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July 23, 2021 2:00 am
Love is the subject of more songs than any other topic. It's a word that falls off countless lips effortlessly and often without thought. In the message "Pray for Love," Skip shares how your love can be pure and purposeful.
This teaching is from the series Technicolor Joy: A Study through Philippians .
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Knowledge needs love, but he also says love needs knowledge for that love to be responsible when Paul spoke about a zealous group of religious brethren of his savannas zeal for God is not according to knowledge. The father them for the pure emotion with no knowledge. Now if you diminish your need for knowledge and you place feeling above knowledge, like so many people to distorting your heart man really feel like that is the most dangerous irresponsible thing you could ever do. People sometimes use the word love flipping but God calls us to a higher level that involves sacrifice public purpose today on connect with Skip Heitzig Skip shares how you can take your love to a higher level before we begin. Did you know you can get more inspiring teachings from Skip on his TV show. Here's how catch my program connect with Skip Heitzig on the health song channel on Saturdays at 4:30 PM Mountain time or watch it on TBN on Sundays at 5:30 AM Eastern.
Remember to check your local list. Now we want to let you know about a resource that will help you live in the power of the Holy Spirit. Counselor comforter advocate helper. These are some of the names for the Holy Spirit found in the Bible. The Holy Spirit isn't a warm fuzzy feeling or a vague cosmic force. She's a person who loves you and cares for you and wants to empower you to be everything God calls you to be here Skip Heitzig. I think there's a lot of questions with heard the term Holy Spirit. Obviously they have a very vague idea of who the Spirit of God is and what he supposed to do in their lives. We want to help you better understand the Holy Spirit by sending you expound Holy Spirit iDVD study from pastor step and for a limited time, so also send you a booklet by Lenny HiTec called empower discover your spiritual gifts. Both resources are our way to say thanks for your gift of $25 or more to help this Bible teaching ministry on the air connecting into God's life changing trip. Call now to request for copies of these resources, 892 1888.
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In chapter 1 is Skip Heitzig gets into today's message.
If you know anything about Paul's writing. You know that Paul will often take love and knowledge and combine them sometimes will oppose them will show the difference between, for example, in first refuge apparatuses knowledge puffs up, but love builds up his contrasting love and knowledge or first Corinthians chapter 13 though I speak with the tongues of men or of angels, but I have not love, I become like a clanging cymbal sounding brass and though I can understand all mysteries and have all knowledge, but I have not love, I have become nothing. So he says knowledge needs love, but he also says love needs knowledge for that love to be responsible love member when Paul spoke about a zealous group of religious brethren of his. He said they have a zeal for God, but it's not according to knowledge, and he faulted them for the pure emotion but no knowledge. Now if you diminish your need for knowledge and you place feeling above knowledge, like so many people to distorting your heart man where you feel like doing that is the most dangerous irresponsible thing you could ever do, and you would be a dangerous person to live that way. While I say that well you can seal out of love with your spouse and feel in love with somebody was neither spouse or parent can feel they are to give something. Whatever they the child wants to their child is on a given because I feel that that's the loving thing to do like to be the worst thing that it get whatever they want. You may feel that love is letting another Christian do whatever he or she wants to do. That's where you need knowledge. The knowledge of Matthew chapter 18 were Jesus said sometimes the most loving thing you can do is to confront another brother or sister.
And that's love so mature love is not sentimentality, nor is it a motion it has banks. The first bank is knowledge second Peter chapter 1 he says make every effort to add to your faith goodness and the goodness, knowledge. So, follow me. Our love should be growing, but I love should also be knowing knowledge is one of the banks that allows the free flow of love.
There's another banker want you notice also in verse nine and that is discernment that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, discernment means insight mature insight or sensitive moral perception. Allow me to explain. We might have an affection for somebody else but that doesn't mean we have the right to express that affection. Anyway, we see fit.
We need to bring discernment into Cedar are moral and ethical considerations that are to govern the overflowing expression of our love to people to discern something is to distinguish to make a difference. So every parent knows this.
That love is expressed in different ways at different times to the same child one day a parent will give a gift to a child. Another day a parent will spank a child both are legitimate expressions of love. Another example is that of Jesus Christ.
Sometimes he feel a person.
Another day he would overturn the tables in the temple and with the whip drive out the money changers. Both are expressions of love, but in two different contexts.
One day Jesus would say the crowd. You are blessed, blessed are you another day like another crowd filled the Pharisees and see you right wash sepulchers.
Both are expressions of love from the one who is the author of love himself. Most of us know that the most frequently used Greek word for love in the New Testament is what, shouted out agape. Agape is the Greek word for love that expresses God's love for us.
Generally, love for one another is to be at that supreme superior. That's what we aspire to agape love will make sure that your agape is in sloppy don't love with sloppy adopting sloppy and obvious is saying you love somebody, but is really a selfish love to do something or say something because I don't want to be disliked by that person. That sloppy a gap first Corinthians chapter 13 verse six sums it up. Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but it rejoices in the truth so our love should be abounding plentiful. Love should also be perceptive, having run within the banks of knowledge and discernment. Melody verse 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ is the word begins the sentence with the word that everything that follows is a purpose clause is called a purpose because in other words, it means so that or in order that or Paul is saying, here's the reason you need these two riverbanks of knowledge and discernment is what is the purpose for it, so that you can approve the things that are excellent in a little word approve was a word used in ancient times to test metals to approve metals to take a coin and determine how much real metal versus alloy is in it you would you examine it you would test it and you were tested for purity.
So he uses that word approve any means. This we must carefully examine every expression of our love in the light of God's word because then it becomes a different issue.
No longer is it an issue of how do I feel it becomes an issue of what is the Bible say about how I feel.
Does the Bible say this is legitimate expression and illegitimate expression does the Bible prohibit this. Does it encourage this. So there is a mom and Walmart with her screaming little girl in her cart and the girl was throwing stop and complaining and yelling and and just the volume is going up and up and and that mom was feeling like expressing her love with a slap to the back side) public, but instead she said out loud, calm down, Ellen. It'll be all right.
Ellen you'll be home soon. Ellen and she got up to the clerk. The court said ma'am I just got to congratulate you on how patient you are with little Ellen and the mom turned to her and said I am Ellen peters, a lady debating approving. What's the proper expression of my love talking to herself through our love should be plentiful. I love should be perceptive. There's 1/3 quality third attribute of mature love and that is our love should be pure also verse 10 that you may approve the things that are excellent and notice the next phrase that you may be sincere and without offense until the day of Christ, you see that second that in the state sentence begins with the word that mentors are, there's another that I'm showing y'all this because that's another purpose clause means in order that all to say this, Paul is praying for one thing, one thing their love the expression of their love. I wanted to abound wanted to overflow within the banks of knowledge and discernment so that you can approve the things that are excellent, and so that it's all about the same subject. This is a purpose clause so that or in order that you will express your love in the right way and a puerile way little word sincere unit that is when we say a person is sincere, usually that were paying them a compliment to us for some reason. Sincerity is like the highest virtue. A person could have been met with a believe in one of their sincere.
That's a lot of people say the word sincere in English comes from a Latin word actually two words that sound very much like a word, sincere say sine Sarah sine Sarah to Latin word sine Sarah. That's where we get the word sincere sine Sarah literally means without wax sine without Sarah wax thing.
I'm praying that your love would be abound and be within the banks of knowledge and discernment so that you can approve the things that are excellent, and so that you may be without wax it on. I don't get it while in ancient times, porcelain dealers and statue makers would carve their wares and sell them and if they wanted to sell them so that the buyer would know it's real sure legitimate through and through. They would say it's without wax is a plate of porcelain or statue of marble that is sine Sarah without wax.
In other words, it didn't break and we added dust and wax and patched it back up. It's a puerile work through and through. You could tell if it was with wax you would just hold it up to the sun to be signed, tested, you hold it up and you could see the crack running through it. You feel the wax mixed with the porcelain or marble dust.
He said this is a fake. Things busted. They patched it up and if you bought a statue for your husband's birthday is July and you have it in the backyard and you have a garden party and all happy everything is good until the nose falls off and the arm falls off and then he says that is an in sincere expression of love that has wax in. That's the idea of sincere. So the idea means fewer that you may be sincere and without offense. So the ideas this don't let your love be phony. Don't let it be mixed. Don't let it have an impure motive like a little boy from his mom said even a bad boy lately.
You need to get on your knees and pray that God would make you a better boy got right down on his knees, bowed his head and goes all the Lord, make me a better boy and Lord, if you can make me better.
Don't worry because I have a real good time. Just the way I am.
Amen. Sometimes our life. Sometimes our love. Sometimes our prayers can be insincere. There's wax inside. Romans 12 nine says let love be without hypotheses. That is, don't just pretend to love really love best example of insincere love is Judas Iscariot betrays Jesus for 30 pieces of silver and betrays him with a lot kiss expression of love walks up to the guard master goes over to him and kisses him. Jesus even remarked is that you betray the Son of Man with a kiss. I was in sincere in your love.
So let's personalize it but say you give a compliment to somebody word of encouragement.
What could be better. Well, did you really mean what you said, are you saying that because you want something from that person.
Now it's impure now. It's insincere when you grow up and hug a person is because your generally showing brotherly love or you want to get physically close to that person that's in in sincere expression of love.
Matthew Henry said hypotheses is to do the devils work in God's uniform services. I'm praying for your love that it keep on growing and overflowing but not in a destructive way within the banks of knowledge and discernment so that you can tested and approved that it's according to God's will and work and so that it's the real deal. It is sincere without wax and notice what else without offense until the day of Christ. In other words, the best testimony is a life that is a genuine, authentic Christian life without hypocrisy.
When you have a hypocrite showing in pure love. It brings the offense factor front and center. It turns everybody off so would be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, so that some of our love should be plentiful or love should be perceptive or love should be pure. There's 1/4 market will close with this and with his last verse, verse 11. Our love should be purposeful, you say well it sounds purpose purposeful, so far what you need another purpose because Paul always has a higher purpose, and I want you to see what it is. Verse 11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. What is all at me. It simply means this is the kind of love that is the fruit of righteousness by which God is glorified at all means so when our love abounds, but it's kept within the banks of knowledge and discernment.
It's a pure love.
God is glorified and that is by the way, the purpose of all of the purpose of marital love your boyfriend girlfriend love or friendship love is and just so you feel better.
The purpose of all. Love is a Christian is to glorify God. You know how I know that is that the purpose of all life, all of life is to glorify God, I exist to glorify God. I do Revelation chapter 4 the 24 elders bow down same for the guy pleasure. All things were created. That's why I exist. First Corinthians chapter 10. Whether you eat or drink, or what ever you do, do all for the glory of God. Last time I checked love is under the category of all.
Whatever you do all things for the glory of God loving is under the category of all things. Whatever you do, do all for the glory of God. So now we have the ultimate test to know if this expression of our love is approved or not. And it's simple doesn't glorify Jesus Christ if it does than everyone around us is going to be love and rudeness stick out like a sore thumb in this world willing to be like that only church that the spy came in and said, my, how they love him and my holiday love one another as people just don't do that. But when we do it with the responsible kind of mature love.
People feel loved around us cared for. Invested in secure and God gets the glory. So, to sum it all up our lunch should be growing.
Our love should be knowing and I love should be showing. Never pray for love, really. I pray pray people love me all the time.
Now I need you pray for your own love for them.
That's what Paul's. I'm praying for your love for one another.
Pray that your love would flow out because people around you would be soaked wonderfully soaked. They get a running amount, wet, I'm so thick I love so much you love so much and at such an obscure godly love. I feel so cared for my challenge. Then as we close this week is that you be a person this week you start praying for your love. The expressions of your love to be mature. Michael Regis pray for. I'm praying that for you this week I made.
That's my commitment as I pray for you this week and I'll pray for myself this kind of prayer, and here's what we need to pray for his wife. Paul prays for, because you and I just want to bring the sucker something people go why did he pray for that of all the things to pray for why that we know in the physical world. We have a law called the second law of thermodynamics and the second law of thermodynamics basically states that all matter and all energy in the universe is subject to and in a constant state of entropy that is continual degradation ongoing deterioration decay in the spiritual life.
It's like there is a form of spiritual entropy that pulls us backwards.
So as we go through the day and through the week we get pulled back to the values of this world.
The ideologies of this world, expressed in their music, their news articles.
There there messaging along the freeway are friends we get pulled back to the only way to counteract that spiritual entropy is to be infusing ourselves with new energy and so we get together a lot, and that's why the book of Hebrews is fellowship come to church a lot, especially as you see the day of Christ approaching do it more often. Pray more often Bible study more often. You need to counteract the spiritual entropy so I'm praying for you, but I'm not praying for you like Jeron Lowenstein said, wherever you are in your car I'm bravery you crash.
I'm praying for the long haul, that your love, your expression toward one another would be this kind of tour love is expressed in these forward that concluded Skip a text message series Technicolor joy now if you look Bible study trip to Israel is a life-changing Bible study will never be the same Skip has lived in Israel, and lead tours. Many many times he refused to invite you.
One is next to her. You know there's always something new to see and experience in Israel and I'm so excited to let you know that I'm taking another tour group to Israel next spring. In 2022 urine for an incredible time as we traveled throughout Israel and experience the culture that so unique to that country will start on the Mediterranean Sea and head north. Seeing places like Caesarea and Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee and the Jordan River will spend several days in and around Jerusalem and see the temple mount Calvary, the garden of Gethsemane and the Mount of olives and much more. This remarkable itinerary is made richer with times of worship, Bible study, and lots of fellowship.
Now I've been to Israel a number of times over the years and I can honestly say that visiting the places where the events of the Scriptures unfolded where Jesus lived taught and healed. It just never gets old. I can't wait to see you in Israel start planning and saving now to tour Israel with Skip Heitzig information and inspiration cruises.com/see ABQ. That's inspiration cruises.com/C ABQ the world is constantly trying to pull you away from God's well that's why we need God's word is our foundation why we bring you these teachings to connect you to God's truth and you can help keep these messages coming your way and encouraging others to your Support right now and keep this podcast going strong. Just call 890, 292 or visit connected.com/donate.com/down now before we go to juvenile that you can watch gets messages from the comfort of your home device to Apple TV. Just search for his channel and watch thousands of powerful Bible teachings and live services or information on the broadcast picked connectwithskip.com join us next Monday is skip. Plaintiff explores the best thing you can be passionate about the Skip night presentation of connection communications to God's never changing truth ever-changing time