Introduction
Good morning. We will delve into a slightly more hard-core topic, And yet I show you the most excellent way. In our ministry over the past years, the most frequent comment our pastors hear is: You have no love. This has puzzled us greatly. Later, after reading 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians, we realised this is not a new phenomenon.
In Paul's time, this situation often arose. The Corinthians, in the church Paul established, would say that Paul had no love. Those among us who say this are often the very people we serve diligently. We invest much in them, but they tend to forget it all. As soon as something does not suit their will, they exclaim, You have no love!
How tirelessly we serve them in their times of difficulty is completely erased. I call such people Little Corinthians, or Little Cor. They frequently say, You have no love. Yet, they are the ones who have received much grace. This was the case in Corinth, as written in 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians. The Corinthians received an abundance of love from Paul, but they never loved him in return. This is a rather peculiar matter. Therefore, Paul says in 2 Corinthians:
The more I love you, the less you love me? (2 Corinthians 12:15)
Brothers and sisters, you must understand that for those who claim their serving pastors have no love, I now show you the most excellent way, as the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians:
And yet I show you the most excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:31)
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
What is meant between the lines? It is: You say I have no love, but whom have you loved? In fact, many churches today are like the church in Corinth, and many believers are like the Corinthian believers, to an extent beyond my imagination. I could tell many stories similar to that of the Corinthian believers, where they receive grace and healing from me, only to turn around and say such things.
If you criticise them slightly, they will say: You have no love, you are arrogant, you are conceited... and hurl a barrage of accusations. To them and those I have trained, I offer this: They really cannot be pastored. What do these people come to church for? To consume love. The love here isn't enough for them. So, they say the church has no love.
You must all understand, what are we doing? We are building a glorious church! A glorious church will not keep those who merely consume love. If such people remain in the church, our church will inevitably evolve into a Corinthian-style church. Christians come to church to contribute love, not to consume it.
I will show you the most excellent way: you are here to contribute love! Emerge from the Corinthian situation. Do not be mistaken. If a person does not love God, let him be accursed! Do not think you can come here and consume God's blessings. It would be strange if consuming God's love brings blessings!
Even today, some people will say: I'm fine here, I'll just hang back. I can be blessed in a victorious church. If you want me to contribute love, no way! I'm here to consume... This is a group of people without love. To these brothers and sisters, I want to say, I will show you the most excellent way, and tell you what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.
Do not think you can consume here forever, because even God cannot tolerate it. If you hear this and think, Oh, this is a bit hard-core! it is because this is a series on loving God. In this series of sermons, I want to show you the most excellent way, not to harm you. So that you know not to be a cursed Christian! Even in a victorious church, a cursed Christian can be a great nuisance.
If there are many such people, and the church tolerates everything, it will be troublesome. The church will evolve into a Corinthian church. Then, what can you consume here? Only a curse! I tell you, we will still serve you when you encounter problems. But today, I serve you, who will you serve in the future? After I serve you, do you have a serving heart?
There was a sister I served for many years. It was not easy step by step. She sent me a message saying, Pastor, I really want to serve and pastor some people. I said, Do not be anxious. It is very good to have a heart to contribute, but first, you must be victorious in your personal realm. She asked me, What is victory in the personal realm? It is the first three of the seven good habits I mentioned earlier. I said, You don't need to score a hundred points, just barely pass and you can follow me towards victory in the public realm, and become a serving person.
This moved me greatly. Even if you are very selfish today, and consume here, it doesn't matter! You must know one thing, I will surely show you this most excellent way. If you cannot bear it after hearing it, and you say, How can I bear it! it doesn't matter! Even if you choose to leave, don't worry, we will still serve you. How can you walk this path if you have no love inside, and you often find fault with others for not having love? Because we are walking a path of dedicating ourselves to God.
Among us, there are many Christians who not only do not serve, but also complain, You should serve me this way, you should serve me that way... I think he should become a professional complainer. If a person becomes a professional complainer and is not disciplined by the church, aren't we harming him? Disciplining you is the best love for you!
We must often ask ourselves: Whom have I loved? On whom have I put even a little effort? Because that counts as your glory! Remember: God's standards have never been lowered, God's intentions have never changed! God once said:
Once it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. (Matthew 13:47-48)
You must not tell God: God! It is unloving to throw away the bad ones! God is that kind of God. Do not teach God how to be God. That is the law God has set. If you do not have love from God, and all you have are selfishness, indulgence of the flesh, fault-finding, knowledge of good and evil, and a bunch of bad habits, I believe you have already paid a heavy price for it.
But if you still refuse to repent, today I will continue to tell you, I will teach you the most excellent way. A long time ago, I visited a church. When I met the pastor and his wife, they cried in front of me. He asked me: What should I do if I encounter such a situation? I said, What situation?
It turned out that he made dumplings for the sisters in their church, and because he was poor, he made pork and cabbage dumplings. There were many people present at the time, and a sister said: Pastor! You have no love! The pastor was astonished: How can I have no love when I make dumplings for you? She said: You should have made fish dumplings for me. After hearing this, I felt sorry for the couple! What kind of person is this!
If she came to me and said such a thing, I would say: Don't come tomorrow. You must know that our determination is to bring treasures into the kingdom of God. Although I relied on roast duck, roast chicken, and spiced beef in the early days of building the church, and raised a bunch of ungrateful freeloaders, but later, I deeply repented, even if this process was a little long.
At first, it was roast duck, roast chicken, and spiced beef, then it became boxed lunches, boxed lunches became fruit, and then there was no more fruit. Finally, I wholesaled some mineral water, and whoever took a bottle would put in a coin. A bottle of mineral water costs 20 cents, why do I charge one dollar? It is to train everyone to be a giving person. I want to train every brother and sister among us to be able to receive grace fully from God; to be able to hold firmly to this most excellent way—faith, hope, and love. This is the treasure!
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13)
I also want to tell you, a person without love is nothing, just trash. If you are a very selfish person, you are also trash. If you are willing to change, you can become a treasure, if you are not willing to change, then continue to be trash. Someone may ask: How can you say that? I have already said this, and some people are still unwilling to change, so can you change if I don't say it?
Do not be ignorant, and do not be foolish, you must know what standards to use to implement God's word. Do not think that consuming love is taking advantage, it is not. Even more, do not think that you can keep receiving grace in the church, God will surely discipline you.
Scripture
And yet I show you the most excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:31)
Prayer
God, speak to our brothers and sisters, and let the light of your Holy Spirit shine in the dark places of our hearts. Let us be rekindled, let us know what love is! God, today let us come out of selfishness and narrowness, out of loving the world and indulging the flesh, out of discerning good and evil and being picky. Let us once again fully receive your grace and enter into your heart.
God, you are love! You have opened a path of love for us. God, you sacrificed yourself and offered yourself for us. Today, we also imitate you and offer ourselves completely. Come out of selfishness, come out of fault-finding, and begin to receive this most excellent way of yours. Let us be victorious in the spiritual realm, let us be able to trample on the devil and the enemy. Let us be raised up by you, strengthened, and walk the path you have walked.
God, may your love inspire us. God, may we who have received grace be determined not to receive your grace in vain. Today we will repent, no longer be Corinthians, but be disciples after your own heart. In the name of Jesus Christ! Amen!
Scripture Background
I am deeply touched when I mention the Corinthians, why? Because I know Christians like the Corinthians too well. You must know that Paul never took advantage of the Corinthians, and served and loved them wholeheartedly for a year and a half. But they never said a word, not even a thank you.
For example, if we two are dating, I keep serving you, but you don't even say thank you. It's not that I need that thank you, but that you need to be thankful. The problem is that Paul never took advantage of the Corinthians, and worked hard to serve them, but they were like iron roosters, unwilling to give anything, in the end they were just a bunch of very selfish guys.
It wasn't that Paul didn't teach these selfish Corinthians, Paul taught what should be taught, and said what should be said, so he offended them as a result. I suspect that Paul may have lowered the standards of the Corinthian church a little bit. But you can't lower the standards of building a church. Once you lower the standards, the church will become a selfish church, full of all sorts of strange people.
How do I know? Because from the beginning of 1 Corinthians, it talks about the strange things that the Corinthians care about. First, the church was built by Paul, but they did not accept him as an apostle. Paul answered their question like this:
Are you not still worldly? For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? (1 Corinthians 3:3)
At that time, there were often members of the Corinthian church who sued member B in court; and some people came to the church to find girlfriends, and turned their stepmother into their wife. There were too many things happening in the church, all kinds of bad things, so that everyone didn't think it was a big deal. The church developed like this, and everyone thought they had received grace, wow, what good grace!
As a result, the evil yeast kept spreading in the church, believers sued each other, there was adultery, and there were many marriage problems. Unexpectedly, all these daily life things were brought to the church. Some people were originally slaves, but later they believed in the Lord, and felt that they should be free people, and get rid of their status as slaves.
So everyone in the church asked all questions on low levels, all about food, drink, and marriage. The first eleven chapters of 1 Corinthians record the establishment of the Lord's Supper in the church, and people rushed to eat it, as if it were a buffet. In fact, what they ate was not the Holy Communion but a big meal, and the Holy Communion was contaminated by these people. Then they discussed spiritual gifts in a messy way, making the church a mess. Paul said to them:
Now eagerly desire the greater gifts. And yet I will show you the most excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:31)
What is the most excellent way? It is that whatever you lack, I will replenish you. What you lack is love. You don't lack accusations, pickiness, selfishness, taking advantage; you don't lack indulging the flesh, loving the world, and you don't lack carnal bad habits either.
It was because there were too many such members that the Corinthian church became such a church. Later, some apostles whose titles and positions seemed to be greater than those of the Apostle Paul came to the Corinthian church, and after that, the people in the church deviated from Paul's teachings. When Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, the people of the Corinthian church had already rejected Paul.
But Paul still wrote to them with earnest words and showed them the most excellent way. As a result, the people of the Corinthian church completely broke with Paul, and Paul wrote 2 Corinthians (not included in the Bible) with tears. If you can read 2 Corinthians today, you will say that Paul has no love.
There are many words in 2 Corinthians where Paul rebukes the Corinthian church, and some of the words are quite harsh. Today, what we read in 1 Corinthians is Paul telling them the most excellent way, but it offended them. Today, I will also offend the brothers and sisters among us a little bit. I serve you and pray for you. Some brothers and sisters don't know what they are doing, and they just hope that I will pastor them.
They don't know that I sometimes speak very harshly. How can people grow if they are not disciplined? So everyone easily has an illusion about me: listening to my voice, they think I am a loving elder, but actually my loving and the loving you think in your heart are not the same loving. I will discipline people even more harshly, why? Because this is true love! Brothers and sisters, don't be believers like the members of the Corinthian church, that is a terrible thing.
Paul wrote this passage in such a background. The Corinthian church really lacked love very much. When Paul was among them, they still didn't want to give anything to Paul. Paul didn't take advantage of them at all, but they were not grateful to Paul at all. I learned a lesson from Paul here: I never want the church I build to be like the church in Corinth, nor do I want the brothers and sisters I pastor to be like the believers in the church in Corinth.
The Most Excellent Way is Love
Some time ago, I served a sister, and her old nature began to manifest. Although she is a sister who loves the Lord very much, she has many problems indulging the flesh, and she is not yet in a completely victorious state in her value system. As a result, the spirit of the old [spiritual connotation] manifested, and she typed to me in the group, and all the words were the words of the old [spiritual connotation]. I asked: Are you the old [spiritual connotation]? It said: I am the old [spiritual connotation]. I said: Do you know who I am? It said: I know.
Then I continued to talk to it, and as a result, the old [spiritual connotation] chatted with me for a long time. What it said was also very interesting. I asked: Why are you here? It said: I just wanted to cheat her once. I said: You dare to provoke me, I will thoroughly discipline you. It said: I know that I have been defeated here with you, you love her so much, and you watch her so carefully, where can I have a chance, I can only cheat her occasionally.
To be honest, I used all my strength to serve this sister. No matter when, as long as she needed me, I would take her to pray. I really loved and cared for her very much. Although this sister is not so victorious, but I watch her closely! The old [spiritual connotation] knows too: she is so loyal to you, so loyal to the church, where else do I have a chance! Although people are also loyal to the church, they lack love inside, lack sacrificial love.
Later, I kept releasing the love of Jesus, and she was filled with love, and she served in the church with all her heart. Thank God, after these things, this sister changed and returned to the way full of love. At about 6 o'clock in the morning, I had just finished serving and was preparing to rest, and our pastor came to tell me that she had just finished serving a sister. When our pastors serve, they really carry full of love.
Ten years ago, one of our sisters found a boyfriend and was going to get married, so she left the church. Not long ago, she was tormented by ghosts very badly, and all three children had skin diseases. One of our pastors sacrificed their own time to serve this sister, really using their heart. During the process of serving, this pastor inherited my teachings and service and used the high standards to make strict demands, and as a result, this served sister said that our pastor had no love. She has her own set of methods, but this method doesn't work, it attracts ghosts!
Everyone must know that we hope that these people can turn back and let them know how long, wide, high, and deep the love of Jesus Christ is. It does not mean that if we rebuke you a few words or criticize you a few words and you are unwilling, we will compromise in our service. We have never compromised in our service. The problem is that we tell you the truth, we just demand more from you, is this a lack of love? This is not a lack of love, this is the most excellent way.
If you are not transformed into a disciple of Jesus Christ, how can you not be disturbed by ghosts? If you are willing to continue to be a Little Cor from Corinth, then go ahead, but today I still have to show you this most excellent way. Because what you lack is love, when have you loved your pastor? When have you been considerate of what your pastor has given to you? When have you realized that when the pastor asks you, it is the pastor's full of love? When can you get a little gratitude for the pastor's past service to you?
I want to show you this most excellent way, especially those brothers and sisters who are often served. I want to testify to you with all my heart and soul, no matter what, don't be like the Israelites who died in the wilderness, no matter what, don't be an ungrateful Christian. Don't be a Little Cor from Corinth, you can't do it! This is a curse!
I want to tell you, the best love is to pull you out of this narrow, selfish, self-righteous, world-loving, carnal concept. If you say you don't want to come out, you want to stay inside, that's fine, you stay inside. Because I cannot make the free choice for you. But I still have to tell you, I show you the most excellent way, which is Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
This love is not you asking others to love you, but you asking yourself to love others, understand? Don't get it wrong. How many of us have thought these words in our hearts, these words have floated in our minds, or have said the words You have no love. Today, if you really dare to say you have no love, I encourage you to find a church that has love.
Some people say: How can you say that? I fully respect your choice and freedom. Brothers and sisters, what are we doing today? We are building the body of Jesus Christ. A person who does not know God, does not love God, and does not have a heart to serve God is really not suitable for us here. You are more suitable for a church that caters to the flesh.
Once there was a person who said: Pastor, it is impossible for me to serve like you, I have to go to work tomorrow. This person followed us for many years, depression, phobia, this disease and that disease were all released, and if a wart grew on the sole of her foot, I would hold her smelly foot and pray. Her whole person was controlled by Lao Ma, how could she not have smelly feet?
Later, I asked her to serve, and she must grow in service. She said: If I don't serve like you, I can't grow in the church! Yes, indeed. Later she said: Pastor, I want to go out and see, investigate other churches. I said: Okay, then don't come back.
After she left, we met once and had tea together. I asked her if she had found a church? She said she found a certain church, and it was good in that church. I said I know the pastor of that church, it's good for you to go, a pastor who caters to the flesh shepherds a Christian who caters to the flesh, how appropriate! Therefore, brothers and sisters, we must know, are we really living according to the words of Jesus Christ?
People should not live according to their own will, because the result of people's lives is a portrayal of their inner logical system. Now I tell you this most excellent way, you have to come out of your own logical system, if you like to listen, listen, if you don't like to listen, I will also tell you, this is the most responsible love. I wish that brothers and sisters could be edified, many times I am serving with tears in my heart, watching brothers and sisters go to corruption, it is sad!
Don't you want to ask yourself, what will you do when the devil comes to mess with you again? If you say you will come to me when the devil comes to mess with you again, you have planned it well, but the problem is that the devil may not give you a chance! Brothers and sisters, we must know that now we live no longer according to our own logical system, but according to the words of Jesus Christ, and to be the treasure in the eyes of Jesus Christ is the key.
What Exactly is Love
There are many kinds of love in this world: there is the love of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, and there is also the love of Romeo and Juliet. If you have heard a song called Exploring the Qingshui River, there is also the love of DaLian and Sixth Brother. This kind of love can make people love to destruction! Now many people are full of mysteries about love. The description of love in the 《Bible》 is completely different from the love that everyone understands now. Brothers and sisters, I will read these words to you:
Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not love, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 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 love, 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 love, it profiteth me nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (《1 Corinthians》 13:1-8)
How much difference is this from your definition of love? I'm afraid there is a lot of difference! Today we must know that love is giving, love does not seek its own benefit, but only seeks to edify others.
You ask me why I know, because Jesus Christ died for us on the cross, and died for us when we were still sinners. It is not that we deserve such grace, but that God is willing to give us such grace freely, and God's love is manifested to us in this. May God's love inspire you! God's love once inspired me, and now God's love will also inspire you.
Who have you served in the church? What have you contributed to the church? You say you come to the gatherings every time, but that's just a consumer. You say you take notes every time, but that's still a spiritual infant, still learning the word of God, still learning how to love. So today brothers and sisters must know one thing, you can't stay in that place, that's not a victorious path.
What exactly is love? Love is giving! The person who said this is not asking you to say it to others, not for you to teach me to always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere, and should not seek my own benefit. It's not said that way, the 《Bible》 never taught that way!
Brothers and sisters must know that this is for you to read to yourself! To let you know that you should say to yourself to be patient, I should be kind, not envy, not boast, not be proud, not seek my own benefit, not be easily angered, not keep a record of wrongs, not delight in evil, always protect; love is giving!
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. (《1 Corinthians》 13:4-8 )
If you ask others for this and that, but don't ask yourself, then you have read the 《Bible》 wrong! Don't think I'm talking to you, actually I'm talking to myself. The church can be built into what it is today because I have implemented this word step by step and moved forward step by step. I don't want one day when I come before God, God will say He doesn't know me!
Why? Because I knew early on that this most excellent way is love! I know very well what love is! I correct your problems, that is love; I fix your problems, that is my shepherding. So today brothers and sisters must know what is in our hearts?
I have a lot of examples, a lot of letters of recommendation, you are my letters of recommendation, my testimony. I can take out a good report card before God, but what report card do you take out? You have to say to God: How will I see your face in the future? Everyone should know for sure that if a person does not have love from God, he does not know God at all.
If a Person Has No Love, Nothing is Useful
Remember, if a person does not have love from God in his heart, does not have love that does not seek its own benefit, then nothing is useful. Many people can use all the reasons to insist on their laziness, selfishness, and all the wrong logical systems in their hearts. But today I tell you, if there is no love from God, what you have is still like a child, not grown up, useless.
So our brothers and sisters must know for sure that if God says: I don't know you! Don't think it's strange. I once told myself that when I come before God, the last thing I want to hear is God say: I don't know you. So no matter what, I have to act according to God's word.
There is a passage in the 《Bible》 that is very confusing. Some people heal the sick and cast out demons, some people do healing and deliverance, some people preach, pray in tongues extensively, speak prophecies, preach, have all-encompassing knowledge, all-encompassing faith, and can even move mountains, but God says I don't know you:
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (《Matthew》 7:22-23 )
If God says He doesn't know you, do you know what happened? Because without the love of Jesus Christ, it is called not knowing God, and God does not know you. In the later stages of church development, at that time the apostle Paul was probably dead, Peter was also dead, many people were dead, and only old John was left, because old John was relatively young among the disciples of Jesus.
Old John wrote the 《Gospel of John》, and later wrote 《1 John》. 《Gospel of John》 and 《1 John》 talk a lot about loving each other. Jesus gives us a command to love each other.
And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (《1 John》 4:16 )
If a person does not have complete giving love in his heart, he does not know God. If you read the 《Gospel of John》 or 《1 John》, what will you read? That is if a person does not have love from God, he does not know God.
Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. (《1 John》 4:7-8)
If a person does not have love in his heart, does not have completeness in love, he will be afraid and anxious, and the result is that God does not know you! You are not dwelling in God at all! You are dwelling in the world, you belong to the world, you belong to Lao Ma! How many of us still have Lao Ma's logical system?
Why do we say this is the most excellent way? Because this is the way to victory! Why do we say this most excellent way is to be shown to you? Because this is the most excellent way and can lead us to victory! Only those who love God can overcome Lao Ma. Brothers and sisters must know for sure that in history, there are not many who can completely overcome Lao Ma, and not many who can overcome this world. But I think we should overcome!
When I was dealing with Lao Ma, it often told me who it had taken away, but it could not tell me who it would take away next, because that was a secret. Even if it leaked it to me, it doesn't matter, I serve not according to its words, but according to God's words. Brothers and sisters must know who is it that overcomes the world?
Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. (《1 John》 5:1-4)
Whoever is born of God has love in him! If there is no love in him, you should be born of your parents, not born of God. So, brothers and sisters, do you want to pursue a goal, that is, when you come before God, don't let God tell you that He doesn't know you! Although you once cast out demons, prayed in tongues, and did healing and deliverance, it is useless! If there is no love, nothing is useful.
Brothers and sisters must know for sure that our church can get to where it is today is because we serve according to God's love. It is not love to feed you with food and drink, but to bring you to the path of giving and dedication is the best love. Because in the future God will say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: enter thou into the joy of thy lord, which our Father has prepared for us before the foundation of the world! May God's love inspire us again, let us look up to Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith, and walk His path! Without love, nothing is useful:
And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. (《1 Corinthians》 13:13)
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts
Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy. (《1 Corinthians》 14:1)
Why do you say that? Paul spoke of the most excellent way is love! People can develop love to the fullest, but abandon spiritual gifts, this is a foolish thing for people. People are often deceived by the devil, and will evolve some concepts into some very strange logic: if you pursue love, you don't want spiritual gifts; if you want spiritual gifts, you don't have love.
So brothers and sisters must know that the gospel we believe in is a complete gospel. This most excellent way is love, we must both pursue love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts! Here it talks about praying in tongues. Although praying in tongues is not love, it is a very foundational gift. So the 《Bible》 never opposes these things, but integrates them together.
Now abide faith, hope, and love, these these three are interdependent and indispensable, otherwise it will be chaotic. So brothers and sisters must know one thing, what we want is a complete gospel, don't oppose these concepts. Without love, your gifts are meaningless. If you have love but no spiritual gifts, your service is powerless.
This is the Key to Victory
Building God's church requires a group of brothers and sisters who all have a heart to build God's glorious church. If you are not, if you sneak in, the church will not be victorious and will become the Corinthian church. What overcomes the world and overcomes Lao Ma is the love of God, only the love of God can overcome.
The road our church has taken is a victorious road, full of sharing God's love. Why? Because we know God's love is that while we were still sinners, He loved us and died for us on the cross, bearing our curse. We should have done so, may God's love inspire us again and enable us to continue to do so.
In previous years, I struggled a lot inside, because the behavior of some of my colleagues broke my heart. But at that time I made a choice, I want to love him with God's love and bear his faults. I choose to be tolerant of him, not to condone him! Tolerance is not to care, not to seek one's own benefit, always protect, always trust, always hope, always persevere! Then I continued to serve him.
Today he has come out of narrow ideas. Maybe he used to be a little Corinthian, but today he is beginning to love the Lord our God with all his heart, soul, and strength. Sometimes, when I serve him on the phone, I cry myself as I speak. I wish the brothers and sisters among us could understand my thoughts and feelings. Thank God, he was also crying on the other end of the phone, those were tears of repentance!
I thank God for letting His love inspire us to run for Him among us. Always thinking of being indebted is the key to victory! If we think we are doing well and others are doing badly, we will be sad, that is called selfishness. If we always think of being indebted, even I often think of being indebted to everyone, because time is limited, many people have been served, and many people have not been served, but as long as it is what God has entrusted, I will definitely shepherd with all my heart, soul, and strength.
Because of the love of God, we shepherd the flock of God, and the devil is very afraid and is trampled under our feet. Why is there deliverance as soon as we pray? Because there is a group of brothers and sisters who love God here! This is what the devil fears the most. When you need it, we will never tell you to take care of yourself and hand you over.
So the devil will run far away when he meets people like us. Because of love, we do healing and deliverance, teach brothers and sisters, and serve people with all our heart, soul, and strength as if we were serving God. I thank God that because of God's love, the lambs are changing one by one and also desire to become someone who serves like us. This is God's glorious church! This is the key to victory!
Summary
I tell you all this victorious and most excellent way. Although the words are a bit heavy and a bit harsh, I don't want you to be ignorant, and I hope you all know that the reward brought by this victory is extremely rich. If we are born of God, we will definitely love God and love what God loves.
We dwell in God, that is, we dwell in love. In Jesus Christ, we have no fear, and we are in Jesus Christ all our lives. God has chosen us from among all nations to raise us up. This is extremely rich grace. We actually have the opportunity to work with God and be chosen by God in this world! May God's love inspire us again to begin to lay down ourselves and keep running forward.
Keep running until we look like Jesus Christ. May God continue to do the work of transforming us, so that It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me! May God bless everyone!
【Mingding Music】
【Lyrics】
God will raise up a mighty people
God's Mingding Destiny is in the lives of Chinese people
Lay down everything and no longer cater to the flesh
Dedicate yourselves to serve all nations
Release the souls of the captives without giving up
Build a Glorious church to be victorious
God's people enter Mingding Destiny and rise up
This is the generation of the Chinese
On the road of battle, we must be firm
Be strong and courageous and trample on all enemies
The determination to win, to win, to win, the determination
Will surely enter the promise
Release the souls of the captives without giving up
Build a Glorious church to be victorious
God's people enter Mingding Destiny and rise up
This is the generation of the Chinese
This is the era of the Chinese This is our time
Trample on all the devil's enemies Fight to win and obtain the promise
Completely lay down your own will Enter Mingding Destiny to serve all peoples
With one heart and one mind build the church God's kingdom will come