It is good to be here tonight. Anytime we get a chance to be in God's house, it's a joy, right man? That's the way it should be. Hopefully after tonight, you'll see that a little more within our message tonight. But we are in two different passages. Some might have heard these before through our Bible study and stuff, but that's okay. God's Word is read over and over and over throughout our life, throughout very many facets, and yet still proves profitable for proof, for instruction, and for growth in Christ. So we're going to be in John 21. I'll give you the Scriptures before we read them. John 21, verses 14 through 17. And then Joshua chapter 24 verses 19 through 22. I like when the pastor says I like to hear pages turning, except many times I use electronic and can't hear electronic turning. But that doesn't take away that you have the Word of God in front of you. It's not the paper that it's written on. It's the very words of God that make it the Word of God. But John 21 verses 14 through 17 says this, This is now the third time that Jesus showeth Himself to His disciples. After that, He was risen from the dead. So when they had dined, Jesus saith unto Simon, Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. He saith unto him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He said unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus said unto him, Feed my sheep. Now over in Joshua chapter 24, verses 19 through 22, And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the Lord, for He is an holy God, He is a jealous God, He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. If ye forsake the Lord and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do hurt and consume you. After that He hath done you good. And the people said unto Joshua, Nay, but we will serve the Lord. And Joshua said unto the people, ye are witnesses against yourself, that ye have chosen you, the Lord, to serve him. And they said, we are witnesses. The message tonight, the title of the message tonight is just, it's a simple message. It's this question. Do you love me? Do you love me? Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, we thank you for this evening you've given us. Anytime I have the opportunity, Lord, to get before Your Word, I realize what an awesome responsibility and how that in and of myself lies no strength, power, wisdom, or knowledge to prepare or to perform that which is needful for these people and myself, and that is to break the bread of life before us that we might grow thereby. Father, I'm reminded constantly in John 15, 5, without you I can do nothing. So I come before you now briefly knowing that that is so true and that I need your power. These people need your power. And they need this Word to be broken into their hearts and made alive. And us to have ears and hearts to receive this Word and graft it within the very grains and fibers of who we are as your people. And if there's one here lost without Christ, that they may see their sinful state and their lost condition. And that through repentance and faith they may find everlasting life through the love that you shed. and that You provide. Forgive us for our failures now, Lord, and give us what You have for us. In Jesus' name, Amen. You know, from the beginning of time, all those who You hold dear, You want them to know how much You love them. People from the beginning of time have done that. So much so that the word love has really become watered down in its context, in its understanding, in its intention. to the point that the word no longer possesses its value and significance. Of course, it's nothing new, and let us not be naive in that, that it's been going on from the beginning of time with God's people proclaiming such love, you know, to that, that we want others to know how much we love them. We've always known, though, that love is not in spoken word, but it's rather demonstrated indeed. And unfortunately, that is where all man many times fails, more times than not. In fact, only one man, the man Christ Jesus, has truly demonstrated pure, unadulterated love, if we truly think about what love is all about. This, though, does not stop man and does not stop us as God's people from trying to get those around them to believe that they can be alike, you know, with love's commitment. that Christ demonstrated. Love is demonstrated how though to someone? Well I was thinking about this and really love is demonstrated through obedience to the promises and or expectations that is upon you from the one you're promising that love to. That's really what love is all about. So my question is how have you done with love's demonstration to just those within your inner circle, your husband, your wife, your son, your daughter, your grandson, your granddaughter. All the promises of the unfettered love that we proclaim to those within our family. But we must ask ourselves, how have we fared? How have we fared with that love? Everybody wants to know, do you love me? And this is what Jesus Christ asked Simon, son of Jonas, Peter. Lovest thou me more than these? Do you love me? When you're dating, how many times have one of you asked the other, do you love me? You know, you want to hear. But you just don't want to hear, you want to see it. And I always said that sometimes if somebody, if a partner in a relationship is asking constantly, do you love me? That should be signs that there's something wrong with the demonstration of your love to that partner. Because one should not continually be in question of whether they have your garnered love. But that love should be evident as it's demonstrated throughout your life to that loved one. That doesn't always stop us though from wanting to hear it. You know, and it's important for us to tell others we love them. But it's far greater for them to see that we love them. An unfettered love. Then we find ourselves unable to keep love defined with those in the flesh. We make commitments of that love to Him who created mankind Himself. After all, this is what Jesus said when asked which was the greatest commandment in the law, is it not? Over in Matthew chapter 22 verse 37, if you want to turn there. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." That's a powerful command, isn't it? It's a powerful task at hand. Have you ever tried to do that? Have you ever thought you got there? I do love you, Lord. But do you love me, like Jesus said you need to love me, with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind? So man, wanting to fulfill that, spends his life proclaiming to make that a reality. Exodus 24, 7 says, and he took the book of the covenant and read in the audience of the people, and they said, all that the Lord hath said, we will do, or will we do, and be obedient. That was the Israelites proclaiming their love in essence, by their promise to be obedient, because love defined is love demonstrated indeed. We saw in Joshua chapter 24 in our Bible study, and as we study it throughout our lives, verse 24, it says, And the people said unto Joshua, The Lord our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey. Oh, what proclamation! That sounds good, doesn't it? How many have made that proclamation in our prayers to the Lord? All of us. I may have failed demonstrating that, yes. I have all these fingers pointing back at me. If only it was that simple, right? If only that was simple. The expectation, though, is no less there, and that's what I want to point out tonight. The expectation is no less there and no less important for us to seek. My friend, love that starts with God is love that lasts forever and transcends to those around us, which I mentioned earlier, and then spreads to those well outside those boundaries and works out through obedience. And Jesus proved it himself, didn't he? Being obedient even unto the cross. That's why I talked about nobody had truly unfettered, unadulterated love demonstrated as Christ did. For only He went being obedient even to the cross. to pay man's sin debt before him that man, through repentance and faith, could receive. And that's you and I who know Christ as our Savior who sits out here tonight and may be watching at home or may be listening on sermon audio or through our website. God's Word has always shown and proven that if we are to love others the way God intends us to, it must start by loving God the way he wants us to. And that includes his church, which Christ loves and gave his life for. Therefore, we should do the same. Amen? Today, for the child of God, We show our love for him first with our love and commitment to the church, I truly believe. For it is the church that Christ loved and still loves and gave his life for. You may say my love and commitment should be with my wife or husband and family and then to the church. I've actually heard professed Christians make that statement sincerely. The church comes second. After all, isn't that how God designed it? Through the two institutions? He created Adam and Eve. The church was second. So God intends me to put my family first and put the church second. I contend different. I contend that by not putting Christ and His church first, we cannot put our wife and husband and family even second. See, have we not learned personally or at least through history in God's Word that when He is not first and His church, everything else we try to love and cherish is done so with a corrupted and imperfect intent. It just is that way. It's through our commitment to him and his church we learn how to demonstrate the love we need for our family and our loved ones. Show me someone today who is not committed, faithful to the church as a member. And I will show you a person whose commitment to their family and demonstrated godly love is not fully there and imperfect at best. It cannot be. Love defined, love demonstrated in its purest form must start at the beginning with love of God himself and his church. I'll get to this later. Families that have stood the test of time through trials, through tribulations, are those, I truly believe, that have committed to put Christ and His church first, and have demonstrated that with their presence and service. There's also ones who love to be around God's people more than the world, and that includes their lost family members. I am imperfect at best as God's child. But one thing that God indwelled within me, if that's the right word, years ago, was that if I ever expected a family who all have no desire for God around me, I'm the only one in my family that knows Christ as a Savior and has a love for God. Those have no desire for God, no realization. And he impressed upon me that if there was ever A chance for me to get them to understand the importance of God in their life. The importance of God in my life. I had to do it by showing them that nobody comes second to God and that includes my church. The church that Christ loved and gave himself for. And I stood strong. And they weren't happy. But my friend, I need to truly show God I love Him. And it is Him who loved me first that is the most important thing. And if they are ever to understand what love is and what the love of God is, then we need to stand committed around our family members that the love of God is being faithful to His church whom He loved and gave His life for. Not choosing to stay home because we don't want to offend them. After all, how can a child of God say Christ is the most important one in their life, and church is the greatest asset in their lives, if their family and their friends and their loved ones see them choosing other things over it, and other things over Him? That's where hypocrite comes from, that the world tosses upon so freely. Tonight I want to spend some time focusing on things that come out of demonstrating our love the way God wants us. See, it's in demonstrating our love through the church. Have you understood that my message tonight is focused on God's love and the church? you won't find a greater life in Christ if you don't have his church as preeminence in your life. It will not happen. And even then, it's tough in our fleshly bodies that we contend with on a daily basis. But it sure won't happen if it's not first. But it's in demonstrating our love through the church that we first simply exemplify neighborliness. Turn over to Luke chapter 10 verses 36 and 37. Luke chapter 10. Luke chapter 10 verses 36 and 37. says Jesus talking, which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, he that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto them, go and do thou likewise. My friend, I would contend that we cannot show mercy unto somebody unless we first have the love of God indwelling in us, and a love for God. And it's in demonstrating His love that His mercy is brought out, isn't it? God's mercy to us is God's love defined. God's grace to us is God's love defined. demonstrated in real life, in real time, as they say. It's that love that develops faithfulness outside of the church, within our lives, with spouses, with family, with friends, those that God brings into our life. Faithfulness starts with our first, our love for God, and are demonstrated through faithfulness to Him and His church. Love demonstrated to Him and His church will allow you to demonstrate the love you need to your spouses, my friend, so you don't think about somebody else maybe being better for you, or even think upon it. So you don't think that your kids don't need your attention, undivided attention, in a way that shows God working through you. Being faithful to the cause of Christ first starts with this church, but flows, then flows, to the family to demonstrate that in a way of showing children what's important. and who is important. And they are important to you. But you can only make them truly important to you by letting your children know that God is the most important to you. So they can be the second. It's love demonstrated through the church that we elevate our life as a believer. Turn over to Mark chapter 10 verses 43 and 44. But so shall it not be among you, but whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister. And whosoever of you will be the chiefest shall be servant of all." Ultimately, it is the love of God working in and through you and through us that elevates us in many ways. There's a song that talks about, you raise me up that I can stand on mountains. You raise me up to walk on stormy seas. My friend, when we demonstrate our love within and without the church, God raises us up through glory and pain, through suffering and sunshine. But it starts with him and his church. It also epitomizes Christlikeness. We're called Christians. And they were first called Christians in the end. We're called Christians because we're supposed to be Christlikeness. It's our love demonstrated through the church. that epitomizes Christlikeness. After all, he loved the church and gave his life for it. John 13, turn over there, verses 12 through 17. So after he had washed their feet and had taken his garments, and was set down. He said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say, Well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you. Verily, verily, I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord, neither is he that is sent greater than him that sent him. If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." My friend, it is love defined and demonstrated for God that allows us to be servants to one another. We cannot be the true servants that Christ designed us to be and commissioned us to be if we first don't have His love committed to us. That comes, starts through salvation and grows. But we must be committed to let His love be brought out in our life. If there's anything that should be our first prayer when we get up in the morning is, Lord, let me love you and your church more than anything this day. And let it be worked out. Let it be demonstrated by letting me love others the way you love me. Letting them see my love for my church. the way you see me." Everything that is done was intended to be started through the church. That's where we're taught. That's where we worship Him. That doesn't mean that we don't read God's Word throughout the week. That doesn't mean that we don't hunger to feed on His Word, that we might even see love demonstrated in more complete ways than even what we do by being faithful to His house. But my friend, as much as we love you watching this at home and listening on the audio, if you think that by doing this You're fulfilling your demonstrated love to God, my friend, you're sorely missing the point. For Christ designed the church for that to be done. And you need to be part of a scripturally organized, Bible-believing church. Without that, you fall short. Without that, even listening to God's Word and reading it throughout the week, my friend, your love will be imperfect at best. Why? Because God gets His glory in and through the church. And if we're to epitomize Christ's likeness, we need to do it in and through the church as His children. Now, I appreciate you watching on TV, I appreciate those that listen on our audio, and I surely appreciate you folks being faithful. And you're faithful because obviously you understand that. And not everybody understands that, even those that are semi-faithful, even those that are faithful. But my friend, if there's anything that you should understand is that you should realize how important it just by being faithful so you can hear God's word is not only all the blessing that you're getting by being faithful. You're epitomizing Christ likeness. You're epitomizing love defined. Because you're loving his church. In which he loved and gave himself for. It lightens life's burdens for each other. Turn over to Galatians 6, verse 2. Galatians chapter 6 verse 2 says, Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of God. We do that, and we learn to do that by being faithful to God's house, and listening, and worshiping Him, and looking to Him for guidance, and for instruction, and for deliverance from the world and the things that press upon us. And we go out of here understanding what God's love truly is when we come to worship Him in spirit and in truth and with our love put back on Him what imperfect love of ours at best to Him that He allows us and He ingrains us and fortifies us to go out and lighten the burdens of others around us. We can only do that if we have a love for Him and His church first. It must start with Christ and His church. A love for God. Verse 10 of that same chapter says, as we have therefore opportunity, Let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the households of faith." There's nothing greater than church family, amen? I really believe that. I've come to see that through my church family up in Michigan, and now my church family down here that God has put into my life, and beyond the family of God. Just to be part of the family of God and to experience each other's love as a fellow brother and sister in Christ. But there's a greater love that comes within the body when love is defined, when love is demonstrated, when we seek to define and demonstrate love, should I say. That allows us to seek for opportunities Seek for opportunities to do good unto all men. And seeking out those that are our brothers and sisters in Christ. To make sure that they are first and foremost taken care of. Because they, like you, are one of God's children. And they deserve only the best in life. Because God is the greatest. And His children deserve the best. And as His child, I want my fellow brothers and sisters to have the best too. But my friend, how is the world to understand anything about God's love defined and demonstrated if He doesn't see us taking the opportunity to lighten the burdens of even those that are without Christ? It's easy for us to turn a cheek to them and go our way and think, well, you know, they're of the world anyways. They could care less about what I'm about and they probably ain't even going to realize. They'll never miss it. What they don't know won't hurt them and they'll never even miss it. But my friend, God knows and God holds us individually responsible to be a light in a dark world. But that light comes from being part of a local New Testament Bible-believing church, scripturally organized. God asks you, do you love me? You say, yes, Lord. God says, you cannot serve the Lord, for I'm a holy God. And you say, but I can. And I will, Lord, I'll love you and I'll serve you. And God says, I'm a jealous God, not accepting to be second. And it appears you can only put me second in your life. I'm not fine with you choosing this life over me. I'm not fine with you coming to church only when you have nothing else pressing. I'm not fine with you surrounding yourself continually more with those of the world instead of those of mine. Those you call family but choose to spend your time with others when you could be spending time with them. And you say, not so Lord, but I will put you first. I will love you most. And God says, you're witnesses against yourself. That you've chosen me. The Lord God. To serve. Is that you? Today we. I can't speak for those that aren't here. They've demonstrated their love to an extent by not being here. But today we need to demonstrate the love, love that places him and his church first and foremost, and all that it entails above everything else, that everything else in our lives may be in their proper place. Spouses, parents, physical family, God's family, friends, and those in the world, that they might be loved with a love that can only come in their proper order. God's created a proper order. Do you believe that? Do you believe that God has created an order for everything? Do you believe God created everything? If you believe God created everything, God created an order for everything. I read an article from Ancestors in Genesis. It was by Dr. Lyon and he stated this on the natural order. And he said, everything in the universe, every plant, An animal, every rock, every particle of matter, or light wave, is bound by laws which it has no choice but to obey. My friend, God has created an order to love. I want you to know that tonight. And it flows. redirect that flow, ignore that flow, and love becomes broken. Love, therefore, must start with love from God, then love for God, which includes Christ and his church, then flows down to those in your life. You want your family, you want your wife, you want your husband, you want your children to know how much you love them, then first let God know how much you love Him and demonstrate it in front of them. And when you have God's law of love, the order of God's law of love, In its proper foundation, my friend, the love that you will demonstrate to your wife, your husband, your children, your grandchildren, will be far greater than you could even imagine or dream of. And it will be a perfect love. It will be a complete love. It will be a transforming love. And it will be a love that will work within their hearts and give them a hunger to demonstrate that love themselves and maybe seek Christ for eternal life. We talked about recently how the things that we say and things that we can do, you know, we talk about election, but we also understand the things that we do and say can hinder God working in people's lives. Ultimately, yes, God will save His people. He has a people He will save, and everyone will be saved. But my friend, God holds us accountable to make sure that we're saying and doing things that demonstrate a conducive process for the Holy Spirit to work. We're not to grieve. We're not to quench the Holy Spirit. Man cannot be saved if the Holy Spirit does not open their heart. How many times have you broken that format and quenched the Holy Spirit and that person walked out? We don't know. We don't know whether they're destined for salvation or destined for hell. We don't know that. But my friend, all we do know is how that we can live out our life in the love of God that He has brought within us. So yes, if you're here and you don't know Christ as your Savior, and I don't believe there's anyone here, that doesn't, but if you're here and you don't know Christ as your Savior, there is no greater love than the love that God shed toward you and that He sent His Son to Calvary to pay your sin debt, if through repentance and faith you would turn from your wicked ways and turn toward Him for everlasting life. But for us in Christ, God has started the order. He started the order. He loved us. Now we need to love Him. First and foremost. And that includes Christ and His church. That is how God gets glory out of us. God the Father is glorified by us glorifying Christ and His church. And the Father is therefore glorified. And then we're able to have the love that children need. We're able to have the love that our wife or our husband needs. But it'll never be whole, it'll never be complete, unless our love is demonstrated with love divine. Let's go to the Lord in prayer. Father, we thank you for this evening, you've done this. How great thou art. How much you love us. Father, it's unfathomable when we think of the love that you shed toward us. through Your Son, Jesus Christ, as wicked and defiled as we are. And yet, for us who are Your children, You chose to redeem us before the foundation of the world. You set Your hand upon us and You worked out Your love in us and brought us to the cross of Calvary and redeemed us and gave us the ability to love You, even while we were unlovable. Father, may we understand the order of love that needs to take place in our life. There is no greater place for love to be than your love in us worked out to the world around us. Forgive us for our failures, Lord. Let us demonstrate love as only You have designed for us to do so, that You may be glorified, and let it be done through Christ and His Church. In Jesus' name, Amen.