The Cost of True Love: Enduring for Christ

• The Nature of Charity (Love) [00:01:45 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor distinguishes between the horizontal aspects of love (kindness, patience) in verse 4 and the vertical, enduring aspects (bearing, believing, hoping, enduring) in verse 7, arguing they are not repetitive but distinct.
• Discipleship and Commitment [00:10:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor rejects the idea of tiered Christianity ('saints and scrubs'), asserting that being a Christian inherently means being a disciple who follows Christ fully, warning against false assurance.
• The Fruits of Love [00:07:35 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that love for God is tested by tangible actions, specifically time, money, and attendance, using the parable of the great supper to illustrate the rejection of God's invitation through excuses.
• The Cost of Discipleship and Rejection of Excuses [00:12:13 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor analyzes the parable of the great banquet, highlighting how people reject God's invitation due to trivial excuses (buying land, testing oxen, marriage), contrasting this with the call to prioritize the feast.
• Hating Family and Self [00:14:37 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor clarifies Jesus' command to 'hate' family, explaining it as a comparative love where devotion to Christ exceeds all other relationships, to the point where others perceive it as hatred.
• Suffering for Christ [00:16:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor defines bearing the cross as suffering for Christ, using the example of Perpetua to illustrate that true love for God outweighs even the love for one's children or life itself.
• Counting the Cost and Forsaking All [00:19:05 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor discusses the necessity of 'counting the cost' before becoming a Christian, interpreting 'forsaking all' as a heart posture of detachment where God has ultimate claim over all possessions.
• The Salt of the Earth [00:20:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of 'salty country ham' to describe the distinct, curative influence Christians should have on a morally corrupt world, warning against losing this spiritual potency.
• Affliction and Eternal Glory [00:22:21 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts Paul's severe sufferings (stoning, shipwreck, stripes) with his description of them as 'light affliction,' arguing that earthly troubles are momentary compared to the eternal weight of glory.
• Light Affliction vs. Eternal Glory [00:24:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts Paul's severe sufferings (stoning, shipwreck) with his description of them as 'light affliction,' arguing that earthly troubles are temporary compared to the eternal weight of glory.
• Counting Worldly Success as Loss [00:26:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using Philippians 3, the pastor explains how Paul considered his high religious pedigree and status as 'dung' or 'loss' compared to the knowledge of Christ.
• Boasting in Weakness [00:29:06 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor highlights Paul's decision to glory in infirmities and persecutions so that the power of Christ might rest upon him, illustrating that strength is made perfect in weakness.
• Moses' Choice of Suffering [00:30:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > An illustration from Hebrews 11 where Moses refused the wealth and status of Egypt to suffer affliction with God's people, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater than earthly treasures.
• Trials and Spiritual Growth [00:33:14 ▶️ 📄]
  > Based on Romans 5, the pastor explains that believers glory in tribulations because they produce patience, experience, and hope, which prevents shame.
• Denying Self vs. Denying Christ [00:36:26 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor asserts that failing to deny oneself (self-preservation/avoidance of trouble) is equivalent to denying Christ, citing Matthew 16 and Jonathan Edwards.
• The Crown and the Cross [00:37:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > A concluding point that one cannot accept the 'crown' (blessings/rest) without accepting the 'cross' (suffering/servanthood), as Jesus did not offer them as separate options.
• Self-Denial and Discipleship [00:36:24 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that refusing to deny oneself is equivalent to denying Christ, citing 2 Timothy 2 to establish that suffering and denial are inseparable from salvation.
• The Crown and the Cross [00:37:33 ▶️ 📄]
  > He critiques the cultural desire for 'the crown' (blessings/rest) without 'the cross' (suffering/yoke), emphasizing that Jesus offers both or neither, rejecting a 'Burger King' style of selective belief.
• Persecution as Blessing [00:39:48 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor reinterprets the Beatitudes, suggesting that being reviled or persecuted is a blessing because it aligns the believer with the prophets and Jesus, proving their faith.
• The Unity of Faith, Love, and Hope [00:40:24 ▶️ 📄]
  > He connects 1 Corinthians 13 and Galatians 5, explaining that faith works by love, hopes all things, and bears all things, creating an inseparable triad of Christian virtues.
• The Warfare of Grace [00:44:27 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using Jonathan Edwards, he describes the Christian life as a state of warfare against internal corruptions and external enemies, yet asserts that grace, like the Ark or gold in fire, cannot be destroyed by these assaults.
• Perseverance of Grace [00:49:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor argues that grace, though often appearing on the brink of ruin or destruction, will ultimately survive and triumph through divine preservation.
• Divine Sovereignty in Suffering [00:54:31 ▶️ 📄]
  > Based on Romans 8, the pastor explains that God does not just have the ability but the promise to work all things, including bad things, for the good of believers.
• The Nature of Christ's Love [00:57:01 ▶️ 📄]
  > Using the example of Jesus refusing the drugged wine on the cross, the pastor defines true love as willingly enduring maximum pain and wrath to secure salvation for others.
• Victory Through Love [00:55:53 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor concludes that believers are 'more than conquerors' not by their own strength, but through the love of Christ that endures all things.

• Sermon Illustration [00:00:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > A story about two pastors where one describes his congregation as 'up and down,' meaning they are either in the mountains or at the beach, not in church.
• Sermon Illustration [00:04:37 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references Jonathan Edwards' book 'Charity and Its Fruits' to support his exegesis of 1 Corinthians 13:7.
• Sermon Illustration [00:11:43 ▶️ 📄]
  > An exposition of the Parable of the Great Supper (Luke 14), where guests make excuses (buying ground, testing oxen, marrying) to avoid attending the feast, illustrating how people reject God's invitation.
• Sermon Illustration [00:12:38 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor lists common modern excuses for missing church, such as doctor's appointments or family emergencies, mirroring the excuses given in the parable of the great banquet.
• Sermon Illustration [00:17:49 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor tells the historical story of Perpetua, a young Christian woman in 300 A.D. who refused to recant her faith to save her baby from death in the Colosseum, demonstrating that her love for Jesus exceeded her love for her child.
• Sermon Illustration [00:21:03 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses an analogy of 'salty country ham' versus 'city ham' to illustrate the distinct, strong, and curative spiritual influence Christians should have on the world.
• Sermon Illustration [00:21:51 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor recounts the life of the Apostle Paul, detailing his persecutions (stoning, shipwreck, beatings) and his perspective that these severe sufferings were merely 'light affliction' compared to eternal glory.
• Sermon Illustration [00:24:18 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor contrasts modern 'stoning' (marijuana dispensaries) with the literal stoning Paul endured, asking the congregation if they have been stoned with rocks or beaten with stripes to highlight the severity of Paul's 'light affliction.'
• Sermon Illustration [00:29:59 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor shares a personal anecdote about his younger self believing he needed to attain specific worldly successes (house, car, wife) before realizing that God showed him an example of someone who had it all and refused it.
• Sermon Illustration [00:30:28 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the biblical example of Moses, who could have been Pharaoh or Prime Minister of Egypt, but refused that honor to suffer affliction with God's people, choosing eternal reward over temporary pleasure.
• Sermon Illustration [00:29:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references Gideon reducing his army to 300 men as a biblical parallel to the idea that God uses weakness and infirmity to display His power rather than human strength.
• Sermon Illustration [00:38:24 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses the analogy of 'Burger King' ('have it your way') to critique selective Christianity, contrasting it with the necessity of having it God's way alone.
• Sermon Illustration [00:50:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > He references the biblical imagery of the Ark floating above the floodwaters and gold remaining pure in a fiery furnace to illustrate how grace survives overwhelming opposition.
• Sermon Illustration [00:48:23 ▶️ 📄]
  > He cites historical and biblical examples of the church being hunted like a partridge (David), persecuted by Egypt (Israel), and attacked by heathen powers, yet surviving due to Christ's presence.
• Sermon Illustration [00:50:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor uses multiple biblical analogies to illustrate the safety of grace: the Ark floating above the floodwaters, the ship with Christ inside surviving a storm, and the Israelites passing through the Red Sea while their enemies were drowned.
• Sermon Illustration [00:52:22 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor references King David being pursued by enemies in the wilderness, appearing on the brink of death, yet being preserved and eventually exalted to the throne.
• Sermon Illustration [00:57:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > The pastor details the historical/biblical event of Jesus on the cross refusing the drink mingled with gall (an anesthetic) because He chose to fully endure the excruciating pain and the 'dregs of the cup of the wrath of Almighty God' rather than have any comfort or escape.

• Pastoral Charge [00:04:44 ▶️ 📄]
  > Read Jonathan Edwards' book 'Charity and Its Fruits'.
• Pastoral Charge [00:10:09 ▶️ 📄]
  > Commit to being a true follower of Christ without making excuses or lowering standards of commitment.
• Pastoral Charge [00:17:49 ▶️ 📄]
  > Study the story of Perpetua from the Voice of the Martyrs magazine.
• Pastoral Charge [00:25:29 ▶️ 📄]
  > To focus attention and gaze upon Jesus.
• Pastoral Charge [00:35:36 ▶️ 📄]
  > To deny oneself, take up one's cross, and follow Jesus.
• Pastoral Charge [00:38:40 ▶️ 📄]
  > Praying for divine assistance to deny oneself and follow Christ.
• Pastoral Charge [00:44:21 ▶️ 📄]
  > Asking the congregation to listen closely to a reading from Jonathan Edwards.

[00:00:01] [SPEAKER SPEAKER_00]
[00:00:01] Again today, as you turn there, years ago I was reminded, not reminded, it was a story recounted to me by an older minister about an older minister.
[00:00:19] So this goes back a ways.
[00:00:22] And a pastor was visiting a pastor and he said, well, how's your church?
[00:00:30] How's the people?
[00:00:31] He said, well, they's kind of up and down, a good southern pastor.
[00:00:36] And he said, up and down?
[00:00:37] He said, what do you mean up and down?
[00:00:40] He said, yeah, yeah, they's kind of up and down.
[00:00:42] Now, I'm looking out, and as we go, Pastor Andy, more people are coming in.
[00:00:46] So, you know, this has less effect now.
[00:00:49] But he says, what do you mean they're up and down?
[00:00:53] He says, well, they're all either up in the mountains or down at the beach, but they ain't here.
[00:00:57] well we're glad that you all are here each and every one of you we welcome visitors and our regulars and uh and more filing in and so there are some folks that are out especially
[00:01:11] keep as pastor annie did sue ann in prayer who's been in the hospital now a week if you remember last sunday right here is when she had essentially a heart attack and so please keep our sister in
[00:01:23] prayer. But 1 Corinthians 13, we continue our message on the idea of charity in the King James, which of course means what? Love. Today our message, charity beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. What does that mean? Is it just repeating a lot of
[00:01:45] the same stuff we've already heard? Well, no, it isn't. And we want to talk about that. But let's read the entire chapter, and then we'll focus on verse 7 today. 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verse 1. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I
[00:02:03] am become a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods
[00:02:18] to feed the poor. And though I give my body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long and is kind. Charity envieth not. Charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, does not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked,
[00:02:37] thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
[00:02:49] Charity, that is to say love, charity never faileth.
[00:02:52] But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail.
[00:02:55] Whether there be tongues, they shall cease.
[00:02:57] Whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
[00:03:00] For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
[00:03:09] When I was a child, I spake as a child.
[00:03:11] I understood as a child.
[00:03:13] I thought as a child.
[00:03:14] But when I became a man, I put away childish things.
[00:03:17] For now we see through a glass or a mirror darkly, but then face to face.
[00:03:24] Now I know in part, but then shall I know even also as I am known.
[00:03:28] And now abideth fate, hope, charity.
[00:03:32] These three, but the greatest of these is charity.
[00:03:36] Let's pray.
[00:03:37] Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this marvelous chapter.
[00:03:40] Help us now, we pray, not to grow weary in well-doing as we've spent much time on it.
[00:03:45] But there is more here, Lord, I believe.
[00:03:47] And I pray that your Spirit would be pleased to give us greater insight, that we might have a greater capacity to continue to receive your gracious love to us, first through your Son, Christ Jesus, and salvation, and now day by day,
[00:04:01] and that we might be a greater and greater conduit of your love and grace to others as we present your gospel and word and deed to your glory.
[00:04:12] And it's in Christ's name we thank you. Amen.
[00:04:16] 1 Corinthians 13, 7.
[00:04:19] Remember, we ended up last time, we did verse 5 and 6, actually we did last week, that love is not easily provoked, doesn't get angry easily, thinks no evil, doesn't take account of wrongs and keep it against others,
[00:04:33] rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth.
[00:04:37] And as I've been talking about, I've been reading Jonathan Edwards' Charity and Its Fruits, It's an excellent book.
[00:04:44] I encourage it highly to everyone here.
[00:04:46] You can find it online, his exposition, some 300 pages of 1 Corinthians chapter 13.
[00:04:53] And in this book, he presents that he believes that verse 7, I'm sorry, verse 6 stops and sums up what's before, and now verse 7 is something different.
[00:05:06] Because notice, we have in verse 4, charity suffereth long, or is forbearing.
[00:05:13] But then in verse 7, bears all things.
[00:05:16] And then again, we have in verse 7, it endures all things.
[00:05:21] Well, is enduring the same as bearing?
[00:05:24] Is the same as forbearing?
[00:05:26] Is he just repeating himself?
[00:05:27] He says no.
[00:05:28] As a matter of fact, he says that verse 6, that all of these things, love does not rejoice in iniquity or sin, it rejoices in truth. And so these descriptions of love in verse 4, it's long
[00:05:42] suffering, it's kind, it envies not, it doesn't vaunt itself, it is not proud, it does not behave itself unseemly or perverse, it does not seek its own, it's not easily provoked, it thinks no evil.
[00:05:56] All of this is horizontal. All of this is towards one another. And love does not do these things.
[00:06:01] and to sum all of that up it rejoices not in sin or iniquity but it rejoices in truth now he says and i believe he's right that now we're going to a more general aspect of what love
[00:06:16] is godward as the graces and that's what we see in verse 7 it bears all things not one towards another it's already said that we're long suffering but it bears all things in the sense of
[00:06:28] Whatever sufferings come in the way of Christ, love will bear us up in it and through it.
[00:06:36] It bears all things.
[00:06:37] That's love.
[00:06:38] It believes all things.
[00:06:40] Love and faith are connected.
[00:06:43] It hopes all things.
[00:06:44] Love, faith, and hope are connected.
[00:06:48] It endures all things.
[00:06:49] In other words, it will persevere to the end.
[00:06:54] Endures.
[00:06:55] And I believe, and that's not just horizontal.
[00:06:58] that's vertical, us and Christ, us and our faith.
[00:07:03] And I believe that is the focus of what's going on here and that's the way we're going to address it just as I encourage you all to read the book when you get a chance.
[00:07:12] Charity and its Fruits by Jonathan Edwards, an excellent book.
[00:07:15] Now, this first one, bears all things.
[00:07:19] Have you ever said, this is just more than I can bear?
[00:07:24] Well, love bears all things.
[00:07:26] All things?
[00:07:27] All things for Christ.
[00:07:29] What do we mean?
[00:07:30] I think a really good example is found in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14, if you want to turn there.
[00:07:35] As you're turning there, we say we're Christians.
[00:07:39] Jesus says, by this you will know that all men are my disciples.
[00:07:43] By this you will know them by their fruits.
[00:07:45] And what particular fruit does he mention?
[00:07:47] By their love for one another.
[00:07:51] Well, how is our love?
[00:07:52] One of the ways to test of real love, love for one another is really a function of love for God, right?
[00:07:58] What does Jesus say?
[00:08:00] Well, the Bible says, for God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son.
[00:08:03] So the first love is God's love for us.
[00:08:07] In order for us to love God, we love him because he first loved us.
[00:08:12] And now in order for us to love one another aright, and not just because we think they're cute or something, but to love them in the right way, the biblical way, we have to first
[00:08:23] receive the love of God because you can't give what you don't got.
[00:08:27] Pardon my incorrect grammar.
[00:08:29] You can't give true love if you've never received it.
[00:08:35] Love is love.
[00:08:36] Not according to the Bible.
[00:08:38] God is love.
[00:08:40] And to know God is to know love.
[00:08:43] To receive God is to receive love.
[00:08:45] And to give love means you had to first receive love.
[00:08:48] In order to receive love, you've got to receive Jesus Christ.
[00:08:53] So, how do we test that?
[00:08:56] Oh, I love the Lord.
[00:08:58] How much money are you giving to church?
[00:08:59] Not much.
[00:09:01] I love the Lord.
[00:09:02] How much time are you in church?
[00:09:03] When I feel like it.
[00:09:05] How much time are you in the Bible at home?
[00:09:08] Not as much as I should.
[00:09:09] How much time are you in prayer?
[00:09:12] Maybe not so much.
[00:09:13] How much time do you do good deeds towards others and love your neighbors in the name of Christ or share the gospel?
[00:09:21] I'm kind of busy right now.
[00:09:23] A good test of love is time and money.
[00:09:28] Pastor Andy, you know, we have a good group here today, But when people don't come, he's been a pastor longer than I have.
[00:09:35] Have you ever heard any excuses as to why people don't come?
[00:09:38] Maybe one or two.
[00:09:40] How many have we heard, right?
[00:09:44] Here's some more to add to your list, right?
[00:09:46] Luke chapter 14.
[00:09:49] Notice what takes place beginning in verse 16.
[00:09:51] Jesus is teaching about what it means to be a Christian.
[00:09:55] What does it mean to be a Christian?
[00:09:57] Well, here's, he's talking about it.
[00:10:00] He's on the earth.
[00:10:00] He's got disciples.
[00:10:01] there's more people that want to be his disciples.
[00:10:05] And basically he's saying, if you want to be my disciple, this is what it looks like.
[00:10:09] Now, to be a disciple of Christ is to be a Christian.
[00:10:12] Please don't labor under the misunderstanding that there's two groups of Christians, the saints and the scrubs.
[00:10:18] No, there's only one group of Christians.
[00:10:20] If you're born again, you're a saint.
[00:10:22] If you're born again, you're a disciple.
[00:10:24] What's a disciple? A follower of Christ.
[00:10:26] You say, well, I'm a Christian, but I'm not a pastor.
[00:10:30] I'm not a missionary, so I believe.
[00:10:33] But, you know, pastor, you can't expect that much from me.
[00:10:35] Jesus did not make that distinction.
[00:10:38] If you're a Christian, you are a follower of Christ.
[00:10:43] It doesn't say, well, there's a level of serious and there's a level of goof-offs, and hopefully they'll both get into heaven.
[00:10:48] No.
[00:10:50] You either follow Christ or you don't.
[00:10:53] Jesus does not give this tiered level of commitment because it doesn't exist.
[00:10:58] He never offered it.
[00:11:00] and please don't believe that he did because you may find at the end of your quote-unquote Christian life that you're not one of those people that Jesus said, many will come to me in the last day
[00:11:12] and say, Lord, Lord, haven't we cast out devils, done many mighty works in your name?
[00:11:17] And Jesus will say, yeah, that's right.
[00:11:19] Come on in.
[00:11:20] Hooray!
[00:11:21] We're so glad you're here.
[00:11:22] No?
[00:11:22] He says, depart from me, you workers of iniquity.
[00:11:26] I never knew you.
[00:11:28] God forbid that be said to any of us. But Jesus says to those who are listening to him in verse 16 of Luke 14, a certain man made a great supper and bade many, invited many. He sent his servant at
[00:11:43] suppertime to say to them that were bidden, come, for all things are now ready. Now as you'll see, this certain man is God. God has created a great feast. He's invited people to come. I believe this is emblematic of the wedding feast of the Lamb. He's inviting people
[00:11:59] to salvation who paid for the feast God who did all the work God his son Christ Jesus and yet this isn't a matter of you know come and and weed eat at the church I mean that's even harder but
[00:12:13] but come and enjoy a feast that you didn't have to pay for oh I don't know look what happens this wonderful feast and and come for all things already verse 18 and they all with one consent
[00:12:26] began to make excuse.
[00:12:29] The verse said, I have bought a piece of ground and I must needs go and see it.
[00:12:34] I pray you have me excused.
[00:12:36] Right now?
[00:12:38] Someone said, you know, I can't come to church.
[00:12:40] Why?
[00:12:41] Well, I got a doctor's appointment.
[00:12:43] Sunday morning?
[00:12:44] I guess so.
[00:12:45] I don't know.
[00:12:47] Sue Ann's in the hospital.
[00:12:48] I don't know.
[00:12:48] Who am I?
[00:12:51] I don't know.
[00:12:52] So here they bought a piece of ground.
[00:12:55] Can it wait till after supper?
[00:12:56] I guess not.
[00:12:57] He's got to go see it right now.
[00:13:00] Okay.
[00:13:01] Verse 19.
[00:13:02] And another said, I bought five yoke of oxen, and I've got to go test them out and prove them.
[00:13:07] I pray thee have me excused.
[00:13:09] Another said, I've married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.
[00:13:12] Now that's the only excuse that we understand.
[00:13:14] But verse 21.
[00:13:16] So that servant came and showed his lord these things.
[00:13:22] Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.
[00:13:32] And the servant said, Lord, it's done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
[00:13:37] And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, compel them to come into my house, that my house may be filled.
[00:13:44] For I say unto you, that none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.
[00:13:49] That's a scary phrase.
[00:13:52] All of the people that have heard the gospel, All of the people have been invited to come to Christ.
[00:13:57] All of those people who've been invited to bow the knee, to become disciples, and have said, oh, you know, I've got to get my hair cut.
[00:14:05] Or, you know, well, I don't know, I've got some things, I really need to exercise.
[00:14:10] Whatever.
[00:14:13] He said, all of those people, they're not tasting myself.
[00:14:18] That's scary.
[00:14:21] But now look what he says.
[00:14:24] Verse 25, And there went multitudes with him, and he turned and said to them, If any man comes to me and does not hate his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yea, in his own life also he cannot be my disciple.
[00:14:37] Now this doesn't mean that you need to be mean to your family and hate them and abuse them.
[00:14:41] This means in relationship to your love and dedication for Christ, people might think that you hate your family because you are so focused on Christ.
[00:14:53] People might think that you hate money or hate whatever else.
[00:14:57] But the idea is the love for Christ and the dedication to Christ will so exceed and excel that in relationship, it will look like that.
[00:15:06] And his own life also.
[00:15:08] We're not supposed to hate our life and be miserable.
[00:15:11] He's talking about our life dwindles down to nothing in importance compared to the glory of God, because our life when we're born again is bundled up in the glory of God and in Christ and what he's done for us.
[00:15:23] and we lose the sight of ourselves when we gaze upon Him for all eternity and that begins when we're born again.
[00:15:33] And so this is what he's saying.
[00:15:35] And whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me, look at verse 26, cannot be my disciple.
[00:15:44] Verse 27, cannot be my disciple.
[00:15:47] This is strong language.
[00:15:49] Now, in love, love bears all things.
[00:15:52] that is to say suffers all things that is to say no matter what comes my way no matter what hardship if that love for Christ is truly what God is calling us to do which is to love him with all of our heart soul mind and strength
[00:16:05] what's too difficult but if there's things that are too difficult that speaks about a love that's a little bit smaller than we thought you see but if the love is tremendous what will you not do for that child that you love
[00:16:20] you might die in trying to save them because you love them that much.
[00:16:29] This is how we should love God and get greater still.
[00:16:32] And that's why it says, love bears all things, you see.
[00:16:36] And this is what Christ is saying.
[00:16:38] Whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
[00:16:43] To bear the cross, what's the cross?
[00:16:45] It's a picture of suffering.
[00:16:47] Suffering here primarily in the sense of suffering for Christ.
[00:16:51] If we're not willing to suffer, we're like the rocky soil.
[00:16:55] The gospel comes.
[00:16:56] Oh, this sounds great.
[00:16:57] I get to go to heaven.
[00:16:58] Oh, and there's blessings too.
[00:16:59] Okay, sign me up.
[00:17:01] And then things happen and you start to get persecuted and friends think you're nutty and different things happen and you start getting persecuted and different circumstances make life difficult or hard.
[00:17:14] Let's say you're a Muslim, for example, and you believe in Jesus and then everybody wants to, well, I have to say it, kill you.
[00:17:22] or get rid of you or ostracize you, well, maybe this isn't so hard after all.
[00:17:28] I think I'll go back to Islam.
[00:17:32] How much do you love Jesus?
[00:17:35] We have the Voice of the Martyrs magazine out on the table.
[00:17:39] Go study the story of Perpetua, an early Christian saint, a young woman who came to Christ in like 300 A.D.
[00:17:49] And she came to Christ.
[00:17:51] She truly believed.
[00:17:52] and the laws for pagan worship were there in Rome and they said, we're going to put you to death.
[00:17:58] We're going to send you to the Colosseum.
[00:17:59] The animals are going to gore you if you don't recant.
[00:18:03] She wouldn't.
[00:18:04] And she had a baby and her father comes as she's before the court and says, look at your baby.
[00:18:09] Please, just say the words you need and save your child.
[00:18:13] She says, I can't deny my law.
[00:18:16] And she does get killed, but I believe I'll see her in heaven.
[00:18:20] I'll give praise for her.
[00:18:22] But why?
[00:18:23] Because she loved Jesus even more than a baby.
[00:18:27] We are to love our babies and love our parents and love our brothers and sisters.
[00:18:31] But the love first is to be for God.
[00:18:34] Isn't that right?
[00:18:35] There is a reason to the order.
[00:18:37] What's the first and great commandment?
[00:18:38] Love your neighbor as yourself and the second is love God?
[00:18:41] No, love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength is first.
[00:18:45] It comes first for a reason, brothers and sisters.
[00:18:47] We can't begin to love our neighbor as ourself until we love God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength, which we cannot do until we have first received His love in salvation through Jesus Christ and faith in Him and His finished work.
[00:19:02] Or I could just preach Luke 14.
[00:19:03] We've got to move forward, though.
[00:19:05] So, additionally, he talks about counting the cost when you become a Christian.
[00:19:10] For which of you, verse 28, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counts the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it, lest happily, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it,
[00:19:22] all that behold it shall mock him, saying, This man began to build, but was not able to finish.
[00:19:29] Notice verse 33.
[00:19:31] So likewise, whosoever he be of you, that forsaketh not all that he hath, cannot be my disciple.
[00:19:38] That's pretty hard.
[00:19:40] Whoever does not forsake everything he has cannot be my disciple.
[00:19:43] Well, surely this isn't literal, Pastor Joseph.
[00:19:45] I believe it is.
[00:19:47] What the word means there, forsake, is to say goodbye to.
[00:19:51] To say goodbye to.
[00:19:52] to take leave of.
[00:19:55] In other words, everything I have, take it.
[00:19:59] Take it.
[00:20:00] It doesn't mean that you necessarily have to give it away, but it has to be given away in your heart.
[00:20:05] Everything that you have, you stay loose to it.
[00:20:08] You forsake it.
[00:20:09] You say, this is not mine.
[00:20:11] These are God's things.
[00:20:12] He can do with them what He pleases.
[00:20:14] This is the idea.
[00:20:15] And if that hasn't happened in our hearts, He's saying, you can't be my disciple.
[00:20:21] These are hard things, brothers and sisters.
[00:20:22] But the idea is that true love for God can bear up under all of these challenges and the challenges that the world, this fallen world, will place upon us, which are many, right?
[00:20:38] So in this little part of Christ's teaching, he says, salt is good.
[00:20:43] Who's the salt?
[00:20:44] Christians.
[00:20:45] But if the salt have lost its savor, if it's lost its potency, wherewith shall it be seasoned?
[00:20:53] What's it good for?
[00:20:54] It's neither fit for the land nor yet for the dunghill, but men cast it out.
[00:20:59] He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
[00:21:01] If we're Christians, we should be salty.
[00:21:03] It's like that country ham.
[00:21:05] Good, salty country ham.
[00:21:07] That stuff that you don't soak and you bite into it.
[00:21:09] Whoa, wow.
[00:21:11] Jason Richards, I don't see him here, but you bite into it, you know.
[00:21:13] That's not city ham.
[00:21:15] That's country ham.
[00:21:16] Salty.
[00:21:16] And that's how it should be when people interact with you.
[00:21:19] They should see that light.
[00:21:20] They should taste of that salt, that curative influence that works against the tide of progressing moral corruption and decay.
[00:21:31] That salt and that light, it should be the aroma of Christ that people experience when they encounter you and me.
[00:21:39] And that really comes from a life described, as we have just heard, that is willing to give all for Christ to bear up under whatever comes our way.
[00:21:51] Isn't Paul a great example for this?
[00:21:53] He had it all.
[00:21:54] When he was Saul, he was top of the top of the Pharisees.
[00:21:58] He's the emissary that the high priests send all the way to Damascus to go and persecute Christians.
[00:22:04] He was, as he used to say in the old days, it on a stick.
[00:22:09] And he gave it all up for Christ.
[00:22:11] 2 Corinthians chapter 4, You'll see this in verse 6 and following.
[00:22:18] It's a great passage to encourage us.
[00:22:21] 2 Corinthians 4.
[00:22:23] I know people here are going through things.
[00:22:25] We're all going through things on this earth.
[00:22:27] It shouldn't surprise us.
[00:22:29] It says in verse 6 of 2 Corinthians 4, For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God
[00:22:39] in the face of Jesus Christ.
[00:22:41] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.
[00:22:47] Now, this is Paul, the apostle.
[00:22:50] People say, look, you become a Christian, no more trouble, no more problems.
[00:22:53] Easy street.
[00:22:54] Everything's great.
[00:22:55] Hey, I'll take that.
[00:22:57] That wasn't the message of Paul.
[00:23:00] Paul, who wrote more of the New Testament than any other writer.
[00:23:04] Paul says, we, verse 8, are trouble on every side, yet not distressed.
[00:23:09] We're perplexed, but not in despair.
[00:23:11] We're persecuted, but not forsaken, cast down, but not destroyed, always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
[00:23:26] For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
[00:23:35] And then he goes on to say, listen here in verse 15, For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God, for which cause we faint not.
[00:23:49] Here it is.
[00:23:50] You older people should say amen.
[00:23:52] Younger people, you might have trouble figuring this out, but it'll come.
[00:23:55] But though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.
[00:24:01] For our light affliction.
[00:24:03] He says all of these problems.
[00:24:04] What kind of problems did he go through?
[00:24:06] being stoned, being shipwrecked, being beaten, being prisoned, being perhaps killed and raised again from the dead.
[00:24:15] He calls this light affliction.
[00:24:18] How many of you have been stoned lately?
[00:24:20] I'm not talking about the dispensary and the marijuana now.
[00:24:26] And if that's the case, don't raise your hand.
[00:24:28] But how many of you have been stoned with rocks?
[00:24:34] He says, I've been beaten with stripes.
[00:24:37] How many of you have been taken like Jesus and stripes?
[00:24:41] 40 stripes in your back or 39?
[00:24:43] Paul has.
[00:24:44] You know what he called that?
[00:24:46] Whatever you're going through is less than that.
[00:24:49] He called what he went through light.
[00:24:52] Light.
[00:24:54] When he said, I can't bear anymore.
[00:24:56] You just don't know what I'm going through.
[00:24:57] Paul does.
[00:24:59] He went through more and he called it light.
[00:25:02] And Christ went through more still.
[00:25:05] Paul says, for our light affliction, which is but for a moment.
[00:25:08] He says, all this trouble and suffering on this earth, it's just for a moment.
[00:25:12] What's your life but a vapor?
[00:25:14] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
[00:25:24] For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
[00:25:29] Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
[00:25:31] Look full in His wonderful face.
[00:25:33] and the things of earth, troubles, tribulations, challenges, aches, pains.
[00:25:38] Ever heard of those things?
[00:25:39] We'll go strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.
[00:25:43] Not to mention all the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh and all those things that used to wow us and should no longer.
[00:25:50] This is the Christian life.
[00:25:52] Philippians chapter 3, Paul tells us again in different words, essentially the same thing we find in Philippians chapter 3.
[00:26:01] He says, he talks about his pedigree, a Pharisee of the Pharisee.
[00:26:08] He's been taught and he's of the tribe of Benjamin, circumcised on the eighth day.
[00:26:15] His zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness of the law, Philippians 3, 6, blameless.
[00:26:20] But listen, he says all of that, all of that.
[00:26:23] What school did you go to?
[00:26:24] What kind of degree did you get?
[00:26:25] How much money are you making?
[00:26:26] What kind of job?
[00:26:27] Where?
[00:26:28] Who are you?
[00:26:28] We want to see what value you are.
[00:26:31] Paul had it all as far as the Jews concerned.
[00:26:33] He was at the top of the top.
[00:26:34] But look what he says about all of that.
[00:26:38] All of that, he says, verse 7.
[00:26:40] But what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
[00:26:46] Yea, doubtless 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.
[00:26:55] And in his case, that was it, right?
[00:26:57] And all of those things that he lost, oh, I just wish I had it back.
[00:27:01] I just wish I had it back.
[00:27:03] No, I count them as dung.
[00:27:06] What's dung?
[00:27:08] Don't curse at my church now.
[00:27:10] That I may win Christ.
[00:27:14] All of that, that the world's after, he said, dung, dung, that I might win Christ.
[00:27:24] How about you, brothers and sisters?
[00:27:27] And be found in him, Jesus, verse 9, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through faith, the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith,
[00:27:39] that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings.
[00:27:45] Remember, bears all things, being made conformable unto his death.
[00:27:51] This is Paul.
[00:27:52] And Paul says in 2 Corinthians, remember the thorn in the flesh that he got?
[00:27:56] And why did he get that? Anybody remember?
[00:28:00] So he would not be puffed up and proud.
[00:28:05] Just quickly, say in Corinthians chapter 12, verse 6 through 10, he says, For though I would desire to glory, I should not be a fool, for I will say the truth.
[00:28:16] But now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth to me.
[00:28:22] He says, And lest I should be exalted above measure, and lest I should get too proud here, or proud at all, through the abundance of revelations that he received, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh,
[00:28:33] the messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
[00:28:38] For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
[00:28:43] He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.
[00:28:48] So does Paul say, Oh, woe is me.
[00:28:50] I got this thorn.
[00:28:51] Oh, you need to have pity on me.
[00:28:54] Look how hard my life is.
[00:28:56] I'm just miserable.
[00:28:58] No one understands.
[00:29:00] And what does Paul say?
[00:29:01] Most gladly, therefore, will I rather glory, if I'm going to boast in anything, what am I going to boast in?
[00:29:06] My infirmities, my sicknesses, my weaknesses, my distresses, my persecutions, my trials.
[00:29:13] That's what I'm going to boast about.
[00:29:15] Not that how good I am, but what Christ is doing in me, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
[00:29:21] Therefore, verse 10, I take pleasure in infirmities.
[00:29:25] How many of you take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, and distresses for Christ's sake.
[00:29:32] For when I am weak, then I am strong.
[00:29:34] Praise God.
[00:29:36] Why?
[00:29:36] Because when I am weak, now God's power can flow through me and he gets the glory.
[00:29:42] Isn't that the picture of many things in the Bible?
[00:29:44] Like Gideon taking him down to 300 men and all that?
[00:29:47] Same idea here.
[00:29:48] This is Paul.
[00:29:50] Now, I want to give you this, one of these favorite passages.
[00:29:52] Book of Hebrews chapter 11.
[00:29:54] Especially for younger people.
[00:29:56] When I was young, that was a long time ago.
[00:29:59] When I was young, I was like a lot of people.
[00:30:03] I thought that we need to attain a certain success, a certain kind of house, a certain kind of car, a certain kind of life, maybe even, you know, a certain kind of wife or living or whatever.
[00:30:20] Now, the Lord has showed me an example of someone who had it all and refused it.
[00:30:26] Hebrews chapter 11, verse 24.
[00:30:28] Therefore, by faith, Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
[00:30:36] He's in Egypt.
[00:30:37] He might possibly have been Pharaoh.
[00:30:39] If not, he could have been, say, the prime minister of Egypt.
[00:30:44] But he refused that honor.
[00:30:46] Egypt's pretty much the most wealthy country in the world.
[00:30:49] He could have been like a king.
[00:30:52] He refused.
[00:30:54] He wouldn't even be called that.
[00:30:55] Why?
[00:30:56] He had it.
[00:30:56] He didn't have to fight for it.
[00:30:58] Oh, that's what they were calling him.
[00:31:00] He said, no, no, I don't want to hear that.
[00:31:01] Why?
[00:31:03] Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.
[00:31:12] He had, you can be the richest person on earth, have everything you want, have all of these people obeying you and under your power, do with it whatever you please, or you can go be a slave and be afflicted and live a very hard life.
[00:31:27] Oh, that's what I'll choose any minute.
[00:31:30] Wouldn't you?
[00:31:31] Wouldn't you choose to be a slave?
[00:31:34] No.
[00:31:36] But Moses did.
[00:31:37] Why?
[00:31:39] He could have easily been like a king.
[00:31:42] Why?
[00:31:43] And notice it says, instead of enjoying the pleasures of sin for a season.
[00:31:48] And that season is when his life is over, he won't be enjoying pleasures anymore.
[00:31:53] Because he'll have to answer to God for not choosing him.
[00:31:57] Notice, it says, verse 26, the reason why, he esteemed the reproach of Christ.
[00:32:05] Did Moses know about Jesus?
[00:32:08] I guess so.
[00:32:09] He esteemed the reproach of Christ greater than all of the treasures and wealth of Egypt.
[00:32:19] Isn't that the picture for us?
[00:32:22] For he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
[00:32:26] verse 27, by fate he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, Pharaoh, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. Brothers and sisters, that's what we're called to live, that same life. Romans 5, I think, sums up this idea pretty well. This idea of the aspect of
[00:32:48] bearing under and suffering things for Christ, how this is related to a life of love and of faith and of hope. Romans chapter 5, look at just the first five verses. Therefore, verse 1, being
[00:33:02] justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only
[00:33:14] so, but we glory in tribulations also. We glory in tribulations, what's tribulations? Suffering, trials, challenges. We glory in these things. Why? Because we know tribulation works patience, patience, experience, and experience hope.
[00:33:28] Remember, love hopeth all things.
[00:33:30] It bears all things.
[00:33:32] It hopes.
[00:33:32] It believes all things.
[00:33:33] It hopes all things.
[00:33:35] Verse 5, And hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
[00:33:46] Hope, faith, love.
[00:33:48] They all work together even in the midst of tribulations and trials which true love to God makes us bear and suffer.
[00:33:58] Our life, and even unfortunately, some of what's called Christianity is all about trying to avoid troubles.
[00:34:06] The Christian life's not about that at all.
[00:34:08] The Christian life is about overcoming troubles through Christ.
[00:34:13] Would you rather try to avoid and be fearful and just be like in the wave of a sea, constantly being thrown around by the varying circumstances of life of which you ultimately have no control?
[00:34:26] Or would you rather ride above them in heaven at the right hand of the Father, overcoming whatever trial and whatever persecution and whatever affliction, no matter how long it takes, by the very power of God in Christ Jesus,
[00:34:40] the power of the Holy Spirit inside of us, so that we who are in this world, we know that the devil and his spirit, which is in the world, our spirit, the Holy Spirit, is infinitely greater.
[00:34:50] Greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the world.
[00:34:53] And I can do all things through Christ Jesus, even through the most intense suffering, by the grace of God, for the glory of God, for His honor and for His praise.
[00:35:04] This is victory.
[00:35:05] Not let me try to hide, let me try to avoid, let me try to live a life of fear that gets away from all of the uncomfortable things and hopefully I'll squeak out okay.
[00:35:18] You're deluding yourself.
[00:35:20] You're deluding yourself if you do this.
[00:35:22] Matthew 16, 24, and 25 says it again, what we've already heard in Luke 14.
[00:35:28] Matthew 16, verse 24 says this.
[00:35:33] Christ lays it on the line pretty clearly.
[00:35:36] If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.
[00:35:44] If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
[00:35:48] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it.
[00:35:50] whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. Jonathan Edwards said, if you deny Christ, then you're taking care of yourself. The only way to deny yourself is to follow after Christ.
[00:36:11] So in other words, what does that mean? This idea that if you're not denying yourself, you're denying Christ.
[00:36:24] Let me say it again.
[00:36:26] If you're not denying yourself, you're denying Christ.
[00:36:33] Lord have mercy.
[00:36:35] May that not be us.
[00:36:37] 2 Timothy chapter 2 talks about this very thing in a very concise manner.
[00:36:44] 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 8.
[00:36:49] Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel, wherein I suffer trouble, here it is, As an evildoer, even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound.
[00:37:00] Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
[00:37:08] It's a faithful saying, for if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him.
[00:37:13] If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.
[00:37:17] If we deny him, he will also deny us.
[00:37:23] If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful.
[00:37:26] He cannot deny Himself.
[00:37:30] Real quickly, I mentioned this in Sunday school.
[00:37:33] A lot of people like the crown, but not the cross.
[00:37:38] A lot of people like rest in Jesus, but not the yoke.
[00:37:44] Jesus did not give us the option to receive one without the other.
[00:37:49] A lot of people have accepted Christ, at least in word.
[00:37:52] They've accepted a crown.
[00:37:54] They've accepted rest.
[00:37:56] They've accepted blessings.
[00:37:57] They've accepted all sorts of wonderful things.
[00:38:01] And that is truly a part of Christianity.
[00:38:04] But they have not willingly accepted sufferings, persecutions, the cross, the yoke, bondage in the sense of, not bondage, but freedom in Christ, but the fact that we now are servants of Christ, but joyful sons and daughters of the Most High God.
[00:38:21] But no, no, I'll have it my way.
[00:38:22] Yes, I'll believe in Jesus, but I'll have it my way.
[00:38:24] No, no, as we've said before, it's not a Burger King religion.
[00:38:27] You must have it His way and His way alone.
[00:38:30] We can't have it our way.
[00:38:33] To not deny yourself is to deny Christ.
[00:38:40] Lord, have mercy and help us.
[00:38:43] These things are hard, Pastor Joseph.
[00:38:44] I understand.
[00:38:45] We can't even do it except by the power of God.
[00:38:48] In Revelation chapter 14, it talks about those 144,000.
[00:38:52] I think symbolically it's talking about the church.
[00:38:55] And it says that they follow the Lamb whithersoever He goes.
[00:39:01] That means even through the valley of the shadow of death.
[00:39:04] Oh, I'm not going there.
[00:39:06] The true followers of Christ follow him wherever he goes.
[00:39:10] Because let me tell you, no matter how hard it is, no matter how scary it is, no matter how difficult it is, no matter whatever it is, if I'm with Jesus, I'm safe.
[00:39:21] I'd rather be in the most fires of hell, if you will, if I'm in Jesus' arms, than to be in a supposed heaven without Christ.
[00:39:31] Because wherever Christ is, that's where I want to be.
[00:39:34] Because if I'm with Him and He's with me, I don't have to worry, no matter what the circumstances look like.
[00:39:41] Amen?
[00:39:42] That's the way it should be.
[00:39:44] That's the way it should be for all of us.
[00:39:47] Love.
[00:39:48] And by the way, what does Christ say in the Beatitudes?
[00:39:50] Blessed are you when people persecute you.
[00:39:53] How many of you have been blessed lately?
[00:39:55] Blessed are you when they revile you and say all manner of evil things about you.
[00:39:59] Have you ever received that blessing, Pastor Andy?
[00:40:01] I have.
[00:40:01] What a blessing.
[00:40:03] Come on, say some more bad things about me.
[00:40:05] I want blessing.
[00:40:07] Now, we don't do that proudly, but Jesus says, if they do that for you because of Christ and the gospel, blessed.
[00:40:13] You are blessed.
[00:40:14] Why?
[00:40:15] Because they did the very same thing to the prophets, and most of all to Jesus, the very Son of God.
[00:40:22] You are blessed.
[00:40:24] Love bears all things.
[00:40:27] Now, we're running out of time.
[00:40:29] But it also believes all things, faith.
[00:40:32] It also hopes all things, hope.
[00:40:34] And then finally, it endures all things, no matter what comes.
[00:40:38] I think a good segue here, passages 1 Peter 1.
[00:40:43] We see all of these together appear in just a few verses.
[00:40:48] 1 Peter 1, verse 5.
[00:40:51] You Christians are kept by the power of God, even in trials and tribulations, through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time, wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, your heaviness through manifold temptations or trials, problems,
[00:41:08] but that the trial of your fate, being more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
[00:41:21] Here's the sufferings that we endure, whom having not seen, you love.
[00:41:25] Here's love. That's why you're able to go through these.
[00:41:27] In whom though ye do not see him, yet believing, there's the fate, believeth all things you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory receiving the end of your fate that's hope even the salvation of your soul you see how they work together
[00:41:44] in galatians chapter 5 believe it's verse 6 faith worketh by what anyone remember oh i guess we just had to preach first corinthians 13 again pastor andy they say okay it's time for pastor andy to preach joseph this is enough listen folks you got to get this one verse if you don't
[00:42:07] get this one verse we're not going to leave i'm going to tell pastor andy he's got to preach first corinthians 13 maybe you can get it across to you faith worketh by what is it pastor faith worketh
[00:42:22] by love what's what are we preaching about again what's first corinthians 13 about again love Fate works by love.
[00:42:33] Real quickly, Galatians, you've got to get that.
[00:42:35] Chapter 5, verse 4 through 6.
[00:42:37] Chapter 5, verse 4.
[00:42:40] Christ has become of no effect unto you.
[00:42:42] Whosoever of you are justified by the law, you're fallen from grace.
[00:42:46] For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by fate.
[00:42:51] Hope, hopeth all things.
[00:42:53] Fate, believeth all things.
[00:42:55] For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails anything, or uncircumcision but faith which works by some of you got it faith works by okay I'll move on so don't forget that and by the way the idea
[00:43:16] of having faith faith and love are tied together and hope because if we don't have a strong faith in Christ we can't love him and how do we know him but by faith in the word
[00:43:28] and so it's all tied together you can go and read go read first john today there's only five chapters you'll see all of this about how love and faith and hope are all tied in together but as we come to the last point faith bears all things
[00:43:44] and suffers all things whatever suffers bears up under but then it believes all things it hopes all things and the last one in verse seven is what it endures all things that's where we are
[00:43:57] here at the end. And I just have a few verses before the end of the message, but this book, Jonathan Edwards, Charity and Its Fruits, I'd like to believe that every single one of you is going
[00:44:08] to read all 300 pages, but I don't think that's going to happen. So therefore, please forgive me and bear with me as I read a little bit, a little bit of a quote on this section from Jonathan
[00:44:21] Edwards, which I think you will be blessed by if you'll try to pay attention closely and listen.
[00:44:27] this section where he describes how love in the Christian life can endure whatever comes against it because of the power of Christ and love.
[00:44:38] Here it is.
[00:44:39] There are many things from Jonathan Edwards, Charity and Its Fruits.
[00:44:43] There are many things that do greatly oppose the grace which is in the heart of Christians.
[00:44:49] This holy principle has innumerable enemies watching and warring against it.
[00:44:53] The child of God is encompassed with enemies on every side.
[00:44:57] He's a pilgrim and stranger passing through an enemy's country and exposed to attack at any and every moment.
[00:45:04] There are thousands of devils, artful, intelligent, active, mighty, implacable, that are bitter enemies to the grace that is in the heart of the Christian and do all that lies in their power against it.
[00:45:16] And the world is an enemy to this grace because it abounds with persons and things that make opposition to it and with various forms of allurement and temptation to win or drive us from the path of duty.
[00:45:32] And the Christian has not only many enemies without, but multitudes within his own breast.
[00:45:40] Amen.
[00:45:42] That he carries about with him and from which he cannot get free.
[00:45:46] Evil thoughts, sinful inclinations cling to him.
[00:45:49] Many corruptions that still hold their foot in his heart.
[00:45:52] and the worst enemies that grace has and have, the greatest advantage of any in their warfare against it.
[00:45:59] And these enemies are not only many, but exceedingly strong and powerful and very bitter in their animosity, implacable, irreconcilable, mortal enemies, seeking nothing short of the utter ruin and overthrow of our grace.
[00:46:14] And they are unwearied in their opposition, so that the Christian, while he remains in this world, is represented as being in a state of warfare, and His business is that of a soldier insomuch that He is often spoken of
[00:46:26] as a soldier of the cross and as one whose great duty it is to fight manfully the good fight of fate.
[00:46:33] Many are the powerful and violent assaults that the enemies of grace make upon it.
[00:46:37] They are not only constantly besieging it, but often they assault as a city that they would take by storm.
[00:46:43] They're always lurking and watching for opportunity against it.
[00:46:47] And sometimes they rise up in dreadful wrath and endeavor to carry it by urgent assault, sometimes one enemy, sometimes another, sometimes all together with one consent, buffeting it on every side, coming in like a flood,
[00:47:01] or ready to overwhelm it and to swallow it up at once, sometimes graced in the midst of most violent opposition of its enemies, fighting against it with their united subtlety and strength is like a spark of fire encompassed with swelling billows and raging waves
[00:47:18] that appear as if they would swallow it up and extinguish it in a moment.
[00:47:21] Or it's like a flake of snow falling into a burning volcano.
[00:47:28] Or rather, like a rich jewel of gold in the midst of a fiery furnace, the raging heat of which is enough to consume anything except pure gold, which is of such a nature that it cannot be consumed by the fire.
[00:47:40] It is with grace in the heart of Christians, brothers and sisters, very much as it is with the church of God in the world, It's God's post and it is but small and great opposition is made against it by innumerable enemies.
[00:47:54] The powers of earth and hell are engaged against it, if possible to destroy it.
[00:47:59] Oftentimes they rise with such violence and come with such great strength against it that if it were to judge only by what appears, we should think it would be taken and destroyed immediately.
[00:48:11] It is with us as it was with the children of Israel and Egypt, against whom Pharaoh and the Egyptians united all their craft and power and set themselves to endeavor to extirpate them as a people.
[00:48:23] It is as with David in the wilderness when he was hunted as a partridge in the mountains and driven about by those that sought his life from one desert cave to another and several times was chased out into a strange land.
[00:48:34] It is as it had been Christian, the Christian church under the heathen anti-Christian persecutions when all the world, as it were, united their strength and wit to exterminate it from the earth, destroying thousands and millions with the utmost cruelty
[00:48:52] and by the most bloody persecutions without respect to sex or age.
[00:48:58] But all opposition that is or can be made against true grace in the heart cannot overthrow it.
[00:49:09] The enemies of grace may in many respects gain great advantages against it.
[00:49:14] They may exceedingly oppress and reduce it and bring it into such circumstances that it may seem to be brought to the very brink of utter ruin.
[00:49:23] But yet it will live.
[00:49:26] The ruin that seemed impending shall be averted.
[00:49:29] Though the roaring lion sometimes comes with open mouth and no visible refuge appears, yet the lamb shall escape and be safe.
[00:49:41] Yea, though it be in the very paw of the lion or the bear, yet it shall be rescued and not devoured.
[00:49:46] And though it even seems actually swallowed down as Jonah was by the whale, yet it shall be brought up again and live.
[00:49:55] Praise the Lord.
[00:49:57] It is with grace in the heart in this respect as it was with the ark upon such a deluge It overwhelms all things else, yet it shall not overwhelm the ark.
[00:50:09] Through the floods, though the floods rise ever so high, yet it shall be kept above the waters.
[00:50:15] Though the mighty waves may rise above the tops of the highest mountains, yet they shall not be able to get above this ark, but it shall still float in safety.
[00:50:25] Or it is with the grace, as it was with the ship in which Christ was, when there arose a great storm and the waves ran high, in so much that it seemed as if the ship would instantly sink
[00:50:37] and yet it did not sink though it was actually covered with water for Christ was in it.
[00:50:43] And so again, grace in the heart is like the children of Israel in Egypt and the Red Sea.
[00:50:47] And there are so many examples that we could give, but just quickly before we end here, though Pharaoh strove ever so much to destroy them, they yet grew and prospered.
[00:50:56] And when at last he pursued them with all of his army, with chariots and horsemen, they were pent up by the Red Sea and saw no way of escape.
[00:51:04] It seemed hopeless.
[00:51:06] They seemed to themselves to be on the very brink of ruin, yet they escaped and were not delivered to the prey of their foes.
[00:51:12] Yea, they were preserved in passing through the very sea itself, for the waters opened before them, and when they had safely passed over, rolled back and overwhelmed their foes.
[00:51:22] And they were preserved for a long time in the desolate wilderness, in the midst of pits and drought and fiery serpents, Thus, as the gates of hell can never prevail against the church of Christ,
[00:51:33] so neither can they prevail against grace in the heart of Christians.
[00:51:39] The seed remaineth, and none can root it out.
[00:51:43] The fire is kept alive, even in the midst of the floods of water, and though it often appears dim, as if it were just about to go out, and that there is no flame, but only a little smoke,
[00:51:55] yet the smoking flax shall not be quenched and grace shall not only remain but at last shall have the victory though it may pass through a long time brothers and sisters have you ever felt this way
[00:52:08] of sore conflicts and may suffer many disadvantages and depressions yet it shall live and not only live but it will finally prosper and prevail and triumph and all its enemies shall be subdued under its feet
[00:52:22] as David in the wilderness though he was long kept in a very low and distressed circumstances pursued by his potent enemies and many times apparently on the brink of ruin where there seemed but a step between him and death
[00:52:34] was yet through all of this preserved and at last exalted to the very throne of Israel to where the royal crown in great prosperity and with glory so we see it is with grace in our hearts, brothers and sisters
[00:52:48] that it can never be overthrown and its depressions do but prepare the way for its exaltation.
[00:52:58] Where it does truly exist in the heart, all its enemies cannot destroy it and all the opposition made against it cannot crush it.
[00:53:09] It endures all things and stands all shocks and remains notwithstanding all its opponents.
[00:53:19] For God be the glory. Amen.
[00:53:21] This is true love in the heart of a Christian.
[00:53:26] Now, I have many more passages, but we don't have much more time.
[00:53:30] So I'm just going to share a couple and we will end.
[00:53:35] This idea of enduring all things, love enduring all things, you've heard Pastor Andy preach it, you've heard me preach it.
[00:53:43] Let's return once again to Romans chapter 8.
[00:53:47] Romans chapter 8, this love that is in our hearts, we see in verse 15 it says, for you've not received again the spirit of bondage again to fear though we have all of these challenges
[00:54:01] we're not to fear but you've received the spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father praise the Lord we have hope in Christ and there's all of these challenges and all of these things that we face
[00:54:15] but God is working through it and notice in verse 28 and we know that all things even sufferings Pastor Joseph even hard things God is able to work all things to the good of those who love him
[00:54:31] and are called according to his purpose.
[00:54:34] And it doesn't say there that he's able.
[00:54:36] It says he will.
[00:54:38] Even bad things, yes.
[00:54:41] The difference between believers and unbelievers is not that believers don't have bad things and unbelievers do.
[00:54:46] We both face bad things.
[00:54:47] The difference is that God has promised the believer that even the bad things he will use for our good and his glory.
[00:54:53] that's a blessing and then finally paul actually says finally but this idea here in romans uh chapter 8 he says in verse 31 what shall we say to these things if god is for us who can be against
[00:55:13] us he that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things who shall lay anything to the charge of god's elect it's god that justifieth
[00:55:23] Who is he that condemneth?
[00:55:25] It is Christ that died, yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
[00:55:32] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
[00:55:37] Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, as it is written, for thy sake, we are killed all the day long.
[00:55:45] We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
[00:55:47] Nay, in all of these things we are more than conquerors.
[00:55:53] how? Through Him that loved us.
[00:55:58] Conquering power comes through love.
[00:56:05] It endures all things.
[00:56:08] For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from
[00:56:20] the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I have several other passages i just want to finish with this one we say okay all of these problems the bible says we overcome how through him that loved us well how is that so because he overcame
[00:56:42] them how by love by love what kind of love this is the one verse i want to end on matthew 27 Matthew 27, Jesus is on the cross.
[00:57:01] He's offered two drinks.
[00:57:03] One we have here in Luke, another one we'll have in John.
[00:57:07] The first one he refuses, the second one he takes.
[00:57:10] The second one in John is just pure vinegar, but the first one is something different.
[00:57:14] Notice Matthew chapter 27, verse 33.
[00:57:21] When they were coming to a place called Golgotha, that is to say a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mingled with gall and when he tasted thereof he would not drink.
[00:57:36] Now why didn't he want to drink that?
[00:57:39] What we find is when they would crucify people they would give them this drink which was basically like an anesthetic to intoxicate them.
[00:57:50] It was kind of a concoction say of drugs if you will in our modern sense to keep them from feeling too much terrible, excruciating pain.
[00:58:01] He thought it's just vinegar, fine.
[00:58:04] Once he tasted that it was this, he refused it.
[00:58:08] Why?
[00:58:13] He wanted to have more pain?
[00:58:18] Amen.
[00:58:18] He wanted to suffer as much as possible.
[00:58:24] Every last particle of the wrath of God that you and I, brother, that you and I deserve because of our sin.
[00:58:38] He took it upon Himself.
[00:58:41] He refused to have the least comfort or the least escape so that the very dregs of the cup of the wrath of Almighty God that we deserve for our sin, He might take upon Himself
[00:58:55] so that we who believe in Him might receive the gift of everlasting life and be born again, adopted children of God, sons and daughters of the Most High.
[00:59:07] Now that is love.
[00:59:12] And He spoiled principalities and He spoiled demons, principalities and powers and made a show of them openly.
[00:59:20] He defeated Satan with the death blow.
[00:59:24] Bruised his head.
[00:59:26] He overcame it all.
[00:59:27] He won our salvation.
[00:59:28] How?
[00:59:29] Through love.
[00:59:31] Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.
[00:59:35] This, how did he, how do we overcome?
[00:59:38] Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
[00:59:43] And how did he overcome?
[00:59:45] How did he do it?
[00:59:46] By his love for you and me and for all who truly believe by receiving the very wrath of God, hell itself that you and I deserve so that we who believe in him might have complete forgiveness,
[01:00:00] everlasting life, joy and peace.
[01:00:02] no matter what the devil or the world throws at us, for we've not been given a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of love and of love.
[01:00:12] Otherwise, we won't have a sound mind.
[01:00:14] Power and love and a sound mind so that we might face Satan himself and overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of the testimony and by him who loved us and gave himself for us.
[01:00:30] To him be glory, honor, praise and dominion both now and forevermore.
[01:00:36] Amen?
[01:00:37] The love of the Heavenly Father for His children.
[01:00:43] May our fathers be like that.
[01:00:49] Paul says, I've gone through a lot.
[01:00:51] There's a paraphrase.
[01:00:53] All kinds of persecution, all kinds of troubles for the gospel's sake.
[01:00:57] Because I'm not discouraged.
[01:00:59] Why?
[01:01:00] Because I know whom I have believed in.
[01:01:03] And I am persuaded that He's able to keep me, to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day of His return.
[01:01:10] 2 Timothy 1, verse 12.
[01:01:13] We're getting ready to sing.
[01:01:14] Before we do, let's pray.
[01:01:15] Dear Heavenly Father, help us now.
[01:01:18] Help us to receive the words of Jonathan Edwards.
[01:01:20] Lord, help us even more to receive the word of Jesus Christ, the word of Your Holy Spirit, speaking to our hearts, a love letter written in the blood of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the earth.
[01:01:34] Help us not to go forth from this place unmoved, untouched, but may that love pour into us like a mighty flood, like a mighty torrent and then that revival that Pastor Andy was praying for, may it come.
[01:01:48] May it come, conquering all that we face, all of the trials for Lord, you said that love bears all things and it believes all things and it hopes all things and yes, it even endures
[01:02:00] all things. May that love be in this church and each and every one of us, the one who loved us and gave Himself for us.
[01:02:08] Your Son, Christ Jesus, in whose name we pray.
[01:02:11] Amen.
[01:02:12] Let's stand and sing unto the Lord our final hymn, number 631, I Know Whom I Have Believed In.