LOVE MEANS AFFIRMATION - Ephesians 4:1-16

Well, all right. If you have a Bible or

an app, let's open it up. We're going to

be in Ephesians chapter 4 this morning.

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

Ephesians chapter 4. We have quite a

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

lengthy passage. We're going to be

looking at verses 1- 16 with a

particular focus on verses 14- 16. And I

want to read almost the entirety of

chapter 4 because I believe it's really

going to set the tone and provide for us

a good launching pad of where we are

going thematically this morning. If

you've been with us over the past couple

of weeks, we are stepping into week

three of a sermon series that we've done

over the past couple of years called

Mythbusters. And it is my goal

throughout this series to inform you,

church body, of myths and slogans and

phrases and persistent beliefs that have

been saturated into the culture. And

then to ask the question, what does the

Bible say?

And it's usually during this time where

I really make a strong emphasis um and

we do this throughout the year, but but

specifically during this sermon series

where there's really a strong emphasis

that we would live our lives through the

lens of biblical truth. My hope and my

prayer is that as a child, as a son and

daughter of our father who is in heaven,

you are already living your life through

the lens of faith, through the lens of

biblical truth. Because here is the

reality that we all know and that we all

experience and we are all currently

living.

We make choices. We make decisions. We

interact with people. We approach areas

in our life. We think thoughts. We form

ideals, philosophies, and beliefs

through some lens of perceived truth.

That is a truth for everyone in this

room. Your life is operated through a

lens of perceived truth. The goal

throughout this series is that we would

be challenged and that we would be

affirmed

on exactly what that lens is.

And my hope and my prayer is that for

some of us, this series would serve as

an opportunity to realize and recognize

that the lens of perceived truths that

we've been living our lives according to

and looking through has not been true at

all, but has really been false.

And you know this just as well as I do.

that that's the the MMO of the enemy.

If if he can take biblical truth and and

bend it just a little bit, warp it just

a little bit, pollute it just a little

bit so that it appears to be palatable.

We accept it and we begin to form our

lives based on it.

But fractured truth is really no truth.

Polluted truth is really no truth.

Corrupt truth is really no truth. And

there's a three-letter word that we have

for that. It's called a lie.

And so many people, maybe some of us

here this morning, have built our lives

according to the lies of this world.

And so I want to challenge those lies. I

want you not to just take my word for

it, but for you to be an individual who

puts yourself to the disciplined and

intentional task of studying the word of

God. So, as Paul declares later in the

New Testament, you would show yourself

approved

as a workman. The scripture says, who

will not be ashamed.

And we're not ashamed because we stand

on a foundation of biblical truth that

is unshakable.

So before we go any further, let me just

ask you this question. What truth are

you building your life on?

And does that truth come straight from

the word of God? Or is it a truth that

you have crafted yourself? one that

you've experienced, heard, and maybe

discovered through the culture, through

society, through the world, and have

chosen to build your life on that

because we all live our lives according

to a perceived truth. What I want to do

as your pastor is I want to challenge

you to live your life according to

biblical truth,

Godspoken

truth, Holy Spirit inspired

truth. You will never meet an individual

who chooses to be obedient to the

standards and expectations of our savior

Jesus Christ who will then say, "I've

not become a better person because of

it."

You want to become a better man, fellas,

live your life according to this truth.

You want to become a better husband,

live your life according to this truth.

a better wife, ladies, a better mom, a

better grandparent, a better citizen, a

better church member. Let us commit to

be a people who live our lives according

to this truth. And so, one of the myths

that we want to tackle this morning as

we continue in our series

is usually phrased this way.

Love means affirmation.

If you love me, then you'll agree with

what I believe and how I live my life.

And we've recently seen this shift over

the last decade.

It used to be that you can go to someone

and you can say, "Hey, because I love

you, I want to tell you where you're

wrong. I want to show you why you're not

making the best decisions."

And several generations ago, several

decades ago, it would be understood that

because this person loves me, they're

taking the opportunity to step into the

mess that is my life and speak truth.

And decades ago, it was received. Even

if at the end of the conversation, they

didn't agree with it, there was still no

question about the love you had for that

individual. But we've seen a major shift

in what love means, at least according

to cultural standards.

Love is no longer because I love you,

let me show you where I disagree with

you. Worldly love has now morphed into

if you tell me I'm wrong. If you attempt

to bring any form of accountability in

my life, you must not love me. Anyone

ever experienced those moments in

conversations?

And this is pervasive in our culture.

We live in a world today that says

things like this. If you love me, you'll

support my decision

no matter what.

If you love me, you'll accept me exactly

as I am. And if you disagree with me,

then you don't really love me.

This is all a result of a shattered,

marred, and adulterated view of who we

truly are. Let me explain.

In the beginning, during the creation

account in Genesis 1:es 26 and 27,

our father in heaven declares these

words, "Let us make man in

our image."

And further it continues, in the image

of God he created him. Male and female

he created them. In the image of who? In

the image of God. So our identity, our

identity, our worth, our purpose, our

value, our dignity is rooted not in what

we believe, not in the things that we

say, not in the things that we think,

nor in the things that we do, but in who

God is,

and by the fact that we were created by

him to be imagebearers,

which is so important, especially

society, to understand

because oftent times, and let me just be

transparent with you,

as a pastor who has a a passion for the

word of God, who has a passion for the

people of God, who has a deep desire to

lead and shepherd this body of believers

to grow and mature in their relationship

with Jesus Christ. My identity can

really really be wrapped up in all of

that which then results in this.

When I fail in my calling, and we all

fail in our calling, I begin to question

my identity.

But if I really understand that I'm made

in God's image,

no matter my shortcomings,

it'll never factor into my identity

because my identity is not based on what

I do or who I am, but who's I am. And

that is our father in heaven. But

today's culture has really shifted that

our identity is not rooted in the maker

of heaven and earth. Our identity is

rooted in the things that we hold dear

in the things that we treasure in the

philosophies and the ideals that we

believe and experience and live out in

our lives. So that when it's questioned,

when it's disagreed with, when it's

called into accountability,

then the result is the false

understanding and the false belief that

because you don't affirm everything and

anything about me, you must not love me.

In fact, you probably hate me.

But what does the Bible say about this?

When the world redefineses what love is.

When the world attempts to infiltrate

the church to redefine what love is, how

should we as believers in the only lens

of truth by which we should live our

life, God's word, how should we respond?

Well, I believe this is where Ephesians

4 really speaks into. And let me just

challenge us with this because as we

begin to unpack biblical love, how does

it operate? How does it move? How does

it ask the right questions? How does it

bring accountability to the people that

we truly genuinely and authentically

love? How does it do those things? I

think there needs to be a reframing

perhaps of perspective

today

because biblical love doesn't ask what's

going to make you feel affirmed,

what's going to make you feel accepted.

Biblical love doesn't ask that question.

Biblical love asks what will help you

become more like Jesus.

At the end of the day, you and I as sons

and daughters of God are called to

reflect Jesus.

So that when people look at your life,

when they engage and hear your ideals,

your philosophies, your understandings,

the beliefs and doctrines that you've

formed,

when they hear your words and see your

decisions and the results of it, whether

good or bad, what people should see in

you

is Christ.

so that they see here is how someone

navigates shortcomings.

Here's how someone repents and turns

right back to Jesus. Here's how someone

maintains and endures in the faith when

things are not going well. The goal, the

primary goal is to be like Jesus. And

the more we're like Jesus, the greater

glory God the Father receives.

So, with that said, Ephesians chapter 4,

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

beginning in verse one, here's how it

reads.

Therefore,

now, if you've been if you've been in

church long enough, you know the the old

preacher saying when you see the word

therefore in the scripture, you have to

ask the question, what is it there for?

And we're going to unpack that here in

just a moment. Paul continues,

"Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord,

urge you," that's what we call a double

entandre. Paul's in prison,

but he's also a a servant of the Lord.

The Lord's his master. And so, a play on

words here is to describe the

relationship

the one who has placed FAITH IN CHRIST

HAS WITH HIM. We are his servants. He is

our master. what he declares, we follow

through in faithfulness and obedience

and desired holiness. Paul says, "As one

who belongs to the Lord, as a prisoner

for him," let me just pause real quick.

This is the problem with society.

They'll read things like this. They'll

be challenged with things like this. And

particularly in Western culture where we

enjoy our freedoms. Praise God for our

freedoms.

We don't want to be a prisoner to

anyone.

We don't want anyone else to call the

shots. Amen, fellas. How many of us have

dealt with that?

But if we're going to be the people God

has called us to be, if we're going to

exercise the love that we're called to

exercise, we need to understand God

calls the shots. Always and forever. Is

God calling the shots in our life? And

so what's results

in one who understands that my life is

led, influenced, guided, directed by the

master of the universe. What's the

result of that? What does my life then

look like? Paul continues to walk worthy

of the calling you have received

to live your life in such a way

where it is worthy of what God has

gifted you with what God has handed you.

How God moves and works and stirs you as

one who is obedient walk worthy of the

calling. Verse two, with all humility

and gentleness, with patience, bearing

with one another in what? in love,

bearing with one another in love, making

every effort to some of you need to

underline this in your Bible. Keep the

unity. Some people have the spiritual

gift of division.

That's a joke. It ain't a spiritual

gift.

We're called to keep the unity.

We'll unpack this here in just a moment.

Part of keeping the unity means holding

people accountable for the things that

don't honor Jesus. Now, we'll unpack

what that looks like here in in just a

moment. But make every effort to keep

the unity of the spirit through the bond

of peace. There's one body, one spirit,

just as you were called to one hope and

your calling. One Lord, one faith, one

baptism, one God and Father of all, who

is above all and through all and in all.

We can do an entire sermon based on

those verses alone. There is one God,

our Abba Father.

There is one Lord, his name is Jesus

Christ. All other religions,

all other philosophical devotions that

do not have the God of the scriptures at

its center are false

and they will never lead people to the

father's presence.

One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one

God and father of all, who is above all

and through all and in all. Now, grace

was given to each one of us according to

the measure of Christ's gift. For it

says, and Paul begins to quote from the

Psalms here, "When he ascended on high,

he took the captives captive. He gave

gifts to the people." But what does he

ascended mean except that he also

descended to the lower parts of the

earth? The one who descended is also the

one who ascended far above all the

heavens to fill all things. And he

himself gave some to be apostles, some

prophets, some evangelists, some pastors

and teachers to equip the saints. Who

are the saints?

You.

To equip you.

To equip you for what? For the work of

ministry

to build up the body of Christ. until we

all reach unity in the faith and in the

knowledge of God's son. Growing into

maturity with a stature measured by

Christ's fullness. Let me hit the brakes

right there. Growing into maturity

with a stature measured by who? And

what? Christ's fullness.

So our aim, our goal should never be

rooted in worldly spiritual things, but

should always and forever be focused on

Christ and his fullness. Remember the

question, am I becoming like Christ? It

has always been about growing in Jesus

Christ. Verse 14. Then

we will no longer be little children

tossed by the waves and blown around by

every wind of teaching, by human cunning

with cleverness in the techniques of

deceit. You recognize how even Paul

recognizes

the craftiness

of the deceitful one, the liar, the

devil, and his demons out there to

twist, pollute, and distort God's truth.

But what does he say? When we're loving

on one another, when we're seeking the

unity of the body, then we will become

children who are not tossed about by the

lies of this world by the schemes and

tricks of the enemy. Verse 15, but

speaking the truth and love,

let us grow in every way into him who is

the head, Christ.

From him the whole body, that's us here

today. That's our brothers and sisters

across town worshiping. That's our

brothers and sisters down in Alice and

Matthysse Benetti wraps down across the

state across the nation across the

world. That we would all the whole body

fitted and knit together by every

supporting ligament promotes the growth

of the body for building itself up in

love by the proper working of each

individual part. And all God's people

said,

>> amen.

>> Lord, would you bless your word? Holy

Spirit, would you stir our hearts today?

It's a long passage and if you're

familiar with the book of Ephesians, you

know that Ephesians is typically

separated into two sections.

The first three chapters, Paul is

letting the Christians in Ephesus know

this is who we are in Jesus Christ.

because of the grace that he has

showered over us because of the mercy

that is provided through his life, death

and resurrection. This is what salvation

is. This is who we are because of Jesus

Christ. And then here in verse four,

remember verse one, it says,

"Therefore," so that becomes a hinge

by which Ephesians begins to shift.

And so from chapter 4 onward, Paul, now

that he's made the case and laid the

foundation for this is who we are in

Christ, we get to chapter 4 and beyond.

He begins to unpack here is what that

looks like in your life.

So it's not just mental understanding,

it's about spiritual and physical

devotion.

Not because the things that we do save

us, but because the things that we do,

the obedience of our life is a result of

one who understands who we are in

Christ. And so Paul begins to say, this

is how you respond to the grace you've

received. This is how you live out the

salvation that you've been blessed with.

So here's the big idea

around um our our message this morning.

As we tackle this myth, love means

affirmation.

I want us to wrap our minds around this

truth that biblical love

doesn't affirm what keeps you from

becoming like Christ.

God has laid out his truth. He has laid

out his standards and his expectations.

And let me just again say that he has

laid out expectations.

Just like any family has expectations

for the people who have roles and

responsibilities in that family. So it

is with our father who is in heaven. You

as part of his forever family. He has

roles and roles, responsibilities and

expectations for you.

And we never want to be the type of

people that affirm those roles and

responsibilities

if they are contrary to what God has

declared. So biblical love doesn't

affirm what keeps you from becoming like

Christ.

And so Paul begins to unpack what this

looks like. And I want us to notice

something incredible here in verse two.

Notice that Paul says, "As a prisoner of

the Lord, I urge you to walk worthy of

the calling you have received." And then

he begins to unpack what this is going

to look like because this is going to

serve as as greater detail and specifics

for what biblical love is. Verse two, he

says, "With all humility

and gentleness,

with patience, bearing with one another

in love."

I love this because this completely

destroys a major misunderstanding of

biblical love and biblical truth.

Biblical love and biblical truth doesn't

give people an excuse to be mean and

unkind. Let me phrase it this way.

Biblical love is not an excuse to be a

jerk.

And so often we see this so pervasive on

social media where people will drop

unkind

and ugly arguments to people and say,

"Well, I'm just saying biblical truth."

You may be saying biblical truth, but

people are not hearing biblical truth

because all that you've said lacks

humility, lacks gentleness, lacks

patience, and you're not bearing with

one another. And it's not really rooted

in love. at least not according to

scripture. Now, DON'T HEAR WHAT I'M NOT

SAYING. I'm not saying we become a

doormat for people. Actually, this the

entirety of our message will show how we

need to stren stand strong and be bold

for the truth of God's word. But there

is a consistent PATTERN WE SEE

THROUGHOUT scripture in the way CHRIST

DROPS THE LOVE OF THE father on people

while in the same time calling them to

repentance in him. So, here's what I

want to do. I got two truths that I want

to throw our way. We'll unpack some

application and we'll go back through

our passage. If you're taking notes,

here's the first thing I want us to

understand. Love, biblical love, refuses

to let sin become our guide.

This is easily seen in our culture

today. sin becomes the guide for so many

people because it is what feels good to

them. It's their truth. It's their

reality. And if it feels good to them

and it's their perceived truth and

they're not hurting anybody, then all

should be okay. But as people of God who

have been given a mandate by Jesus

himself to go and make disciples to

teach them all things, not

cherry-picking what feels good, what we

agree with, and casting out what doesn't

feel good and what we don't agree with,

but teaching them all things in the

scripture in truth so that they might

grow in a greater understanding of who

their father in heaven is. We can never

let sin become the guide. Which is why

as Christians, we fight

and we stand strong and we're bold with

biblical resolve to never waver from

what God has declared. Go back with me

to verse 14.

Now remember Paul instructing us in this

[snorts] desire for unity expressed in

love is all for the purpose of what? The

building up of the body. Why do we want

to build up the body? Because if people

are not part of the body of Christ, that

means they're not children of God. And

if they're not children of God, let me

lay it out there. They will not spend

eternity with God. which means they will

spend eternity separated from God in

eternal torment, condemnation, and

damnation. Pause button. Not because God

sends people there. God's not a

universal killjoy, a Debbie Downer, or a

party pooper, or any other phrases that

you've heard in reference to God and the

doctrine of hell, not because God sends

people there, but because of God of

people in their rebellion against God

choose to be there. This is the doctrine

of Romans chapter 1 and Romans chapter

Romans 1 · chapter mention Romans 2 · chapter mention

2. So now if anybody ever says why would

God send people to hell? The response is

he doesn't.

His desire is that all would be saved.

But people in their rebellion take the

truth of God and they say I'd rather

have the lies of the world. And because

God is a gentleman, he says IF THAT'S

WHAT YOU WANT,

then that's what you'll get. You'll get

what you want. So CS Lewis said it this

way. I've quoted CS Lewis before. CS

Lewis said, "Hell is locked from the

inside

because everybody who is separated from

God for all eternity has chosen in their

rebellion to say, "Yes, that's what I

want."

But if we're called TO BUILD UP THE

BODY, THEN WE REFUSE to let people have

that future.

which is why there's this URGENCY TO

TELL PEOPLE THE good news about Jesus,

that there's a better way and why we

refuse to let sin become the guide.

Verse 14. And so Paul begins to unpack

it this way. When we seek [snorts] the

unity of faith, the building up of the

body rooted in love, then we will no

longer be little children tossed by the

waves and blown around by every wind of

teaching, by human cunning, with

cleverness and the techniques of

deceit.

This picture that's being painted here

is that the immature, those who do not

hold to this truth, but rather cling to

the lies of this world, are seen as

those who are immature.

And the immature get tossed around by

the wind and the waves of this world.

Really, this is a picture of

instability.

There's no sure footing in your life.

There's no strong foundation by which

you are building on.

You're a flip-flopper.

You believe one thing, you believe

another thing. If it sounds cool,

trendy, and it's popular, then you shift

to that ideal and that philosophy, but

it is unstable.

The proverbs would say that a fool is

unstable in all his ways. And so what

happens? What begins to guide you is the

sin of this world. And the sin of this

world will make you unstable

like no other thing. This is why the

ideas that our culture has about truth,

truth regarding sexuality,

truth regarding gender identity, truth

regarding marriage, truth regarding

love, truth regarding life and the value

of life, truth regarding morality. The

mantra goes something like this. I

determine who I am.

And love requires other people to

recognize and validate who I determine I

am. But who determines who we are?

Genesis 1:26 and 27. We were made in

Genesis 1:26

God's image. And what has sin done? It

has thwarted. It has polluted it. It has

adulterated that image and we have

bought into the lie and have been caught

in the trap of the enemy that we can

determine who we are. And if you

determine who you are, then undoubtedly

the result of that is you determine that

you're God.

I don't know about you,

I know that I don't make the best

decisions 100% of the time.

And I know for me, I'll have good

seasons. I'll have great seasons. I'll

have amazing seasons. But I know that

eventually I fail and I fall short.

But there's one who never fails me.

There's one who never falls short. That

doesn't mean life's perfect. But even

when my life isn't perfect, there's a

foundation that isn't unstable, but one

that is surefooted.

so that the winds and the waves of

culture

cannot shatter it, cannot bring it down.

And as Christians called by God to

declare his truth, we don't affirm

people under the guise of love just

because we don't want them to feel bad

or because we feel uncomfortable. But as

God's children, we refuse to let sin

become the guide.

And here's the thing, we we must never

determine truth

by checking what's popular in the

culture.

Because by checking what's popular in

the culture is eventually going to shift

with the winds of the world. Let me just

share with you real quick. John 8:32

John 8:32

Jesus said, "You will know the truth."

And what does the truth do? Set you

free.

The world says you become free by

releasing the restraints of truth.

That's really a lie. When you are

released from the restraints of truth,

you become imprisoned

to the ways of the world and to the ways

of the enemy.

Which is why things that are absolutely

clear in scripture, sexuality, identity,

marriage, morality, what love truly is,

is now brought into question

in a world that says it can be whatever

we want it to be so long as it makes me

feel good. Which is really a valid way

of saying I want to justify my rebellion

against the Lord.

But when we know the truth, the truth

sets us free. Freedom is found in

knowing truth. This is why to affirm

someone in their sin is actually the

most unloving thing we can do. This is

not original. You've heard this before.

If someone is stuck in a burning

building,

we don't affirm it. Yeah. Be you.

Stay where you are, where you feel

comfortable. No. What do we do? We do

everything that we can within us to warn

them of the danger, to rescue them from

the danger, to point them to the one who

can redeem. And yet so many perhaps even

in this room out of a desire to just be

affirming,

we let sin become the guide. So, so

here's what we need to do. We need to

ask ourselves,

have I ever called something loving

simply because telling someone the truth

would make me feel uncomfortable.

Sometimes our silence over something

isn't compassion.

Sometimes we're protecting ourselves

from being vulnerable or for step or

from stepping into a circle of

uncomfortable conversations. Listen to

be bold in the faith means stepping into

the uncomfortable.

Now

we do so how through through how Paul

says with all humility and gentleness

with patience bearing with one another

in love. So, what does that mean? That

means maybe for some of us, it means we

go to the Lord in a season of prayer.

Because maybe it'll look like this. God,

I'm coming to you because I know I need

to share biblical love with a family

member, with a church member, with a

friend because their lifestyle, their

decisions are veering off course or it's

in complete rebellion against you. And

God, I know me. And if it's just me

sharing this truth, it's not going to

come across as one who has a spirit of

humility, as one who is gentle. It's

going to come across as unloving. And it

might actually have the opposite effect

that I intend for it to have.

And so we go prayed up because this is

what we want. We want to approach it

biblically with love. And what does love

want? What does biblical love want? It

wants something better for people. And

Hebrews talks about the one who is

better and his name is Jesus. So love

refuses to let sin become our guide both

corporately and individually.

As a corporate body of believers, we

will never waver on what God has

declared to be true.

And as an individual,

God may have positioned you in that

friendship, with that co-orker, with

that neighbor, with that family member

to hold them accountable. Say it with

me. In love.

And love does not mean affirming them.

It means pointing them to Jesus. Which

which brings us to our second and final

point. Love should always point to

Jesus.

If your goal is not to point someone to

Jesus in the accountability that you

bring, then you've missed it. You've

missed it. Now, let me just share this.

This is a challenge because I have

fallen victim to this many times.

Sometimes we want to be quick to bring

accountability, not because there's a

genuine desire that someone would repent

and come to Christ, but because there's

a greater desire just to be right.

And so when we point people to Jesus,

that must be the motivation.

I think this is where it leads us to

some of the most important words in our

passage. Look at verses 14 uh 15 and 16.

But

speaking the truth in love,

let us grow in every way into him who is

the head.

So there are things out there that if

we're not rooted in biblical truths are

going to toss us back and forth.

Instable in all our ways, unstable in

all our ways. There's no stability.

There's no sure footing in our life.

What's true today isn't our truth

tomorrow. And it's shifting and changing

with the winds and the waves, the

storms, and the seasons. But there's a

truth that lasts forever. And when that

becomes our sure footing, we speak the

truth in love, so that we can grow in

every way into him who is the head,

Christ. From him, the whole body fitted

in it together by every supporting

ligament promotes the growth of the body

for building itself up in love by the

proper working of each individual part.

You know what that tells me? You have a

role to play. It's not paid staff. It's

not the good-looking preacher. It's not

the Sunday school teachers. Some of

y'all caught that.

It's not the people who are team leads

in ministries. You, if you have said yes

to Jesus, you have a role to play.

You're part of the body. And what does

it say? From him, the whole body, that's

you. You're part of the body. Fitted and

knit together. We're all fitted in it

together by every supporting ligament

promotes the growth of the body for

building itself up in love by the proper

working of each individual part. Do you

know how the kingdom expands?

Do you know how this local church makes

the greatest impact in this community?

When we are building oursel up in love

by the proper working of each individual

part. So the question is, how are you

pointing people to Jesus?

Because notice Paul is not choosing

between love and truth.

Our culture separates love and truth.

You can either tell me the truth or you

can love me, but you can't do both.

Christian maturity requires both.

That we love people and stand on truth.

And again, this takes us back to verses

1 and two. with humility, gentleness,

patience, bearing with one another. And

so biblical truth isn't someone shouting

in your face, well, I'm just being

truthful.

Biblical truth is rooted in a desire to

say, I want to sit at your table.

I want to understand your pain.

I want to understand your choices,

your background.

Why did you choose to believe this? Why

did you choose this as as your

lifestyle?

Why aren't you intentionally pursuing

Jesus the way that you know that you

should?

Biblical truth doesn't just scream, "I'm

being truthful." Biblical truth and

exhibiting and exercising that truth in

love desires to step into the muck and

the mire of people's lives

and to say, "Hey, I I am here for you.

I'm not just telling you

what the Bible says regarding XYZ

situation, but I'm willing to step into

it with you so that you have someone to

lean on, so that you have someone to ask

questions

to.

Because we see this clearly in the

ministry of Jesus. Jesus sat with

sinners. Did you know that

Jesus went to parties with sinners? Now,

don't don't leave here hearing what I'm

not saying. The preacher said, "GO TO

PARTY WITH SINNERS.

Jesus did it. You're not Jesus."

Jesus did it with a goal

to call people out of sin.

Jesus sat with sinners without affirming

their sin. And he extended compassion

without ever compromising holiness.

And that's why he would say things,

"Where have all those who condemn you

gone?

Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no

more."

Biblical love is Christ likeness.

And one of the questions, let me just

close with this. One of the questions

that we need to challenge ourselves with

in regards to conversations with others

is this. Is what I'm encouraging in your

life moving you closer to Jesus

or further away from Jesus?

When you say you love people, does your

love point them to Christ

or does it keep them from Christ? And so

we never want to be a people who affirm

sinners into destruction.

We also don't want to condemn people

from a distance, but we want to love

them enough to walk with them and to

speak truth into their life. Because

church, there is one who walked with us

and who spoke truth into our life.

And he lived the life that you and I

couldn't live in fulfillment of God's

law.

He died the death you and I deserve

because of the sin in our life. He shed

his blood on the cross.

He was placed in a tomb. Three days

later, rose from the grave in victory.

Full and powerful demonstration over

sin, death, and the grave. And right

now, he is seated at the right hand of

the father, beckoning you, calling you

to become his child.

His love sent him to earth.

to walk in the mud and the mire that is

our lives and to call us out of the sin

that is our lives so that we might walk

with him. Let's pray. Lord, we thank you

for today. We thank you for your word.

We thank you that biblical truth

gives us the guidance that we need to be

the people you've called us to be. May

we never be a people who deny truth but

receive it, live it out, and share it.

And God, I pray that you would continue

to move amongst us, that you would stir

[music] men in this room

to lead well and love well, both here,

at home, and abroad. In Christ's name,

we pray. All God's people said, "Amen."

[music] Hey, would you stand to your

feet with me?

We're going to close our service with a

time of response.

[music] You've heard the word of God

proclaim. How will you respond to it?

What will your Monday, your Tuesday,

your Wednesday, the following weekend

look like in response [music] to the

word of God? So, our altar is going to

be open if you need a time of personal

prayer. You want to come and just spend

some time with Jesus at the altar.

Pastor Eric and myself will be

available.

We'd love to pray with you if you have

questions about faith. If you'd like to

place your hope, faith, and trust in

Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior,

we'd love to pray with you. This is your

opportunity to respond to how the spirit

is moving. I love you, church.