THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT<br> <br>

PROGRAM AIR DATE – 4-16-2017<br> <br>



LESSON TITLE: “LOVE FOR OTHERS”<br> <br>



WELCOME<br> <br>

      TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD “FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD.” IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY. AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST RAY SULLINS.<br> <br>



      GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE LIVING WORD PROGRAM! THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING TO GIVE THIS TIME TO GOD, AS WE TOGETHER STRIVE TO HONOR HIM ACCORDING TO HIS WILL. AS ALWAYS, THIS MORNING, WE WILL STRIVE TO WORSHIP GOD ACCORDING TO WHAT WE FIND IN HIS WORD. MAY WE EACH MAKE OUR OWN SACRIFICE TO HIM SO THAT WE MAY BE PLEASING IN HIS SIGHT! NOW LET’S APPROACH HIS THRONE IN PRAYER!<br> <br>

      PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS DAY, THE GREAT BLESSINGS OF LIFE, AND THE PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE TO SERVE YOU EACH AND EVERY DAY. AND FATHER, HELP US THIS TIME AS WE HAVE GATHERED BEFORE YOUR THRONE THAT WE MIGHT OFFER THESE SACRIFICES IN A PROPER WAY AND THUS BE FOUND WELL PLEASING THAT WE DO ALL IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH AS YOU HAVE COMMANDED. AND FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT GIFT OF JESUS, THE SACRIFICE THAT HE MADE ON THE CROSS WHICH ALLOWS US TO BE FOUND JUSTIFIED IN YOUR SIGHT THAT SOMEDAY WE'LL RECEIVE THAT GREAT PROMISED REWARD OF HEAVEN. FATHER, WE PRAY THESE THINGS IN THE NAME OF YOUR SON JESUS CHRIST, AMEN. <br> <br> 

      THE BIBLE OFTEN TALKS ABOUT THE PROMISED REWARDS FOR THE FAITHFUL OF GOD. CERTAINLY, THIS TRUTH SHOULD CHALLENGE US ALL TO LIVE ACCORDING TO GOD’S PERFECT WILL, SO THAT IN THE END WE WILL RECEIVE EVERYTHING HE HAS PROMISED. AS GOD’S CHILDREN, WE KNOW THAT THESE GIFTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEATH OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.  WITH THESE THINGS IN MIND WE WANT TO SING OUR FIRST SONG OF THE MORNING AS WE BEGIN OUR SONGS OF PRAISE TO GOD. WON’T YOU JOIN WITH THE CONGREGATION AS WE SING TOGETHER, “WHEN I SURVEY THE WONDROUS CROSS!” <br> <br>



DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS<br> <br>

      MOST OF US OFTEN FORGET HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO SAY WHAT WE MEAN AND MEAN WHAT WE SAY. IN FACT, SO MANY TIMES WE ARE MISUNDERSTOOD, BECAUSE WE DON’T CHOOSE OUR WORDS CAREFUL ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE WE WILL NOT BE MISUNDERSTOOD. SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT HOW WE SAY THINGS? IS IT IMPORTANT?  <br> <br>

      I READ A CUTE STORY THE OTHER DAY THAT HELPS TO SHOW HOW IMPORTANT OUR WORDS ARE. TWO MEN HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK GOD SOME QUESTIONS. FIRST, THEY ASKED HIM, “IS IT TRUE THAT A MILLION YEARS IS BUT A SECOND TO YOU?” GOD’S REPLY WAS, “YES.” THE SECOND QUESTION THEY ASKED WAS, “IS IT ALSO TRUE THAT A MILLION DOLLARS IS BUT A PENNY TO YOU?” AGAIN GOD’S ANSWER WAS “YES.” THEN THE MEN CONCLUDED BY ASKING GOD, “CAN WE HAVE A PENNY.” TO WHICH GOD REPLIED, “YES, IN JUST A MINUTE.” YOU SEE, THE WAY WE SAY SOMETHING OR THE WAY IT IS UNDERSTOOD CAN MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.  

      DON’T YOU THINK THAT IS WHY JAMES SAID, “BRETHREN, LET EVERY MAN BE SWIFT TO HEAR, SLOW TO SPEAK,” CHAPTER 1:19. PAUL WENT ON TO ADD IN COLOSSIANS 4:6, 6 “LET YOUR SPEECH ALWAYS BE WITH GRACE, SEASONED WITH SALT, THAT YOU MAY KNOW HOW YOU OUGHT TO ANSWER EACH ONE.” OUR WORDS AND ANSWERS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE, BECAUSE WE CAN EITHER ENCOURAGE SOMEONE OR HARM THEM IF WE SAY THINGS IN AN IMPROPER WAY.  <br> <br>

      FINALLY, LET’S LOOK AT WHAT PAUL SAID IN EPHESIANS 4:29, “LET NO CORRUPT WORD PROCEED OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, BUT WHAT IS GOOD FOR NECESSARY EDIFICATION, THAT IT MAY IMPART GRACE TO THE HEARERS.”  HERE WE LEARN THAT OUR SPEECH IS TO BE FOR THE GOOD OF THE HEARER. IT IS TO EDIFY AND IMPART GRACE TO THE HEARERS.  <br> <br>

      LET’S ALL BE MORE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT WE SAY AND HOW WE SAY IT, SO THAT WE MIGHT ALWAYS GLORIFY GOD IN THE THINGS WE DO AND SAY TOWARD OTHERS. LET’S MAKE OUR “YES,” MEAN “YES,” AND OUR “NO,” MEAN “NO.” AND LET’S REALIZE THAT IN ALL, WE MUST DO THINGS GOD’S WAY!  <br> <br>

THIS MORNING WE WILL CONTINUE OUR STUDY TOGETHER ENTITLED “I PRAY THAT YOUR LOVE MAY ABOUND STILL MORE AND MORE.”  THE SPECIFIC TOPIC TODAY WILL BE “LOVE FOR OTHERS.”  SO STAY WITH US AND AFTER OUR NEXT SONG I WILL LEAD OUR LESSON THOUGHTS OF THE MORNING.  NOW LET’S AGAIN JOIN IN SONG AS WE GLORIFY GOD OUR CREATOR.  THE NAME OF THIS HYMN IS “WHEN THE ROLL IS CALLED UP YONDER.” <br> <br>



LESSON<br> <br>

BY RAY SULLINS<br> <br>

      WE THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CONTINUING WITH US NOW AS WE GO TO GOD'S WORD AND CONSIDER ANOTHER LESSON IN RELATIONSHIP REALLY ABOUT OUR LOVE FOR KNOWLEDGE. IN THE BOOK OF PHILIPPIANS, THERE WE'VE NOTICED SEVERAL WEEKS NOW THAT PAUL INDICATED THAT HIS DESIRE FOR THE CHURCH AT PHILIPPI WAS THAT THEY WOULD GROW MORE AND MORE IN LOVE IN RELATIONSHIP TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE. SO THE MORE THEY KNEW GOD, THE MORE THEY KNEW ABOUT GOD, THE MORE THEY UNDERSTOOD HIS WORD THEN THE MORE THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH HIS WILL. THEREFORE, PROVING THEIR LOVE TO GOD AND RECIPROCATING THAT LOVE THAT HE HAD SHOWN THEM AND ALSO BEING ULTIMATELY RECIPIENTS OF THE GREAT REWARDS AND PROMISES THAT GOD OFFERS TO THE FAITHFUL. AND SO WE'VE LOOKED AT THEN MANY PRECIOUS TRUTHS CONCERNING GOD'S WORD THAT REALLY WE SHOULD LOVE, IN FACT, LAST WEEK WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT THE CHURCH ITSELF AND THE FACT THAT WE SHOULD LOVE THE CHURCH FOR THE CHURCH IS FROM GOD AND THEREFORE, IT WAS PURCHASED WITH THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST. <br> <br>

      NOW WITH THAT IN MIND THEN WHAT IS REALLY THE CHURCH MADE UP OF? THE CHURCH IS MADE UP OF PEOPLE. AND SO WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT TODAY IS THE IDEA THAT WE SHOULD REALLY LOVE OTHERS. AND NOT JUST CHRISTIANS BUT REALLY ALL MEN. AND WE THINK ABOUT THE FAMILIAR VERSE IN JOHN 3:16. WE LEARN THERE THAT FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT GOD LOVED THE WORLD WHO DOES THAT EXCLUDE? WELLTHAT EXCLUDES NO ONE. FOR GOD LOVES ALL OF HIS CREATION. HE LOVES THEM SO MUCH THAT IN THE BOOK OF PETER HE SAYS THAT HE REALLY DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO PERISH BUT HE WANTS EVERYONE TO COME TO REPENTANCE. YOU SEE, GOD LOVES SOULS. WE ALSO KNOW GOD LOVES ALL MEN BECAUSE GOD HAS CREATED ALL MEN AND GIVEN EVERYONE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXIST ON THIS EARTH. THEREFORE AGAIN GOD HAS SHOWN HIS LOVE AND DEMONSTRATED THAT LOVE IN DOING WHAT? IN CREATING THE WORLD AND THEN ULTIMATELY, AFTER CREATING THE WORLD, GIVING THE WORLD HIS WILL THROUGH THE BIBLE. YOU MIGHT RECALL WITH ME GOD EVEN GAVE HIS SON JESUS CHRIST TO DIE ON THE CROSS TO SHED HIS BLOOD FOR WHO? ALL MEN. THAT WHO WOULD BE SAVED? WHOEVER WOULD BELIEVE, WHOEVER WOULD RECEIVE THAT WORD AND RESPOND, ACT UPON THE WORD OF GOD, AND THEREFORE WOULD BE SAVED. AND SO GOD, THE GOD OF LOVE, IS A GOD WHO LOVES ALL MEN! WHO LOVES HIS CREATION! <br> <br>

      NOW THEREFORE, AS THAT BEING THE CASE AND THE TRUTH, WHAT DOES THAT SAY FOR THOSE WHO ARE HIS CHILDREN? WELL, NO DOUBT WE AS CHRISTIANS MUST ALSO LOVE. GOD WANTS ALL MEN TO BE LOVED. IN FACT, IT IS THE VERY RELATIONSHIP SOMETIMES AND THE LOVE THAT WE DEMONSTRATE AND SHOW TO OUR FELLOW MAN THAT MIGHT HELP THEM TO DO WHAT? TO KNOW THAT WE ARE OF GOD, FOR WE WHAT? WE LOVE AS GOD HAS LOVED. SOMETIMES THAT'S THE VERY WAY PEOPLE EVEN KNOW GOD AT ALL IN THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE SEEN THE LOVE OF GOD IN OUR ACTIONS, IN OUR WORDS. SO LET'S GO TO GOD'S WORD AND SEE REALLY WHERE WE MIGHT LEARN ABOUT, NOT ONLY THE LOVE OF GOD, GOD BEING LOVE, BUT ALSO LEARN ABOUT THE CONCEPTS OF REALLY WHAT THAT LOVE MEANS TO US AND HOW IT DEMONSTRATES ITSELF IN OUR LIVES. <br> <br>

      NOW, FOR EXAMPLE PROBABLY, WE'LL PRIMARILY BE LOOKING AT FIRST JOHN CHAPTERS THREE AND FOUR. BUT WE MIGHT BEGIN THERE IN CHAPTER FOUR JUST BRIEFLY AT VERSE EIGHT BECAUSE THERE WE ACTUALLY LEARN THAT GOD IS LOVE. CERTAINLY THAT'S SIGNIFICANT. WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT THAT WITHIN OUR SERIES. GOD IS LOVE, SO HOW DOES THAT APPLY TO THE IDEA THAT WE MUST LOVE AS GOD HAS LOVED? WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY, OVERALL, WHAT'S BEING COVERED IN THE PREDOMINANT PART OF CHAPTER THREE AND ALSO IN CHAPTER FOUR, EVEN MOVIMG INTO CHAPTER FIVE. SO NOW BACK UP TO CHAPTER THREE WITH ME. NOTICE WHAT THE BIBLE HERE SAYS FIRST OF ALL IN VERSE 10 OF CHAPTER THREE. GOD'S WORD, BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, “IN THIS THE CHILDREN OF GOD AND THE CHILDREN OF THE DEVIL ARE MANIFEST: WHOEVER DOES NOT PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NOT OF GOD, NOR IS HE WHO DOES NOT LOVE HIS BROTHER.” OH WOW! OF ALL THE THINGS THAT COULD BE SAID, WE WOULD ASSUME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS PART WHEN HE SAID WHEN SOMEONE DOES NOT PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE NOT OF GOD. BECAUSE WHAT? GOD IS RIGHTEOUS. WE AS WELL KNOW THAT BECAUSE IN THE SAME TEXT IF YOU BACKUP THERE TO VERSE SEVEN IN FIRST JOHN THREE HE SAYS THAT THOSE WHO PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS HAVE DONE SO BECAUSE GOD HIMSELF IS RIGHTEOUS. THEREFORE, WE DEMONSTRATE THAT WE ARE OF GOD AND WE'RE TRYING TO IMITATE GOD BECAUSE WE ARE STRIVING TO BE RIGHTEOUS AS HE IS RIGHTEOUS. SO THEN WE DROP DOWN TO VERSE 10 AND HE SAYS IF WE DO NOT PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS THEN WE DON'T LOVE GOD BECAUSE IF WE LOVE GOD WE HAVE TO PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS. FOR GOD IS RIGHTEOUS AND REQUIRES RIGHTEOUSNESS. <br> <br>

      NOW, NOTICE THEN THE APPLICATION OF OUR MAIN POINT TODAY. HE IN THE SAME VERSE SAYS, “NOR IS HE WHO DOES NOT LOVE HIS BROTHER.” THE ONE WHO DOES NOT LOVE HIS BROTHER ALSO IS NOT OF GOD. IF I WERE TO ASK PERHAPS MOST PEOPLE TODAY IN SPRINGFIELD AND THROUGHOUT MISSOURI AND THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, DO WANT TO PLEASE GOD? THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO PLEASE GOD. THEY WANT THE REWARDS OF GOD. THEY WANT THE SALVATION OF GOD. AND IF I WERE TO SAY, “WELL, AS ONE WHO WANTS TO PLEASE GOD, DO YOU WANT TO BE A CHILD OF GOD.” WE WOULD UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE TO BE A CHILD OF GOD. WELL, THIS VERSE ALREADY SHOWS US WE HAVE TO THEREFORE BE RIGHTEOUS IN ORDER TO BE CONSIDERED A CHILD OF GOD. IF NOT, WE ARE CHILD OF THE DEVIL. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO LOVE OUR BROTHER OR WE'RE NOT A CHILD OF GOD. AND IF WE DON'T LOVE OUR BROTHER, WHAT DOES IT SAY HERE? IT SAYS WE'RE A CHILD OF THE DEVIL. WOW! THOSE ARE PRETTY STRONG AND POWERFUL WORDS. AND IT EVEN GIVES AN EXAMPLE, IF YOU WILL DROP DOWN TO VERSE 12, OF CAIN. CAIN, WHO HAD A FLESHLY BROTHER, ABEL, AND WHAT DID CAIN DO TO HIS BROTHER BECAUSE OF JEALOUSY? HE KILLED HIS BROTHER. HE WAS SO JEALOUS. HE HATED HIS BROTHER SO MUCH THAT HE MURDERED HIS BROTHER. IN FACT, CAIN'S MURDER OF ABEL WAS THE FIRST MURDER THAT WE READ ABOUT IN THE BIBLE. <br> <br>

      NOW I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THE APPLICATION PART OF THAT IN RELATIONSHIP TO HOW WE MIGHT LOVE OR HOW WE MIGHT HATE OUR BROTHERS OR THOSE WHOM WE KNOW. READ WITH ME VERSE 14 AND 15 OF AGAIN FIRST JOHN THREE. IT SAYS, “WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE PASSED FROM DEATH TO LIFE, BECAUSE WE LOVE THE BRETHREN. HE WHO DOES NOT LOVE HIS BROTHER ABIDES IN DEATH. WHOEVER HATES HIS BROTHER IS A MURDERER, AND YOU KNOW THAT NO MURDERER HAS ETERNAL LIFE ABIDING IN HIM.” THE EXAMPLE IS CLEAR. AS CAIN HATED HIS BROTHER AND WAS MOTIVATED BY HIS HATRED TO EVEN KILL, AND AS WE WOULD SAY MURDER, HIS BROTHER. WHEN WE HATE OUR BRETHREN WE ARE GUILTY OF SIN IN THE SAME WAY. AND WHAT IS THE RESULT OF SIN? WELL, THE WAGES OF SIN IS THAT DEATH. NOT CERTAIN SINS BUT ANY SIN. AND THEREFORE, WE OURSELVES ARE GUILTY OF MURDERING OR TREATING OUR BROTHER IN A WAY AS IF THEY ARE WHAT? DEAD TO US. UNACCEPTABLE TO GOD. NOT CHILDREN OF GOD. FOR THOSE WHO LOVE GOD LOVE THEIR BRETHREN. <br> <br>

      NOW ISN'T THAT WHAT GOD HAS SHOWN US? VERSE 16 OF JOHN THREE. THERE IN FIRST JOHN THREE, “BY THIS WE KNOW LOVE, BECAUSE HE LAID DOWN HIS LIFE FOR US. AND WE ALSO OUGHT TO DO…” WHAT? “LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR THE BRETHREN.” JESUS DIDN'T TALK ABOUT LOVE ONLY, HE SHOWED LOVE BY GIVING HIS OWN LIFE, AND THEN HE SAYS THAT'S HOW WE KNOW HE LOVES US. THEREFORE, HOW WILL OUR BRETHREN KNOW WE LOVE THEM? ARE WE WILLING TO DIE FOR THEM? THAT'S WHAT JESUS SAYS. AND THEN IN VERSE 17 OF THE SAME TEXT HE GOES ON TO SAY WHO SEES HIS BROTHER IN NEED AND DOESN'T HELP HIM? IN OTHER WORDS, A BROTHER WHO NEEDS FOOD OR CLOTHING AND WE DON'T HELP THAT BROTHER. AND THEN HE GOES ON TO MAKE THE APPLICATION WHEN WE DO THAT THE LOVE OF GOD DOESN'T ABIDE IN US. BECAUSE WE LOVE OUR BRETHREN, NOT ONLY ARE WE GOING TO HELP THEM WITH THE FOOD OR THE CLOTHING OR THE NECESSITIES OF LIFE, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE WILLING TO DIE FOR THEM. BOY, THAT'S A TOUGH THING AGAIN. MIGHT BE HARD TO ACCOMPLISH AND IT MIGHT BE HARD FOR US TO REALLY FEEL WE WOULD BE ABLE OR WILLING TO DO THAT. BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE STRIVING FOR. TO BECOME THOSE WHO HAVE SUCH A RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, WHO LOVE ONE ANOTHER THAT WE'RE WILLING TO DIE FOR EACH OTHER AS OUR OWN LORD AND SAVIOR DIED FOR OUR SINS. YOU SEE WHAT LOVE REALLY SHOWS FORTH? HOW IT DEMONSTRATES ITSELF? IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT OR IT'S A LITTLE FEELING THAT WE HAVE INSIDE OR THAT MAYBE PUTS BUTTERFLIES IN OUR STOMACH LIKE WHEN WE SEE THAT THAT GUY OR GIRL THAT WE EVENTUALLY END UP MARRYING. IT'S THAT IDEA THAT WE READ HERE IN VERSE 18 OF FIRST JOHN THREE. HE SAYS, “LITTLE CHILDREN, LET US NOT LOVE IN WORD AND TONGUE,” NOT JUST TALK ABOUT IT BUT LET'S LOVE IN WHAT? “DEED AND TRUTH.” YOU SEE, THAT'S THE LOVE OF GOD. THE LOVE OF GOD! THE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN AND THE LOVE OF OTHERS. THE LOVE OF MANKIND SHOWING FORTH HOW MUCH WE CARE FOR OTHERS. <br> <br>

      NOW, HE REALLY DEALS WITH MORE OF THAT THROUGHOUT CHAPTER 3, BUT DOWN IN CHAPTER 4 HE REALLY GETS SERIOUS ABOUT THE EXPLANATION OF LOVE IN RELATIONSHIP TO NOT JUST RIGHTEOUSNESS AS WE HAVE SEEN OR BEING CHILDREN OF GOD BUT A FEW OTHER ATTRIBUTES. IN VERSE SEVEN HE CONTINUES THERE. WE'RE IN FIRST JOHN CHAPTER 4, “BELOVED, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER FOR LOVE IS OF GOD; AND EVERYONE WHO LOVES IS BORN OF GOD AND KNOWS GOD.” YOU SEE THE CONTRAST OF CHAPTER 3? IF YOU'RE NOT RIGHTEOUS, IF YOU DON'T LOVE, YOU'RE NOT OF GOD. BUT IF YOU DO LOVE AND YOU ARE STRIVING TO BE LIKE GOD THEN YOU ARE BORN OF GOD. YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD. NOW, WE ARE A CHILD OF GOD. WHY? VERSE NINE AND 10 AGAIN BECAUSE GOD LOVED US ENOUGH TO DIE FOR US. AND THEREFORE, HE SHOWED THAT LOVE TO US. THEREFORE, WHAT SHOULD WE DO? LOOK AT VERSE 11. IF GOD SO LOVED US WE ALSO OUGHT TO WHAT? LOVE EACH OTHER. OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN IN THIS TEXT KEEPS TALKING ABOUT IF YOU KNOW THE LOVE OF GOD, IF YOU HAVE SEEN THE LOVE OF GOD YOU HAVE TO LOVE YOUR BRETHREN. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT GOD IS: LOVE. AND YOU MUST LOVE YOURSELF. IN FACT, WE OUGHT TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER. BUT NOT ONLY LOVE ONE ANOTHER BUT WE HAVE TO KNOW BY LOVING ONE ANOTHER WE KNOW GOD ABIDES IN US. THAT'S WHAT VERSE 12 BEGINS TO DEAL WITH. NO ONE HAS SEEN GOD AT ANY TIME BUT IF WE LOVE ONE ANOTHER GOD ABIDES IN US AND HIS LOVE HAS BEEN PERFECTED IN US. SO HOW DO I KNOW THAT I'M A CHILD OF GOD? TO LOVE MY BRETHERN. HOW DO I KNOW GOD ABIDES IN ME? TO LOVE MY BRETHREN. HOW DO I KNOW THAT I'M ACCOMPLISHING THE TASK THAT GOD WANTS IN RELATIONSHIP TO LOVE TOWARDS MY FELLOW MAN? BY LOVING THEM. BY LOVING THEM AND BEING WILLING TO WHAT? EVEN DIE FOR THEM AND CARE FOR THEM AND HELP THEM! THAT'S HOW WE ABIDE IN GOD. VERSE 16 OF THE SAME TEXT, “AND WE HAVE KNOWN AND BELIEVED THAT THE LOVE OF GOD HAS BEEN UPON US.” THAT HE LOVES US. “GOD IS LOVE,” AND THEN AGAIN HE SAYS, “AND HE WHO ABIDES IN LOVE ABIDES IN GOD AND GOD IN HIM.” IF YOU REALLY WANT GOD TO ABIDE IN YOU AND YOU IN GOD, LOVE AS GOD HAS LOVED. NOT JUST GOD BUT LOVE OTHERS. LOVE YOUR BRETHREN. BUT PERHAPS OF ALL THE EXAMPLES THAT HE HAS WITHIN THE TEXT PERHAPS VERSE 20 AND 21 OF FIRST JOHN FOUR DEMONSTRATES THE BEST EXAMPLE. BECAUSE HERE IT SAYS IF SOMEONE SAYS, “I LOVE GOD,” BUT HE HATES HIS BROTHER AND THEN HE IS ABLE TO SEE HIS BROTHER IN THE FLESH BUT HE NEVER SEEN GOD THEN IT ASKS THIS QUESTION, HOW CAN HE LOVE GOD WHOM HE HAS NOT SEEN AND HATE HIS BROTHER WHOM HE HAS SEEN? IN OTHER WORDS, HOW CAN YOU BY FAITH LOVE GOD WHOM YOU’VE NEVER PHYSICALLY SEEN WITH YOUR OWN EYES AND HATE A BROTHER YOU SEE BEFORE YOU? WELL, LOOK AT VERSE 21. THIS IS THE COMMAND WE HAVE FROM GOD, “THAT HE WHO LOVES GOD MUST LOVE HIS BROTHER.” <br> <br>

      IF YOU'RE ABLE BY FAITH TO LOVE GOD AND TO BELIEVE IN GOD AND TO SEE THE LOVE AND KNOW THE LOVE OF GOD THAT HE HAS GIVEN AND SPOKEN OF TO YOU THROUGH THE WORD THE BIBLE AND CLARIFIED ALL BY FAITH AND BELIEF HAVING NOT SEEN BUT YET BELIEVE THEN HOW MUCH MORE SHOULD IT BE IN YOUR HEART TO LOVE SOMEONE YOU CAN SEE WHO HAS NEEDS? WHO'S ABLE TO RESPOND TO YOU IN A FLESHLY OR PHYSICAL WAY? YOU SEE AGAIN, THE POINT IS GREAT! IF WE LOVE GOD, WE PERHAPS SHOW THE GREATEST LOVE FOR GOD BY LOVING OTHERS! A PART OF THAT FAITH OR BELIEF IN GOD IS BEING ABLE TO ACT UPON LOVE FOR OTHERS. AND THEREFORE, PROVING TO GOD THAT WE ARE WILLING TO DO WHAT? OBEY HIS COMMANDMENTS. NO WONDER JESUS SAID, “IF YOU LOVE ME KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS,” OF WHICH LOVING OUR BRETHREN, WE HAVE EVEN READ IN THIS TEXT, IS A PART OF THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD. CHAPTER 5, THERE FIRST JOHN SAYS VERSE TWO, “BY THIS WE KNOW THAT WE LOVE THE CHILDREN OF GOD, WHEN WE LOVE GOD AND WE KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS.” WHEN WE'RE KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS OF GOD AND LOVING OUR BRETHREN, THE CHILDREN OF GOD, LOVING THOSE OF THIS WORLD SHINING AS LIGHTS BEFORE OUR FELLOW MAN THAT THEY MIGHT KNOW CHRIST AND SEE CHRIST IN AND THROUGH US. OH, THE LOVE THAT WE HAVE FOR OTHERS. BUT EVEN GREATER THAN THAT OH, THE LOVE WE SHOW AND PROVE TO GOD. SO LET ME CHALLENGE YOU THIS DAY TO LOVE MORE AND MORE BY LOVING GOD THE MOST IN SHOWING THAT MY LOVE OF THE BRETHREN. IN DOING SO, YOU’LL RECEIVE THE BLESSINGS OF GOD, NOT ONLY TODAY, BUT FOR EVERMORE! <br> <br>

      CLOSING COMMENTS<br> <br>

      THANK YOU AGAIN FOR CHOOSING TO BE WITH US TODAY, IN GIVING THIS TIME TO GOD. I HOPE IT HAS BEEN AN ENCOURAGEMENT AND BLESSING TO ALL OF US. WE INVITE YOU BACK EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 7:30, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS SERVICE OF GOD!  <br> <br>

      IS THERE ANYTHING WE CAN HELP YOU WITH? LET ME ASK YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY’S LESSON? MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A CASSETTE TAPE OF THIS PROGRAM?  POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR CORRESPONDENCE COURSES? NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:  <br> <br>



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      AS WE REALIZE THE LOVE THAT GOD HAS HAD FOR US, MAY WE LOVE OTHERS AS HE HAS COMMANDED. CERTAINLY THOSE WHO STRIVE TO IMITATE GOD WANT TO SHOW LOVE TO HIM BY OBEYING HIS COMMAND TO LOVE THEIR FELLOW MAN. DO YOU LOVE AS GOD HAS LOVED?<br> <br>