The Simplicity Of Love, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ but not outstanding front about Everest is removed that impress folks, this is hyperbole, but notice everything they had all that faith, I do not have long, I am not you and I would be impressed by all those things when there's a there's a spiritual man.

No, it's not joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us how God's word meets our work. Nothing. What is the single most important thing. As Christians, you and I needed love the Lord. Look at this. All that's what your face about more than anything and we get in the same kind of problem we keep thinking men are so many things I should be doing or not doing, I need to do more things now. You see, how do you if you're in Israel at the time. How do you obey God and get all those blessings you up to see the obedience is born out of love, not duty. Duty will never work.

It's not wages you love.

That's the whole point. So if we look at it from that point of view. Let's go back to Mark. So Jesus answered said that for most of this hero, Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength is very very hard for religious people to accept. It's all about law, but let me explain something you and I are just as guilty as he had we judge people see how do you know someone really a believer once with the Lord will maybe if they know a lot of Scripture. They must be walking close to the Lord of a bunch of great things matter to see this holy place. One more time this go to first Corinthians 13, you know, the chapter even if you don't even know the Bible you know this chapter because it you've attended weddings this is the wedding chapter. I'm not totally against that. I even use it myself, but it's not about weddings receive. It's not what it's about. Paul's going to say some guys that I find very convicting first Corinthians 13 verse verse if I speak with the tongues of men and of angels about now I want you to imagine us you meet me in the lobby afterwards and I say to you talk I said I will be able speak to you, and certainly I know you and I speak angelic language not a memory.

I do it that's like, but you know it's not English you know it's not am speaking angelic language what you think about me I'm a semi-think that's creepy. I get that but what you think week.

This guy speaks Angel line. See he something I wouldn't say that's what what kind of Christianity. Okay if I speak with the tongues of men and the tongues of angels, but I do not have love, I have become nothing but a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal meant nothing and met nothing. If I have the gift of prophecy and I know all mysteries and all knowledge, not just imagine that I could prophesy anything anything and he is going to happen. I can prophesy and I have all knowledge you see. Ask me anything I don't care what kind of question neurosurgery astronomy has me any. I got answered and I know I have all the knowledge, would you be impressed. What would you yes wow the guys wow about this.

We know how important is that faith in all faith, so as to remove mountains, not member Jesus said if you are not faith he could move Paul says you could have enough faith you could remove the mountain that's put on CNN. I would not outstanding front about Everest and I do say remove with that impress folks yeah this is hyperbole, but yes notice everything they had all that faith and I do not have love, I am nothing. Nothing. While see you and I would be impressed by all those things for there's an authentic believe there is greatly spiritual man. He said now about love. It's nothing. He said if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, number that means all your possessions. I don't mean I give money to the poor.

I'm not. I'm not going be like that. It's not like oh wow you see him much money Bill Gates gave African.

It gets great but he didn't give everything and but I gave everything everything I had to the poor. That's president and if I surrender my body to be burned there after me because I'm Christian.

I said go ahead and permit the state marketing. It's okay. Would you see right to the end. I did like John Hus singing hymns when they burn me at the stake. Now, met with those things impress you. Yes, he said, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.

Nothing. You start getting ID of the simplicity of Christianity is a better love God. That's the whole point is the motive I used obey Commandments you see it's authenticating my faith.

Now back to Mark as we go through this. Look what it says, he said right in beginning and you shall love your God. That's what he says you shall love your God is personal that a generic you must love your God, the nature of the word love on the pile together form of agape. Agape is the way God loves us members three words in Scripture. In the New Testament for love. Eros, which is physical love and traction for Leno which is brotherly love city Philadelphia city of brotherly love is a copy.

You know what agape is not used in Greek language hardly at all became and find it's a very unusual word but it's the word of God's love for us. Agape love is unconditional and it's the choice to love someone who's not lovable effect. It's exactly the way God loves you. For God so loved the world, agape. You see, he sent his only son, God love you and I when we were both at enmity with God. He loved us.

He knew every failure this one since enough to condemn us in God's presence. You know how many you have, and I know how many I have is that I love them anyway to do this.

It's God's choice to love, but notice what God says now not want you to love me that way. I want you to choose to love me. You see, that's what I want. I wanted you to choose so important to God member Peter denied Jesus three times after he shot his mouth off and said I'm good.

I'll protect you, Lord, nothing were bad at noon.

Then the servant girl goes up to you know know I don't know the guy Jesus finally shows up with them in their fishing. In the end and John and Jesus, when he said to Peter do you love me why the most important thing Peter do you love me yes Lord Peter keeps changing the word to flow. Jesus said you agape me again what I flow you. I think I will begin full Jesus like that. I change the word English is love love, but not in Greek. So the point is, that's how important this is the Jesus how important it is.

He said, and then he adds that word makes it most difficult for you and I you shall love the Lord your God with all there's a word all all, not some all all your heart. Wow, heart from Hebrew point of view, the heart is the core of your identity. Proverbs 422 says this keep your heart with all it with all diligence for out of your heart for the issues of life, the heart is who you really are an inside that's what it talks about. He said you have to love me with all then he says with all your soul's okay. In Greek it means the seed of my emotions in the seat of my will, in the garden of Gethsemane in tonight and one more night on Thursday night. Jesus says this my soul is exceedingly sorrowful. See this pain is so great is Regina my for my emotions. It's all consumed.

That kind of love.

The psalmist said this in Psalm 42 as a deer pants for the water brooks, this is a deer running from the predator or a fire in his exhausted niece, get some water in. I put his head down especially good as a deer pants for water books so my soul pants for you, God's love and all my mind all my thoughts. We talked about thoughts for the last two weeks.

All my thoughts pulses take every thought captive to Christ all my heart all my soul. All my thought with all my strength that's big chief sees it simple, but it's big. You see, this is it. And guess what, if you did that to say this, everything else in your life would be in line everything everything I have to love the Lord. That way you see is why Jesus said this is the part.

This is the foremost commanders not another command like not I know what you might be thinking you might be thinking like that you know I don't know how to even maser this well let me give you an idea of how big this is. I was reading in Ripley's believe it or not, of all places right and up according to Ripley, the longest expression of love ever written was the work of a Parisian painter's name is Marcel Dana Clore. He wrote in 1875 and it was addressed to Magdalene day the Lori and the artist loved her to death, and so he wrote her a letter and the letter he said he s'il vous plaît me.

We can Sage attainment English for the Spanish, French, but Shibu Amy is I love you and you wrote in the letter. 1,875,000×1,875,000 times why that number the years 1875 eroded 1000 times for the 1875 date 1,875,000 times.

That's an expression of love, but he didn't write it with his own hand. He hired a scribe to write it for nothing. You change your mind right don't do that yet.

Okay.

He had a scribe writer form and that he told the scribe he wanted written, but he said that would not of really express my love. So McClure was so entranced with those two words. Shibu Amy in French that when he decided to do is he would dictate it.

Shibu Amy, he would say. Then he told the scribe you say Shibu Amy then you write and I say Shibu Amy and you say save you are me and you write so in all.

They uttered a road J. Vu Amy I love you 5,625,000 times in Senate. How many ladies of had that caliber. That's an amazing expression of love right it's nothing compared to what Jesus is asking of us all my heart all my soul on my mind and all my strength make it really simply saying look, you have to love me the way I love you and you might have. The next question then it's a well how I know from doing that. See if I said how many you guys love God, love the Lord. But if I'm just reading that part now you're more hesitant you see what yeah it's easy, it's easy to say that. Just think how many ladies worth have had men tell you they love you in a dating process and you find that they did. They just said the words, the words don't mean anything or Jesus is to give you how in the he says in verse 31. The second is this you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these. You have to love others just like you love yourself. What is not new. By the way, attitude, Leviticus, you shall love your neighbor as yourself written in the law Matthew in his account of this says Jesus said the second is like it there attached.

In other words, how how can I demonstrate that I love God with everything I have. I love you with everything there is the demonstration that you ever noticed a much easier seems the love God than it is the love you guys and me. You know that and you notice how often you find people in your life that it's so easy to love and other people in your life you're still trying to learn to tolerate.

See if it comes it that becomes a problem for us.

That's a struggle for us and it shouldn't be too. That's what Jesus said it shouldn't be at all. All through the new testament says things like this Philippians to says let each of you look out not only offers own interests, but also for the interests of others. Philippians says you should consider everyone else is more important in you.

Romans 15. Let each of us. Please his neighbor for his good, leading to his edification.

First Corinthians chapter 10 verse 24.

Let no one seek his own, but each the other person's well-being.

See if I were to want to say I love God. In Deuteronomy was if I love God and keep his commandments in the New Testament, Jesus is if you really love me and you love all people and he's careful about this member. He said words of disturbance. You and I need to love our enemies that hard difficult. We usually just ignore it, we ignore someone's an enemy or even close to an enemy we just ignore this.

I don't really care but I'm telling what Jesus saying if you don't problem you don't love me don't you dare say you love me unless you love them. This is a little bit more difficult. Let's go to first John chapter 4 class passage first John chapter 4 verse seven gives the command beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. That's the command Jesus anything. I give you a new commandment you love one another, but then he gets down to verse 19 and he said we love because he first loved us. The reason I have the capacity to do this is God first loved me that love sent his son to die on a cross. My faith in him got the spirit of God in my life and I have the capacity to love you. Then he goes on instead of someone says I love God, and hates his brother is a liar can be more clear than that he's a liar and the one or does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love the godly is not Make that deal with Gato. I'm a lucky guy, but I can't stand he speak when he said in this commandment we have from him that the one who loves God should love his brother also while Scripture says and get people along Junior life and her you what God said, forgive $0.20.

In fact, he told Peter, 70 times forgive them and he said not let me be clear. You need to forgive them exactly the way Christ forgives you that you like me on the forgiving in all Lord of such a disappointment. Thank you for forgiving me someone really hurt my forgiving them at home telling you this, you could say that but you don't look, don't say you do. Just admit I'm a liar at the Johnson mine. I don't love God while so there are two answers there to one question. But Jesus said it's the two answers need to be there. One states my love for God all-inclusive and to prove my love for God.

The way I love others so we call ourselves Christians but even as I'm speaking these words, what happens just like the drive over, we can't do that while I don't know. I got Paula to the Philippians I can do all things through him the strength is so why you tell him you can't just tell me, tell me the truth. I don't want to do because I don't love God.

Go now leased to be honest see this. Is this a very simplistic view of our faith, but don't you find it difficult. I mean it's kind of intimidating that he would do this from every command. God gives us in the Bible relates to God or other people. That's why we need the love pulses no matter what we do or what we accomplish we do without love or nothing. Jesus says without hesitation. This is the foremost of all the commandments of Christianity is about God love you so much sense son love you so much. He died on the cross. Now God says you love me, you need to love me with everything you have. The way I love you and we every act of obedience.

We do was one of our love and gratitude for God and then God says we can prove that love by the way we love each other to make a faith too complicated. Jesus said it's quite simple of the Lord your God all your heart, all your soul, mind, and all your strength and love your neighbor as yourself. While spray from father, may your spirit convicts us of this for I know that so many of us find ourselves not doing this very simple for the father of honest reminders how much you helping Pastor Bill Gebhardt on the radio ministry of fellowship in.

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