In Jesus' name, amen. Romans chapter 12, I'd like to read verse number nine and 10. The Bible said, let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil. Cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love in honor, preferring one another. I'd like to speak for just a few moments tonight about brotherly love. In the book of John, chapter 13, in verse number 34, the Lord Jesus Christ said, a new commandment I give unto you, that you love one another. but very interested in the next words, he said, as I have loved you, that you also love one another. So the word of God tells us exactly how to love each other. And I would like to ask the Holy Spirit to search my heart to search your heart, to search our heart. How is our love toward each other? I want to ask you something tonight, and you don't have to answer me. I'm sure the Holy Spirit will put his finger on it. But is there somebody that you're crossways with? Because if there's somebody that you have an issue with and you're crossways with, The Word of God tells exactly what to do. It gives two options. It's either that you forgive them or that you go to them. And we are commanded by the Son of God to love each other as he has loved us. I want to read these verses in Romans again. Let love be without dissimilation. Do you know what that means? That means let love be without hypocrisy. The Lord gave me this message earlier this week. And I'm really, I'm just wondering, what's our brotherly love like? Every one of us in here is an imperfect person. If you're anything like me, all day long, you have to ask God to forgive you and help you. And I know you're like me because we're made out of the same stuff, amen? Dirt. The Bible says let. So this word let means that as saved people, you and I have control in this matter. This word let means to give liberty unto. So let love be without dissimulation means give liberty to our love having no hypocrisy. And I got to say, I'm going to flip over to the book of James real quick. You can. You don't have to. But in the book of James, chapter number four, James deals a little bit with this. Starting in verse number, or sorry, it's chapter three. Starting in verse number 23, I'm sorry, verse number 13, the number is small. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? Let him show out of a good conversation his works with meekness and wisdom. But if you have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion in every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of the righteous is sown in peace of them that make peace. Brotherly love. The Bible says in Hebrews 13, 1, let brotherly love continue. So brotherly love is something that's supposed to be continued. It's not something that's supposed to be obstructed. It's not something that is supposed to be hindered. It's not something that is supposed to be resisted. There is to be a liberty in the love among the people of God. The Bible said, let it continue. Then I read the verse in the book of John, and he said that it was not only to continue, but the Son of God said it's a commandment, that we're to love each other, but we don't get to define that love. He said, as I have loved you, love one another. I'm just gonna ask you, Are you loving all your brothers and sisters in the Lord like Jesus loves you? Am I? Well, every one of us certainly fall guilty in short somewhere. But make no mistake about it, that is the will of God. But then this also is supposed to be our comfort. The Christian people are not supposed to come together in church and gather together in some back room and gossip about some other people in the church. That needs to be repented of. That's not right. We're not supposed to put each other down, hurt each other, attack each other. We're not supposed to do that. We're supposed to love each other. We're supposed to pray for each other. We're supposed to build each other up. We're supposed to help each other. Look with me in Philippians chapter two. Philippians chapter number two. The Bible said, if there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, If any fellowship of the spirit, if any bows and mercies fulfill you my joy that you'd be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind. We're not supposed to be in division. We're not supposed to be fighting each other. We're not supposed to be hurting each other. We're not supposed to be attacking each other. We're not supposed to be backbiting each other. We're supposed to be in unity of the Holy Ghost. And it's written in the Word of God. That's not a suggestion. It's a commandment. That is what we are supposed to be. He said in verse three, let nothing be done through strife or vainglory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves. You know, the Bible says only by pride cometh contention. When you find a contention where somebody is not willing to give in and simmer down, it's because of pride. Notice the word of God said, only by pride cometh contention. Only by pride cometh contention. But here, the word of God is telling you and me what Jesus did, and he become lowly in mind. And the king of heaven become lowly in mind and esteemed us better than himself. And that's what we are supposed to do with each other. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Well, that's not American, is it? That's not what's being pushed all over TV and all over the agenda of society today. But we're being told in the word of God to look and care for the things of other people. Notice what it said here, let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. What mind? The one we just read about. Who being in the form of God, thought it not 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 men, and became found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He humbled himself. May God help me, may God help us to humble ourself and obey his word. So we see that this brotherly love, the Bible said, let brotherly love continue, Hebrews 13, one. Jesus said, as I have loved you, he said, a commandment I give to you, as I have loved you, so love one another. That's a commandment, not a suggestion. And then this brotherly love that we just read about, it's supposed to be the comfort. It's supposed to be the comfort. He said, let love be without dissimulation. That means let love be without hypocrisy. Don't be a hypocrite about it. Don't be two-faced about it. Don't be somebody's friend in their face and their enemy behind their back. Love them behind their back, too. That's the meaning. Pray for them, care for them. Let love be without dissimilation. Abhor that which is evil. Notice it's not talking about abhorring a person, but it's talking about abhorring an issue. Abhor that which is evil. Cleave to that which is good. Notice the next words, it said, be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love. Notice in the next words it said, in honor, preferring one another. We're supposed to treat each other with honor, with respect, with love, with care, with concern, with compassion. Thinking about brotherly love. The first thought that come to my mind is, brotherly love is born in our hearts of the Holy Ghost. You know why some people don't love their brother? Because they're not saved. Because Romans chapter five, verse number five says, that the love of God was shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost. This mentality that I'm saved and they're saved and that's my enemy, that's from hell. The Book of James said it's devilish and it's not from heaven. The Bible said when two brothers are at odds, they're to come together and make peace. We'll get there. Brotherly love It's supposed to be of the Holy Ghost. So that tells me when you go in a church and it's not flowing over with brotherly love, people are not filled with the Holy Ghost. Because if we're filled with the Holy Ghost, yielded to the Holy Ghost, obedient to the Holy Ghost, listening to the Holy Ghost, it would flow naturally out of us. The Bible said the fruit of the Spirit, and it starts with, is love. I mean, if a person is not overflowing with brotherly love, there's absolutely no work of the Holy Spirit taking place inside of them. How are they gonna be filled with peace and joy and long suffering and gentleness and goodness and faith and all of these things and just skip out on love? The Bible is right. It doesn't matter if other people say something contrary. The Bible said that the love of God is shed abroad in our heart by the Holy Ghost. then we already dealt with the fact that this was his commandment. He said, as I have commanded you, he said, a new commandment I give unto you, as I have loved you, love one another. Then we see that he wants there to be no hypocrisy in our love toward each other. Boy, I'll tell you, you know, you could try with all your heart to have a pure heart. But my friend, we're wrapped in flesh. We're made out of dirt. Hypocrisy, failure, error. I'm not saying everybody's naturally just always going to be a hypocrite in everything they do, but something is going to happen. You're going to make a mistake. I'm going to make a mistake because we're human, because we're sinners. How we need to be controlled and yielded to the Holy Ghost and controlled by the Holy Ghost. May I say this, though? This doesn't conflict with the rest of the Bible. This brotherly love is supposed to be holy. The Bible doesn't tell us to condone wickedness at all. Matter of fact, the Bible tells me if my brother is in error, that I'm supposed to go straight to my brother. Not on the phone. Not with some committee group in the church. Amen? Amen. Not in the prayer room, but straight to your brother or straight to your sister. And the hope there is that, you know, we're supposed to be kindly affectionate, we're supposed to love them, we're supposed to care for them. It means our goal is to be that we don't hurt them, but that we help them. That's supposed to be the goal. You know what the difference between a rebuke and railing is? A rebuke desires a restoration. Railing just desires to just rail. It doesn't desire a reconciliation. So this brotherly love is supposed to flow naturally out of us. A lot of people give themselves away that they're not the people of God, because they don't love the brethren. You read the book of 1 John, that's the first thing God tells us how we know we're saved, because we love the brethren. You know, I remember the night I got saved, and it was a miracle. It's like, I just loved the people at the church house. I didn't even know their name. But it's because the Holy Spirit came into my heart. Same thing happened to you when you got saved. This brotherly love is supposed to be of the Holy Ghost. It's his commandment. Now, now, please don't misunderstand me. What I mean by that is listen to every word I say and not four or five of them. I'm not talking about what Dr. Seidler said. I'm not talking about what Dr. Aiken said. I'm not talking about what Maze Jackson said. I'm not talking about what Oliver Greene said. I'm not talking about what Jonathan Edwards said. I'm talking about what Jesus said. All right? Jesus said this. And him and what he said supersedes anybody by far. Then I see we're supposed to have honor to each other. Notice what it said, be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love in honor, in honor, preferring one another. This word honor means respect, concern, has a meaning with it of cherishing that other. Cherishing, that's how we're supposed to be. That's how it's supposed to be. That is what is supposed to be in our heart. But then not only do I see that, but look with me in the book of first Peter chapter number four, first Peter chapter number four. I'll read verse eight and nine. And above all things, you know what that means? This is more important than anything else we got to say. And above all things, have fervent charity among yourselves. Fervent charity. So now we're not just talking about charity, but this is supposed to be fervent, not distant, not cold, not full of envy, not full of jealousy, not full of bitterness, not full of attack, not full of malice, fervent charity. The meaning here is supposed to be, I can't wait to get there to see all the people of God and love on them and fellowship with them and sup with them. That's the meaning. And above all things, have fervent charity among yourselves, for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. What does that mean? What does that mean? Does that mean if I love my brother, that I'm just gonna condone something that's wrong? No, it doesn't. Does that mean if you love me, that if I'm doing something wrong, that you're just gonna condone it? No. Does that mean that, oh, this is my friend, so if he wants to drink and smoke and live bad, that, oh, because I love him, I have to let him do that because of brotherly love. That's absolutely not what it means. It's not at all what it means. What it means is if I have fervent charity to that brother, I'm going to go to him and I'm going to say, hey, brother, I love you. But you know, what did Jesus say? We got to love Jesus more than anybody. Go to my brother. I love you, brother. I don't want to hurt you. You need to repent of that. You need to throw this stuff to the curb, throw that drink in the garbage, throw that dope in the garbage, throw your cigarettes in the garbage. You need to repent. You need to get right about this. And it's supposed to be one-on-one. I repeat myself, not with the different committees, not with on the phone calls, and not hurting people, and not going to the gossip rooms. Amen? It's not supposed to be that way. It's supposed to go one-on-one. One-on-one. Why is that? Because I have fervent charity. I'm supposed to tell them, hey, that's not appropriate. That's not right. You need to get right about that. And what did Matthew 18 say? After you do that, if they're not willing to listen, well, now we have fervent charity, but we also have fervent charity for the rest of our church. We care about the purity and the holiness of our church, don't we? Amen. So what are we supposed to do? We're supposed to go get two or three others. What's the meaning there? People who are discreet. The intention is still, we're not trying to hurt this individual. We are trying to help this individual. So we go get two or three people who can come and say, hey, brother, this isn't right. You need to repent. You need to get this right. You need to make this right. And if he's not willing to, if he's not willing to turn from it, then what did the Bible say? Now you gotta bring him to church. You know why? We love him, but now he's not loving the church. He's not in fervent charity. He's not listening to God. He's not listening to the Bible. But people get this idea in their mind, oh, well, if you love somebody, you know where that comes, they get this idea in their mind, oh, if you love somebody, then you'll just let them do whatever they want. You know what the Bible said? The Bible says if you have a son and you don't spank him, that you hate him. Isn't that what it said? That's exactly what it said. If you just let your kids do whatever they want, then you hate them. Brotherly love is not going to allow that. You know where that thing comes from? It comes from a polluted, ungodly, godless society. The Bible tells us to have fervent charity. And charity will cover the multitude of sins. That person who's got fervent charity, hey, brother, this isn't right. You need to get that right. And then he humbles themselves and get right with God. I'm not going to go out and try to hurt that brother who just got right with God. Right? Notice verse 9. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. Kenny Baldwin would say, boom shakalaka. We're not supposed to hold grudges at each other. We're not. It's easy, isn't it? Until you realize how much God's forgiven you. or until I realize how much God's forgiven me. I sat in that chair as our sister sang that song, and she said, do you remember when you were drowning in the sea of sin? Oh my, do I ever remember? Do I ever remember? I don't have a right to hold a grudge against anybody. You know what the Bible said? Look with me in Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians chapter number four. We'll start in verse number 29. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying. That I may minister grace unto the hearers and grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you're sealed on the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, all bitterness, you know, some people they've been done wrong and it produces bitterness, but you know, you know what bitterness will do? It'll just hurt you. Some people get bitter thinking they're punishing the one they're mad at when they ain't doing nothing. That person don't care. They don't care. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. So notice this verse, verse number 32. And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. I'm gonna ask you a question. I'm pretty sure I know the answer, but I'm just gonna say it. I assume most people here today have asked God to forgive you of something. But is there somebody you're not forgiving? Because the Bible said that if you're asking God to forgive you and there's somebody that you're not forgiving, that God is not forgiving you. Look at me in Mark 11 and I'll show it to you. Mark chapter number 11. Verse number 25 and 26, the Bible said, and when you stand praying, forgive if you have ought against any, that your father also, which is in heaven, may forgive your trespasses, but, but, if you do not forgive, neither will your father, which is in heaven, forgive your trespasses. That's pretty rough. But it's true. You see, what happens is we get to feeling like, well, God, He doesn't care if just we're doing it. He cares. There's no respect of persons with God. He cares. He cares. He died for me. He died for you. He died for the ones that have wronged me, and He died for the ones that have wronged you. You know what the Bible says about your enemies? This is what Jesus said, love your enemies. That's rough. Love your enemies. Well, when you love your enemies, two things are gonna happen. First of all, you're not gonna see them as an enemy anymore. And secondly, you're gonna start treating them like Jesus treated you. You know, before you got saved, the Bible said you were the enemy of God. And before I got saved, the Bible said I was the enemy of God. Do you know how he treated me, Brother Eshleman? In loving kindness. He said, Josh, if you come to the altar tonight, I'll save your soul from hell. I'll forgive your sins. I'll restore your family. I'll fix the issues. Hallelujah to God. That's how he treated me. The Bible said if you're saved, you're not your own. You're bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's. Thinking about brotherly love. The Bible said to have hospitality one to another without grudging. It is important, my brothers and sisters, that we have a pure heart. If we come to church with hatred and bitterness and envying and strife in our heart and try to sing and pray, that's why God doesn't move. That's why he doesn't, most of the church ain't out drinking and partying on Saturday night, hopefully. If you are, you need to repent and get right, amen. I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt. Three types of sins mentioned in the works of the flesh in the book of Galatians. Spiritual sins, sexual sins, and social sins. And those spiritual sins, they often plague the church with bitterness and hatred and strife and malice and evil speaking and gossiping and backbiting. And you know what God wants to do with that? He wants it to be deleted from every one of our lives. He says to let it be put away from you. That means it's not okay for me to do it. It means it's not okay for you. But then our brotherly love is supposed to be with all of our heart. Look with me in verse number 18 of Romans 12. The Bible said, if it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Live peaceably with all men. If it be possible. Well, you know, some people say it's impossible, but what that really means is they just don't want to. if it be possible. If it be possible, it should always be possible on my end that I am going to love all of my brothers and sisters. I should not, I should never let my heart get to a place where I'm not going to do that. You know, the Bible said, keep your heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. That word keep, it's a military term. It means to set a watch about or to set a garrison around about it. Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life. Life and its issues will try to take your heart. And may I say this, we should have no hesitation in our brotherly love. As the verse already said, to have fervent charity and to have hospitality one to another without grudging, okay? So you know why that hesitation is there? There's a grudge and it shouldn't be there. The truth is, if you can't get over it, you need to go talk to your brother or your sister. or let it go. But leaving it there is gonna hurt you, it's gonna hurt the body of Christ, it's gonna hurt your church. So God designed a way. You can either let it go or you can go to your brother and try to make it right. There's supposed to be no hesitation. Look at me, chapter 12, verse 19 through 21. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves. but rather give place unto wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Notice the next verse. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him. If he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil. but overcome evil with good. You say, well, preacher, I've been done wrong. Well, don't let evil overcome you. If you're, if you are, you know, rarely is anybody truly all the way innocent, but if you're truly innocent, then don't become guilty by not obeying the Bible. There should be no hesitation. Look with me in Matthew chapter five, verse 44. Matthew chapter number 5 and verse number 44. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you. You know why that is hard for me to do? It's because I get in the way of what God wants. You know why it's hard for you to do? Because you get in the way of what God wants. That's why the Apostle Paul said what he said in Galatians 2.20, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. We gotta make a decision. Are we gonna die daily? Are we gonna let him live in us? And then it's gotta be in humility. I don't know of anybody in here who walks around with their heads in the clouds thinking that they're just the best thing in the world, but the truth is we still, we, every person still struggles with pride or self-will, even if it's just something small. You know, the Bible tells us to humble ourselves, to have humility. And brotherly love is going to take humility. Sometimes our brother is going to say something and one of us will be like, what in the world is he talking about? We don't have to try to hurt him or tear him down or make him look, you know, like he's not intellectually balanced. We don't have to make him feel bad. We have a little humility. Then I think about, well, what about when we have brotherly love and somebody hurts us? You know, I'd say every one of us in here has probably been hurt. And every one of us in here has probably hurt somebody. Maybe accidentally, maybe on purpose. I don't know. What do we do about that? What do we do about that? Well, the Bible has been telling us the whole time what to do about that. If it be possible, as much as life in you, live peaceably. If there's an issue with sin, go to your brother and talk to him. If there's something that you can't let go, go talk to him about it. Try to settle it. And may I say this, when somebody comes to talk to you, be approachable. Be approachable. You know what the apostle Paul said? Over in the book of Corinthians, he was talking about don't go to the law with each other. And he said, if somebody comes and charges you with something, he said, hey, you might not be guilty, but he said, if you're spiritual, why don't you just take the blame and let it go? That's what he said. He said, God will sort it out when we get to heaven. You know, getting right with each other should be the easiest thing in the world for safe people. Why is it not? Only by pride cometh contention. That's what the Bible said. Humility, hurt. Brotherly love will teach us to help each other. Back in the book of Matthew, chapter 5, I want to read verse 41. I'm almost finished, God willing. Matthew 5, verse 41. The Bible said, and whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. If you got a brother asking for your help, if there's a brother asking for my help, oh my, every one of us, me first, can be selfish. But you know what the Bible said right here? When that brother comes, and that's not even just talking about a brother, that's talking about anybody, especially a brother. When some brother asks for our help, it should be with all our might that we're willing to go 100% beyond what they've asked us to do and give them 200%. Will you drive me 10 miles up the road, brother? I'll drive you 20 miles up the road. That's the spirit we're supposed to have. We're supposed to be honest. You know, you know, when you ask your brother how you're doing, you know, most people can't come and say, hey, I need you to pray for me because I'm struggling. You know why? Because it's going to be all over the church in five minutes. Ain't that shameful? Isn't that shameful? that your brother or sister can't ask you to pray for them, or can't tell you that they need help, because in most churches, it'll spread through the church, gossip wildfire, and most of them people ain't gonna pray for it. But they gonna talk all about it. Shame on that. Shame on that. God help that none of us would be that way. We should be able to be honest with each other. You know what the Bible said? Look with me in Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians four, verse number 35. Ephesians chapter four, verse number 35. Oh, I'm sorry, 25. Can't read my own writing. The Bible said, wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Why in the world should we lie to each other? What would be in our life or in our intentions or in our heart or mind that we would lie to each other? There's only one reason I could think of, sin. Sin. You know, how many people do you know that you can talk to and you don't have to say, please don't spread this around? How many people you know like that? You know what should be the truth? Every one of us in this room who identify as a Christian should have that type of character. and should be known like that. We should be. Honesty, it goes two ways. We should be honest in what we speak, but we should be honest and trustworthy to keep. Romans 16, 16. I'm gonna flip over there real quick. Four times in the Bible it uses this two word thing. It said, salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you. Now we all joke, but I'm serious. If one of you men try to kiss me, we're gonna have an issue. Amen. But you know what this meaning is? There is a genuine love inside. A love, a concern, a bond. We have a young lady here tonight, Lucy, and me and her daddy are very, very good friends. He's in Saigon, Vietnam. He's the son of a martyr for my Lord. And since the day that I met Brother Mark, We have been very, very good friends. I don't talk to him every day and I don't see him every day, but when I see brother Mark, I'm gonna run that way and he's gonna run this way and we're gonna meet in the middle. And that's the meaning of what's in this holy kiss. I have that with brother Daniel in Korea. I miss him. I miss him so bad. Sometimes I'll talk to him on the phone and start crying. I'm so close with brother Daniel. You know what's in this? There's no division. There's no strife. There's no contention. There is love, safety, peace, harmony, family. It's holy. It's holy. It's a holy kiss. For us, it'd be a handshake. But you know what I'm talking about. We understand what the Bible means here. Brother Josh Montgomery preached the other night on we need a revival of repentance. Boy do we. We need a revival of repentance on strife and gossip and backbiting and hatefulness and arrogance and strife and contentions and every other sin in the church. So that we can get back to where there's holy love among the brethren. And I'm not just talking about one church. I'm talking about every church needs this consistently. Acts chapter 9 verse 25 tells us about the Apostle Paul, if you'll look there with me. I'm trying to finish quickly. Acts chapter number 9. I'll start in verse 19 so you know the context and go to verse 25, And when he had received me, he was strengthened. Then was Saul, that's Saul, he was named Saul before Paul. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples, which were at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that destroyed them, which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests. But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt in Damascus, proving that this was very Christ. And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him." The religious people took counsel to kill the preacher Paul. But their lying away was known of Saul, and they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by the night and let him down by the wall in a basket. Many times this will be used in mission conferences to preach on holding the ropes. But you know, we should do that for each other. This spirit here, they protected him. They cared about him. They wanted to preserve him. They prayed for him. That should be how we treat each other. Holding the ropes for each other. Not just when we have bad health, but definitely when we have bad health. Not just when there's a tragedy, but always, always it should be this way. Always. And then last, and I'll be finished. If you're saved, if I'm saved, and I know I'm saved, I trust you are, this should just be in our heart, brotherly love. Let me ask you a question. Why is it lacking in so many places, amongst so many people, in so many church services? Why is it lacking? Why is it lacking? It's because something is obstructing brotherly love. I wanna go on record and not say I love every one of you. I try to pray for y'all. There is nobody in here that I don't try to pray for. I mean, I know there's some visitors in here and I might not know your names, but I love you. And that should naturally