WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:03.520 Tonight we are talking about uh being rooted in love. 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:05.839 This is our uh series on that, rooted in love. 00:00:06.080 --> 00:00:08.800 This is week number three of four. 00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:11.359 Uh and so I'm James Buntrock. 00:00:11.439 --> 00:00:15.519 This is Claire Buntrock, and we are associate pastors here at Glorious Way Church. 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:19.280 And uh we're gonna get into the content tonight right after we pray. 00:00:19.679 --> 00:00:20.559 Right after we pray. 00:00:20.879 --> 00:00:21.519 Right after we pray. 00:00:21.600 --> 00:00:24.079 So y'all bow your heads with me, Heavenly Father. 00:00:24.320 --> 00:00:25.760 Uh, we love you, Lord. 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:30.480 Uh, we thank you for the love that you loved us with when we weren't capable of love. 00:00:30.800 --> 00:00:36.880 Uh you poured your love on the inside of us and and and made us capable of loving you back and loving each other. 00:00:36.960 --> 00:00:39.840 And so, Holy Spirit, we invite you to be here tonight. 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:41.439 Uh, breathe life on this word. 00:00:41.759 --> 00:00:48.000 Lord, I pray that every word that is spoken tonight uh will go out and it will accomplish all the things that you intend. 00:00:48.159 --> 00:00:51.439 Your word always accomplishes, it never returns void. 00:00:51.600 --> 00:00:58.320 And so, Lord, I pray for everyone's hearing that hears this tonight that they will hear precisely what they need to hear and nothing else. 00:00:58.479 --> 00:01:00.799 And we thank you for these things in Jesus' name. 00:01:00.880 --> 00:01:01.280 We pray. 00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:01.920 Amen. 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:02.719 Amen. 00:01:04.079 --> 00:01:04.719 All right. 00:01:05.120 --> 00:01:22.000 Well, um Pastor kicked off the first week of this uh series and uh talked about filling the holes, and we don't wallpaper over holes, um, but that uh uh God and and the Holy Spirit will help fill in those holes in our life. 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:27.040 And uh where we've got gaps, um, we're gonna continue to work to fill those in with his word. 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:38.560 Um and uh our our uh uh foundation scripture for this, if you're following along, is Ephesians chapter 3, verse 17 through 19. 00:01:38.640 --> 00:01:40.159 And so we're gonna read that scripture here. 00:01:40.239 --> 00:01:58.879 It says, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:04.159 And tonight we're gonna uh put uh put our focus on on verse 18 and part of 19 here. 00:02:04.239 --> 00:02:14.879 It says that you may be able to comprehend with all the saints, what is the length and depth and width and breadth of that you may know the love of Christ which passes knowledge. 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:19.360 And so we've got some understanding on our side that the Holy Spirit is gonna help us with. 00:02:19.599 --> 00:02:23.439 Um that prayer is prayed so that we can comprehend. 00:02:24.000 --> 00:02:31.439 And there's there's a fullness of love uh that's probably gonna take a lifetime and then some for us to fully comprehend the love of God. 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:37.280 Uh but it says that we can know something that passes knowledge, something that people don't uh regularly pick up on. 00:02:37.759 --> 00:02:40.080 Yes, and we can learn how to apply it. 00:02:40.319 --> 00:02:50.719 So, in in all of these things that we speak of tonight, just keeping in touch in it, letting God come in, fill all of the holes and the little spaces. 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:58.080 You know, the word says in Colossians that uh Christ is the fullness of Him who fills all in all. 00:02:58.319 --> 00:03:09.360 And He will let Him fill you up, let Him patch every hole in you so that then, and then we can learn how to apply it and start moving out with this love. 00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:10.080 Amen. 00:03:10.319 --> 00:03:13.599 Um, all right, well, our first scripture uh for tonight, shall I? 00:03:16.159 --> 00:03:34.960 Um I just want to cover the the and it's in your notes here, but um the entire this is such an important topic about love that if we get love right, we can fix 90% of what's wrong in your life. 00:03:35.199 --> 00:03:41.039 People have complaints, they have uh they're unfulfilled in their lives and their relationships. 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:54.400 And if we can fix that, it it will tie into every other, it will tie into your finances, it will tie into your peace, it will tie into when to let go of relationships that are dragging you down, all of those things. 00:03:54.479 --> 00:04:02.479 If we can, but we fix our love walk first, people say, Oh, I have a I have trouble with my kids, I have trouble with my spouse, trouble with my ex. 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:04.479 I have trouble, trouble, trouble. 00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:10.159 And um, and uh we just want to make it so natural. 00:04:10.319 --> 00:04:14.800 You know, if God is love and we're filled with Him, then love is our very first. 00:04:14.879 --> 00:04:20.079 So our first point is how love is the first commandment. 00:04:20.240 --> 00:04:22.959 It should be our first response to every problem. 00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:27.519 It should be our first uh go-to our first everything. 00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:34.240 So here's what Jesus said uh to the rich young ruler in Mark 12, 29. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:45.600 Uh, he said, the first of all the commandments is hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one, and you shall love the Lord your God. 00:04:45.680 --> 00:04:52.319 Everybody say love with all your heart, soul, mind, and with all your strength. 00:04:52.480 --> 00:04:54.560 That doesn't really leave anything else. 00:04:54.720 --> 00:05:02.639 It means that God comes first, and not just God, not just serving God out of a but loving him. 00:05:03.519 --> 00:05:09.439 And um and then the second is like it is this you shall love your neighbor as yourself. 00:05:09.680 --> 00:05:10.800 I've heard that somewhere. 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:12.240 It's the golden rule, right? 00:05:12.399 --> 00:05:13.360 We love our neighbor. 00:05:13.439 --> 00:05:15.920 But first we love God, then we love our neighbor. 00:05:16.399 --> 00:05:20.160 I thought the golden I thought the golden rule was to do unto others before they do unto you. 00:05:20.319 --> 00:05:21.279 Oh, that's right. 00:05:21.360 --> 00:05:22.319 It is, you're right. 00:05:22.399 --> 00:05:23.279 I got it wrong. 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:26.240 Before they you're right. 00:05:26.720 --> 00:05:27.680 Doing it. 00:05:30.160 --> 00:05:33.120 Now look, I threw her off track and she doesn't even know where she is now. 00:05:33.360 --> 00:05:34.480 I know right where I am. 00:05:34.879 --> 00:05:35.600 I'm sorry. 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:36.480 I love you. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:43.279 All right, so you shall love your neighbor as yourself, and there is no other commandment greater than these. 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:43.759 Why? 00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:47.600 Because if we can get love right, then we won't do all the other. 00:05:47.920 --> 00:05:55.680 If you look at the Ten Commandments, uh don't steal or commit adultery or bear false witness or all of those things. 00:05:55.839 --> 00:06:00.319 If you if you just loved, you wouldn't do all the other don't do's. 00:06:00.800 --> 00:06:05.920 And so that's why Jesus knew that if we can get the love right, we can fix all the other stuff. 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:10.240 And uh, and then so love first, it's a first commandment. 00:06:10.319 --> 00:06:16.639 It's also, if you go to Galatians 5, and we always talk about the fruit of the spirit. 00:06:16.720 --> 00:06:18.879 That's what we want to live in, the fruit of the spirit. 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:23.120 We want to have this fruit coming, popping out in our life everywhere. 00:06:23.279 --> 00:06:36.560 The fruit of the spirit is what love, joy, then comes a joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. 00:06:37.120 --> 00:06:38.959 There's no law against any of that. 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:51.439 So, uh, in other words, all love fulfills the law, is the broader point that Paul is making in this, that love fulfills the law when we have all of these fruits in our lives. 00:06:51.600 --> 00:06:56.959 And um, and if we have love You can't really have any of the other fruits if you don't first have the love. 00:06:57.120 --> 00:07:02.399 The love is the first one on the lift, and it's a sequential thing that all the others uh flow out of. 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:03.759 Yes. 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:06.720 Yes, but they're all important. 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:09.519 But we can have them when we have love. 00:07:10.240 --> 00:07:10.720 All right. 00:07:11.040 --> 00:07:14.480 Well, how many know that they're how many know how many kinds of love? 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:16.319 Have we talked about this in any other series? 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:19.040 How many types of love there are mentioned in the Bible? 00:07:19.600 --> 00:07:20.480 Anyone take a guess? 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:22.879 Okay, we got four, because you guys got notes. 00:07:23.120 --> 00:07:24.560 You're cheating right there. 00:07:24.879 --> 00:07:26.560 But they're not even all in the Bible. 00:07:26.879 --> 00:07:27.199 Okay. 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:30.639 Well, we're gonna talk about four types of love tonight. 00:07:30.800 --> 00:07:37.839 Um, three of them are actually named in the Bible uh with a with a word uh for the type of love. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:40.399 In the New Testament, yeah, in the Greek. 00:07:40.720 --> 00:07:48.959 Uh and the fourth type is really uh uh a concept that is that is in the Bible, but uh and there is a Greek word for it, and we're gonna provide that. 00:07:49.199 --> 00:07:52.720 But I I I understand that Greek word might not be listed. 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:56.720 Yeah, so these are just the uh the late great C.S. 00:07:56.879 --> 00:08:03.120 Lewis wrote a book called The Four Loves, and since that time uh I grew up knowing about these types of love. 00:08:03.199 --> 00:08:07.439 They're useful in studying love because it looks at it at these different angles. 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:13.360 And uh the fact that uh in Jesus' day and in the New Testament times, people understood what love meant. 00:08:13.519 --> 00:08:19.120 We just have one word in English, but there's four Greek words and they're pretty awesome. 00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:20.079 Let's get into them. 00:08:20.319 --> 00:08:20.639 All right. 00:08:20.720 --> 00:08:22.079 Well, let's dive right into them. 00:08:22.160 --> 00:08:25.680 So the first word tonight that we're gonna uh talk about is agape. 00:08:27.759 --> 00:08:28.959 That's the Greek word, agape. 00:08:29.199 --> 00:08:35.279 It's uh it's the divine love, it's unconditional, uh selfless, uh sacrificial. 00:08:36.159 --> 00:08:38.639 Um it's also called uh charity. 00:08:38.960 --> 00:08:43.120 Uh it's translated that way: charitable love that gives without expecting return. 00:08:43.200 --> 00:08:51.759 There is nothing expected in return, it's just purely uh a divine outward flow of love uh with no exchange. 00:08:52.320 --> 00:08:54.480 Uh no exchange needed to have this. 00:08:54.879 --> 00:09:00.399 And and really the the best place to uh see an example of that is John 3.16. 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:05.519 Uh you gotta think about the condition of the world at that time. 00:09:05.840 --> 00:09:07.039 And this is what God did. 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:12.480 It says in John 3.16, for God so loved the world that he gave. 00:09:13.039 --> 00:09:15.679 He so loved that he gave. 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:24.080 He loved this thing that was in a terrible, awful, horrible, nasty, chaotic condition full of sin and death and awful things. 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:28.559 And it says he so loved the world that he gave his only son. 00:09:29.759 --> 00:09:30.960 He gave his very best. 00:09:31.039 --> 00:09:36.240 And so that is the prime example of agape, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life. 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:41.440 For God did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:45.679 And so the hope of it was that he would bring all of us into his kingdom. 00:09:45.919 --> 00:09:48.879 He loved us before we were capable of it. 00:09:49.039 --> 00:09:53.200 He loved us uh looking way out into the future at this time. 00:09:53.360 --> 00:09:57.919 He loved every one of you with a love that didn't require an exchange. 00:09:58.080 --> 00:10:07.200 It was just God's love for us, and that's yes, and so much of the love of God have we already spoken of in the prior two weeks. 00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:16.399 We've been mostly when there the word love is used in the New Testament, it's almost always the agapeo or agape love. 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:18.320 It is this kind of divine love. 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:30.240 And um, and then there's a few cases that we'll get into that aren't that, but um so when the love of, when we say the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts, we hit that in both of the prior weeks. 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:34.960 We have that love living in us, that same the same way that God loved the world. 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:43.919 Then we can also love, we can love anybody, we can love everybody, in um in in different ways, of course, and we'll look at it. 00:10:44.080 --> 00:10:50.399 But um but some are harder than others, some are harder than others, uh, especially your enemies. 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:52.960 Matthew 5, 44 and 45. 00:10:53.120 --> 00:11:02.720 A lot of people, this is the great Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus tells us, I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you. 00:11:02.879 --> 00:11:04.879 That is that is crazy. 00:11:05.039 --> 00:11:13.200 And this right here is what separates followers of Jesus Christ from any other religion or system. 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:27.120 And uh it is right here the ability to bless other people, even when they are cursing us, to do good to those who hate us, to pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you. 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:31.360 I remember I had a a girl in fifth grade, her name was Nikki. 00:11:31.519 --> 00:11:40.799 She did not like me on the playground, she said mean things to me and about me behind my back, and I was sad and it hurt my feelings, and I was losing friends, and she was winning. 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:44.960 And I cried to my mom and she said, Well, we're gonna bake her a cake. 00:11:45.120 --> 00:11:46.960 The word says to bake her a cake. 00:11:50.559 --> 00:11:51.919 Did y'all bake her a cake? 00:11:52.159 --> 00:11:52.639 We did. 00:11:52.879 --> 00:11:53.519 Oh my. 00:11:53.759 --> 00:11:54.799 We did, and you know what? 00:11:54.879 --> 00:11:55.679 She was nice after that. 00:11:55.759 --> 00:11:56.720 I'm just saying. 00:11:57.440 --> 00:11:59.440 The word the word works. 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:05.120 But pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your father in heaven. 00:12:05.279 --> 00:12:07.279 See, and there's that that ties back in. 00:12:07.440 --> 00:12:09.360 Be imitators of God as dear children. 00:12:09.519 --> 00:12:11.360 Be imitators of God as dear children. 00:12:11.440 --> 00:12:15.120 We're we're God's kids when we can love as good as He can. 00:12:15.279 --> 00:12:16.240 And we can. 00:12:16.480 --> 00:12:17.919 Everybody say, I can. 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:21.679 I believe with God's help, I can. 00:12:22.000 --> 00:12:31.759 So if she's extra mean to you, then you should bake her a second, third, and fourth cake so that she puts on a few extra pounds, and then maybe you'll have a little bit of an advantage there. 00:12:32.639 --> 00:12:34.879 We not care about that in fifth grade. 00:12:36.240 --> 00:12:43.279 All right, but anyway, but we're we're kids of our father, because listen to this, and this is another concept. 00:12:43.519 --> 00:12:51.279 God make even this is how he loves his enemies, the sun still rises every day, whether you're evil or whether you're good. 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:55.039 Whether you love God or not, you still got the sunrise every day. 00:12:55.279 --> 00:12:58.080 He sends rain on the just and the unjust. 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:04.399 God is loving, and he is not, he still, he still provides for. 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:10.720 The opportunity for people to turn around is always right there. 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:13.039 It is one repentance away. 00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:13.679 Yeah. 00:13:13.840 --> 00:13:21.919 And and he he died for them just like he died for us, and they may be awful, awful, terrible people, but uh they do have the opportunity. 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:24.720 As long as there's breath, they can turn around. 00:13:25.120 --> 00:13:26.960 Amen, Saul of Tarsus. 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:29.200 Are you calling me Saul? 00:13:29.440 --> 00:13:31.759 No, I'm just speaking to the air. 00:13:32.159 --> 00:13:39.440 Saul, Saul of Tarsus, and then think about how unlovable you once were. 00:13:39.919 --> 00:13:42.799 And God in in Romans 5.8, James, you want to. 00:13:43.279 --> 00:13:44.799 Yeah, well, we've been we've been saying that. 00:13:45.039 --> 00:13:55.039 God demonstrated his own love towards us, and that while we were yet sinners, while we were yet in this awful condition, he gave his life for us, paid the ultimate price. 00:13:55.840 --> 00:14:08.159 So I do want to hit briefly, I have 1 Corinthians 13 here because we would not be doing a series on love unless somebody combs out 1 Corinthians 13 and just massages all the goodness out of that. 00:14:08.320 --> 00:14:10.639 And we're not gonna do that tonight because it would take too long. 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:13.919 But Pastor Joseph is gonna hit that next week and it's gonna be awesome. 00:14:14.159 --> 00:14:23.200 I do want to just bring a little bit of balance quickly because um a lot of there's a lot of confusion about unconditional agape love. 00:14:23.519 --> 00:14:34.960 And there is this feeling that love means that we have to just roll over and and have no boundaries and let people just kick us when we're down, and we just keep turning the other cheek and turn the other cheek. 00:14:35.519 --> 00:14:37.759 You can love people from a distance. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:40.000 And you don't have to be a doormat. 00:14:40.480 --> 00:14:52.480 No, there can be there can be firm boundaries, and I I think of all the ways Jesus, you know, he loved the Pharisees, but he gave them a sharp rebuke, and the sharp rebuke was designed to help them learn the truth. 00:14:52.639 --> 00:14:59.600 And in fact, after his uh death, burial, and resurrection, some of the Pharisees and Sadducees got saved. 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:08.240 There's a record, and this there's a record that Caiaphas, the high priest, the ultimate whitewashed wall, got saved. 00:15:08.639 --> 00:15:14.000 And uh, and he would have done, I mean, because Jesus loved him enough to tell them the truth. 00:15:14.159 --> 00:15:16.480 And uh and we we love people sometimes. 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:28.159 There's a time we have to tell the truth or have a boundary that we will not um you know uh allow someone to cross that over because then it would be bad for them if they're attacking us. 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:31.679 It would actually be we can have compassion on them and still have a boundary. 00:15:32.240 --> 00:15:36.879 So when Jesus said you brood of vipers, you den of thieves, it was still love. 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:43.919 It was and and and I say that not jokingly, in all seriousness, uh, because he's the great shepherd. 00:15:44.399 --> 00:15:56.960 The Lord is my shepherd, he's our shepherd, he is the great shepherd, and he carries with him uh a rod and a staff, and one's one's for correction, and the other's a comforting thing and a guiding thing. 00:15:57.039 --> 00:15:59.200 And so the correction can be a stiff rebuke. 00:16:00.159 --> 00:16:08.559 And so, you know, we don't have to confuse uh passiveness and weakness and being a doormat and something that somebody can abuse for love. 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:11.120 That's not love uh to be that. 00:16:11.279 --> 00:16:17.840 Uh but we can we we can with the love of Christ rebuke things that are wrong, and we should. 00:16:18.000 --> 00:16:24.799 And that's loving because to let people continue to go down that path in perpetuity means that they're gonna miss out on heaven. 00:16:24.960 --> 00:16:26.240 And so we speak the truth. 00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:30.480 That's true, that's true, and and it's true with our kids. 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:45.200 I mean, if we have an uh sometimes we think of a loving family as somebody who never fights or never, you know, but no, the word says who love you know, for your children, if you love your son, you'll correct him, and he'll bring you joy, he'll bring you peace. 00:16:45.279 --> 00:16:49.600 There'll be there'll be peaceable fruits of righteousness, whom the father loves, he chastens. 00:16:49.759 --> 00:16:51.759 So those all of those things are not so. 00:16:52.240 --> 00:17:06.240 So you you you talked about the the the loving family, and we're about to get into family, and I thought we'd run a uh a quick video of probably the most loving uh uh scene between a brother and sister than that I have ever seen. 00:17:06.559 --> 00:17:07.440 So let's see that. 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:11.119 If we could watch that little video clip, I think this will help us for the next segment here. 00:17:11.440 --> 00:17:12.079 15 seconds. 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:13.440 30 seconds go. 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:29.359 Notice how many more words she had than he had. 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:36.559 But he started it. 00:17:38.000 --> 00:17:38.799 He started it. 00:17:39.200 --> 00:17:43.279 You don't know what he what you don't know, you didn't see her, she pinched him. 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:46.640 I did not see we have no evidence of that. 00:17:49.680 --> 00:17:56.000 Well, we're gonna get off into the next segment here, uh storegay, which is really the the family type of love. 00:17:56.160 --> 00:18:06.880 Uh the natural affection, the familial love, uh, the fondness that develops through familiarity uh between parents and kids, uh siblings, long-term relationships. 00:18:07.599 --> 00:18:12.319 Um and yet this is not a a a common theme throughout the Bible. 00:18:12.400 --> 00:18:14.480 It's mentioned only a couple of times. 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:18.720 Um, and and it's mentioned with in the in the negative side. 00:18:19.119 --> 00:18:24.559 Yeah, the word storgay is only used like twice, but it is a solid concept throughout the Bible. 00:18:24.799 --> 00:18:39.119 So we're gonna go through examples of this, but it's like a mother hen with her, and it's like a tender that there when Rachel comes, you know, she's got where's Rachel with Hannah, and so I see some of you moms out here. 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:40.720 I see a little baby Nero. 00:18:40.799 --> 00:18:47.119 He is so handsome and he's got, and you know what, he's probably starting to say a few little sounds and things. 00:18:47.200 --> 00:18:50.400 And when he gets a little older, he'll probably form words. 00:18:50.720 --> 00:18:54.960 And only Amada will be able to know what in the world those words mean. 00:18:55.279 --> 00:19:26.160 Because if you or I were to walk by, we might not understand exactly, but she knows exactly what he's saying because there is such a strong store game, and she's gonna be there for him when he is five years old and he scrapes his knee, and when he is 18 years old and he graduates from high school, and when he's 35 or whatever, and now he's a dad and he needs advice, he's gonna be able to go to his mom and dad because there is a long-term family bond that will never so that's a that's a beautiful picture of God's love. 00:19:26.319 --> 00:19:39.519 And in no matter what kind of family you grew up in, if it was a good and stable family, if it was a rotten, awful family, no matter what it is, you have now been adopted into the family of God. 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:46.799 I I I I see this concept, and that makes me think of every Italian uh family I've ever seen on a movie or TV show. 00:19:46.880 --> 00:19:59.839 You know, you've you could show up on somebody's front doorstep, and you don't know the person on the other side of the door, and then and the doorbell rings, and you answer the door, and there's a kid on the front porch, and he says, Hi, my mom was so and so, my dad was so-and-so. 00:20:00.160 --> 00:20:04.160 Oh, your family, come on in, and you're immediately part of the family. 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:06.400 Yes, and they like to feed you too. 00:20:07.119 --> 00:20:08.559 More, more, more. 00:20:09.359 --> 00:20:10.319 Prego, prego. 00:20:10.559 --> 00:20:12.720 They bake cakes after cakes after cakes. 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:36.079 Um, but but so storgay is a is a natural love that we would have, and it's only used twice in the New Testament, and it's both both times it's in the in the uh negative, like without natural affection, is how it's translated, and you will read that in the King James, and uh one of them is Romans 131. 00:20:36.319 --> 00:20:38.160 Do we need to turn to both of them, James, or just one? 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:39.119 I'll just pick one. 00:20:39.359 --> 00:20:40.720 Romans 131. 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:43.759 Uh so I have it here. 00:20:43.920 --> 00:20:54.079 Um and and this is in the context of uh a descending society going down the the spiral of sin and how things get worse. 00:20:54.160 --> 00:20:59.119 And the in verse 31 it talks about undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving. 00:20:59.920 --> 00:21:01.599 And that's the store gay right there. 00:21:01.680 --> 00:21:03.759 So it's it's a store-gay. 00:21:03.920 --> 00:21:08.799 Yeah, so it's the negative of that unloving, unforgiving, and unmerciful. 00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:15.119 But uh the the unloving side losing the natural love of the family. 00:21:15.759 --> 00:21:29.200 That would be a mark, and later Paul says in 2 Timothy that that would be the mark of the last days in the latter time, the end times, uh, people are gonna have all these problems and they're gonna be unloving, they're gonna be without natural affection. 00:21:29.440 --> 00:21:33.839 And we see that, we see that on the rise in our the breakdown of the family. 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:48.400 And it it is associated with, I'm not gonna say it causes all those other things, but it it is associated with uh envy and strife and murders and all of those other truce breakers and um disobedient to parents. 00:21:48.480 --> 00:21:58.880 And it has like lists, both of those different scriptures list out all kinds of maladies that we see everywhere in our society, and it comes from this breakdown of the Storgay family unit. 00:21:59.039 --> 00:21:59.759 And you can 00:22:00.079 --> 00:22:03.359 I think that's that's really what the devil is after today. 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:19.680 He is he is going after the the structure or the order or the system that God has designed for a husband and a wife to love each other, to be joined together under the union of marriage and to uh procreate and have kids and to have the love of their children there. 00:22:19.839 --> 00:22:22.160 So the devil's really attacking that on all fronts. 00:22:22.319 --> 00:22:28.319 And you think about those two together, um, they represent or or reflect the image of God. 00:22:28.400 --> 00:22:29.599 They're image-bearers of God. 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:38.240 So the devil is is continuously uh attacking the image of God and his love of creation and defiling it. 00:22:38.640 --> 00:22:48.960 We kind of make it easier too, because storgay is naturally like a a safe, very safe love that we kind of, and if we have it for too long, we take it for granted. 00:22:50.240 --> 00:23:04.000 And so then the giver, if we are not, if we don't have agape all mixed in up in with our storgay, then we start need we start feeling like oh what somebody's not appreciating me today. 00:23:04.160 --> 00:23:04.640 Yeah. 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:06.960 And they've taken me for granted. 00:23:07.119 --> 00:23:09.279 Oh, my kid, they're ungrateful. 00:23:09.440 --> 00:23:12.400 I'm not gonna well, I'm not gonna do that for my husband. 00:23:12.559 --> 00:23:23.839 Let's see what he and because I'm, you know, and so that that is like that is one of the flaws and pitfalls of store gay without the agape that supports it. 00:23:24.000 --> 00:23:26.799 You know, agape is gonna support all these other loves. 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:30.640 We've got to have the agape up under it because it's the foundation of all of it. 00:23:30.799 --> 00:23:35.519 If we just have the natural store gay, then we're gonna feel they're taking everything for granted. 00:23:35.839 --> 00:23:38.559 Or um, it's based on familiarity. 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:42.960 So I am so familiar every day with the people that I live with. 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:46.240 You have y'all ever heard that old saying, it is not in the Bible. 00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:50.559 It is not in the Bible, but it's familiarity breeds contempt to govern. 00:23:51.440 --> 00:23:54.640 And so, oh, they're gonna do that again. 00:23:55.920 --> 00:23:59.920 And um, you know, in in in some cases it it breeds love. 00:24:00.240 --> 00:24:20.720 When when we go out to a restaurant with the the kids the other not long ago when they were all home, uh we went out to a restaurant and they pulled out, they have like an imaginary bingo card that all the things that dad is gonna say, okay, dad's gonna tell the when the waiter asks if the food was good, he's gonna he his plate's gonna be empty, but he's gonna say it's awful. 00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:21.759 I need another plate. 00:24:22.000 --> 00:24:23.039 And yeah, he did that. 00:24:23.119 --> 00:24:26.640 Yep, he he knew they knew he was like, they pull up the bingo card, they start checking them off. 00:24:26.799 --> 00:24:29.759 I walk into the restaurant, how many a table for how many? 00:24:29.920 --> 00:24:30.160 14. 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:31.039 14, yeah. 00:24:31.279 --> 00:24:32.160 Oh, there he is again. 00:24:32.319 --> 00:24:33.039 Same jokes every time. 00:24:33.759 --> 00:24:34.559 It tastes like chicken. 00:24:34.720 --> 00:24:35.680 You know, always say that. 00:24:35.759 --> 00:24:37.279 So, like it's on their bingo card. 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:39.440 They're no, and but that's a safety. 00:24:39.519 --> 00:24:42.480 There's a safety in those rituals and those things. 00:24:42.640 --> 00:24:52.160 Um uh anyway, in Ephesians uh one, four through six, it's I want you to feel that adopt you're adopted into the family of God. 00:24:53.599 --> 00:24:56.559 Uh I'm gonna go to verse five. 00:24:56.720 --> 00:25:08.960 He having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise and glory of his grace, by which he made us accepted in the beloved. 00:25:10.880 --> 00:25:30.400 You are accepted, and once you have accepted Jesus into your heart, when Christ has been born in your heart by faith, when we talked about that back in the foundation scripture, now you have been adopted into the family, and you are every bit, God loves you every bit as much as He loves Jesus. 00:25:31.839 --> 00:25:38.160 So you're on that doorstep and you ring that bell, and you don't recognize the person on the other side, and they don't recognize you. 00:25:38.240 --> 00:25:41.759 But as soon as you say the right things, I'm part of the family. 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:42.880 Oh, come on in. 00:25:43.119 --> 00:25:44.400 Yes, dinner's ready. 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:46.400 You've got a seat at the table. 00:25:47.440 --> 00:25:50.480 And uh, and and that's true of the uh the adoption. 00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:53.359 Uh we've been adopted into something, we're accepted. 00:25:53.519 --> 00:26:02.880 Uh Romans 8:14 uh or 8.15 says, For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption by whom we cry, Abba Father. 00:26:03.039 --> 00:26:06.559 He's our daddy, he's our heavenly daddy. 00:26:06.720 --> 00:26:13.920 Uh we're we're on equal level uh as an heir in that family with Christ, his only son. 00:26:14.160 --> 00:26:17.359 We're we're we're now he brought many into his family. 00:26:17.839 --> 00:26:20.160 And we've got we've got an equal position at that table. 00:26:20.480 --> 00:26:21.680 Y'all know my mom's story. 00:26:21.839 --> 00:26:26.319 My mom lost her dad at uh she was nine years old and he died of a heart attack. 00:26:26.480 --> 00:26:35.680 And she went and sat on the church steps uh and she said, Jesus, I need you to be, I need you to be with me. 00:26:35.920 --> 00:26:41.359 And and she got a revelation that Jesus was her best friend, and he was like a dad to her. 00:26:41.519 --> 00:27:07.920 And where my aunts and uncles uh went astray and had a lot of heartache and misery and pain and are still paying the price today, those are um my mom was protected and she had a church family that gathered up around her and she went, she learned the word of God, and she was she could walk to and from church, and so instead of going to the bar to hang out with her family, she went to church and it saved her. 00:27:08.960 --> 00:27:13.680 Um, but she had that Abba father, she had a daddy, and you can have that. 00:27:13.839 --> 00:27:14.799 He will be, it's real. 00:27:14.960 --> 00:27:16.400 He is a father to the fatherless. 00:27:16.480 --> 00:27:18.480 How many of you can attest that is real? 00:27:18.799 --> 00:27:19.279 Yes, it is. 00:27:19.599 --> 00:27:24.640 It is real, and not only that, your children, if then you're also heirs. 00:27:24.799 --> 00:27:26.720 So he provided for you. 00:27:26.960 --> 00:27:31.839 He didn't just bring you, birth you into the family of God, and leave you to fend for yourself. 00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:37.119 There is a provision for you, just like a dad would provide for his household. 00:27:37.359 --> 00:27:39.839 You have supernatural provision. 00:27:40.079 --> 00:27:42.480 And uh, it's our job to learn how to tap into it. 00:27:42.559 --> 00:27:45.440 And as a church, it's our job to help you learn. 00:27:46.240 --> 00:27:49.279 Um so uh, but there's suffering. 00:27:49.519 --> 00:27:50.799 I mean, we we're gonna suffer with him. 00:27:50.960 --> 00:27:53.279 What kind of suffering is it talking about there? 00:27:53.920 --> 00:28:06.480 If indeed we suffer with him, it's talking about the suffering of persecution, and we have to be resilient when people, again, with the loving the enemies, they're gonna hate their enemies not of us. 00:28:06.559 --> 00:28:09.039 Sometimes it's enemies of the cross of Christ. 00:28:09.680 --> 00:28:16.640 But we can bear that because we have such love in us, it supports us through that, and we're also gonna be glorified together. 00:28:17.119 --> 00:28:19.279 You have his name, and we're named with his name. 00:28:19.440 --> 00:28:24.160 We're named with his name, and and and the hating side, they don't hate you, you're just hated for his name's sake. 00:28:24.319 --> 00:28:26.960 It comes with the family name. 00:28:27.279 --> 00:28:39.519 And uh, and and when you know that there's a devil on the other side of it, and it's not necessarily the person, um, it's easier to uh to to have compassion on the person who's just batting for the wrong team. 00:28:39.839 --> 00:28:45.200 So just some benefits of the store gay love is obviously you got food in the fridge, right? 00:28:45.359 --> 00:28:48.559 Provision, protection of a household. 00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:51.279 And so we have all of that in the family of God. 00:28:51.519 --> 00:28:55.920 Provision, protection, uh, guidance, love, all of those things. 00:28:56.160 --> 00:29:00.960 And um, but we have to be in, we have to be gathered up with the family. 00:29:01.200 --> 00:29:05.599 Uh Micah, he's uh he likes to barbecue. 00:29:05.680 --> 00:29:07.359 I mean, we have men that like to barbecue. 00:29:07.440 --> 00:29:09.279 We have women like to anybody, anybody? 00:29:09.440 --> 00:29:17.440 So if you got a bunch of coals and your coals, you got one coal and you take it outside the fire, what happens immediately to that coal? 00:29:18.400 --> 00:29:28.400 It is a cold, it's cold, and it the fire goes out on that guy, but if you bring him back in, he'll light right back up with the other coals and he can cook something. 00:29:28.799 --> 00:29:32.079 And we just need to be in the family of God. 00:29:32.240 --> 00:29:35.200 We need to not forsake the assembling of ourselves. 00:29:35.440 --> 00:29:44.319 We need to, Jesus said, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you know, I I long to gather you together like it, my like a hen gathers her chicks. 00:29:45.599 --> 00:29:50.720 And uh, and you wouldn't, you would not, and then, and then now your house has come to you empty. 00:29:50.799 --> 00:29:52.480 There's another prophecy that comes after that. 00:29:52.559 --> 00:30:00.079 Like there's no protection for you because you're not you're not gathered up, you're not in the secret place of the Most High under the shadow of the wing. 00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:01.599 All of that is storge. 00:30:01.839 --> 00:30:08.559 That's God's love, you know, gathering you up and protecting you and and keeping you. 00:30:10.400 --> 00:30:21.599 So, um, let's move on to the the next love word tonight, and that's uh philia, um, which means friend in the Greek. 00:30:21.920 --> 00:30:30.240 Uh it's friendship or brotherly love, uh deep comp uh companionship based on uh shared values, interests, or virtue. 00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:41.279 Um sometimes this comes from uh from an experience and and a bonding experience or um long-term relationship outside of the family. 00:30:41.519 --> 00:30:46.240 Uh so Proverbs 1824 says, A man who has friends must himself be friendly. 00:30:46.400 --> 00:30:50.400 If you want this kind of love in your life, and we all need all of these kinds of loves. 00:30:50.480 --> 00:30:58.640 And and again, each one of these kinds of loves is shored up by the agape love, the the that's the highest love, the one that doesn't need anything in return. 00:30:58.720 --> 00:31:01.359 But a man who has friends must himself be friendly. 00:31:01.599 --> 00:31:05.119 But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. 00:31:06.079 --> 00:31:07.039 Who is that friend? 00:31:07.200 --> 00:31:07.759 Come on now. 00:31:08.559 --> 00:31:09.839 Jesus is that friend. 00:31:10.160 --> 00:31:10.480 Yes. 00:31:11.200 --> 00:31:16.079 But does it just do you just feel that automatically every day when you get up? 00:31:16.960 --> 00:31:25.279 I mean, some people can, but you know, there's a relationship that you develop that you learn, and that's the same thing with any friend. 00:31:25.680 --> 00:31:28.880 You're not gonna be friends with somebody if you never ever talk to them. 00:31:29.119 --> 00:31:36.079 People have this wonderful notion, oh, you know, but it uh but if we just pick up where we left off, you know. 00:31:36.160 --> 00:31:40.079 Well, if you picked up where you left off five years ago, you might not be friends anymore. 00:31:40.160 --> 00:31:41.519 You have to get reacquainted. 00:31:41.680 --> 00:31:45.200 But if you want to have a close personal friend, you got to develop that relationship. 00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:46.240 That's the same way with Jesus. 00:31:46.559 --> 00:31:50.240 It it comes from living living some life together, doing some things together. 00:31:50.960 --> 00:32:05.119 Um, you know, you got long-lost friends, and you can how many have met up with somebody that you know they were acquainted with or close friends with at one point in your life, a long time ago, and 10 years, 20 years go by, and you meet up with them, and it's awkward. 00:32:05.279 --> 00:32:07.279 You can't just pick it up where you left off. 00:32:07.440 --> 00:32:10.640 Life has gone on, you've gone different places, you've had different experiences. 00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:13.119 You you don't have that fellowship anymore. 00:32:13.359 --> 00:32:16.400 And uh, we got to maintain that fellowship with our Lord and Savior. 00:32:16.880 --> 00:32:21.920 We do, and then and then this the file is based on shared values, interests. 00:32:22.079 --> 00:32:24.000 You know, like you can have your tennis friend. 00:32:24.319 --> 00:32:29.119 I don't play tennis, but let's just say you have you have all your tennis friends, and that is really funny. 00:32:29.279 --> 00:32:36.160 Y'all have so much fun playing tennis, and it's great, and you are best buds until somebody brings up politics. 00:32:37.279 --> 00:32:39.039 Happens to me all the time. 00:32:41.440 --> 00:32:42.400 It's tough. 00:32:43.200 --> 00:32:48.000 Um so how deep is that friendship? 00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:50.960 And uh what is that terrible song? 00:32:51.119 --> 00:32:57.119 I am a child of the 90s, uh 80s, actually, but the Breakfast at Tiffany song, like no, how does it go? 00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:01.839 We don't have anything in common, but we like we both like the same movie, you know? 00:33:02.000 --> 00:33:03.200 So I guess that's one thing. 00:33:03.599 --> 00:33:04.400 I guess that's one thing. 00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:05.359 One thing. 00:33:05.599 --> 00:33:18.960 Uh it's not good enough to base uh your friendships on things that are shallow and what's your favorite color, and what um I mean, so So an example out of uh out of the Bible on that comes from uh 1 Samuel 18. 00:33:19.119 --> 00:33:20.319 This is David and Jonathan. 00:33:20.480 --> 00:33:35.119 You think about the the close friendship that they had uh in verse 18 it says, Now when he had finished speaking to King Saul, the soul of Jonathan, that's Saul's son, was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. 00:33:35.279 --> 00:33:47.200 Uh then Jonathan and David made a covenant because he loved him with his own soul, and Jonathan took off the robe that he was that that was on him and gave it to David with his armor, even to his sword and his bow and his belt. 00:33:47.279 --> 00:33:58.240 And so there was an exchange, a covenant exchange there uh of a very close uh friendship because they they shared the bond of things, you know, what they had in common. 00:33:58.400 --> 00:34:03.519 I think about in my life, I I spent time sailing on board a tall ship. 00:34:03.680 --> 00:34:31.679 I lived on it for a year and a half, and the people that I lived with on that ship and sailed with and did life with, and and we went through storms and hurricane force winds, and we had all kinds of adversity out there, and we had each other's back when uh when we landed in in uh uh Bristol, England, and and there were some hecklers on the uh on the on the quay on the dock there, and and they started doing things that might have caused damage to the ship. 00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:42.400 You know, I I ran off the off the ship and took on seven of them at one time, and and I had a friend come with me because he wasn't gonna leave me alone at that, you know, and so I I had one friend. 00:34:42.480 --> 00:34:45.920 It was the one guy on the on the deck that's two versus seven, how'd you fare, James? 00:34:46.239 --> 00:34:50.880 Um we uh by the mercy of God, um, they left. 00:34:51.119 --> 00:34:52.559 And that's another story. 00:34:52.719 --> 00:34:57.840