Defining Christlike Love (Part B)

Everyone who loves what goblet has this kind of love that has the touch of Jesus on the fingerprint they could just you close fingerprint would be on your law yours or God's yours of the Holy Spirit. Thumbprint has breast on you Jesus said show me a going whose images on it.

Caesar's give it to Caesar you give to God the things that belong to God, whose images on you will talk about Christ likeness the image of Christ. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher.

Rick asked 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 reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick will continue teaching through his message called to finding Christlike love in the book of first John chapter 4. This is about rolling with Christ in a way that's going to please him and we get good at complaining because complaining makes us feel strongly feel it makes us feel it would justifying our bad attitude. I'm not saying we don't look for solutions and point out things that are wrong.

We have to do those things wisely and as we would have them done to us and it's it takes a lot of work to maintain this work road, but it is so worth it.

Once we get it into our hearts that it is worth it.

We have a newfound courage. You know nothing is rightly love this Jesus is replaced for it. If you find something that just does love so much that he now is in the backseat, not the drivers seat and God will never be your copilot. Incidentally is the pilot. He does not stop being God ever even when he was born in a manger, you still God the son every bit of it.

But this kind of love as I mentioned, it makes us think it makes us pay attention more, we need to be stirred. Love is not only our duty is a mystery.

Now those of you who do who maybe have served in the military you you do your duty whether you like it or not you have to do it or this is the severe consequence for no different with us as Christians. Love is our duty and it is a mystery to love as Jesus loved it is not natural. When Paul wrote the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him. Then he went on to say, nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. When I have the Holy Spirit citizen make any sense even preach them until you're blue in the face. He still does not get it because the spirit of God is not in their is not more light that the lost soul needs its site is to be able to see what the light is showing. You can turn on the lights all you want for a blind man if you don't give them side. He can say unfortunately we have this ability we Christians to get used to the dark. You know you going to a restaurant is darker than what you see how messy the places lights of low in your eyes adjust.

Let's fine physically but spiritually we don't want to get too used to the darkness around us.

We have to remember you are the light of the world. So this passage again, forces us to face what we otherwise would avoid the difficulty of loving difficult people. The difficulty of producing love.

When I myself am difficult. How many times when you're not. No one else is right is feeling you know bad some of you love. Do some of us I should say some people are just chirpy all the time and it is up to us to stop them. Got that out.

I looked up the word love in a few dictionaries and I'm not going to read them because they did they fall short. Even Webster's out an 18 6323 edition.

Whatever was the they all fall short. They have something to do. Love is this affection they connected with things that you adore because you like them. Christian love is more than that is just some of Babbitt is a lot more than that. Otherwise every time everything. Something went bad would be justified until he got on the loving you right now. So the apostle says here in verse seven, for love is of God, what comes from him and nowhere else. This this agape love.

This is the word he uses here in the Greek.

Every time he mentions love some variation of it, but it was received because it was given. God wants to give it. Why should God knows the world is under a curse is not removing that curse until he returns. So don't look for a pass. You know, we kinda get into a difficult spot with God when we were expecting a miracle instead of doing our job that I don't have to work so hard because America is going to show up any moment, and when it doesn't show up were frustrated with God. We have to do what we're supposed to do temp Tatian what is Paul say about sexual loss play run from it flee youthful laws you can shout it out so this love and the respect that is used by the apostles's new and it imitates the example in the life of Christ to love others as Christ loved them.

What about when he was braiding that court of whips and drove them out of the temple ground when they were abusing the people they love them course he did, but that love runs out eventually. If ye be rejected. In the end John 15 as the father love me. I also have loved you, and then he says abide in me, divided abide in my love as well. They are in my love. Learn my love and expect no cooperation from anywhere except God yourself, your loved ones.

Someone eventually is going to ruffle your feathers and I act. I went through a phase in ministry where I just sick of the cycles that there's a cycling or time a time to sew a time to reap a time for peace at times. Once I got it.

I just want the piece and I want the reaping. That's all I want and so times of peace would come as I how long is this going to last. So that's the attitude God wants and who suffers. Others, myself.

I'm in a bad mood is to severe knowledge is you just it's like your porcupine anybody get close to you get stuck. So we fight these moves. I have a friend is a rather Pentecostal brother. I'm in I believe in the gifts of the spirit, but one anyway.

I mean, I believe there are more rules and he believes to the gifts of the spirit.

But there's one thing used to say years ago to me. You know something is gonna bust through this got pushed through and and force yourself to sing songs and write his right. Sometimes you have to make yourself do it.

Arsenic going to happen don't go waiting for the Holy Spirit because he's waiting for you. Sometimes as I mentioned, you've got a step into the furnace before the miracle begins to take place that we love the Lord and love the people whom he loves Satan. We can never say that Satan helps us love what Christ loves. He will help us love what what Christ hates hatred. It will help us hate. That's what the enemy will do in the flesh would help them to. If we're not careful he'll swap out God love from Manlove Manlove needs to justify why am I loving you, what is there to love about you. You have to earn it.

That's not the way it is with God. Thank you Lord Earl's nobody would ever get saved. Manlove is useful for some things it's not sufficient and it doesn't please God, if that's all you've got believers, even Christ haters can show lesser loves but it's lesser nonetheless. John says and entered everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

What if he said everyone who has a secondary love is born of God and knows God doesn't say that he says everyone who has this highest law that's agape or right therein.

Verse seven. Throughout every time the word shows up in John it's good agape. Everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

Everyone who has agape love not common love, not preferred, loves, otherwise we would say that every mother who loves her child is automatically save every patriot that loves this country is automatically saved as they love God will this not true. You can be an atheist and love your country. You can be an atheist. Love your child, you got a go more further than that. That's not enough. Everyone who loves you. Agape has this kind of love that has the touch of Jesus on the fingerprint they could just you post fingerprint would be on your love yours or God's yours of the Holy Spirit close thumbprint has pressed on you. Jesus said show me outgoing whose images on it. Caesar's give it to Caesar you give to God the things that belong to God, whose images on you will talk about Christ likeness the image of Christ not just stand ready man could stand and you could preach to someone a perfect sermon about this love and why are you doing and you could be full of love.

What's going to happen when you go out in the bogeyman meets you, you still going to have this love. That's what we want. That's the goal. That's what we're shooting for.

You got a better chance of hitting what you're aiming at and what you're not aiming at us really a bad shooter than you hitting think nevermind sorry went there. William law, a man of God from over 100 years ago, said his men are to know that we are the Disciples of Christ by our loving one another according to his example of love, then it is certain that if we are void of this love we make it plainly known unto men that we are not his disciples. So William says to us, tell us William will William tell right I sorry I need these commercials every now and then I have to throw something in there, just get it together again.

Okay, back to William. William is saying if they know us by our love. Christlike love and the law also know that were not his. If we don't have that love. That's what John is saying is love of Christ. United is somewhat of a mess up. Well, you keep getting back into right yes okay but the one that just as you know what I don't care. I am who I am, says Popeye agape love is Christ.

Agape love is truth centered, Christ centered and action minded and it is also absent-minded in this way it gets. How it's been wrong. Love suffers long again and again and again. Proverbs 27, six faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

See the emotional ones are ones I don't understand love you being mean to me you don't agree with me. Those are sensual people there problematic friend will come along and tell you you doing wrong and you need to fix this.

They are faithful but an enemy will promote that which is opposite of Christ and enemy will sink no no no you are right in this. Vengeance is okay meanness is okay. Being disgusting is justified if the other one was first being disgusting to you.

Second John verse three. Grace, mercy, and peace will be with you from God and the father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the son of the father in truth in love. That's what he says in truth and love ever note here to just read John three verse 18 my little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. According to the Scripture. That's why the world doesn't have this they can get it without this Jesus Christ. Maybe you've been bullied by someone. Maybe you've been honestly wrong. Do you think that justifies hatred in Christ.

Now Christ, if I remember he said father forgive them. They don't know what they're doing.

He was always ready to love. Do you think were the only ones that heard him say that, of course not you think those who crucified him. They were very close enough. Of course they heard him. You think maybe they thought about it after God's word doesn't return void.

When God spoke, and he knew would do something he knew would do something then a new new would do something down through the ages. So this love this agape love. Unlike the other laws it's not restricted to that which is popular.

It's not restricted to brotherly love is not restricted to social love or whatever other kind of love that goes beyond what the other loves are restricted by Leo. Love is a restricted love.

It's a good love. I love to read the word of God by Leo but I love the God of the word agape you put those two together and you have a powerful alloy you have a strong alloy God is given these logs even arrow cirrhosis find if you keep it in the context or out of the context of sin is nothing wrong with that Greek word, depending on how you use it.

He says in verse eight he who does not love does not know God, for God is love. If we have no spiritual and practical concern for others based on what God is said that our faith is questionable spirit of God is not abiding in us that should be terrifying to us and it also should be stabilizing any religious experience that fails to deepen our relationship with Christ is a counterfeit religious experience.

If you have some years in all singing the love even if you're singing to the Lord. But you're not growing closer to him.

You need to question what's going on. Do you agree with that or would you say no it's okay it's okay to sing songs to the Lord and not even care what is being said. So long as you feel good that would be crazy.

Yes, God does love us just as we are, but he also loves us enough to not leave us as we are and to do something about it. He's got to inject this love, and it's got to be something that we sign off on that we received that we say yes. Amen. That's true. I wanted a W Torosian said the apostle John makes love for our fellow Christians to be the test of true faith. Ms. Wright is what John is doing you say your Christian house. I love doing it gotten so used to hearing you don't check it anymore. Oh yeah I know I'm supposed to love. I know that but but what one kind irritated right now. Okay you think you get a pass from heaven about the other guy in English and give them one doing is treating you this way is hard slog thing is hard work.

Tell yourself it's worth it that we need summons a thin incentive do we not we do.

God doesn't just say look I want you to work in following me in loving one another and in the end, you get nothing. He doesn't say that Satan does that Satan doesn't say it but he doesn't. God says no.

I have an eternity for you. You need faith to lock into this worthy of you can't connect without that faith and that faith has within it.

These other things.

It is true, it has love.

It has blood on it. God's love. He says here in verse eight. Otherwise, why would he ever bless anybody if God were love who could ever come up to his standards of holiness. I cannot say that I do not know how good I do know how I know how God blesses people on why he blesses them he can.

He blesses them as a sovereign, he does it because he is love. That's what he to loose weight with this one of the hardest words in the Bible to believe in the world with her so much sorrow and suffering throughout human history.

How can you tell me God is love got to look beyond the sorrow you have to look beyond the curse. When Eve stumbled into sin and then Adam plunged into it as Eve was seduced.

Adam willfully went in God. Of course all beyond any eventually got them to see beyond it to winnow different. We have to remind ourselves to see beyond whatever is comes our way. Maybe you hit was something that just challenges your faith I got. I thought you loved me at that you cared that you are shield about me. I applied your word.

Everything keeps falling apart. The liens they haven't eaten me up and they've taken some big bites polygamy to. I'm not trying anymore what maybe should try harder faster because he does not designate any way. I don't know what I was saying.

I get so insulted when people don't laugh at my funny jokes that leaving the church. Okay, back I'm back to one of the hardest things again and yet if okay so God is love Depaul know that about Peter when Peter was being crucified upside down and you know God is love. When Paul was about to be beheaded and you know God was love. When John was being tortured and as an old man put on a banished to an island that he did he know God was love.

Of course they didn't want what power did God exert over these people in Scripture and in history so that they did not back down when faced with horrible things such as fire liens, crosses, stone rings suffering scourging this wild beast and then back down when they were taking them to the Coliseum and tying them to oppose the letting animals eat on them alive. They did not deny the Christ as their Lord. This is the abiding witness of the Holy Spirit. So when the Bible says God is love is me. It means business, you're going to have to get a better dictionary if you're using the world's definitions of love by using the Bible's definitions of love, you begin to see it illustrated stated and demonstrated happiness illustrated in Abraham take now your son, your only son, and offer them up to me about offering that you tell me that Abraham love God when he said Isaac let's go course he did something must've been something else going on inside that man to do that I can't even put myself in that spot. And then of course is the Christ himself demonstrating his love for us, not waiting for us to be good. Romans five versus six and April when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

That would be us as there are no other type of people until God makes someone godly through the blood of Christ, and he continues that God demonstrates his love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

You know the prisoners as well. You're not good enough yet for salvation. You never going to be good enough. That's a lame excuse need to step up see the light and receive it. As Paul said, I saw the light when he was telling his testimony. I sought he never stopped preaching verse nine. In this we love God barred me in this the love of God was manifested toward us that God has sent his only begotten son into the world that we might live through him. Again, God's love revealed by statement illustration and demonstration throughout the Scripture God is saying that and you can only harness it by faith. You cannot harness it otherwise or is it just becomes a story and many have done that to liberal theology is taken hold of Western civilization.

Reducing it will, this is just a story didn't really happen. Sampson was not really someone who went through those things is just a story. They do that with everything Daniel really didn't go in the Lions den was delivered know these things are really they really happen and I I choose to agree with what Jesus said, than what someone who says Jesus didn't say for a number of reasons, but most importantly that internal witness of the Holy Spirit that speaks to me and says you are mine and backs up his word were so many infallible troop proofs so we have an eternal father and therefore the only begotten son is also eternal.

We are created beings.

He is not what we're discussing here in verse nine. This is the love of God manifested toward us that God sent his only begotten son into the world. This was not a prophet. It was not an angel.

Satan has is religion that will pop up and say that they'll either say Willie was equal with they are no the Mormons in their you know don't receive him wrong. The Vatican, they love to say Mary's equal this blasphemy to say anybody is equal with the Christ any born any any human being is equal with the crisis straight out blasphemy to the Christian now we are going to come across people who believe that when not to hate them for. We also not to tolerate such nonsense in our hearts for one second. We don't yield to that was, I don't believe that not only the Bible preaches that and I think it's a lie and I think it's a lie from hell. You might not like me for that. I'll still love you. Of course I have to, but it's not true. So the only regarding begotten son emanating from God coming from God, we come from our parents course the virgin birth says God to man is coming as a man and I'm going to use a human being to pull it off. And that's exactly what he did. 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. We also encourage you to subscribe to our podcast you subscribe will be notified of new editions of cross reference radio.

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