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Amen. 
Turn with me in your Bible this 

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morning to 1st Thessalonians 
chapter 4. 

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First Thessalonians chapter 4. 
I'm going to just read from 

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verse 9 through to verse 12. 
Let's hear the word of God 

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reading of course from the 
Authorised Version or as many 

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affectionately call it, the King
James Bible. 

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He authorised it in the name of 
the Lord. 

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Let's hear God's word. 
For those online, the words will

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come up on screen. 
So I've said before for anybody 

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that would like a Bible, please 
contact us. 

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And I apologise to the dear lady
that did contact me last week 

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about the Bible. 
I will get to that eventually if

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you apologise, but it will come 
first. 

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Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 9.
But as touching brotherly love, 

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you need not that I write unto 
you. 

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For ye yourselves are taught of 
God to love one another, and 

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indeed you do it toward all the 
brethren which are in Macedonia.

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But we beseech you, brethren, 
that you increase more and more,

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and that ye study to be quiet, 
and to do your own business, and

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to work with your own hands, as 
we commanded you, that ye may 

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walk honestly toward them that 
are without, and that ye may 

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have lack of nothing. 
Amen. 

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We know God will stamp with his 
own approval and blessing this 

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reading of His own precious and 
infallible word. 

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Now this morning we continue 
with our series of expository 

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sermons in First Thessalonians, 
and my text today is taken from 

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First Thessalonians chapter 4, 
verses 9 to 12, and have 

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entitled Today's Message, The 
Church of Brotherly Love, one of

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the 1st century philosophers, 
and by a man by the name of 

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Lucian, he wrote a satire and in
it he said this. 

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It is incredible to see the 
order of love that these 

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Christians have one toward 
another. 

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They seem to spare nothing. 
Now that's a heathen man, an 

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unbeliever, and he's looking 
into the life of the 1st century

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church. 
And despite all the persecution 

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of that day, in the midst of 
idolatry, in the midst of 

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immorality, in the midst of 
iniquity, he sees the love that 

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these true born again Christians
have one for another. 

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Now, the subject of brotherly 
love is not disjointed from the 

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subject of sanctification. 
It's not just a subject that the

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apostle Paul has abruptly 
introduced or thrown in randomly

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into the latter. 
No, you see, love between God's 

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people is just one facet or one 
face of the people of God. 

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Remember we've already read and 
preached on for this is the will

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of God, even your sanctification
that you should abstain from 

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fornication. 
Chapter 4, verse three. 

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We know that sanctification is 
not only the will of God, but 

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it's also the work of God and 
the soul by the Holy Spirit 

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through the merits of the Lord 
Jesus. 

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But it's also a walk with God. 
It is necessary in the Christian

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life to walk with God. 
And God is making his people 

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abound more and more in 
brotherly love because this 

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brotherly love is a holy love 
that's an integral part of true 

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holiness. 
I want you to think of a 

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diamond. 
It has many facets, faces that 

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catches the light. 
Well, I say it, true love 

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between Christians is just one 
of those facets, one of those 

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faces of what God's people are 
like. 

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And in first John 49 to 12, the 
apostle Paul is exhorting God's 

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people to continue to 
demonstrate, continue to display

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brotherly love toward one 
another despite the darkness, 

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despite the difficulty of the 
day, despite the persecution, 

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the hardship, despite the trials
and troubles. 

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He writes to them, and says, But
as touching brotherly love, you 

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need not that I write unto you. 
For yourselves are taught of God

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to love one another. 
Indeed, you do it toward all the

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brethren which are in Macedonia.
But we beseech you, brethren, 

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that you increase more and more,
and that you study to be quiet, 

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and to do your own business, and
to work with your own hands, as 

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we commanded you, that you may 
walk honestly toward them that 

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are without, and that ye may 
have lack of nothing. 

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Now as I thought about this from
last Lord's Day, I thought of 

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three things. 
I want you to think the 

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instruction about brotherly 
love. 

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Notice first name. 
But as touching brotherly love 

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you need not daily write unto 
you, for ye yourselves are 

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taught of God to love one 
another. 

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Now the word brotherly love is a
translation of one Greek word 

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and we could use the word 
Philadelphia. 

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It's used quite a number of 
times in the New Testament. 

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In the United States of America,
there's a city called 

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Philadelphia. 
It's known as the city of 

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brotherly love. 
And I was there on one occasion 

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and visited about 12 or 13 years
ago. 

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Well, let's come from United 
States of America and go to 1st 

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century Greece. 
And in Greece, there's a church 

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there in the city of 
Thessalonica, and it's known as 

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the Church of Brotherly love. 
Remember how Paul commended them

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for their labour of love? 
He says in chapter 1, verse 3, 

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remembering without ceasing your
work of faith and labour of love

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and patience of hope in our Lord
Jesus Christ, in the sight of 

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God and our Father. 
And now in verse 9, he tells 

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them, But as touching brotherly 
love you need not that I write 

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unto you. 
So what does that mean? 

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Does Paul mean you don't need to
hear anything about this subject

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again yet? 
You've heard it already. 

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I've already told you. 
I've already commanded you. 

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So I don't have to write 
anything more about it. 

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I don't have to mention it 
again. 

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See, that's how some interpret 
that. 

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But that's not the meaning Paul 
is saying here. 

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When he says you need not that I
write unto you. 

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He means that I don't have to go
into deeper detail. 

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I don't have to go into great 
length. 

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I don't have to set forth this 
subject again in a in a vast 

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manner to you. 
Why? 

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And here's the answer. 
For ye yourselves are taught of 

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God, to love one another, taught
of God. 

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See, they were taught of God and
sanctification whenever they 

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were born again of the Holy 
Spirit and there was a true work

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of God wrought in their soul and
in that out working of 

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sanctification, their motto and 
mindset being holiness unto the 

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Lord. 
They were taught of God in that 

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work of sanctification, that in 
the outworking of that, there 

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was not only the will of God and
the work of God, but there was a

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walk with God and that walk was 
a walk of love, a holy love in 

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the heart because that's an 
integral part of true holiness. 

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They were also taught of God in 
the Scriptures. 

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Remember the words love one 
another's repeated unteen times 

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in the scriptures. 
They were taught of God by the 

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Saviour. 
This is what the Lord Jesus 

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said. 
John chapter 13. 

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A new commandment I give unto 
you, that you love one another 

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as I have loved you, that you 
also love one another. 

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By this shall all men know that 
you're my disciples. 

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If you have love one to another,
you see this brotherly love that

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he writes about. 
It's not in their heart. 

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Naturally. 
They had to be taught in the 

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process of sanctification they 
were taught and from the 

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scriptures they were taught and 
from the lips of the Saviour 

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they were taught. 
And what were they taught? 

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If you look at the text for 
yourselves are taught of God to 

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do what? 
To love one another. 

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What I'm saying it's not 
something naturally in the 

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heart, it's not something that's
in and of ourselves, it's not 

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something there that's apart 
from divine grace. 

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Apart from divine grace, it's 
not naturally possible to love 

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one another. 
See, the reality is we, we do 

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love ourselves even as God's 
people, even as Christians, we 

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can display self love. 
We can be self centred. 

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We love our families. 
Why? 

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Because well, they're related to
us. 

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They're our offspring. 
But we love a few friends. 

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Well, providing they stay loyal 
as friends if if it suits us. 

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But the reality is we really 
love ourselves. 

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We're asking ourselves what's in
it for me. 

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See the best kind of brotherly 
love, even our love to God and 

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love to Jesus Christ and love to
everything that's biblical in 

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moral, the word of God. 
Remember, we still have fallen 

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sinful hearts and in the Church 
of Jesus Christ there is, we 

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could have to say honestly 
shocking low levels of biblical 

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love. 
Let let me give you an example. 

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Here's a nurse. 
She's a born again believer and 

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if you'd asked her, are you a 
loving person? 

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Oh yes, I'm a loving person. 
She gets a new job. 

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She's now appointed the chief 
health visitor for a certain 

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area. 
And in the first day of the job,

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the boss looks at her and she 
knows by the look. 

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In fact, she said when I saw her
looking at me, I knew that she 

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knew that I was a believer. 
So from the day one I got picked

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on, I got the hardest cases 
possible thrown at me, I got the

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worst unpleasant hours ever and 
I got the most paperwork to do. 

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And I believe that the boss was 
doing that as a deliberate 

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policy. 
And the woman admitted it's hard

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to have feelings of love for 
someone who has it in for you, 

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someone who doesn't like you, 
who deliberately rubs you up the

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wrong way. 
And even with people like that, 

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yes, we try to love them, we 
pray about loving them. 

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But when alls we get, every day 
is hostility, antagonism and 

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hardship. 
Then we asked, why is this 

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happening to me? 
Why is this man or woman like 

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this? 
Well, here's the answer God has 

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allotted because God is 
suffering, because I believe 

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that God looks into your heart. 
And when you feel in your mind 

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like murdering someone because 
of their attitude and the 

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antagonism toward you, then the 
reality is if we feel like that 

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and I could murder him, I could 
strangle horror, then the 

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reality is there's little or no 
love at all. 

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You see, often times the Lord 
employs these means to empty us 

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of self, to show us what's in 
our heart, that what's in our 

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heart is the opposite of a 
sanctifying love. 

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What's in our heart is really a 
self love. 

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And we have to be taught of God.
Doctor Barnes when he was here 

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at the 1st Friday Fellowship 
said this about Amy Carmichael 

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with a woman who was nasty with 
her, who said very hurtful 

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things, said things that caused 
tears, said things that indeed 

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were very upsetting. 
And a friend asked Amy 

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Carmichael, well, how did you 
respond? 

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And this is what she said. 
I took it as an opportunity to 

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die to self. 
You see, we have to be taught of

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God, taught in the outworking of
sanctification, taught in the 

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Scriptures. 
By this shall all men know that 

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you're my disciples. 
If you have love one to another,

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this love is a supernatural 
matter. 

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It is a sanctifying, holy love. 
I believe it's given like a gift

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and it has to be taught of God 
and it's only possible by the 

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grace of God. 
And love for one another is one 

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of the great hallmarks of the 
true Church of Jesus Christ. 

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True love stands in contrast to 
Trojan love. 

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The 1st century culture, like 
today, confuses love and lust. 

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Sensual lust is never loving. 
Sensual lust is selfish, 

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motivated by self love. 
It it harms and hurts everyone 

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who comes into contact with it. 
But the true Christian is not to

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be carried to rise by the 
passion of lust. 

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He's to be carried to rise by 
the purity of his love, by the 

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power of love, A fervent, pure 
love for one another. 

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Go back to the word 
Philadelphia. 

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It's love for members of the 
same family, naturally, your 

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brothers and sisters, but it's 
wide enough in the Bible to mean

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a love for members of the family
of God. 

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And Paul commended them for 
their love for one another. 

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And Paul is calling them to keep
on demonstrating, to keep on 

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displaying love to one another. 
The early church was 

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characterised by this love. 
It was not optional. 

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Listen to 1st John chapter 3 and
in the verse 10 it says this. 

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In this the children of God are 
manifest, and the children of 

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the devil. 
Whosoever doeth not 

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righteousness is not of God, 
neither he that loveth not his 

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brother. 
For this is the message that you

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heard from the beginning, that 
you should love one another not 

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as keen who was of that wicked 1
and slew his brother. 

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And wherefore slew he him, 
because his own works were evil,

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and his brother's righteous. 
Marvel not, my brethren, if the 

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world hate you. 
We know that we have passed from

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00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,280
death unto life, because we love
the brethren. 

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He that loveth not his brother 
abideth in death. 

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Genuine love for one another 
should be the hallmark of the 

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00:17:07,200 --> 00:17:13,520
true Church of Christ. 
So that's the instruction about 

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00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:19,560
brotherly love. 
The second point is this, the 

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instinct of brotherly love. 
Now if you look back again at 

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00:17:25,960 --> 00:17:32,920
our text of Scripture in First 
Thessalonians chapter 4, he says

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in verse 10, And indeed ye do it
toward all the brethren which 

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are in all Macedonia. 
Now I want you to see this. 

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00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:54,560
You see, once you're born of God
and the life of God comes into 

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the soul, that life of God 
produces a love for one another 

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and that love is exhibited. 
It's like a a natural instinct, 

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a spontaneous instinct. 
Think when a baby's born, what's

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the first thing it does? 
It cries, there's a wee smile, 

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00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:14,040
it moves its arms, it wiggles 
its toes. 

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00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:17,360
It's instinctive. 
We have some cats at home. 

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00:18:17,360 --> 00:18:20,560
If anybody wants a cat, I can 
give you one free to a good 

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00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:23,280
home. 
But what do cats do by nature? 

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00:18:24,080 --> 00:18:27,640
They hunt for mice. 
What does a bird do by nature? 

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00:18:28,480 --> 00:18:31,920
It wants to fly, and if you go 
after it and say here little 

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00:18:31,920 --> 00:18:34,400
birdie, come to me, it, it'll 
fly away. 

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00:18:36,160 --> 00:18:37,560
See, they don't have to be 
taught. 

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00:18:38,080 --> 00:18:39,840
It's the nature of a dog to 
bark. 

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00:18:39,840 --> 00:18:42,040
You go to homes. 
We were at homes yesterday and 

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00:18:42,080 --> 00:18:44,160
we could hear the dogs barking 
inside. 

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00:18:44,240 --> 00:18:46,960
The dog knew instinctively 
somebody was coming up the path,

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00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:50,160
somebody was at the door, 
somebody was going past the 

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00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,280
window. 
And you see, in the life of the 

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Christian, the individual is 
born again by the Holy Spirit. 

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00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:59,560
There's a natural instinct for 
spiritual things. 

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00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:02,760
Remember when the Apostle Paul 
was converted in the Damascus Rd

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00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:08,040
we read in Acts Chapter 9. 
I believe it's in verse 11. 

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00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:11,560
Behold, he prayeth. 
That's the sign that God gave to

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00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:15,240
Ananias that he was truly 
changed man and transformed. 

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00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,840
He said prayers before is a 
Pharisee, but now he was praying

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00:19:18,840 --> 00:19:21,320
from his heart. 
It's one of the signs that he 

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00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,880
was born of God. 
There was a desire in his heart 

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00:19:24,880 --> 00:19:30,600
to seek the face of God. 
Remember Mary who sat at Jesus 

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00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,600
feet, Luke 1039. 
She had a desire for the word of

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00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,480
God. 
She wanted the book of God. 

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00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:39,040
She wanted the word. 
The Christian will have a desire

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00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:41,160
to witness. 
Let the redeemed of the Lord say

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00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:42,880
so. 
He'll have a desire for 

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00:19:42,880 --> 00:19:45,520
holiness. 
But with that there'll also be 

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00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,920
the desire to display and 
demonstrate love one to another.

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00:19:50,200 --> 00:19:54,480
And every believer is taught of 
God to love one another. 

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00:19:54,480 --> 00:19:57,520
Remember what we read in first 
John chapter 3. 

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00:19:58,480 --> 00:20:02,480
We read this, Beloved, behold 
what manner of love the Father 

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00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:05,280
hath bestowed upon us, that we 
should be called the sons of 

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00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:06,960
God. 
Therefore the world knoweth us 

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00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:10,080
not, because it knew not him. 
Beloved, now are we the sons of 

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00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:12,280
God? 
And it does not yet appear, but 

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we shall be. 
But we know that He shall 

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00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:16,440
appear. 
We should be like Him, for we 

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00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,440
shall see Him as He is, And 
every man that hath this hope in

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00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,800
Him purifieth himself, even as 
He is pure. 

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00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:25,840
What do you read in first John 
4, verse 8? 

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00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:30,320
See him in verse 16. 
We read this, God is love. 

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00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:34,840
What does that mean? 
It means it belongs to his 

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00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,800
nature. 
It's not something created. 

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00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:41,720
It's not just a part of his 
being. 

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00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:48,040
It is who God is love, a pure, 
holy, eternal love. 

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00:20:48,360 --> 00:20:51,840
And those of us who are born 
again and genuinely converted, 

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00:20:53,240 --> 00:20:56,760
His people are not only taught 
of God, taught by the 

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00:20:56,760 --> 00:21:01,240
supernatural mighty operation of
the Holy Spirit, but whenever 

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00:21:01,240 --> 00:21:06,080
they're born of God, they 
receive the nature of God and 

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00:21:06,080 --> 00:21:10,040
the nature of God, according to 
second Peter chapter one, verse 

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00:21:10,040 --> 00:21:14,320
4 is to to love one another. 
There's a desire to love. 

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00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:19,040
Remember what we read in Matthew
chapter 22, verse 37 to 40. 

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00:21:19,840 --> 00:21:22,320
They shall love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all

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00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:27,400
thy soul, and with all thy mind,
and with all thy strength, and I

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00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:29,200
shall love thy neighbour as 
thyself. 

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00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:34,720
And these hang all the law and 
the prophets I love for God. 

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00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:40,680
Paul says in our John says in 
first John four and verse 19, We

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00:21:40,680 --> 00:21:44,120
love him because he first loved 
us. 

300
00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:49,280
And that's love to God is seen 
and is especially seen in her 

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00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:52,520
treatment to one another. 
Listen to these words first John

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00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:55,080
4 and 20. 
If a man say I love God and hate

303
00:21:55,080 --> 00:21:57,360
his brother, he's a liar. 
For he that loveth not his 

304
00:21:57,360 --> 00:21:59,960
brother whom he hath seen, how 
can he love God whom he have not

305
00:21:59,960 --> 00:22:01,560
seen? 
And this commandment have we 

306
00:22:01,560 --> 00:22:05,280
from him, that he who loveth God
love his brother. 

307
00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:15,160
Also solemn words, you see, 
bitterness, hatred, jealousy, 

308
00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:23,320
animosity against a fellow 
Christian is a sin, and it 

309
00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:27,360
doesn't belong to the true 
Christian life, and it needs to 

310
00:22:27,360 --> 00:22:30,880
be repented of. 
And if you profess to be born 

311
00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:35,000
again, you profess to belong to 
the family of God, then you will

312
00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:40,440
have a desire to demonstrate and
to display love toward all who 

313
00:22:40,440 --> 00:22:44,760
are in the true family of God. 
We're exhorted in first Peter 

314
00:22:44,760 --> 00:22:50,800
217 to love the brotherhood. 
And there is a brotherhood of 

315
00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:54,600
true believers. 
And we here no longer dead in 

316
00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:58,400
trespasses and sin, no longer in
the darkness, no longer blind, 

317
00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:01,600
no longer in a natural state, 
brought out of a state of guilt 

318
00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:06,200
into a state of grace. 
We are commanded to love one 

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00:23:06,200 --> 00:23:08,600
another. 
And what I'm saying is that 

320
00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:11,840
there's not only an instruction 
because we're taught of God, but

321
00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:15,320
there's also an instinct to 
brotherly love because the 

322
00:23:15,320 --> 00:23:19,040
nature of God is implanted 
within our soul because God is 

323
00:23:19,320 --> 00:23:23,800
love. 
Now I'm well aware that there's 

324
00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:26,280
people in the church and it's 
not easy to get on with. 

325
00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,960
And sometimes people who are not
easy to get on with, you have to

326
00:23:30,960 --> 00:23:34,840
tiptoe around them. 
I'm well aware we all of a 

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00:23:34,840 --> 00:23:37,720
sinful nature. 
Let's be clear. 

328
00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:39,680
Including this preacher. 
And I'm the first. 

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00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:43,240
I'll be in front of the queue. 
I stand first to the line. 

330
00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:47,800
We all have our faults. 
We're all full of imperfections,

331
00:23:48,720 --> 00:23:52,640
feelings and shortcomings. 
And we do and see things that 

332
00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:56,560
annoy one another. 
And some people are easily 

333
00:23:56,560 --> 00:24:00,640
offended. 
Some people cry, some people get

334
00:24:00,640 --> 00:24:06,520
mad, but in spite of all these 
things, in spite of all these 

335
00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:10,920
feelings, in spite of our 
dealings with one another, we 

336
00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:16,840
should make loving one another a
matter for prayer, and we should

337
00:24:16,840 --> 00:24:24,400
make it a matter to shine forth 
the love of God in Christ. 

338
00:24:25,080 --> 00:24:28,000
And we should say, Lord, you've 
allowed this situation to 

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00:24:28,000 --> 00:24:30,360
happen. 
Here's an opportunity for me 

340
00:24:30,360 --> 00:24:33,880
today to die to self, to die to 
self love. 

341
00:24:34,080 --> 00:24:37,680
It's an opportunity to 
demonstrate and display a truly 

342
00:24:37,760 --> 00:24:43,720
sanctifying sacrificial love. 
You see, let's remember God's 

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00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,000
love for us. 
His amazing love was 

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00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:47,680
demonstrated for us at the 
cross. 

345
00:24:47,680 --> 00:24:50,440
For God so loved the world that 
he gave his only begotten Son, 

346
00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:53,960
that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have 

347
00:24:54,160 --> 00:24:57,560
everlasting life. 
And remember what Paul writing 

348
00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:02,240
to thee church at Ephesus said 
this in Ephesians 5. 

349
00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:08,120
As ye therefore followers of 
God, as dear children and walk 

350
00:25:08,120 --> 00:25:13,160
in love, as Christ also have 
loved us and have given himself 

351
00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:17,600
for us an offering and a 
sacrifice to God for a sweet 

352
00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:21,960
smelling savour. 
God is the one who's teaching us

353
00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:26,240
about loving one another. 
And because we're born of the 

354
00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:30,760
Spirit and indwelt by the Holy 
Ghost, the Spirit within us who 

355
00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:34,240
has shed the love of God abroad 
in our hearts helps us not only 

356
00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:40,560
to love God and love the Lord 
Jesus, but enables us to love 

357
00:25:40,560 --> 00:25:43,200
one another. 
It's instinctive. 

358
00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:47,240
Very quickly. 
I want you to think of this as 

359
00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:49,720
we finish the increase of 
biblical love. 

360
00:25:50,120 --> 00:25:55,240
If you go back to Thessalonians,
look with me at the verse 10 

361
00:25:55,960 --> 00:26:00,400
Thessalonians, it says, and 
indeed you all do it as toward 

362
00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:02,240
all the brethren which are in 
Macedonia. 

363
00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:05,040
But we beseech your brethren 
that you increase more and more.

364
00:26:05,600 --> 00:26:07,560
There's the increase of biblical
love. 

365
00:26:08,560 --> 00:26:12,440
Now you see, Paul has commended 
them for their love one to 

366
00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:15,800
another, but he wants to 
encourage them, exhort them. 

367
00:26:15,800 --> 00:26:19,280
Don't rest in your laurels. 
Don't become complacent. 

368
00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:22,960
I want you to increase more and 
more. 

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00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:28,160
In fact, he mentions in verse 9 
brotherly love, which is the 

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00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:31,920
Greek word Philadelphia. 
Whenever you come to verse 9, it

371
00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:34,400
says for yourselves are taught 
of God to love one another. 

372
00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,240
That word love is not the same 
word Philadelphia. 

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00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:42,360
In fact, in the Greek it's 
agape, which is the same word 

374
00:26:42,360 --> 00:26:45,960
that's used for God's love in 
John 3 and 16. 

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00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:50,480
Because what is love? 
Love was a self sacrificing, 

376
00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:53,480
caring commitment that shows 
itself in seeking the highest 

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00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:56,640
good of the one loved. 
Let me repeat that. 

378
00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:01,880
Love is a self sacrificing, 
caring commitment that shows 

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00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:04,880
itself in seeking the highest 
good of the loved. 

380
00:27:05,640 --> 00:27:10,960
God so loved that He gave. 
God loved us and gave himself 

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00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:14,720
for us. 
God's love involves self 

382
00:27:14,720 --> 00:27:18,080
sacrifice. 
And what is the main hindrance 

383
00:27:18,080 --> 00:27:22,360
to self sacrificing love? 
It is selfishness. 

384
00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:27,400
Husbands are exhorted to lay 
husbands are exhorted to love 

385
00:27:27,400 --> 00:27:29,760
their wives, even as Christ 
loved the church and gave 

386
00:27:29,760 --> 00:27:32,160
himself for it. 
And how many husbands would 

387
00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:35,760
stand up if the wife was being 
attacked and they'd be willing 

388
00:27:35,760 --> 00:27:38,160
to lay down their life for their
wife? 

389
00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:46,320
But it's important that we not 
only adopt that mindset in a 

390
00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:53,760
self sacrificing manner, but 
that involves spending time and 

391
00:27:53,760 --> 00:27:57,880
thinking about the needs of her 
wife and her family. 

392
00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:01,320
See there's an increase in this 
love. 

393
00:28:01,920 --> 00:28:05,160
They're to abound more and more.
Notice this very quickly and 

394
00:28:05,160 --> 00:28:08,960
have to be quick here. 
Look at the word Macedonia vast 

395
00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:11,520
region of easier minor. 
They were reaching out. 

396
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,920
The whole of the country was 
affected, sending out the word 

397
00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:18,440
of God, sending out missionaries
2 by two, and that was 

398
00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:20,040
tremendous. 
Paul says. 

399
00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:23,440
But look at verse 10. 
But we beseech you, brethren, 

400
00:28:23,440 --> 00:28:28,120
that you increase more and more.
Why the contrast? 

401
00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:31,760
Think of the word. 
But we beseech you, brethren, 

402
00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:34,720
was there something wrong at 
home? 

403
00:28:36,160 --> 00:28:40,520
There was look at verse 11 and 
that you study to be quiet and 

404
00:28:40,520 --> 00:28:43,800
to do your own business and to 
work with your own hands as we 

405
00:28:43,960 --> 00:28:49,400
commanded you see, take note of 
this, we beseech you. 

406
00:28:49,840 --> 00:28:51,960
It's good to support missionary 
causes. 

407
00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:56,520
It's good to be involved in 
evangelism and reaching out into

408
00:28:56,520 --> 00:29:02,240
other places and other lands. 
And but there's a call, there's 

409
00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:05,880
a challenge. 
There's a command to love their 

410
00:29:05,880 --> 00:29:09,760
brethren at home. 
There's a three fold exhortation

411
00:29:09,760 --> 00:29:12,680
here as we finish studying to be
quiet. 

412
00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:15,200
What does that mean? 
Well, it's nothing to do with 

413
00:29:15,200 --> 00:29:18,000
going to the library. 
It's not about the librarian 

414
00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:23,680
saying it's not seeking a quiet 
place to read a book. 

415
00:29:26,280 --> 00:29:31,600
The word study has to do with 
the idea of making it a goal, an

416
00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:37,960
ambition. 
Having a name study involves 

417
00:29:37,960 --> 00:29:48,040
labour. 
The word quiet has to do with 

418
00:29:48,040 --> 00:29:52,320
this thought. 
Make sure you're not the cause 

419
00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:57,760
of disturbances in the church. 
You see the inferences that 

420
00:29:57,760 --> 00:30:01,680
people in Thessalonica were 
disturbing the peace of the 

421
00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:06,720
congregation and it's easy to 
sin in this area. 

422
00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:15,440
It's easy to find fault, be mad,
be upset, say something and do 

423
00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:18,600
something. 
Remember the Lord Jesus Christ, 

424
00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:22,480
remember what we read of him in 
Isaiah chapter 42. 

425
00:30:22,960 --> 00:30:26,840
He shall not cry nor lift up 
their causes. 

426
00:30:26,840 --> 00:30:31,600
Voice to be heard in the street.
He was the quiet man. 

427
00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:36,120
There's such a gentleness and 
quietness of Christ. 

428
00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:39,000
He had such a meek and quiet 
spirit. 

429
00:30:39,160 --> 00:30:42,440
He was not a disturber. 
He was not a tale bearer. 

430
00:30:42,520 --> 00:30:45,080
He was not a gossiper. 
He was not harsh. 

431
00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:48,200
He was not full of bitterness. 
He was not full of self love. 

432
00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:53,480
Whenever you see thoughts and 
feelings in me as your minister,

433
00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:58,960
then I want you to pray for me. 
I asked you to plead with God to

434
00:30:58,960 --> 00:31:03,960
show me. 
Don't just criticise, Be 

435
00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:07,760
constructive. 
Turn your criticism into prayer.

436
00:31:09,880 --> 00:31:13,480
Let's not aim to be a disturber.
Study to be quiet. 

437
00:31:13,480 --> 00:31:15,320
Notice these words. 
Do your own business. 

438
00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:18,200
What does that mean? 
It means be engaged in your own 

439
00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:21,840
affairs. 
Private, public. 

440
00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:24,120
You have your home life, you 
have your family, you have your 

441
00:31:24,120 --> 00:31:29,200
job, you have leisure time. 
Don't be a busy body, don't be 

442
00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:31,600
involved in someone else's 
affairs. 

443
00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:34,240
Don't allow that to become a 
problem. 

444
00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:36,320
You see, it was a problem in 
Thessalonica. 

445
00:31:36,720 --> 00:31:41,280
We read in Second Thessalonians 
in chapter 3 and verse 11 these 

446
00:31:41,280 --> 00:31:44,840
words, for we hear that they are
some which walk among you, 

447
00:31:44,840 --> 00:31:50,240
disorderly, working not at all, 
but are busy bodies. 

448
00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:54,160
And these busy bodies were often
tempted to meddle in other 

449
00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:56,840
people's affairs. 
What are you doing? 

450
00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:00,480
Why are you not doing this? 
What you should really say to 

451
00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:02,160
them? 
Or just mind your own business, 

452
00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:07,240
Live your own life in private 
and personal before God. 

453
00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:11,640
That's what that means. 
And also to work with your own 

454
00:32:11,640 --> 00:32:18,080
hands. 
Show by God's love, show by your

455
00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:22,760
behaviour at work the mighty 
merciful love of God. 

456
00:32:23,120 --> 00:32:26,480
Involve yourself in God ordained
labour. 

457
00:32:27,760 --> 00:32:33,440
Sadly today, and this is true of
many congregations, there are 

458
00:32:33,440 --> 00:32:36,880
disturbers in the church who are
not Christ like and they don't 

459
00:32:36,880 --> 00:32:41,080
study to be quiet and there are 
busy bodies in the church who 

460
00:32:41,080 --> 00:32:44,680
meddle in other affairs and give
a bad testimony and they don't 

461
00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:50,440
do their own business. 
And there were some in 

462
00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:53,640
Thessalonanka who behaved so 
badly that they stopped working 

463
00:32:53,640 --> 00:32:56,520
with their own hands and 
demanded handout and payment and

464
00:32:56,520 --> 00:32:59,440
demanded food and everything 
else that was going along with 

465
00:32:59,440 --> 00:33:01,960
it because they believed that 
they'd quit their job because 

466
00:33:01,960 --> 00:33:04,680
Christ was coming back and He is
coming back. 

467
00:33:04,960 --> 00:33:10,280
But that was no reason for them 
in light of us coming to quit 

468
00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:14,160
their job. 
They were really being spongers 

469
00:33:16,400 --> 00:33:20,920
and it was in the early stages 
of manifesting itself and that's

470
00:33:20,920 --> 00:33:24,800
why Paul dealt with it. 
What a shame. 

471
00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:27,600
Could I encourage you in 
finishing? 

472
00:33:28,960 --> 00:33:32,600
Let's love Christ with all our 
hearts, soul, mind and strength.

473
00:33:33,720 --> 00:33:39,120
Let's live for Christ. 
Let's view Him and meditate in 

474
00:33:39,120 --> 00:33:41,920
Him. 
Let's see each other as brothers

475
00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:47,680
and sisters in the family and 
let's live and light that the 

476
00:33:47,680 --> 00:33:52,840
Saviour has come. 
Now I'm going to end it there at

477
00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:55,760
some other things to say, but 
we'll leave it there for today. 

478
00:33:55,760 --> 00:33:58,680
I trust and pray that what I've 
shared will be a help and a 

479
00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:02,240
blessing to us within the life 
of the congregation.