WEBVTT 00:00:02.230 --> 00:00:04.530 Thank you for being here today. Thank you for 00:00:04.530 --> 00:00:07.549 our worship team and everyone that has ushered 00:00:07.549 --> 00:00:10.529 in the presence of the Lord into this place today. 00:00:11.570 --> 00:00:14.609 930 service is not always the easiest, but you 00:00:14.609 --> 00:00:17.829 chose to be here. So most of you must be mourning 00:00:17.829 --> 00:00:22.890 people. I'm not. But when I get the opportunity 00:00:22.890 --> 00:00:24.929 to come into the house of the Lord, I'm glad 00:00:24.929 --> 00:00:28.089 to be here. I'm thankful to be here. Take out 00:00:28.089 --> 00:00:31.690 your Bibles. It's an honor and a privilege to 00:00:31.690 --> 00:00:35.270 be able to stand before you today. We have been, 00:00:35.289 --> 00:00:38.250 since the year begun, pastors been preaching. 00:00:38.969 --> 00:00:41.490 And I know Brother Mark Fowler has also preached 00:00:41.490 --> 00:00:44.170 a lot about the kingdom. And I don't know if 00:00:44.170 --> 00:00:46.170 for many of you remembered probably a month ago, 00:00:46.270 --> 00:00:49.049 he preached in this pulpit. And he said to the 00:00:49.049 --> 00:00:51.890 both of us, he said, preach the kingdom. And 00:00:51.890 --> 00:00:54.530 then this ice came and then the snow came and 00:00:54.530 --> 00:00:57.880 then everything got disrupted. And so here I 00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:00.060 stand with the word that the Lord laid upon my 00:01:00.060 --> 00:01:02.619 heart a few weeks ago. As a matter of fact, I 00:01:02.619 --> 00:01:05.560 wasn't even supposed to preach today. I'm filling 00:01:05.560 --> 00:01:09.439 in today. So God must have somebody, something 00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:12.400 for someone today. And I'm happy to be able to 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:15.120 bring the word of the Lord to you today. Tomorrow 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:17.920 chapter, and I give honor to our pastor and Sister 00:01:17.920 --> 00:01:21.000 Linda who are not here today. I'm thankful to 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:23.060 the Lord for their leadership and I look forward 00:01:23.060 --> 00:01:26.099 to what the Lord has for us in the future. Mark 00:01:26.099 --> 00:01:29.799 chapter 12, verse 29 through 31. We pick up on 00:01:29.799 --> 00:01:33.260 a conversation that the Lord is having with a 00:01:33.260 --> 00:01:36.599 scribe and that he had been having with the Pharisees 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:38.959 and the Sadducees as they were trying to debate 00:01:38.959 --> 00:01:43.859 him. And this is a subject that is not unfamiliar 00:01:43.859 --> 00:01:48.010 to us. but I hope to be able to remind us today 00:01:48.010 --> 00:01:52.310 about what the Lord wants us to do, how he wants 00:01:52.310 --> 00:01:56.409 us to be in his kingdom. Mark 12, 29 through 00:01:56.409 --> 00:02:00.489 31, Jesus answered, the most important is, here 00:02:00.489 --> 00:02:04.469 O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:08.039 And you shall love the Lord your God with all 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:10.620 your heart and with all your soul and with all 00:02:10.620 --> 00:02:14.580 your mind and all your strength. The second is 00:02:14.580 --> 00:02:17.520 this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. 00:02:17.960 --> 00:02:22.159 There is no other commandment greater than these. 00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:25.280 And for a few minutes today, this morning, I 00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:28.240 want to speak to you on this subject the Lord 00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:31.879 laid upon my heart, the kingdom that love built. 00:02:32.199 --> 00:02:36.060 The kingdom that love. Let's pray and ask the 00:02:36.060 --> 00:02:38.580 Lord to speak to our hearts and our minds today. 00:02:39.039 --> 00:02:41.520 Lord Jesus, we thank you, Lord, for the privilege, 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:44.419 the opportunity to worship you, to lift you up 00:02:44.419 --> 00:02:47.039 and to bless your mighty name, oh Lord. Thank 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:49.319 you for bringing us into this place, oh Lord. 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:52.020 Let your anointing flow through this service, 00:02:52.020 --> 00:02:54.879 oh Lord. I thank you, Lord God, for your worth. 00:02:55.060 --> 00:02:57.159 I thank you for your anointing. I thank you for 00:02:57.159 --> 00:03:01.210 all those who... On a regular basis, pray for 00:03:01.210 --> 00:03:03.509 our services, oh Lord. Those who have prayed 00:03:03.509 --> 00:03:06.310 for this service today, thank you Lord God for 00:03:06.310 --> 00:03:09.250 hearing and answering our prayer. In Jesus' name, 00:03:09.610 --> 00:03:17.250 amen. You may be seated. Every kingdom is built 00:03:17.250 --> 00:03:22.909 on something. Whether it's power, wealth, fear, 00:03:23.509 --> 00:03:28.050 military or military might. But Jesus revealed 00:03:28.050 --> 00:03:31.590 the kingdom unlike any the world has ever seen 00:03:31.590 --> 00:03:35.750 The kingdom isn't built. This kingdom isn't built 00:03:35.750 --> 00:03:41.409 on force or politics. It's built on love When 00:03:41.409 --> 00:03:44.389 a scribe asked Jesus the most important question 00:03:44.389 --> 00:03:47.469 about the greatest commandment or the most important 00:03:47.469 --> 00:03:51.409 commandment Jesus gave an answer that laid the 00:03:51.409 --> 00:03:55.919 very foundation of God's kingdom Jesus made it 00:03:55.919 --> 00:03:59.599 very clear that the kingdom of God is rooted 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:03.919 in love. And so while the Pharisees and the Sadducees 00:04:03.919 --> 00:04:07.680 were trying to debate Jesus about paying taxes, 00:04:08.259 --> 00:04:10.560 they were debating him about the resurrection 00:04:10.560 --> 00:04:13.599 from the dead, they were debating him about who's 00:04:13.599 --> 00:04:16.160 going to be who's wife in heaven, who's gonna 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:19.060 be married to whom in heaven. There was a scribe 00:04:19.060 --> 00:04:22.620 that was listening and he came forward and he 00:04:22.620 --> 00:04:27.220 asked, Jesus, which commandment was the most 00:04:27.220 --> 00:04:31.779 important? His answer to the scribe or Jesus's 00:04:31.779 --> 00:04:34.660 answer to the scribe who asked him the question 00:04:34.660 --> 00:04:38.980 Wasn't to go down a list of do's and don'ts in 00:04:38.980 --> 00:04:42.860 the kingdom Because it was so much simpler than 00:04:42.860 --> 00:04:47.519 that Jesus simply gave this educated religious 00:04:47.519 --> 00:04:53.430 scholar a summary Believe that God is one And 00:04:53.430 --> 00:04:57.990 He said, love Him with everything in you, with 00:04:57.990 --> 00:05:01.129 all your heart, which is the center of your emotions 00:05:01.129 --> 00:05:04.990 and your desires, with all your soul, which is 00:05:04.990 --> 00:05:08.509 the depth of your very being and identity, with 00:05:08.509 --> 00:05:12.410 all of your mind, which is your intellect, thoughts, 00:05:12.709 --> 00:05:15.829 and reasoning, with all of your strength, your 00:05:15.829 --> 00:05:19.889 physical energy, actions, and resources. Love 00:05:19.889 --> 00:05:23.680 God with... everything there's nothing left off 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:28.000 of the list nothing left out and love he said 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.319 the second is like unto it which is similar basically 00:05:31.319 --> 00:05:35.639 the same thing he said love your neighbor as 00:05:35.639 --> 00:05:40.639 yourself jesus didn't make it complicated it 00:05:40.639 --> 00:05:44.600 is so simple that even children can understand 00:05:44.600 --> 00:05:48.259 it The scribe was an expert in the law. He knew 00:05:48.259 --> 00:05:52.139 the Torah. He knew it left and right, from back 00:05:52.139 --> 00:05:55.839 to front. He was a lawyer. He knew the laws of 00:05:55.839 --> 00:05:58.819 God. He knew the do's and the don'ts. What I 00:05:58.819 --> 00:06:01.399 shouldn't do, what I should do. He'd been coming 00:06:01.399 --> 00:06:03.879 to church, going to church probably for most 00:06:03.879 --> 00:06:06.399 of his life, if not all of his life. And he knew 00:06:06.399 --> 00:06:09.199 the do's and he knew the don'ts. But he wanted 00:06:09.199 --> 00:06:13.079 to test Jesus. Is this about do's? I'm standing 00:06:13.079 --> 00:06:15.579 here, I'm hearing all these the Sadducees and 00:06:15.579 --> 00:06:17.879 the Pharisees, I'm hearing all these religious 00:06:17.879 --> 00:06:21.160 rulers ask you what to do, what not to do, what's 00:06:21.160 --> 00:06:24.620 good, what's not good, and then this scribe knowing 00:06:24.620 --> 00:06:27.139 that this is not just about do's and don'ts, 00:06:27.220 --> 00:06:29.620 he knows this is about something so much deeper 00:06:29.620 --> 00:06:32.740 than that, he steps forward and he asks Jesus 00:06:32.740 --> 00:06:35.279 which is a great command, which is more important. 00:06:36.009 --> 00:06:39.189 He knew the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 00:06:39.189 --> 00:06:43.029 chapter 20 verses 1 through 17 He knew and then 00:06:43.029 --> 00:06:46.389 and in Deuteronomy chapter 5 6 through 21 That 00:06:46.389 --> 00:06:50.089 so many people are familiar with also known as 00:06:50.089 --> 00:06:53.990 the moral laws. They are unchanging They simply 00:06:53.990 --> 00:06:56.670 tell us the Ten Commandments simply tell us how 00:06:56.670 --> 00:07:01.639 to love God and how to love our neighbor Judaism 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:06.360 counts 613 laws that God gave to them that include 00:07:06.360 --> 00:07:09.519 the Ten Commandments. In the New Testament, there 00:07:09.519 --> 00:07:13.839 are about 1 ,050 instructions for Christians, 00:07:14.300 --> 00:07:17.500 commandments for us to follow. Yet when Jesus 00:07:17.500 --> 00:07:21.899 was asked by this scribe, he only mentioned two. 00:07:22.029 --> 00:07:24.910 No need to walk around. There's no need for us 00:07:24.910 --> 00:07:27.550 to walk around with a notebook of what to do 00:07:27.550 --> 00:07:30.649 and what not to do. The Holy Ghost in us will 00:07:30.649 --> 00:07:33.470 bring us into alignment with the Word of God 00:07:33.470 --> 00:07:36.649 when we receive the teaching and the preaching 00:07:36.649 --> 00:07:41.329 of the Word of God. We need to have the Holy 00:07:41.329 --> 00:07:44.029 Ghost. You need to have the Holy Ghost. If you 00:07:44.029 --> 00:07:46.850 don't have the Holy Ghost, it's for you today. 00:07:47.370 --> 00:07:50.310 Repentance, baptism in Jesus' name, infilling 00:07:50.310 --> 00:07:52.670 of the Holy Ghost, evidence by speaking with 00:07:52.670 --> 00:07:54.790 other tongues, as the spirit of the utterance 00:07:54.790 --> 00:07:58.250 gives utterance. Today is a day of salvation. 00:07:58.829 --> 00:08:02.269 Speaking to his disciples of the Holy Ghost that 00:08:02.269 --> 00:08:05.430 was going to be poured out Jesus said in John 00:08:05.430 --> 00:08:10.089 chapter 6 verse 13 He says however when he the 00:08:10.089 --> 00:08:13.509 spirit of truth has come He will guide you into 00:08:13.509 --> 00:08:17.649 all truth for he will not speak on his own authority 00:08:17.649 --> 00:08:21.350 But whatever he hears he will speak and he will 00:08:21.350 --> 00:08:26.240 tell you things to come Jesus said in John chapter 00:08:26.240 --> 00:08:31.399 14 verse 15 if you love me keep you will keep 00:08:31.399 --> 00:08:37.200 my commandments the scribe this lawyer this expert 00:08:37.200 --> 00:08:40.600 in the law in the Word of God received the answer 00:08:40.600 --> 00:08:44.720 from Jesus that he was looking for and he even 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:49.350 agreed with Jesus the scribes said to him responded 00:08:49.350 --> 00:08:53.549 to Jesus in Mark chapter 12 verses 32 to 33 he 00:08:53.549 --> 00:08:57.409 said so the scribes said to him well said teacher 00:08:57.409 --> 00:09:02.549 you have spoken the truth for there is one God 00:09:02.549 --> 00:09:08.190 and there is no other but he and to love him 00:09:08.190 --> 00:09:11.509 with all your heart and with all the understanding 00:09:11.759 --> 00:09:15.740 and with all the soul and with all the strength 00:09:15.740 --> 00:09:19.539 and to love one's neighbor as oneself is more 00:09:19.539 --> 00:09:23.080 than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices. 00:09:23.960 --> 00:09:26.440 So the scribe was now turning around and trying 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:30.279 to tell Jesus or teach Jesus what the law, oh 00:09:30.279 --> 00:09:33.700 you're right Jesus, you're right. You're the 00:09:33.700 --> 00:09:36.879 one that gave the laws in the first place. Thank 00:09:36.879 --> 00:09:41.289 you for telling me, you're right. But Jesus didn't 00:09:41.289 --> 00:09:46.009 let him go so easily Jesus curiously said to 00:09:46.009 --> 00:09:50.330 him in Mark chapter 12 verse 34 Now when Jesus 00:09:50.330 --> 00:09:53.830 saw that he answered wisely He said to him you 00:09:53.830 --> 00:09:58.950 are not far from the kingdom of God and After 00:09:58.950 --> 00:10:04.830 that no one dared ask dared question him It's 00:10:04.830 --> 00:10:09.580 one thing to know the laws of God but our eternity 00:10:09.580 --> 00:10:13.500 with Jesus will depend on whether we obey Him 00:10:13.500 --> 00:10:19.340 and obey those laws. Love must be put into action 00:10:19.340 --> 00:10:23.039 toward God, heart, soul, mind, and strength and 00:10:23.039 --> 00:10:26.360 toward everyone else. We are to love Him with 00:10:26.360 --> 00:10:30.759 everything within us. He is the only idol that 00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:34.220 we should have. Love is what dominates these 00:10:34.220 --> 00:10:38.120 two commandments because the kingdom of God's 00:10:37.850 --> 00:10:43.149 very foundation is love. Kingdom love differs 00:10:43.149 --> 00:10:46.690 vastly from the world's understanding of love. 00:10:47.210 --> 00:10:50.570 Many people understand love to be conditional. 00:10:51.330 --> 00:10:54.970 For example, I will love you if you treat me 00:10:54.970 --> 00:10:59.090 well. If you make me happy, I will love you. 00:10:59.110 --> 00:11:03.710 That's how the world understand love. Jesus said 00:11:03.710 --> 00:11:08.210 in another place, Do unto others or the Word 00:11:08.210 --> 00:11:10.909 of God says another place do unto others as you 00:11:10.909 --> 00:11:15.450 would have them do unto you Jesus did not attach 00:11:15.450 --> 00:11:18.429 conditions to the love that we are commanded 00:11:18.429 --> 00:11:22.990 to have for him and each other We are to love 00:11:22.990 --> 00:11:28.009 whether it's reciprocated to us or not I know 00:11:28.009 --> 00:11:31.110 this is very familiar to everyone or most of 00:11:31.110 --> 00:11:34.750 you sitting in this place today We can know when 00:11:34.750 --> 00:11:38.250 we are truly loving God though, because we do 00:11:38.250 --> 00:11:42.450 our very best to keep His commandments. It's 00:11:42.450 --> 00:11:47.169 easy to say, I love God, but do we really love 00:11:47.169 --> 00:11:51.049 God? That's a question that only you and God 00:11:51.049 --> 00:11:55.590 have the answer to. Only God truly knows your 00:11:55.590 --> 00:12:00.000 heart, only God truly knows my heart. Only God 00:12:00.000 --> 00:12:03.340 truly knows your motives, and only God truly 00:12:03.340 --> 00:12:07.139 knows my motives. That's why Jesus said to the 00:12:07.139 --> 00:12:09.279 scribe, he said, you're not far from the kingdom. 00:12:10.100 --> 00:12:12.019 Because when that scribe stood in front of him, 00:12:12.259 --> 00:12:15.330 Jesus was looking directly into his heart. This 00:12:15.330 --> 00:12:17.710 scribe knew the law, he knew the do's and the 00:12:17.710 --> 00:12:20.629 don'ts, but God was looking past the fact that 00:12:20.629 --> 00:12:23.490 he was studious. God was looking past the fact 00:12:23.490 --> 00:12:25.870 that he had studied and memorized the word of 00:12:25.870 --> 00:12:28.330 God. He was looking directly into his heart, 00:12:28.470 --> 00:12:30.330 and he said to him, you are not far from the 00:12:30.330 --> 00:12:32.929 kingdom. He never said you've made it. He never 00:12:32.929 --> 00:12:35.470 said, well done, that good and faithful servant. 00:12:35.590 --> 00:12:38.190 He said, you're not far from the kingdom. There's 00:12:38.190 --> 00:12:40.629 still more for you to do. And that more for you 00:12:40.629 --> 00:12:43.350 to do is that you've got to live the laws of 00:12:43.350 --> 00:12:45.679 God. It's not enough just for us to know it. 00:12:45.779 --> 00:12:48.440 It's not just enough for us to come to church 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:51.519 and worship God and sing the praise of God. But 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:53.820 we've heard it already today, Monday through 00:12:53.820 --> 00:12:56.799 Saturday, we've got to love God. When nobody 00:12:56.799 --> 00:12:59.759 else is looking, we've got to love God. When 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:06.679 nobody else sees, we've got to love God. He knows, 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:10.220 Jesus knows through our trials and disappointments 00:13:10.220 --> 00:13:14.129 if we truly love Him. He also knows that if we 00:13:14.129 --> 00:13:18.970 love him through our successes but in today's 00:13:18.970 --> 00:13:21.789 message Loving God we under I think a lot of 00:13:21.789 --> 00:13:24.649 us understand that and there have been many messages 00:13:24.649 --> 00:13:26.990 I'm sure many to come that will be preached on 00:13:26.990 --> 00:13:31.149 this But in March chapter 12 verse 31 the second 00:13:31.149 --> 00:13:34.210 when Jesus said the second is like unto the first 00:13:34.210 --> 00:13:38.649 You shall love your neighbor as yourself There 00:13:38.649 --> 00:13:42.259 is no other commandment greater than these And 00:13:42.259 --> 00:13:44.960 this is where I felt the Lord wanted me to focus 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:49.019 today. Loving others isn't always convenient 00:13:49.019 --> 00:13:53.980 or comfortable, but it is commanded. 1 John chapter 00:13:53.980 --> 00:14:13.750 4 verses 7 through 8 says, is love. God is not 00:14:13.750 --> 00:14:17.590 only love, but we know he is holy. 1 Peter chapter 00:14:17.590 --> 00:14:21.669 1, verses 15 through 16 says, but as he who called 00:14:21.669 --> 00:14:26.230 you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct 00:14:26.230 --> 00:14:30.830 because it is written, be holy for I am holy. 00:14:32.149 --> 00:14:35.570 Holiness begins in our heart and it transforms 00:14:35.570 --> 00:14:39.870 our lives so that we are able to truly love. 00:14:39.970 --> 00:14:43.940 We cannot love truly love without the holiness 00:14:43.940 --> 00:14:51.159 of God operating inside of our lives. God transforms 00:14:51.159 --> 00:14:54.820 our heart, soul, mind, and strength, the ability 00:14:54.820 --> 00:14:59.220 to live for Him by His Holy Spirit. Ephesians 00:14:59.220 --> 00:15:02.919 chapter 3 verses 17 through 19 says, so that 00:15:02.919 --> 00:15:06.080 Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. 00:15:06.399 --> 00:15:10.820 That you being rooted and grounded in love may 00:15:10.820 --> 00:15:14.120 have strength to comprehend with all the saints 00:15:14.120 --> 00:15:17.659 What is the breadth and length and depth and 00:15:17.659 --> 00:15:21.159 height and to know the love of Christ? Christ 00:15:21.159 --> 00:15:24.360 would surpass his knowledge that you may be filled 00:15:24.360 --> 00:15:28.820 with all the fullness of God I Don't know if 00:15:28.820 --> 00:15:32.360 you've taken notice But in our world today our 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:36.700 world today is lacking love for each other We 00:15:36.700 --> 00:15:39.659 live in a world that is more divided than ever 00:15:39.659 --> 00:15:42.759 before. And it really should be no surprise to 00:15:42.759 --> 00:15:44.960 us because the word of God tells us that this 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:48.059 was going to happen. And if we are not careful 00:15:48.059 --> 00:15:51.340 as children of God, we can allow what we see 00:15:51.340 --> 00:15:54.600 and what we hear to get in our hearts, in our 00:15:54.600 --> 00:15:57.200 minds. And before we know it, we begin to think 00:15:57.200 --> 00:16:00.200 like them. We begin to act like the world. But 00:16:00.200 --> 00:16:03.019 Jesus, that's why Jesus, it was so very important. 00:16:03.340 --> 00:16:06.649 This kingdom is built on love. And we are not 00:16:06.649 --> 00:16:09.409 like the world. We are not of the world. We are 00:16:09.409 --> 00:16:13.049 a holy nation. We are a peculiar people. We have 00:16:13.049 --> 00:16:16.110 been called out of darkness into his marvelous 00:16:16.110 --> 00:16:19.830 light. We are different from the world. And as 00:16:19.830 --> 00:16:22.850 the world gets increasingly divided against each 00:16:22.850 --> 00:16:25.769 other, the kingdom in this kingdom of God, we've 00:16:25.769 --> 00:16:29.190 got to love each other more and more and more 00:16:29.190 --> 00:16:33.470 as we see, especially as we see the day of the 00:16:33.470 --> 00:16:39.570 Lord approaching. Love is a verb. It's an action 00:16:39.570 --> 00:16:44.409 word. It's not passive. We don't just automatically 00:16:44.409 --> 00:16:49.009 love, okay? You have to teach parents, you know 00:16:49.009 --> 00:16:51.450 you have to teach your kids to love. You have 00:16:51.450 --> 00:16:53.970 to teach them to do right and to treat others 00:16:53.970 --> 00:16:57.509 right or else fights break out all over the place. 00:16:58.330 --> 00:17:00.330 This is what happens, so you have to teach, so 00:17:00.330 --> 00:17:04.650 it has to be. We have to actively learn and teach 00:17:04.650 --> 00:17:08.049 love. It's a verb. It's not passive. Love requires 00:17:08.049 --> 00:17:12.170 purposeful action. When we say we love someone 00:17:12.170 --> 00:17:15.230 or something, it is evidenced through our expression. 00:17:15.950 --> 00:17:19.210 You don't just say you love and then that's it. 00:17:19.569 --> 00:17:23.190 You have to express. You have to show that individual. 00:17:23.309 --> 00:17:26.089 You have to show that person. You have to show 00:17:26.089 --> 00:17:29.930 that love. Love won't always be convenient though. 00:17:30.250 --> 00:17:34.289 It won't always be comfortable, but it is right, 00:17:34.630 --> 00:17:40.430 it is holy, and it is commanded. It wasn't convenient 00:17:40.430 --> 00:17:45.410 or comfortable for Jesus to be beaten with leather 00:17:45.410 --> 00:17:50.430 whips embedded with pieces of bone, metal, and 00:17:50.430 --> 00:17:54.049 lead balls to have a crown of thorns pressed 00:17:54.049 --> 00:17:58.829 into his skull. It wasn't convenient, it wasn't 00:17:58.829 --> 00:18:04.170 comfortable. He was nailed to a cross and he 00:18:04.170 --> 00:18:08.750 had a spear that was pierced into his side. It 00:18:08.750 --> 00:18:13.009 wasn't convenient. He hung on that cross and 00:18:13.009 --> 00:18:15.970 they stripped him of his clothing, embarrassing 00:18:15.970 --> 00:18:20.410 him. But it was love that put him there. It wasn't 00:18:20.410 --> 00:18:24.220 convenient. It wasn't comfortable. Because God 00:18:24.220 --> 00:18:27.420 so loved the world the scripture that we know 00:18:27.420 --> 00:18:31.500 so often He had to put it into action and he 00:18:31.500 --> 00:18:34.519 had to be stripped of everything He did it knowing 00:18:34.519 --> 00:18:38.519 that most people in the world Would never love 00:18:38.519 --> 00:18:42.099 him and return when he did what he did on the 00:18:42.099 --> 00:18:46.539 cross when he came Jesus knew and God knew that 00:18:46.539 --> 00:18:49.960 he would never most people would never Return 00:18:49.960 --> 00:18:53.349 that love to him He knew that in the day that 00:18:53.349 --> 00:18:56.190 we lived, they would use his name as a swear 00:18:56.190 --> 00:18:59.950 word. He knew that people would not believe in 00:18:59.950 --> 00:19:02.390 God. They would say that there's no God. He knew 00:19:02.390 --> 00:19:05.309 that there would be agnostics. He knew that there 00:19:05.309 --> 00:19:07.430 would be people who would not believe in him, 00:19:07.470 --> 00:19:11.410 but he did it anyway. Colossians chapter 3 verses 00:19:11.410 --> 00:19:14.990 12 through 13 says, Therefore, as the elect of 00:19:14.990 --> 00:19:19.089 God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, 00:19:19.349 --> 00:19:23.470 kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, 00:19:23.869 --> 00:19:27.369 bearing with one another and forgiving one another, 00:19:27.589 --> 00:19:30.410 if anyone has a complaint against each other, 00:19:30.609 --> 00:19:37.150 even as Christ forgave you, so you also must 00:19:37.150 --> 00:19:41.910 do. Verse 14 says, but above all these things 00:19:41.910 --> 00:19:46.049 put on love, which is the bond of perfection 00:19:46.049 --> 00:19:51.089 love Love, love is a thread that binds the books 00:19:51.089 --> 00:19:54.529 of the Bible together. Love is the main theme 00:19:54.529 --> 00:19:58.309 from Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 to Revelation 00:19:58.309 --> 00:20:02.430 chapter 22 verse 21. You could never preach enough 00:20:02.430 --> 00:20:05.130 on love. You could never cover the subject of 00:20:05.130 --> 00:20:07.890 love throughout the Bible in one message in a 00:20:07.890 --> 00:20:11.269 30 -minute or 35 -minute period, much less over 00:20:11.269 --> 00:20:14.150 an entire year. There's no way. It's impossible. 00:20:14.450 --> 00:20:16.250 There are many scriptures that I'm leaving out 00:20:16.250 --> 00:20:18.660 today. I was to stand here and read the scriptures. 00:20:18.900 --> 00:20:20.920 You'd go out and get food and come back and sit 00:20:20.920 --> 00:20:23.220 here and listen to me while you eat your food. 00:20:23.480 --> 00:20:25.319 Because there just wouldn't be enough time for 00:20:25.319 --> 00:20:29.420 me to go or for us to go over this today. God 00:20:29.420 --> 00:20:34.359 created us because of love. He saved Noah and 00:20:34.359 --> 00:20:39.079 his family because of love. He brought the children 00:20:39.079 --> 00:20:44.099 of Israel out of Egypt because of love. He put 00:20:44.099 --> 00:20:48.369 on flesh and suffered and died. on a cross because 00:20:48.369 --> 00:20:52.630 of love. He sent the Comforter, the gift of the 00:20:52.630 --> 00:20:56.190 Holy Ghost, and washed away our sins in the waters 00:20:56.190 --> 00:21:00.589 of baptism because of love. And He is coming 00:21:00.589 --> 00:21:08.269 back for a bride because of love. And we will 00:21:08.269 --> 00:21:12.789 spend eternity with Him. Why? Because of love. 00:21:13.950 --> 00:21:17.849 Everything in the kingdom of God is predicated 00:21:17.849 --> 00:21:23.170 on love. And so that's why we are commanded to 00:21:23.170 --> 00:21:28.349 love Him and to love each other. Matthew chapter 00:21:28.349 --> 00:21:32.930 22 verse 40, and on these two commandments, Matthew 00:21:32.930 --> 00:21:37.250 would put it this way, depend all the law and 00:21:37.250 --> 00:21:40.589 the prophets. You know, everything that you read 00:21:40.589 --> 00:21:44.380 in the Bible, all the laws, all the preaching, 00:21:44.539 --> 00:21:47.140 all the teaching that the prophets taught and 00:21:47.140 --> 00:21:50.359 the elders taught. You know what it's all predicated 00:21:50.359 --> 00:21:55.339 on? Love. It comes out of love. Every law in 00:21:55.339 --> 00:21:59.099 the book is based on love. Jesus said everything 00:21:59.099 --> 00:22:01.920 that they came before and taught, everything 00:22:01.920 --> 00:22:07.720 that was done was done because I love you. But 00:22:07.720 --> 00:22:11.539 I also want you to love each other. The Apostle 00:22:11.539 --> 00:22:16.279 John When you read the gospel according to John, 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:21.059 John and 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, John, he wrote more 00:22:21.059 --> 00:22:25.880 about love than any of the other apostles did. 00:22:26.059 --> 00:22:29.140 He even wrote more about love than Paul did. 00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:33.859 1 John chapter 4 verse 20, verses 20 through 00:22:33.859 --> 00:22:38.200 21, if someone says, I love God and hates his 00:22:38.200 --> 00:22:42.359 brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love 00:22:42.359 --> 00:22:46.279 his brother whom he hath seen, how can the love 00:22:46.279 --> 00:22:51.779 of God, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 00:22:52.519 --> 00:22:56.880 None of us know what God looks like. We don't. 00:22:57.279 --> 00:23:00.420 But you know what? I think that love, I think 00:23:00.420 --> 00:23:02.220 that God looks like each and every one of us 00:23:02.220 --> 00:23:05.720 in this room today. So what a word of God says, 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:07.400 you've got to love your neighbor as yourself 00:23:07.400 --> 00:23:09.720 because when you love them, you're loving me. 00:23:10.009 --> 00:23:13.609 You don't know what I look like physically, but 00:23:13.609 --> 00:23:15.309 when you look into their eyes, you're looking 00:23:15.309 --> 00:23:18.569 at me because we were created in his image. So 00:23:18.569 --> 00:23:23.150 when we look into the eyes of a family member, 00:23:23.450 --> 00:23:25.670 a friend, a neighbor, a stranger on the street, 00:23:26.009 --> 00:23:28.450 we look into those eyes, we're seeing the image 00:23:28.450 --> 00:23:31.829 of God inside of them. And so if we hate that 00:23:31.829 --> 00:23:34.650 person, we have a problem with that person, guess 00:23:34.650 --> 00:23:38.710 what? We're hating God. We're having a problem 00:23:38.710 --> 00:23:40.670 with God. No, I'm not saying that we're all gonna 00:23:40.670 --> 00:23:42.509 be best friends and we're all gonna be loving 00:23:42.509 --> 00:23:44.849 each other, getting along with each other and 00:23:44.849 --> 00:23:47.410 doing all that stuff because, you know, you're 00:23:47.410 --> 00:23:49.410 not gonna do that for me because I got issues. 00:23:51.190 --> 00:23:55.009 And I gotta pray about my stuff. So I'm not going 00:23:55.009 --> 00:23:57.670 to blame you if, you know, every once in a while 00:23:57.670 --> 00:23:59.890 you see something, you're like, I don't know 00:23:59.890 --> 00:24:03.630 about this guy sometimes. That's natural and 00:24:03.630 --> 00:24:06.049 that's okay, but pray for me that God would help 00:24:06.049 --> 00:24:08.609 me to become more like Him. more and more every 00:24:08.609 --> 00:24:12.390 day. But that's why we have to love each other. 00:24:14.829 --> 00:24:18.589 His commandment in verse 21 says, and this commandment 00:24:18.589 --> 00:24:21.930 we have from him, that he who loves God must 00:24:21.930 --> 00:24:25.950 love his brother also. One of the greatest examples 00:24:25.950 --> 00:24:29.170 of love in action is found in John chapter 3 00:24:29.170 --> 00:24:31.829 verse 16. We know it very well, for God so loved 00:24:31.829 --> 00:24:34.420 the world. that he gave his only begotten son 00:24:34.420 --> 00:24:37.079 that whoever believes in him should not perish 00:24:37.079 --> 00:24:40.859 but have everlasting life. News flashed to us 00:24:40.859 --> 00:24:43.400 today God is not willing that any of us should 00:24:43.400 --> 00:24:48.119 perish. God loves every soul. He loves the person 00:24:48.119 --> 00:24:51.940 today who is denying him. He loves the backslider 00:24:51.940 --> 00:24:55.539 today who is not here that should be here. God 00:24:55.539 --> 00:25:00.849 loves everybody and we should also. The next 00:25:00.849 --> 00:25:04.170 great love event that will take place is a rapture 00:25:04.170 --> 00:25:07.970 of the church When that trumpet sounds on that 00:25:07.970 --> 00:25:11.829 glorious long -awaited day First Thessalonians 00:25:11.829 --> 00:25:15.390 chapter 4 verse 16 through 17 the Apostle Paul 00:25:15.390 --> 00:25:19.230 wrote he said for the Lord himself Will descend 00:25:19.230 --> 00:25:22.579 from heaven with a shout? With the voice of an 00:25:22.579 --> 00:25:25.140 archangel and with the shout and with the trumpet 00:25:25.140 --> 00:25:28.940 of God and the dead in Christ will rise first 00:25:28.940 --> 00:25:32.160 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught 00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:35.079 up together And then with them in the clouds 00:25:35.079 --> 00:25:38.019 to meet the Lord in the air and thus shall it 00:25:38.019 --> 00:25:42.220 always always be We shall always be with the 00:25:42.220 --> 00:25:45.019 Lord. I think we should clap our hands for that. 00:25:45.019 --> 00:25:49.150 I think we should thank the Lord for that I think 00:25:49.150 --> 00:25:54.170 we should thank the Lord for that. The actions 00:25:54.170 --> 00:25:57.990 that God has taken and that are still to come 00:25:57.990 --> 00:26:02.430 demonstrate His great love for us. And so how 00:26:02.430 --> 00:26:05.609 should we demonstrate our express our love for 00:26:05.609 --> 00:26:09.730 each other? Well, I'm glad you asked. John chapter 00:26:09.730 --> 00:26:15.069 13 verses 34 through 35, Jesus said, a new commandment 00:26:15.069 --> 00:26:19.650 I give to you. that you love one another just 00:26:19.650 --> 00:26:25.289 as I have loved you. You also are to love one 00:26:25.289 --> 00:26:29.730 another. And he goes on to say in verse 35, by 00:26:29.730 --> 00:26:34.950 this all people will know that you are my disciples 00:26:34.950 --> 00:26:39.289 if you love, if you have love one for another. 00:26:40.269 --> 00:26:42.750 There are a lot of people today having church. 00:26:43.609 --> 00:26:46.579 There are a lot of people today singing. There 00:26:46.579 --> 00:26:48.640 are a lot of people there are great churches 00:26:48.640 --> 00:26:51.480 great edifices all throughout this community 00:26:51.480 --> 00:26:53.599 all throughout this nation and all throughout 00:26:53.599 --> 00:26:56.740 the world and They have as a part of their logo 00:26:56.740 --> 00:27:02.259 on the front church But everybody is not loving 00:27:02.259 --> 00:27:06.279 the way Jesus said they are to love He said by 00:27:06.279 --> 00:27:09.819 this shall all men know that you are my disciples 00:27:09.819 --> 00:27:13.440 your love one for another When they come amongst 00:27:13.440 --> 00:27:16.299 us and they see how we are with each other and 00:27:16.299 --> 00:27:18.759 they see how we love each other, that's why they 00:27:18.759 --> 00:27:21.400 come into our church and you hear them say, there's 00:27:21.400 --> 00:27:23.559 something different about you people. There's 00:27:23.559 --> 00:27:25.119 something different. It's a Holy Ghost that's 00:27:25.119 --> 00:27:26.900 inside of us. But you know what they're also 00:27:26.900 --> 00:27:29.039 looking at? They're also looking at the way that 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:31.160 we interact with each other. They're looking 00:27:31.160 --> 00:27:33.480 at the way that we love each other. And it's 00:27:33.480 --> 00:27:35.759 extremely important because that's why we're 00:27:35.759 --> 00:27:37.900 following the commandment of Jesus Christ when 00:27:37.900 --> 00:27:40.099 he said, that's why when they walk away, they'll 00:27:40.099 --> 00:27:42.319 say there's something different. Because this, 00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:46.380 these people must be the true disciples of Jesus 00:27:46.380 --> 00:27:50.240 Christ. They must be the true disciples of Jesus 00:27:50.240 --> 00:27:52.799 Christ. Because many people will say, I go to 00:27:52.799 --> 00:27:55.240 a lot of other churches, but I don't feel what 00:27:55.240 --> 00:27:58.180 I feel here. And I submit to you today, it's 00:27:58.180 --> 00:28:00.279 more than just a gift of the Holy Ghost inside 00:28:00.279 --> 00:28:02.480 of us, but it's that gift of the Holy Ghost that's 00:28:02.480 --> 00:28:05.400 being expressed by our love for each other. That's 00:28:05.400 --> 00:28:08.000 why we must do everything in our power, fight 00:28:08.000 --> 00:28:10.980 for it, keep it, make sure that we... Everything 00:28:10.980 --> 00:28:14.400 comes in and divides us. Make sure that we fight 00:28:14.400 --> 00:28:18.039 for it so that we can win a lost world and so 00:28:18.039 --> 00:28:21.299 that we are keeping the commandment of Jesus 00:28:21.299 --> 00:28:25.940 Christ. This is love that is called agape love. 00:28:26.759 --> 00:28:30.259 It is a godly love. It is selfless, unconditional, 00:28:31.019 --> 00:28:34.200 sacrificial, benevolent, empathetic, and accepting. 00:28:34.980 --> 00:28:39.900 It differs from philia love. which involves the 00:28:39.900 --> 00:28:43.720 emotional bonding of siblings. There's a difference 00:28:43.720 --> 00:28:47.819 between godly love, which is called agape love, 00:28:48.339 --> 00:28:51.019 and felia love, which is a love, just a love 00:28:51.019 --> 00:28:53.359 that you may have for someone because you have 00:28:53.359 --> 00:28:55.200 something in common with them or because they're 00:28:55.200 --> 00:28:59.980 a family member. Felia love covers emotional 00:28:59.980 --> 00:29:03.380 siblings, friendships, companions. Felia stems 00:29:03.380 --> 00:29:07.650 from affection and shared interest. Whereas agape 00:29:07.650 --> 00:29:12.289 is profound. It's deliberate. It's a choice that 00:29:12.289 --> 00:29:16.150 we make to love universally, even to love our 00:29:16.150 --> 00:29:20.089 enemies as demonstrated by Jesus. The love that 00:29:20.089 --> 00:29:23.710 God commands us to have for each other goes beyond 00:29:23.710 --> 00:29:28.049 having shared interest. That's what social clubs 00:29:28.049 --> 00:29:32.660 and podcasts are for. It goes beyond just liking 00:29:32.660 --> 00:29:36.559 someone because we get along with them. But it's 00:29:36.559 --> 00:29:40.180 a love that we choose to have because Jesus said 00:29:40.180 --> 00:29:43.619 that we've got to love our neighbor as ourselves. 00:29:44.240 --> 00:29:49.140 Romans chapter 12 verse 9 through 10 says, don't 00:29:49.140 --> 00:29:55.019 just pretend to love others. Really love them. 00:29:55.799 --> 00:29:59.579 Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:04.059 Love each other with genuine affection and take 00:30:04.059 --> 00:30:09.240 delight in honoring each other. We are to outdo 00:30:09.240 --> 00:30:12.359 each other in honoring each other. It's loving 00:30:12.359 --> 00:30:16.460 each other with a holy love, even though we are 00:30:16.460 --> 00:30:20.599 different culturally, even though our languages 00:30:20.599 --> 00:30:24.980 may be. Separate us somewhat even though our 00:30:24.980 --> 00:30:28.640 socioeconomic condition may be different from 00:30:28.640 --> 00:30:31.359 your neighbors even though the education that 00:30:31.359 --> 00:30:34.640 you've received or not received may be different 00:30:34.640 --> 00:30:37.839 From your neighbors. It's a genuine affection 00:30:37.839 --> 00:30:40.940 a genuine love that says I don't care who you 00:30:40.940 --> 00:30:44.799 are I don't care what you look like. I love you 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:47.980 anyway First John chapter 4 verses 11 through 00:30:47.980 --> 00:30:51.859 12 says beloved If God so loved us, we also ought 00:30:51.859 --> 00:30:54.740 to love one another. No one has ever seen God. 00:30:54.740 --> 00:30:57.059 If we love one another, God abides in us and 00:30:57.059 --> 00:31:00.400 His love is perfected in us. Read that before. 00:31:00.859 --> 00:31:04.180 We are the family of God, the greatest family 00:31:04.180 --> 00:31:09.220 in the world. John 15, 13 says, greater love 00:31:09.220 --> 00:31:12.940 has no one than this, that someone may lay down 00:31:12.940 --> 00:31:16.799 his life for his friends. It's that selfless, 00:31:16.799 --> 00:31:22.000 sacrificial love. that risks life and limb for 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:25.579 someone else. Our love for each other needs to 00:31:25.579 --> 00:31:29.539 be purposeful. Like that fireman who runs into 00:31:29.539 --> 00:31:33.700 a burning building to save others. Not knowing 00:31:33.700 --> 00:31:36.759 if he himself will make it out, but he made a 00:31:36.759 --> 00:31:39.220 choice to go in because it's part of his duty. 00:31:39.579 --> 00:31:43.160 It's part of what he's supposed to do. The average 00:31:43.160 --> 00:31:45.720 person today, you and I, will probably not have 00:31:45.720 --> 00:31:48.440 to run into a burning building. at any point 00:31:48.440 --> 00:31:51.559 during our lifetime, but there are sacrifices 00:31:51.559 --> 00:31:53.759 that we're going to have to make in order to 00:31:53.759 --> 00:31:57.059 love people. At times it's not going to be comfortable, 00:31:57.180 --> 00:31:59.079 it's not going to be convenient like Jesus hanging 00:31:59.079 --> 00:32:01.960 on that cross, but we're going to have to love 00:32:01.960 --> 00:32:05.000 without expecting anything in return. Our love 00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:09.559 needs to be sacrificial like several people who 00:32:09.559 --> 00:32:12.819 ran back into the World Trade Center tower on 00:32:12.819 --> 00:32:18.009 9 -11 and saved people. While they themselves 00:32:18.009 --> 00:32:22.809 perished in the towers Again, you probably will 00:32:22.809 --> 00:32:26.710 not have may not have to do that in the physical 00:32:26.710 --> 00:32:31.329 But in the spiritual You're probably gonna have 00:32:31.329 --> 00:32:36.210 to save somebody While it's so inconvenient while 00:32:36.210 --> 00:32:40.230 you yourself are being damaged in the process 00:32:40.230 --> 00:32:43.390 Philippians chapter 2 verses 3 through 4 do nothing 00:32:43.849 --> 00:32:48.609 The Apostle says, from selfish ambition or conceit, 00:32:48.849 --> 00:32:51.869 but in humility count others more significant 00:32:51.869 --> 00:32:54.730 than yourselves. Let each of you look not only 00:32:54.730 --> 00:32:57.950 to his own interests, but also to the interests 00:32:57.950 --> 00:33:00.690 of others. Make sure that when you're taking 00:33:00.690 --> 00:33:02.410 care of yourself, you're taking care of your 00:33:02.410 --> 00:33:06.170 brothers and your sisters also. Like the story 00:33:06.170 --> 00:33:09.930 of the Good Samaritan, the religious people walked 00:33:09.930 --> 00:33:17.089 by and looked and kept going. Not my problem 00:33:17.089 --> 00:33:21.750 Not my issue Who knows what he did to get himself 00:33:21.750 --> 00:33:25.849 into that situation? Maybe he deserved it Maybe 00:33:25.849 --> 00:33:28.549 he started a fight that he couldn't finish and 00:33:28.549 --> 00:33:30.710 that's why he's laying on the side of the road 00:33:30.710 --> 00:33:34.250 suffering from his wounds but a good Samaritan 00:33:34.250 --> 00:33:38.130 came along and said I Don't care who this is. 00:33:38.450 --> 00:33:41.170 I don't care what happened to him. I don't care 00:33:41.170 --> 00:33:43.950 whether it was his fault or not I'm gonna take 00:33:43.950 --> 00:33:46.640 this man up I'm gonna take him, and I'm gonna 00:33:46.640 --> 00:33:49.019 not only take, I'm gonna take him to that inn, 00:33:49.460 --> 00:33:52.279 and I'm gonna give more than what I should give 00:33:52.279 --> 00:33:57.000 in the event that it is needed. That's love. 00:33:57.500 --> 00:34:01.180 That's care. Not convenient. Not comfortable. 00:34:02.039 --> 00:34:04.940 I preach today this message, and the number one 00:34:04.940 --> 00:34:07.740 person I'm preaching to is myself. I might as 00:34:07.740 --> 00:34:10.380 well have a mirror standing here, looking at 00:34:10.380 --> 00:34:12.679 it. Hopefully not cracking it, but looking at 00:34:12.679 --> 00:34:16.880 the mirror. Knowing that I'm preaching to myself 00:34:16.880 --> 00:34:20.340 We've got to obey the Apostle Paul said and I'm 00:34:20.340 --> 00:34:24.980 closing with this We all know first Corinthians 00:34:24.980 --> 00:34:30.820 chapter 12 chapter 13 verses 1 through 13 It's 00:34:30.820 --> 00:34:32.980 quoted many times. I'm not gonna read the whole 00:34:32.980 --> 00:34:37.039 the entire scripture the entire Chapter, but 00:34:37.039 --> 00:34:39.360 I just want to highlight some things that he 00:34:39.360 --> 00:34:44.340 says here on how love should be He said, if I 00:34:44.340 --> 00:34:46.000 speak with the tongues of men and of angels, 00:34:46.079 --> 00:34:50.340 but I do not love, I'm a resounding gong or a 00:34:50.340 --> 00:34:53.679 clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy 00:34:53.679 --> 00:34:56.840 and cannot fathom more mysteries and all knowledge, 00:34:57.400 --> 00:35:00.840 if I have faith that cannot move mountains and 00:35:00.840 --> 00:35:06.320 I do not have love, he says, I am nothing. He 00:35:06.320 --> 00:35:09.320 said, if I give all that I possess to the poor 00:35:09.320 --> 00:35:14.059 and even give my body to hardship. But I don't 00:35:14.059 --> 00:35:21.000 have love. He said I gain nothing. He says love 00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:26.260 is patient. Love is kind. It doesn't envy. It 00:35:26.260 --> 00:35:29.039 doesn't boast. It isn't proud. It does not dishonor 00:35:29.039 --> 00:35:31.920 others. It's not self -seeking. It's not easily 00:35:31.920 --> 00:35:35.079 angered. It keeps no record of wrongs. It does 00:35:35.079 --> 00:35:37.960 not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. 00:35:37.960 --> 00:35:40.920 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, 00:35:41.219 --> 00:35:46.559 always perseveres. Love never fails, but where 00:35:46.559 --> 00:35:50.440 there's prophecies, they will cease. Where there's 00:35:50.440 --> 00:35:55.159 tongues, they will be still. Where there's knowledge, 00:35:55.460 --> 00:35:59.519 knowledge really is going to pass away. Then 00:35:59.519 --> 00:36:05.719 he goes down to verse 12, or goes to verse 13, 00:36:06.739 --> 00:36:12.480 and he says, and now these three remain, faith, 00:36:12.710 --> 00:36:17.630 Hope and love But he said that the greatest of 00:36:17.630 --> 00:36:24.570 these is love First Peter chapter 4 verse 8 Above 00:36:24.570 --> 00:36:29.309 all keep loving one another earnestly Since love 00:36:29.309 --> 00:36:33.690 cover is a multitude of sins But this shall all 00:36:33.690 --> 00:36:36.530 men know that you are my disciples you are the 00:36:36.530 --> 00:36:40.489 disciples of Jesus It's by our love for each 00:36:40.489 --> 00:36:51.429 other The two greatest commandments to me, these 00:36:51.429 --> 00:36:53.989 two greatest commandments were exemplified by 00:36:53.989 --> 00:36:57.130 two people in the Bible and you probably have 00:36:57.130 --> 00:37:03.170 your own, but that came to my mind. Love God 00:37:03.170 --> 00:37:05.429 with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. 00:37:08.050 --> 00:37:13.980 I think of King David because of his love for 00:37:13.980 --> 00:37:19.159 God He put himself on the line because of everything 00:37:19.159 --> 00:37:23.099 inside of him loved God He put his body he put 00:37:23.099 --> 00:37:28.199 his self on the line to go and fight Goliath 00:37:28.199 --> 00:37:34.780 He said I love God too much I love God too much 00:37:34.780 --> 00:37:40.239 Not to put myself on the line for that David's 00:37:40.239 --> 00:37:44.340 love for God led God to call him a man after 00:37:44.340 --> 00:37:48.760 his own heart and led him to be Israel's great 00:37:48.760 --> 00:37:53.460 King. The second, love your neighbor as yourself. 00:37:54.860 --> 00:37:59.239 I see it in Jesus Christ because Jesus Christ 00:37:59.239 --> 00:38:01.860 came, as I mentioned before, hung on a cross 00:38:01.860 --> 00:38:07.139 for you and I gave it all, laid it on the line 00:38:07.139 --> 00:38:10.900 because he loved you. He loved me and he was 00:38:10.900 --> 00:38:12.920 setting an example for each and every one of 00:38:12.920 --> 00:38:17.800 us that we ought to love each other If we could 00:38:17.800 --> 00:38:30.920 all stand today If you're not saved today if 00:38:30.920 --> 00:38:34.019 you don't have the gift of the Holy Ghost today 00:38:34.019 --> 00:38:39.250 Love said that he is not willing Then it should 00:38:39.250 --> 00:38:44.690 perish and we know that God is love He says that 00:38:44.690 --> 00:38:50.289 you're not far from the kingdom But we need to 00:38:50.289 --> 00:38:55.889 make it into the kingdom If you've never entered 00:38:55.889 --> 00:39:03.750 the kingdom the door is open today to all If 00:39:03.750 --> 00:39:06.090 you've been loving God with only part of your 00:39:06.090 --> 00:39:12.559 heart Give him all of your heart today If you've 00:39:12.559 --> 00:39:17.239 been withholding love from others Because you 00:39:17.239 --> 00:39:20.960 may be upset with them don't like them anymore 00:39:20.960 --> 00:39:25.699 Whatever has happened We've got to put love into 00:39:25.699 --> 00:39:28.900 action today and say you know what? I'm gonna 00:39:28.900 --> 00:39:33.460 love I Don't care. I'm going to love because 00:39:33.460 --> 00:39:35.579 that's what Jesus commanded. That's what Jesus 00:39:35.579 --> 00:39:41.119 did Let love build something new in your heart 00:39:41.119 --> 00:39:45.519 today towards that individual. It may be someone 00:39:45.519 --> 00:39:48.400 who's here, it may be someone who's not here, 00:39:49.119 --> 00:39:52.320 but let love build something new in your heart 00:39:52.320 --> 00:39:59.579 towards them today. If you've been not far from 00:39:59.579 --> 00:40:03.019 the kingdom, but the kingdom is not on the inside 00:40:03.019 --> 00:40:06.670 of you, today is a day to step through. That 00:40:06.670 --> 00:40:11.449 door to say God here. I am I surrender my life 00:40:11.449 --> 00:40:17.510 to you today I end this message today the same 00:40:17.510 --> 00:40:21.590 way that I begin it with the simplicity of Jesus 00:40:21.590 --> 00:40:24.329 saying Love your neighbor with all your heart 00:40:24.329 --> 00:40:26.530 soul mind and strength and love you love you 00:40:26.530 --> 00:40:29.030 Love me with all your heart soul mind and strength 00:40:29.030 --> 00:40:31.829 and love your neighbor as yourself very simple 00:40:32.869 --> 00:40:35.329 He said to that man, that scribe, he said, you're 00:40:35.329 --> 00:40:38.409 not far from the kingdom. And I want to just 00:40:38.409 --> 00:40:42.510 make this statement today that if you don't love, 00:40:43.449 --> 00:40:48.050 you cannot make it into the kingdom. You might 00:40:48.050 --> 00:40:51.750 say, I love God. I'm here today. I love God. 00:40:53.170 --> 00:40:56.650 But if you don't love your neighbor, it's impossible 00:40:56.650 --> 00:41:00.829 to make it into the kingdom. That's why Jesus 00:41:00.829 --> 00:41:04.050 said to that man, he said, you're not far. I 00:41:04.050 --> 00:41:05.909 don't know what Jesus knew was in his heart. 00:41:06.409 --> 00:41:08.090 He just said to him, you're not far from the 00:41:08.090 --> 00:41:11.849 kingdom. Basically, Jesus is saying, I want you 00:41:11.849 --> 00:41:15.269 to do more. I want you to walk in obedience to 00:41:15.269 --> 00:41:18.369 my word. I want you to love me. I want you to 00:41:18.369 --> 00:41:20.369 love others. I want you to put it into action. 00:41:21.150 --> 00:41:24.199 As you come to this altar today. I wonder if 00:41:24.199 --> 00:41:27.219 you would just examine your heart today. Lord, 00:41:28.059 --> 00:41:31.719 is there anything inside of me? If I'm not loving 00:41:31.719 --> 00:41:35.219 the way that I should, Lord, I open my heart 00:41:35.219 --> 00:41:38.739 and I surrender myself to you today. Is there 00:41:38.739 --> 00:41:41.460 someone that I'm not necessarily getting along 00:41:41.460 --> 00:41:44.079 with? Is there a parent? Is there a family member? 00:41:44.559 --> 00:41:48.320 Is there someone that I've not been treating 00:41:48.320 --> 00:41:52.989 right or acting right towards? Today, Lord, I'm 00:41:52.989 --> 00:41:56.010 giving my heart to you. I'm surrendering my life 00:41:56.010 --> 00:41:58.250 to you because I don't want it to be said of 00:41:58.250 --> 00:42:01.469 me that you're not far from the kingdom. I want 00:42:01.469 --> 00:42:04.329 the Lord to say, well done to our good and faithful 00:42:04.329 --> 00:42:08.090 servant. I want him to say, enter into the joy 00:42:08.090 --> 00:42:11.309 of the Lord. That's what I want the Lord to say 00:42:11.309 --> 00:42:14.309 to me today. That's what I want him to say to 00:42:14.309 --> 00:42:17.429 you and I today. Let's lift him up today. Let's 00:42:17.429 --> 00:42:20.070 worship him. Let's surrender our hearts to him 00:42:20.070 --> 00:42:20.429 today.