Participants: Greg & Jill Morikone (Host), C.A. & Irma Murray, J.D. & Shelley Quinn
Series Code: TDYFW
Program Code: TDYFW016006A
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00:01 I want to spend my life
00:07 Mending broken people 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:18 Removing pain 00:23 Lord, let my words 00:29 Heal a heart that hurts 00:34 I want to spend my life 00:40 Mending broken people 00:45 I want to spend my life 00:51 Mending broken people 01:07 Hello, and welcome to another 3ABN Family Worship. 01:10 We are so glad that you could join us 01:12 as you do each day, 01:13 but of course for the family worships each Friday night 01:15 we want to wish you a happy Sabbath. 01:18 It's hard to believe that another week 01:19 is already behind us, isn't it? 01:21 I know Jill and I always look forward to the Sabbath. 01:23 Amen. 01:25 I mean, I'm sure your week has been busy just like ours 01:27 but it's always a blessing to receive 01:28 the special Sabbath blessing that God has promised 01:31 as we keep His day holy. 01:32 I know we enjoy the family worship 01:34 and we have some wonderful friends and family here 01:37 and we like to always say welcome to you 01:39 as well there at home 01:41 or wherever you may be tuning in to 3ABN. 01:43 Thank you so much for your prayers, 01:44 your financial support, 01:46 your faithfulness to this ministry of 3ABN 01:47 because it is truly reaching souls 01:49 around the world and it's a blessing 01:51 because you're part of that just like we are here too. 01:53 So praise God for that. Amen. 01:55 Family worship is a special time for Greg and I. 01:57 We love getting together and it's a privilege 01:59 every Friday night to come into your home. 02:01 Each member of our 3ABN family gathering together 02:05 and coming into your home and welcoming the Sabbath, 02:08 opening up the Sabbath with you. 02:10 We have a special part of our 3ABN family here 02:14 with us around the table. That's right, we do. 02:16 We want to introduce them. 02:17 Over on our right is Shelley and JD Quinn 02:21 and we consider you family and friends. 02:23 Absolutely. 02:25 And it's a joy to have you both. 02:26 It's a joy to be here. We just love you all. 02:28 Thanks for asking us. 02:29 So tell us-- Amen. Love Jesus. 02:30 So tell us quickly in case this maybe someone's first time 02:32 to tune into 3ABN 02:33 what part you play here at the ministry of 3ABN so. 02:35 Well, I'm in the pastoral department. 02:37 Absolutely love it. 02:38 It's absolutely fantastic to be able to share Jesus daily. 02:41 Amen. 02:43 A lot of phone calls you receive. Amen. 02:44 Lots of phone calls and we certainly just pray 02:47 that we are anointed every day 02:49 we start every day of by inviting the Holy Spirit. 02:52 And we cover everyone's prayers, 02:54 you know, because this is a battleground. 02:57 It is, absolutely. 02:58 And, Shelley? 03:00 Officially program development manager. 03:02 Officially. Officially, just lots of hats. 03:05 Yes, you do wear a lot of hats and you guys are great team 03:07 and great ministry that you have here at 3ABN. 03:10 We love it. 03:11 We know God called us in. Amen. 03:12 We know God called you here too. 03:14 We are so glad. 03:15 And on this side is a couple 03:16 who God has definitely called to this ministry too. 03:19 Our friends and 3ABN family 03:21 Pastor CA Murray and his wife Irma. 03:23 And we are so glad you all are here. 03:25 Good to be here. 03:26 Yes, we are very happy to be here 03:28 especially with the four of you 03:30 because we do feel the same about you family. 03:35 Amen. 03:36 Yes, we do love each other a lot. 03:38 Amen. We do. Yes. 03:39 So tell us, Pastor, I mean like we call you Pastor CA 03:41 but again what hats do you wear here at the ministry of 3ABN? 03:44 Oh, my soul. 03:45 I tell that's a lot. So we begin to count. 03:46 Everybody wears many hats here. 03:48 Yes. Yeah. 03:49 My official title is General Manager 03:51 to 3ABN Proclaim dot-dot-dot. 03:54 Producer of this program. 03:55 Producer of other programs and wear many hats. 03:58 Well, wonderful preacher and Shelley preaches too. 04:00 Amen. Yes. 04:02 And, Ms. Irma. 04:03 And I wear a few hats myself too, 04:07 but I must mostly work for Latino channel 04:10 and I do productions, 04:12 so producer and work with marketing now also 04:16 and answer phone calls 04:18 which I agree with JD that it is a privilege 04:25 and a joy to answer the questions in the phone calls 04:31 that the people give so many testimonies 04:33 and especially when you are supposed to you can help 04:37 is even more of a blessing. 04:39 Amen. Oh, absolutely. 04:40 Amen. Yeah. 04:42 Well, it's a blessing to be here at Family Worship 04:43 isn't it Friday night 04:44 like we are talking it's been a long week, 04:47 you know, but it's a blessing always to work 04:48 for the Lord and to see His blessings. 04:50 And, you know, family worship at my home growing up 04:53 and then of course, Jill and I we got married 04:55 for about what 14 years or so ago. 04:57 We started, you know, tradition also of singing. 05:00 So we want to have some songs here 05:01 for family worship as we start but before we do that, 05:03 you know, we should have a word of prayer 05:05 as we are here of course opening the Sabbath, 05:08 here family worship and let's pray. 05:11 Father in heaven, it is a privilege 05:13 and want to thank You for bringing us through this week 05:17 where we look back and we see how You've led, 05:20 how You've protected, 05:21 all the blessings You provide each one of us. 05:23 And, Lord, it is a privilege to open Your Sabbath with You. 05:27 We want You always to be number one in our lives and, 05:30 Lord, as we talk about the subject of love, 05:34 Your love here this evening for family worship. 05:36 We just pray that Your word will be clear to us those 05:41 that are at home as we open Your Holy Scriptures, Father, 05:44 that You would draw very near that Your Holy Spirit 05:46 would bring to us things that we can use 05:49 in our own personal lives. Amen. 05:51 We thank You for hearing and answering our prayer, 05:52 in Jesus' name we pray, amen. Amen. 05:55 What songs do we have, Sweetie? 05:57 We have a couple songs starting with 05:58 "There Is Sunshine in My Soul Today" 06:00 and on the piano we have Summer Boyd, 06:02 she is playing the piano for us today 06:04 and we are blessed to have her. 06:05 Let's sing this. 06:06 There is sunshine in my soul today 06:11 More glorious and bright 06:15 Than glows in any earthly sky 06:20 For Jesus is my light 06:24 Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine 06:29 When the peaceful, happy moments roll 06:34 When Jesus shows His smiling face 06:38 There is sunshine in my soul 06:43 There is music in my soul today 06:48 A carol to my King 06:52 And Jesus, listening, can hear 06:57 The songs I cannot sing 07:02 Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine 07:07 When the peaceful, happy moments roll 07:12 When Jesus shows His smiling face 07:16 There is sunshine in my soul 07:19 There is gladness. 07:21 There is gladness in my soul today 07:25 And hope, and praise, and love 07:30 For blessings which He gives me now 07:35 For joys "laid up" above 07:38 There's the chorus. Let's go. 07:40 Oh, there's sunshine, blessed sunshine 07:45 When the peaceful, happy moments roll 07:50 When Jesus shows His smiling face 07:54 There is sunshine in my soul 08:00 Amen. Amen. 08:01 What hope that is saying for you, 08:03 is there sunshine in your soul today? 08:04 It should be because Jesus Christ of course is Lord of, 08:07 Lord of all things and hopefully 08:08 He is Lord in your life as well. 08:10 Amen. Now we got another song. 08:12 We do, "'Tis Love That Makes Us Happy" 08:13 and you might think this is kid's song 08:15 but I think it's a fun song 08:17 because as we go throughout life we need love, God's love, 08:21 you know, to enable us to walk through that. 08:24 There should be children in every one of us. 08:26 That's right. That's true. 08:27 'Tis love that makes us happy 08:29 'Tis love that smoothes the way 08:32 It helps us mind, it makes us kind 08:35 To others every day 08:38 God is love, we're His little children 08:44 God is love, we would be like Him 08:49 'Tis love that makes us happy 08:51 'Tis love that smoothes the way 08:54 It helps us "mind," it makes us kind 08:57 To others every day 09:00 This world is full of sorrow 09:03 Of sickness, death, and sin 09:06 With loving heart we'll do our part 09:08 And try some soul to win 09:11 God is love, we're His little children 09:17 God is love, we would be like Him 09:22 'Tis love that makes us happy 09:25 'Tis love that smoothes the way 09:28 It helps us "mind," it makes us kind 09:30 To others every day 09:34 And when this life is over 09:37 And we are called above 09:39 Our song shall be, eternally 09:42 Of Jesus and His love 09:45 God is love, we're His little children 09:51 God is love, we would be like Him 09:56 'Tis love that makes us happy 09:59 'Tis love that smoothes the way 10:02 It helps us "mind," it makes us kind 10:04 To others every day 10:09 Amen. Amen. 10:10 That was fun. It was fun. 10:11 It is even thought we say it's a kids song its still fun. 10:13 I enjoy those kids song, right. 10:15 Amen. 10:16 And the message is timeless. That's right. 10:18 You know, whether you are one year old or hundred, 10:20 the message we need to apply to our lives. 10:22 Right. Amen. 10:24 God is love, we are his children 10:25 and praise God for that that God is our Father. 10:27 Now today our topic, we want to call topic is on love. 10:30 Amen. God's love. 10:32 We're gonna look at 1 Corinthians 13 is a plan today 10:35 so make sure you have your Bibles out, 10:37 pull your Bibles out. 10:38 Maybe a notepad and pencil and pen, 10:40 but just want to ask you all here as far as love. 10:42 I mean, you hear love tossed around a lot 10:45 in the world and society today like, I love, I love my cat. 10:49 Pizza. 10:50 Yeah. Pizza. 10:51 Did you say pizza? I do love pizza. 10:55 Yeah, but the-- I mean, 10:57 love is just throwing out like I love this, I love that. 11:00 You know, what you guys think of that? 11:01 Is that, there is such a thing 11:02 as just loving pizza and my cat, right? 11:04 Well, you know, even in the Greek 11:05 there was a difference between 11:07 the agape love which is an unconditional, 11:09 unselfish love for someone or a person and phileo 11:14 which is an infinity towards something or, 11:16 It would be like for pizza? you know, to be affectionate. 11:18 So, yeah, when you say I love pizza 11:20 that we just have one word in the English language 11:23 and that's love. Yeah. Yeah. 11:25 So, you know, if you were Greek you would say I phileo pizza. 11:29 Okay. 11:30 Well, pizza phileo. 11:35 You know, Shelley, it's so right. 11:36 As I'm learning Spanish, 11:38 English is such an impoverish language. 11:40 It is. 11:42 Not very inflective and we, I love my car. 11:44 I love my cat. I love my dog. 11:45 I love pizza. I love horses. 11:46 I love-- you know. I love my wife. 11:48 Yeah, I love my life and it's all the same. 11:50 Whereas Greek has so much more nuance as is Spanish. 11:54 And you need those slight little difference 11:56 because when talk about agape 11:58 it's love at the level of commitment. 12:00 It's unconditional. 12:02 It is constant and it is always, 12:04 it is the principle of love and love and action. 12:07 Where as phileo sometimes you love pizza, 12:10 sometimes you're sick of pizza. 12:11 You know, you think, you know, today I want pizza, 12:13 tomorrow I don't want pizza. 12:14 Last time we were at your house we had pizza 12:16 and it was great pizza, you know. 12:18 But at the end of the day I was tired of pizza. 12:21 You know, so it comes and it goes. 12:24 So English is so, you know, 12:26 so broader kind of paints it with one broad brush 12:27 and it kind of does something like love a real disservice. 12:31 Absolutely. 12:33 And the irony of it is, 12:34 is that you can be in a dysfunctional home 12:38 and love pizza 12:41 but the lessons of why 12:43 that's you are learning this really imparted, 12:45 mom and dad may be fussing all the time. 12:47 Yeah. Good point. 12:49 And so you grow up on this crocked road. 12:52 It's twisted. 12:53 When do you say I love you 12:56 and what does it mean to say I love you. 12:59 And so this is the thing that we are trying to get into 13:02 and I know in my own life, boy, it was confusing 13:06 because you are not supposed to say I love you 13:08 unless you truly mean it. 13:10 But what is it? 13:12 And now, do we get into that or where did this love come from. 13:16 Yeah. 13:18 When are we vaccinated and it starts taking 13:20 that you really know whenever you-- 13:24 Who do you say I love you too. 13:26 But it is very complex 13:28 because I think of this language barrier that we have. 13:31 Yeah. Yeah. 13:32 You know, what you are saying about the English 13:35 and the Spanish language, 13:36 in Spanish it's not so common to just say I love you. 13:41 You know, it is used more specifically. 13:45 You know, like I love my husband, 13:47 I love my children and, 13:49 but it's becoming a little more common 13:52 I find now that people would just say, I love you. 13:56 But now I don't think 13:59 that people are really thinking 14:01 of that you really loving the person 14:04 is becoming more just an expression or a word. 14:10 Well, let me ask you a quick question. 14:13 I don't speak Spanish, all right, 14:15 so how would you say in Spanish, 14:17 this is great example 14:18 because this takes us back into the languages. 14:21 How would you say that you love pizza versus 14:23 how would you say I love CA. 14:26 See, in the Spanish we don't say I love pizza. 14:30 Wow. 14:31 What do you say? I like pizza. 14:33 So it will be me gusta pizza 14:36 But I can say that I like CA but that will be just general. 14:43 Yeah, you-- 14:44 Yeah, but, pastor, 14:47 because there is that step of going through courtship 14:50 that I want you to know that you're special 14:53 so sometimes you got to cross that-- 14:55 That is called love for human beings and things 14:57 that can love you back. 14:58 In animate things like pizza you are like, 15:00 I like pizza a lot, you know, in the context. 15:02 You know, I like it but I don't love pizza, just like it. 15:05 Like valentines excuse me in valentines for Latin America 15:11 and I'm not sure about other countries. 15:13 But valentine was for relationships. 15:17 Love between relationships was not, 15:20 was not for valentine for the children, 15:23 your friends and no, 15:24 but it was especially for the couple. 15:27 In Greek that's Eros, 15:29 it's that kind of a romantic love. 15:31 But I have to say something 15:33 that I'm saying I love you to a lot more people 15:37 much more frequently than I ever have in my life 15:40 because what God has been showing me 15:42 and I pray for it is that His love is that, you know, 15:47 love when we say what is love? 15:49 That's the very essence when you say agape of God's being 15:53 and it is His, this intent on doing good, 16:01 doing things that are beneficial to people 16:03 who are unworthy. 16:05 It is an unconditional, 16:06 self-sacrificial desire to serve 16:10 and it's something that I believe that God, you know, 16:15 especially because one of my favorite scriptures 16:17 become 1 Thessalonians 3:12 16:19 where Paul is praying and saying, 16:20 "May God cause you to increase and abound in love 16:22 so that He may perfect you in holiness." 16:25 Well, so I'm praying more and more, Love, 16:29 Lord, help me to open my heart. 16:31 Fill my heart with by the power of Your Holy Spirit 16:35 with Your essence help me to love others, 16:38 to have that same thing. 16:41 So I'm saying and I don't mean it 16:43 when I say it to someone here at work. 16:46 I mean, I can tell you, Greg, I love you. 16:48 Amen. 16:49 Love is a deliberate choice. 16:50 It's not a feeling. I agree. 16:52 Yeah, there is people and-- 16:54 And maybe accompanied by feeling 16:56 but it certainly doesn't stop with the feeling. 16:57 Yeah. It's a feeling plus. 16:59 And there is someone whom I don't like 17:04 but I love him because 17:07 I prayed for God to put that love in my heart. 17:09 I don't particularly care for the things he does, 17:12 he is not the most comfortable person to be around 17:15 but I do love him and I pray for him all the time 17:18 so that something that God, you know, so its like, 17:22 it's a special thing when you feel that. 17:25 Love supersedes, it supersedes like, 17:27 I think two things that occasions that, Shelley, 17:29 one as you get older, 17:31 you find out that relationships are more precious. 17:33 And two, the love of Christ does as you grow in Christ. 17:36 It does make you love more, 17:38 so that when you say it, you mean it. 17:39 When you're younger, you love, love, love, 17:42 but as you get older you realize that 17:43 when that word comes out of your mouth, it has weight, 17:45 you know, and it has bearing on you and the person 17:48 that you are talking to, so that you do say it more 17:50 because you actually feel it in your heart 17:52 as Christ gives you that love, you become this conduit, 17:54 you know, it just flows through you. 17:56 I think, yeah, I agree, Pastor CA, 17:58 I think that's where we want to go 17:59 with today in our family worship 18:01 where we are talking because you think the song 18:03 we just sang says, "God is love" taken from what, 18:05 1 John 4, "God is love, right." 18:08 And so God, if God is the essence of love 18:11 that God wants us to become like Him. 18:14 And so that means then we need to learn 18:16 how to love like God loves. 18:19 Not this phileo love, 18:20 not this eros love but agape love. 18:25 You know, the type of love that Jesus demonstrated 18:28 that is not, we don't have to feel it in order to give it. 18:33 It's a principle, you do it based off of that. 18:35 It's the nice thing to feel it too. 18:38 It is a nice thing to feel it. 18:39 That's true. Yes. 18:41 I'm thinking in Greg and my relationship, 18:43 we made a commitment and this may seem kind of strange 18:46 but we did not say, "I love you" to each other 18:49 until he proposed. 18:51 So the night he proposed, we had just told each other, 18:54 I mean, we felt love or may be we just felt eros 18:57 but whatever there was feelings. 18:59 But Greg had said, "I'm not gonna say, 19:02 I love you until I back that with a commitment. 19:05 Until I'm ready to commit. Until I'm ready to marry." 19:09 And to me that's, that's beautiful. 19:11 You know, that's love that's backed by that commitment. 19:14 Yes. 19:16 So I'm thinking here so God is not merely loving, 19:20 He is love, right? Right. 19:24 There's a big difference. 19:25 Isn't there between just God is not merely just loving because, 19:28 you know, okay, we know God loves us but He is love. 19:32 So breaking down what God is, God is love. 19:36 There's sometimes a hard thing to actually grasp maybe. 19:40 You know, and we are people 19:41 that are calling in every day looking for Jesus 19:45 and how do I find Jesus. 19:47 We got this precious little lady right now 19:49 and this is just breaks your heart but it's just so joyful 19:53 because you begin to see some fruit. 19:57 She is very disappointed in the life that she has lived 20:01 and because of all this dysfunctionalism, 20:03 she is doing the very best that she can do. 20:05 And so we started inviting her into the world of Jesus 20:11 and she doesn't even know how to connect the dots. 20:15 And we got a call yesterday and it's kind of like 20:20 Joe O'Brien who is in a pastoral staff, 20:22 he is giving her assignments to read 20:26 and we sent her the books and everything, Steps to Christ 20:29 and bless her little heart, 20:31 I've read 35 pages do I have Jesus here? 20:34 Well. 20:36 And so what you are asking here how do we get Jesus? 20:40 How do we get God? 20:42 What is our responsibility? 20:44 Is it difficult to get Him, 20:46 so that then we will know more 20:48 what love is or is it a formula? 20:54 It's a great question? Great question it is. 20:56 And it really starts from there 20:58 because we are sitting here and it's easy to say. 21:01 "Jesus loves you." 21:02 Or "God is love." "God is love." 21:04 But to understand that in practice. 21:06 But to, and I'm learning, I'm learning this about, 21:12 what a beautiful bush that is. 21:14 How green. 21:16 And look at all the leaves and you're just, 21:19 oh, I love that bush. 21:20 I could, and then you get up and you start looking, 21:24 oh, where is the fruit. 21:26 So with God, there has to be the production of fruit. 21:31 So how do we get from over here to over here 21:35 so that we can become all that we can be in Jesus and love. 21:40 Amen. 21:42 You know, I'm glad that God, the Bible said that God is love 21:47 because there has been times in my life 21:49 that I don't feel lovable. Yes. 21:53 You know, I said, Lord, I want to love but I don't feel. 21:58 You know, how do I love 21:59 and I have asked Him to give me that love. 22:03 And so He is marvelous when He gives you that love. 22:10 So I'm a person of feelings. 22:12 I like to feel this, it's like an assurance that I'm there. 22:18 And so I asked the Lord 22:21 to make me feel that I have love 22:23 because sometimes I feel like, 22:25 you know, it's easy to say I love you. 22:27 It is easy. 22:28 But then, so when the love gives you that, 22:32 they use that realizing our love is serving, 22:35 yes, you have feelings. You start loving. 22:38 You start seeing the beauty like JD says, 22:43 "You start seeing the beauty not only on different things 22:46 but even on people." 22:48 Yes. Yes. 22:49 You know, something that I want, I don't want just, 22:51 I don't just want God's agape love. 22:54 Now let me, let me-- 22:55 You better clarify that. 22:58 I want His phileo love as well. That's good. 23:01 I want, I mean, because God is love. 23:03 He loves unconditionally. 23:06 I mean, His, it's so hard to say, 23:09 He is love and then He loves. 23:11 He is love which means 23:13 His intent for all beings is for good and not for evil. 23:17 His intent for all beings is to serve Him, 23:21 to sacrifice for them to, 23:23 I mean, this is the definition of agape love. 23:28 But there are scriptures 23:30 that also speak of God's phileo love. 23:33 And so I want God to have 23:38 that affectionate feeling toward me 23:41 and not that there is not affection in the other 23:43 but I mean, its more phileo is based-- okay, 23:47 let me see if I can say this. 23:48 Agape is unconditional. That's right. 23:50 Phileo is based on infinity, 23:53 a pleasure because you are doing something 23:55 that really pleases it. 23:57 Does that make sense? It does make sense. 23:59 Amen. Amen. 24:00 Let's jump into 1 Corinthians 13. 24:02 Yes. 24:04 And you think 1 Corinthians 13 24:06 comes right after 1 Corinthians 12 24:07 and we have Bible scholars here. 24:09 1 Corinthians 12 is all about the spiritual gifts, right, 24:12 that we are giving to the church. 24:13 That's right. 24:14 And so it's incredible to me because it follows. 24:17 1 Corinthians 12 and the very next chapter goes into love. 24:20 So to me what's it saying 24:23 is that spiritual gifts are important. 24:26 But yet if we don't have that love for each other, 24:31 that agape love, it means nothing. 24:33 My preaching, my teaching, 24:35 my gift of healing, my gift of faith. 24:38 No, I'm not saying I posses these gifts, 24:40 I'm just saying whatever gifts we posses, 24:42 if we don't follow that with the 1 Corinthians 13 24:46 with the love that God has, it means nothing. 24:49 That's right. 24:51 So we hope that you are turning in your Bible 24:53 there at home 1 Corinthians 13, 24:55 it's known also as the love chapter. 24:57 Amen. 24:58 So what we want to do is kind of go through verse by verse 25:00 and kind of break it down. 25:01 I hope you're doing the same thing too. 25:02 Looking at these scriptures and verses 25:04 as we go along here this evening. 25:06 You know, and we are gonna sort of dive in this. 25:08 Yes, pastor. 25:09 Something Shelley said it just touched my spirit. 25:12 You want to love people so well 25:16 that they just assume you like them. 25:19 You know, I want to have the principle 25:21 but I also want to have that affinity. 25:23 So I want to love you so well 25:25 that if someone says "Well, 25:28 does CA likes Shelley?" Oh, yeah. 25:30 Look he really does. 25:31 Now in my heart maybe something I may not 25:34 but I want to be so in tune with what God does through me 25:40 that you just assume 25:41 because of way I relate to you that I like you, you know. 25:44 But I also want to genuinely like you 25:48 because that completes the circle. 25:50 You allow me, I got the principle, 25:51 I got the commitment 25:53 but I also got I like being in Shelley's presence. 25:55 I like working with Shelley. 25:57 And that's, that closes the circle for love. 25:59 You know, it's the principle so I had to love you so much 26:03 that you don't know that I like you or not you just assume I do 26:06 because my love is so well demonstrated 26:09 if that makes sense. It does. 26:10 In a consistent way. Yes. 26:13 You know, I mean that is where, 26:15 that is where you become all that you can be 26:18 because of your consistency on looking back. 26:21 It's hard to say walk in and say, "Hey, 26:23 I like you and I love you and well, who are you?" 26:26 You know, if you got time on your side 26:29 and you are consistently being all 26:31 that you can be with the gift that God has given you. 26:34 Yeah, and working it out in a real world 26:35 even when I stumble into your lane 26:37 and make a mistake you give me a pass 26:40 'cause I know this guy. 26:41 You know, I know his heart. I know he loves me. 26:43 Okay, today he is having a bad day, 26:45 but I'm not gonna hold that against him 26:46 because we love each other. 26:48 Because there are times when we got bump up 26:49 against each other you just know well, you can't. 26:51 But at the point love ought to sooth that 26:53 so it doesn't become a raw wound. 26:55 Yeah, okay, she said something wrong but it's okay. 26:58 We know each other, we love each other. 26:59 And what we are talking about that's Christ like. 27:01 Precisely. 27:02 So would love be kind of like the glue then, 27:04 it already sort of seem like if we run these bumps 27:06 and different things that love is sort of thing 27:08 that kind of keeps... 27:10 Holds us together. Hold us together maybe. 27:12 I don't know, I'm just kind of throwing that out there. 27:14 The glue, the sap, balm in gilead, 27:15 it is all of the oil, he answers all of the above. 27:18 Yeah, I agree. Yeah. 27:20 And you think only God can give us that. 27:21 So I'm saying yes, so how do we get this love 27:23 because that's what I want. Yeah. 27:24 You know, to have that type of love. 27:26 Only God. We are talking about. 27:27 Amen. 27:29 So we're gonna-- we'll read the scripture 27:30 and then get into that. 27:33 JD, you want to start with this one? 27:34 Okay. 27:36 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, 27:38 but have not love, 27:39 I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 27:45 And though I have the gift of prophecy, 27:47 and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, 27:50 and though I have all faith, 27:52 so that I could remove mountains, 27:54 but have not love, I am nothing." 27:58 Well, that is a lot said in two verses. 27:59 That's a whole lot to say. 28:02 It's kind of like, you know, is it all or nothing 28:06 or can you have all the pictures of the world 28:09 but be selfish. 28:11 Obviously that's not Christ like so that really, 28:15 you're a beautiful bush without any fruit on it. 28:19 You know, I think about that. 28:20 You know, when Jesus taught 28:21 and I can't place the scripture reference at the moment 28:24 but remember when He said, these people say, "Lord, Lord, 28:27 when have we not done this prophesied in my name." 28:31 And we did wonderful works and we did all these things 28:34 that what does Jesus say, I never knew you. 28:37 So do you think this could have some bearing on that 28:40 like here they had knowledge in prophecy and faith 28:43 and we would think, wow, they are good Christians. 28:45 Yes. Yes. 28:46 They have the trappings of Christianity. 28:48 They do the right thing, they say the right thing. 28:51 They have the right outward acts 28:52 but there is nothing inside. 28:55 You know, I went to Chapter 12 and I read some 29:00 and it just clear to me 29:03 what God is saying in Chapter 13 in relations to 12. 29:09 I was thinking it says, it lists all the gifts. 29:14 Wisdom and healing and the sermon and all of that 29:19 and he says, it comes from the spirit. 29:23 So I was thinking if it comes from the spirit, 29:26 isn't that automatically that comes with the love. 29:30 But apparently not, because if we look around us sometimes 29:34 we see that out talents and our abilities 29:37 make us feel puffed up. 29:40 So in Chapter 13 and it says 29:44 that love is not puffed up. Yeah. 29:49 You know, so I thought I said, 29:51 that is really important to remember them. 29:55 What you will be going to Matthew 7:21. 29:58 Thank you for the reference. Yeah. 29:59 Is that, you know, when Jesus said, 30:03 depart from me, I never knew you, 30:05 you who practice lawlessness. 30:07 So it was more of a prideful thing of being in ministry 30:11 and look at me aren't I special. 30:13 But they didn't love Jesus enough to 30:17 what He say in John 14:15 "If you love Me, 30:19 keep My commandments." 30:21 So they weren't and what is His greatest commandment? 30:25 Mark 12:30, "Love the Lord with all your heart, 30:27 soul, mind, and strength, " 30:29 and love your neighbor as yourself. 30:30 So there are people and I'm not gonna just, 30:33 I mean, I'm not pointing a finger. 30:34 I think anybody in ministry has to be careful 30:38 that we don't get so involved in ministry 30:43 that we forget the most important thing is 30:46 our relationship with Christ 30:47 because you can become overwhelmed with doing good 30:51 and not do the best. 30:52 Yes. Yes. Yeah. 30:54 And so that's the difference we are having the talents 30:58 and the gifts from the spirit but once it gets, 31:04 given to you and then you use this, 31:06 we get on pride that love is missing 31:09 and that's why God said, 31:12 if you, the love is more important 31:14 because the love will make you do 31:18 and act upon the gifts that God is giving you 31:23 with humbleness. Amen. 31:25 So what type of love is this talking 31:26 about here then in verse 1 and 2? 31:28 It says, if you are like okay, 31:30 "Sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal 31:32 and I have the gift of prophesy and understand all mysteries, 31:34 and all knowledge, and have all faith, 31:35 like remove mountains, and have not love, 31:38 I am nothing." 31:39 So what type of love are we talking about? 31:41 We are talking about the agape love. 31:42 It is agape here. Yeah. 31:44 It is that love and agape love is demonstrated first 31:51 in our love toward God. That's right. 31:53 I mean, and it is in that. 31:55 I mean, when we understand the Bible says, 31:57 we love Him because He first loved us. 32:00 But when we understand that we are not worthy of this love. 32:03 You know, it's like you said, 32:05 how often do we not feel loveable, 32:07 but that doesn't stop God's agape love. 32:10 And there is somebody that's watching today 32:12 that needs to know that, 32:13 you don't have to be lovable for God to love you. 32:15 That's right. 32:17 I mean, He loves you in your mess. 32:18 And He loves you enough not to leave you in your mess too. 32:20 When you come to Him, He helps bring you out. 32:23 But-- 32:24 When we say the agape love, we are talking unconditional. 32:26 Unconditional, self-sacrificing love. 32:30 Which we realize the Father has given to us, 32:32 Christ has given that too as well. 32:33 But right here this isn't talking about necessarily God, 32:36 this is talking about us having that agape love. 32:39 Absolutely, it is. 32:40 The unconditional love which that comes when we need. 32:42 I think what Shelley is moving to is 32:45 before you can really show that to others, 32:46 you got to accept the fact that God loves you. 32:48 Amen. Absolutely. 32:49 So you don't have to get right, 32:51 you don't have to-- or take a bath. 32:52 You know, you just have to be, just have to come. 32:56 And when you do that, then God does the rest. 32:59 And then as that love moves with you, 33:02 to you, for you, through you, 33:04 you cannot help but share to others. 33:05 So you become, you become a loving person. 33:07 Yeah. 33:09 I think the text that she talked about 33:11 when we have these gifts 33:13 and the gifts of God or without repent, repentance, 33:15 God, there're people who just have gifts. 33:17 That's right. Yes. 33:18 Now, you get and I use the term points 33:22 with how you use that gift. 33:23 Because you can use that gift for self vainglory 33:28 or you can humbly surrender that to God 33:30 and God will work through you to do that. 33:32 Amen. 33:34 To do other than that, 33:36 to use those gifts for yourself is lawlessness 33:38 and the word there it's anomia that's the word for sin. 33:41 Yeah, so you are taking God's gift 33:45 and you are not giving God the glory. 33:46 That's sin. Yeah, that's sin. 33:48 That takes you away from God. 33:50 So you know, 33:52 when Paul is talking at the Corinth church, 33:53 he is talking to a Corinth church in turmoil. 33:55 You got to read the context within, 33:57 the letter to Corinth as a church 33:58 where people are doing all kind of crazy stuff. 34:00 They are doing stuff, the right stuff for the wrong reason. 34:03 There is a lot of pride there. 34:04 There is a lot of legalism there. 34:06 And it's outright rank-- Lot of cultures. 34:08 Precisely. 34:09 Outright sin, 34:11 license to sin in that church. 34:13 So Paul is trying to straighten some stuff up. 34:15 So he says, yeah, I know there's gifts here, 34:18 but if you are not using those gifts for the glory of God, 34:20 then not only are you in the wrong path, 34:23 you are sinning. 34:24 You are working against God. 34:26 So the thing that undergirds all those gifts 34:28 is God to be love. 34:29 If you sing, love and sing for Jesus. 34:31 If you preach, preach in and for Jesus. 34:33 Let love be the motivation for everything that you do. 34:36 Yes. Yes. 34:37 You know, I don't care how loud you beat the cymbal, 34:40 you rang the bell... 34:41 Yeah, doesn't matter, does it? 34:43 That doesn't make any indifference. 34:44 You can have the loudest talented voice there is 34:47 but if it's for the wrong reason, you know. 34:49 Yeah, you may get a lot of noise. 34:50 Amen. Yeah. 34:52 You want to continue on, Shelley? 34:53 Sure. 34:55 "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, 34:56 and though I give my body to be burned, 34:58 but have not love, it profits me nothing. 35:02 Love suffers long and is kind, love does not envy, 35:06 love does not parade itself, it is not puffed up, 35:10 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, 35:14 it is not provoked, thinks no evil, 35:17 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth, 35:20 bears all things, believes all things, 35:23 hopes all things, and endures all things." 35:26 Amen. Amen. 35:28 You know, verses 4 through 8, 35:29 that's my favorite part of that chapter. 35:31 It's heavy. 35:32 You know, I took a couple of different times, 35:35 I took a day for each one of these. 35:40 And so I would pray in the morning, 35:42 "love suffers long." 35:43 So that morning I pray and say, "Come, give me Your kindness. 35:46 Give me Your patience. 35:48 Give me Your, you know, if someone comes against me 35:50 or if something happens or whatever God I want, 35:52 today I want to suffer long." 35:54 And something would happen that day 35:57 and then God would show me my heart. 35:59 And that rub we were talking about kind of comes in 36:02 and God says, Jill, I want to pour My love in. 36:04 You know, there is some need for that there. 36:06 I like this passage. 36:07 To me there is eight attitudes fall into love. 36:10 If you look at the negatives, you know, 36:11 do not, do not, do not, there's eight of them. 36:14 And there are seven characteristics of love 36:17 that are mentioned in there. 36:19 To me what you said something to me that 36:24 that certainly caught my attention is 36:25 whenever you are concerning to follow His will 36:30 and you are giving Him permission, 36:31 you are asking Him so that's part of that, 36:35 how do we, how do we get God in, I mean is it merely. 36:38 Can we just say, God, 36:41 I give You permission to work in my life. 36:43 Amen. 36:44 At the start? 36:46 It is at start because we believe 36:47 that people with talents here 36:49 that are doing it for the wrong reasons. 36:51 Right. 36:52 So now I've done it for the wrong reason. 36:55 And what do I do, Lord, so that I can get on path. 36:58 I'm finding out who You are. 37:00 I love all these characteristics. 37:05 Do I merely say, "Jesus, help me." 37:09 Can I make a different point for just a second? 37:11 Yes. You can. 37:12 As you said, verses 4 through 7 are your favorites 37:15 and the reason I read off all those verses is 37:18 because that is a single sentence. 37:20 This is, Paul is defining love here. 37:24 I want to read it real quickly from the Living Bible. 37:26 Okay. 37:28 "Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, 37:30 never boastful or proud, 37:31 never haughty or selfish or rude. 37:33 Love does not demand its own way. 37:35 It is not irritable or touchy. 37:37 It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice 37:40 when others do it wrong. 37:42 It is never glad about injustice, 37:44 but rejoices whenever truth wins out. 37:47 If you love someone, 37:49 you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. 37:50 You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, 37:54 and always stand your ground in defending him." 37:58 So my question to you, Jill, 38:00 you said there are eight characteristics in a negative 38:03 that says this is what love is not, 38:05 there're seven, this is the single sentence. 38:09 So my question is if we are kind impatient 38:15 but we keep a record of wrongs we are not being loving. 38:19 I mean, if-- Now, that's true. 38:21 I mean, if all eight, you know, we might be getting somewhere. 38:25 I love the fact that you studied these out 38:27 and prayed to each one. 38:29 We might be getting somewhere 38:30 because you asked us to come up with examples of 38:34 when somebody has shown us God's love as defined by this 38:38 that put me in a tailspin. 38:41 We had a hard time too. 38:44 Well, and I told JD the only true example 38:46 I can think of is, 38:47 praise the Lord our marriage is like this. 38:49 I mean, I can say that we are exhibiting all of this 38:52 in our marriage, in this love that we share 38:55 but even looking back, you know, 38:58 I had to remember Isaiah 43:18, 19 39:01 because you mentioned this last night, 39:03 I just kind of briefly looked at it before we went to bed 39:07 and I couldn't get to sleep. 39:10 I kept thinking, nobody has ever loved me like this. 39:13 Have I ever loved anybody like this? 39:17 It's-- in Isaiah 43:18, 19 when God says, 39:21 when painful things come up, I always think about this. 39:23 He says, do not dwell on the past. 39:26 I'm doing a new thing, now it springs forth suddenly. 39:30 Because dwelling in the past 39:31 even when you have dealt with pain and sorrow 39:35 sometimes that can kind of, it's like, 39:37 it's rubbing you the wrong way again 39:39 and it's opening up the wound or something. 39:41 But do you feel like we are really being loving 39:46 if we don't combine all seven of these characteristics? 39:50 No, I don't think so. 39:52 I mean, I think that God wants to work all of that in us 39:56 and going back reminding that what JD had mentioned. 40:00 I agree because we can read this, 40:02 but then how do I internalize it. 40:04 You know, so you at home 40:06 could be saying, "Well, that's great. 40:07 That sounds wonderful. 40:09 Nobody has ever loved me like that 40:10 and I for sure don't know how to love anybody like that. 40:13 You know, I don't know how to get this in my heart 40:15 and how to walk this out. 40:17 You know, how to put on the boots 40:19 and start walking in real life, 40:20 like how do I get God's love inside of me. 40:24 Because it could be extra discouraging 40:25 look at this and say, "Man, I know me personally. 40:27 I mean, I'm failing this every day. 40:29 Like well..." 40:30 I've got the answer teacher. 40:33 To me Romans 5:5. 40:35 Okay, well, let's turn to Romans 5:5 40:37 because someone heart is in the same thing. 40:38 Like well this is, this is beyond me so let's-- 40:41 I was so excited the very first time. 40:44 Romans 5:5. I found this scripture. 40:46 I was just doing a little bounce. 40:49 I can't find-- 40:52 my page is there. 40:54 We go, Romans 5:5 says this. 40:57 Yeah, read it, Irma, that's good. 40:58 Okay. 40:59 "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God 41:03 has been poured out in our hearts 41:06 by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." 41:09 Shelley, read that from your because the Living sometimes-- 41:13 I don't have the Living, I just looked that for the one. 41:15 Only for the one, okay. Yeah. 41:16 But here is what I will say on now 41:19 when I first read that it was like, 41:21 because I want to be like God. 41:24 God is love. 41:25 If the essence, His divine essence, 41:27 His divine nature is love, 41:29 the only way that can get into my heart 41:31 is when I go to the Lord and I say, 41:33 "Father, help me to open my heart. 41:37 Let me receive Your Holy Spirit. 41:39 And the spirit is the spirit of love, 41:41 is the essence of God." 41:43 So as the Holy Spirit is operating in our heart, 41:46 this is where this love comes from. 41:49 And then if you tie this, I cannot do this scripture 41:53 without mentioning 1 Thessalonians 3:12. 41:57 Let's turn here because-- 41:58 Yeah, let's just look because-- 42:00 This is where the rubber meets the road for most. 42:02 Yeah, I know for me too. 42:04 And I think we want to start in 11. 42:07 1 Thessalonians 3 42:11 and I'm going to begin with verse-- 42:15 What version are you reading? 42:16 I'm reading New King James Version. 42:19 No, we begin with verse 12 and 13. 42:20 Okay, let's read. Here' what Paul says. 42:23 "May the Lord make you" so who is doing the action? 42:27 God. God is doing the action. 42:29 "May the Lord make you increase and abound in" what? 42:33 "Love to one another and to all, 42:36 just as we do to you." 42:37 So this God's work in us. That's right. 42:40 We can't force that type of love in us. 42:43 It says the Holy Spirit 42:44 is filling our hearts with his love 42:46 but then look at this. 42:48 Why is Paul praying this? 42:51 "So that" in order that "He" God 42:55 "may establish your hearts blameless in holiness 42:58 before our God and Father 42:59 at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ 43:01 with all His saints." 43:02 So what he is saying is this is God's job, 43:05 but as we grow in love, we grow in holiness. 43:08 We become more like Him. That's beautiful. 43:11 Irma, you're gonna say something. 43:13 I was telling that I have, I have read that over and over, 43:18 you know, about the character-- 43:19 1 Corinthians, is that you mean? 43:20 No, the characteristics of having love 43:24 and then it dawned to me 43:28 that is just what the enemy does. 43:31 Just love what he says, 43:32 you cannot keep the Ten Commandments. 43:34 When we read these, you know, to love without envy, 43:39 without grudging, without all those things 43:41 that thus does our very human tendencies. 43:47 Very human tendencies that we can say 43:51 that we put them aside, but deep inside they are not. 43:56 They, because they creep out and come. 43:59 And so it's what we need to do to understand 44:05 that the enemy will bring this stuff to you 44:09 because he doesn't want you to have the love of Christ. 44:12 But the love of Christ is surrendering to him. 44:17 He will put and clean that out of us 44:21 and little by little you start realizing 44:23 that I'm doing a little better than before. 44:27 God really loves me 44:29 because He is able to help me out with these. 44:32 I don't have to think that this is, 44:35 I can memorize them all and I said, 44:38 now that I have Him in my head, you know, I can do 44:40 because I'm gonna remember what to do, 44:42 you know, but that's just doing. 44:44 That is not having the love of Christ in you. 44:48 Yeah, it could be as simple as, Jesus, help me. 44:51 You know my heart. Precisely. 44:53 Yes. I agree with that. 44:55 I just need some help. 44:57 Well, I think just being real with God just saying, 45:00 Lord, I'm having envious right now. 45:02 Right now, this person is just-- 45:04 Yeah, I'm not having that type of love 45:05 that you want and just being real with God. 45:07 He knows anyway. 45:08 So it's not like I'm keeping a secret from Him and God, 45:10 please help me, I'm having trouble right now. 45:12 I think it's part of the sanctification process. 45:15 I mean, this is like, 45:17 I don't think we just become Christians 45:19 and we go, hey. 45:21 Hey, I got love. 45:22 You know, I'm perfect in the way I love. 45:24 I know. I know. I think we grow. 45:26 It's, you know, add to your kindness virtue, 45:29 add to this. 45:30 I mean, it's a growing process. 45:33 Ask everyday by day 45:35 because today you may master let's say bad 45:40 and then tomorrow something comes 45:42 and what happens we're right back 45:43 to where we start in. 45:46 I would like to think that we're a work in progress. 45:48 Absolutely. Yes. 45:49 As long as we continue to go back, 45:52 I need to be nourished today, Lord, 45:56 and that's asking for divine appointment. 45:58 He is gonna say that you get that what you need 46:02 to help you get over that speed bump. 46:03 Amen. 46:05 That's the beautiful thing I think because it's a process. 46:07 You know, every day we discover God and say, 46:09 here's my heart, take it, for I can't even give it. 46:12 And, God, work out pour Your love 46:14 by the power of Your Holy Spirit into my heart 46:17 and everyday I think God just shows us our hearts 46:19 a little bit more like, oh, Jill, 46:21 there is something going on here. 46:23 Oh, I want to surrender that when He shows us, you know. 46:26 The next day, oh, there are some notes over here 46:28 and that's a good thing 46:29 because God is working in our hearts 46:31 to show us our hearts. 46:32 You know, you mentioned fruit a couple of time, 46:34 make this quick comment. 46:36 You mentioned fruit a couple of times, 46:38 well, there is always root to the fruit. 46:41 So if you're rooted and grounded 46:43 in the love of Christ but bearing good fruit, 46:46 but a lot of what the actions 46:50 that we've seen in our lives have roots 46:53 that were in not so good soil. 46:55 I mean, for example 46:57 when it says love is not puffed up, 46:59 that doesn't necessarily mean you're being vainglorious. 47:01 Puffed up love can be, 47:04 you're trying to compete with somebody, 47:06 you know, like you, I mean that's puffed up love 47:09 is that spirit of competition that you-- 47:12 How come him and not me. I've got as many talents here. 47:14 So but where is the root of that? 47:17 That goes back to something that probably as a child, 47:21 you know someone did not, 47:23 you didn't feel affirmed or something. 47:26 So this is something as you said, 47:29 it's a day by day growth process 47:31 that we have to, God helps us pull out 47:34 and curse at the root those old things. 47:39 Well said. You can be proud of your humility, you know. 47:43 I want to be part of your humility. 47:45 You know, just looking at this text 47:47 just before the one where Jill sort of lock down. 47:50 Paul says, though, I give my body to be burned. 47:52 You know, and he starts out with that as the foundation 47:56 for all of those things that come beyond. 47:58 It's interesting that he put that in it 47:59 because burning of a body is form of punishment 48:02 was pretty much unknown in this time. 48:04 For criminals you got three basic forms of punishment. 48:08 You had crucifixion, you had, for soldier 48:12 they just took a sword and just took his head off. 48:14 Was neat, quick and painless, you know, 48:15 and it was considered a good institution. 48:17 Of course, and Hebrews stoned. 48:19 But the idea of burning a body that was not dead was not, 48:23 that's not even in their thinking. 48:26 So Paul is taking something that's alien to them 48:28 and is the most grose thing to them. 48:30 This is really negative to their and he says 48:33 even if I do that, it doesn't do me any good. 48:36 You know, it's nothing, it doesn't do good. 48:38 Then he gives these negative things 48:40 to stay away from before he begins to build back up. 48:43 So he is taking you to a place 48:44 that your mind can't even wrap itself around. 48:47 Even if I do that, it means nothing to God. 48:50 That's nothing 48:51 unless my actions are motivated by love for Him. 48:54 Amen. 48:55 You know, when I read that to me, 48:57 that was really deep for me because how will you go 49:03 and offer your body to be burned. 49:07 It has to be-- 49:08 Certainly it was for a sacrifice, 49:09 this is what my assumption was there 49:11 is that he was saying, you know, 49:12 because they did offer sacrifices to, 49:16 not to true God but gods. 49:18 But not living things. 49:20 Either punishment or self-sacrifice 49:22 they wouldn't do that. 49:23 They would do that to living things. 49:24 They hadn't been dead before you would burn it. 49:26 So he is saying even if I did that as a-- 49:29 just threw myself on it, was just totally incomprehensible. 49:32 It doesn't do anything 49:33 because there is no love that's driving it. 49:35 Because so obviously we can do things like that 49:39 and think that we are doing something really great 49:43 but I don't remember there is another passage 49:47 where it says that whatever good things we do, 49:52 if they don't come from God, they are no good. 49:56 You know, they are like dirty rags. 49:59 So we can do a lot of good things 50:03 to make us feel good. 50:05 Okay, we want to just go ahead and go with your say? 50:08 Yeah, we got to get through this. 50:10 Get away from the set. 50:12 I have a Kings James Version what's you're reading? 50:13 Yeah. "Love never fails," verse 18. 50:16 Verse 8 of 13. 50:17 "But whether there are prophecies, 50:19 they will fail, 50:20 whether there are tongues, they will cease, 50:23 whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 50:26 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 50:29 But when that which is perfect has come, 50:31 then that which is in part will be done away." 50:34 Amen. Amen. 50:37 This is a packed, packed chapter that's for sure. 50:41 You know, I think that has to do with the sanctification. 50:44 It does in process. 50:45 You know, as you are, you know, 50:47 going from one level of glory to the next level of glory, 50:50 and to me I don't know whether I can see myself growing, 50:56 but those that are close to me that love me 50:58 and accept me for who I am with agape love, 51:01 then they can see that growth 51:02 and then they can, you know, encourage you. 51:07 Yes. I think it's powerful too. 51:09 It says, where mine says, "Charity never fails 51:12 or love never fails." 51:14 Amen. 51:15 That's amazing and that's really a promise. 51:17 Yes, it is. It never, it will not. 51:19 And that's another one of those play on words 51:21 because I look at charity as one thing 51:23 and but here will bring into love 51:25 and when that, if you stop and think, 51:26 "Oh, oh, I see the similarities." 51:30 Yeah. Okay. 51:33 What verse in there? 51:34 It will be verse-- 51:35 Going into 11. 51:38 "When I was a child, I spoke as a child, 51:41 I understood as a child, and thought as a child, 51:45 but when I became a man, 51:46 I put away self childish things. 51:50 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, 51:53 but then face to face. 51:55 Now I know in part, 51:57 but then I shall know just as I also am known. 52:02 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three, 52:07 but the greatest of them is love." 52:12 Amen. 52:13 Now, pastor, not putting you on the spot here, 52:16 I have an Andrew Study Bible. 52:17 We have Pastor Murray. 52:18 We are putting you on the spot right now. 52:20 I think Irma has the Andrew Study too. 52:22 This is it. Oh, yes I do. 52:23 But it talks about the part of our-- 52:25 "Now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face." 52:28 And I never understood that, that's just being honest. 52:31 I thought well, when I look in the mirror 52:32 I can see pretty clearly, right. 52:34 But my Bible down here says "Distorted. 52:37 The ancient mirrors were generally made from brass 52:40 which produced distorted images." 52:42 Is that accurate? Yeah. 52:44 The word is, I don't remember the Greek 52:47 but dimly is not the clearest explanation 52:50 though it is in encompassed by the Greek. 52:54 The best word is they call it parallax, a parallax view. 52:58 And that's part of the key of the Greek word. 53:00 And what is that? 53:02 Parallax view is view off to the side 53:05 so that you don't see it really, really, clear. 53:07 When you are dead-ons 53:09 like you've been looking in those old TVs, 53:10 those old projecting TVs 53:12 the further you got from the center 53:13 the distorted the picture came to you. 53:15 If you got over here you couldn't see it at all. 53:16 So it's a parallax view. 53:18 It's a distorted view, it's not a clear view. 53:20 So now you see, 53:22 but you don't have the clearest view of God. 53:24 And a lot of times that will distort 53:26 how you respond to Him 53:28 because you think He is doing one thing 53:29 and He is now doing something else 53:31 or you think you are one way in His side 53:32 and you are not, you are something else. 53:34 So you don't see it clearly. It's a parallax view. 53:37 But then-- 53:39 This is face to face. 53:40 Yeah, then you will see in face to face 53:42 and you will know 53:43 and that's why love has to be undergirding 53:45 for all that you do 53:46 because you don't have the full picture now. 53:48 You really don't but that 53:51 that parallax is made up by your love for Him. 53:53 We are gonna make mistakes, we all do all the time. 53:56 So what cleans that up, Shelley? 53:57 What makes that clear? 53:59 What tidies up the mess we make? 54:01 Our love for God, you know, that's what cleans it up. 54:04 So God says, you know what, 54:06 you didn't do such a good job there 54:09 but you love Me, so I give you a credit, you know. 54:12 Amen. Praise Jesus. 54:14 Because you are not seeing Him really clear 54:16 because it's distorted by your friends, 54:18 it's distorted by maybe you just got up, 54:20 you had too much pizza the night before, 54:22 so you got up the next morning 54:23 and you are not having a good day, 54:25 you know, and maybe you say some things you shouldn't 54:28 and you shake your finger to God, 54:30 those kind of things and God says, I love him 54:32 because I know, you know, 54:34 and one day she will see clearly. 54:35 And one thing that I wrote down earlier 54:37 and this is the perfect time to bring it 54:39 in my opinion is we-- 54:45 it's kind of like monkey see monkey do and that means, 54:49 you know, that we have role models in life 54:52 and so the clear that we can see, 54:55 this is our role model right here. 54:57 There you go. It's God's word. 54:58 And if we get into here, then we begin to see 55:00 what love is and grasp on it if you want it. 55:04 Yeah, that's right. 55:06 And I look at it that 55:07 when I look the Bible reflects who I am in Christ, 55:11 but I don't have enough light so I still see dimly 55:14 until His light is more perfected in me. 55:17 And the monkey see, monkey do is 2 Corinthians 3:18, 55:20 we become what we behold in. So it is as we get in there. 55:24 Amen. Amen. 55:25 Boy, I tell you, our hour has slipped very quickly. 55:28 We just got a couple of minutes left. 55:29 We usually like to 55:31 and different people give in just some short prayers. 55:33 We have a couple of minutes. 55:34 Let's just all pray to something real quick 55:35 that maybe comes to your heart. 55:37 And if something's on your heart at home 55:38 bring it before the Lord with us. 55:40 That's right. Yeah. 55:41 Go ahead, JD, why don't you start? 55:42 Father, I just want to thank You. 55:44 So first of all, Lord, for You 55:46 and just give You praise and glory, Lord, 55:48 because all good and perfect things come from you. 55:50 You're our role model, Lord. 55:52 Father, we thank You for the Sabbath day. 55:54 We thank You, Lord, that we can call upon You 55:56 and turn everything over to you. 55:58 Amen. 55:59 Father, I thank You that it is You 56:01 that will perfect us in love. 56:03 Amen. 56:04 You will perfect us in holiness 56:06 as you perfect us and help us to surrender 56:09 to yield control of our lives to You. 56:11 Amen. 56:13 Lord, Jesus, we will give You our hearts just now. 56:15 We ask that You would come in 56:16 and that You would pour Your love 56:20 into our hearts. 56:24 Heavenly Father, and I ask not just for us 56:27 that You give us a surrender heart 56:30 but also love for the viewers those that are participating 56:34 and listening and watching with us 56:37 that you would help them to know how much You love them 56:40 and not to worry about doing all that it needs to be done 56:46 but to just surrender to You 56:48 and believe that Your love as it comes into their hearts, 56:54 they can also attain all that God wants them to be. 56:58 Amen. 56:59 Dear Father, in 1 John 3, You impressed John 57:01 to write what manner of love, what with, 57:05 what depths of love you've given to us 57:08 that we should be called the sons of God. 57:10 And we exclaim that today Lord 57:12 as we look at the depth of Your love. 57:14 What have we done? We know we've done nothing. 57:17 It's all because of You that we are called 57:19 in account of the children of God, 57:21 so we can stand boldly and say, 57:23 God as our helper and Christ died to save us. 57:26 And we are the children of God not because of our goodness 57:29 but because of Your great love 57:31 to which we thank You in Jesus name. 57:33 Amen. 57:35 Thank you for joining us for family worship. 57:36 Happy Sabbath and God bless. |
Revised 2016-03-17