Bold Christlike Love (Part C)

What is perfect love, love born of that knowledge of truth that I started off with that world seeks knowledge, but they don't seek truth. They think they do. They don't many who go to church as Paul was writing about. They were seeking knowledge but they were never coming into the truth because they were not submitting perfect love casts out fear, because that love is born of worship and that worship is born of trust and that trust involves leaving it with Christ. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher. Rick asked Ricky as the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the book of first John, please stay with us after today's message here.

More information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching. For now, let's join Pastor Rick in the book of first John chapter 4.

As he continues his message called bold Christlike love, don't you for one minute think that he does not love you in spite of everything about you that inspector put it this way as much as you know about your shortcomings. God knows about 20 more herbs that you've not gotten to any still loves you, you younger teens. Maybe you're still living in the home, and you're correct a lot. You may feel unloved or picked on.

So know who did this part of growing up is part of coming under authority has nothing to do with you being unloved is usually quite the opposite. You are loved and love must correct that which is wrong. So your parents to deal with these things.

It's okay. You will do well. So well that one day will come when you'll be doing them to your own kids. The cycle of correction is one that helps not hurts when done right now. What about those who say they follow Christ and suppose that they are justified in hating and slandering others who they disagree with.

I mean II have a disdain for the doctrine of Calvinism, but also my brothers and sisters still slander them and justify my wrath against them because we don't agree on this doctrine. I still love them.

I can love wrong people and they can love me back. Making that I'm wrong. It's okay if we lighten up on certain areas and understand that just because we disagree with someone on something that's important to us, does not justify meanness.

I don't know that I've always gotten our right. Thanks thanks the media sharing it with you anyway. Too many of us are unskilled and love he will wait we try to get out of those things that force us to love one another and no matter how much you struggle to love.

It is the one struggle. You must never give up no matter how many times you fail, you may fail in your devotions. You may fail it. Getting the church on time or this or that and be very frustrated with yourself and maybe even give up.

But don't give up on trying to love is not worth you if God will get something out of you. Just for the effort because love is that powerful will come back to that verse 17.

Love has been perfected among us in this that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is so are we in this world. Will this love is been perfected among us that Greek word for perfected as it is finished. At the same Greek word Jesus used from the cross. It is finished. Done the love of Christ. What is available to us that is perfected and it is given to us. It is repeated, he is repeating here in verse 17. What he said in verse 12 says that we may have boldness in the day of judgment boldness as an assurance, not rudeness. First John verse chapter 5 verse 13 these things I have written to you who believe in the name of the son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the son of God is boldness to say I know I'm saved is not arrogance. I'm not reckless and not exceeding my authority I'm entering into the authority Christ is given me to say I know I'm saved. I have assurance is talking about judgment day that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. When I going to the great white throne would be no boldness there. No one's going to have to shove us to bow and confess that Jesus is Lord we recognize it and submit to it and will love it will love his Lordship, no boldness is not reckless the fruit of the spirit.

Love Joy peace. He goes on to say, self-control. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 16. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in a time of need. We are going to be bold in the sense of assurance. We stand before Christ. We can even do it now. We can boldly come.

So if I'm in my I don't like to be interrupted when I'm preparing for Sunday or Thursday or any other time I have to minister the word. My children have always known that they have access to me. Nonetheless, not they want to come in and chitchat about nonsensical things.

I'm going to chase them out very nicely and he stated the first time you need to go okay. Told you before that nevermind nevermind back to this, but they know they can always come to me and now God is that way and I hope there's no Christian that thinks it's any other way you can boldly come in as though he's your God, not again recklessly or carelessly still fear the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but we don't have this fear of uncertainty when it comes to approaching God and being received by him because of what Jesus is done. There are others, however, that have this terror. This fear this torment in Matthew 13 Jesus said there will be in wailing and gnashing of teeth. There will be those that don't have this boldness because they don't have the blood. They're not part of the family. They rejected this and we wait work very hard for those who do not yet received Christ have not yet received and we work very hard. Hopefully to get them to see the light to enter into the faith. Don't give up when your loved ones no matter how hard they may be against the gospel. You have no right to forsake them by stop stopping your prayers for them. You may have to shut your mouth and not preach the gospel anymore to them, but you can goal boldly to the throne of God on their behalf. That is called intercession that is being Christ like Jesus said to Peter, Satan is asked for you, that he may sift you but I have prayed for you and we are supposed to be Christlike in every way we going to come to that. Just a moment. So this love is to flow through us to lost and save the like. The people we like and people we don't like we are supposed to love nonetheless. This is a bold love.

This is a love that will shine through darkness and lost souls all have and so he says because which is the reason for the hope that is in us, we can have this love we can boldly stand before God on the day of judgment, because we know it's God's love and he loves us and he didn't die for us just for us to tremble in his presence before I was a believer, I would think. Boy if I saw God, I'd be terrified.

I've never thought that as a believer I my thought is you know and then I shall bow in humble adoration of their proclaim, my God, how great thou art, that's how I feel about seeing the face of Christ, because I know he's got it will take care of all my shortcomings in mice and he deals with that part is up to me to believe him, trust him to seek him to want him and so he says, as he is here in the bottom of verse 18, so are we in this world so will reread that to as he is so are we in this world. Christ likeness said in nine single syllable words. How simple is that is very simple. The gospel six of those words are two letters in our English language a W toes are wrote to accept Christ is to know the meaning of the words as he is so are we in this world except his friends as our friends his enemies as our enemies. His ways as our ways is rejection is our rejection is cross as our cross is life is our life, and his future as our future. There was just a man that had a telescope and came to seeking the things of God. He could see his father than so many others and God used him so that we could see some of what he was shown verse 18, there is no fear in love but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment, but he who fears is not been made perfect in love. Now you read this you say as a Christian, I've had some I've had fear and I've had torment in my disqualified. What is talking about judgment day. Verse 18 belongs in verse 17 is talking about standing before God, there is no fear in love, we have to understand what got us into heaven is love and God did not bring us into heaven just to terrorize us manager here. Let's vote of all those things you did in back of the shed or wherever else you do a will, there will be a judgment for the righteous, but I don't believe it will be a terrifying judgment. I don't know all the details of how God's going to work it out.

I don't think when I see Daniel getting the lion's share of the blessing that I'm going to be jealous, I might say wow I would like that. Maybe Daniel be nice and give it to me years ago I had a working a job in a coffee break and one of the guys was darkness. As you know my sister Jan yeah she manages rich guy and other coworkers said your sisters Richie's yeah they should buy a house for me. I had thought that was the logical thing to say is, and why did and I think that's what I would want will anyway because God is love and because of God's love in Christ, I'm saved and supposed to behave that way. Not only morally but put this blessed assurance. For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It's his work. He says, but perfect love casts out fear. Clearly John is not talking about a common love. What is perfect love, love born of truth that knowledge of truth that I started off with that the world seeks knowledge, but they don't see truth. They think they do. They don't and many who go to church as Paul was writing about. They were seeking knowledge but they were never coming into the truth because they were not submitting perfect love casts out fear, because that love is born of worship and that worship is one of trust and that trust involves leaving it with Christ, not so much in this life. Paul spoke about being in fear. At one point he spoke of being in despair of life is this great apostle just so sick and tired of the condition that he was subject to do for the kingdom of Christ, that he entered into deep depression not in action depressions part of life and so is coming out of it. Incidentally, you won't find that on how to be happy. Books you get the press you fight your way out. You can do this you you you don't listen to your own voice. The devil speaking as a ventriloquist in your own tone telling you you can't just keep swinging, keep moving forward. Take the pain.

Sometimes I find myself saying just suffered to suffer for something I don't like it. I just talk. Just take the pain and then I get to go to something else and is going. You may say doesn't work for me.

Keep that it don't quit is because fear involves torment in God's love develop dissolve that torment concerning us on that terrible day of judgment for the lost yes, but not for us but he who fears has not been made perfect in love deep.

Are you an unbelieving believer do you say you believe in Christ that he died for you that the Angels that took Lazarus to the bosom of Abraham will be the same angels that take you to the throne room of Christ because of love or are you terrified if you terrified you got work. The psalmist wrote Psalm 94 verse 19 in the multitude of my anxieties with me, your comforts delight my soul.

He did not say in the multitude of my anxieties.

I don't fear anymore. He says in the midst of those anxieties. I find comfort working through it. You think Jacob feared the approach of Esau, you bet he did. He wrestled with God over that matter wrestled so hard, he never walked the same verse 19 we love him because he first loved us.

We do not have what it takes to initiate love with God. No human being does you cannot initiate love with God. If you love God. It is a fire that he lit in your heart. The God that answers by fire. He is God and that you love him is evidence is proof it's something for you to do something with like trust and keep going. This love this agape love.

It flows downward before it can flow upward. Moses told the Jews, God loves you. It's not really emphasize in the Old Testament, but it is emphasized in the new Deuteronomy 7 I better hurry up here.

Yahweh did not set his love on you or choose you because you were more in number than any other people for you, or least of all peoples, but because Yahweh loves you because he would keep his oath which he swore to your fathers, Yahweh has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of bondage from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. It just says because God loves you why because because why would John tells because God is love is looking looking to love people that will receive that love and he will reject those who reject that love. That's the gospel story verse 20 if someone says I love God, and hates his brother, he is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he is not seen.

So John reasons this God agape love. It does not diminish. It is not dim when it leaves the presence of God. Our love is not supposed to be old Lord I love. I worship you. I sing songs to you.

I think you and then go and hate on somebody right after that is supposed to be still working full steam. This love is not natural to the flesh is not found in the world and it's hated by Satan is hated by Satan because it does damage to his agenda all the time.

This is where Jonah failed. Jonah was supposed to love right off the bat, even if he did not use those words because of his love for God. He was to obey God and go to the Ninevites reports he goes in the opposite direction. Jonah knew God. He knew God would forgive the Ninevites, so he was resisting. Love Ellen every level. Had he dropped dead, and he died in that fish that would've been it. God preserve that story for all of us. Maybe you've got some passionate hatred like Jonah, God wants to deal with and he'll strip it out of you if you let him is better to have God strip it out of you.

The letter run free. GK Chesterton made some clever observations. He says the Bible tells us to love our neighbors and also to love our enemies, probably because they are generally the same people ones that are close enough to hate are supposed to be the ones that we love. They don't make it easy and you can love somebody and you just around them long enough you start picking on what he always drink with your left hand some stupid thing like that right. Why do you never button. That button just some dumb thing is where these things come from flesh and that Satan exploits it. If you have hatred in your heart for another then you you don't have love for Christ. I didn't say God says it through his prophet is apostle John.

Proof of salvation is love the foremost fruit of the Holy Spirit, the fruit of the spirit is love. If you take that out of the list of Galatians 5. The fruit of the spirit of love and joy you will have the others, he takes a lot about what good as the others.

Paul said it is annoying going on… I just hate people that does this not give into it again. You do not have to be a social butterfly. I'm going to have a party or maybe you are baby of those people that you know just to people, people, that's wonderful.

My my daughter. One of them. She's a people person. Unlike her for that but see no just a kid stick around you meets on the people I met. I got a fight, tarnishing her, tell me again why you love them but anyway just sent me again.

I don't hate people.

I don't dislike them.

I just my light goes off before others go and I need a little space that's all. So John the Baptist let me you wouldn't guess John the Baptist at the milkshake shack to see how sipping on a vanilla shake with everybody what he might for like eight minutes. John Wesley again. What's his name Samuel Johnson, the great mind of his age and said that the Wesley wouldn't stay still long enough to engage in a conversation. No, because John Wesley was so busy preaching the gospel in no time for that in his personality and he saved England single-handedly God working through him just let people be who they are long is it not sinning well anyway. Verse 21 and this commandment we have from him that he would loves God must love his brother also note that distant knowledge of you know I don't have to conform to other people's views of love I have to conform to God's view of love that's liberating because when you trying to be like someone you're not then you get you tripped up when you find okay I know who I am. I'm good with this now. I don't mean them him as you know sooner. I mean this is personality goes or I will… Finish this verse in this commandment we have found verse 21. This commandment we have from him that he who loves God must also must love his brother also so effective is agape love that it is demanded. It it it is a commandment. This is liberating. We forget again to love many times because we think this love is emotional so if you're driving along and someone is irritating in the other driver someone in the We fly off the handle, because we forget we will not waiting to feel like I love the guy to show them we love without the feelings. Next time someone does you wrong. Remember love without feelings is powerful. How powerful is that what does Satan have against that you mean you love me and you don't have a reason to love me except the commandment because you love Christ so much you willing to love me to look out for my interests within reason feelings obscure agape love. We can have the feeling sure, but you must be able to roll without them feelings in this sense, make love inferior, undependable. How can you depend on agape love you, waiting to feel the inspiration you know we come we sing songs we want inspiration.

How many times do I come in the LeBeau bit uninspired, but I function because of the unction functions and all word for anointing, that's what I want the anointing. There have been you know you can preach in the pulpit and axial board which still feel the anointing you can preach the gospel in the workplace so much that you can get a little bored with it. That's just the flesh, that's all you'll pay attention to that is, keep moving. If you've not preached still enough then you don't enter into these higher experiences and learn she got shoved them aside. If you're going to get anything done. Love based on obedience is stronger than love based on feelings.

That's what I'm trying to say love and hate are opposites standing order is that they attack each other on site.

Love will attack hatred on site and hatred will attack love on site so we gotta come to this realization, and I close with this a drowsy love does not take care of the king's business work to keep a strong work to obey you don't feel like doing your devotions do them anyway don't feel like praying, pray anyway. Maybe you don't pray as long as you do when you're inspired that's okay. Is it nice to be inspired absolutely delay depend on that not all is this practice yes you mothers have your children. Don't you want a lot of sleep, but you get up in your function anyway.

Don't you, as a consequence is worth why wouldn't we expect love to be stronger than that.

Agape loving the unseen God. That's what we do. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference rate cross reference is a ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia. If you'd like to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit our website cross reference radio.com find a number of teachings from Pastor Rick available there.

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