another width and another length of love that obviously He wants
-
me to dive into. And so I've got to choose by the
-
Holy Spirit through the Spirit, right to an unto and unfeigned
-
love of the brethren. See that you love one another
-
with a pure heart, fervently, not just saying Oh.
-
I love you. No, but I from a pure heart, I
-
love you and I honor you. And you know how you can tell
-
you really honor something? Because there's money backing
-
honor. Because what you will give to
-
shows you. Honor.
-
You can't even give to the church when he says the tithe.
-
You don't honor God. So.
-
Remember, reigning faith is about.
-
Maturing. Say I'm maturing.
-
I'm going to. Choose to mature.
-
First Peter chapter 2 verse 17 says this show.
-
Respect for all. People and treat them honorably
-
for all people. You're going to treat them.
-
Honorably. I don't care who they are,
-
that's. Why you see a homeless?
-
Person come up in here, we honor them.
-
They deserve God to be set free. I don't care what they're.
-
Wearing what they're dressed like.
-
How they smell because they're. Honorable because he said it
-
not. Because the world.
-
Discounts and man. Show respect for all.
-
People treat them honorably. Love the brotherhood of
-
believers we're talking about brotherly love.
-
We're talking about brotherly affection, he says.
-
You must love the brotherhood. You have to love these people in
-
this house, your family, the family of God that has the same
-
DNA as you. We always talk about God is no
-
respecter of person. There's neither Jew nor Greek
-
nor Gentile. I don't care how anybody looks.
-
But yet when you come in here, you won't even honor them.
-
You'd rather spend time with people out here.
-
First things is first is you've got to honor the people in the
-
House of God. I don't care what you do outside
-
these walls. If you're not doing it in here,
-
you're dishonorable. You're dishonorable.
-
What scripture? Says so, he says love.
-
The brotherhood of believers fear God and honor the.
-
King because faith does not work without love, and that was
-
Galatians chapter 5 and verse 6. Faith worketh by love.
Galatians 5 chapter mention
-
And that is love in all accounts with humanity, not just loving
-
God. It's.
-
Not just about loving God. See, they use their faith.
-
Oh yeah, I love. God I love God my.
-
Faith is working. I'm going to have that new boat
-
I'm going to have. No how?
-
About loving your brother, because without it you're not
-
going to. Operate in reigning faith.
-
So he says this, and John let's. Look at the connection.
-
Here in John chapter 13 and. Verses 34 through 35 it says I
John 13 chapter mention
-
am giving you a new commandment. That's why I said love is not.
-
A choice. It is a commandment and you can
-
choose to disobey his commands. And you can choose to rebel.
-
Against his commands. But it doesn't matter, because
-
you will stand before a holy God.
-
Come on one day and your knee will bow and it will submit, and
-
He will bring these things to light.
-
And so he says in. First John or not first John,
-
John 13, he says this. I'm giving you this new
-
commandment that you love one another just as I have loved
-
you. Because see, that brotherly
-
love, that brotherly kindness was phileo love.
-
But now here he's moved over into agape love.
-
He's moved over into agape here. When he says charity, one
-
translation in the King James right says charity, no, this is
-
love and this is agape love. This is the God kind of love.
-
And he says, listen, we need to love one another.
-
Just as I have loved you, so you 2 are to love one another.
-
And by this, by what? By us loving one another in
-
brotherly love. And affection and kindness and.
-
Loving him the way that he loved us, he says.
-
Listen, this is how everyone will know that you're truly my
-
disciple. Everyone will know.
-
That you're truly my disciple because I actually see a
-
demonstration of a love. For one another, not just for
-
me, not just for me, but for one another, for one another.
-
And he says, listen, this is how.
-
People are going to. Truly know you're my disciples
-
if you have love. Unselfish concern for one
-
another. That means you're going to be
-
more concerned about this. Person and what?
-
They need than you are about your.
-
You don't have to be. The what?
-
Well, what about me? Why do I have to go to them and
-
ask them to forgive me? Why?
-
Because he actually commanded you to.
-
And it doesn't matter if they change, if they receive it, if.
-
Come on. If if they respond properly or
-
if they slap you in the. Face No.
-
You are accountable to God and to his Word and it was a
-
commandment. So therefore I don't care the
-
response, I'm going to choose to do what he.
-
Says. No matter what, no matter how it
-
makes me feel, no matter if I should have had to do it or if
-
I. Shouldn't have had to do it.
-
I'm going to do it because I'm commanded to.
-
Because I'm commanded to. Simple.
-
You know why? Because I love God.
-
You know why? Because I fear him.
-
You know why? Because I've allowed things to
-
be added. To my faith, moral excellence,
-
righteousness, what? Was the one thing Martin Luther?
-
I kept reading this. Quote that kept coming through.
-
You know, Martin Luther King says when you choose to do right
-
because it's the right thing to do, you choose to do right
-
because it's the right thing to do, according to.
-
Scripture, no matter what has happened to you.
-
Because if you're concerned about what happened to you,
-
guess. What?
-
You're in victim mode and I'm going to tell you I refuse to be
-
a victim. He set me free from a victim
-
mentality. But if I.
-
Choose to hold. On.
-
To things. Then I'm falling right back into
-
victim mode. I didn't deserve this.
-
They treated me like this. What did I ever do to that?
-
It does. Not.
-
Matter. The only thing that matters is
-
what God's Word has said to. You.
-
And I'm going to. Choose to do his word above
-
anything else and I'm going to. Choose to do it.
-
You know what? With all of my heart.
-
With a. Pure heart, not oh, just watch
-
this. I'm going to tell him I'm going
-
to forgive him and I'm going to. Can't wait to see them grovel.
-
That's not a pure heart, is it? It's not a pure heart, No.
-
We have to. Choose to do it with a pure
-
heart. Romans chapter 12 and verse 9.
Romans 12 chapter mention
-
Love is to be sincere. It's to be sincere.
-
You know what that means? That means.
-
You can get hurt again because love is vulnerable.
-
It means you can. When you're truly loving from a
-
pure heart, that means it can happen again.
-
And guess what else? There's another depth, another
-
length, another width for me to dive into.
-
Because where else you going to go?
-
Love is to be sincere and active, the real thing, without
-
guile and hypocrisy. Hate what is evil, detest all
-
ungodliness. Look at this, do not tolerate
-
wickedness and hold tightly to what is good.
-
When you choose not to obey God's Word, you're actually
-
choosing wickedness. Yes, you as a believer can
-
choose to not do what is right. Romans 1310 Love does no wrong
-
to his neighbor. It never hurts anyone.
-
Is that our heart that we don't want to hurt anyone?
-
I would never want to say something that would hurt
-
someone. That is not my heart.
-
To be vicious, to be vile. And we have to ask ourselves is
-
that our heart would never want that.
-
It does no wrong to its neighbor.
-
It never hurts anyone. Therefore, unselfish love is the
-
fulfillment of the law. It's the fulfillment of the law.
-
Yes, I live by the law of love, the law of love.
-
Because if I want to walk in reigning faith and see the
-
tangibleness of God's life through my life and see the
-
things that God has promised for each and every one of us to be
-
able to walk into, we're going to have to choose love.
-
And we're going to have to make that something that we are in a
-
constant place of supplying to our faith.
-
Not just saying I have faith, but actually growing in the
-
depths of love. Growing in the depths of love.
-
Galatians chapter 5 and verse 13.
Galatians 5 chapter mention
-
For you, my brothers, we're called to freedom.
-
But don't let your freedom become an opportunity for the
-
sinful nature, for worldliness, for selfishness.
-
Remember, we couldn't help but be selfish when we were lost,
-
because that's all the nature was in us.
-
A lustful, selfish nature. But we now have.
-
That divine nature and Romans. 55 Says what now?
-
The love of God has been shed abroad in our hearts.
-
And so his. Love now is living on the inside
-
of us. Come on.
-
And he's letting us know, listen, we are going to have to
-
walk this walk of faith by putting that supply of love in
-
its place constantly, constantly.
-
So he says, but through love. What does he say serve?
-
And seek the. Best for others serve and seek.
-
The best for others serve others we know.
-
What does he say? Bless.
-
Your enemies do good to those who despitefully use you.
-
And guess what I'm going to do? I'm going to serve them anyway.
-
That's what he's talking about. And can we?
-
Really do that with a pure heart.
-
With a pure motive of I just am going to obey God no matter
-
what. I'm going to serve them anyway.
-
I'm going to love them anyway. I'm going to bless them anyway.
-
I'm going to actually honor them and.
-
Honor is not just by. Words It's by action.
-
Action it's by behavior. Amen.
-
It's by. You serving, so there's.
-
Action there. It's not just.
-
Saying it, but are you willing to go above and beyond and to
-
serve? That person who has despitefully
-
used you, you see that? It's what it says.
-
Ephesians chapter 5. We've got one more scripture
Ephesians 5 chapter mention
-
after this and verse. 2. And walk continually in love.
-
That is value one another. Practice.
-
Empathy and compassion unselfishly seeking.
-
The best for others, just as Christ also loved.
-
You and gave himself. Up for us as an offering and
-
sacrifice to God, slain for you so that it.
-
Became a sweet fragrance. Walk continually in love
-
continually. This should be the.
-
Highest goal of a believer's life that love his love.
-
Comes before anything, before anything, His love and all that
-
I'm doing, it has to be the motivating factor of my life
-
that I love him. And because I love him, I love
-
the brethren and I'm going to choose to supply my faith
-
continually with the love of God.
-
Last Scripture, 1st Corinthians 16 and 14.
-
Let everything you do be done in love, motivated and inspired by
-
God's love for us. So everything I do, I must do it
-
motivated. By God's love.
-
Because you know what? Because He loved me.
-
And who am I to not be able to forgive my brethren, walk in
-
love with them unselfishly, and choose to say I love you even in
-
the midst of where I feel I didn't deserve it?
-
Because you know who else didn't deserve it?
-
Jesus. And they mocked him, they
-
scourged Him, they beat him, they slandered him, called him
-
the devil. What a slap in the face, The Son
-
of God being called the devil. Wow.
-
And you know what the scripture says in Matthew?
-
The greatest sermon. He actually said, blessed are
-
you when you are being persecuted and talked about
-
unjustly because Jesus. There was no reason other than
-
he was the Son of God. Blessed are you and are you
-
choose going to still choose to love the brethren.
-
Forgive so that your faith will not be hindered, that your faith
-
will reign. Above.
-
Everything that you're going through, every situation, every
-
circumstance, because I've allowed God to add these
-
ingredients to my faith year after year, time after time,
-
learning and knowing that when I do this, I won't stumble, I
-
won't error, I won't make a mistake because I'm choosing to
-
walk in love.