Demonstrating Our Love for Others

Take your Bibles. If you would, turn to first Peter chapter one. Well, no, I've got that on the screen. Turn to Philippians chapter two. That's what we'll do.

Philippians chapter two. We will be there in just a few minutes doing something a little bit different the last few weeks with the projector with the series that we're studying What does God desire for Missouri Avenue Baptist Church? Well, among other things, God desires that, we glorify God. In our lives. First Corinthians ten thirty one, whether therefore you eat or drink or whatsoever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Matthew five sixteen, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father. Which is in heaven. God desires, God deserves to receive the glory. The glory for what he has created. The glory of what he has redeemed and who he has made to be his children.

Yes, God will receive the glory. From this world Whether we obey him or not, whether we serve him or not, but God greatly desires to be glorified in your life and in mine. How is he glorified in your life and mine? How do we glorify God? As Missouri Avenue Baptist Church, we glorify God by demonstrating our faith.

God has given to us faith that we might see things with eyes of faith that we can't see with physical eyes. To give us trust and hope and a certainty in the promises of God. Some who have yet to occur and in a god that we cannot see and yet we love. How? By faith.

And God desires that that faith be demonstrated. And everything we say and do. That we are children of faith. That we live and walk by faith. Also, by demonstrating the love of God in our lives.

It is a supernatural love that God has placed in our hearts who have come to know him as savior and God is glorified when as Missouri Avenue Baptist Church and as the children of God, we demonstrate that love before the world. Our love for God and our love for others. We love him because he first loved us. And then, we haven't got here yet but by demonstrating God's holiness. God said, be you holy for I am holy and God desires for his children to be holy and we'll be coming to that in a couple weeks down the road.

Romans chapter five and verse five says, and hope maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which he has given unto us. Let's pray before we continue. Lord, we thank you for your word, the opportunity. To know you, to know your love. And to demonstrate that love before a world that needs to see it.

Not the so called love of pop culture that is selfish, self seeking, but the love of God that is selfless and self sacrificing. Lord, fill us with your love. By your spirit. That it might overflow. That the world might see Jesus Christ in us.

That they might be drawn to you. That they might be saved. And then all things you might be glorified. In Jesus precious name, we do pray. Amen.

The last last Sunday, we looked at demonstrating our love for God but we're not done yet. The love God has placed in our heart heart must also be expressed toward our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and towards a lost and dying world. A world that he loved, a world that he died for, that they might be saved. He desires that we demonstrate that same love for others in our life. How can we do that?

Well, first of all, we can do that because it is our new nature. The Bible says, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And God has given us a new nature and an indwelling power of his holy spirit.

And we might represent him, that we might be like him, that we might show the world that God among other things is love. The Bible says here in Romans five five that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirit that he has given to us. Our new nature to truly love others selflessly as our savior. In first John four seven and eight, it says, beloved, let us love one another for love is of God and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth not God. He that loveth not knoweth knoweth not God for God is love.

If you have no love in your hearts for your brothers and sisters in Christ, if you have no love in your hearts for God, if your love is for self and self gratification and self serving. Then you don't know God because our God is love and he has shed abroad this love in our hearts and so, it has become in a sense natural or you might say supernatural. That we have this kind of love, the love of God. In our lives. First Peter one twenty two, I I mentioned before I had you turn to Philippians because I knew I had it up here.

It says, seeing you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently. There are two parts to this verse. The first part goes with my first point and second part goes with my second point. The first part of this verse says, seeing you have purified your souls and obeying the truth through the spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren. This is something that in the life of the people Peter was writing had already occurred.

When they came to Jesus Christ in faith, and trusted in him to forgive their sins and to give them eternal life and became the children of God. They obeyed the truth and coming the way that God had prescribed. There's only one way to get to heaven and that's through who? Jesus. Jesus Christ.

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the father but by me and he has given to us his what? His spirit and among other things that spirit is love. For he is love. The word unfeigned means genuine.

Not a put on. Not a real, sincere love from the heart. For our particularly for our brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ. God has given you a new nature. If you're having a problem loving others, it's not the new nature that's your issue.

It's the old nature that's causing you problems. You're feeding the wrong one. You're listening to the wrong one. God has given us a new nature. In him.

A nature of love. The second part, my second point here this morning is this, not only is it our new nature, it is commanded. It is commanded. See, the second part of this verse says, seeing that this has occurred in your life. You have come to God through obedience to the truth, putting your faith in Christ alone for salvation, receiving his spirit of genuine love for the brethren, seeing this has occurred in your life, now, see that you love one another with a pure heart fervently.

Now, that God has given you this love for the brethren, you see to it that you exercise and you practice and you demonstrate and you express that love in your heart for one another. With a pure heart, a sincere heart, without put ons, without false motivations. But truly and fervently. The word fervently means with vigor, with intent, with determination, determine in your heart. By God's grace, to exercise that love.

Sometimes, we will find it very easy. Sometimes, we will not. That we are commanded in scripture to exercise the love that God has placed there. Towards our brethren and towards the lost who need him. God has commanded that we do this though it should go without saying.

Yet, God said it several times. God commanded it several times and so, therefore, will we this morning? God does not command us to do anything. He does not enable us to do. I can do what?

All things through Christ which strengtheneth me. We have the capacity to love in this way. And God has requested, nay commanded that we exercise it, that we purpose by his grace to practice it. Not just in this verse, we could look at many many verses. We'll look at just a few more this morning.

John thirteen thirty four and thirty five, a new commandment I give unto you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples if you have love one to another. Now, Jesus could have picked many things to say by this man, this by this, shall all men know that you are my disciples but the one that he chose was this, if he have loved one to another. Sometimes, in our lives and in our thinking, this one gets pushed to the bottom when it ought to be bright and shining right at the top. If the world comes in these doors or or comes to know Christians, true believers in Christ and does not see the love of God expressed in their lives toward one another and to the Lord and to themselves.

Then, rather than being drawn to God, they're often what? They're often pushed away. Yes, we know right from wrong. Yes, we have the truth. Yes, we have the good news.

But if we are to be proper witnesses and testimonies for Jesus Christ, we must speak the truth what? In sad to say sometimes people are turned away from the kingdom because that truth is not spoken in love. It's spoken in pride. It's spoken without mercy. It needs to be spoken with love and seen and how we love one another.

First John three eighteen and four twenty one, say this, my little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. In this commandment have we from him that he who loveth God love his brother also. Now, that can be interpreted to mean your brother in Christ or your physical brother. In context, I think it would mean your brethren in Christ but it also should be of your brother or your sister. We have the capacity and the desire and the command of God that we love not just in word but that we love indeed and in reality, in truth from our hearts.

We as Christians must not allow the world and sin to rob us. Of the love that God has placed here and keep us from loving one another with a pure heart fervently. Ephesians five twenty five says, husbands, love your wives even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it. The word of God communicates clearly the will of God and his will is that we love others as he loved us. Well, how did he love us?

Right there. He gave himself for us. He gave himself. Well, right away, our mind goes to the cross. He gave himself on the cross of Calvary.

He shed his blood. He took upon us, upon him, our sin, the punishment for our sin, the penalty, and he paid the price that we might be redeemed by God's grace. And that is true but it's even bigger than that He gave him he left heaven's glory. He came to Earth. He lived the life with the limit, many of the limitations that we live.

He hungered. He thirsted. He got tired. He wept. He hurt culminating with the gift of eternal life that he died to purchase on Calvary's Cross and his resurrection from the dead.

How do I know he loves me? Romans five eight, but God commended his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Turn if you would, if you're not already there to Philippians chapter two. Tells us exactly right there in God's very words what Christ did for us and how that relates to us loving one another. I memorized when I was in junior high or high school.

I memorized verses five to 11. I didn't memorize verses one through four and that was a shame. Because verse five got disconnected from verse four and the two have a lot to do with one another. Chapter two verse one of Philippians, if there be therefore any consolation in Christ, If any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill you my joy, that you be like minded, having the same love, being of one accord of one mind. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves.

Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. Who be in the form of God thought it brought robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of man and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the Here is our example Jesus Christ gave us the example of what he's talking about here when he tells us to love one another. We focus on the latter half of this that describes what he did for us but that Paul is using as an illustration to help us understand what he's saying in verse three and verse four. For what is the love of God?

Here it is. Verse three, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory to exalt self but in lowliness or humility of mind, let each esteem who? Other. Other. Better than themselves.

Look not every man on his own things. I mean, that's natural. We all care about ourselves. We all take care of ourselves. We want to have food for ourselves and clothing and housing and all these other things.

That's comes natural. But look not every man on his own things but every man also on what? The things of others. Care about others. Love your neighbor what?

As yourself. Care about them too. Care about their needs, care about their feelings, care about their eternal destiny care about them the way you care about you and thus demonstrate the love of God as Christ did. When he came and he died for us and he laid aside heaven's glory and it's a claim and it's power. To submit himself to the will of his father and to give his life for us.

Why? Because he loves us. With a love that at least on this Earth, I don't think I'll ever understand. But he does. And thus, he has given us an illustration how we ought to love others also, as he has commanded us.

Point number one, we have a new nature. Point number two, he has commanded us to love one another and point number three, it must be real and it must be demonstrated to bring glory to God. It must be real and it must be demonstrated to bring glory to God. How do I demonstrate this love of God in my life? How do I express it?

By feeling and expressing compassion. Toward our brethren and toward the lost. By feeling and expressing compassion. This is the love of God, the selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love that doesn't seek personal gain and advantage over others, but instead demonstrates a genuine interest in the good, the well-being, and the happiness of the one that's loved. It is more than feeling but it does not exist in a vacuum without feeling.

Or without emotion. It's both. This combination of emotion feeling from the heart, and actions expressed many times in Christ's ministry as compassion. Compassion. Let's look at a couple passages here.

Mark one forty and forty one, and there came a leper to him, beseeching him and kneeling down to him and saying unto him, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. The leper, he was without hope. There was no cure in his day for what he had. Having leprosy was as bad or worse than having cancer. There was no cure for it.

It was a death sentence. A slow death sentence. And Jesus moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him. Now, stop there for just a moment. Would anybody else touch him?

He had to cry out when he walked to the streets unclean, unclean, unclean. So, everybody knew not to touch him. Lest they contract his disease. Not Jesus. He came to Jesus and Jesus what?

He reached out and touched him. You know, how a holy God could send his son to die on the cross for our sins to live among us. We are worse than lepers in our sin. Before a holy God and yet, he came and he showed compassion for us. And he took upon us upon him our sin and he reached forth and he touched him and he said unto him, I will be thou clean.

He's done the same for us What I want us to see here is the compassion. The compassion. It wasn't a put on. It wasn't just, well, this was what you were supposed to do. No, Jesus had something that came from his heart.

That when he saw this man in the state that he was in, he cared for him. And he had compassion. Turn your Bibles to Matthew chapter 20. Matthew chapter 20. Look if you would in verses 19 through 34.

Matthew chapter 20 verse 29. Verse 29 of Matthew 20 and as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him and behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out saying, have mercy on us. Oh Lord, thou son of David. And the multitude rebuked them because they should hold their peace. But they cried the more saying, have mercy on us, oh Lord, thou son of David.

And Jesus stood still and called them and said, what will you that I shall do unto you? And they say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened and Jesus had, next word. Compassion. Compassion on them. And touched their eyes.

And immediately their eyes received sight and they followed him. The crowd that was there that day, they went over them and said, hush. Be quiet. You're interrupting the master. But Jesus heard their cries and he had a different response He had compassion I'm afraid sometimes we act more like the multitude than we do the savior.

We don't want to be bothered. We don't want there to be interruptions, distractions, and we have no compassion We don't have time to help. We're we've gotten appointment. We can't be late too. That wasn't our savior.

No, he stopped everything he was doing and he went to those men because he cared. In Mark six thirty four, Jesus had went out into the countryside to try to escape the crowds. He couldn't get away from him in the city. Constantly, people were coming to him. Heal me.

Heal me. Heal me. Teach Teach Teach me. Help me. Me.

Well, he was human like us and that he would he got tired and he hunger and he thirsted and he needed time to rest and be restored and so he went out in the countryside but the masses followed him. He couldn't get away. Mark chapter six tells us and Jesus when he came out, saw much people and he was moved with compassion toward them because they were sheep not having a shepherd and he began to teach them many things. And it says in another passage that he healed them. And even what?

He even fed them. He saw them not as a distraction, not as an irritation, not as an aggravation. And he saw them the sheep without a shepherd, who needed somebody to care for them and show them the way to water. Sheep are dumb animals. They must be led or they will get lost and they'll never find food and they'll never find water and they'll die.

Mankind is not on a lot unlike those sheep. Spiritually, we are the same way. No man seeketh after God. We're told in Romans three. We need a shepherd.

To draw, to lead us to water, to lead us to life, to lead us to the blessings and the promises of God Jesus had compassion. So, we stopped and he showed it once again expressed in his emotions, expressed in his actions. Sort of like the good Samaritan. Jesus really is the good Samaritan. Remember the good Samaritan?

He was walking down the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. He saw a man laying on the side of the road. The man was beaten, bruised, and left to die by thieves who had robbed him. Before the good Samaritan came along, a Levite and a priest had both at different times passed by the same man but but they were busy and they had stuff to do and they were concerned about their own safety and so, they left him there. But not the good Samaritan.

No, he stopped. He cared. He had, the Bible says in Luke 10, compassion on the man. And so he bound up his wounds and he put him on his donkey and he took him to an inn and he paid for his stay. He even told the keeper, he said, when I come back this way, I'll pay you for any other charges that he accrues.

That's what Jesus has done for us on the cross of Calvary. Not only that he shed his blood to forgive the sins that we have committed in the past but he's already promised. That he'll take care of all the ones we commit in the future. We have truly been forgiven. The Good Samaritan and Jesus Christ both showed what?

Compassion. It has been said, people don't do not care how much you know until they know how much you care. And that isn't a Bible verse. But it is true. People do not care usually how much you know.

Until they know that you care. Knowledge puffeth up but love edify it. It builds up others. Whether it be the lost who need Christ or a brother who has stumbled and fell. We need to be in the business of picking others up rather than condemning and kicking them when they are down.

Galatians six one. Where is it? It's not on there. This is what it says. Brethren, if any man be overtaken in the fault, you which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted, bear you one another's burdens, and so fulfill the love of Christ.

When you see a brother or sister down, when they've fallen, when they've already recognized where they are. They don't need us to kick them when they're down. They need us to help pick them up. And to demonstrate the love of Christ. I'm afraid sometimes we act more like the priest and the Levite than we do the good Samaritan.

We need to show compassion. We need also to exhort and encourage one another. Hebrews ten twenty four and twenty five, let us consider one another to provoke unto love and the good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching. God has said, you need to come together. You need to fellowship together.

You need to worship together. Why? Because we need each other. We need to be exhorted and encouraged and comforted and assisted in this work, in this journey together. God knew that we needed each other.

God established the church. Among other reasons for that purpose that we might encourage and exhort and assist one another. This example was set forth in the early church. Turn if you would to Acts chapter two. Acts chapter two.

I think the best way to show you this is just to read it. I think you'll see the idea. Acts two verse 42. And they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and prayers and fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles and all that believe were together and had all things common and sold their possessions and goods part of them to all men as every man had need and they continuing daily with one accord in the temple and breaking of bread from house to house that eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people and the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. What did the early church do?

Well, several things here. They continued the apostles doctrine. They continued to study the scriptures and to learn from the apostles, the word and the will of God. They continued to fellowship with one another to to celebrate and observe the Lord's supper and they continued in their prayers. In verse 44, all that believe were together and they had all things common.

What did they do? They recognized that some in their church, some of their brethren, the widows, and the orphans, and others had needs. They were cast out by the Jew Jewish community. They were separated from the benefits of the synagogue and others and they needed assistance and they needed help. So, what did the early church do?

Well, some people sold possessions and lands. Because they recognized their brethren was in need and they had what? Compassion. And they were willing to assist. They recognized that the need of others was greater than their need for a particular plot of land or a particular material possession.

And they willingly gave those things away. Not not as prescribed by a higher authority. The Bible says, a man purposeth in his heart. So, let him give and they gave of themselves willingly and they gave of their possessions and they gave of their time. They didn't have telephones and Email back in those days.

If they wanted to go exhort and encourage and help and comfort another believer, they had to get up and they had to get on their feet and they had to walk down the street and they had to find their house and go in and talk to em. That was the only way. And whether you're getting on your feet and you're walking down the street to talk to him or you're picking up a phone or you're sending a letter or an Email. We have more options today but our love for the brethren should be expressed similarly. Not just inside the walls of this building.

You know there are people in our church that are hurting. You know that you have friends here that have needs. Don't wait for the church as a collective or the pastor to set up a program. We don't need a program. We need each other.

We need each other. There is a boy in Joshua's class at school. His name is Casey. Casey, in many ways, is just a normal 11 year old boy. However, Casey can't walk.

He's been in Joshua's class since what? First grade maybe? He's in fifth now. And Casey needs help with some things. Not only does Casey need help from his fellow classmates but Casey also needs compassion.

And having Casey and Joshua's class has been good for Joshua and good for the other kids in that class. There are little things they've had to sacrifice. To help Casey. They were really looking forward a couple years ago of going to their classroom up on the 2nd Floor because that's where the next grade was and they were going to go go up to the 2nd Floor. Why that was such a big deal?

I don't know. But they couldn't go to the 2nd Floor. They had to move the classrooms around. Because Casey can't go up steps, you see. And it's good for them and it's good for Casey and whether we recognize it or not, we also need one another and there are others around us that are just as needy with as Casey is.

Maybe not with that particular issue but with others. You do matter. You can make a difference. If you will choose to love and show compassion and encourage and assist others around you. That have needs.

I had a teenager in my youth group who was sometimes aggravating. His name was Scott Sullivan. One week, would think, oh, he's got it. The next week, I'd put my hand, oh, no, he didn't have it yet. Once you have kids, you realize that's an everyday occurrence.

Up, down, up, down, up, down. Scott though had a friend named Jason. He brought Jason to church. Jason got saved. And though there were things about Scott that were sometimes aggravating, his love for Jason was real.

And I told the story once before but you may not have been here. There was one evening Jason, his dad had died. His mother had basically gone crazy. And for some reason, he decided, well, I don't want to be here anymore and he took a gun and he put it to his head But that was this just at that moment. The phone rang.

And it was Scott Sullivan. And Jason is very likely here today because of the love of a friend named Scott. Who just happened to call at the right moment. And now Jason has a family of his own that he's bringing up in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord. He owns a Chick fil A, I think around the Chicago area.

A very very godly young man. You can make a difference but not if not if we don't show compassion. Our attitudes matter. Turn if you would to first Corinthians chapter 13. First Corinthians chapter 13.

We're going to begin this this morning and we're going to finish it next week. But let's begin by reading verses one through three of first Corinthians 13. The word translated here charity is the same word translated love in other passages. The love of Christ. And the Corinthians had some difficulty at this in their lives.

They argued a lot. There's a lot of strife and it was because they love self more than one another. So, Paul felt it necessary as led by the Holy Spirit here to define the love of God that they should be showing towards one another that would fix their problems. He begins in verse one, though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I am become as a sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. A sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal all by themselves over and over again is very very aggravating and irritating.

It's noise. Without the rest of the orchestra. Verse two, 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 to feed the poor and though I give my body to be burned and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. If we leave out compassion and love in our lives, If our lives are all about us and all about the rewards and not about others and not about our savior. Then everything we do will go up and smoke someday when we stand before him And there will be no rewards.

To lay at his feet. Our actions, work, sacrifices, and achievements are meaningless if they're performed without love for God and for others. We need to get this through our heads sometimes a little bit better. And how does this love express itself? Beginning in verse four, charity suffereth long and is kind.

Charity envieth not. Charity bonded not itself. It's not puffed up. Does not behave itself unseemingly. Seeketh not our own.

Is not easily provoked. Thinketh no evil. Rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeeth all things, endureth all things, charity never faileth. Paul tells us right here.

The kind of attitudes that should be demonstrated in our lives if we're to glorify God, if we're to express the love of God, let's look at the first two quickly. The first one is this one, long suffering. Charity suffereth long. What does that mean? Charities, love is what?

Patient. It puts up with a lot. It puts up with those other shortcomings, with spiritual weaknesses, with personal quirks, with ill manners, with bad habits, with dumb decisions, with stubbornness. Then, shall we go on? Describe somebody you know?

It suffers long with others. God suffers long with us. God suffered long with Israel. Wow. And he's not done with them yet neither is he done with you.

I was trying to think of a illustration. I read a biography when I was a kid about a woman named Helen Keller. Ever heard of her? Now, there's a few things Helen Keller and I wouldn't see eye to eye on. I don't know that she was a Christian.

I'm not sure but there was a person in her life whose name you might not recognize as much. Her name was Anne Sullivan. Anne Sullivan was Helen Keller's teacher. When Helen Keller was 18 old, she lost her sight, she lost her hearing, and she lost the ability to speak. And when she was seven years old, her father called a teacher's guild or something, a school, and asked for a teacher for his seven year old daughter who couldn't hear, couldn't see, and couldn't speak.

A young lady that just graduated from the school that herself was legally blind by the name of Anne Sullivan spent the rest of her life teaching Helen Keller. And Helen Keller herself graduated from college with a degree and an honorary degree from Temple and became a well known person. Who did amazing things because one by the name of Anne Sullivan was long suffering. I think of another lady. Her name is Marsha Griffiths.

You don't know her, but I know her well. When I was youth pastor in Georgia, miss Marsha used to come to church by herself, and then she started bringing her teenage son. Her teenage son started coming. He had been safe earlier but he got out of church. His name was Bryant.

Him and his wife are good friends of ours. And then her son Matt started coming. I had Bible study with him for I think about three years every week. Matt and his wife now work at Pensacola Christian College. Is there any one thing about Marsha that I will never forget?

It's that she is long suffering. You see, Bryant and Matt's father, Dennis, is a very likable man. But he's been an alcoholic for the past forty years but Marsha has stood by him, stayed with him, helped him let her voice to the Lord and to come to church and into the ministry She would pick up kids to bring em to church Kids that you probably wouldn't bring because they were such a pain in the neck but not Marsha. She was long suffering. Love is patient.

It's long suffering. It's kind. It's gracious. And merciful. Like our savior.

He causes it to rain on the evil and on the good and he died for the sins of the wild. World. He died for you because he loves you. He demonstrated that by his death on the cross. And he offers you to eternal life and if you don't know him today, you can.

You can know this God. You can know this love and and you can have the eternal life that he offers. Would you come as we give this invitation in just a moment and if you're here today and you're a Christian, the Lord has spoke to your heart. There's something you need to deal with with the Lord today. Maybe in the area of love.

Maybe there's something standing in the way. That you go to the Lord with that. You can do it where you're standing. You can come up here and pray but listen to him today. I plead with you.

Let's pray. Dear God, we thank you Lord for your love and pray that you would forgive us of allowing other things to take precedence over that in our lives to get in the way, to allow our pride to keep us from loving others as we should. Lord, give us compassion. Lord, give us compassion. Lord, we need compassion.

Not just to do the right things but to have the love and compassion of God. Overflowing in our heart. It comes from you. Lord, we ask for it today and we ask for your forgiveness. And Lord, I ask that you help these dear brothers and sisters in Christ.

To love each other with a pure heart fervently and Lord, we pray if there's one here that's never received you, that they would come as we give this hymn of invitation in just a moment. In Jesus precious name, we do pray. Amen.