Cdc 23rd Sept 2019 Kisses of Betrayal

(Music) Church fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Life Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen. [Speaker 1] In the chapter 2 of 1 John, it says, "And we can be sure that we know him if we obey his command." What makes us to know that we know God? How do we know we know God? If we obey his command. When we are not obeying his command, then we are not sure whether we know him. We are not sure if there is a relationship between we and him. The way to know that we had an encounter and we know God, that there is a fellowship between we and God. He is speaking this matter from the matter he raised in the chapter 1, that God is light, in him there is no darkness at all. If anybody says he fellowship with God and walk in darkness, the person is a liar. Now he's telling you that we can be sure that we know him if we obey his command. So if a man is not consistently obeying the Lord, then the person can know that somehow, there is no relationship. Maybe I should read how the Amplified put it. It says, "And this is how we may discern daily by experience that we are coming to know him, to perceive him, to recognize him, to understand him, and become better and better acquainted with him if we keep, bear in mind, observe, practice the teachings, the precepts, the things he command." This is how we may discern daily by experience. If you want to know whether you know God, how you can discern God on a daily basis, this is how I can discern it that only God and I have a relationship. How do I know when God and I have a relationship? This is how I can discern it. This is how I can know it. This can help me to perceive it. I believe it's clearer with the Amplified. Now when we move on, it says, "If someone claims I know God but doesn't obey God's command, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth." So how can somebody say that he's saved? You can discern by experience. You can know by experience. You can begin to know on a daily basis that there is actually a work of salvation in me, that I have an encounter with God, if on a daily basis I am growing, I am recognizing, I am observing God, I am putting what he says into practice. It becomes a serious observation. I don't ignore God. I don't set his principles aside. I don't show where his value, but they are becoming something daily that matters in my heart. Daily what God says is increasing. It matters, it becomes a burden to me and I'm increasing in it. Now I'm going somewhere actually. It says, "But those who obey God's word truly show how completely they love him. This is how we know that we are living in him." Now what is John actually saying here? Is he saying something new? Who is John actually quoting here? He is quoting Jesus. In John 14:15 and John 14:21, Jesus made this statement very clear. He said, "If you love me, keep my command." Again he said in 14:21, "He that has my word and keeps it is the person who loves me. He who loves me will be loved of my father. I too I will love him and I will make myself plain to him." So John is quoting actually what the Lord has said. It's not a new thing that he was saying. Now he said, "But those who obey God truly show how completely they love him. This is how we know that we are living in him. This is how we know that we are living in God when we love him." But now look at something. It said, "Those who say that they live in God should live their life as Jesus did." Now look at what he now said. It is the point around where we stopped last week. I just did a kind of bringing forward so that we can move on together. "Dear friends, I am not writing a new commandment." It's not a new commandment. He was just saying what Jesus said. "I am not writing to you a new commandment, rather it is an old one you have had from the very beginning. This old commandment to love one another is the same message that you have heard before. Yet it is also new. Jesus lived the truth of this commandment, and you also are living in it, for darkness is disappearing and the true light is already shining. If anyone claim I am living in light but hate a Christian brother or sister, that person is still living in darkness." Why? Do you notice what he was saying before? What he was saying before is about obeying God's command. This is how we know that we love God when we keep his command. He said okay, what I write is not a new thing. What I'm writing is an old thing, but it's also new because Jesus said the same thing. He now shifted what he was saying from vertical direction to horizontal direction. That if initially he was saying if you keep God's command. Now suddenly again he had become horizontal. That if anybody says that he knows God but hate his brother, the person does not know God. The person does not know God. He has not encountered God. He has not met with God. He's not knowing God. There is no communion between that person and God. There is a gap between that person and God. Something is missing. Are you following what I am trying to say? It was first vertical. It had become horizontal. Now when he said that, he moves on. Look at it, verse 10. What did he say in verse 10? "Anyone who loves his brother or sister is living in the light and there is no occasion of stumbling." Now please brethren, who is light? God is light. In him there is no darkness at all. If any man say he has fellowship with God and walk in darkness, the person is a liar. Are you following me? Now not really suddenly if you flow the spirit of this thing, this matter that Apostle John is raising. He said the new commandment I give you, but not new, it's an old commandment because the darkness is past and the light is come. If anybody says he loves God but hate his brother, the person is a liar. It's not possible. Now he's connecting again something together. He said, "Anyone who loves his brother or sister is living in the light." So God is light. In him there is no darkness. If anybody says he love God and walk in darkness, how does he walk in darkness in the light of what we are just saying? By hating his brother. Anyone who loves his brother or sister is living in the light. Anyone who hates his brother is still in darkness. So how does a man walk in darkness? By hating his brother. So there are two things that are coming together. What is the first and greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind. When Jesus was to speak, what did he say immediately? He said the second is like what? Why? Because the love of God is reflected in the second. That's just the answer. The second is like the first. Do you know what it means? The second is the evidence of the first. If the second is not there, then the first is deception. If the second is not there, and that's what I want to dwell on today. I want to show you why it is like that. Why the second is like unto the first? Why the second is related to the first? Can we try that word in different translation? Matthew 22:37. Please go to that scripture. [Speaker 2] Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important. Love your neighbor as yourself." [Speaker 1] Check some other translations. [Speaker 3] Jesus said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself." [Speaker 1] Like it. Another translation. [Speaker 2] Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence. This is the most important, first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: Love others as well as you love yourself." [Speaker 1] Do you see that there is no translation that didn't connect those two things together? What I want to show you today is the statement I've just made. The reason why the second is equally important, the reason why the second is like unto it, is that until we see the second, the first is not existing. It's not existing. And if you don't understand that, you will not understand the primary principal reason why God ordains salvation. Salvation is anchored on this matter that we are discussing. You will notice sometimes you will see Apostle James. Some say you see your brother does not have food to eat or drink to eat, then you will pray, "It is well, it is well with you." What did he say we ought to do? He said love should be practical, isn't it? Now let's go back to John. Let's go back to where we are reading. Now he says, "Anyone who loves his brother or sister is living in the light and does not cause others to stumble." Verse 11, "But anyone who hates another brother or sister is still living..." Look at the emphasis, "is still living and walking in darkness. Such a person does not know the way to go... has been blinded by the darkness." [Speaker 2] But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes. [Speaker 1] Peter said something: out of faith, knowledge, knowledge, virtue, virtue, brotherly kindness, then eventually he say add love. Do you get that scripture I'm quoting? He say add love. When these things increase and abound in you, it makes you not to be unfruitful. That is Peter. For Peter, the matter of salvation has several addition. But where I am really going is this. The Bible says, "But anyone who hates his brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness." Now please, how do you reconcile anyone who hates his wife or his husband? You know your brother is still distant from your wife or husband. Do you understand me? You know there is a more proximate relationship again between a husband and a wife that is stronger than the one between the person and the brethren. Marriage is more proximate. I am saying this thing so that we can appreciate some of the kind of things we hear today in ministry, in church. I am saying this thing for you to know how much God is absent in our churches, in our fellowship, in what we call Christianity. We think we have mystified God to be something in the cloud, somebody that is far away that we are praying to. To know that someone is with God... [Mimics speaking in tongues]. Say that body is touching God. He is. I'm not saying he may not, but the only way I can know that that thing is actually God that is touching, is if he love his brother. If he does not love his brother, he does not know God. At the end God will say I don't know you because he never knew God. Not because he's not preaching for God. He say, "We cast out demon, in whose name? In your name. We did that in your name." But he say, "I don't know them." Look at what the Bible is saying again, "He does not know." Do you know the person who is preaching, who is preaching God, ordinarily does that person not know God? The person who say, "I cast out demon," if he can cast out demon in the name of Jesus and you can preach in the name and you can do miracle in the name of Jesus, don't you know Jesus? Yeah, you know him. But Jesus will say, "I will tell you that I don't know you." I like how the J.B. Phillips translation put it: "That day, I will also tell them to their face that I don't know them." Do you know why? Because they have lived their life not also knowing him. They have lived their life the way they wanted. The Bible says if any man hate his brother or sister, that person is still walking in darkness. That person does not know God. It's not that the person is not praying to God. It's not that the person is not worshipping God. It's not that the person is not serving God. I can even bring a very figurative illustration that just come to my heart now. Hallelujah. You know Samuel, the boy Samuel? The Bible says, "And Samuel minister unto the Lord under Eli." 1 Samuel 3 verse 1, "And the boy Samuel ministered unto the Lord under Eli." In those days vision was rare. Then the Bible says the Lord came and he called Samuel, "Samuel, Samuel." Then he ran to Eli, "You called me." Eli said no. "Samuel, Samuel," he ran to Eli again. Eventually when God was to now introduce and talk about the situation of the life of Samuel, what did the Bible say? In 3 verse 7, "Now Samuel do not yet know the Lord and the voice of the Lord have not been revealed to him." So ordinarily, figuratively, which God was he ministering to in the verse 1? So you see, I'm trying to bring this thing out for you to understand that there are different kinds of services, different kind of life we may live today. There are preachers and there are teachings. But see, Christianity is not a mystical thing. Christianity is not something mystical. I was speaking to a boy who has some problem recently, and I said do you know that ordinarily look at how your life reduced. I said do you know why it reduced like this? Not because you are not a believer, but you underrated that simple instruction that says honor father and mother. On this matter your dad said get this thing done. Your mom said get this thing done. You just felt [noises]. But now look at where you are. I said do you know that at that time you don't need the voice of God, you don't need an angel, you don't need a prophet to tell you, "Thus saith the Lord. Listen to your mother now because something catastrophic is going to happen." No. Just that simple word that says honor father and mother and it will be well with you. At those instances when we were not honoring them, the oneness of your life was being deducted. That is why you are where you are now. We have mystified Christianity. We don't follow the simplicity of scripture. We want to put God in the aura, in some things that look like I don't know how to describe it. But many times I call it spiritual gymnastics. I call them useless euphorias. I call them unnecessary aura. Christianity is plain and simple. Christianity is a practical thing. Christianity is something that we can touch, our hand can handle. Christianity, it says let your light so shine that men will see it. Christianity is not something that men cannot see. I tell people when they say, "God alone knows who is who," I say it's a liar. Anyone who worships God, we should see it from how he behaves towards men. It says let your light so shine that men will see it and they will give glory to God. God wants that you are my own to be evidence to men. He wants to be evidence to men. He wants to be seen, he wants to be clear. He wants people to see it and then do what? I remember one day, this was a personal encounter. Someone was talking about a man. He was a workman that normally work, I just met them, they were just talking. And he was talking about the man that gave them the work. He was describing a man. He was saying, "Ṣé ò bá ṣe pé bóyá Ọlọ́run nìkan ló njẹ́ àṣọrọ̀máyé, àṣọrọ̀máyé ni n bá máa pe ọkùnrin yẹn. Tó bá l’oun mbọ̀, o mbọ̀ náà ni. Tó bá ní dúró de òun, o mbọ̀ wá fún ẹ ní 10 naira, á wá fún ẹ níbẹ̀. Tó bá ní kí n máa ṣiṣẹ́ lọ fún oṣù mẹ́wàá pé òun á sanwó mi, màá máa ṣiṣẹ́ lọ." An unbeliever was describing another person. Has that person not reflect the image of God to that person? What did Jesus say, "Let your yea be yea and your nay be nay"? You know what Jesus told us that we don't need to swear? But many times you tell somebody that I'm coming, they say, "Yeah, swear first that you will come." I'm trying to get something very clear. There's a dimension of Christianity today that is mystifying Christianity. Why is the second equally important? Why the second connected to the first? Why is the Bible insisting that if somebody does not love his brother, he's walking in darkness and is in darkness? Why is it? It is because you need to realize 1 John 3:16 finds expression in John 3:16. Let's read those two scriptures. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life." 1 John 3:16, "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren." This is how we knew what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters. Do you see that there is no translation that didn't connect those two things together? What I want to show you today is the reason why the second is equally important, the reason why the second is like unto it, is that until we see the second, the first is not existing. And if you don't understand that, you will not understand the principal reason why God ordains salvation. Salvation is anchored on this matter. Now let's see Ephesians chapter 5, let's see it from verse 23. [Speaker 2] For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church. [Speaker 1] Please, what is the spirit of the Lord and the church? The Lord nourishes. He keeps nourishing and loving the church. No man ever hated his own body, but he nourishes and cherishes it. It is the same way that even so the Lord his church. God is constantly nourishing to cherish. Who is that church? Is it not possible that somebody has a relationship with God? (Music) Church fellowships cannot be more spiritual than the individuals and families that constitute them. God greatly desires a godly home front. These are words of restoration and instruction in righteousness from Family Life Ministry. May you be blessed as you listen.