Good morning ladies and gentlemen welcome to our service us today here at faithful word baptist search
It's a pleasure to have you here on this beautiful Sunday morning find your seats
Please grab a song but go to hymn 210 and we'll get started this morning hymn number 210
Wonderful grace of Jesus hymn number 210
Once you find your place, let's sing it out nice and strong on that first verse now hymn number
210 sing it out now number 210
Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin.
I'll shout my tongue is dry then, where shall it's grace be given?
There's two lines of lyrics.
There's a top and the bottom line.
So top line, that's for you ladies.
So I'll help you sing that top line.
Men, don't change anything, what you're doing.
So ladies, does everybody understand what I'm saying?
So you ladies, I'll help you sing that top line.
So let's go back and do that first verse, all right?
So on that first now.
Wonderful grace of Jesus.
The precious name of Jesus, praise his name.
Wonderful grace of Jesus, preaching to all.
He changes me.
Wonderful, the natural grace of Jesus.
He protect the mighty, holy sea.
Always be higher.
of Jesus, reaching the
The only thing
Wider than the mountains
What is like a mountain
In all submission grace
Bring the people here to be
Wider than the scope of my transgress
How many of you ladies caught up at all?
All right.
So this won't be the last time we'll sing this song, so a lot more rest on that.
All right.
We want to go before Lawrence's blessing of the service, so I ask for the fiddle.
Gonzales, give you a listen first.
Father in heaven, we want to thank you for Jesus Christ and another beautiful Sunday morning.
We ask your father to please bless our voices as we lift him up to you in praise.
And please fill Pastor Anderson with your Holy Spirit and bless every aspect of his sermon.
It's in Jesus' name you pray.
Amen.
Amen, 208, hymn number 208, back just a few pages, grace greater than our sin, hymn number
208, 208 begins, marvelous grace of our loving Lord, hymn number 208, let's sing it out together
now.
Yes.
together. If you don't have a bulletin, slip up your hand nice and high. We'll get to you with one.
On the inside we have our service times. Sunday mornings at 10 30 is our preaching service.
Sunday nights at six. Wednesday nights at seven is our Bible study. This week we will be in Second
Chronicles chapter 36. We've got the soul winning times listed there below as well as Salvation
and Baptisms. And then I believe that that is an error there. I think that we did have a couple
And then across the page, we've got the donuts
coming up on March 2nd, 10 a.m. before the service
and on our of all the birthdays and anniversaries.
We had another successful cruise mission strip
in the Bahamas, three people had 24 salvations.
And so thank you for the prayers and support on that.
And then below that, ladies, mark your calendars now
for the Mother-Daughter Tea Party.
This is one of the favorite events that we do each year
for the ladies and teenage girls.
Actually, sorry, it's for all the girls of all ages.
It's Mother-Daughter Tea Party,
and it's not just for mothers and daughters,
meaning that you don't have to have your daughter with you
or your mother with you.
It's really just for all ladies and girls.
to enjoy in whatever configuration, sisters, friends,
by yourself, whatever you want to do.
And so you definitely want to sign up for this
because these dates do ultimately end up filling up.
Usually we have three dates.
This year we only have two dates
because of availability of the venue.
So we really need to make sure that if you're planning on going
that you RSVP and get signed up.
It's not open yet. Registration is not open yet, but when it does open make sure that you sign up
following the instructions. All right, and then on the back
we've got donations of free food over there. All that stuff on the table is free, so
be sure to check that out. Keep praying for our expectant ladies that they will have a safe and healthy pregnancy and
delivery. Other upcoming events we've got Pastor Corbin Russell preaching.
on Wednesday, March the 12th.
So mark the calendar for that.
There's a Bahamas cruise mission strip coming up
that I believe we have about 20, 22 people
somewhere around that neighborhood
in the low 20s of people signed up for.
And that is March 23rd through 28th,
going to a really receptive place
because I'm telling you, the Bahamas is super receptive.
I personally,
the couple of times that I've gone to the Bahamas have had like more people saved in one day
in the Bahamas than I've had anywhere else in my entire life.
So, I think probably like two of my all-time best days of soul winning were in Nassau, Bahamas.
We go soul winning there and talk to a lot of young adults there and they're super receptive
and it's a great time and so if you're interested reach out to us and we can give you more details
about that trip but I'm super excited about 20 some people signed up because I know that
You know, I believe God's really gonna bless.
We're gonna see a lot of great results there.
And so that's something that you should think about,
either getting involved in or at least be praying
for the people who go that they'll be successful.
And then the KJV Conference in Vancouver, Washington
is an event that I highly recommend
because it's just gonna be a great lineup of preachers.
Pastor Mejia.
Pastor Shelley, Pastor Thompson, myself,
and it's a great subject.
I mean, who doesn't love preaching on the King James?
You know, I remember when I first started going
to a fundamental Baptist church again,
when I was 17 years old,
because we grew up fundamental Baptist,
but we'd gone to some liberal churches
when I was a teenager,
but when I was 17, my family got back into,
you know, an independent fundamental
King James soul-winning kind of church.
and every November was King James Bible month.
And so there'd be like four Sunday night sermons
about why the church is King James only.
And my whole family really looked forward to it.
It was something that everybody was stoked about,
like Sunday nights in November,
all preaching about the different versions and stuff.
We loved it.
I think it's a great subject.
So it's a great lineup of preachers, great subject.
And also the Pacific Northwest is just a beautiful place.
So it's kind of nice to just have an excuse
to go to the Pacific Northwest and enjoy some of the natural beauty
up around Oregon and Washington. So that is about it for announcements. Let's go
ahead and sing our next song. Come lead us.
All right, you should find the insert in front of your hymnal with song 15.
If you don't have an insert, please raise your hand.
You'll receive one. We'll sing it on that verse together. Lord, who shall abide
in night's hour and hour?
Glory to Shabbat.
Let's speak in the truth in his heart, he that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness.
Let's speak in the truth in his heart, he that backmines in God with his tongue, nor do with evil too.
He that that might, if not with his tongue,
News eyes of my old person is content,
But the honor with them that fear the Lord,
News eyes of my...
change if not, he that put in thought out his money to usury, he that swear it to his own
The angel never be moved, for they can be born against the innocent.
He's a do-it-beast. The angel never be moved, for who shall?
Hey man, good singing everybody.
Take your hymnos now and go to hymn number 401, hymn number 401.
Set my soul afire, hymn number 401.
Sing this out unto the Lord this morning,
hymn number 401, set my soul afire, Lord,
for thy holy words, sing it out together now.
That
Saving power, millions grow in darkness, waiting for Thy word, set my soul afire, Lord, set my soul afire, set my soul afire.
As you live.
Set my soul on fire, Lord.
Set my soul on fire.
All right, this time we'll pass our offering plates around.
As the plates go around, let's turn our Bibles to Galatians chapter 5.
Galatians chapter number 5, as we always do.
We'll read the entire chapter beginning in verse number 1.
Follow along silently with Brother Corbin Brock as he reads Galatians 5, beginning in verse number one.
Christ has become of no effect unto you.
Whosoever of you are justified by the law,
you are fallen from grace.
For we, through the spirit,
wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.
For in Jesus Christ,
neither circumcision availeth anything,
nor uncircumcision, but faith which worketh by love.
You did run well, who did hinder you
that you should not obey the truth.
this persuasion cometh not of him that calleth you, a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
I have confidence in you through the Lord that you will be none otherwise minded,
but he that troubleeth you shall bear his judgment whosoever he be. And I, brethren,
if I yet preach circumcision, why do I yet suffer persecution, then is the offense of the cross
I would they were even cut off which trouble you.
For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty, only use not liberty for an occasion to the
flesh, but by love serve one another.
For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, thou shalt love thy neighbor
as thyself.
But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
For the flesh lusted against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other
So that you cannot do the things that you would
But if you be led of the spirit, you're not under the law
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, adultery, fornication, uncleanness,
lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions,
heresies, enviings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like, of the which I tell you before,
that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.
Against such there is no law, and they that are Christ
have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, and being one another.
Father in heaven, thank you for your son Jesus Christ who died for all our sins and rose again from the dead
I also thank you father that the Holy Spirit dwells in those that have believed in your son Jesus Christ
I pray that you please bless Pastor Anderson with the fullness and the power of the Holy Spirit as he preaches your word
So that we your children with every passing day would become better and better servants of yours to give you all praise honor and glory
In Jesus name I pray a man
Man, the part of the chapter I want to focus on is beginning there in verse 22 where the Bible reads,
but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
long-suffering,
gentleness, goodness, faith,
meekness, temperance,
against such, there is no law. And if you look at this list of
attributes that are the fruit of the Spirit, if you stop and think about it, these are attributes that everyone
wants to have in their life.
Even non-Christians, right?
Even unsaved people would be pursuing these things in life,
would love to have these things in their life,
even if they're not even a Christian.
This is what people want out of life.
I mean, think about how many people would say,
more than anything, I just want to find true love in my life.
right? And that's not always necessarily just romantic love, right? It could be love between
siblings. It could be love between friends. It could be love between parents and children. It could be
love between all manner of relationships, right? People want love. People are seeking love. They're
pursuing love. So many books and films and magazine articles. What's the subject? Love.
Everybody wants to be happy, right?
All kinds of people out there are on that pursuit for happiness,
searching for what's going to bring them real true joy and their peace, right?
People are stressed out, they're anxious, they're worried,
and they would love to just have peace and tranquility in their life.
If you stop and think about it, these fruits of the Spirit are wonderful things
that virtually everyone on this planet would love to have.
as a part of their life and I'm here to tell you this morning that God is the one who can give you
these things and this is the person that you can become. You can become a person who is characterized
by love. You can become a person who has real joy in your life, who has real peace in your heart,
who has the patience to be long-suffering. And again, virtually everyone wants this.
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
And so the fruit of the Spirit
is something that we as Christians
all want to have, right?
We all want to have these things in our life.
How do we have the fruit of the Spirit in our life?
Well, the first thing I want to say this morning,
and the sermon this morning is going to really focus
just on one fruit of the Spirit, which is love.
But first, by way of introduction,
I want to say that being a saved Christian
does not automatically guarantee
that you will have these attributes.
You could be a saved Christian and not have love, not have joy, not have peace.
Being saved is not enough to guarantee that you will have these things,
because although every single saved Christian is indwelled by the Holy Spirit,
it is possible for us to quench the Spirit.
And just because we are indwelled by the Spirit,
it doesn't mean that we're walking in the Spirit.
And in order to have these attributes,
in order to be a person with love, joy, peace, etc.,
you've got to walk in the Spirit.
And that's found right in the context of this passage itself.
Look at verse 16.
It says,
He's saying,
Look, if you don't walk in the Spirit,
you're going to have all these bad attributes
that are listed under the works of the flesh.
If you walk in the Spirit, you're going to have the fruit of the Spirit coming through in your life.
Then look at verse 25, it says,
if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
And so everybody is not automatically walking in the Spirit and filled with the Spirit
and characterized by these attributes.
Look, we all want it.
We all want love.
We all want joy.
How do we get it?
by walking in the Spirit, by walking with God,
by being filled with the Spirit.
This is available, you can become
the person that you want to become,
that everybody really wants to become.
Here are a few other verses on this subject.
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 22 says,
that you put off concerning the former conversation,
the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust
and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,
and that you put on the new man,
which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
So once we're saved, we need to put on the new man.
We need to walk in the spirit
if we want to have the fruit of the spirit
coming through in our lives.
Ephesians 5,18, be not drunk with wine, we're in his excess, but be filled with the Spirit,
speaking to yourselves in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody
in your heart to the Lord.
There wouldn't be a command to be filled with the Spirit if it were automatic for believers.
Most Christians are not walking in the Spirit, they're walking in the flesh, therefore they're
not taking advantage of this wonderful resource that God has given us.
the Holy Spirit in our lives.
So let's turn to First John chapter four
and get into the sermon itself this morning about love.
The fruit of the Spirit is love.
And again, everybody's looking for love, aren't they?
True love is something that everybody would want.
And a lot of people, if you ask them,
what do you want most out of life?
I bet that would top a lot of people's lists.
True love.
And what does it mean to be seeking love
or seeking true love?
Does it just mean seeking for someone else to love you?
Or, is it about you actually loving someone else?
And so, we want to have love.
We want to be loving.
People want to love our wives, want to love our children, we want to love our friends,
want to love our church, our brothers and sisters in Christ, right?
We want to have love in our life.
Well, point number one this morning from the Word of God is this, because obviously we
But the first point I want to make is that number one Christians who are walking with God are loving people
Christians who are actually filled with the spirit Christians who are walking with God are loving people because love comes from God
Now, are you there in 1st John chapter 4 verse 7?
The Bible reads in 1st John 4-7,
Beloved, let us love one another,
for love is of God,
and everyone that loveth is born of God,
and knoweth God.
So the real true love,
the real powerful love that comes from God alone,
comes from number one, being born of God.
Obviously, it starts with you being saved,
because in order to even have the Holy Spirit living inside you,
you've got to be saved.
but not just being born of God, also knowing God, right?
And knowing God is different than just being saved.
Because, once you're saved, it doesn't mean that you necessarily know God well.
We spend the rest of our lives knowing God, learning about God, reading the Bible, walking
with God, communing with God.
And what did the apostle Paul say?
He said that the pursuit of his life actively was that I may know him.
And he said, I'm not there yet.
I haven't arrived yet.
I'm still trying to know God on a deeper level.
And so he says here that everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God,
he that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is love.
So here's what I take away from this.
If you have a godly Christian who's walking with God,
they're going to be a loving person.
That tells me if someone is unloving, if someone doesn't have love,
you know, this person is not filled with the Spirit.
Because the fruit of the Spirit is love.
So if you're filled with the Spirit, you will be a loving person.
And then it also tells me that people that are not filled with the Spirit are not loving.
They can claim to be loving, they can talk about love, they can give lip service to love,
but the Bible says everyone that loveeth is born of God and knoweth God.
So the real, true loving people in this world are the people who are walking with God and living for the Lord.
It says in verse 9, and this was manifested, the love of God toward us,
because God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through him,
here in his love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son
to be the propitiation for our sins, beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love
one another.
No man has seen God at any time.
If we love one another, God dwelleth in us and his love is perfected in us.
You see, loving one another is the evidence that God dwelleth in us and that his love
is perfected in us, right?
We are a mature Christian, we are walking with God, we are filled with the Spirit when we have love
one for another. That's what the Bible is saying. Jump down to verse 20, it says this,
if a man say, I love God and hate it, his brother, he's a liar. For he that loveeth not his brother
whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath seen?
or he whom he had not seen, and this commandment,
have we from him that he who loveth God
love his brother also?
And so the Bible is saying here
that you can't have a person who just really loves God,
really loves the word of God, really loves serving God,
but oh, he just doesn't love his brother
and sister in Christ.
No, that doesn't exist.
Because the Bible says if a man says he loves God
and he doesn't love his brother, he's a liar.
He's lying.
It's not true. It's impossible. It can't happen.
And these are pretty strong words.
You know, John really puts this very bluntly.
He says, you're lying.
If you say that you love God
when you don't love your brother and sister in Christ.
And you know what's funny is I've heard people say,
oh, that preacher, you know,
yeah, he really serves God. He really loves God.
He does a lot for God. He loves the word of God.
He's doing great work for God.
But he just doesn't love his brothers and sisters in Christ.
That's not even possible.
That's not even humanly possible. Either you're wrong about him loving God or you're wrong about him not loving his brothers and sisters
Because the bottom line is that everyone who loves God also loves those that are begotten of God those that are saved
That's what the Bible actually says here
And so it's impossible to be a great Christian who loves God
and not to love your brothers and sisters in Christ, right?
Walking with God, knowing God, and being filled with the Spirit
will make you a loving person, guaranteed.
And if you're not a loving person,
it's because you're not doing those things, okay?
If you're a loving person, it's because you are doing those things.
So number one, Christians who are walking with God are loving people
because love comes from God.
Number two,
Keeping God's commandments is the test of real love, according to the Bible, right?
Keeping God's commandments is the test of real love.
Now, we have a chapter break between chapter 4 and chapter 5,
but honestly, the thought just continues.
And so you've got to be careful not to separate like 421 from 5.1,
because it really flows in very well.
Because we just finished saying,
this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God, loveth his brother also,
And then in verse one, it says,
"'Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God,
Everyone that loveeth him that begat loveeth him also that is begotten of him and so it says in verse 2
This is the key thing because what did I say number 2 keeping God's commandments is the test of
Real love by this we know that we love the children of God. So how do you figure out? Do I love the children of God?
How do you test your love for the children of God by this? We know that we love the children of God when we love God
keep his commandments. Now stop and think about this. Well we know that we love
the children of God when we love God because it's impossible to love God
without loving the children of God. So we know we love the children of God when
we love God because these two things go together it's impossible to do the one
without the other. You can't really love your brothers and sisters in Christ like
you should but you don't love God and you can't love God if you're not loving
your brothers and sisters in Christ. So how do we know if we love the children
and keep his commandments, okay?
And that's a key point right there.
It says, for this is the love of God,
that we keep his commandments,
and his commandments are not grievous.
And you know what I've noticed in my life?
Is that people tend to label liberal,
worldly churches as loving.
And then they tend to label preachers
who preach against sin as hateful.
And it's just automatic, you take a stand against sin, you preach hard against sin, you preach
on the commandments of God, you're not loving, you're hateful, you're a hate preacher.
That's hate speech.
But then, some just liberal, watered down, super worldly, super sinful, never preach
about sin, that's a loving church.
People are so much more loving there.
Is that consistent with the Word of God?
No, not at all.
And look, we just read it before the service
in Galatians chapter five, where it said,
all the law is fulfilled in one word,
even in this thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
So all the law, you can just kind of sum up
the law of God in the Old Testament
under these two commandments,
love the Lord thy God and love your neighbor as yourself.
You can sum up the whole thing.
And so the Bible says this is the love of God
that we keep His commandments.
So we have a church that's, they're fine with drinking,
they're fine with fornication,
they're fine with all the worldliness,
they're fine with you cross-dressing,
they're fine with all these things,
and oh, they're just such a loving church.
They don't love anybody, you know, they love money.
They love money, they love popularity, they love fame, they love success.
They don't love God because if they love God, they'd be keeping His commandments.
And they don't love their members because if they love their members, then they would
preach the Word of God because they would know that that's what people need to hear.
Because stop and think about it.
If you love someone, you're not necessarily just going to tell them what they want to
hear.
You're going to tell them what they need to hear, right?
and you want that person to like you
because you want to get something from that person,
you want to get a benefit from that person,
and it's not love,
because love and keeping the commandments of God
are intertwined.
You show me a worldly Christian,
I'll show you an unloving Christian.
Show me a sinful Christian,
it's an unloving person.
You know, the person who's out there partying, drinking, taking drugs, fornicating, committing adultery,
having an abortion, doing these things.
You know, that's not a loving person.
That's not what love means.
Okay, and then you have a church that will get up and preach hard against all of the above.
Oh, so unloving, so hateful.
This is the lie of the devil in 2025 that so many people are falling for,
that being nice means you're a loving person.
Nice mom is a loving mom.
Nice dad is a loving dad.
Nice pastor is a loving pastor.
But in reality, the nice person isn't necessarily a loving person
because there are all kinds of reasons to be nice
besides actually loving people
and actually caring about people.
And again, we got to go by what the Bible says.
By this, we know that we love the children of God.
How can we do a self-check?
Do I love the children of God?
Well, do you love God?
Because if you're not interested in church, if you're not interested in the Bible,
if you're not interested in soul winning, if you're not interested in the hymns,
if you are not interested in the things of God and your love is all in this world,
you know what the Bible says? If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
So, if you're sitting here and being dragged to church, you don't want to be in church,
you don't want to hear the preaching of God's word, you don't want to read your Bible,
you don't want to pray, you don't want to go soul-winning, but you're just such a loving
prayer.
I don't believe it for one second.
Because this is how you know you love the children of God when you love God.
And so, somebody's like, man, I love God, man, I love church, man, I love the things
of God.
You know, that's the person, I would take you to the bank, well, I bet this guy loves
because he loves God.
Well, then he must love the children of God.
But when I see somebody who doesn't delight in God,
doesn't love God, doesn't take pleasure in God,
isn't interested in the things of God,
super worldly, not into church,
not into religion,
you know, it just tells me,
well, this guy clearly doesn't love God.
Well, you know what?
He probably doesn't love the children of God either.
And by the way, you young ladies,
you think your boyfriend loves you so much,
does your boyfriend love God?
Because if your boyfriend doesn't love God, then it makes me wonder if he loves the children of God, namely you.
Because guess what? He might just like the way that you look. He might just like your physical body.
He might just like how you make him feel.
He might like just hanging out with someone who's a fun person to hang around.
But what you want is somebody who actually
loves you and cares about you and is gonna do good unto you in the long run.
And so, how do I know, how do I, you know,
this could be like a little teen romance column
in a magazine, like, how do I know if my boyfriend loves me?
Here's a little tin check quiz.
How do I know if my boyfriend really loves me?
Isn't that the kind of stuff they have
in these kind of magazines?
All right, so if anybody out there is an editor
for one of these magazines, I'm giving you an idea
here for your magazine.
You know, take this quiz to figure out
if your boyfriend really loves you.
Does he love going to church?
Does he love reading the Bible?
Does he love singing hymns?
Does he love going soul-winning, right?
And it's like, what does that have to do with him loving me?
Because those that love God love the children of God.
He said, well, it's a totally different kind of love.
Yeah, but here's the thing though,
is that there's a little bit of a connection there though, isn't there?
Because you know what? Yeah, you're right.
I don't romantically love everybody.
I romantically love one person, which is my wife.
But, here's the thing, if I didn't love God, if I didn't love the things of God, I would not have the capacity to love my wife the way that only a born-again saved, God-fearing, Spirit-filled Christian can love my wife.
It's another level, my friend, that this world knows nothing about.
Because love is of God and everyone that love it is born of God and knoweth God.
So don't buy into this thing of just, oh, liberal, watered-down, worldly, sinful preachers.
Oh, they're loving.
Oh, the guy who's preaching hard on sin, he's not loving.
That's just the world brainwashing you.
And this is not an isolated scripture.
Flip just one page to the right in your Bible to 2 John.
So we were just in the first epistle of John.
Let's go to 2 John and look at verse 5.
It says, Now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee,
but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another.
And this is love that we walk after his commandments.
Now look, you say, oh, Pastor Anderson,
you know, he gets up to preach a love sermon
and just all of a sudden it's just about commandments.
I knew he wasn't a loving guy.
Folks, this isn't me, this is the word of God.
This wasn't my idea.
I didn't go around and change all your Bibles
before the service.
This was already there.
You know, my job as a preacher is to get up
and preach what's already here.
And here I am, open in the Bible, and the Bible is just like,
for this is the love of God that we keep His commandments.
Then we turn one page, second John, and this is love
that we walk after His commandments.
Verse six, this is the commandment
that as you have heard from the beginning,
you should walk in it.
Go if you would to Romans chapter 13,
Romans chapter number 13.
And while you're turning there, let me say this,
sinful people are not loving people.
The less sin you have in your life, you're probably a more loving person, and the more sin you have in your life is probably because you're not loving.
Because what does the Bible say in Matthew 24? It says,
Because iniquity shall abound, and iniquity is another word for sin doing wrong.
Because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
The enemy to you being a loving person is you living a life of sin.
You want to find true love?
Well, then start getting sin out of your life
and watch your love increase.
And then if you start delving into sin
and backsliding and getting involved in things
you shouldn't be getting involved in,
watch your love grow cold,
according to the Word of God.
Look at Romans 13 verse 8,
Oh no man, anything,
but to love one another,
for he that loveth another
hath fulfilled the law.
For this thou shalt not commit adultery, thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal,
thou shalt not bear false witness, thou shalt not covet.
And if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely,
thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
So if you wanted to get the Cliff's Notes version of the law of God,
it would basically be love thy neighbor as thyself.
Right, that's the summary, that's the overview.
If you want to just briefly comprehend it in one saying, it's,
thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
And then here's the key explanation in verse 10.
And this is something that, I mean, you should memorize this verse.
You should think about this verse.
You should meditate on this verse because this is the test.
This is the check.
Love worketh no ill to his neighbor.
When you're hurting other people, that's not love.
Harming other people, hurting other people,
seeking to destroy other people, those are not people that you love.
Because love worketh no ill to his neighbor,
therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
You see, if your love is right, are you going to be out there killing?
Are you going to be out there committing adultery?
No, of course not.
I mean, look, if you love your wife,
are you going to commit adultery?
If you love your husband, are you going to commit adultery?
No, obviously not.
If you knew about a woman who is committing adultery,
wouldn't you just say, well, she doesn't love her husband?
No, I do.
I just love my husband.
I just also love this other strange man.
No, you're a liar.
You're wicked and you don't love your husband because women who love their husbands remain faithful to their husbands and
Men who love their wives remain faithful to their wives
Okay, you know mom and dad love each other very much, but we're just gonna separate for a while bull crap
Right. Oh your mom and dad. We love each other, but you know, we just we just not gonna stay married quit lying
You don't love each other because if you loved each other you would do what's right
And you would stay married like you vowed to do till death do us part
Love is often fake in this world. There's a lot of people out there that talk a lot about love
and they say a lot about it,
they give a lot of lip service love,
but there is a lot of fake love in this world.
And here's a really key word I wanna home in on
in verse 10, cause we're gonna see this a lot
in the next few verses.
Love, and here's the key word,
worketh no ill to his neighbor.
You see, what does love do is a question that we should be asking ourselves, and look, I get it.
Love is an emotion.
Yes, it is. Of course, love is an emotion.
Of course, love is a feeling of delight and so forth.
I get all that.
But love also works.
Love does something.
It does certain things and it doesn't do other things.
And one of the things that love doesn't do is love does not work ill toward its neighbor.
And so the test for love really has to do with actions and actions end up speaking a lot louder than words when it comes to love.
And you're there in Romans 13, just go back one page to the left to Romans 12.
Verse 9, because like I said, there's a lot of fake love in this word and world and actions speak louder than words when it comes to love.
Look what the Bible says in verse 9.
Let love be without dissimulation.
And dissimulation is a big word that we may not use very often, but we use the word simulation a lot, right?
Like, if something is simulated, it's not real, is it?
So love should not be with with dissimulation meaning it shouldn't be fake or simulated it should be real
Let love be without dissimulation that tells me there's a lot of people out there with a lot of simulated love a lot of fake love
abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good,
be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love,
and honor preferring one another."
So there's so much great stuff on love packed into these two verses, right?
Because he says, look, your love needs to be real.
Don't let it be simulated.
And then, isn't it interesting, he says,
abhor that which is evil, cleave to that which is good?
You know, it sounds to me like living a righteous life,
living a clean life, getting rid of bad things out of your life,
bringing good things into your life,
has something to do with you being a loving person.
Because in order to really have real love,
you've got to abhor that which is evil and cleave to that which is good.
And then he says,
be kindly affectioned one to another.
You know, another way of saying this is,
you know, be kind one to another.
Act in a way that's loving.
Do things that are loving.
Be kindly affectioned one to another.
And also affection, you should feel it.
Obviously love isn't emotion.
Love is a feeling we should feel love.
We should have that affection,
but it should also play out in our deeds,
in our kindness and not working ill to our neighbor.
And then he says,
Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love
and honor preferring one another.
And honor preferring one another.
Things that we love are also things that we prefer.
And I think this should be obvious to anyone who speaks English.
If I said, I love cheeseburgers, and I do love cheeseburgers.
But then, let's say I'm given an opportunity to eat a really good cheeseburger or something else,
or here's a steak dinner, or here's a hot dog, or here's pizza, or here's tacos.
I could just say, oh, I just love cheeseburgers so much, but then you just constantly see me going for the taco.
I'm constantly going for the pizza.
I'm constantly going for the steak.
I'm constantly ordering a hot dog.
You know what you're going to start to say?
I don't think this guy loves cheeseburgers
as much as he says he does.
Because if he really loved cheeseburgers so much,
you'd see him eating one once in a while
because he would be preferring cheeseburgers.
Everybody understand what I'm saying?
And so you say, oh, I love God,
but you're always choosing an activity
that has nothing to do with God.
Your time, your energy, your money, your resources, your effects, is always on things other than God.
Oh, but you love God so much. Why aren't you preferring God?
Oh, I love the Bible. Always reading something else.
Rarely reading the Bible. Well, why don't you prefer the Bible?
Oh, I love my brothers and sisters in Christ, but yet I see you preferring unsaved worldly friends.
and talking to church people, you know.
Here's the thing, I'm just gonna come right out and say it.
I prefer church people, I prefer saved Christians.
Even when I'm in an environment outside of church,
if I'm anywhere.
If I'm out in any kind, if I'm in a job setting, if I'm doing recreation, if I'm in an educational setting, you know who I prefer?
I prefer saved Christians.
Any day of the week and twice on Sunday, I prefer saved people of God.
Why? Because I love the children of God.
That's who I prefer.
And also another meaning of prefer here,
when it says in honor, preferring one another,
it's also talking about preferring other people to yourself.
You know, putting other people first
is also preferring one another.
But again, back to the cheeseburger illustration.
I'm sorry, I just don't believe that someone loves God
when they prefer everything other than God.
And if they love the people of God,
why do they always prefer other people?
You know, you're surrounded by worldly friends, unsaved friends, non-Christian friends.
It's like, what's your problem?
Why aren't you being a friend to the people of God?
What's the deal?
You know, your actions need to line up with your supposed heart of love for God and His people.
Similar thing is in 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 22.
You don't have to turn there,
but it says seeing that you've purified your souls
and obeying the truth through the spirit
unto unfaithed love of the brethren.
Unfaithed love of the brethren.
That tells me there's some feigned,
fake love of the brethren out there.
We want to have the unfaigned love of the brethren.
See that you love one another with a pure heart.
fervently, and I love this word fervently, right?
Love one another with a pure heart, fervently.
The root word here, the first three letters of fervent
are fur, like fire, okay?
And the idea here is passionately,
love one another fervently.
Think about where the Bible talks about things
melting with a fervent heat.
In case you don't believe me on the etymology
of the word fervent being to do with fire.
Love one another fervently with a pure heart meaning you're sincere
You're not fake. You're not feigning your love. You actually in your heart have a burning
Love for God and a burning love for other people. So look when I say that the love of God is keeping God's commandments
I'm not trying to say, you know, love's not about a feeling love's not about emotion
It's just about doing what you're supposed to is both
It is a feeling. It is an emotion. It is fire. It is passion
But if it's not
Translating into action then I don't think that the pilot lights on buddy whether you get you can say whatever you want
You can make a big noise about all your love, but I think you forgot to light the pilot light
I don't think there's any fire there
Oh, I just love my wife so much as you're out preferring everybody else,
preferring everything else, cheating on her,
neglecting her, treating her bad. It doesn't add up.
Something's not right in this picture. Okay?
So that brings me to my third point. Go to 1 John chapter 3.
My third point is this, love is demonstrated by
actions, not just words.
So we said number one these are the main points of the sermon this morning. We said that number one
Christians who are walking with God are loving people you want to be a loving person you want to find true love
Start walking with God and God will transform you into a loving person you get filled with the spirit and
You're gonna find yourself being a loving person because the fruit of the spirits love
You know you want you say oh man, I feel like my marriage is dead the fire has gone out of my marriage and
You know, I just I just don't love my wife the way that I should you know what you want to fix that
Get right with God
Walk with God get filled with the spirit and you'll start loving your sister in Christ
Namely your wife, okay?
And here's the thing, I think that so many people in marriage
are so focused on, you know, they really want
their spouse to love them, and they really wish
that their spouse love them, but you know,
maybe you should also work on loving your spouse more.
And I think that'll probably end up making you
a lot happier, is when you actually love the person
that you're married to, how about that?
It's funny, and look, marriage is something
that I feel very strongly about,
and that I care very deeply about.
You know, I've been married now for this year, it'll be 25 years and my marriage has always been a very high priority in my life.
It's always been something that is really important to me.
and I've really cared a lot about my wife
and having a good relationship with my wife
and having a good marriage.
And so over the years, I've probably read approximately,
I was trying to kind of do the math.
I would say I've read about 20 books on marriage.
In the last 25 years of being married,
I've probably read approximately 20 books on marriage.
just to try to just learn more, try to be a better husband,
try to learn how I could do a better job as a husband,
just try to gain information, wisdom, tips, whatever.
Obviously, at the end of the day,
the Bible is the main source
as far as how to have a good marriage.
And so those things trump everything else.
Whatever the Bible says is paramount.
But obviously the Bible doesn't necessarily
give us a lot of information.
on marriage. It's not exactly just a marriage manual from cover to cover.
It's got a few really powerful passages.
You know, obviously there's a lot of great stuff in Proverbs. You got Song of
Solomon.
You got some good stuff in Ecclesiastes. You got Ephesians 5. You got Colossians 3.
And obviously those things are absolute truth. Whenever we're
reading a book outside the Bible, we always gotta take it with a grain of salt.
because of the fact that man is fallible, man is human.
But you know, I've read a lot of books on marriage
and just because I'm just always trying to learn more
about...
Things that are important to me and marriage is one of those things and so many many years ago
I read this one book on marriage. You're gonna laugh at this particular book that I read
But it's it's so it's so famous
I was like, oh, I got to read this because you know, it's a big famous book
You know the the love languages or the five love languages who knows what I'm talking about this book, right?
And so let me just give you a quick book review on the love languages
I'll say this. I think that the concept in the book is legitimate
The fact that different people express love in different ways and you can't just and I'm kind of just you literally do not need to
Read the book because I'm literally giving you it all in like two or three minutes
Because this is my biggest critique about the book is that the book just goes on and on and on about and like you could have just
Kind of written into like two pages and been done, but the book is just kind of like an infomercial
And the thing I didn't like about the book is that the book just keeps telling you,
oh, if you do this, your marriage is going to be great.
Everything's going to be fixed.
This will fix every problem.
And I don't believe that for one second.
There's no silver bullet that will just fix every problem.
And I don't buy it.
And so it's kind of like an infomercial.
And it just kept going on and on and on about the same thing.
I'm going to give you the whole book in a few minutes.
I'm saving you a little bit of time here.
Okay, this is the idea is that you can't just say that someone doesn't love you or think that someone doesn't love you
Because they just don't show love in the way that you're expecting because different people show love in different ways
And then on the flip side of that is that different people feel loved in different ways
So like you might be showing your spouse love
and it's the way that you would respond,
so you show them love in that way,
but they don't feel loved
because they're looking for this other love language.
And so the idea was there's five love languages
and different people identify with different love languages.
So if you're kind of speaking the wrong language,
your love's not getting through.
And maybe your spouse really loves you,
you're just not feeling loved
because you're not picking up what they're putting down.
because it's a different language, and then, you know, you're coming at them with love and the wrong language.
So if you can just figure out what their love language is, make them feel loved, everybody's going to live happily ever after.
Now, look, I do think that there's a lot of truth in this principle,
but what I don't believe is that this will just fix everything.
And especially because it's a Christian book.
Yet, in a big, thick Christian book about marriage, never one time has it brought up
that the husband is to be the head of the wife and that the wife is supposed to submit
and obey her husband.
Now, to me, that's disingenuous and wrong to tell you, oh, you're going to have this
great marriage without bringing up the elephant in the room, which is that you're never going
to have a great marriage unless you're following the principles of the Word of God.
And like I said, the Word of God trumps any self-help book,
and the Word of God says that the husband is the head,
the wife needs to obey and submit.
And so to sit there and say,
oh, just do this, and it's all fixed,
eh, wrong, you gotta also do what the Bible says.
First of all, you gotta do what the Bible says,
and then these other things are gonna be
possibly helpful with nuts and bolts and whatever.
And so, when it comes to what were these different love languages, you know, and again, I read
this book like over a decade ago, so this is just off the top of my head.
But basically, it's not in my notes or anything, I'm just kind of shooting from the hip here.
But basically, one of the love languages was words of affirmation.
Right? Like telling your spouse that they're doing a good job or complimenting them, saying things that are uplifting about them.
And look, I feel like for my wife, this is probably one of her biggest love languages, like she likes to be praised or she likes to be complimented.
And so, you know, one of them was Acts of Service, where you do, you know, it's not anything that you're saying, but you're actually doing something for someone.
Right like, you know cooking a nice cooking a really nice meal giving a gift or something like that and gifts an acts of service
I think those might have been two separate languages, but am I right?
Okay, good. Okay. I'm gonna look at you because you you seem like you've read the book more recently
So I gotta help her over here. This is great. So yeah, there's like gifts giving gifts
Some people show their love by giving gifts others like acts of service like like doing something like, you know cleaning their
room for them or you know cooking a meal for them or something and I feel like
for my wife this is a big one how she shows affection a lot of the time like
I literally just got home yesterday it looked like my room had been organized I
know that wasn't the kids who did that you know and she's always making nice
meals and doing stuff for me and stuff like that
You know and so, you know, we're not necessarily exchanging a lot of gifts all the time, but you know doing acts of service
Is another way and then another one was physical touch, you know what giving a hug giving a kiss
Something like that. So I'm up to four. So what's the fifth one again?
Quality time. Yeah, and you can see there's kind of a lot of overlap with some of these. So it's like giving gifts or
the acts of service
quality time
Physical touch and words of affirmation. Those are the five languages and he said yeah
You could claim that there's six or seven or eight
But you know you can kind of really boil it down to these five and whatever and like I said
I think there's a lot of validity there that sometimes your
wife or your husband is doing stuff for you
And you're feeling like, oh, my wife doesn't love me or whatever, but then she's like doing all this stuff for you.
You're just not receiving the love.
Or, you know, you're basically showing love in a way that your wife or husband doesn't really connect with.
And so the message isn't getting through and whatever.
And so, you know, again, like I said,
I think that the principle is a good principle.
I think the book is a little bit long-winded
because you could really explain this
in like 10, 15, 20 minutes,
and it just goes on for hours and hours.
And I think they left out the elephant in the room
that you gotta follow God's principles of structure
and hierarchy in marriage if you wanna have a good marriage.
But I think that, you know,
the principle of the book is true and right in that sense.
Now, why am I bringing this up?
talking about this book because of the fact that there's an emphasis on doing stuff.
If you love your wife, do stuff for your wife, give stuff to your wife, spend quality time
with her.
There's action involved in expressing love.
And it's the same thing, you know, the wife showing that she loves her husband.
And so a lot of people's love is just all talk.
Like where they they love to go on social media and just talk about how much they love their spouse and everything
I'm not I'm not criticizing you if that's you. I'm just saying that I guarantee you that there are a lot of people who do that
that don't actually love their spouse,
that don't actually have a great relationship,
they're doing it for a public show.
And I'm not saying you are,
I'm sure that all that stuff on your Facebook feed
is 100% true.
But I'm just saying that talk is cheap is what I'm saying.
At the end of the day, talk is cheap.
Talk is cheap.
because love ends up being demonstrated ultimately by actions.
And these actions could take different forms of, you know, gift giving, quality time,
words of affirmation, whatever.
You know, you could break it down in all these different ways,
but at the end of the day, like, your behavior is going to show
that you have love in your heart one way or the other.
One way or the other, it's going to come through in your behavior.
Now let's see what the Bible says, see what the Word of God says.
It says in 1 John 3, 16,
hereby perceive we the love of God.
Now what does perceive mean?
Perceive is when you sort of grasp something or understand something
that maybe
You haven't heard explicitly, maybe you have, but you perceive something.
It's sort of like when Jesus heals a man on the Sabbath, he perceives their thoughts, it says.
He kind of knows what they're thinking because he can see the look on their face.
Like, for example, what about when the woman at the well said,
I perceive that thou art a prophet?
Why did she perceive he was a prophet because he told her something that people didn't know about?
He told her something secret about her personal life, and she says, okay, I've deduced from that
I've figured out from that you must be a prophet because you just knew something that it was humanly impossible for you to know
And so I perceive Jesus that you're a prophet
So hereby perceive we the love of God
Because he laid down his life for us and the idea here is God didn't just say I love you
What God actually did was he showed us his love, right?
And so we perceive the love of God because he laid down his life for us.
So we're like, yeah, God really does love us because he laid down his life for us.
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
So here's the thing, love, in God's case,
translated into an action.
God so loved the world that he said,
I love you so, so much.
No, God so loved the world that he gave
his only begotten son, right?
That's how he demonstrated or showed that love
and that's how we perceive that love.
Okay, and then it says this, but, verse 17,
who so hath this world's good,
and seeth his brother hath need,
and shuddeth up his bowels of compassion from him,
how dwelt the love of God in him?
He's saying, look, if you say that you love someone
and then they need something
and then you're not meeting that need,
then apparently you don't really love that person.
You know and again we could apply this to marriage and say you know your husband has a certain need
You're not filling that need. You're not attempting to fill that need
You know do you really love your husband or your wife has certain needs and you're not meeting her needs?
Do you really love your wife then because if you have this world's good and the idea here is like
Let's say there's a person who's starving. They don't have food. They don't have clothes
They don't have what they need and you have extra you have with and you're like, oh, yeah
I love you so much while you let them starve while you let them be cold while you don't help them out
How dwelt the love of God in him?
Who so have this world's good meaning like goods like this world's stuff and
sees his brother have need and
Shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him like I'm not gonna help him out
How dwelt the love of God in him?
You know why because real love is going to translate into action according to the Bible
My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
Remember, love worketh no ill to his neighbor.
Love is something that we show in our deeds with what we do, not just saying, I love you.
Because here's the thing, you know, the five love languages, one of them isn't just, I
love you, I love you, I love you, love you so much, love ya, no.
There's more meat on the bone of these love languages because you know it's spending quality time
It's giving a gift. It's doing an act of service
Okay, it's physical touch or even if it's the words of affirmation. It's not just these platitudes of I love you so much
It's more like a specific
Hey
And, you know, something that takes thought and effort to say,
hey, here's what it is that I really like about you,
because you did this, and you're this, and you're that,
and it's more meaningful than just love ya.
And I'm not saying that we shouldn't say I love you,
because we do say I love you,
but you know what, at the end of the day, though,
it's not really the deepest expression of love, my friend.
And sometimes it almost becomes almost like a greeting or a salutation
than a real profession of love.
You know, and so, you know, we got to go a little deeper than that, my friends.
Go through it to Luke chapter 6.
Luke chapter number 6.
The Bible says in Revelation that the church had ever said lost their first love.
And what does he tell them?
Do the first works.
Here's the thing, how do we know you've lost the first love
because you're not doing the first works?
Because love translates into action.
Love translates into deeds and works.
The Bible says in Proverbs 17, 17,
a friend loveth at all times,
and a brother is born for adversity.
What does that mean?
Does that mean that when you're going through adversity,
your friend is just having a warm feeling about you?
A friend love it at all times and a brother is born for adversity.
No, when it says a friend love it at all times,
it means that they're actually doing something to help you.
It means they're getting you through the adversity.
They're actually doing something to help you,
not just feeling something and you don't even know what they're feeling.
They're actually encouraging you,
they're helping you out,
they're getting involved in your situation.
Of course, loves an emotion,
but that emotion is meant to create righteous actions.
Okay, how about this verse?
He that spareseth his rod,
hateth his son, but he that loveth him,
chasteneth him betimes.
You know, so the Bible's saying,
if you love your kids, you're going to discipline them.
So the feeling of love translates into an action.
And it's a biblical action.
It's a godly action.
It's a righteous action.
Oh, I just love my kids so much,
I could never discipline them.
No, you're in love with yourself.
Because if you loved your kids,
you would chasten them for their own benefit.
You do what's best for them.
And the last place we'll look at briefly is Luke 6,
verse 27 of Luke 6,
but I say unto you which here,
love your enemies and look at the very next words,
love your enemies, do good to them that hate you.
Now again, what does it mean to love your enemies?
It's an action.
What does it mean to love your kids?
You take action.
What does it mean to love your wife?
Action.
Love your husband?
Action.
Love church.
Love God.
Love the brother.
Action.
A lack of bad action.
Working no ill to your neighbor,
but doing something.
Loving indeed and in truth,
not just in word,
because talk is cheap.
See, love your enemies.
Do good to them.
Which hate you?
Do you see how loving and do good are right there, because we're talking about showing
your love with your actions?
Bless them that curse you, pray for them, which despitefully use you.
Those are all actions.
And unto them that, unto him that smighteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other,
him that taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also, give to everyone that
And as you would, that man should do to you, so do ye also to them likewise.
Do you notice the action on deeds here?
What does this talk about love?
It's not just a feeling.
It translates into doing good, blessing, praying, offering, giving, do, done.
It's all work.
And then he says,
for if you love them which love you,
what thank have you?
For sinners also love those that love them.
Say, well, you know, I'd love my wife if she loved me.
Well, you know, the Bible says we love him
because he first loved us.
Right?
And you know, well, I'd love my husband
if he was more loving.
Now, why don't you just love your husband period
for Christ's sake?
You know, and why don't you?
And you say, oh, I'm just looking for true love
but my husband doesn't love me.
You know, why don't you just love him
Here's the way you find true love in your own heart towards someone else, and if they don't love you back, that's like super true love
I'm not telling you to be a stalker now. I'm talking about you know talking about somebody you're actually married to
But I'm serious, you know say oh I gotta find true love you know what here's the thing
You know what it's it's great when people love you
It's great to have parents that love you.
It's great to have friends that love you.
It's great to have a spouse that loves you.
It's great to have siblings that love you.
It's great to have your church buddies that love you.
Being loved is great, but I'm sorry,
but I think that loving is superior to being loved.
It just is.
Now, in a perfect world, ideally,
Yeah, in a perfect marriage, you want to love her and she loves you, right?
I mean, that's the perfect world.
You love her, she loves you, that's great.
But would you really want to be in a marriage where your spouse loves you very much and
you don't love them at all?
You think that that's a good situation?
You think that that feels good?
You think that's the meaning of life?
No, it really isn't.
Okay, and guess what?
The only thing you can control is what you feel.
You can't really make someone else love you.
You know, I wish I had the power to just make people love me
and make people love God and make people love their spouse,
but I can't, I can't do it.
The only person's love that I can control is myself.
So, you know what?
If I'm filled with the spirit, I can love my wife.
I can love you.
I can love other people the way that I should.
On a level that the world can't even understand.
You know, I can just love people in a way that unsaved people or backslidden Christians can't even process
The mental love and look and I'm not I'm not just making it totally abstract. I'm saying a burning love and
a love that translates into action both because we don't have to choose between those two things
So if you love them which love you verse 32 what thank have you for sinners also love those that love them
Oh, so your wife is just madly in love with you and adores you and you love her back
So impressed good job
Your your your spouse that's madly in love with you that's super lovable. You love her. Wow great job
I'm so impressed not okay, because you know what actually would be more impressive is to love the unlovable
or when your wife is being in pain
and is not showing you love and not expressing love,
maybe not even feeling love,
and you say, you know what, I'm gonna love my wife anyway.
I'm gonna love my wife anyway because I love God.
And I just, if I love God,
I just can't help but love my brothers and sisters in Christ
because I'm just walking in the spirit,
just filled with the spirit.
Or vice versa, a woman could be the same way.
Hey, maybe my husband doesn't love me,
but you know what, I'm just gonna love him anyway,
and I'm just gonna keep loving him because I love God.
You know, you'll probably be a lot happier.
If you love them which love you, what thank have you?
For sinners also love those that love them.
And if you do good to them that do good to you, what thank have you?
For sinners also do even the same.
And if you lend to them of whom you hope to receive, what thank have you?
For sinners also lend to sinners to receive as much again.
You see, this world is filled with people doing things for other people,
loving other people and everything,
but it's on a very shallow, low level.
We as Christians can go to a higher level
And we can love in a way that the world can't understand.
Love your enemies, verse 35.
Do good and lend, hoping for nothing again.
Your reward shall be great,
and you shall be the children of the highest,
for he is kind unto the unthankful, unto the evil.
Be there for merciful as your father also is merciful."
And so all that to say this this morning
is that the fruit of the Spirit
Something if you look at that list, it's what this whole world's after this whole world wants true
They want to feel love. They want to love. They want to have that passion
They want to have that feeling and they also want to be a good person that actually lives out their love
It's what people want if I if I ask the people of this world and they'd be honest with me
I don't care if they're Buddhist Hindu Muslim Christian atheists were at Mormon, whatever
If I said, hey if you push this button, you will have in your heart, love, joy, peace,
long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, will you push that button?
Everybody would be like, oh I'd love to have those attributes.
No, I just kind of want to be an unhappy, bitter, hateful, you know, bad person.
I'm sure there'd be some weirdo that would say that, but I'm saying that people would be honest.
This is what people are after this is the pursuit of people's lives. It's what they want. And you know what?
It's on the table. It's available. How do you get there? You get there by reading your Bible
You get there by singing psalms hymns and spiritual songs you get there by going to church
You get there by winning souls to Christ you get there by praying you get there by walking with God being filled with the
Holy Spirit of God. That's how you get there
And the more that you love God, the more that you invest in the Kingdom of God,
the more that you put your energy into serving God, loving God, walking with God.
You know what? It'll be automatic that you will love your brothers and sisters in Christ.
And that you will love your spouse, that you will love the people that God brings into your life.
Because you can't help it because these things are so intertwined do not fall for the fake love of this world
Don't for one second fall for this little. Oh, I love you so much, you know kind of love. There's just all platitudes
It's all talk. It's fake. How do you test it? Is it God's commandments?
Is it following the Bible? Is it following the Word of God? Because if it's worldly and sinful and
Because if any man loved the world,
the love of the Father is not in him.
You know what?
The cleaner you live,
the more that you abhor that which is evil,
abhor that which is evil, cleave that which is good,
you will become a more loving person.
Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer.
Father, we thank you so much for the gift of the Holy Spirit.
We thank you that all of us as believers
are indwelled by the Holy Spirit,
and that we have access to this wonderful attribute,
this wonderful feeling, this wonderful emotion,
This wonderful impetus to all these wonderful actions known as love.
Thank you for giving us.
Love as a fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Help us all to walk in the Spirit so that we can take full advantage
of the Holy Spirit's power and be the most loving people ever
and that all men would know that we're your disciples by our love that we have
one for another. Lord help us to love
our spouses and also just to love our friends,
love our church and in Jesus' name we pray amen.
Amen. All right, ladies and gentlemen, take your hymnals, please go to hymn number 46, hymn number 46
My savior first of all hymn number 46
Begin singing on that first verse together
46 when my life work has ended and I cross the swelling time hymn number 46 singing out together now
When my life work is ended and I cross the swelling time when the bright and glorious morning I shall see
I shall know my redeemer when I reach the other side and his smile will be the first to welcome me.
I shall know him. I shall know him. Every team by his side I shall stand. I shall know him. I shall know him.
The soul-drilling rapture when I view his blessed face
and the luster of his highly beaming eyes.
How my full heart will praise you for the mercy, love,
and grace that we bear for real mention in the sky.
I shall know if I shall know if every being by his side
I shall know him, I shall know him, by the brins of the nails in his hand.
All the dear ones in glory, I'll live back in me to come,
and our parting at the river I recall.
To the sweet melody they will sing my welcome home,
but I long to meet my Savior first of all.
I shall know him, I shall know him,
And redeemed by his side I shall stand.
I shall know him, I shall know him,
By the print of the nails in his hand.
Through the gates to the city,
In a robe of spotless white,
He will lead me where no tears will ever fall.
In the glad song of ages, I shall be full with delight But I long to be my Savior first of all
I shall know Him, I shall know Him Every deed by His side I shall stand
Man, good thing this morning we aren't snatched.