'self-seeking' - God's love cannot abide in this heart! ..

1
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• It is not enough just to know God's will, we must
  do it! (Jas 122)

2
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• (James 122 NKJV) But be doers of the word, and
  not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

3
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• In order to do God's will, however, we must also
  apply other teachings which prepare the heart.
  (Jas 121)

4
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• (James 121 NKJV) Therefore lay aside all
  filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and
  receive with meekness the implanted word, which
  is able to save your souls.

5
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• Here is where we often fail while proclaiming "I
  just cannot do God's will!" It is not just an
  issue of will but also of wisdom. (Ex. Changing a
  tire)

6
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• Wisdom does not always come from personal
  experience. The word of God gives us wisdom.
  (Psa 516 11110)

7
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• (Psalms 516 NKJV) Behold, You desire truth in
  the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will
  make me to know wisdom.

8
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• (Psalms 11110 NKJV) The fear of the LORD is
  the beginning of wisdom A good understanding
  have all those who do His commandments. His
  praise endures forever.

9
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• We must always remember that God will never
  command of us that which we cannot do.
  (Deut 624)

10
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• (Deuteronomy 624 NKJV) And the LORD commanded
  us to observe all these statutes, to fear the
  LORD our God, for our good always, that He might
  preserve us alive, as it is this day.

11
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• We must never substitute for what God commands.
  Some switch words for actions or an emotional
  feeling for action.

12
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• When we say we cannot do God's will we will be
  fighting God. Guess who will win? (Acts 539)

13
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• (Acts 539 NKJV) but if it is of God, you
  cannot overthrow it lest you even be found to
  fight against God.

14
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• Jesus expected His disciples to have such a love
  for one another that others would identify
  them by it. (Jn 1334-35)

15
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• (John 1314-15 NKJV) If I then, your Lord and
  Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to
  wash one anothers feet. 15 For I have given
  you an example, that you should do as I have done
  to you.

16
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• The world will not care what we know until they
  know we care.

17
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• The world will not care what we know until they
  know we care.
• Does this characterize you? Not just to a few
  but to all your brethren?

18
Are We Really Following Gods Word?

• Are you willing to learn how to love?

19
We must choose to love.

• What is this love God has commanded us?

20
We must choose to love.

• What is this love God has commanded us?
• God commands the kind of love He showed us! (Rom
  55-8)

21
We must choose to love.

• (Romans 55-8 NKJV) Now hope does not
  disappoint, because the love of God has been
  poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who
  was given to us. 6 For when we were still
  without strength, in due time Christ died for the
  ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man
  will one die yet perhaps for a good man someone
  would even dare to die.

22
We must choose to love.

• 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us,
  in that while we were still sinners, Christ died
  for us.

23
We must choose to love.

• The word used here is agape - 1. especially as an
  attitude of appreciation resulting from a
  conscious evaluation and choice, used of divine
  and human love love, devotion. - Friberg Lexicon.

24
We must choose to love.

• Agape love is profound concern for the
  well-being of another, without any desire to
  control that other, to be thanked by that other,
  or to enjoy the process.

25
We must choose to love.

• Agape love is profound concern for the
  well-being of another, without any desire to
  control that other, to be thanked by that other,
  or to enjoy the process.
• God also commands another kind of love. (Rom
  1210)

26
We must choose to love.

• (Romans 1210 NKJV) Be kindly affectionate to
  one another with brotherly love, in honor giving
  preference to one another

27
We must choose to love.

• The word used here is philadelphia - brotherly
  love, love for brother or sister in the NT
  restricted to love for fellow members of a
  religious group, affection for a fellow believer.
  - Friberg Lexicon.

28
We must choose to love.

• Love That Must Express Itself A man was trying
  to read a serious book, but his little boy kept
  interrupting him. He would lean against his knees
  and say, "Daddy, I love you." The father would
  give him a pat and say rather absently, "Yes,
  Son, I love you too," and he would kind of give
  him a little push away so he could keep on
  reading.

29
We must choose to love.

• But this didn't satisfy the boy, and finally he
  ran to his father and said "I love you, Daddy,"
  and he jumped up on his lap and threw his arms
  around him and gave him a big squeeze,
  explaining, "And I've just got to DO something
  about it!" That's it--as we grow in love, we
  aren't content with small-talk love, or
  pat-on-the-head love. We want to get involved and
  "do something about it.

30
We must choose to love.

• Under what circumstances are we to love our
  brethren?

31
We must choose to love.

• Under what circumstances are we to love our
  brethren?
• Under the same circumstances God loved us! (Rom
  56-8)

32
We must choose to love.

• (Romans 56-8 NKJV) For when we were still
  without strength, in due time Christ died for the
  ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man
  will one die yet perhaps for a good man someone
  would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates
  His own love toward us, in that while we were
  still sinners, Christ died for us.

33
We must choose to love.

• When we love those who are even our enemies, we
  show God in our lives. (Mt 544-45)

34
We must choose to love.

• (Matthew 544-45 NKJV) But I say to you, love
  your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good
  to those who hate you, and pray for those who
  spitefully use you and persecute you, 45 that
  you may be sons of your Father in heaven for He
  makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good,
  and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

35
We must choose to love.

• Do not waste time bothering whether you "love"
  your neighbor act as if you did. As soon as we
  do this, we learn one of the great secrets. When
  you are behaving as if you loved someone, you
  will presently come to love them. If you injure
  someone you dislike, you will find yourself
  disliking him more. If you do him a good turn,
  you will find yourself disliking him less.

36
We must choose to love.

• If the love of God means anything to us, we will
  choose to love our brethren. (Rom 1415 1 Cor
  811)

37
We must choose to love.

• (Romans 1415 NKJV) Yet if your brother is
  grieved because of your food, you are no longer
  walking in love. Do not destroy with your food
  the one for whom Christ died.

38
We must choose to love.

• (1 Corinthians 811 NKJV) And because of your
  knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom
  Christ died?

39
We must choose to love.

• Imagine Jesus personally saying to you "Please
  take care of this one for my sake." Would you
  turn Him down? Instead of looking at a brother
  with all of his weakness and observing those
  things you dislike, look to this brother and see
  the death of Jesus! If this one is that important
  to Jesus, then so he will be to me.

40
We must choose to love.

• Without distinction, without calculation, without
  procrastination, love. Lash it upon the poor,
  where it is very easy especially upon the rich,
  who often need it most most of all, upon our
  equals, where it is very difficult, and for whom
  perhaps we each do least of all.

41
We must be taught how to love.

• When we trust God then we will add this love to
  our faith. (2 Pt 15-10)

42
We must be taught how to love.

• (2 Peter 15-10 NKJV) But also for this very
  reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith
  virtue, to virtue knowledge, 6 to knowledge
  self-control, to self-control perseverance, to
  perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness
  brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness
  love.

43
We must be taught how to love.

• 8 For if these things are yours and abound, you
  will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the
  knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For he
  who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to
  blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed
  from his old sins. 10 Therefore, brethren, be
  even more diligent to make your call and election
  sure, for if you do these things you will never
  stumble

44
We must be taught how to love.

• We add this love through God's teaching!

45
We must be taught how to love.

• We add this love through God's teaching!
• It is common in marriage for a couple to need to
  learn how to love. (Titus 23,4)

46
We must be taught how to love.

• (Titus 23-4 NKJV) the older women likewise,
  that they be reverent in behavior, not
  slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of
  good things 4 that they admonish the young
  women to love their husbands, to love their
  children,

47
We must be taught how to love.

• This kind of love does not come naturally, it is
  hard.

48
We must be taught how to love.

• This kind of love does not come naturally, it is
  hard.
• When you love, you put yourself at risk.

49
We must be taught how to love.

• This kind of love does not come naturally, it is
  hard.
• When you love, you put yourself at risk.
• When you love, you give of your life

50
We must be taught how to love.

• This kind of love does not come naturally, it is
  hard.
• When you love, you put yourself at risk.
• When you love, you give of your life your money,
  your time, your emotions.

51
We must be taught how to love.

• This kind of love does not come naturally, it is
  hard.
• When you love, you put yourself at risk.
• When you love, you give of your life your money,
  your time, your emotions.
• When you love you invest in another without
  knowing that any good will come.

52
We must be taught how to love.

• This kind of love does not come naturally, it is
  hard.
• When you love, you put yourself at risk.
• When you love, you give of your life your money,
  your time, your emotions.
• When you love you invest in another without
  knowing that any good will come.
• Why would one be so foolish to place these
  valuable things in the hands of another?

53
We must be taught how to love.

• Because that is what God did for us. (1 Jn
  419-21)

54
We must be taught how to love.

• (1 John 419-21 NKJV) We love Him because He
  first loved us. 20 If someone says, I love
  God, and hates his brother, he is a liar for he
  who does not love his brother whom he has seen,
  how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21
  And this commandment we have from Him that he
  who loves God must love his brother also.

55
We must be taught how to love.

• "Those who deserve love the least need it the
  most.

56
We must be taught how to love.

• "We become vulnerable when we love people and go
  out of our way to help them." That's what the
  wealthy industrialist Charles Schwab declared
  after going to court and winning a nuisance suit
  at age 70. Given permission by the judge to speak
  to the audience, he made the following statement

57
We must be taught how to love.

• "I'd like to say here in a court of law, and
  speaking as an old man, that nine-tenths of my
  troubles are traceable to my being kind to
  others. Look, you young people, if you want to
  steer away from trouble, be hard-boiled. Be
  quick with a good loud no to anyone and everyone.
  If you follow this rule, you will seldom be
  bothered as you tread life's pathway.

58
We must be taught how to love.

• Except you'll have no friends, you'll be lonely,
  and you won't have any fun!" Schwab had made his
  point -- love may bring heartache, but it's worth
  it!

59
We must be taught how to love.

• This love is the foundation of all that we do.
  (Mt 2237-40)

60
We must be taught how to love.

• (Matthew 2237-40 NKJV) Jesus said to him,
  You shall love the LORD your God with all your
  heart, with all your soul, and with all your
  mind. 38 This is the first and great
  commandment. 39 And the second is like it
  You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40
  On these two commandments hang all the Law and
  the Prophets.

61
We must be taught how to love.

• He who knows he is loved can be content with a
  piece of bread, while all the luxuries of the
  world cannot satisfy the craving of the lonely.

62
We must be taught how to love.

• He who knows he is loved can be content with a
  piece of bread, while all the luxuries of the
  world cannot satisfy the craving of the lonely.
• Consider the fruits of the Spirit. (Gal 513-15,
  22-23)

63
We must be taught how to love.

• (Galatians 513-15 NKJV) For you, brethren,
  have been called to liberty only do not use
  liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but
  through love serve one another. 14 For all the
  law is fulfilled in one word, even in this You
  shall love your neighbor as yourself. 15 But
  if you bite and devour one another, beware lest
  you be consumed by one another!

64
We must be taught how to love.

• (Galatians 522-23 NKJV) But the fruit of the
  Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering,
  kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23
  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is
  no law.

65
We must be taught how to love.

• Joy is love singing. Peace is love resting.
  Long-suffering is love enduring. Kindness is
  love's touch. Goodness is love's character.
  Faithfulness is love's habit. Gentleness is
  love's self-forgetfulness. Self-control is love
  holding the reins.

66
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• If this love is so hard but so important, then we
  must work to eliminate all obstacles. (Ex.
  Preparing for a marathon.)

67
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• If this love is so hard but so important, then we
  must work to eliminate all obstacles. (Ex.
  Preparing for a marathon.)
• In many ways the things that destroy our faith
  will destroy our love.

68
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• If this love is so hard but so important, then we
  must work to eliminate all obstacles. (Ex.
  Preparing for a marathon.)
• In many ways the things that destroy our faith
  will destroy our love.
• When our faith is weak we then will become
  shortsighted. (2 Pt 19)

69
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• (2 Peter 19 NKJV) For he who lacks these
  things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and
  has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old
  sins.

70
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• Consider the "wisdom of Satan" that will
  guarantee that you will not love your
  brethren. (Jas 313-18)

71
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• (James 313-18 NKJV) Who is wise and
  understanding among you? Let him show by good
  conduct that his works are done in the meekness
  of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and
  self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie
  against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not
  descend from above, but is earthly, sensual,
  demonic.

72
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist,
  confusion and every evil thing are there. 17
  But the wisdom that is from above is first pure,
  then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of
  mercy and good fruits, without partiality and
  without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of
  righteousness is sown in peace by those who make
  peace.

73
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• The Risk of LoveTo love anyone is to hope in him
  always. From the moment at which we begin to
  judge anyone, to limit our confidence in him,
  from that moment at which we identify him, and so
  reduce him to that, we cease to love him, and he
  ceases to be able to become better. We must dare
  to love in a world that does not know how to love.

74
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• "bitter envy.." - This is a combination of pride
  and hatred. Pride must be the best for one's
  own glory. The blindness of pride will cause one
  to do many things while still claiming to serve
  God. They might even say they love their
  brethren. (Mt 2718 Jn 1828)

75
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• (Matthew 2718 NKJV) For he knew that they had
  handed Him over because of envy.

76
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• (John 1828 NKJV) Then they led Jesus from
  Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early
  morning. But they themselves did not go into the
  Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that
  they might eat the Passover.

77
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• Love accepts people as they are love can take
  insults without ill will.

78
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• Love accepts people as they are love can take
  insults without ill will.
• Tell me how much you know of the sufferings of
  your fellowmen, and I will tell you how much you
  have loved them.

79
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• Love accepts people as they are love can take
  insults without ill will.
• Tell me how much you know of the sufferings of
  your fellowmen, and I will tell you how much you
  have loved them.
• "self-seeking" - God's love cannot abide in this
  heart!

80
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• Love accepts people as they are love can take
  insults without ill will.
• Tell me how much you know of the sufferings of
  your fellowmen, and I will tell you how much you
  have loved them.
• "self-seeking" - God's love cannot abide in this
  heart!
• The elimination of self as the first step to
  conversion. (Lk 923-24)

81
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• (Luke 923-24 NKJV) Then He said to them all,
  If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny
  himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow
  Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life
  will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My
  sake will save it.

82
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• The most common reason many give for their
  inability to love lies here.

83
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• "They did not speak to me they were rude I
  think they are proud!

84
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• "They did not speak to me they were rude I
  think they are proud!
• Forgetting oneself is not a refinement of love.
  It is a first condition of love.

85
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• "They did not speak to me they were rude I
  think they are proud!
• Forgetting oneself is not a refinement of love.
  It is a first condition of love.
• "boast and lie against the truth" - the fruit of
  pride is blindness and the end of blindness
  is that you fight God!

86
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• "They did not speak to me they were rude I
  think they are proud!
• Forgetting oneself is not a refinement of love.
  It is a first condition of love.
• "boast and lie against the truth" - the fruit of
  pride is blindness and the end of blindness
  is that you fight God!
• This is not just an issue of me and my brethren,
  but of me and my God.

87
We must eliminate those things that destroy love.

• Gossip is often used to evangelize our hatred.
  This must be stopped.

88
We must guard our love.

• Where do you put your money and valuables? Not on
  the driveway at night!

89
We must guard our love.

• Where do you put your money and valuables? Not on
  the driveway at night!
• Likewise we need to guard our hearts and build
  them up. (Prov 423-27)

90
We must guard our love.

• (Proverbs 423-27 NKJV) Keep your heart with
  all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of
  life. 24 Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
  And put perverse lips far from you. 25 Let your
  eyes look straight ahead, And your eyelids look
  right before you. 26 Ponder the path of your
  feet, And let all your ways be established. 27
  Do not turn to the right or the left Remove your
  foot from evil.

91
We must guard our love.

• I will feed on good thoughts that my mouth may
  say the same. (Eph 429)

92
We must guard our love.

• (Ephesians 429 NKJV) Let no corrupt word
  proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for
  necessary edification, that it may impart grace
  to the hearers.

93
We must guard our love.

• Do not put yourself in a position to join in with
  scoffers. (Psa 11)

94
We must guard our love.

• (Psalms 11 NKJV) Blessed is the man Who walks
  not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in
  the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the
  scornful

95
We must guard our love.

• When we learn to keep and protect our hearts we
  will always have a "pure love" for the
  brethren. (1 Pet 122-23)

96
We must guard our love.

• (1 Peter 122-23 NKJV) Since you have purified
  your souls in obeying the truth through the
  Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one
  another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having
  been born again, not of corruptible seed but
  incorruptible, through the word of God which
  lives and abides forever,

97
We must guard our love.

• It costs nothing but creates much. It enriches
  those who receive, without impoverishing those
  who give. It happens in a flash and the memory
  of it sometimes lasts forever. None are so rich
  that they can get along without it and none are
  so poor but are richer for a smile.

98
We must guard our love.

• It creates happiness in the home, fosters good
  will in a business and is the countersign of
  friends. It is rest to the weary, uplifting to
  the discouraged, sunshine to the sad and nature's
  best antidote for trouble. Yet it cannot be
  bought, begged, borrowed or stolen for it is
  something that is no earthly good to anybody till
  it is given away!

99
We must guard our love.

• And if it ever happens that some people should be
  too tired to give you a smile, why not leave one
  of yours? For nobody needs a smile so much as
  those who have none left to give. The hand of
  God is always outstretched to us in love.

100
We must guard our love.

• Do you love your brethren? (1 Cor 134-7)

101
We must guard our love.

• (1 Corinthians 134-7 NKJV) Love suffers long
  and is kind love does not envy love does not
  parade itself, is not puffed up 5 does not
  behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not
  provoked, thinks no evil 6 does not rejoice in
  iniquity, but rejoices in the truth 7 bears
  all things, believes all things, hopes all
  things, endures all things.

102
We must guard our love.

• True LoveLove isSlow to suspect -- quick to
  trust.Slow to condemn -- quick to justify.Slow
  to offend -- quick to defend.Slow to reprimand
  -- quick to forbear.Slow to belittle -- quick
  to appreciate.Slow to demand -- quick to give.

103
We must guard our love.

• Slow to provoke -- quick to conciliate.Slow to
  hinder -- quick to help.Slow to resent -- quick
  to forgive.