Love Series #5 - Part 2

God is going to expose it. You’re going to hear things about…let’s put it this way, if God exposes the whole world for what it is, do you think that God is going to hide and cover the things of the Church of God, which were sin and corruption and let it never be known? No. Jesus said, “That which is spoken in secret is going to be shouted from the house tops.” (Matt. 10:27, paraphrased). And I guarantee you brethren, part of the punishment for all of the things that have been done in the name of God which should never have been done, you are going to hear and understand some of the most horrendous, unthinkable things. May they all repent. But God is not going to let that go without being exposed, ok. “…And anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.” And I’ll have to just tell you, that part of the experience we have gone through, and if you listen to some of the older tapes, you will see, bang, “Well I never saw that before. I never thought of that before. I didn’t know that was in here before.” What’s happening? You’re seeing, right? What’s the greatest thing you need to see? The love of God, the Word of God, that’s what He wants you to see. “As many as I love,…” So while different ministers may hate the Laodiceans, Christ says He loves them. So that’s what we need to focus on. “…I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Rev. 3:18-19). That’s all God wants. As I’ve said many, many times if you think you’re so far gone you can’t repent, read about King Manasseh. He went through everything, didn’t he? Fifty-five years of Bill Clinton, I’ve said before, ok. (Audience laughter) Yes, he repented. He repented, so there’s hope, ok.

Now back to Galatians 5. These are the fruits of the Spirit, so if we haven’t had them in the past, we haven’t exercised the Spirit, right? Yes. “…Love, joy, peace,…” Instead of fear, peace of mind. That’s something, isn’t it? When you love God I guarantee you’re going to have peace of mind. When you love God things can go on and you can understand God is going to work it out. You concentrate on loving God and expressing that love, ok. “…Longsuffering,…” (Gal 5:22). Now this means the capacity to suffer long. Now most of us have a short fuse, and we’re going around ready to explode, ok. Long-suffering - you may have a disease, you may have a sickness, you may have a malady. I remember one of our founding, as a matter-of-fact the woman who called and said, “Would you come up and have a Bible study with us”, Esther Greisinger. She had diabetes, [could] hardly see, it got worse and worse, the tendons in her groin here in her right leg would pull up and locked up, and she was in tremendous pain all the time. She gradually got blind, had to walk with a cane, gradually ended up in a wheelchair just suffering excruciating pain. And yet any one of the brethren who would call her, she would cheer them up, and she would give them hope. In her pain she gave them hope. And the story about how her husband was baptized is a long story, I won’t, I won’t get into that because that would be too much for here. But there are going to be some things that we have to suffer. God gives you the ability to suffer long and see it through to the end.

“…Gentleness,…” That’s anything but what we’ve experienced, and that’s anything but what I am as a person naturally, so it has to be a gift of God. But gentleness… I remember we were told, we were commanded by the administrator of Church Administration, once a year give an attack sermon. So as a new minister I went out and my second year, I gave an attack sermon - first and last. I attacked everything under the sun, and everyone in the Church, and every sin I knew of anybody in the church. And boy they cut a wide swath away from me. (Laughter) I alienated the whole congregation. It took me over a year, to win them back. That doesn’t accomplish it. James says, “The wrath of man does not accomplish the righteous of God.” (James 1:20, paraphrased). Besides why can’t the brethren of God be inspired in love? Should that not be better? Yes, ok. “…Gentleness, goodness, faith,…” Notice where faith comes in relationship to love. “…Meekness, temperance:…” Then you have self control. How are you going to overcome sin with self control? By first loving God. “…Against such there is no law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another...” (Gal. 5:22-26). No, you see if we walk in the Spirit, let us live in the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit is from God.

Now let’s go back to John 15, just a minute, let’s understand something about the church, let’s understand something about how God deals with us. And sometimes we overlook the whole obvious, you see. The Church of God is not likened to a tree. A tree grows up. The Church of God is likened to a vine, which spreads out. Isn’t that something? That very simple instruction ought to tell us that a hierarchy is wrong. I’ve got a tape coming, “The Invisible Idol - The Visible Man”. You’re going to understand what happened, ok. Jesus said, “I AM the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman.” He’s the one doing the works. Who is it that is in us doing the works? Christ, and the Father, correct, yes, ok. “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away:…” Are we seeing that happen? Yes. “…Every branch that [is] beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” That’s what God wants: more love, and joy, and peace, gentleness, and goodness, and kindness, and long-suffering, and temperance. That’s what He wants. “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken…” And Christ is constantly cleansing us. “Abide in Me,…”, which means “live in Me”. Now this is all part of the Passover. “…And I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide [and live] in Me” (John 15:1-4).

Here’s the only hierarchy, “I am the vine, ye are the branches:…” (vs. 5). Now I’ll have to confess to you brethren, that in 13 years, I’ve not had to exercise one bit of authority. And I don’t intend to, because if we’re all submitting to the authority and the love of Christ, is that not a greater authority? Then when we come together to do what we need to do, can we not do it in peace, and orderliness, and understanding? Yes. As I mentioned at the Feast, and some people came up afterwards and said, “Never heard words like that.” I said, “Why don’t we just trust the brethren, God does.” Cannot the brethren be trusted? Oh they can’t be trusted, they’re not going to be in the kingdom of God. John Morgan down in Australia, he checked out 140 churches. Now down in Australia you’re so far away that you’re going to spend the time getting the true facts, right? He checked out 140 churches. He’s now our office manager, small as it is, down in Australia. And so when I talked to him on the phone about setting up the office and everything, I said, “Look, you just send a report quarterly and let me know what’s happening.” And I said, “If you can’t be trusted with the money and funds, you won’t be in the kingdom of God so we don’t need to worry about that, just take care of it.” You see, never have the Australians been trusted to do that, in all the years of their experience. I don’t need what they have, let them use it down there. Keep it simple. The vine, that’s what it needs to be. Let the fruit bring, ok, come forth.

“…He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, [we’re having a lot of branch throwing going on right now] and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye [dwell] abide in Me, and My words [dwell] abide in you,…” (vs. 5-7). That’s what it has to be, right here. It’s living in you. Now you think about Christ is called what, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1). Ok, and if you have the Word of Christ in you, and Christ in you and the Father in you, what are you going to think on? What are you going to concentrate on? What are your thoughts going to be on? Right there.

“…Ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you…” And God will answer prayers. That’s what the answer to unanswered prayers is, right here, you see. And there’ll be time you will pray, maybe it will be years before God answers that prayer. You ever had that happen? Yes, ok. Did God answer it? Yes, when? At the best time, ok. “Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples. As the Father hath loved Me,…” Now here we’re getting down into the kind of love that we need to have. “…So have I loved you:…” (John 15:7-9). And did He not give His life for us? Yes, indeed.

Got another tape coming which I just did in Ohio. I mention that I would do it, “The Three Covenants of Abraham”. Profound, ok what He did for us. “…So have I loved you: continue ye in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love; even as I have kept My Father’s commandments, and abide in His love.” Which means everything that He did was pleasing to the Father. “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:7-12). Because it’s the Father and Christ in you expressing His love, if He were here, to each other. So when you give someone a handshake, it’s Christ in you and the Father expressing that love. You give someone a hug, it is because Christ in you and the Father is hugging you. Now you think on that and you try that with your fellowship and you’re going to see a vast transformation. Right? Yes.

I remember the first time we had someone from back East come out to keep our Feast with us, the Feast of Tabernacles in Twain-Harte. It was just a small group, we were only twelve at that time. So here come ten people from Michigan with the children and everything, you know. And so they come and they’re, you know the first time out here, they’re just kind of looking at us. I think this was about 1988, somewhere around there. And so here comes our little congregation of twelve, we’re hugging each other and all this sort of thing and so one of the men was standing there and he asked a woman, “When was the last time you saw him.” “Oh last Sabbath.” And he was amazed because it was like long-lost friends just seen for the first time, you see. And that’s how it is, and I think that Last Great Day at Gulf Shores was really, really God blessed us phenomenally. That’s the way the Feast should be, ok. It’s an outpouring of God Spirit and an outpouring of God’s love to us, ok.

Yes, “…even as I have kept My Father’s commandments,…” (vs. 10). Yes, “…This is My commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are My friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:12-14). Think on that. Jesus Christ is your friend. That is powerful stuff, brethren, we need to let it sink in.

Now let’s go back to 1 Corinthians 13. You know sometimes you go along and you think, “My, has that been in the Bible all this time?” Yes, it’s been there all this time (laughter), ok. Now let’s see what love can do for us. Let’s see how this will change us. Verse 4, “Love is patience,…” That means not only patience, but patiently endures. See, love will endure. Love never fails. And “…is kind;…” And that comes from the word gracious, so that’s how the behavior is going to be. Gracious, and kind, and fitting, and nice. “…Love is not envious;…” (1 Cor. 13:4, Berry’s Interlinear). Not jealous. If someone receives a blessing, rejoice with them. You will receive a blessing, sure it’s not envious. “…Not vain-glorious…” Boy, how many times has the ministry been run that way?

“…Not puffed up…”, the greatest this and that and the other thing. Isn’t it interesting, puffed up. What is all of this self help stuff? It’s just the foolishness of pumping your own mind up into thinking you’re something great. Not so, not so. “…Not puffed up, does not act unseemly,…”, that is it uses discretion, good conversation. “…Seeks not the things of its own…” And we might put in there for a minister, does not have a hidden agenda. Ok? No. “…Not easily provoked, reckons not evil,…” (1 Cor. 13:4-5, Berry’s Interlinear). Doesn’t sit there and keep a scorecard, a scoreboard. “Ah ha! He did this. Ah ha! He did that. Ah ha! He did the other thing.” What is this telling us? This is telling us that the relationship that God wants us to grow in this love, is that the love between God, which is unconditional on His part, becomes unconditional on our part back to Him, and out to others especially in the family in the brethren. You can solve a lot of problems in your marriage if you get rid of the scorecard. And regardless good, bad, or ugly however the situation is, you’ve got to know that you’re loved. Then there’s hope. And when you know that, what is that going to do in the first place? That’s going to solve a lot of problems from coming up, right? Yes, yes it will. And that’s what God wants you to know, that He loves you under all circumstances.

“…Rejoices not in iniquity [or unrighteousness], but rejoices with the truth;...” That’s what it has to be. “…Covers all things…” (1 Cor. 13:6-7, Berry’s Interlinear). And that means that it is able to, with the truth and with the love, to cover whatever difficulty may come along. And that’s what we need to do brethren, with the brethren. We need to reach out to them every one of us, with the love of God and help them cover their sins and their sorrows with the love of God. And that’s why if someone has left God temporarily because of men, and they come back to God and we have a part in that, we welcome them with open arms, and we welcome them and say, “God loves you.” And that’s what they need. They don’t need this, “Well, I haven’t seen you in church for a long time. Where have you been?” You won’t see them in church again for a long time. Is that not right? Yes. Now that takes a lot of love on our part. Does it not? Do they know they’ve sinned? Yes. Are they ashamed that they have sinned? Yes. Have they confessed to God that they have? Well they’re probably in the process of doing so. Do they need not love, and joy, and peace? Yes. You know, read the story of the prodigal son.

Ok, let’s go on, “…covers all things, believes all things…”, not lies, that’s of the truth. “…Hopes all things…”, because see love really then gives you the true hope. “…Endures all [things]”, whatever it is. “Love never fails;…” Never, never, never fails. “…Whether they be prophecies they [shall cease or] be done away;…” (vs. 7-8, Berry’s Interlinear). Not the prophecies of God. The heaven and earth is based on the prophecies and the Word of God. This does not mean any of the prophecies of God, this means all the stupid prophecies we, in our puffed up vanity, used to say would happen. Can I recall a couple of dates: 1972, 1975, etc, etc, ok. “…Whether [there be] tongues they shall cease;…” And you know is it going to be something, what are we going to speak when we are the sons and daughters of God and we talk to God? I guarantee you it’s not going to be English, and I guarantee you it’s not going to be Hebrew. Hebrew is just as pagan as any other language is pagan. So this whole thing, you know, Hebrew is a pure language, nonsense. It’s going to be done away. “…They shall cease; whether [there be] knowledge it shall be done away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part…” (vs. 7-9, Berry’s Interlinear). Let’s be honest like Paul, we don’t know everything in the world, we don’t understand all prophecies. Now this afternoon we’re going to talk a little bit about some prophecies. But it’s going to be in part.

“…But when that which is perfect may come, then that which is in part is done away. When I was an infant [or a child] I spoke as an infant, I thought as an infant, I reasoned as an infant…” (vs. 10-11, Berry’s Interlinear). And brethren Christ wants us to grow up, put away those childish things because all of those are the enemies of love. You know we grew up and boy I tell you what, by the time we’re teenagers we think were big, and strong, and tough, or beautiful, and all this sort of thing. And then when we’re 20 we are ready to conqueror the world, right, and we’re motivated by what? Eros, yes. A little later in life we understand there’s more to it. Then God begins to call us, so we need to put away all those childish things because those are the enemies of love, whatever it maybe. And a lot of us, you know, maybe we’ve never grown up knowing the love of God at all, and maybe we want to be loved but every time someone tries to express that love we kind of put up this barrier, because we’re afraid, ok. Let God’s Spirit help you overcome that so you understand the love of God. Sometimes that’s even within a marriage; sometimes people can live their whole lives in a married life and never really know the love of God. And that’s a shame, but sometimes it is, that’s why there’s the second resurrection, God is going to take care of all of those things, ok. “…For we see through a glass darkly for I know in part but then I shall be known even as I am known. And now abides faith, [and] hope, [and] love; these three things; [and] the greater [or greatest] of them [is] love.” (vs. 12-13, Berry’s Interlinear).

Now let’s go to Ephesians 3 and let’s just understand how great, and how tremendous, and how fantastic that the love of God is, and what it is to do for us. And that’s why I sometimes begin and sometimes end a lot of sermons here in Ephesians 3. Let’s pick it up in verse 16. And this is what Paul, when he was in prison, he wrote to the brethren so that they would know. “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man [or inner person]; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; [and] that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,…” That’s what we need to be rooted and grounded in, not in an organization, not in a corporation, not in a man, but in the love of God. “…May be able to comprehend with all saints…” This is what God wants to give us. This is fantastic, this is mind expanding, this is the whole goal of life, you see. “…May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,…” There is nothing in this world that is going to be any greater than your coming to know and understand the love of Christ. That’s something. Nothing greater at all. Now notice, “…which passeth knowledge, [and] that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God” (Eph. 3:16-19). Now that is a profound statement. What is it going to be like to be filled with the fullness of God? That’s what the love of God will produce, ok.

Now in case that you doubt that it will happen he says verse 20, “Now unto Him [who] that is able [that means has the power and capacity] to do exceeding abundantly…” Now while I’m talking about this I want you to think of your greatest thought that God is going to do to you, or to give you, or to provide for you. And you’re going to have multiply that over, and over again. “…Exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that [is working] worketh in us,…” (vs. 20). Now that’s what the love of God is to do. That’s why it is so important brethren. And we’re going to be hearing a lot of this. And I’m learning. As I’m going brethren, I’m learning. By nature I am not a loving person. And just like with the apostle John, he and his brother James were called, The Sons of Thunder, and he didn’t write about love until later in his life, did he? It doesn’t tell us all what he went through and what he suffered, but he learned the love of God, didn’t he? Yes, he did, and so can we. So I’m learning as we go along. The apostle Paul wrote, he said, “You who teach another don’t you also teach yourself?” (Rom. 2:21, paraphrased). So that’s great that we can do it. Just think how fantastic that the Word of God is that He would put in here and then add His Spirit so we can understand His love. That’s why love never fails, and love is the greatest thing of all.

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