1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:05,100 I'm so thankful for practical passages of scripture that we 2 00:00:05,100 --> 00:00:09,800 can read and study and apply in our life because things that are 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:14,200 not practical cannot be applied. It's like giving an Old 4 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:17,700 Testament story if you just tell the narrative and just tell the 5 00:00:17,700 --> 00:00:21,900 story, it's just a nice historical story but there needs 6 00:00:21,900 --> 00:00:24,200 to be an application. We need to make an application 7 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:26,200 for it so we can learn and glean from it. 8 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:28,300 The same is true with the New Testament. 9 00:00:28,300 --> 00:00:31,600 Same is true with the verse that is before us today. 10 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:36,300 But this verse that's before us today is a very pivotal command. 11 00:00:36,900 --> 00:00:41,800 If this does not, if this is not ingrained in our life, then from 12 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:45,100 a spiritual perspective, Spect, if we are not going to be all 13 00:00:45,100 --> 00:00:48,400 that, we ought to be, you know, I would imagine that if you want 14 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:50,400 to people and you asked him, do you love God? 15 00:00:51,100 --> 00:00:52,700 I would imagine. The majority of people would 16 00:00:52,700 --> 00:00:56,100 say, certainly I love God. I mean, who doesn't love God. 17 00:00:56,700 --> 00:01:00,000 But the question is, what does it really mean to love God? 18 00:01:00,100 --> 00:01:02,200 And just because we say, we love God. 19 00:01:02,500 --> 00:01:04,599 Does that mean what we do love God? 20 00:01:04,900 --> 00:01:08,800 What I've also found though, out in the world is the same people 21 00:01:08,800 --> 00:01:11,800 that do a lot of praising of God with their lips and saying, 22 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:14,500 praise God. Or saying that they love God or 23 00:01:14,500 --> 00:01:19,100 speaking about God, in that way are also often times the same 24 00:01:19,100 --> 00:01:22,900 people that blame God, when something bad happens in their 25 00:01:22,900 --> 00:01:25,100 life. What does that mean? 26 00:01:25,100 --> 00:01:26,500 Does that mean that you love God? 27 00:01:27,100 --> 00:01:30,600 Let's look at this passage more deeply now and try to understand 28 00:01:30,600 --> 00:01:34,900 what Jesus was talking about. He begins by saying in Mark 12 29 00:01:34,900 --> 00:01:37,200 and verse 30. The very first sentence there 30 00:01:37,700 --> 00:01:43,500 and you shall love the Lord, your God now, And this is not a 31 00:01:43,500 --> 00:01:46,500 request. This is not advice. 32 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:52,700 This is a hard-and-fast command and Jesus said, You shall love 33 00:01:52,700 --> 00:01:56,600 the Lord, your God. Something about that word love 34 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:58,200 though. What love are we talking about? 35 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:02,000 Well, obviously, we are talking about agape, love it is 36 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:03,800 commanded love. It is love. 37 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:06,500 That is always demonstrated in action. 38 00:02:06,700 --> 00:02:09,000 It's the love. That is always attributed to 39 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:11,900 God. We know a John 3:16 for God. 40 00:02:11,900 --> 00:02:15,500 So loved the Of the world. Meaning he loved the world to 41 00:02:15,500 --> 00:02:18,600 such a degree that he demonstrated that love by 42 00:02:18,600 --> 00:02:21,000 sending his son. That is agape love. 43 00:02:21,500 --> 00:02:25,200 So when Jesus commands us to love God, the first thing by 44 00:02:25,300 --> 00:02:30,100 just the definition of the word love it means by service and 45 00:02:30,100 --> 00:02:33,100 sacrifice. It is agape love. 46 00:02:33,100 --> 00:02:35,800 And by the way, it is the highest. 47 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:43,000 Form of love that we can have. May I ask you a question though. 48 00:02:44,700 --> 00:02:46,900 If you love God, he say you love God. 49 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:50,600 If something bad happens in your life. 50 00:02:51,600 --> 00:02:53,900 I mean something really bad happens in your life. 51 00:02:55,200 --> 00:02:59,100 Will you still love him? What if you pray to God? 52 00:02:59,100 --> 00:03:02,200 What if you pray that a loved one would get better, maybe 53 00:03:02,200 --> 00:03:06,200 they're sick and you by faith pray according to God's will. 54 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:08,900 And you ask God, if that person would get better. 55 00:03:09,900 --> 00:03:12,500 And that person does not get better that person dies. 56 00:03:12,500 --> 00:03:16,200 Will you still love it? That's the point. 57 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,700 Will you still love God regardless of circumstances? 58 00:03:19,700 --> 00:03:23,000 And by the way, what we're talking about today, we're 59 00:03:23,000 --> 00:03:26,000 talking about the kind of love that exists. 60 00:03:27,100 --> 00:03:30,200 Regardless of the circumstances in your life, even if God says, 61 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,900 no me, give you a passage of a great character in the Old 62 00:03:33,900 --> 00:03:37,600 Testament that did just that. I love this because really, this 63 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:42,400 is Faith in proper Focus. Now the prophet habakkuk wasn't 64 00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:46,300 perfect at the beginning, and when he spoke on behalf of the 65 00:03:46,300 --> 00:03:49,800 people that God he was frustrated, he didn't know why 66 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:51,800 God was not answering his prayer. 67 00:03:51,900 --> 00:03:54,200 But by the third chapter, I want to read you something. 68 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:59,000 This is Faith in proper Focus. This is loving and trusting God, 69 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,700 regardless of the circumstances in your life, habakkuk chapter 3 70 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,100 and verses 17 and 18. Listen to this. 71 00:04:07,500 --> 00:04:09,500 Though, the Fig Tree, may not blossom. 72 00:04:09,500 --> 00:04:14,000 Nor fruit on the vine though. The labor of the olive May Fail 73 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:17,000 and the fields yield no food, though. 74 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,300 The flock may be cut off from the fold and there be no herd of 75 00:04:20,308 --> 00:04:23,800 the Stalls. Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord. 76 00:04:23,800 --> 00:04:27,200 I will joy in the god of my salvation. 77 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:30,600 You know what that means? That means that this was a man 78 00:04:30,600 --> 00:04:33,400 that says, I don't care what happens to me, with the 79 00:04:33,400 --> 00:04:35,900 circumstances in my life, it doesn't matter. 80 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,100 I'm gonna join Hi, I'm going to rejoice in the god of my 81 00:04:39,100 --> 00:04:41,300 salvation. I'm going to love God. 82 00:04:41,500 --> 00:04:45,100 And trust God, no matter what so agape. 83 00:04:45,100 --> 00:04:46,600 Love is the highest form of love. 84 00:04:46,600 --> 00:04:48,600 That's true. And it's intellectual love and 85 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:51,200 it's all of that and it's intellectual love. 86 00:04:51,200 --> 00:04:54,600 That always does the proper thing and the best thing and 87 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:56,600 maybe you're sitting there, you're saying to wait a minute. 88 00:04:57,500 --> 00:05:01,000 It's impossible to always do the proper thing and the best thing. 89 00:05:01,100 --> 00:05:02,800 Okay. I'm not talking about being 90 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:04,500 perfect. I'm talking about love here. 91 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:08,500 When we demonstrate agape love, while we're doing that. 92 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:12,100 We are always manifesting the proper investing. 93 00:05:12,100 --> 00:05:15,400 We are behaving properly when we stop doing that. 94 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:16,900 What are we not doing? We're not. 95 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:19,200 Loving was agape. Love. 96 00:05:19,300 --> 00:05:22,000 Okay, so that's what the word agape. 97 00:05:22,100 --> 00:05:25,400 Love memes. And and it is the kind of love 98 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:28,600 that we're talking about. What about when it comes to God, 99 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:33,400 though, with this kind of love? We don't love God with the 100 00:05:33,400 --> 00:05:36,700 proper kind of love when our priorities are out of whack. 101 00:05:37,900 --> 00:05:41,100 And that simply means this. That means that God has to be 102 00:05:41,100 --> 00:05:45,100 number one in your life. I'll tell you this life is about 103 00:05:45,100 --> 00:05:48,200 prioritizing. Everything's about prioritizing. 104 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:52,200 We make choices and decisions in our life based on priorities. 105 00:05:52,700 --> 00:05:55,200 We think, for example, that there might be one thing that's 106 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,900 really important. So we're going to put all of our 107 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,400 faith in that we're going to put all of our effort in that. 108 00:06:00,500 --> 00:06:04,100 Okay, that's fine. But God has to be number one. 109 00:06:04,700 --> 00:06:08,600 You do not love God properly when God is not first in your 110 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,500 life. Now what does that mean? 111 00:06:11,500 --> 00:06:13,100 Does that mean you don't like your family? 112 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:15,600 Does that mean you don't love your spouse? 113 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:19,200 Absolutely not what it means. Is we're going to love our 114 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:22,400 family with a all of our heart and all of that to we're just 115 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,800 going to love God. More God has to be number one, 116 00:06:26,100 --> 00:06:29,800 in your life. You have to love God with your 117 00:06:29,900 --> 00:06:34,800 all without holding back, giving our best effort and not giving 118 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:36,500 him second best. All right. 119 00:06:37,800 --> 00:06:40,800 What about the word heart? That's the first thing Jesus 120 00:06:40,800 --> 00:06:44,100 says. You got to love God with all of 121 00:06:44,100 --> 00:06:47,000 your heart. I don't know how many times 122 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:51,300 you've heard me say this maybe hundreds of times over the years 123 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:55,800 that when we talk about the heart, that's in the Bible, we 124 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,700 are not talking about a better felt than told process. 125 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:01,700 Like, sometimes people say, well, I know what that's what 126 00:07:01,700 --> 00:07:07,700 the Bible says, but I just feel it in my heart and I have gone 127 00:07:07,700 --> 00:07:10,800 to Great pains to tell you that, that's not what the Bible means. 128 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:14,600 And that's not the heart. When the Bible says that as a 129 00:07:14,608 --> 00:07:19,400 man thinketh in his heart. So is he it's talking about the 130 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,700 mind. So, when we talk about the heart 131 00:07:22,700 --> 00:07:26,000 in the Bible and changing your heart, we are talking about the 132 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:28,400 mind. And again, it is not a better 133 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:32,500 felt than told process the heart of the Bible, which is the mind. 134 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:36,000 Thanks believes reasons and obeys. 135 00:07:36,500 --> 00:07:40,400 Okay, so we get all that. That's not this word. 136 00:07:41,500 --> 00:07:44,600 It's a whole nother word. This word heart here. 137 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:48,500 That Jesus says you have to love God with all of your heart it's 138 00:07:48,500 --> 00:07:52,400 something totally different. It is by definition, get this. 139 00:07:52,900 --> 00:07:58,100 It is loving God with emotion and affection. 140 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,700 You know, there's another passage where this word is used 141 00:08:02,700 --> 00:08:04,800 and it's found in the book of Philemon. 142 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:07,700 You remember that? Paul wrote to Philemon and he 143 00:08:07,700 --> 00:08:11,200 was asking Philemon to forgive onesimus. 144 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:13,300 The runaway slave, right? That's the story. 145 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:15,800 That's the book of Philemon, that's one chapter. 146 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,200 That's the book of Philemon. Do you remember what Paul said? 147 00:08:19,300 --> 00:08:23,400 Paul said, as I paraphrase, I could have come to you by 148 00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,000 authority, meaning Apostolic Authority. 149 00:08:26,300 --> 00:08:29,400 And I could have told you in commanded you to forgive give 150 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,600 onesimus and take him back but I'm not doing it that way. 151 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:37,000 I'm appealing to you from as Paul the agent and I'm appealing 152 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:40,299 to you as one who is a prisoner of Jesus Christ. 153 00:08:40,700 --> 00:08:44,100 Then he says this, but I want you to forgive him and then Paul 154 00:08:44,100 --> 00:08:51,000 said, this is my whole heart. That'd be like, saying this. 155 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:55,300 Maybe like me saying, brother, Reuben, I'm asking you from the 156 00:08:55,300 --> 00:08:59,300 bottom of my heart. That'd be like saying this to, 157 00:08:59,300 --> 00:09:03,600 by the way. I love my family with all my 158 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:06,200 heart. That's the kind of heart we're 159 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,200 talking about now, this word heart does not mean the mind. 160 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,000 Oh, we're going to get to the mind in a minute, but this word 161 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,000 heart does not mean the mind. This word heart means, loving 162 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:20,400 emotion and affection, but let me tell you what we've done. 163 00:09:21,900 --> 00:09:24,400 Sometimes we become afraid to show emotion. 164 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:27,600 You know why? Because of the charismatic 165 00:09:27,600 --> 00:09:31,400 movement from a historical standpoint that had a tremendous 166 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,900 influence and impact on Christian professing religions 167 00:09:34,900 --> 00:09:40,900 in the 1950s and the 1960s. And when charismatic movement 168 00:09:40,900 --> 00:09:45,000 came in the idea was is don't just follow the word of God. 169 00:09:45,000 --> 00:09:47,500 Truth doesn't come from the word of God. 170 00:09:47,700 --> 00:09:51,600 Truth comes from experience or truth. 171 00:09:51,700 --> 00:09:55,400 Comes from emotion. So basically this 172 00:09:55,900 --> 00:09:59,200 experientialism came in and people were looking for some 173 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:04,000 kind of religious experience and emotionalism came in and people 174 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:08,000 were Guided by their emotions. So basically here was the deal, 175 00:10:08,300 --> 00:10:09,900 this guy thought it was this way. 176 00:10:09,900 --> 00:10:12,300 This guy thought it was that way and everybody's right there is 177 00:10:12,300 --> 00:10:17,500 no problem because it's based on experience and emotion and 178 00:10:17,500 --> 00:10:22,300 because of that because of that we become a little Robotic 179 00:10:22,300 --> 00:10:25,900 sometimes in mechanical and don't show any emotion at all, 180 00:10:26,100 --> 00:10:28,200 afraid to show any kind of emotion. 181 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:34,600 Now I'll tell you this, a religious practice that is based 182 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:42,800 upon emotion is not adequate. But also, at the same time, a 183 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,600 religious practice, that is robotic. 184 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:49,800 And mechanical with no feeling at all. 185 00:10:49,800 --> 00:10:53,700 Is also inadequate. And you know what, I get to name 186 00:10:53,700 --> 00:10:57,600 drop Jesus, I didn't say that. Jesus did in John chapter 4. 187 00:10:57,600 --> 00:11:02,700 He said he said that God is a spirit and they that worship Him 188 00:11:02,700 --> 00:11:06,900 must worship Him in both spirit. And in truth, it's both. 189 00:11:07,700 --> 00:11:10,900 It can't be based on emotion, but you have to All of your 190 00:11:10,900 --> 00:11:13,400 emotion in it. You know how you love, God, you 191 00:11:13,400 --> 00:11:16,500 got to pour your guts out. You got to pour your heart out 192 00:11:16,500 --> 00:11:19,100 to God. That's every fiber of your 193 00:11:19,100 --> 00:11:22,200 emotion. Every fiber of your affection. 194 00:11:22,700 --> 00:11:26,700 That's what it means to love God, with all of your heart 195 00:11:27,500 --> 00:11:30,000 emotions are important. Let me give you some passages 196 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,900 that speak about emotions, Luke chapter, 10, and verse 20, 197 00:11:35,200 --> 00:11:37,600 nevertheless, do not rejoice in this. 198 00:11:38,100 --> 00:11:42,400 That the spirits are subject to To you, but rather Rejoice 199 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,000 because your names are written in heaven. 200 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:46,700 That's emotion. Here's another one. 201 00:11:47,100 --> 00:11:52,800 Romans 12 and 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with 202 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:56,300 those who weep. That's emotion, Philippians 4, 203 00:11:56,300 --> 00:12:00,900 and 4, rejoice in the lord. Always, again, I say rejoice, 204 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:06,400 Matthew 9:36, but when they saw the multitudes, he went and 205 00:12:06,400 --> 00:12:09,900 moved with compassion for them because they were weary and 206 00:12:10,100 --> 00:12:12,600 Scattered like sheep, having no Shepherd. 207 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:17,400 That's a motion one more though and we're going to make a we're 208 00:12:17,400 --> 00:12:20,900 going to make a practical application of this passage in 209 00:12:20,900 --> 00:12:24,800 Psalm 122 and 1. The Bible says I was glad when 210 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,500 they said to me let us go to the house of the Lord. 211 00:12:29,100 --> 00:12:32,700 I'm going to tell you, we don't want to have a chaotic. 212 00:12:33,700 --> 00:12:38,200 Distraction, when we come into the assembly and it is true that 213 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:42,100 we don't want to have some sort of irreverent, chaos going on. 214 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,600 But I like what my good buddy? Don King says I love this. 215 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:50,100 He said I don't think the Lord wants us to come into the 216 00:12:50,100 --> 00:12:54,900 assembly looking like we're going to a funeral I mean, we 217 00:12:54,900 --> 00:12:56,400 just wanted this to be so solemn. 218 00:12:57,500 --> 00:12:58,900 Like, we're going into a funeral. 219 00:13:00,300 --> 00:13:03,600 You know, even when during our worship, even when we gather 220 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:07,400 around this table and we do. So in the communion to 221 00:13:07,400 --> 00:13:11,100 commemorate, the death burial and resurrection of Jesus, that 222 00:13:11,100 --> 00:13:13,600 is a solemn time. I'll obviously it is. 223 00:13:14,100 --> 00:13:17,500 And when we reflect back and the communion is about reflection 224 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:20,100 when we reflect back on, what Jesus did. 225 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,000 We are sometimes moved. Sometimes we sadness because of 226 00:13:24,000 --> 00:13:28,600 what the Lord went through. But make no mistake about it, we 227 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:33,100 Rejoice because he's the only hope and because he did those 228 00:13:33,100 --> 00:13:36,000 things and died on the cross for our sins. 229 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:39,800 We rejoiced because now we have hope of everlasting life. 230 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:43,900 It's a wonderful time. It's not a chaotic time. 231 00:13:43,900 --> 00:13:46,800 It's not an irreverent. Time, it is not a disrespectful 232 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:50,300 time, but worship is the fat is a happy time. 233 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:54,000 Let it be that we would say that I was glad or we were glad. 234 00:13:54,500 --> 00:13:58,400 When they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord. 235 00:13:58,900 --> 00:14:02,600 I'll tell you this to folks in life as we take the gospel, to 236 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:06,100 those that are lost. We have to reach people's 237 00:14:06,100 --> 00:14:10,300 hearts. You can't just have cold 238 00:14:10,300 --> 00:14:13,900 formality and expect people to be moved. 239 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:18,500 I know that, for example, from Acts chapter 2, when the very 240 00:14:18,500 --> 00:14:22,600 first gospel sermon was being preached for the first time 241 00:14:22,700 --> 00:14:25,800 where it gave man, an opportunity to respond first 242 00:14:25,800 --> 00:14:29,300 time in x 2. And in verse 36, the Bible says, 243 00:14:29,300 --> 00:14:33,700 let all the house of Israel, know, assuredly that God hath 244 00:14:33,700 --> 00:14:37,400 made that same Jesus whom ye have crucified both Lord and 245 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,900 Christ. The next verse says, when they 246 00:14:39,900 --> 00:14:44,700 heard this, they were pricked in their heart and said to Peter 247 00:14:44,700 --> 00:14:46,800 and the rest of the Apostles men and Brethren. 248 00:14:46,900 --> 00:14:49,000 What shall we do? What happened? 249 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:51,800 The word of God reached their heart. 250 00:14:53,600 --> 00:14:57,500 Got to reach people's hearts. That's why people don't change 251 00:14:57,500 --> 00:15:01,000 things in their life either also like Christians. 252 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,300 Sometimes it have things going on in their life and they can't 253 00:15:04,300 --> 00:15:08,100 seem to put God first. It's because they can't change 254 00:15:08,100 --> 00:15:10,900 their heart. We have to change the heart. 255 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,100 All of the other things, take care of itself. 256 00:15:13,100 --> 00:15:15,700 If we change the heart, how do we love God? 257 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:17,900 We love God with all of our heart. 258 00:15:17,900 --> 00:15:22,000 But number two, Jesus says, we have to love him with all of our 259 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,100 soul. Now, the word soul is very 260 00:15:25,100 --> 00:15:31,100 interesting word. Soul, your soul is your Eternal 261 00:15:31,100 --> 00:15:34,600 being. It is something that you have, 262 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:36,700 it is you, by the way, it's your identity. 263 00:15:37,500 --> 00:15:41,500 Because when you die, the body's going to go back to the Earth, 264 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,600 the life force or the spirit will go back to God, who gave 265 00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:49,700 it, but what will continue to live on is your soul? 266 00:15:50,700 --> 00:15:52,800 Have you ever stopped to consider that your soul? 267 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:57,700 Your Eternal being will exist Always Forever somewhere. 268 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:01,800 In fact, we think of all those that have passed away in the 269 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:05,800 last several years think about all those wonderful friends and 270 00:16:05,800 --> 00:16:09,500 family members and Brothers and Sisters in Christ that have died 271 00:16:09,500 --> 00:16:13,500 and are no longer here with us. We could start from Phil Kelly 272 00:16:13,500 --> 00:16:16,600 where he sat in the front Wing, go down each row, we can find 273 00:16:16,700 --> 00:16:20,500 members that were once here that have passed away. 274 00:16:22,600 --> 00:16:27,200 But we Rejoice because they still exist somewhere and 275 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:29,300 they're waiting for the resurrection to have their 276 00:16:29,300 --> 00:16:31,700 resurrected body to go to heaven. 277 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:35,800 The soul lives on forever. So we understand that the soul 278 00:16:35,900 --> 00:16:38,400 is your identity. That's who you really are that 279 00:16:38,400 --> 00:16:41,200 your Eternal being. But what's it actually mean, 280 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:45,200 though, specifically in this context to love God, with all of 281 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:51,200 your soul, the word soul is translated as life. 282 00:16:52,200 --> 00:16:55,600 In other words, it is life. And the actual Greek word means 283 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:59,600 life and breath. That's an amazing passage. 284 00:16:59,700 --> 00:17:03,000 In other words, if I'm going to love God properly, I have to 285 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:06,200 love him with all of my emotion and affection. 286 00:17:06,200 --> 00:17:08,500 That's number one. Then that's going to be 287 00:17:08,500 --> 00:17:12,099 demonstrated and what my life, my very life. 288 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:16,000 And you know what also is here, what's implied here? 289 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,800 Also, if I'm going to love God with all of my life, that also 290 00:17:19,800 --> 00:17:21,800 means this I'm going to love God. 291 00:17:21,900 --> 00:17:27,000 Even if it cost me my life. Remember in the Book of 292 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:31,200 Revelation. Remember the church at Smyrna, 293 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:36,200 the persecuted Church. remember that Jesus says, you're going to 294 00:17:36,208 --> 00:17:42,000 have tribulation 10 days But be thou faithful unto death and I 295 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:43,500 will give you a Crown of Life. Remember that? 296 00:17:43,500 --> 00:17:47,500 When we studied that unto death obviously would mean if you want 297 00:17:47,500 --> 00:17:49,900 to apply it this way until you die obviously. 298 00:17:50,500 --> 00:17:54,700 But specifically in the context hear what he was saying is love 299 00:17:54,700 --> 00:18:00,500 God serve God be faithful to God even if it cost you your life. 300 00:18:01,900 --> 00:18:04,800 Even if it's under death, even if you lose your life, that's 301 00:18:04,800 --> 00:18:10,200 also what it means to love God, with all of your soul. 302 00:18:10,300 --> 00:18:15,300 This is sacrificial living in Romans, chapter 12 and verses 1 303 00:18:15,300 --> 00:18:18,400 and 2. I beseech, you, therefore 304 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:22,300 Brethren by the mercies of God, that you present, your bodies, a 305 00:18:22,308 --> 00:18:25,600 Living Sacrifice, holy acceptable to God, which is your 306 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:29,600 reasonable service and do not be conformed to this world but be 307 00:18:29,600 --> 00:18:32,200 transformed by the renewing of your mind. 308 00:18:32,900 --> 00:18:36,600 That you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect 309 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,700 will of God. Let us talk about being 310 00:18:39,700 --> 00:18:44,600 transformed to things. He says don't be conformed to 311 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:46,800 the world. Now he's talking to Christians 312 00:18:47,500 --> 00:18:49,500 so he's talking about a growth process here. 313 00:18:49,900 --> 00:18:54,300 He says, don't be conformed to the world but then he says be 314 00:18:54,300 --> 00:18:56,800 transformed. And then he says how by the 315 00:18:56,800 --> 00:18:59,800 renewing of your mind. So in other words, the word of 316 00:18:59,800 --> 00:19:03,500 God is the source and I have to be transformed you know the word 317 00:19:03,500 --> 00:19:06,700 transformed actually means it comes from the Greek word 318 00:19:06,700 --> 00:19:11,700 metamorpho and it's Where we get the word metamorphosis, and I'm 319 00:19:11,700 --> 00:19:15,500 not talking about him, sex bugs, and amphibians and all that. 320 00:19:15,500 --> 00:19:18,700 I'm going to give you a second definition of metamorphosis and 321 00:19:18,700 --> 00:19:20,500 I'll tell you, it fits, listen to this. 322 00:19:22,100 --> 00:19:26,500 It is the changing of a person to a completely different 323 00:19:26,500 --> 00:19:30,700 person. That's what it means to be 324 00:19:30,700 --> 00:19:34,300 transformed. I'm going to change myself into 325 00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:37,400 a whole nother self. I'm going to be different, 326 00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:39,700 that's what it is, by the renewing of my mind. 327 00:19:39,700 --> 00:19:43,500 Listen, if you are not changing in your life and you're not 328 00:19:43,500 --> 00:19:46,100 changing your life. It's because you are not 329 00:19:46,100 --> 00:19:49,900 following the word of God being transformed by the renewing of 330 00:19:49,900 --> 00:19:53,300 your mind, got to do it. Got to renew the mind. 331 00:19:54,100 --> 00:19:58,200 Here's another passage Matthew 16:25 for whoever desires to 332 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:02,100 save his life, will lose it. But whoever loses his life for 333 00:20:02,100 --> 00:20:06,200 my sake, will find it. First Corinthians, 10 and 24? 334 00:20:06,300 --> 00:20:11,200 Let no one seek his own but each one, the others well-being. 335 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,400 In other words, if I'm going to love God with all of my soul, I 336 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,800 must be willing to give everything that I have in my 337 00:20:19,800 --> 00:20:25,900 life devoted to his service. Even if If it cost me my life, 338 00:20:26,300 --> 00:20:31,300 all right? Now I'm going to say this, I 339 00:20:31,308 --> 00:20:34,000 thought of this yesterday just kind of hit me. 340 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:38,100 I was looking over this passage Yeah, sometimes people say that 341 00:20:38,100 --> 00:20:41,200 all that really matters, all that really matters. 342 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:46,100 Really is kind of your opinion and how you feel. 343 00:20:46,900 --> 00:20:49,800 And we understand that he says you got to love God with all 344 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:52,600 your heart. Got all that got that, all your 345 00:20:52,600 --> 00:20:56,500 soul got that. But if that was the only thing 346 00:20:56,500 --> 00:20:59,900 that mattered, then why did Jesus list the mine? 347 00:20:59,900 --> 00:21:04,500 Next It has to have a basis. It has to have a standard. 348 00:21:04,900 --> 00:21:07,700 That's the third thing. I have to love God, with all of 349 00:21:07,700 --> 00:21:13,100 my mind that has to do with intellect or knowledge to love 350 00:21:13,100 --> 00:21:15,800 God as we should. It must be done through 351 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,600 knowledge. If we are biblically ignorant, 352 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:20,400 we have some work to do. Now, I'm going to tell you, 353 00:21:20,500 --> 00:21:24,600 there is a difference between being ignorant because you just 354 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:26,900 don't know. And when I say that word in that 355 00:21:26,900 --> 00:21:30,200 capacity that is not a criticism that is not a put-down. 356 00:21:31,300 --> 00:21:33,000 There are things in my life that I am. 357 00:21:33,000 --> 00:21:36,600 Ignorant of why? I just don't know them. 358 00:21:37,100 --> 00:21:39,600 Nothing wrong with that. And there's times also in a 359 00:21:39,608 --> 00:21:43,100 Christians life, when they are ignorant because they just don't 360 00:21:43,100 --> 00:21:45,500 know. When a babe in Christ comes from 361 00:21:45,500 --> 00:21:49,300 the Waters of baptism and Rises to walk in newness of life. 362 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:51,900 There's going to be a period of time when they're going to be 363 00:21:51,900 --> 00:21:57,200 ignorant of some things. But there's a difference between 364 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:01,200 being ignorant, meaning you just don't know yet and being 365 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,300 willfully. Ignorant because of willful 366 00:22:03,300 --> 00:22:09,300 rejection, big difference. Now, the only way that I can 367 00:22:09,300 --> 00:22:13,700 love God, with all of my mind has to be when I gained 368 00:22:13,700 --> 00:22:16,100 knowledge of his word, that's the only way. 369 00:22:16,900 --> 00:22:21,200 That's the only way. Romans 10 and 3, for they being 370 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:24,100 ignorant of God's righteousness and seeking to establish their 371 00:22:24,100 --> 00:22:26,100 own righteousness. Have not submitted to the 372 00:22:26,100 --> 00:22:30,000 righteousness of God. Listen to this also fees ins for 373 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:33,100 and 18. This is an example of willfully 374 00:22:33,100 --> 00:22:37,400 ignorant, having their understanding darkened, being 375 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:41,700 alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is 376 00:22:41,700 --> 00:22:45,300 in them because of the blindness of their heart. 377 00:22:49,100 --> 00:22:51,400 Remember a few years ago, I preached a sermon I talked 378 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:54,500 about. The word agnostic. 379 00:22:56,300 --> 00:22:58,600 Okay. Hurt. 380 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:03,200 Somebody use that the other day again, And the word agnostic, 381 00:23:04,100 --> 00:23:07,000 it's not an atheist because an atheist boldly says there is no 382 00:23:07,000 --> 00:23:10,100 God. And the Bible says that a man 383 00:23:10,100 --> 00:23:11,800 that says there is no, God is a fool. 384 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:15,300 So there are other people that don't want to be that Brazen in 385 00:23:15,300 --> 00:23:16,500 bold. So what they do is they say you 386 00:23:16,508 --> 00:23:18,500 know what, I just going to say I don't know. 387 00:23:19,700 --> 00:23:22,400 I'm going to say, I don't know. I'm an agnostic. 388 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:26,500 In other words, it is a willful choice, and I'm going to say 389 00:23:26,500 --> 00:23:28,000 that I'm in the category of a not. 390 00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:30,200 Knowing I'm going to ride the fence. 391 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:33,700 That's what I'm going to do. Remember when I told you, what 392 00:23:33,700 --> 00:23:38,300 the Latin equivalent was for the word agnostic, the Latin 393 00:23:38,300 --> 00:23:40,700 equivalent is the word ignoramus. 394 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:46,100 Yeah, you see there's a difference between being 395 00:23:46,300 --> 00:23:50,600 ignorant because you just don't know yet and being an ignoramus 396 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:56,800 because you've made a choice. Why is willful ignorance wrong? 397 00:23:57,300 --> 00:23:59,500 Why is willful ignorance? A sin? 398 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:03,100 Willful ignorance is a sin because willful ignorance is 399 00:24:03,100 --> 00:24:05,800 always attached to willful rejection. 400 00:24:05,900 --> 00:24:11,200 Oh, but if I'm going to love God, as I should, with all of my 401 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:13,600 mind. It's going to take knowledge, 402 00:24:14,100 --> 00:24:16,000 it's going to take knowledge. In other words, the more 403 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:18,900 knowledge that we get, the more we'll be able to love him with 404 00:24:18,900 --> 00:24:23,700 our mind in Hosea 4:6, my people are destroyed for lack of 405 00:24:23,700 --> 00:24:26,800 knowledge because you have rejected knowledge. 406 00:24:27,100 --> 00:24:30,200 I also will reject you from being priest for me. 407 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,700 So, to love God, with all of our minds, we have to study acts, 17 408 00:24:34,700 --> 00:24:38,300 and 11, These were more fair-minded than those in 409 00:24:38,300 --> 00:24:41,800 thessalonica, in that, they received the word with all 410 00:24:41,800 --> 00:24:46,200 Readiness and searched the Scriptures Daily to find out 411 00:24:46,200 --> 00:24:49,300 that these things were. So one more passage along this 412 00:24:49,300 --> 00:24:52,200 line. Second Timothy 2:15 from the 413 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:57,700 King James Study to show thyself approved by God a worker that 414 00:24:57,700 --> 00:25:01,200 needeth not to be ashamed. Rightly dividing, the word of 415 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:05,300 Truth, our minds have to be filled with truth. 416 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:09,900 Now, I had this on a screen. I had this on a slide, we're 417 00:25:09,900 --> 00:25:11,400 just going to emphasize the point. 418 00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,900 I just got a with the point is it's going to emphasize the 419 00:25:13,900 --> 00:25:17,100 point. Don't ever let somebody tell 420 00:25:17,100 --> 00:25:21,600 you, there's no such thing as truth. don't ever let anybody 421 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:25,500 convince you or talk you into the fact that there is no such 422 00:25:25,500 --> 00:25:30,400 thing as absolute truth because there is And if two people 423 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:35,500 disagree on a non biblical subject, a foundational biblical 424 00:25:35,600 --> 00:25:39,200 subject, it means one of them is wrong or they're both wrong. 425 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:43,200 I don't understand it. We understand that, you know 426 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:44,100 what? I was in school. 427 00:25:44,100 --> 00:25:46,300 You take an exam and you get an answer. 428 00:25:46,300 --> 00:25:46,800 There. Is it? 429 00:25:46,800 --> 00:25:47,900 True? False true. 430 00:25:47,900 --> 00:25:48,800 Nope. Got it wrong. 431 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:52,900 You was false. I never had a teacher. 432 00:25:52,900 --> 00:25:54,400 Say to me. Oh, Frank, what's okay? 433 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,500 Cuz you see it that way, maybe you felt it that way. 434 00:25:56,500 --> 00:25:59,100 That's okay. So everybody's right false or 435 00:25:59,100 --> 00:26:02,500 true, everybody's right. Doesn't make any sense and in no 436 00:26:02,500 --> 00:26:04,700 other aspect of life, do we ever find that? 437 00:26:05,800 --> 00:26:08,600 But when we come to religion, sometimes, that's where we find 438 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:10,200 that. It's okay. 439 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:12,600 You can believe that and I can believe this. 440 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:14,100 It's okay. We're both right? 441 00:26:14,700 --> 00:26:21,000 No, here's the point. If two people disagree on a 442 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:25,100 foundational biblical principle, It could only mean that one of 443 00:26:25,100 --> 00:26:28,800 them are wrong or they both are wrong but they can't both be, 444 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:31,200 right? Least give you me give you some 445 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,500 Bible. Now, have how we are commanded. 446 00:26:33,500 --> 00:26:37,000 To be filled with truth, second, John verse 4. 447 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,600 I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children 448 00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:45,500 Walking In Truth as we have received commandment from the 449 00:26:45,500 --> 00:26:52,000 father. 3rd, John verse 34. I rejoiced greatly when Brethren 450 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:56,700 are and testified of the truth that is in you just as you walk 451 00:26:56,700 --> 00:27:00,800 in the truth. So we can't love God. 452 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:03,300 With all of our mind without understanding and knowing. 453 00:27:03,300 --> 00:27:07,800 Truth number four, With all of our strength. 454 00:27:09,800 --> 00:27:13,500 Now, you can read Scholars and they will pretty much all agree 455 00:27:14,100 --> 00:27:15,900 that we're not talking about physical strength. 456 00:27:15,900 --> 00:27:19,200 When it talks about strength, we are talking about spiritual 457 00:27:19,200 --> 00:27:21,900 strength, okay? So you're going to love God with 458 00:27:21,900 --> 00:27:26,300 all your heart, all your soul, all your mind and all your 459 00:27:26,300 --> 00:27:28,800 strength. What kind of strength is it? 460 00:27:28,808 --> 00:27:32,200 Well, like, I just said spiritual strength, but it's 461 00:27:32,200 --> 00:27:34,900 spiritual strength. That is manifested and 462 00:27:34,900 --> 00:27:42,000 demonstrated in action. It has to be, it's demonstrated 463 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:44,200 in action. And the action. 464 00:27:44,200 --> 00:27:48,700 Is this your abilities? It's your talents. 465 00:27:48,700 --> 00:27:51,500 That's number one, you demonstrate that with your 466 00:27:51,500 --> 00:27:54,800 talents, I don't have time to go into Matthew chapter 25 and you 467 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:57,600 all know about the story when Jesus gave the parable of the 468 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:01,600 talents, we understand that we touched on talents a little bit 469 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:04,800 last week. But let me just say this, the 470 00:28:04,800 --> 00:28:08,500 people that were there, the, the characters in the story. 471 00:28:09,300 --> 00:28:12,400 This is what Jesus said. One, got 51. 472 00:28:12,400 --> 00:28:17,700 Got to one got one. Okay, so whatever you had What 473 00:28:17,700 --> 00:28:21,400 was required? What was required was their 474 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,900 best? The guy that had five, he got 475 00:28:24,900 --> 00:28:27,400 ten big guy that too. He got four. 476 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:32,600 The guy that had one, he got nothing. you know, the little 477 00:28:32,600 --> 00:28:35,800 more than happy if that man would have got to Even though 478 00:28:35,800 --> 00:28:39,100 it's only two. In other words, it's everything 479 00:28:39,100 --> 00:28:42,100 you have remember, remember our goals here, it begins with 480 00:28:42,100 --> 00:28:43,800 behavioral goals. That's personal goals. 481 00:28:43,800 --> 00:28:46,600 That's when you take an introspective view of yourself 482 00:28:46,600 --> 00:28:50,100 and you work to get better, then what happens, you understand 483 00:28:50,100 --> 00:28:53,000 here are my talents and abilities and then you go fill a 484 00:28:53,008 --> 00:28:54,900 function. And when we have members of the 485 00:28:54,900 --> 00:28:59,200 body of Christ, fulfilling behavioral goals and functional 486 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:01,300 goals, guess what we're doing collectively together. 487 00:29:01,300 --> 00:29:05,000 Now as the body of Christ, we are achieving our congregational 488 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,300 goals. Everybody has a part. 489 00:29:07,300 --> 00:29:10,500 Every part in all of that everybody has that our 490 00:29:10,500 --> 00:29:12,600 abilities. Our talents must be used for the 491 00:29:12,600 --> 00:29:14,600 Lord. I want to make one other little 492 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:19,800 point about talents. I have seen people, I've seen 493 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:24,000 young men, That really got up there. 494 00:29:24,000 --> 00:29:26,900 One of the speak so bad. Someone had to be preacher 495 00:29:26,900 --> 00:29:28,700 someone to be congregational teachers. 496 00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:34,100 And they had the courage to do it and they got up and they 497 00:29:34,100 --> 00:29:37,200 struggled. A little bit, they didn't have a 498 00:29:37,208 --> 00:29:39,700 whole lot of what you would call, maybe natural ability. 499 00:29:40,700 --> 00:29:43,400 But what do they do? They kept working at it and 500 00:29:43,400 --> 00:29:45,800 working at it, and working at it, and working at it, and 501 00:29:45,800 --> 00:29:47,200 working at it, you know, what happens? 502 00:29:47,500 --> 00:29:51,000 Ten Years Later. Hey, hey, the same guy, Hey, 503 00:29:51,000 --> 00:29:53,500 it's same guy at all. 20 years later. 504 00:29:53,500 --> 00:29:57,200 Not the same guy. There are some abilities that 505 00:29:57,200 --> 00:30:02,000 you may have that are not readily apparent and you will 506 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,800 only know if you try, you will only know if you go to work. 507 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:08,900 So, the first way we have to demonstrate our strength, with 508 00:30:08,900 --> 00:30:10,600 all of our strength is in our abilities. 509 00:30:10,700 --> 00:30:14,100 Secondly, in our giving and that does include money. 510 00:30:14,300 --> 00:30:16,200 Second Corinthians 8 beginning in verse 2. 511 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:20,400 And then also verse 5, that in a great trial of Affliction, the 512 00:30:20,400 --> 00:30:23,800 abundance Hundreds of their joy and the Deep poverty abounded in 513 00:30:23,900 --> 00:30:28,800 the riches of their liberality and not only as we hoped but as 514 00:30:28,800 --> 00:30:32,600 they first gave to them self to the Lord and then To Us by the 515 00:30:32,600 --> 00:30:37,300 will of God another passing second Corinthians 9 verse 7 and 516 00:30:37,300 --> 00:30:40,700 verse 12. So let each one give as he 517 00:30:40,700 --> 00:30:45,300 purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity for 518 00:30:45,300 --> 00:30:49,000 God, loves a cheerful Giver verse 12 for the administration 519 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:51,700 of this service. Not only He supplies the needs 520 00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:55,000 of the Saints, but also is a bounding through many 521 00:30:55,100 --> 00:30:59,500 thanksgivings to God. We have to give of our self. 522 00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:01,600 We have to give of our abilities. 523 00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:06,500 We have to give of our money, all that stuff, it's every part 524 00:31:06,500 --> 00:31:08,800 of us. And finally number three, this 525 00:31:08,800 --> 00:31:14,200 is the hard one. We have to give our self Gotta 526 00:31:14,200 --> 00:31:17,900 Give ourself. You ever have somebody that you 527 00:31:17,900 --> 00:31:21,900 love like a one of your children or grandchildren and it's your 528 00:31:21,900 --> 00:31:24,600 birthday and they give you a gift. 529 00:31:26,300 --> 00:31:31,300 What would you rather have? Would you rather have them buy 530 00:31:31,300 --> 00:31:35,600 something and give it to you? Or would you rather have them 531 00:31:35,600 --> 00:31:39,700 make it and give it to you? I think everybody would rather 532 00:31:39,700 --> 00:31:43,500 have them make it. Or what about this? 533 00:31:44,500 --> 00:31:48,300 What if I gave Taylor, when she was little some money to buy 534 00:31:48,300 --> 00:31:50,700 something for Tina. That's wonderful. 535 00:31:50,700 --> 00:31:54,200 Thank you, thank you. But what if it was her own 536 00:31:54,200 --> 00:31:55,500 money, what if she got that money? 537 00:31:55,500 --> 00:31:57,500 Was she earned that money. Spend her own money. 538 00:31:57,500 --> 00:32:02,000 She gave of herself. The gift just became better. 539 00:32:03,400 --> 00:32:05,900 Sometimes giving of our self is difficult, but that's the 540 00:32:05,900 --> 00:32:07,600 greatest way you can give to God. 541 00:32:07,700 --> 00:32:10,100 That's the greatest way that you can demonstrate your love for 542 00:32:10,100 --> 00:32:14,400 God by way of all your strength is to give of yourself in 543 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:18,000 Ephesians 5:15. And 16 see them that you walk 544 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:23,100 circumspectly, not as fool's but as wise get this Redeeming the 545 00:32:23,100 --> 00:32:28,200 time because the days are evil Colossians 4 and verse 5 walk in 546 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:34,300 wisdom toward those that are outside Redeeming, the time What 547 00:32:34,300 --> 00:32:35,900 does God want? What's your time? 548 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:44,300 He wants your time. There's 168 hours in a week. we 549 00:32:44,300 --> 00:32:50,400 give him so little There's 168 hours in a week. 550 00:32:52,200 --> 00:32:56,100 I saw a preacher when time get on a board and you 168, they 551 00:32:56,100 --> 00:32:59,400 said well, you know, broke down, what we have to do, okay? 552 00:33:00,400 --> 00:33:03,700 And in all of that, and that week, he put that eight hours of 553 00:33:03,700 --> 00:33:06,500 work and what you got to sleep, you got eight hours sleep and 554 00:33:06,500 --> 00:33:10,200 you got, there were still a ton of hours left. 555 00:33:11,300 --> 00:33:13,100 And sometimes we say we just don't have time. 556 00:33:14,200 --> 00:33:17,500 Loving God, with all of your strength is to love him with 557 00:33:17,500 --> 00:33:23,200 your time. So in conclusion, We need to 558 00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:26,200 understand that we cannot love God as we should unless we love 559 00:33:26,200 --> 00:33:29,800 him. With all of our heart and 560 00:33:29,800 --> 00:33:33,500 remember, loving him, with all of our heart memes, with all of 561 00:33:33,500 --> 00:33:36,500 our emotion, and all of our affection, what kind of love is 562 00:33:36,500 --> 00:33:38,500 agape love. It's comanded love. 563 00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:42,200 So I need to have commanded love for God, with all my heart. 564 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:45,600 Number two, with all my soul. If I feel that in my heart and 565 00:33:45,700 --> 00:33:48,100 with all my emotions and all my affections for God, you know 566 00:33:48,100 --> 00:33:50,900 what's going to happen? It will demonstrate that love 567 00:33:50,900 --> 00:33:54,000 through my very life. That's the soul. 568 00:33:54,900 --> 00:33:58,300 It's going to be based on something to not just my own 569 00:33:58,300 --> 00:33:59,600 wishes. It's going to be based on the 570 00:33:59,600 --> 00:34:02,500 word of God and I'm going to be transformed and I'm going to be 571 00:34:02,500 --> 00:34:05,800 changed and I'm going to be willing to submit myself to God 572 00:34:05,800 --> 00:34:11,500 and love him with all of my mind and all of that leads to the 573 00:34:11,500 --> 00:34:16,900 next part, with my abilities, with my money, with my time, 574 00:34:17,000 --> 00:34:19,600 with my efforts, that's the strength part. 575 00:34:19,600 --> 00:34:22,900 And I will love God with all of my strength. 576 00:34:23,000 --> 00:34:25,800 With. We thank you for listening to 577 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:30,600 our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. 578 00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:34,100 Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional 579 00:34:34,100 --> 00:34:37,400 information, or you would like to receive a free Bible 580 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:42,800 correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at her 581 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:45,300 Church of Christ Bakersfield.com. 582 00:34:46,000 --> 00:34:51,199 Our service times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and 583 00:34:51,199 --> 00:34:55,600 Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us. 584 00:34:56,100 --> 00:34:58,300 We would love for you to be our honored guest.