Transformative Love: Living Out Christ's Example

Well, I'm glad that you're here, and as you know, for the last five days I've been off, I wanted to take off Sunday night, but I found out that nobody was going to fill in for me, so I needed to be here for the Spanish and for the small, for the catechism class, so there I was. But even though I took some time off, as I shared with you in the beginning, I didn't take time off for being a Christian. [00:00:28]

This house, Hannah, couldn't do anything. Only the roof was kind of the shingles put away. So people built things real good back then. And believe me, I had to sweat to do this. And it was supposed to be a week honeydew listing, but it's going to be more than a week. You guys relate to me on that. Or women, when you start something and you find out taking things apart, that things are not the way they should be. [00:02:06]

Love is something that we hear over and over and again. I almost wanted to take some time before I step over here and preach about love. Because we were singing about love. Truly, truly, I love thee. And you take pride on that. You take pride on doing that. But truly, truly, do you love. [00:03:54]

So love is something that we just don't hear once, but we want to hear every day. And every time I hear the word of God about love, it changes my perspective about love. And it makes me realize how little I know about love. And maybe sometimes I know how little I know about English. [00:04:34]

Because love is more sacrificial. It's not just handing a banana over a pit call in the door. But love is deeper than that. And if you see Christians not showing love, believe me, we know what love is. Amen? But we might not know how to reflect the love because we're still in this five, five foot, you know. [00:05:49]

And when you really define love as it is, as it real is, then you start to know, okay, how do I reflect a love where I live, learn, work, and play in my life? Because that's what we need to do. We need to realize what love is. And I know you're 80, you're 90, you're 60, you're 70, and still I know, I know for a fact you're still learning how to define love. [00:07:44]

Because right now, you got that hope. You still look wondering, and you have those doubts. It's their life after death. And that love will be manifested in one moment. And then you'll go like, in the Old Testament, in the United States. Ah. Say what you mean, ah. Right? So don't tell me that when you see Jesus face to face the first time, he says, well, I got some, you got some explaining to you. [00:08:18]

See, I was trying to define love. Look at how some people define love. Well, Tina Turner. Oh, what's love got to do with it? What's love but a second-hand emotion? Oh, what's love got to do with it? Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken? That was in 1984. That song. You guys are familiar. [00:08:58]

Because that's what I stand for. I stand for love. Because love is what has changed you, has changed me. It's not the law, L-A-W, but it's love, L-O-V-E. The law didn't change, no. In fact, the law killed you. Do this, do this, do this, do this, do this, do this, do this, do this, do this, do this, do this. The whole way to 600 some. [00:10:32]

This is what he says about what love is. Only Christ tells in his word contrary to my own opinions and convictions. Jesus Christ will tell me what love toward the brethren really is. Therefore spiritual love is bound solely to the word of Jesus Christ. That's beautiful. It's not how I define it but it's how he defines it. [00:12:55]

The spiritual law recognizes the true image of the other person, which he has received from Jesus Christ, the image that Jesus Christ himself embodied and will stand upon all men. That's a wonderful way to define love. See, when you start looking for the interests of other people without expecting anything in return, that is love. [00:13:43]

And let me ask you, have you heard in the scriptures where God says, love your enemies? Love one another? And why is Christ telling you this? Because he has given you something. And he's asking you to give other people, which is love. He's asking you to give to other people. Now, if I give this, let's say to Ron, Ron, take this. [00:15:01]