Let’s come to 2 John and let’s see that there will be even Church difficulties which will be very difficult. But I want you to understand how they are going to be solved. They are solved with truth and love. That’s how they’re solved. Let’s just begin here in verse 1. It’s a short epistle. I mean, it’s one of the shortest epistles; well 3 John I think is a little shorter. Well, almost the same length if you count the lines.

“The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth…” So if you know the truth and have the love of God then you’re going to have to apply it and use it, you see. “…For the truth’s sake, which [is dwelling] dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love” (2 John 1-3). Now I want you to just emphasize that as we go through. You’ve had truth four times in three verses. Now, five times when we get to verse 4.

“I rejoice greatly that I found of thy children walking in [the] truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. And now I beseech thee, lady…” Now this is written to the Church. So this is really an overall teaching to the Church as to what to do when there are deep problems within the Church. Question: Have there been deep problems within the Church? Yes. Have there been deep problems within Protestantism? Yes. Catholicism? Yes. This tells us what we need to do. “…Now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another” (vs. 4-5). Cause when troubles are all around on every side… Look, if we do like the Galatians and if we backbite and devour one another, what’s going to happen? We can’t be having that brethren, see. We love one another.

“And this is love, that we walk after His commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, [that] ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world [and into the Church], who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.” That’s happening right now in the Presbyterian church. Not only did they approve of the ordination of homosexuals but they are questioning the very nature of salvation through Christ, and that there are other religions which lead to salvation too. “This is a deceiver and an anti-christ. Look to yourselves [that is, be on guard to yourselves], that we lose not those things which we have wrought…” Now, living in the Laodicean age, is it easy to lose the things that you have worked? Yes. Is it easy to lose the love of God if you neglect it? Yes. Is it easy to forget about prayer and study because you are so busy? Now you think about this. If you don’t have time for praying, and if you don’t have time to study, and you always make an excuse to God, then think about this for a minute. What if in very dire need you get on your knees and you pray to God and ask God to intervene and help you. And what if God sent you the same message that you send to God many times: “I don’t have time.”? What if God said to you, “I don’t have time.”? You need to think about that. Don’t lose the things that you have already done, “…that we [may] receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ [the teachings of Christ, which we will see here], he hath both the Father and the Son” (vs. 6-9).

Now when we come to extreme cases, the way we love our enemy is to have him leave us. Like it says, “If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” Now he was living in a time which was very difficult. Notice verse 12. “Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that your joy may be full” (vs. 10-12). Couldn’t even write it.

Now, some of the people that we serve in some of these foreign countries, we have to make sure that we send it in a small package. We have to make sure that the address is the address of an individual and not a church, because they will take it. They will confiscate it. We’ve also learned that those that need a little help financially, that we never send the money directly. We send it bank to bank, so that we keep everything honest because there are a lot of rip-off artists out there in these other countries. And I don’t think, brethren, we fully understand or appreciate what it’s like to live in some of these countries. It’s something. Now let’s continue on. So we have those doctrinal things.

Now let’s come back here to John 15:17. Here’s some other problems we’ll be confronted with. Now this is why it’s so important that we love one another. “These things I command you, that ye love one another. If the world hate you [now that’s also another problem we’re going to be confronted with, right?], ye know that it hated Me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:17-19). So that’s another problem that we’re going to be facing. I’m talking with some people who have lost their jobs because of religious discrimination. And also age discrimination. Most corporations, if you’re getting close to 50 want you out. Now they can’t say, “You’re getting close to 50 so we want you out.” They can’t say, “We hate your religion. We want you out.” They legally create a dossier of trumped up charges, and have that on file and then comes the time to let you loose, and they’ve got it documented, and they have illegally used the law to get rid of you. And the state agrees and for getting rid of you is not the one that’s in the file but really because of what you believe in God, i.e. what they look at your religion or your age. The world hates you.

“Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you…” So think of it brethren, why should we persecute one another within the Church of God? Love one another. Now that doesn’t mean that we have to agree with false doctrines. No, that has nothing to do with false doctrines. We’ve already covered that. “…If they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for My name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent Me. If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak [or that is, an excuse] for their sin. He that hateth Me hateth My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both Me and My Father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated Me without a cause” (vs. 20-25). But you will have the Holy Spirit come, the Spirit of truth, and it will guide you and comfort you.

Now John 16:1. “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended.” We already covered, there are a lot of offences out there in the world, but we should not be offended. “They shall put you out of the synagogues…” And boy, they sure did back then, didn’t they? The day is coming, they are going to put us out of where we meet. No doubt about it. “…Yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (John 16:1-2). See, so those things are just ahead of us. That’s why we need to love each other.

Now, let’s come over here and see another area where we are going to have troubles. Let’s come to Revelation 12:9. We’ve got the problems of the world, we’ve got the problems within the Church, we have doctrinal problems. All of those things come along, don’t they? But who is behind all of it? Satan the devil. Now we are living in this age of the greatest deception. The deception is so great that people don’t even know they’re deceived. Now how’s that for a deception? That is slick. And it’s not Willy.

“And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which [is deceiving] deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down…” So there’s Satan as the prince of the power of the air accusing us before God’s throne all the time. Now that’s what the difficulty that happened in Galatia. They were backbiting and devouring one another and doing Satan’s work for him, see. Now can that happen because of carnal nature in the human? Yes. That’s why you need to come back to the love of God. That’s why you need to ask for the love of God. That’s why you need to grow in it. That’s why you’re going to have trials and difficulties so you can learn how to apply it. But brethren, we need to love each other, see. “…Which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,…” That is through having your sins forgiven before God, and you forgiving the other person for their sins. “…And by the word of their testimony;…” They stood for the truth at all times. “…And they loved not their lives unto the death” (Rev. 12:9-11). So there’s Satan.

Now let’s look at our own individual problems. Those are the forces without, which we have to be on guard that they don’t come within. Now let’s come to 1 Corinthians 1 and lets see the things that take place within. And the reason that these things take place within is because God has called us. And I would absolutely guarantee with no shadow of doubt that if God had not brought us together we would not choose each other as friends. And if we ran our own country club we would not allow the different ones to be members of our country club. But God is the One Who does the choosing and here are the problems that come because of this.

1 Corinthians 1:26, “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:” Question: Do we find brethren doing stupid things? Yes. Why? Because we lack wisdom. Why did God call us? So we can grow in wisdom, ok? And He didn’t call many wise, did He? No. Not many mighty. No, most of us are weak. Not many noble, or that is high born. “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world…” So that’s why sometimes a congregation of God has to go through different things of foolishness, see. Now I want you to stop and think. From whatever church you have come out of, or whatever church you are still in, you see which hopefully is Christian Biblical Church of God, do we give understanding to people who do things which are not wise? God has called the foolish “…to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. And the base things of the world, and the things which are despised hath God chosen…” So you see this is a mix of individuals wherever you go with the Churches of God, that is an inherent difficult problem in overcoming human nature. So this is why we need to learn to love each other and love God. We have a lot of things we need to put up with. We have a lot of things that we need to forebear. Forbearance is a very important thing, and we’ll talk about that. “…Yea, and things which are [nothing] not, [that He, in order] to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in His presence” (1 Cor. 1:26-29). We come to have the love of God and love each other that we don’t glorify in ourselves. That’s the whole purpose of it, you see.

“But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, Who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:…” (vs. 30). So we need to understand as you think and believe and know that God loves you, also know and understand that God loves all of those that He has called. As you look and ask God to help you overcome your problems and give you forbearance for your faults and mistakes, so you need to understand that God also has called and is giving forbearance and understanding to other people that He has called with their problems and difficulties.

So how do we overcome this? Number one, we don’t get into a judgmental mode in a carnal way. We ask God for His love and His Spirit and His understanding so that through love we get at the cause of it, rather than through carnality get to the effect of it. Now you can eliminate a lot of effects. It’s kind of like this: leaving the house open with all the screens off and you go around and every fly that comes in you get a flyswatter and you kill it. You’ve gotten rid of the effect, but the cause is you have the windows open with no screens. Now is that foolish? Yes. Ok, so likewise if you just go after the problem and not go after the cause which then the cause is needing more of Christ in you, needing more of the Holy Spirit in you. The cause is your human nature running rampant when it ought not. Then we can solve the problem.

Let’s come to Matthew 18:7. Now even Christ said this. He says, “Woe unto the world because of offences! For it must needs be that offences come…” That’s just the nature of life, see. “…But woe to that man by whom the offence cometh! Wherefore…” Now He does not want this to be literal in that you literally do it because unless you get to the cause of the problem of offences, which is the lack of love, cutting off your hand or your foot will do no good. Because as I have said before, you can cut off both hands, both arms clear up to the shoulder. Both feet, both legs clear up to your thighs and you can lay there as a torso in bed even having your eyes out and still have hate, see. But the effort that you need to make to grow in the love of God is going to be the same as if “…thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off [from you]…” In other words what are you doing? What is your hand and foot? That’s part of yourself, isn’t it? So you’re giving up yourself is what He’s talking about here you see. “…Cast [it] them from you: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed…” Now this is true in the physical sense, true, yes. But let’s apply it spiritually. “…rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire. Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones…” That’s why it’s so important that we love each other. Now in coming out of the world and in coming out of the problems within whatever religious denomination in the world, or whatever denomination of the Church of God, we do what? We automatically bring the baggage with us. So we’ve got to get rid of that too. And lots of times though we’ve been in the Church of God a long time, what do we do? We accumulate other baggage, don’t we? Our lives are just like garages. You’ve always got to straighten it up. Why? Because the garage is where you let the baggage accumulate. So we have to get rid of it, you see. Now notice, “…For I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father which is in heaven. For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost” (Matt. 18:7-10). That’s why He’s called us, because we were lost. Now we’re saved in that particular situation.

“How think ye? If a man have an hundred sheep…” Here’s the effort we need to make. “…And one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray?” Yes. “And if so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more of that sheep, than of the ninety and nine which went not astray.” So that’s how important it is that we have the love of God to overcome these problems. “Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish” (vs. 11-14). Now we’ll talk about the rest of Matthew 18 here in just a little bit.

Let’s talk a little bit about offences again. What did James say? James 3, “Not many of you desire to become teachers because know you not that we shall receive the sterner judgment. And in many things we offend many.” I’ve offended people. Sometimes just my presence offends them. Sometimes what I say to them offends them. Now, if it’s my fault I’ve got to do some things to change. But if they’re offended at the truth then it becomes their fault, see. But never the less we all have a tongue, don’t we? And didn’t James say, “Boy the tongue is just like a wild fire thing. It just rages and burns.” And he says, you know, even ships they have just a little teeny rudder but they can turn the whole thing around with that little bit of rudder. But he says, “No man can tame the tongue.” Isn’t that hard to do? Isn’t that hard to tame the tongue? Yes. Especially when you’re right {laughter}. It says, “If you can tame your tongue, the same is a perfect man.” Then he said, “Brethren, does fresh water and salt water come out of the same fountain?” He says, “No.” He says, “Even so, these things are not from God.” (James 3, paraphrased).

Let’s continue on here in Matthew 18. Now here’s how you solve a problem. First of all you go ask God for love. You ask God to help you see it in the right perspective. And then if someone comes to you and says, “Hey, I’ve got something I need to talk to you about.” Perk up both ears. Let your antenna come up, you know, let your radar come up full strength - boop, boop - you know, so you’re going to be receptive. And you handle it this way, one to one. And the reason is, is because this is the most loving way to solve it. Because you can talk back and forth one to another and it’s not exposed to anybody else.

“Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone…” And that’s where to start. And this should solve almost all the problems. Now this is the wisdom of God on how to solve the problems, you see. Now there’s a right way to use Matthew 18. I’ve had people use Matthew 18 the wrong way to come to execute their carnal judgment, see. There’s a right and a wrong way. It has to be with love and humility. “…If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother” (Matt. 18:15). Because who knows, whatever the difficulty may be, maybe a misunderstanding. Or maybe it’s because of somebody suffering something, see. Or maybe just the person’s carnality got out of hand. Could be.

“But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.” Now generally that should solve it. But the third step is, “…If he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church…” In other words it has to become a whole church thing where you get the whole wisdom of the church involved. And the church here does not mean the ministry, it means the church. It means the local congregation wherever it is. The only thing a minister should do in that case is to help mediate it and maybe set the time when the meeting should be. “But if he shall neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican” (vs. 16-17).

Now then, whatsoever is bound here. “…I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven…” So if you have a problem and you come to each other, and you resolve it, and you, as we say in the world, kiss and make up even in the church, you know, give each other a hug, give a handshake and say, “Boy, I’m glad that’s solved, and I’m going to resolve that this is going to be the solution.”, it is bound in heaven by your word. You are obligated to God. That’s what this is talking about. This is not just church decisions. If you two agree on anything on earth and you say, “I will”, it’s bound in heaven. If you borrow $500 and say “I’ll pay it back”, you will pay it back. That’s bound in heaven. Now if you can’t pay it back you go to the person. You don’t move out of town and leave them high and dry. And many a problems have been in the church because of that. “…And whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (vs. 18).

“Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask [anything that you agree to], it shall be done for them of My Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them” (vs. 19-20). And that’s not only just in assembling for the church, that is if you are resolving a problem and difficulty. Christ is in the midst of you. Is Christ in you by begettal through the Holy Spirit? Yes. Then exercise the love of God to solve the problem. Now many times things take place where you don’t even know that, and someone comes along and says, “Hey, don’t you know that you’re doing this?” And it comes out in the form of correction and you get all uptight about it. Don’t do that. Just ask the question, “Well boy, if that’s really true I’ve got to go pray about this. I really have to apply myself with it.”, you see. Whatever it may be. And don’t think of the other person, “Now well, you’re just picky. You’re just coming after me.” Maybe they even prayed about it before they even came to you. Maybe they see something you don’t see. Can you see your faults and problems all the time? No, verily. Can I see mine all the time? No, especially when I think I’m right. That applies to everybody. Yes, indeed it does, you see.

What do we do? Here’s what we need to do. Let’s come to Ephesians 4:1. First of all we need to set aside all of our carnalities. Now that’s easier said than done. We have to keep working on that. “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called…” Now here’s how to do it with the love of God. Because chapter 3, he talks about the love of God, which exceeds all knowledge and everything, you see. “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;…” Because we’re weak, because we’re foolish, because we are stupid, because we do dumb things. Because our carnal nature hangs out there sometimes, we need to be forbearing of one another rather than judgmental and picky. And that’s what was happening in Galatia. They were fighting and backbiting against each other. And we can’t have that in our congregations, brethren. Nowhere. Now we are going to have it from time to time, and what do we need to do? We need to use God’s Spirit to change and grow and overcome.

And remember this, Psalm 119:165 says, “Great peace have they which love Thy law, and nothing shall offend them.” So see, if you have forbearance then you’re going to have understanding. And if you see something that happens, why don’t you just, instead of running off and going after someone to say, “Aha, I see a mistake you have.”, which is easy to do, especially if it gives you power. You pray about it. You ask God to open that person’s mind to change. Who can change the person better, you or God? God can. So if God brings it to their attention… Now sometimes maybe you have to bring it to their attention, but I’ve seen many, many times when I’ve just taken it to God and confessed my sins and my faults and asked God to help me have the love and help me understand, and help me to get myself out of the way. You know the big self, me, myself, and I {laughter}. That’s what needs to be done.

And with Christ in us and the love of God in us, then we are going to have the love of God as the thing which is going to get at the cause, rather than just be problem solvers and work on the effects. Christ within you is going to make the change. Now let’s come to Philippians 2. Here’s what it needs to be. Here’s how God wants all the fellowship groups to grow.

“If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love…” And that’s what has to happen by applying the love of God to overcome and change, and love each other, and forbear one another. “…If any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies [giving you deep understanding, you see], fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love [which is the love of God], being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory…” If there are offences and they come, don’t try and solve it with strife and vainglory. Get to the cause. Apply the love of God, because it will never, never fail. “…But in lowliness of mind let each esteem [the] other better than themselves” (Phil. 2:1-3).

“Look not every [one] man on his own things, but every [one] man also on the things of others.” Because others have needs. Others have difficulties. You think you have a problem? Maybe the one that you go to because you think have a problem with that individual has got problems of their own. Why don’t you then, when you’re done discussing the difficulty resolve to pray for one another. Will that not heal the breach? Will that not solve the problem? Yes, because then you can pray in love. And then you will grow in the mind of Christ. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus…” (vs. 4-5). And we’ll cover with the book of Hebrews right where this leaves off, the greatest thing that God ever did was send Christ, because that’s what mankind wanted. And God did do it. He did accomplish it.

Now let’s come to 1 Corinthians 13 and let’s see the nuts and bolts of how to apply it, and we’ll finish here. I won’t have the time to go ahead and expound everything as we go through, but what this does, this shows us the more excellent way of love to overcome.

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not [love] charity, I am become as [a] sounding brass, or [and] a tinkling cymbal.” Not as, but you become one. So here’s all of our carnality hanging out, right? Yes. “And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not [love] charity, I am nothing.” See, if we don’t have the love of God we’re nothing. You may be something in the world. You may be great to the world. You may be a minister or an elder, or a deacon, something great in the former church you were in, but unless you have the love of God you’re nothing. “And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not [love] charity, it profiteth me nothing” (1 Cor. 13:1-3). You can go out and serve people and help people and give to them and all of that, and if you do it without the love of God you’re nothing. It doesn’t matter how dedicated you are. It doesn’t matter if you do it 20 hours a day and deprive yourself. You’re nothing.

Here’s what works. “[Love] Charity [suffers] suffereth long [that’s why we talked about forbearance], and is kind; [love] charity envieth not; [love] charity vaunteth not itself [doesn’t put itself forward “how great thou art”], is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly [and being weak and called of the world that way sometimes we act that way and it’s hard to overcome], seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil…” That’s very important because if you impute motives and think evil of the person and you suppose you read the other persons mind and know what’s in their heart then the whole premise of your difficulty is your thinking evil. “Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things [regardless of the difficulties with one another], believeth all thing [of truth and righteousness], hopeth all things [that there will be changes], endureth all things. [Love] Charity never faileth…”(vs. 4-8). And so brethren, that’s how we need to love one another.