Sermon
Oneness - Kingdom Unity - with Pastor Marci Glisson
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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Thanks for checking out the Anchor Faith Message podcast
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from St. Augustine, FL.
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Now enjoy this message. Has he been good to us?
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Has he been faithful? Hallelujah.
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And so this morning I want to talk to you about Kingdom
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Oneness. Kingdom Oneness.
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You know, it seems like you know, through pastor and and
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those that have been ministering lately that God is trying to get
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this body in unity for our community.
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Amen. Amen.
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Trying to get. Us.
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Unified in all that we're doing. Because where there is unity,
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there is great power, and nothing is impossible.
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Nothing is impossible. You know, we can look at this
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with the Tower of Babel. What were they were building a
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tower to heaven to reach God. And the Lord said, God said that
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it seemed as if nothing would be impossible for them, because.
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They were unified. Amen.
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So unified that he had to disrupt or bring confusion to
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their language, 'cause they were all speaking the same thing,
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Come on. Unified on the same vision and
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purpose. And what did they do?
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They were able to accomplish a great and mighty feat that he
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had to come down because they were doing it obviously not to,
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you know, honor God, but they wanted to build a heaven to be
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with him. Amen.
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So Kingdom oneness, what am I talking about with this?
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Actually out of Ephesians chapter 4 and verses one through
Ephesians 4 chapter mention
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7 it says this. Therefore, the prisoner of the
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Lord beseech you to Walt, worthy of the calling with which you
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were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with
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long-suffering, bearing with one another in love, say, bearing
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with one another in love. The first thing we're going to
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have to recognize that if we are going to have oneness, if we are
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going to be unified for the Kingdom of God, we have to
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recognize we're going to have to bear with one another in love.
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Amen. We are going to have to walk in
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love with one another, us brothers and sisters in Christ.
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We're going to have to bear with one another.
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That means we're just going to have to bear some things right
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that you think, man, I shouldn't have to be burying this with
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that person or that person. But guess what?
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He says. We can bear.
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With them, as long as we are operating in the love of God and
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his love is agape. Amen.
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So he says, bearing with one another in love, say one
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another, one another, one another.
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You know today is communion Sunday.
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And, you know, communion has to do with the fact that we are in
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union with Christ. But to be in union with Christ
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means that we are in union in the body with one another.
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We are a part of one another. We are in union with one another
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because we are in Him. In the body of Christ, we are in
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union together. We're a part of one another.
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That's why he says. We're going to see later on bear
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one another's burdens. Amen.
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Amen. So we're a part of one another,
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say one another, one another. Verse three says this
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endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
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So we are to endeavor right to keep the unity of the Spirit in
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the bond of peace. We are so positioned so that we
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as believers are to be so unified that whenever there's
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not peace, it would bother us. Right.
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And this has to do with anything and everything that's going on
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in the body of Christ. We must get to a place, and I
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believe that, you know, we've already said that this church is
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a place that's going to grow you up and mature.
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You right. We are not here to feed you
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elementary principals alone, but we are here to mature the church
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that he's coming back for what? A church that's in his fullness
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is mature, without spot or wrinkle or blemish and maturity.
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For us to walk in the fullness of that, we have to recognize
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that we are a part of one another.
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We're in union together and we must, we must in our hearts say,
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what am I going to do to continue to bring unification in
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the body? I do not want to be a part
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that's not going to bring unification or.
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Right. Strife or division, not going to
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be it. I'm going to be a person that's
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going to be a peacemaker. Amen.
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In every situation, in every circumstance that I encounter
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with each other. We're going to make sure that
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we're going to be peacemakers. So that we can what protect the
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bond of unity, right? Because this is important.
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This is important because I'm going to tell you what God has
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anchor faith doing in this community.
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The devil doesn't like it when you start getting City Council
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and people, mayors and and individuals, asking you what can
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we do to change? Our whole community.
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The devil doesn't like it, and So what he's going to do is try
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to come in and bring division and bring people into a place of
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not being unified together, of bringing distractions, of
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bringing chaos and and discord, and strive to try to tear down
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what the God is wanting to do in this community.
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We have full open doors in this community, full open doors in
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this community and communities asking us to transform their
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places. This is what the Kingdom was
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always supposed to be about. Amen, Hallelujah.
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But I'm going to tell you the first thing the enemy wants to
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do is try to come in and disrupt what God is wanting to do.
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So we are to grow up, you know. Ephesians 411 through 16 says
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this, that he gave some apostles, prophets, evangelists,
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pastors, teachers for the what? The quipping of the Saints for
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the work of service, Say work of service work.
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Of service Say it again. Work of service.
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Say it again. Work of service.
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Say it again. Work of service.
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Why is he equipping a body of believers for the work of
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service? That means there's something
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that he wants us to do to serve. Yes, and it's what?
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Yes, a four letter word WORK which churches don't want to
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hear today. Say work of service, say it
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again, work of service, say it again, work of service.
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Amen. We are called for the work of
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service. To the building up of the body
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of Christ until we all attain to the unity of faith and of the
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knowledge of the Son of God. To a what a mature man.
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A mature man understands that this is about the work of
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service for the Kingdom of God. An infant or a babe in Christ or
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a carnal Christian doesn't want and doesn't recognize that this
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is about a work of service and doesn't want to work, doesn't
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want to serve in any capacity, OK?
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Say Amen. Amen.
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And then he goes on to say this to the measure of the stature
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which belongs to the fullness of Christ, say the fullness of
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Christ. So he expects the body to mature
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and grow into a place of the fullness of Christ.
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And the fullness of Christ is going to function and flow when
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there's unity. When there's unity, right, The
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fullness of Christ. What does that mean?
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That everybody is going to be in his proper fit, proper working,
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proper place, proper assignment, doing what God has called them
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to do for the building up of the church.
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Say the building up at the church.
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See, everybody you know has a problem with wanting to serve in
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the church. They don't mind doing all these
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other community outreaches and out.
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But listen, our number one purpose as a believer is to
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build up the body of Christ, which has a work of service.
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So every time we come in to do something that God has assigned
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us to do in the body with serving internally, what are we
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doing? We are help building up the body
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of Christ. We're actually helping mature
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people. Listen, if we were not here as a
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church, if the parking lot wasn't here, if the greeters
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weren't here, if the worship team wasn't here, if those that
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were serving and children's weren't here.
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Marissa, you have only been coming, what, a year and a half?
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Guess what? She wouldn't be able to grow in
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the knowledge of the Lord if there wasn't a body here to
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bring her in to greet her. Come on to help her and assist
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her. What are you doing?
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You're helping her grow. Have you grown?
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Since you've been here. And she told me she just LED a
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Muslim to the Lord. Glory to God.
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So if there was no body, if there was no one in the work of
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service for the building up, you are building her life up so that
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she can grow up spiritually and mature.
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And if we weren't here to do that, guess what?
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Nobody would be growing and maturing and the church would
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not be built up. Hallelujah.
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So all those that think, oh, we don't have to serve, we just
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need to love. The Lord is not biblical.
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It's not biblical. Amen.
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He lets us know what. It is the work of service for
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the building up of the body of Christ.
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Amen, so that we can all grow. And when we all grow, what
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happens as a result of us doing this?
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We will no longer be children, tossed here and there by waves
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and carried about by every wind and doctrine, by the trickery of
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men, by the craftiness and deceitful scheming of Instagram.
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Profits and Facebook teachers. The church that tell you they
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just want too much from you. The church you don't have to go
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to church. They just want too much from
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you. Listen, this is you think I
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don't hear all the bogus stuff that goes on.
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I mean, it's ridiculous when the scripture clearly identifies
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what it is saying. Amen.
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But if you don't submit to a pastor of a local body church,
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you will be tricked, you will be deceived, and you will listen to
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anything like a bird flying around with its mouth open,
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letting anything. Just drop in glory so it says in
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verse 15. But speaking the truth in love,
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that's what I am doing. Amen.
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Speaking the truth in love. You know people don't understand
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even today what speaking the truth is in love, because if you
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speak something opposite of what someone wants to hear.
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Then, oh, you don't. You're not walking in love or
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oh, you're judging or oh. But because I love people, I
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want to speak the truth so that they don't follow the.
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The lies of the enemy. Because this, the word of God,
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is absolute truth. Everything else is a lie.
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The Word of God is absolute truth, and everything else is a
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lie. So speaking the truth in love,
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we are to grow up into all aspects unto Him who is the
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head, Even cries from whom? The whole body say the body is
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being fitted and held together by every joint supply according
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to the proper working of each individual part.
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Causes what? The growth of the body.
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So again, he's letting us know when every individual is jointed
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and fitted in its proper working and doing what it is that God
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has assigned and equipped for them to do in the body.
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What does it do? It builds its IT helps growth
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happen in the body and builds it up in love.
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In love, when we're all doing what it is that God is asking of
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us to do in serving the work of service to the Church.
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Amen. Ephesians.
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Chapter 218 through 22. It says I'm just laying a
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foundation because I can't wait to get to the rest of my
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scriptures. For through him we both have our
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access in one spirit to the Father.
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See that? So then you are no longer
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strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the
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Saints. And are of God's household.
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If you don't want to participate in what God is doing in the
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household, you alienate yourself.
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You become an alien. You actually become a stranger.
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Some of these that you don't see but once a year, well, you're a
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stranger to me, right? Right and.
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Then right. Or those that alienate
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themselves, and he's letting us know we're not supposed to be
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aliens any longer, or strangers any longer, because we've been
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brought into. The body of Christ, which is the
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household of God, the family of God.
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And so we need one another. Say we need one another.
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We need. One another it says, being built
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on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ
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Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole
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building being fitted together is growing into a holy temple in
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the Lord in whom you also are being built together into a
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dwelling of God in the Spirit, say I'm being built.
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Together I'm being. Built together.
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You're being built together with Christ, and if you are in
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Christ, you are in His body. One spirit, 1 faith.
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Come on, one body. You cannot say that you, you
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know, don't need the household of God or the family of God when
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someone actually leaves the family.
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What do you usually call that? Rebellious.
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Like a teenager going. I'm gonna.
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I'm. I'm leaving.
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I'm moving out. Yep.
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You call that rebellious spirit, don't you?
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Come on. Amen.
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Just think about it. So what is he saying?
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We are. Being built together, fitted
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together, growing into a holy temple in the Lord and who you
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also are being built together in a dwelling of God in the Spirit.
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So again this is letting us know that we are being built in
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Christ. One Spirit, 1 body, one faith.
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One spirit, 1 body, one faith. Look at Romans chapter 12 and
Romans 12 chapter mention
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verses four and five. It says for as we have many
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members in one body but all the members do not have the same
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function so we be many are one body in Christ.
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Say one body in Christ one. Body is Christ.
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And listen and individually, members of one another say one
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another. We are members of one another.
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Say one another, we're going to. Say this all morning long one
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another Very good. I didn't even have to prompt
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you. We're going to say it because
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I'm telling you, it is time that we recognize that we are a part
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of what God is building. Come on his body.
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To so recognize that we are so necessary, each and every one of
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us, and that we are a part of one another.
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And listen, When you hurt, we all hurt.
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Isn't that what he says? When one hurts, we all hurt.
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Listen, I'm telling you, we have to take up this cause of
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unification in the body, especially in this House.
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I don't care what's happening everywhere else, but in this
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House, we need to be 1. That means we're not going to
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back by. We're not going to talk about
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one another. We're not going to have odd
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against one another. We're not going to hold grudges
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against one another. Come on.
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Because we are a part of each other.
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Hallelujah. We're members of one another.
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First Corinthians chapter 10. Just in speaking in communion,
1 Corinthians 10 chapter mention
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verses 16 through 17, it says is not the cup of blessing which we
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bless a sharing in the blood of Christ.
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Is not the bread which we break a sharing in the body of Christ,
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since there is one bread? We, who are many, are one body,
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for we all partake of the one bread.
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You see that? He's letting us know.
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Listen, we are one body and we are all in Christ.
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Those that are born again, those who have called on the name of
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the Lord, those who have confessed Jesus Christ as their
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Lord. We are one in the body, we're
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one body. We are one body.
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Every individual. Every working different part,
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but we are one, and we all partake of His blood and the
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blessing of that. Amen. 1st Corinthians 10 four
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says this. And we all drank the same
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spiritual drink, For there were drinking from a spiritual rock
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which followed them, and the rock was Christ.
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Hallelujah. I'm all into Christ.
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Come on. I've drank his blood and eat his
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body. Come on, because I am one with
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him. Amen.
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And I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ, for it
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is the power unto salvation. Hallelujah.
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Glory to God. Glory to God.
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So I don't care what everybody thinks, right?
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Everybody wants to think what they want to think.
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So be it, and they'll go to hell for it.
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Amen. Come on, we've got to get to a
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place where we know what we believe, who we believe in, and
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that we are unashamed to completely sell out to the body
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of Christ. I'm sold out to this body, to
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the body of Christ the. Household of God that He's
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placed me in Hallelujah and I'll die.
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I will die standing on the word of God and in the love of God
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for each and everyone of you because I fight for you in
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prayer and you don't pray for those you don't love.
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So moving on, Charles Spurgeon said.
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This says Satan always hates Christian fellowship.
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It is his policy to keep Christians apart.
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Anything which can divide Saints from one another, say one
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another. He delights in it.
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He attaches far more importance to godly intercourse that than
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we do. Yeah.
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That is called godly. When we have fellowship with
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God, we are literally in communion with Him.
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We are in intercourse with the Father, with the body of Christ,
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and we are to be that same with you.
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And the devil don't want us to have true intimacy with one
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another, become vulnerable with one another.
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To love one another, see them in their faults but still love them
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and walk them through it. Listen to what there's going on
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in their hearts and still saying but God, but God can't come
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through. If you would just stand on the
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word, this marriage don't have to end.
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If you would just stand on the word.
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Come on, being loving people enough to speak the truth and
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walk them through it, because we're a part of one another.
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And when what hurts, we all hurt.
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So he attaches far more importance to God, the
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intercourse. That's what we then we do.
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Since union is strength, being unified has strength.
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There's strength and unity. We know the Scripture A3 corded
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strand cannot be easily broken, and that's why he doesn't want
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you to actually have true fellowship and vulnerability and
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intimacy with one another. And I understand why.
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Because some people become critical because they aren't
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doing the word some. People want to voice their
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opinions because they're not doing the word, but that does
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not negate the fact that he says we need it and we must have it
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if we are going to actually properly grow and mature and
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develop and have true unity, so. He said since union is strength,
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he does his best to promote separation.
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He does his best to promote separation.
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Now let's move on. Ephesians Chapter 4 and verse 25
Ephesians 4 chapter mention
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says, therefore laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one
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of you with his neighbors, for we are members of Speak.
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Truth. To your neighbors.
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This is not your neighbors down the road, though you may need to
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if the Lord leads you to. But this is talking about our
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neighbor. We are neighbors, we are in the
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household of God. We are family.
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But He relates it to a neighbor. And we are to speak the truth to
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one another because we're members of one another.
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That means you're going to hear people say some things maybe you
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didn't want to hear at the moment, but because they love
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you, right? They're going to speak the truth
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to you. Because they love you, they're
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going to share with you a few things, right?
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Speak the truth to each one of you.
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Amen. Now look at Hebrews.
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This is really the scripture that I had from the very
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beginning that the Lord gave me and all these others were laying
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the foundation. This was my original text.
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I just got this text, Hebrews 10/24 and 25.
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I'm going to read it out of the amplified.
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It says, And let us consider and give attentive, give attentive,
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continuous care to the watching over one another, to the
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watching over one another. He's letting us know that we
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should be watching over one another and being attentive to
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it, watching over one another, the King, James says,
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Stimulating one another, right says this continuous care to the
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watching over of one another, studying how we may stir up or
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stimulate and excite to love and helpful deeds and notable
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activities. You see that?
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Let us consider and give attentive, continuous care to
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the watching over of one another and studying how we may stir you
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up, one translation says. Stimulate you right to good
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works and love that, King James says.
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Have you thought about that? We're so focused on our lives,
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just trying to maintain, keeping our watching over our own
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family, our own kids. But yet, he says we're
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responsible for one another, that we should be attentive and
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watching over one another to make sure that we're stimulating
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and stirring one another up for good works, good deeds, noble
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activities and love. Oh, why they always asking us to
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do something, watching over one another.
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We all had. This is not just the pastor's
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assignment. This is our assignment, as the
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body of being a part of one another, that we ought to be
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encouraging one another, stimulating one another,
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watching over one another, making sure you're doing those
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works that he has asked us to do, stirring you up.
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To the to love and good deeds you see that?
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Got quiet. Amen.
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It got quiet, Hebrews said. It say one, another one.
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Another. Say we're responsible for one
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another. We're responsible.
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For one another. Because we are a part of one
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another. Because we are a part of one.
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Another. And so it's our assignments to
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making sure that one another is following and doing the things
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that God has asked them to do, and stirring people up and
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encouraging people to do those things.
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Amen. And of course he goes on into
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verse 25, and I was really just focusing on 24.
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But 25's good 'cause it's all in connection, so we might as well
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read it. Not forsaking or neglecting the
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assembling of ourselves together as believers, as is the habit of
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some people, but admonishing, warning, urging, and encouraging
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one another. And all the more faithfully as
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you see the day approaching, say one another.
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We're responsible for one another.
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We're responsible for another. We're a part of one another, one
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another. And I should be just as
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concerned about your spiritual walk and your spiritual life,
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just as a regular believer as my own.
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As a regular believer. Amen.
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John 1517 says this. It says this.
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I command you that you love. Say it every time.
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Now I'm just going to let the Bible speak for itself because
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there was 150 scriptures in the New Testament about us being a
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part of one another, 150 scriptures in the New Testament.
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And of course John lets us know a million times that we're to
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love one another and we're commanded to love one another.
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And this is not our fantasy of what love is.
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This is actually agape love, and agape love loves selflessly,
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right? Does it keep a record of thanks?
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No. But how many of us think evil of
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one another? Think they're out to get you?
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Or they said something wrong to you.
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And come on. So he says we're commanded that
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you love one another. Romans 12/10/11.
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How about this one being devoted to one another and brotherly
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love, Give preference to one another and honor.
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Wow. Give preference to one another.
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And honor. I would prefer you before
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myself. And guess what that relays?
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Honor. Honor.
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Honor devoted to one another. Are we devoted to one another,
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or do we just blow people off? And then do we like them?
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You know, when they do for us. But then you don't want to speak
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to them for months at a time until you need something else.
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Or when they got on your last nerve so you don't associate
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with them anymore. And then you go find another
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friend. Come on, don't think this isn't
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happening. I.
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Know it is. We're the watchers of your soul,
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right? Right.
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Being devoted to one another in brotherly love.
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Give preference to one another in honor, not lagging behind in
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diligence, fervent in spirit in serving the.
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Lord. Again, serving the Lord.
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We should have a fervent spirit. In serving the Lord, we should
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be passionate about whatever it is that God needs us to do for
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the household of God to build. Up the body of Christ.
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I should have a passion and be diligent and not lazy or lagging
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behind. Wow.
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Ephesians 521. Y'all, just look at the word.
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It's just the word talking to you this morning.
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Be subject to one another in the fear of the Lord.
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Be subject to one another. You know what that means?
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That means because you're in the body of Christ and you say
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you're a believer, then you should be subject to me.
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Not just me because I'm a pastor, but as another believer.
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Being subject to the fact to where if I'm encouraging you in
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the word or something's going on in your life that maybe not
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lining up in the word I'm, you should be subject to be able to
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receive the word that would be spoken to you concerning that
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situation. You should want somebody to love
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you enough to say hey. What about what the word says
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here? Maybe you can make a little
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adjustment there and it might help the situation.
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Is there anything wrong with that?
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Not when you don't want to not be submitted to one another.
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There is, because we know people have a submission problem.
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And who do you think you are trying to tell?
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Why do we take that attitude with one another?
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Who do you think you are? You think you're better than me?
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I've been in this church longer than you.
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You think I don't hear those things?
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People say those things. How immature.
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How immature. It shows you that there's some
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maturing and growth that needs to be developed.
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And actually one another is supposed to help iron sharpen
-
iron, which will help build you in some areas.
-
Instead of getting offended about things, you ought to say,
-
OK, let me think about that. Let me pray about that Is this
-
happening and and do I act like this all the time?
-
And do I respond this way all the time?
-
And is there something I should change about myself that would
-
help me look more like Christ? Come on and imitate him and who
-
he is better and and I don't want to do anything that would
-
dishonor him or put a bad taste in somebody else's mouth.
-
Wow, What is so difficult about that?
-
Galatians 62 says bear one another's burdens and thereby
-
fulfill the law of Christ. So when we help bear one
-
another's burdens, when we come up underneath a brother and
-
sister in Christ that may be going through something and say,
-
hey, how can we help? We're helping bear them up in a
-
hard situation. And when we do that?
-
It says we fulfill the law. What of Christ?
-
When we do that? When we pick up and undergird
-
and help bear somebody that's going through a hard time.
-
Hallelujah. Because.
-
It's not just about us, but the Western Church in the United
-
States of America has turned the Church into the great.
-
I am so we're to bear one another's burdens, and when we
-
do that, it fulfills the law of Christ.
-
Philippians 2-3 do nothing from selfish or empty conceit, but
-
with humility of mind. Regard one another as more
-
important than yourself. Regard one another more
-
important than yourself. That means we have to put off
-
selfishness. We're gonna regard you more than
-
what it means that I'm going through You don't know the
-
struggles I'm going through, but I'm gonna regard I'm not even
-
gonna. It doesn't even matter what I'm
-
going through, 'cause I'm gonna put you first and what you're
-
going through, and your need and your trial or your situation,
-
I'm going to regard you more important than me and my problem
-
and my situation. And I can guarantee you, if we
-
would start operating in that arena, Come on, things that you
-
are going through will change on a dime because you are operating
-
in the law of love. But as long as you keep poor on
-
me and my problems and you don't know what I'm going through,
-
well, maybe you ought to let us in on what you going through,
-
'cause maybe I can give you a word for you that will help
-
bring you through the problem. Yes, bear your burden with me so
-
I can help gird you up instead of you just staying pitiful and
-
pathetic because you don't want nobody to help you.
-
Good. Word.
-
Come on, I mean, this is the word of God.
-
It's the word of God. And you just read it for what it
-
says. 1st Thessalonians 511 Therefore, comfort each other
-
and edify one another. Say one another.
-
I'm to comfort you. I'm to edify you.
-
And let me tell you, you're the way you want to be edified, may
-
not want be the way the Lord wants to edify you.
-
So we got to be edified in how the Lord wants to edify us.
-
Oh, well, you didn't edify me. I didn't feel like you lifted me
-
up in that situation. Well, that's your problem, not
-
my problem. When I did what the Lord said
-
and gave you the word of God, your problem.
-
Say it's your problem, not my problem.
-
What does? This do it helps grow us, it
-
helps mature us, it helps equip us and makes us stronger in.
-
Different things that we may be going through.
-
So where to comfort you, where to edify you, right.
-
But again, that edification is to come from the Lord and how he
-
uses you to bring it, you know? I know.
-
There's some people that don't come and want to get comfort
-
from me and that's OK. But those who do, I can
-
guarantee you they own the other side.
-
Some of you want to just have comfort from somebody that's
-
going to, you know, be more pitiful with you.
-
And you know, there are the gifts of love and and mercy.
-
And and I've said I don't have that gift of mercy, but I do
-
love you. And I can guarantee you you will
-
win if you listen to me. It's guaranteed.
-
Guaranteed because it will always be backed by the word of
-
God. And when the word of God comes,
-
it will never fail, Never fail, because He's faithful.
-
Amen. Hallelujah, Ephesians 432.
-
It says Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each
-
other. I can be tenderhearted when I
-
need to be tenderhearted. I can be kind because the fruit
-
of the spirit that is in me. Come on.
-
And we have to recognize that that not everything you're going
-
through you need kindness to. Show up.
-
That's right, when the devil's getting ready to kill you and
-
destroy you and beat you down, you need somebody to be able to
-
get up in there and fight for you and not whine and cry with
-
you and not, you know, sweat with you with these tears and
-
cry all over you. You need somebody to get up in
-
there and snatch you up out of your situation and say listen
-
here, so every situation determines what's needed at the
-
time, but we still. Are to be kind to one another,
-
tenderhearted and forgiving one another?
-
We have to ask ourselves, are we tenderhearted with one another
-
or do we have walls up with one another?
-
Amen. Are we hard towards?
-
One another, it's a good question to ask ourselves,
-
because if there's hardness there towards people, then this
-
is something you need to make an adjustment about, because that
-
is not going to bring unity. That's right, period.
-
It's not going to bring unity. It's not going to bring oneness
-
to the body of Christ that he's looking for.
-
If you've got walls built up with people right now, look at
-
14 Romans 1419, it says. So then pursue the things which
-
make for peace and the building up of one another.
-
You see that? Pursue the things that make
-
peace and the building up for one another.
-
So we are to pursue it. We are to make every effort
-
we're to pursue. Building people up and to bring
-
peace in the situation with one another.
-
So what are we doing if we know there's something going on with
-
individuals in the body of Christ, you know?
-
What we should do, the mature thing would be to do is to go to
-
that individual because the scripture.
-
Actually says if you have something against someone, go to
-
them in private. Then you would go to them and
-
say, you know what? I just feel like there's a wall
-
here with us and I don't want it there.
-
And you know what? They don't have to think that
-
there's a wall, and maybe they don't think there's a wall, but
-
you've got the wall, so you get it right and say I'm just going
-
to bring peace. Right, right.
-
Hey, I don't have a problem with you.
-
I didn't know you had a problem with me.
-
Well, that's good. Good.
-
Then everything's great and we can walk in peace and love each
-
other and not have an issue. See what I'm saying?
-
How easy that is. And, and you know what?
-
The Scripture says? We ought to pursue that.
-
We ought to pursue it to make sure that there's nothing there
-
between any of us, because we're a part of.
-
One another, and we are to help build up one another.
-
Romans 15-5 How about this? Now may the God who gives
-
perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind
-
with one another, according to Christ of the.
-
Same mind. So our thinking has to all get
-
in alignment with the word of God.
-
How about that? Because he actually says we have
-
the mind of Christ when we get born again, but he lets us know
-
that we all should have the same mind with one another according
-
to Christ, so you don't get to hold on to your opinions of the
-
word if it doesn't. Line up to the word.
-
And this is how we get into the same mind, the same thinking.
-
What does the scripture says 111 way we can say it is.
-
We are what? Like minded.
-
We believe the same things. We function the same way.
-
We speak the same way. That's why it should be hard for
-
people to come in here and start speaking against someone else.
-
Because you ought to know. We don't think that we don't
-
speak that way. We don't talk that way.
-
We don't act that way towards one another.
-
You see that? OK, Romans 15, Seven.
-
Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ always accepted
-
us to. The.
-
Glory of God, accept one another.
-
Now that is not what the world calls acceptance, right?
-
We honor one another because you are a human being, and we accept
-
one another because we're in the body of Christ.
-
But that don't mean I have to accept behavior.
-
You see that? Because I'm not going to accept
-
just any old behavior. We're all one in Christ, so we
-
should only be wanting to demonstrate the behavior that
-
the Word of God says. Right.
-
So Romans 1413, let us not judge one another anymore, but rather
-
determine this not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in
-
a brother's way. How many of us have put a
-
stumbling block in a brother's way?
-
You see that we're not to judge one another, we're not to put a
-
stumbling block in any path of anybody's way.
-
You see that he takes this very seriously, that what we do on a
-
day in and day out out basis and how we interact with the body of
-
Christ and with one another is extremely important to God and
-
to unity of the household of faith.
-
Extremely important. James 411 Do not speak against
-
one another. Do not speak against one
-
another. Brethren talking to the body to
-
believers, he who speaks against a brother or judges his brother
-
speaks against the law, and the judges the law.
-
But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law, but
-
judge of it. So do not speak against one
-
another. What does that mean?
-
I'm not going to go. Around and speak against you to
-
other people on what I think about you and your situation and
-
like I'm judging your situation like well, if I was them I would
-
be doing. This or if I was them, I don't
-
know why they're doing that. That's bringing your judgment to
-
the situation that is speaking against your brother or your
-
sister. That's going through a
-
situation, No, especially you should be you.
-
Nobody else should even be concerned about what somebody
-
else is going on in their life. If you have information about a
-
situation, and certainly you shouldn't be judging it because
-
you have no idea. All.
-
The information, that's right, that's.
-
Right, so do. Not speak against one another,
-
James, 59, says. Do not grumble against one
-
another. Well, I tried to do something
-
with them and they just did this to me.
-
And you know, I'm never going to ask them to do anything for me
-
again, and you shouldn't either because they don't ever do what
-
they say they're going to do. And you know, this person, they
-
just crumbling, complaining about them being critical, a
-
critical spirit talking. I'm telling you, one of the
-
worst things on the face of the planet is a critical.
-
Spirit and it will cause a root of bitterness.
-
Guarantee it. If you don't deal with that
-
critical spirit and always picking out everybody's flaws
-
and talking about everybody and just so critical about how they
-
do this and what. They're doing here.
-
It will become a bitter root on the inside of you.
-
I don't know why they do it that way, and I don't know.
-
Well, why don't you go and ask them instead of having a
-
critical spirit that breathes nothing but cancer.
-
That is the truth, and you will become withered up and die on
-
the inside because you're always picking out everybody else,
-
Galatians 526 says this. Let us not become boastful,
-
challenging one another and envying one another.
-
And a lot of times, the reason why some people are so critical
-
is because they're envying the very thing that that person is
-
actually doing, or how that person is actually overcoming or
-
living, and God's blessing them. And you've become so envious
-
that your life is not living up to what you've expected God to
-
do for you. You become critical about
-
everybody else. So let us not become boastful,
-
challenging one another and envying one another.
-
Because where there is envy, there is every evil work.
-
The scripture says where there is envy.
-
There is every evil work, and when you look up that word.
-
I haven't even studied this, but I've studied it before, so I
-
know what it means when you look it up.
-
It means every root of wickedness, wickedness.
-
When you allow envy to be a part of your life, and it starts by
-
being critical, that's the root of it.
-
That's the root of it. So he lets us know we should not
-
envy one another, challenge one another, or become boastful.
-
How many more can you handle? I got six more.
-
Can we handle it? First Thessalonians 513.
-
And that you esteem them very highly in love because of their
-
work. Live in peace with one another,
-
which we have said before, live in peace with one another.
-
You should be being a peacemaker as a believer.
-
Blessed are. The.
-
Peacemakers. It Listen, time is too short to
-
have so much stuff going on that is not even important.
-
If we would just recognize the love of God and that we would
-
honor him, honor one another in the body of Christ, listen to
-
me. I'm telling you, we should just
-
live at peace. That don't mean we let.
-
We don't hold people accountable.
-
I'm not talking about those scenarios, but all the little
-
bitty things we should just say, I don't even listen.
-
How do you I mean? How are you?
-
Even expecting to live in peace, if you are always problematic
-
with everybody else's business, I got enough to be concerned
-
about and focused on. I don't need to be concerned
-
about everybody else's pettily little stuff that will bring you
-
no Peace of Mind. So we're to live at peace.
-
With one another first, Thessalonians 515 see that no
-
one repays another with evil for evil, but always seeks after
-
that which is good for one another and for.
-
All people? Wow.
-
Have we as the body of Christ gotten to this place that we
-
would care so much more and always seek after the best of
-
others, all people? Or are we still so self?
-
Consumed that we're not even thinking about how our lives
-
effects one another. Romans 1514.
-
And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that
-
you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with the
-
knowledge, and able to also admonish one another.
-
We should be so filled up with the word of God that we
-
recognize. We then should admonish other
-
people, to live by the Word, to walk by the Word, to be built up
-
in the word, to share with people what's going on.
-
Listen, this stuff is important and I'm telling you, as he says
-
in Hebrews 25, as the day draws. Near And are we living in the
-
last days as it is drawing near and you're seeing the chaos in
-
the world and everything that's going on in the world, you ought
-
to be thankful that you would have a household of God
-
somewhere you can come home to. And what do you do when you go
-
home? You feel safe.
-
You feel secure. You feel like everybody's got
-
your back. They're going to tell you the
-
truth, but they're with you. They're for you.
-
Come on. Whereas we can't trust not one
-
person in this world, and I don't care even if you say
-
they're good. I've known a lot of good.
-
People that hurt good Christian believers.
-
Well, and I've I've, I've seen the other spectrum too.
-
But it's because we don't mature.
-
I'm going to tell you, people in the world should not be loving
-
their spouses better than the men of God in this house.
-
Hallelujah. People in this world should not
-
have better marriages than our marriages in this House.
-
People in this world should not have better children being
-
raised than we have in this House.
-
He came to give us a better quality of living, a better
-
quality of life, and everything about our lives should be a
-
better quality in it than the things of this world.
-
Amen. I should not hear Christian
-
girls saying, well, I don't want to marry a man like him because
-
look what he did to his wife and he was in the church.
-
Do you know how many times I've heard that shame on us that they
-
think they can find some good guy out here better than a
-
better man in here because of the way they've seen men treat
-
their wives in here and vice versa?
-
You women think these guys out here are so much better than
-
your guy, I would say. Well, they go taste and see and
-
see. They'll destroy your life and
-
sell everything from you and sell you out to the next woman
-
that walks across their face, because that is a lie.
-
Of the enemy. It's a lie from straight pit of
-
hell that you're listening to and entertaining.
-
Nobody does it better than God and when you do it right.
-
It's right. I'm hearing this mess.
-
Oh, I'd much rather date somebody outside the church,
-
'cause they're just this, this and this and that.
-
Give me a break. Scripture says you're unequally
-
yoked. So what about that?
-
Think they going to go marry somebody that's not even born?
-
Again. Come on, think about it.
-
It's a lie from the pit of hell. Just because people failed
-
doesn't mean God has failed to His word and his standard.
-
No. People make a decision not to
-
live the word and be sold out completely.
-
And that's why things are still going on in people's lives as
-
believers. Because they're not submitted to
-
God. They're not truly submitted to
-
the word. That's just the bottom line,
-
Galatians 513. For we were all called to
-
freedom. Brethren, only do not turn your
-
freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love.
-
Here we go. Serve one another, serve one
-
another. Is that our?
-
Heart. How can I serve you?
-
Is that your heart When you're coming in, when you're going,
-
when you're living your life and a sister from church calls you
-
and ask a question or something, Is your heart to be there, to
-
serve them in any capacity? Are you thinking about you and
-
what you have going on? You.
-
See. So simple, but so profound.
-
And if we are the body of Christ, that is actually going
-
to be in a position to mature and grow and build up and walk
-
in the fullness that God has for us.
-
We have to get this, and we have to pursue it and make it our
-
passion that I am going to so care for others more than
-
myself, that in whatever capacity I can build this church
-
up, I'm going to do it. That should be our heart.
-
And do you know what? There is nothing wrong with
-
someone asking that of you, because it's God asking that of
-
you. It's God asking that of you.
-
It is not me, and it's not pastor, and it's not the
-
overseer of Nautilus Junior. And it's no, it's God.
-
It is God himself asking that of you to serve his body, to help
-
build his body up in whatever capacity that is not about you.
-
It's about what can I do to help Marissa grow.
-
What can I do to help so and so grow and mature and come to walk
-
in the gifts with Abby. What can I do come on to help
-
Antonio raise up to be a man of God.
-
What can I do to serve you? That should be our heart in
-
whatever capacity. Whatever we can do first, Peter.
-
And we're closing first Peter for 8:00 and 11:00 above all.
-
Above all, keep fervent in your love for.
-
So our love I should be so fervent about the love that I
-
have for you. Just as fervent as the love that
-
I have for my own family, my own children, my aunt, whatever my
-
love for. You should be.
-
Fervent your love for one another.
-
Do you actually love anybody else in this body?
-
Fervently. You see what I'm saying?
-
It's. Not this.
-
The Scripture is not the Scripture burning within our
-
hearts. Is this not the word of God
-
speaking for itself, speaking for itself?
-
That I'm telling you that if we're going to do all that God
-
needs to do through this body, we are going to have to take up
-
this call to be fervently loving one another?
-
And because love covers a multitude of sins, verse 9.
-
Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
-
How about that without complaining?
-
Oh, I got to go do that. They asked me to do that.
-
That's a complaint. I got to go do that.
-
I got to go serve over there. How about I?
-
Get to I get to serve the body of Christ.
-
I get to help someone come into the Kingdom of God.
-
I get to help somebody grow and hear the word of God for the
-
first time, maybe that they ever heard it.
-
I get to without complaint as each one has received a special
-
gift, employ it in serving one another.
-
God gave every one of us a gift. And you know what that gift is
-
to? Serve one another.
-
To serve one another. To serve one another.
-
And he says, employ it. You know what that means.
-
Put it to work. I'm going to employ it.
-
I'm going to put it to work. I'm going to serve one another,
-
and I'm going to do it without complaining, without
-
compromising what's coming out of my mouth.
-
I'm not going to show up to where I'm serving and have an
-
opinion about, well, why did we have to do it this way and why
-
do we have to do it that way? Well, you do it because that's
-
the way we do it. What does it matter?
-
Is it changing people's lives? See that employ it, and serving
-
one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God?
-
So saving grace was not just for you to get saved.
-
Sit in a religious service so that one day when you die, you
-
get to go to heaven. Know the manifold grace of God
-
included serving grace, Grace to be able to serve and to do the
-
work of service of what God has asked us to do, to employ it for
-
the building up of the body of Christ.
-
James 516 And if I would have known this, I would have had
-
this happen today says confess your sins to one another.
-
Confess your sins to one another.
-
How about that one? Now, we're not talking about
-
Catholic going to the Father, Father, I've sinned.
-
But that means if something's going on and you know that
-
you're not in a right spot and you need help to get out, you
-
should be comfortable enough to go to one another and confess
-
that sin so that they that we could pray for you, so that
-
people can pray for you so that you can overcome it, not
-
thinking that Well. If I tell them they're going to
-
tell everybody in the church and they're going to judge me, that
-
is a lie from the pit of hell. And that's what the enemy wants,
-
For you to be isolated, all alone, and to not overcome that
-
sin. Actually, you see that.
-
Confess your sin to one another. Pray for one another so that you
-
can be healed. Some people have even sickness
-
in their body because they've got sin that they've not dealt
-
with. And if you're not coming to the
-
altar, what are you doing? Go to somebody that can help
-
you. Go to somebody that can help
-
you. And the last scripture I'm going
-
to read, which is which I what I wish we would have done today,
-
but we're going to do communion. And it's just the same in John
-
1314 it says this. If I then the Lord and the
-
Teacher washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's
-
feet. Thank you so much for listening
-
to this message. If you want more, subscribe to
-
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