Latest / Cumberland Trace Church of Christ (Formerly Lehman Ave Church of Christ) / Equipped 2026: "From the Beginning" by Dan Winkler Part 2

Transcript

Equipped 2026: "From the Beginning" by Dan Winkler Part 2 · Cumberland Trace Church of Christ (Formerly Lehman Ave Church of Christ)

0:00
It is a joy to be with you again this morning.
0:04
Thank you for getting up early, as in early.
0:14
We're glad we can be together and open up God's Word.
0:17
I tell you, my life was blessed by those lessons that we were able to hear yesterday.
0:24
It was just a joy to be here looking forward to the day unfolding as well.
0:30
If you grew up in Texas, I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, perhaps like me, not only were
0:37
the Dallas Cowboys America's team, but they were your team.
0:41
Of course, with the Dallas Cowboys back then came Tom Landry as your coach.
0:49
It was a joy to watch him function on the field with his fedora and his sport coat
0:55
and tie, and to see him coach his teams to success.
1:02
He was actually raised in Mission, Texas, where he played football himself for coach
1:09
Bob Martin.
1:11
Bob took 24 freshmen and sophomores and molded them into a winning team.
1:21
Coach Bob Martin had a motto, 11 brothers are hard to beat.
1:32
I read that and I thought, brothers are hard to beat.
1:40
And then I began to reflect on our brotherhood.
1:46
And the devil in me made me go in this direction.
1:49
Some of the things that I witnessed make me say when it comes to the brotherhood, we beat
1:57
brothers hard.
2:01
I'm reminded of the six who landed and were stranded on a deserted island.
2:08
Two Catholic, two Baptists, two members of the Churches of Christ.
2:13
Come Sunday morning, the two Catholic went to the south side of the island and started
2:17
St. Mary's Southern Parish.
2:21
The two Baptists went to the north side of the island and started Northside Community
2:26
Church because they didn't want to hurt anybody's feelings, being exclusive with their moniker.
2:34
One member of the Church of Christ went to the east side of the island, another went
2:37
to the west side of the island, and they established the Westside Church of Christ
2:41
and the Eastside Church of Christ, and they never spoke to one another again.
2:47
And silly as that might be, it is all too true.
2:58
And so this morning we continue our study of from the beginning.
3:03
It is a phrase that you find no less than twenty-three times in the New Testament.
3:10
Sometimes it is directing our attention back to a specific period of time, two in specific.
3:19
First of all, sometimes it's directing us back to, well, the beginning of time itself,
3:26
that period.
3:28
Or sometimes it's referencing the beginning of Jesus' ministry in that period of time.
3:38
There are other occasions in these twenty-three occurrences where a specific moment in time
3:45
is referenced, such as at the specific moment of the creation.
3:52
But as you study these twenty-three occurrences, you will find various nuances just jumping
4:00
off of the page, and it's from them that we are directing our studies for the three lessons
4:08
that we have been assigned.
4:12
Yesterday morning we directed our thoughts to 1 John chapter 1, verses 1 through 4, where
4:17
we find our operative phrase, and we, from that particular passage, gave our attention
4:23
to the love that we should have, the relationship that we should crave for and with Jesus.
4:33
But now I want you to turn with me to 1 John chapter 2.
4:37
And we're going to find the phrase once again in 1 John chapter 2, and we'll begin reading
4:44
with verse 7.
4:47
While you're turning to 1 John chapter 2, beginning with verse 7, let me remind you
4:51
of some passages of interest, not the least of which is Romans chapter 10, or chapter
4:58
12, which says in verses 9 and 10, love one another with brotherly affection.
5:10
Or Galatians chapter 5, verse 13, use not your freedom for an opportunity to the flesh,
5:17
but by love serve, be a slave to one another.
5:27
I hear all this nonsense today about racism and identity politics and reparations and
5:34
all this kind of stuff, and the Bible steps up and says, no, no, no, it is you be a slave
5:44
to one another.
5:46
If we could just get the emphasis of Galatians 5, verse 13 in mind and take it to Washington,
5:51
we truly could drain the swamp if they would choose to listen, and that's my political
5:57
statement for the day.
6:01
Ephesians chapter 5, verse 1 tells us, be imitators of God as beloved children, walk
6:07
in love.
6:10
And of course, 1 Thessalonians chapter 3, verse 12 tells us, abound and increase in
6:18
love toward one another.
6:21
The Bible is full of passages teaching us to not only have a relationship with Jesus
6:29
Christ, but work on our relationship with one another in Jesus Christ.
6:38
And so we turn to 1 John chapter 2, and we begin with verse 7, beloved I am writing,
6:47
you know new commandment, new, kinos, new in essence.
6:57
I'm not writing anything fresh to you, but an old commandment that you had, here's our
7:03
phrase, away from, that you have had from the beginning.
7:12
And if you watch the flow of context, this particular use of the phrase is from the beginning
7:17
of Jesus' ministry.
7:22
An old commandment that you had from the beginning, if you please, of Jesus' ministry, the old
7:27
commandment is the word that you have heard.
7:35
You had it from the beginning.
7:37
Let me pause for a moment.
7:40
Had from the beginning.
7:42
The word had there translates something called an imperfect tense.
7:46
And if we could kind of put a word picture in our mind, there's something called the
7:49
aorist tense, and it's like a snapshot, a point in time.
7:55
The imperfect tense is like a video.
7:58
It captures the past, but you're watching this activity unfolding before you.
8:07
And so the Holy Spirit through John is saying, there's an Old Testament, look, you can just
8:13
watch it.
8:14
Just watch it.
8:15
Listen to Jesus.
8:16
Watch Him work.
8:17
Follow His life.
8:18
And you can see that commandment from the beginning of His ministry.
8:23
The old commandment is the word that you have heard.
8:26
At the same time, it is a new commandment.
8:29
It's not a new commandment, but then again, it is a new commandment.
8:34
I learned what that means by going to the words of Jesus when He said,
8:39
A new commandment give I unto you that you love one another as I have loved you.
8:44
So take that to this passage.
8:46
Let it serve as a commentary.
8:48
Which is true in Him and in you because darkness is passing away.
8:52
What is this commandment, by the way?
8:54
This old commandment, not new commandment, which is actually a new commandment in you
9:02
and in Him.
9:03
What is this commandment?
9:04
We'll keep reading.
9:07
The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.
9:11
Whoever says he's in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness.
9:17
Whoever loves, agapao, agape is the cognate noun, wants what is best for the one loved,
9:27
that's agapao.
9:29
Whoever wants what is best for his brother abides in the light and in him there is no
9:38
cause for skandalon, scandal, stumbling.
9:45
But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness, walks in the darkness and does not know where
9:49
he's going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
9:53
A new commandment, or rather an old commandment, not a new commandment, which is actually a
9:59
new commandment, a commandment, a commandment, a commandment.
10:02
What is the commandment?
10:04
Implicitly embedded in this phrase is, the commandment is, you don't hate your brother,
10:09
you love your brother.
10:11
You want what is best for your brother.
10:13
Now take that to 1 John chapter 3, verse 11.
10:19
This is the message that you have heard, our phrase again, away from the beginning, that
10:27
you should love, continually love one another.
10:33
That's the commandment.
10:34
You're reading 1 John 3, verse 11, what 1 John 2, verses 7 to 11, actually means.
10:42
And you could even go over to 2 John, verse 5.
10:46
And in 2 John, verse 5, and now I ask you, dear lady, not as though I were writing you
10:53
a new commandment, but the one we have had, there's that imperfect tense, the one that
11:00
we have had.
11:01
Go back there and watch Jesus, and listen to Jesus, and what do you see?
11:04
A new commandment that we have had from the beginning, that we, from the beginning, that
11:11
we love one another.
11:14
Our operative phrase is directly attached, no less than three times, by the Holy Spirit,
11:21
through the writings of John, to the fact we should have and work on a relationship
11:27
with each other.
11:28
We should love each other.
11:32
That has been the message of Jesus away from the very beginning of His ministry.
11:40
Listen to Him preach, love one another.
11:43
Watch Him function, love one another.
11:46
Listen to His challenge, love one another.
11:49
From the very beginning of His ministry, love one another.
11:57
Did you know that if you read Matthew, Mark, and Luke, you're going to find the word love
12:03
twenty-seven times?
12:06
If you read the Gospel of John, you're going to find it twenty-six in just His Gospel.
12:13
Did you know you're going to find the word love forty-five more times in 1, 2, 3 John?
12:23
He indeed is the Apostle of love.
12:28
So if we can take pause for a moment and begin to direct our attention to this concept of
12:37
a relationship with one another.
12:43
I would like for us to do two things this morning.
12:47
First of all, I would like for us to see some descriptions of love.
12:54
What are we talking about?
12:56
How are we to feel about one another?
13:02
How are we to go about treating each other?
13:08
Let's be challenged.
13:11
Then after observing some of the Bible descriptions for love, we'll redirect our thoughts and
13:20
consider some of the directions our love should take by thinking of those that need our love.
13:32
So as we think about a relationship with each other and the love that we should have, let's
13:36
begin with some Bible descriptions of love.
13:42
Let's begin by turning to the words of Jesus Himself in John 13, verses 34 and 35, where
13:47
we learn that love is a badge.
13:53
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another just as I have loved you.
14:00
You also ought to love one another.
14:03
By this shall all people know that you are my disciples.
14:13
By this shall all people know that you are my disciples.
14:20
Now put those words into their contextual flow.
14:27
Think about the verses before.
14:31
Think about the verses and chapters after.
14:34
And you're going to find Jesus with His apostles in the upper room behind closed doors by themselves.
14:42
And Jesus is telling the apostles, by this will all people know that you are my disciples.
14:52
Not by your washing one another's feet are people going to know that you are my disciples.
15:03
Not by the fact that you can rise above your feelings of being troubled, thinking about
15:08
my coming back so that where I am, there you can be also, will people know that you are
15:15
my disciples.
15:18
Not by you being inside closed doors where you interact with one another will people
15:23
know that you are my disciples.
15:28
Not by you taking the Lord's Supper and remembering me behind those closed doors are people going
15:33
to know that you are my disciples.
15:35
All that's going on in the context of these two verses.
15:39
But Jesus says by this will all people know that you are my disciples.
15:46
That you love one another as I have loved you.
15:52
So I'm going to ask, I'm going to dare to ask, where you worship and around where you
16:00
worship do all people know?
16:07
Do they really know that you are His disciple?
16:16
That the people with whom you worship on a regular basis that y'all are disciples,
16:21
do they know?
16:23
Well certainly we have a church building, we have a marquee, we have Church of Christ
16:27
on the sign, we come in there and we worship accurately, amen, they know where it is.
16:32
That's not what Jesus said.
16:34
That is not what He said.
16:37
And yes it is important to give our attention to these other matters.
16:41
But Jesus said people are going to know by what you show.
16:47
And what you show is the love that you have for each other.
16:54
They're not going to know that you are my disciples by being an exclusive group of people
16:59
with an inclusive message.
17:01
They're going to know that you are my disciples if you love one another.
17:08
Brethren, we preach loud and long about worshiping God accurately.
17:16
And we should.
17:18
We preach loud and long about the identity and singular nature of the Lord's church.
17:25
And we should.
17:27
But we literally muzzle our message to a world dying and going to a devil's hell because
17:34
we don't show the world that we love each other.
17:40
Brother Dan, you're coming down hard.
17:42
Well just think about the congregation that you know that has divided sometime within
17:47
the last five to ten years and you'll get an idea of what I'm talking about.
17:54
And you don't even have to go back in mind that far.
17:56
Just pick up your iPad and start reading social media.
18:02
Love is a badge.
18:05
It tells others, I belong to Jesus.
18:11
Come and see what we have, what we wish to share with you.
18:17
Next, love is a blockade.
18:22
Turn with me if you would to Romans chapter 13.
18:26
In Romans chapter 13, let's begin with verse 8.
18:30
Oh no one, anything, except Agapao, to love each other.
18:40
For the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
18:46
Now let's think about this.
18:48
The one who loves one another has fulfilled the law.
18:52
If you do a deep dive on the term fulfilled, you'll get back to the lima, which is plerao.
18:58
I like to illustrate plerao this way.
19:01
It means to be full to the overflowing.
19:04
And so I like to illustrate plerao with filling up a coke, a glass with coke.
19:15
So you start pouring the coke in the glass and what happens all of a sudden?
19:20
You get about a third of the glass and the rest of the glass begins to fill up with,
19:24
well, I call it suds, okay?
19:28
And it goes all the way to the top.
19:29
Then you go, whoa, whoa, whoa, back up, back up.
19:31
And you quit pouring and the suds go down.
19:35
And so you pour some more, more suds, back up.
19:38
You pour some more, more suds, back up.
19:40
And you keep the process going until the coke comes almost to the very top.
19:46
And then you add a little bit more.
19:49
And if you get down, you can see the coke cresting right there at the top of the glass.
19:57
One more drop and it would overflow.
20:00
That's plerao, fill to the overflowing.
20:03
And that's the word we have fulfilled here.
20:05
Now watch it again.
20:06
The one who loves another has fulfilled to the overflowing the law.
20:16
And here's the point.
20:19
Anything else God wants comes from your life.
20:25
If you truly want what is best for the one that is loved.
20:33
Oh, no one anything except to love one another.
20:38
But now drop down to verse 10 and you'll see why I say love is a blockade.
20:42
The New King James Version reads this way.
20:46
Love does no harm.
20:54
Oh how I wish we could spend some time with the cowards behind keyboards.
21:03
And let them know love does no harm.
21:07
How I wish we could fill this building with gospel preachers
21:13
who use the microphone and the pulpit as a bully pulpit and bully.
21:19
And let them know love does no harm.
21:24
When I hear an individual in this lecture or in this lecture
21:28
and they begin to browbeat and beat down this individual or those individuals.
21:33
I want to say no, love does no harm.
21:38
I wish we could fill this building with elders
21:42
who want to fire their preacher because they need fresh blood.
21:45
Who want to fire their preacher because the one they have doesn't have enough experience.
21:49
Who want to fire their preacher because they want to bring someone in
21:52
with no experience that they can train.
21:55
And so they fire their preacher and with no forewarning
22:01
they want to send him and his family out into the cold.
22:04
I want them to hear love does no harm.
22:10
I wish we could fill this room up with brothers and sisters
22:13
who have a tendency to backstab and gossip.
22:16
And let them hear the message, love does no harm.
22:23
Yesterday evening, during the morning, you could drive back here behind the building
22:28
and you could drive right on up to those back doors there behind the fellowship area.
22:33
But last night you had blockade.
22:36
You couldn't drive back there. It was all blocked off.
22:40
That's love. Love serves as a blockade.
22:45
It blocks off. No, I'm not going to say that.
22:48
No, I'm not going to do that.
22:50
I'm not going to treat him this way.
22:53
I'm not going to treat her that way.
22:55
We're going to get along together as brethren
22:57
because love says, no, no, no, no, no, you're not going there, you're not doing that.
23:03
Love is a blockade.
23:06
And this is what Jesus says, all people will know us because of.
23:17
In the third place, let me suggest that love is a buffer.
23:22
We turn to 1 Corinthians 16 verses 13 and 14
23:25
and we have a string of imperatives or commands.
23:29
It says, be watchful, stand firm in the faith, behave like men.
23:40
Well, there's a sermon there.
23:43
Be strong.
23:46
Now the preacher in me wants to suggest that in the margin of verse 13,
23:50
we write the word conviction.
23:55
But the very next verse says, let all that you do be done within the sphere of love.
24:11
And the preacher in me wants to suggest that in the margin of my Bible,
24:14
I write the word affection.
24:17
And there you have the balance that is required to be what God wants us to be.
24:23
People of conviction with affection.
24:26
People of affection balanced by conviction.
24:30
Those that are headstrong on conviction find themselves leaning if not falling toward the right.
24:37
Those that are headstrong and emphasizing affection find themselves prone to leaning
24:44
if not falling toward the left.
24:46
It takes both to have the Word of God impregnated into our minds and into our hearts
24:55
if we study carefully the words of Hebrews chapters 8 and 10.
25:01
So love is a buffer.
25:02
Have you ever been watching something on your iPad or your computer
25:06
and while you're watching, all of a sudden, the individual stops and is just in mid-air
25:14
and you've got this little wheel of death that starts going around like this.
25:18
What's happening?
25:21
It's buffering.
25:23
It's buffering.
25:25
And I'm suggesting that's what love does.
25:28
Before I say this, before I do this, it causes me to stand still in my tracks
25:42
and it muzzles my words.
25:46
It buffers conviction with affection.
25:52
In the fourth place, love is a boundary.
25:56
In Ephesians chapter 5, verse 1, we find that to be true.
26:01
The imitators of God's beloved children walk in love.
26:08
When I was a boy growing up in Fort Worth, we played football in the streets.
26:15
And so, boy, we'd get out there.
26:16
I mean, we had a gang.
26:19
We'd be out there in the street and we'd get down there, ready, set, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh,
26:25
cars coming.
26:28
And finally, everything would clear out and we'd get down there, ready, set.
26:32
The curbs were elevated and the curbs were the out-of-bounds.
26:38
And sometimes when all the gang left, my brothers and I'd be there and we would just hang around.
26:43
And so, we would pretend like we were pro football players.
26:46
You have to have both feet in bounds when you catch a ball, remember?
26:50
And so, we would go out for a pass and we'd come up and like my brother would throw it
26:54
to me and I would reach out and I would catch it with both of my feet in the street and
26:59
then I'd fall over into the grass out-of-bounds.
27:02
The curbs were the boundaries, the out-of-bounds.
27:06
And Ephesians 5 verse 1 says, love serves as the curbs.
27:13
You work in the street.
27:16
You live in the street.
27:18
You function in the street.
27:20
You don't dare step out-of-bounds.
27:24
You stay inside the boundaries.
27:28
Walk in love.
27:33
You're not going to go anywhere love wouldn't take you.
27:38
You're not going to say anything love wouldn't make you.
27:43
Walk in love.
27:44
It's a boundary.
27:45
But then last of all, love is a bond or a band.
27:50
In Colossians chapter 3 we are told, put on then as God's chosen a compassionate heart.
28:01
Well, what's that?
28:02
Well keep reading.
28:04
Kindness, humility, meekness, patience, bearing with one another if anyone has complained
28:11
against any, forgiving one another.
28:13
But then verse 13 says, above all things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.
28:29
Or the English Standard Version says, which binds all things together in perfect harmony.
28:39
You know of a congregation in a fuss?
28:43
Love binds all things together in perfect harmony.
28:48
You know a couple having a difficult time getting along with one another?
28:52
Love binds all things together in perfect harmony.
28:58
You and eldership that's divided and they leave the room and they're just as divided
29:02
as the church becomes because of their leadership being divided.
29:06
Love binds all things together in perfect harmony.
29:11
You have congregations of the Lord's church in a given area and one doesn't talk to the
29:15
other?
29:16
Hold up.
29:17
Love binds all things together in perfect harmony.
29:22
We need to know it's not personality differences.
29:27
We need to know we've got a problem with love and work things out because we love, amen?
29:35
Love is a bond that ties things together.
29:39
Actually the word bond there takes us all the way back to a term that means a ligament.
29:45
And ligaments are, of course, those bands that join bone to bone.
29:49
When I was a junior in high school, I was running around, riding in, serving on that
29:55
particular play, blocking back, and I came around and one of the opponents hit my left
30:04
leg at the top on the outside and another one hit my left leg at the bottom of the knee
30:10
on the inside and turned three ligaments into spaghetti.
30:16
Second game of the season, I lost the whole season.
30:20
Had of course had that surgically repaired, came back, had a great senior year, but I
30:25
couldn't walk because the bones weren't working together because the bands that joined them
30:33
together were broken.
30:38
There are congregations of God's people that can't work.
30:42
They don't work together.
30:44
They don't get anything done except fuss about one another because the bands, the ligaments
30:52
are broken.
30:53
The ligament is love.
30:56
It is a bond that holds us together.
30:59
So these are descriptions of love we find in the New Testament.
31:04
I think it's easy to see how important this command really is.
31:11
Could we flesh it out a bit and let our minds go to the directions that our love should
31:19
flow?
31:20
Five groups of people that need our love.
31:25
We turn first of all to Luke chapter six, those who mistreat us need our love.
31:31
Beginning with verse 27, but I say to you who hear, love your enemy.
31:38
Now the Bible is clear as to who an enemy is.
31:41
An enemy actually is someone who wants to hurt me.
31:47
I go back to Genesis chapter 14 and read about Sodom and Gomorrah in verse 11.
31:52
So the enemy took all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their provisions
31:59
and went their way.
32:00
The enemy wanted to hurt those twin cities.
32:05
I read Exodus 15 verse 11, the enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide
32:13
the spoil.
32:14
My desire shall have its fill of them.
32:17
I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
32:22
An enemy is someone who hurts you or wants to hurt you.
32:29
And Jesus said, love those who hurt you, love those who want to hurt you.
32:40
And I'm here to tell you from personal experience, and you could perhaps say the same, that will
32:47
test your resolve.
32:51
Love your enemies.
32:52
Do good to those who hate you, really?
32:55
Bless, literally speak well of those who curse you.
33:00
The word curse means to pray down.
33:03
You're asking God, put a whammo on this person.
33:06
You speak well of somebody that's wanting God to hurt you.
33:11
And if they're praying down against you, you pray for those who abuse you.
33:19
One strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also.
33:22
Who needs my love?
33:26
Those who hurt me need my love.
33:32
Second, those who mess up need our love.
33:38
In 2 Corinthians chapter 2, Paul addresses his thoughts toward an individual that we,
33:44
I think, believe, I believe, read about in 1 Corinthians 5.
33:49
Of course, in 1 Corinthians 5, there's a brother that has his father's wife.
33:54
He's cohabiting with his father's companion.
34:00
And the Holy Spirit through Paul is very specific as to what was to be done to that individual.
34:06
Deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, for the salvation of the soul.
34:15
As I say, Corinthian brethren acted on Paul's teachings in 1 Corinthians 5.
34:23
And the brother repented.
34:25
In 1 Corinthians, or 2 Corinthians chapter 2, beginning with verse 5, we find instruction
34:32
to the church, same church, as to how now they are to treat this brother who has repented
34:38
from having messed up.
34:40
Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure, not to
34:45
put it too severely to you, to all of you.
34:48
He's talking about the brother that messed up.
34:50
He said, he hurt you.
34:53
He hurt you.
34:55
And I'm not trying to be too severe in saying that.
34:58
Don't miss those words, not to put it too severely.
35:01
See, there's a tenderness involved in these words from Paul.
35:06
For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough.
35:10
What you've done is already enough.
35:12
So you should rather, now here's what you need to do now that he's returned from having
35:17
messed up.
35:18
You should, first of all, forgive.
35:22
There's forgiveness.
35:23
There's a tenderness, and now there's forgiveness.
35:26
And comfort him.
35:28
There's kindness.
35:29
There's tenderness.
35:30
There's forgiveness.
35:31
There's kindness.
35:34
Or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.
35:38
So I beg you, reaffirm, confirm your love for him.
35:49
We in some places do a horrific job at this.
35:58
Especially if the individual who has caused the harm has caused a great deal of harm.
36:05
Or if the individual who has caused the harm has harmed someone who is close to us.
36:11
Well okay, we'll forgive.
36:13
But we'll keep our eyes on.
36:16
Well okay, we'll forgive, but we will set you over here.
36:19
Okay, we will forgive, but.
36:22
There is no okay, we will forgive, but.
36:26
We will forgive and we will comfort.
36:32
And we will let you know how much you are loved.
36:39
I know of two individuals, two situations, quite similar, but different.
36:48
And in one circumstance, the individual was treated with the emphasis of 2 Corinthians 2.
36:54
And this individual is true to the Lord to this day.
36:57
And doing everything that individual can do to rehabilitate his or her abilities to glorify God.
37:06
At the same time, another individual was not treated with the emphasis of 2 Corinthians 2.
37:13
And that individual is living away from our Lord to this day.
37:23
We need to look in the mirror.
37:25
And we need to follow the example of Jesus Christ and the edicts of Scripture.
37:30
And not personal feelings or personality emphases.
37:39
Regardless of what anybody will say.
37:42
Regardless of what anybody has heard.
37:45
This is the book that will dictate how I will treat you whether anybody likes it or not.
37:53
Those who need our love are those who have messed up.
37:58
And want to come home.
38:02
Welcome them home.
38:05
In the third place, those we have forgiven need our love.
38:09
Be kind one to another, tender hearted, forgiving one another.
38:14
Even as God through Christ forgave you.
38:16
And then the very next verse or two.
38:20
Be imitators of God as beloved children.
38:24
Walk in love.
38:25
So here you've been kind and tender hearted and you've been forgiving.
38:29
Now, walk with the forgiven in love.
38:35
In the fourth place, we need to love our families.
38:40
Husbands, love your wives.
38:41
Ephesians 5.25.
38:43
Older women are to teach younger women to love their husbands.
38:46
To love their children.
38:48
Point of emphasis.
38:50
In Titus chapter 2 verse 4.
38:52
Love your husband.
38:54
Love your children.
38:55
Does not translate agapo.
38:59
Want what's best for.
39:00
But rather in that passage, it combines the word for husband with the word for love of a friend.
39:08
An emotional love.
39:10
It combines the word children with love of a friend.
39:14
An emotional love.
39:16
Husbands are to have this logical agape for their wives.
39:22
Wives are to have an emotional, I want to be your friend.
39:26
I'm going to be your friend love to a husband and to children.
39:31
Well, last of all, who should receive our love?
39:35
Those who are different.
39:39
In James chapter 2, we begin with verse 1.
39:44
And we're told not to hold the faith of the Lord with partiality.
39:52
Partiality.
39:53
My brothers, show no partiality.
39:56
Favor toward the face, actually.
40:01
As you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
40:04
I like the way you look.
40:08
I'm not sure I like the way he looks.
40:12
I held a meeting several years ago.
40:15
And sitting right here to my left was an individual.
40:17
If it could be pierced, it was pierced.
40:21
If it could be painted, it had been tattooed.
40:26
I don't know if I want to sit by that man or not.
40:30
When the invitation was extended, the lady sitting to his left responded.
40:36
And she was baptized into Christ.
40:38
He had brought her here to bring her to Jesus Christ.
40:41
He's still at that congregation.
40:42
And he's still extremely evangelistic in his ways.
40:46
I like the way you look.
40:47
I'm not sure about the way you look.
40:49
It's not about how we look.
40:51
That's partiality.
40:53
But I keep reading here.
40:54
And in the same context of James 2, verse 8 goes on.
40:57
If you really fulfill, here the word fulfill is to complete.
41:02
If you really complete the royal law, according to the Scriptures,
41:08
you shall love your neighbor as yourself.
41:12
You are doing well.
41:14
In a context talking about partiality,
41:19
whether it be race, economics, education,
41:27
we are told we are to love one another.
41:31
1995, she was under inspection for embezzlement.
41:43
When all of a sudden she and two in her company turned up missing.
41:50
She turned up missing in 1995 owing $250,000.
41:56
A lot of money then.
41:58
Not now, more then.
42:02
Authorities began to rummage through her belongings
42:06
and it came to her personal diary.
42:09
The personal diary of who was known,
42:12
a woman known as the most hated woman in the nation.
42:19
Madeleine Murray O'Hare.
42:23
We now know that she and her companions were murdered.
42:28
And as you read through her personal diary,
42:30
no less than six times you come across these words.
42:38
Somebody, somewhere, love me.
42:46
Do you know someone in your life
42:49
that is shouting from the inside without saying a word?
42:54
Somebody, somewhere, please love me.
43:00
Little boy came to Bible class for the first time
43:04
after his accident.
43:06
He lost a hand.
43:10
He had rehabbed and he was able to come back to be with his friends.
43:14
And really not thinking in Bible class,
43:17
the teacher says, okay, let's all sing about the church.
43:22
And she asked all to sing about the church
43:25
where you put your hands together and sing and say the rhyme.
43:30
Okay, here's the church.
43:34
Here's the steeple.
43:37
Open up the church and there's the people.
43:42
And so all the kids began to work things together
43:44
and here's this little boy and he only had one hand.
43:48
And so a little girl sitting next to him said, here.
43:53
And she reached up and put her hand in his hand
43:58
and said, let's build the church together.
44:07
I am pleading with you, brethren.
44:10
Let's hold to the message that we have had,
44:13
the command that we have had
44:14
from the beginning of Jesus' ministry.
44:19
Let's love one another.
44:22
And let's build the church together.
44:26
Thank you for being here this morning.
44:32
Thank you, Brother Dan.