Bold Christlike Love (Part B)

God does not need to show all show up.

Although I like shows off if anybody can do it. Is he nothing about us halts the love of God for us.

Now what if you become an apostate welding you've stopped. That's a different deal and you still have the rest of your life to correct you do not want to go to your grave and rejection of Christ.

But don't as long as you abide in Christ, don't you for one minute think that he does not love you. This is cross-referenced with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston. Rick is 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-referenced specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today.

Pastor Rick will continue teaching. His study called bold Christlike love in first John chapter 4 I like this section and Corinthians 11 reciting it or a few times last few sessions appear.

Hopefully I'm going to memorize the section II tried years ago and got distracted like you need to know all that, but I'm going to read it is the second Corinthian letter, which is just a beautiful letter and of course that there was still those pockets of resistance and that church in Corinth that rejected the great apostle Paul. In spite of all the evidences and so he takes them to task yet again and he says the Hebrews saw my other Israelites so my are they the seed of Abraham so lies….I'm there to. Don't try to add like you've got some spiritual pedigree that I don't have I got the same thing but let's take this little more. He continues his other ministers of Christ. I speak as a fool besieges I'm sorry I even have to do this with you but I'm going to lay it out.

He says I am more in labor is more abundant in stripes above measure imprisoned more frequently and that's often from the Jews five times I received 40 stripes -13 times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked night.

The day ice caps and in the deep, and he still has another shipwrecked waiting for him.

This is before the ship wreck on the alum altar where they survive essay survives a ship bracket Malta just to be bitten by a serpent of Viper. That's ministry is the ministry of love. One of the motivations and 1/2. He continues and journeys, often traveling who loves to travel, don't raise your hand. Because we don't do that, but you say maybe some of you do love to travel.

I don't used to like travel.traveling out of my system. Paul is saying and journeys walking inconvenience, hard times getting from one place to another. He says, and perils of waters and perils of robbers that went with the traveling and perils of my own countrymen's own countrymen wanted to kill him so many times they hounded him from city to city and at times and perils of Gentiles and perils in the city and perils in the wilderness and perils in the sea and perils among false brethren in weariness and toil and sleeplessness often in hunger and thirst fastings often golden nakedness beside the other things but come upon me every day. My deep concern for all the churches. Paul you mean after all, they put you through. You still love these people.

He says who is weak and I am not weak who is made to stumble and I do not burn with indignation. He I hate when Christians get messed up.

Not like them at all to take the curse.

The deal with Delta in this life, but it's worth it to get to the other end. God is going to make it worth it continues I must boast this if I must boast I will boast in the things which concern my infirmity my weakness that is the God of my the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever knows that I am not lying in Damascus, the governor under Arteta's the King was guarding the city of Damascus with a garrison desiring to arrest me, but I was let down in a basket through a window in the wall and escape from his hands, how humiliating getting the basketball I'm I will not. I walked in the door. I'm walking at nopal you can't do it that way. You are too valuable to us to hand Satan. The victory, please get in the basket and he writes about it because it meant something to him and it meant something to the people who read it and it means something to us.

John had his own struggles.

Also, he was not exempt from struggles in Christ Tito was persecuted and so he says he has given us his Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the spirit of love that is why these men were able to be the apostles of Jesus Christ like candles in the dark for us. We can do better. We can always do better. Verse 14 and we have seen and testify that the father sent the son as Savior of the world. We've seen his work in truth and logic spirit.

In fact, we have seen God's work when not going to say we've not seen what we did see with our eyes on heart. Isaiah wrote even I God speaking through him, and Yahweh, and besides me there is no savior but but weight it says right here and sent the son Savior of the world had of the Jehovah witnesses justify refusing Jesus as being God the Savior. They don't that's how doubletalk all they want. They don't preach the gospel. There was a Christian missionary Dorian Judson. It was a missionary to Burma where he was persecuted. His children wife first wife, and they would let them preach Christ. He was always viewed as a farmer at one point in his ministry. He tried to appease them a war.

The garb of of a of a holy man, spiritual leader, and then he wore a different type to separate himself from the Buddhist leaders and then he came to realize you know what I just could be me.

I am who I am going to preach the gospel any wrote or said that he was to preach the gospel, not anti-Buddhism. I'm still learning that lesson. I'm still learning to focus more on what Christ is done and not what everyone else is doing wrong.

It's not easy. For example, the whole Jehovah's Witnesses will go to you, door to door and tell you that Jesus is not all that and as a pastor I'm supposed to bring that down from time to time to remind us to stand up to them and not be shaken. But I'm also to remind us that our mission is not to focus on false religions but on the true faith of God. Another does not mean that God is not given to the church. Those who have a calling and gift for exposing heresies and cults and false beliefs, but the average Christian is simply a witness for Jesus Christ and hell is terrified that we are simply witnesses for Jesus Christ, so he tries to complicated Dorian Judson. This was the verse that sent him to Burma. Ephesians 319 to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge to know the love of Christ. That's what I want I want more of it. I've been somewhat of a gunslinger when it comes to attacking my enemies.

Even if you know just defensive quick to draw quick to counterpunch instead of just taking because is the sphere of if I don't protect myself, who will if the others get to lie about me who will undo those lies.

No crisis. I will do it my way. Will that be good enough for you may be because I got this flash and yet I can say without hesitation that I've had a lot of victories in my Christian life because of Jesus Christ and I would've had those victories and no other way if I've done it my way. I would not of had the victories that I mess up every now and then. Please don't point them out and see them for you. Do not point yours out unless you insist verse 15 whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God. God abides in him and he and God nears that mutual relationship. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the son of God. You know when you get water baptized at your confession I am saying Jesus is the son of God, and as my son is human. God the father son is God and I am I am saying I'm standing and I am admitting that with my life. I am baptized in the face of unbelievers all the time. That's the goal I baptism was just not this flash moment in my life is a testimony is very real and Satan counts it that way. I have places in this world you get baptized in Jesus name on front of everybody they going to kill you or persecute you because they know what it means.

Let's not be the ones who don't know what it means were supposed to know what it means. Whoever confesses it is a confession of faith. This love we have. If you take Jesus Christ and you simply make him a great figure, amongst others.

If you place them in any category less than equal with God, then you deny him, you dethrone him and you damn your soul in the process. That's the prize. Satan sink burn take you a prize.

Verse 16 we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God's love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him. Do we get that God loves us. I've asked this question before. Are you so busy preaching that Christ loves others that you forget he loves you. Maybe because you've got some hardship in your life. Maybe you're miserable in some areas of your life and it's been a long time said you felt joy, but you still preach that Christ is love, and that he loves sinners. What do you believe he loves you. That's what the abiding pilots would otherwise what Y emphasizes six times in this chapter he uses that word abide. Stay locked, then he doesn't let the reader get away from that is repetitive.

These emphasizing words of John make it difficult to read easily this passage because you keep repeating words was busy driving his point home. Nothing about us makes God love us nothing about us as sinners draws God to us.

It is God's love that draws him to us or gets better.

So if I can't make God love me then I can't make him stop loving me long as I abide in Christ is to say with what you do. That's it. I love you no longer says I knew that I knew that when I started loving on you swear my love is eternal. That's why want you to take some of this love, and let it flow through you are, you can still be the type of person you are with. It would live without sin.

Elijah Eliza was a just not a people person. Elisha was in fact Elisha, the people person said to Elijah is teacher give me a double dose of whatever it is, God is laid on you. I'd like double I want and need it. I don't I don't have enough to just have what you have. I need a double dose to make up for it just is just a hard one but if you see me taken up you've got it.

Do you think Elisha took his eyes off his master. After that you think he let him get out of his sight. After that, you know I gotta do is stay focused on you all do that and he didn't do that and when he got that double does the first thing he did was what his master did.

He rolled up his mantle. He touched the Jordan.

It parted and he walked across powerful illustrations from the word of God do we know God loves us. Elijah the prophet knew it. In fact, when he ran from the great day of victory, profound miracles in any gets word that he's greasy is a contract on your life. Elijah and he flees to the wilderness and he's hiding in a cave in God ministers to him and God initiates a relationship with him. God says you know what my per servant needs not only do it, does he need me to correct them on a few little things here, but I'm also going to pass by him.

I'm going to make myself known to him yet again. And that's where Liza says he wasn't in the earthquake he was and if it was a still small voice. God does not need to show off to show up. Although I like when he shows off if anybody can do it.

Is he nothing about us halts the love of God for us. Now what if you become an apostate welding you've stopped it. That's a different deal and you still have the rest of your life to correct you do not want to go to your crave and rejection of Christ. But don't as long as you abide in Christ, 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 salt know who do this part of growing up 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 and 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 sister 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 thinking 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 in love, we won't 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 got 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 when 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 safe is not arrogance. I'm not reckless I not exceeding my authority I'm entering into the authority Christ has given me to say I know I'm saved. I have assurance he's talking about judgment day that we may have boldness in the day of judgment when I'm 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 I have access to me. Nonetheless enough, 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 go 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 saved 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 hearing 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 mind single syllable words. How simple is that it's very simple. The gospel six of those words are two letters in our English language. AW 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.

Thanks for tuning in to cross reference cross reference is a ministry pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia.

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