FaithLife with Pastor Earl and Friends

1 John 4:16-21

Loving God and Loving One Another

Duration:: 20m
Broadcast on:: 30 Jun 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

Loving God and Loving One Another

Hi everyone and welcome to another broadcast of Faith Life with Pastor Earl and friends. You are the friends and I'm Past Earl to share with you the word of God. We try to do without any spin on it. Just present to you the word of God. We read it, we explain it and we apply it. We're in the book of 1 John. As you've learned the apostle John had written under the inspiration of the holy spirit, the Gospel of John which is just such a powerful book about Jesus, the Gospel of John, 1st, 2nd and 3rd John how to really live as a Christian. And then God gave him the great privilege of writing the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ as he refused to recant his salvation. He was exiled to the Isle of Patmos. History tells us they tried to boil him in oil, but somehow he escaped that. And as he was there, he receive the revelation of Jesus Christ and what a powerful book that is. So we have actually five books by the apostle John, actually inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. Today's broadcast is brought to you by a platinum plus limousines. It's that time of the year for going away special events, a lot of weddings and things like that going on. And so if you would like a really fancy ride somewhere and celebrate life, call Mike Green. He will treat you right. I say call Mike Green. He'll bring you a limousine. The number is 410-796-7433. That's 410-796-7433. And tell Mike that you have heard about him on Faith Life. He's a faithful supporter. Well, we're in the book of First John and we're going to learn some wonderful things today. We back up to verse 16, first John 4 and verse 16, it says this. And we have known, remember first John is all about knowing God, not hoping but really knowing. We have our hope in God, but we're not hoping to be saved. We know we are saved if we have placed our trust in Jesus Christ. And we have known and believed. That means in your heart, you just believe the gospel. You believe that Jesus is real. You believe that Jesus is your Lord, that you are a participant in salvation, that you're a child of God, we have known and believed the love that God have to us. Now, we are living in some of the most difficult times. I have ever seen, people are under a lot of anxiety, a lot of stress, it's affecting a lot of people. They're just down and out. But I believe this, I believe that if we focus on probably the most priceless principal in the world, and that being that the eternal God, creator of heaven and earth and our creator, that he doesn't just want us to be little robots, but that he actually created us to have fellowship with him. Partnership, friendship, fellowship, love. And it says that God is love. We believe the love that God has toward us. So everything else in your life may be going crazy or awry, but you can put your head down on your pillow and realize that God loves you. One great expositor said, Roman's 828, and we know that all things work together for good to those that love God. So we've already established the fact in his word that he loves us. And now he would just like us to reciprocate that love back to him. We see that God is love and he that dwelleth in love. See, our love for God and our relationship with God should not just be a Sunday morning thing or when we're in trouble we call on God. We should be dwelling in God. That means that we remain in God, that we spend time with him and in his presence, we're cognizant of his presence every single day of our life. That whether we're stuck in traffic or you're with the little children that you can actually do what Brother Lawrence said. He practices the presence of God. That means that wherever you're at, you might have a terrible job. You might have to work out in the sun or where it's dirty or around people that are godless. But you can actually just shift your heart and mind into the presence of God. God is love when I'm doing manual labor, when I'm doing work like that. I take my phone and I put it on audible, that's an app that I purchase and it has different Bible versions on it, et cetera. And I just play the scriptures. So while that's in my pocket, I can hear the word of God. I might be doing manual labor, but I'm hearing the word of God. I'm absorbing his principles. And I meditate on the Lord and I respond mentally to the Lord. That's practicing his presence. And I say, God, I need your help, or God, I love you, or God, I need you. Give me wisdom with this. The Bible says he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God. So make sure you're not an occasional lover of God, but that you are someone that just cannot wait to spend time with him. I have loved the same woman for nearly 50 years. And part of my joy in life is I just want to be around her. And so I'm always calling her. I'm always annoying her. And I say that word in a beautiful way because I want to spend time with her. But there's a relationship that's deeper than that. And that's my relationship with God, and I want to spend time with him as well. And so I can't wait whatever I'm doing. And I can't wait to get back to my room and my pad and my pen and my journal and I pray. And that's not bragging, that's just where I find the greatest joy in my life. Verse 17 of chapter four herein is our love made perfect or it's accomplished. Our love is demonstrated. It's made perfect that we may have boldness in the day of judgment. You see, if you live a... I don't even know if these words really go together, but a carnal Christian life and you're just an occasional worshiper, you're a fair-wethered saint. Then when you stand before the Lord, you may be ashamed that the way you've lived your life. But I want to walk with the Lord and talk with the Lord and spend time in His presence not because I'm so good, but because He's so good. I want to dwell in Him. And then when I finally see Him face to face, I will have boldness in the day of judgment. I won't shrink in fear because He's been somebody that I have loved most of my life. Because as He is, so are we in this world. Jesus was the savior of the world, and we are the salt of the earth. We are the light of the world. Jesus is the light of the world, and so are we in this very dark world. And believe me, it seems to be getting darker every day. Verse 18, sometimes emotionally or mentally, you will get in a mode of fear. How is I have pain in my body or I'm worried about my provision or worried about a relationship or whatever. But when you are in love with God, and of course God is in love with you, there's no fear in love. See, the Bible tells us that there is no fear in love. Perfect love, that's the kind of love that God has toward us and we have toward him a gape love, it will cast out fear, will drive out fear. So when I get into these moods or modes as I call them, where I allow the circumstances of life to begin to crush me or I dwell too much on the negative parts of life. Then I enter the fear zone and I realize very quickly I've got to get out of that fear zone and return back to the faith zone. There's no fear in love. But perfect love, kind of love God has toward us and we have toward him. It drives out fear. Someone once said fear and faith cannot occupy the same space. So if you're fearful right now, turn to the Lord and say, "Lord, I want to walk in faith, and your faith will drive out your fear. I love a verse in 2nd Timothy, I believe it's 1-7, which tells us that God has not given us the spirit of fear. So when you're fearful and filled with anxiety and stress about what's going on in your life, and trust me, I go there occasionally. And when you do realize that that's not where God wants you spiritually, because perfect love drives out fear. Okay? Remember that. There's no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear, because fear has torment. So if your mind is in a state of torment, anxiety, worry, fear, then remember, you've got to get out of that mood, you've got to get out of that mode, and you can't do it on your own, you can't do it medically, you can't do it by anesthesizing yourself with alcohol or drugs. You must realize that when you're fearing, you're not being made perfect in love. Verse 19, he say, man, well, that's a big order to love God. Well, I can assure you of this. There will be times when your feelings toward God and mankind and yourself will fluctuate. But 1 John 4 19 reminds us that God is the initiator of this relationship. God is the one that stirs up the love that he has for us and pours out his love on us. We love him. Why? Because he first loved us. I didn't make the first move toward God, God. May the first move toward me and toward you. Verse 20, if a man say I love God, how do we know whether you're a man or woman that loves God? You might be a professor and I mean a profession of faith, that kind of professor. And you tell people that you love God. But if you go around sowing discord or you hate people or you are mean-spirited, then you're lying to yourself because it says if a man says I love God and hated his brother. That's not just the natural brother, your brothers and sisters in Christ. No matter what they do to you, you cannot have hate for them. You may not really like them, but you will have a gape love that helps you to love all people. If a man says I love God and you hate your brother, it says you're lying. You're lying to God, you're lying to others, you're lying to yourself. For he that love it, not his brother whom he had seen. Do you love all of the body of Christ? Do you love all of the children of God? Do you? Well, if you do, then that's an indicator that you love God. They don't have to agree with everything that you agree with. But you must love them. You have a mandate from God to love. Your brothers and sisters in the Lord. They are a part of the body of Christ. They are a part of Christ and you have an obligation and I have an obligation to love them. There are many believers that only love those in their church. Only love those in their denomination. Only love those with their distinctives. No. The Bible tells us that we should love our brothers and our sisters in the Lord. And it's not up to you to decide whether they are a believer or not. Of course, we can inspect the fruit. But it's up to you just to love them. And who knows if they're an error or they're going the wrong way or anything like that? Your love and your influence may be the thing that brings them back. So it tells us this that he that love had not is brother whom he had seen. How can he love God whom he had not seen? See God is invisible. And as God is invisible, we can love him even though we haven't seen him. We've seen his demonstrations. We've had answers to prayer. We know he exists. We believe he exists by faith. We believe all those things. But it says that he that love it not is brother whom he had seen. That's a visible manifestation of a child of God. How can he love God whom he had not seen? So loving God and loving your brothers and sisters in Christ are two very important things. First 21 and this commandment have we from him that he who loveeth God it's a command. It's an authoritative injunction. He that loves God must love his brothers and his sisters also. Well thank you for listening to faith life with Pastor Earl and I'm just one of God servants reading the Word of God, explaining the Word of God and applying it to our lives and to my own life. And let's become more and more like Jesus every day if you have not yet received him. As your Lord and Savior, pray this prayer with me, pray Lord, I realize that I'm a sinner. And I repent of my sin today and I receive you as my Lord and Savior in Jesus' name. Amen. And if you've done that, contact us through my e-mail, carishman, C-H-A-R-I-S-M-A-N. One, two, three, four at gmail.com or text me on my cell, 386, text only, 386, 795, 84, 94. Have a blessed day, God loves you, and I love you, too. [MUSIC PLAYING]