“God Is Love” By Malcolm Xechariah August 12th,
2018
How is everybody? Somebody said, “How great is our God?”
Somebody said
it. Sounded like a whole lot of somebody's said it, amen? I really
appreciate—well,
first of all, Elder Giebler's here. Amen, if this is your first time
here Elder
Giebler and Elder Lee are our pastors here at Great Lakes Christian
Fellowship Ministries.
So, if you've got any problems or any questions, they're the ones. Any
complaints about me? They're the ones. If your seat is not comfortable,
they're
the ones. Amen? If you didn't get coffee and donuts on the way in,
they're the
ones. Elder Lee spoke a little bit about the ark, and that's
interesting,
because I was at work the other night—I work night shift—and I was
sharing that
with a young man about the ark, and, because he had never heard of it.
He was
in his twenties, twenty-two or twenty-three years old, I think he lives
in
Zion. I thought everybody knew about Noah's ark; we teach it in our
children's
church. But, he didn't know anything about it. So, I shared his few
things
about eight souls saved by water and how it—that Scripture actually
comes from First
Peter, chapter three, verse twenty-one, it speaks about eight souls
saved by
water (1 Peter 3:21). It didn't speak about all the souls that were
drowned by
water, it just spoke about the souls saved by water, and that was Noah
and his
wife, that’s two, his three sons, that’s five, and their three wives,
that
makes eight. So, if you've got any questions about little Fluffy, or
little
Garfield, sorry to tell you, they're not included in the souls, because
they
don't have them. God is only interested in human beings’ souls.
Everything else
is in subjection to man. God gave us dominion over all to see, over all
the
Earth. And anybody that has a problem with that you've got to talk to
God about
it. It's in His Word, Amen? I heard somebody say, one time, “Can you
imagine,
when it started raining, because, according to the Bible, at least from
Genesis
two to Genesis seven, where is which is where the ark is, there hadn’t
been any
rain. The Bible says God hadn't caused it to rain yet on the earth. So,
he
caused a mist to come up from the Earth to water all the greenery. And,
so,
people have probably never seen rain. But, people haven't seen Jesus
come back
for His people, either. So, either way, you’ve got to get in the ark.
If you
want to be saved, you've got to get in the ark, amen? There's no wooden
structure for you to scratch on to try to open the door. It'll break
your
fingernails off, and it'll break your fingers, trying to open that door
and get
in at the last minute, because that door is going to be sealed, amen?
The Ark of
God is coming down, and that Ark is Jesus, amen? Okay, that wasn't part
of the
message, but, that was for free. Good pre-afternoon everyone. We've all enjoyed the service
up ‘til now,
Amen? We're closing out the series on fruit of the Spirit, which we can
find in
Galatians, five, verses twenty-two and twenty-three: Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit
of the Spirit is
love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [and verse 23] Meekness, temperance:
against such there is no law. And, our brother, Pete, is going to put a little graphic up
there for
us. So, what have we learned so far? Joy is a choice we make to
have or not
have. God brings the peace. if we like peace we must ask God for it.
Long
suffering, as we've learned, is the opposite of wrath. Patient mercy.
Wrath
delayed. Gentleness is kindness, integrity and a willingness to yield.
Think of
Jesus on the cross dying for our sins, yielding for man’s salvation.
Goodness
is a desire to help others and avoid greed, which is the opposite of
goodness.
Not badness, but greed, selfishness, avarice. Faith is an action word.
The just
shall live by faith. Faith without works is dead. Faith you have to put
your
shoes on and do something, your hands, your feet. We bring the
meekness. We
need it to help restore others lest we be tempted. Temperance is
self-control.
One who is mastered himself is temperate. I want all the preaching team
men to
stand up, please. Because that's where I got all of these bullets for
this
particular presentation. Give God a praise, amen. So these words I just
spoke,
most of them came from this these men; they're not mine. I just
borrowed them because,
as brother Kirk spoke last week, plagiarism. Let us pray: God, we thank You for this opportunity to be before You, to
be in Your presence,
God, to hear Your Word, God, bless this, Thy servant, to bring forth
the Word in
a matter that You deem necessary, God, proper. Not adding anything to
the
message that You've given, and not taking anything from it. God could
it be
pure and holy in Your sight. that it minister to the need of the
people, God,
and not just the ones that are sitting in the chairs, but the one that
is
standing behind the microphone, myself. God, bless our families and our
children, God. God, give them a sense of knowing that their parents are
trying
to lead them in the right path, when we bring them out to service, and
we try
to teach them Your Word, God. It's not a game. That this is real life,
this is
something that we're all going to need. God, help us to get to that
place where
we need to be. God, in Jesus’ name we pray; we ask your blessings, amen. Today we talk about love. So, how is your love? How is my
love? The
rich ruler was told by Jesus to sell all that he had, give it to the
poor. And
Luke, chapter eighteen, is where we read that, if you're taking notes.
In like
manner, we have to sell all that we have, and give away all of our
mental
possessions, philosophies, and theories, and traditions of men. Kind of
reminds
me of the teenagers and the tweens. Are there any teenagers in here?
You don't
have to raise your hands; I know who you are. Can't hide from me. “Ooh,
I just
love her. And, I know she loves me.” “I just love him, and I know he
loves me.”
Yeah, yeah. It's all right. It's all right. I'm not going to embarrass
you for
long. But, that's how we are when we're that age, right? Some of us are
that
way now. We, sometimes, are not able to discern between the right kind
of love,
so I'm telling you what love is not, and that's all of that stuff
that's on
that side. You know? Cohabitation. Anybody not know what that means?
Just raise
your hand, and I'll tell you what it is. I think I can be a little bit
more
plain: cohabitation means you're living with somebody, and you're doing
things
that married people do, do I need to go any further? Do I need to go
any
further? I can. Amen. We all know what I'm talking about. That's not
love. So,
all of that stuff is over here, and I can name a whole bunch of stuff,
but I
won't waste your time, because I know you already know. And I'll
probably
forget one, and you'll say, “Well, he didn't name the one that I was
thinking.”
I know you know what I'm talking about, because we're all adults in
here, just
about. Amen? Paul put it this way, in Philippians, chapter three, verse
eight.
Philippians, chapter three, verse eight: Philippians 3:8
Yea doubtless,
and I count all
things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my
Lord: for
whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but
dung, that I
may win Christ, We've got to sell it all, we've got to give it all away.
Amen? So,
here's a question: is it possible to love God and not keep this
commandments?
So, while you ponder that question, let's read Mark, chapter twelve,
verses twenty-nine
and thirty. Mark, twelve, verses twenty-nine and thirty: Mark 12:29
And Jesus
answered him, The
first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is
one Lord: Because, we must believe that He is, and that He is a
rewarder of them
that diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6). Because, if you don't believe
that God
is, you can't believe in one God. Somebody could just throw anything at
you,
and you'd believe it. There are people, and there are nations of
people,
billions of people who believe in multiple gods. Twenty, and thirty,
and forty;
even here in America, most people believe in three! You can't even get
the
Muslims to believe that; they know it's one. Amen? The Jews only
believe it's
one, so what happened? How come now, all of the sudden, we so called
Christians, we believe there's three? Yeah. Something to think about,
right? Mark 12:30
And thou shalt
love the Lord
thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
mind, and
with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Let's go to John, chapter two, First John, I'm sorry,
chapter two, verses
three, four, five and six. First John, chapter two, verses three
through six: 1 John 2:3-6 And hereby we do know that we
know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and
keepeth
not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso
keepeth
his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we
that we
are in him. [verse six] He
that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as
he walked. So, if we say we're in Christ, we’ve got to act like it.
Amen? We've
got to believe that there's one God, amen? We’ve got to believe that He
has
commandments, amen? Okay. We’re all there. Here's another question: Can
God be
with us if we don't teach and baptize? Matthew twenty-eight, verse
nineteen and
twenty. Can God be with us if we don't teach and, and baptize? And is a
conjunction, Amen? That's basic grammar, English. You've got to do
both. You
can’t do one or the other. It didn't say, “Or,” it said, “And.” It's
teach and
baptize. Verse nineteen; Matthew, twenty-eight, nineteen: Matthew 28:19-20
Go ye
therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and
of the
Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have
commanded
you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
Amen. So, Jesus was talking to the disciples, amen? But, guess
what? We’re
the disciples. So, we have to teach and baptize, amen? For how long?
“How long?”
you might say. Well, it says right here, until the end of the world.
So, that
means that everybody that comes this way, and this bag of bones we call
the
flesh, they've got to go the same way. They've got to teach, and
they've got to
be baptized. I don't care who you are. I don't care what granny said,
“Well,
baby, you know, don't worry about it, the Lord will understand.” No, he
don't.
“Well, I, what if I'm on my deathbed?”. What if you are on your
deathbed? What
happened before you went to your deathbed? “Well, what if I'm in the
desert?”
Well, that's an easy one, there. because, Phillip went to the desert
and
baptized a man in the desert. it's called Gaza, right? That was in the
name of
the desert. So, since when did they start having rivers and lakes and
stuff in
deserts? because, God knew that man needed to be baptized. That ain't
nothing
to God. That's nothing to God. Is anything too hard for the Lord? Okay.
Just
saying, amen? First John, five, and three: 1 John 5:3
For this is the
love of God,
that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. “Well, God, why we got to be baptized?” You know, “Why,
Elder Lee, why
can't we just eat a bunch of tasty cakes?” “Elder Giebler, how come we
can't
just play the guitar? A Fender, or, you know, one of those fancy
guitars they
play on TV or something.” “How about it, Greg, how come we can't just
sing
inside the gate, every day, and that'll be enough?” “Jesse, why can't
we just
have some greens and cornbread? All right?” Because the Bible says so,
that's
why. The commandment was given, “Go, teach, and baptize,” and, here, we
have
that commandment acted upon. The book of Acts, chapter ten, verses
five, six,
and verse forty-eight. You can go back and read it if you want, but I'm
just
going to try to keep it short, for time sake. Cornelius was told by the
spirit: Acts 10:5-6
And now send
men to Joppa, and
call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter: He lodgeth with one Simon a
tanner,
whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest
to do. The word that I'm looking for right here: do. Which requires
action,
amen? He didn't say, “He will tell you what you ought to believe, and
then just
let it ride. You'll be okay.” He didn't tell him, “He'll tell you what
somebody
else told him.” He said, “He'll tell you what you want to do.” Which
requires
action. Verse forty-eight is the action.: Acts 10:48
And he
commanded them to be
baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain
days. The commandment was given of baptism, the execution of the
commandment:
baptism. Ain't nobody getting out of this world alive, amen? And ain't
nobody
getting out of this world expecting to stand before the God in Heaven
and hear
those words, “Enter in,” and not be baptized. Because the commitment is
already
given. Jesus has already died, He's already resurrected, and the
fullness of
the covenant has been put into effect. Now, anybody that died before
that time
was not under that covenant, but, once He rose, that covenant took full
effect.
The fullness of God was in Him bodily; that’s what the Scripture say,
that's
what the Scriptures say, amen? So once the covenant was in effect,
can't nobody
slide under it, go around it, and go over it. You've got to go through
the
covenant. And the covenant, the blood of Jesus, for the remission of
sins, is
only through baptism, unless you got a whole gallon of blood in your
Kool-Aid
container and you’re going to pour it over yourself, and, guess what?
The Bible
don't say to do that, so you're still not going to be saved amen?
You've got to
go the way the Bible, amen? We're talking about love. “Brother, what's this whole
baptism thing?”
Because, in order to get into love, you've got to be baptized. I don't
want you
to be deceived; there's no reason for me to stand here and talk about
the love
of God if I don't tell you how to get in it. I'm wasting your time. I
might as
well go home. So, why is it—another question—that some would hear,
“Depart from
me, I never knew you,” as it is written in Matthew, 3, you can—I'm not
going to
have you turn to it, but I'll read just one line out of it: Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Now, these are they which had done many wonderful works
(Matthew 7:22).
Were they baptized in Jesus name? Or did they think their infant
baptism was
sufficient? Or their sprinkling? Which is not baptism, either. You
baptize an infant;
you just gave him a bath. There's no way for him to believe. He got to
believe and
be baptized. they're just being obedient to what their parent did for
them. A
baby don't know nothing. A baby don't even know his name, until you
teach him.
Amen? The only thing they really know is that they are hungry and, once
you get
them close to the breast, then they know, “Okay, I think there's
something
there that I need.” Amen? If you ever watch a baby, they're born with
that
whole suckling thing. But, they don't know nothing else. Baptism is
what gets
us into the love of God. We love him because he first loved us, and
that's, First
John, four, nineteen. If you're taking notes. First John, four, and
verse nineteen. 1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first
loved us. Psalms, twenty-two, nine and ten. Psalms, twenty-two, nine
and ten: Psalm 22:9-10
But thou art he
that took me
out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother's
breasts. I
was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother's
belly. God already knows us. God already loves us. He loved us long
before we
even knew the name Jesus. Jeremiah, thirty-one, and three. Jeremiah,
thirty-one,
verse three: Jeremiah 31:3
The Lord hath
appeared of old
unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: [Lo, I am with you always, amen? I have loved thee with an
everlasting
love] therefore with lovingkindness have
I drawn thee. Who chose whom? I think, if there any English teachers in
here, I think
I said that right. Who chose whom? So, there was this thing I read one
time,
about this famous producer, who produced music acts, really famous guy
—and I
don't want to call the name of the music guy, but, you know, it's not
all that
serious—so, but, anyway, really rich guy, really popular, he put these
groups
out there, and they made a whole lot of money. So, read a story about
him,
somewhere, I don't remember where, he said, “Well, you know, when I
finish with
all of this, and I, you know, made the money I want to make, then I'm
going to
go ahead and get saved.” God chose us, we did not choose Him. You don't
get to
choose when you get saved. You get the opportunity, when God gives you
the
opportunity, but you're not just going to conjure in your mind and
say—I'm not
going to conjure in my mind and say, “Oh, I'm going to get saved, such
and such
a time.” John, fifteen, verse sixteen. John, fifteen, verse sixteen: John 15:16
Ye have not
chosen me, but I
have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth
fruit, and
that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in my
name, he may give it you. We don't deserve any credit. God does not need us. Acts,
seventeen,
versus twenty-four and twenty-five. The book of Acts, chapter
seventeen, versus
twenty-four and twenty-five: Acts 17:24-25 God that made the world and
all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth,
dwelleth not in
temples made with hands; [I don't care what
kind of
church you make, you can't fit God in your church. He's too big.] Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as
though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath,
and all
things; Church, we can't earn God's love. It's a gift. It is His
good pleasure
to give us the kingdom. God doesn't need stuff from us. He just wants
us. Amen?
Another question for you: Can be we be with Him, if He is not with us?
John,
chapter fifteen, verses four and five. John, fifteen, four and five: John 15:4-5 Abide in me, and I in you. As
the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no
more can
ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that
abideth
in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: [And, the last part of that verse:] for
without me ye can do nothing. So, what if somebody said, “You know, I don't know. I don't
really
think you got to do all that.” Okay, here you go, hit him with this
one.
Romans, chapter three, verse four. Romans, chapter three, verse
four—but, you
know, we should probably read three, as well. It says something like: Romans 3:3-4 For what if some did not
believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? [And then verse four:] God
forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written,
That thou
mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou
art
judged. So, it don't really matter what somebody else said, because,
they're
not going to be the ones that judge us. Amen? We're going to be judged
by the Word
of God, amen? I would like to challenge you with this thought, and when
I say
you, I mean, there's more than one you in here, but, you, take it
personally,
you and me, if we have love, then we have all of the other fruit of the
spirit.
“What you talking about, brother?” How can we not? No other foundation
can be
laid, than the one we now have in Jesus Christ. Now, maybe, only
certain foods
active in our lives, and in our walk with God, but, church, the ground
has
already been tilled, the seeds have already been planted, let us allow
God to
grow a garden of fruit in our lives, for His glory. Also, as a side
note,
notice that there is no mention of obedience in the fruit of the
spirit. It's
not in there, right? You didn't say you have to obey, as a fruit. There
is no
love without obedience. Let me say that again: there is no love without
obedience. It's inherent, inside the commandment of love, because, it
is, as
our last Scripture states and contains, the true title of the message,
that's
first John, chapter four, verse sixteen: 1 John 4:16 And we have known and believed
the love that God hath to us. [The title of
the
message] God is love; and he that
dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. And, that him has no gender, amen? He that dwelleth in love,
dwelleth
in God, and God in him. God is love. Give God a praise.
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