Ep 39 – On Fire for God

Hi, welcome back with. It’s all greek to me and our series with love story philia eros and agape e and we’re going to go into the discussion right here and talk about this incredible agape. The love in our seventh program, join me with Vicki as we discuss it. Love. This is the incredible subject that the whole world it just spins because of the subject. I mean, it’s not just a feeling and emotion. It’s more than that. It’s a it’s a mindset. It’s a sacrifice. It’s a choice many things. But yeah, it is an emotion. And we want to look at the Book of Ephesians. Especially because in the Book of Revelation uh emphasis was the first a church that our Lord addressed when he was really dishing out his condemnation, so to speak. His re proofs uh to the seven churches, There were only five that got really reproved. He said, I’m gonna blow your light out if you don’t repent is very serious. But the first problem was love. You. They left Their first love. And then of course, uh the departure from the other things, truth and purity and authenticity and ministry. But I want us to look at the book of emphasis in regard to just that subject of love and what happened there. And uh they were all fired up 50 years prior to the Book of Revelation being written. And now their love is kind of cooling out. And they departed from their first love. So Vicky. Let’s look at the emotion. Uh the emotion of love sometimes even in marriage. Uh people lose the romance. People lose that first love. They, you know, they need to ignite something. Huh? Don’t you talk to people that have lost it? Not you, not me. Well, we have a lot of friends that even believers who have decided to go their separate ways that they can’t get along and they can’t really choose love over there preference or feeling or whatever, or an offense that they can’t forgive. So, love is so important. God’s love on this grace. Giving love, we receive it. Then we give it to somebody else. So, Ephesians, let’s look at the theology of it is in the first four chapters. Then you have the actual application. But but let’s just track this word love, Ephesians one for just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we would be holy and blameless before him. In love. Now, this is God loving us, choosing us in holiness and blameless. Uh, and then of course, it’s almost like the period is right after before him. And then in love, it’s almost like it’s a full sentence in love. You know, So God identifies that. And then I’m gonna just give you that second verse in verse 15. Ephesians 150 for this reason, I too have having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus, which exists among you and your love for all the Saints. So, so once we have experienced, God’s love now, we can give it out to other people. Pick it up Ephesians 24. But God being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us. So that christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and that you being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all the Saints what is the breath and the length and the height and the depth and to know the love of christ which surpasses knowledge that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God. You know? Look at what it says in Ephesians 24. Here, that that mercy and Grace literally come out of the love of God, he says. But God being rich in mercy because of his great love with which he loved us. And then the next verse says, By Grace, you are saved in Ephesians 24567 and eight. So Love was the source of God’s Mercy. Love was the source of God’s grace. And here in Ephesians 3 17 through 19, it just identifies that it’s immeasurable. This love Love is immeasurable. You can’t the length the height, the depth the with you can’t measure it. It goes beyond knowledge that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now, when I first read that I thought, wow to be filled with the fullness of God. What what comes to your mind when you when you think of that, that the Holy Spirit is a real person who lives inside of us and that I think we sometimes are in tune with the spirit of God in us because we don’t take time to be still and and pray every day and read God’s word. The word of God fills us with the truth. And the truth expresses itself in behavior of love and grace giving to other people with all humility and gentleness with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love. Wow, what a beautiful picture, showing tolerance for one another. In love Ephesians 4 15 and 16. But speaking the truth in love. So truth is my my my my destination. I need to be transparent and speak truth how I speak. Uh rather what I speak, but then how I speak is in love. Do not just speak the truth, but to do it in the atmosphere and then the and then the uh circumference is loved. The actual room is love of what’s going on in the room. Yeah. It’s able to receive something from someone who, you know, his desire is for you not just to dump some information on you or correct somebody. And when were harsh in life with our emotions, we are not filled with the spirit of God. Isn’t that amazing because love covers a multitude of sins. So when someone has the right motive, which is, which is love, then you can hear what they have to say, which might be difficult to hear the truth. Uh that’s so important as a wife, as a husband, as a parent, as a as a brother or sister. To be able to have that as your um goal to speak the truth in love so important. And then it says from whom the whole body being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies according to the proper working of each individual part causes the growth of the body for the building of uh itself in love. So when you do it this way, then the whole body can grow in a healthy way in love. That’s what it’s saying here. I was just thinking, It says each individual part. So everybody in the church and the local congregation is not just a warmer seat. We’re supposed to have a part in building up this body. We are supposed to do it from love the love of God and us and you know churches today are splitting and fighting and it’s really shameful that we have grown cold in the love of God many places. And then in Ephesians that goes on from there to Ephesians 52 from whom the whole body being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies according to the proper working of each individual part causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love again, everyone doing their part Towards the goal of building up the body in love. It’s supposed to be done in Love Ephesians 6 3 peace be to the brethren and love with faith from God, the father and the Lord jesus christ. So that’s the way the the book of Ephesians closes. But you realize that that that was 50 years prior to this right here, where Jesus is speaking to the to the uh churches and I I entitled this on fire for God because jesus is my first love, jesus is my first love. And you said to that, I said is jesus my first love. And I think all of us when we read the scripture, need to ask ourselves, we’re supposed to examine our life every day and my christ like I have the study that I’d like to share later about the gifts of the spirit. The love, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, meekness, gentleness, self control. These are qualities and we need to say, am I the kind of person that people see this love in me? Let’s do that right now because I just think that that is an appropriate thing for you to do that concerning the emotions that you said, the emotions of the Holy Spirit. So why don’t you go ahead and jump right into this because I think this is a proper time for us to do this. Okay, So in Galatians 5 22 it says, but the food of the spirit is love. Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness self control against such things. There is no law now to those who belong to christ jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. So our nature is the exact opposite of this right? Human nature, the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, the boastful pride of life. And God says that this, fighting the cursing all the other junk that comes along with it, it’s the exact opposite. And and and we want to be have this kind of a copy love to esteem, indicating a direction of our will and finding 1’s joy in something or someone else. It differs from love to love, indicating feelings or warmth and affection. The kind expressed by the kiss of phileo, Okay, Philly Mazza is a kiss but Philemon, Philemon and then Philly in modern greek. But here we have in this is a progression because it’s the fruit, not the fruits plural, but the fruit of the spirit. So and the fattest love out of love comes flows everything else. So that’s a great way to understand this whole thing. So why don’t you continue with hara or joy? Harada’s another feminine noun from the root ha. Which we get the word grace from extending favor or leaning towards being favorably disposed properly awareness of God’s grace favor and joy. And then we have that in us and we can give it to others. And then there’s a teeny piece Houdini from zero to join together into a whole. Uh the wholeness with all the essential parts joined together. That’s what peace is all about it. It’s having that uh, our local heroes. Togetherness. Unity of tyranny of peace. Yeah. Next Vicki Marcos Umea from macros along and theme most passion or anger properly long passion, which weights sufficiently before expressing anger, having enduring patients. Well, this is the two primary words that constantly used with one another one is macro Tamia, which is long suffering is translated long macro and famous to have a long fuse literally before you burst down and lose your temper. And the other one is IPO money, which is to be under the pressure and remain under the pressure, which deals with circumstances. The first one, this one deals with people marco femia. And next I got a cassini, I got those intrinsically good, intrinsic goodness, especially as a unique quality and condition. Um, so God says believers are to have this, this goodness comes from God and shows itself in spiritual moral excellence. Virtue. I got a Cassini Cassini. I got close is good uh, which is different than Carlos is also good. But I’ve got those is intrinsic goodness is what it’s saying. And uh beautiful. That’s that’s the word used in Romans eight where it says, and we know that God causes all things to work together for. And I thought good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. Then there’s peace. Tea, which is faith to win over or to persuade to be persuaded properly persuasion. God giving his persuasion about what pleases him peace. This is really uh you know, being totally, completely persuaded and uh fully trusting what God is saying, that’s really what the word there is. And then of course the next one. Protease meekness. Meekness is power under control, compare proteas, another feminine now also derived from the root chakra and emphasizing divine origin of the meekness, Gentle strength, which exercises power with reserve and gentleness. That’s the word used in Matthew 11 where Jesus had come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest, take my yoke upon you learn of me because I’m meek meekness is power under control. It is the picture of a horse being bridled and brought under or of the wind being caught in a sale and then the last word Vicky the secret to self control. From an in the sphere of Ankara toes, Dominion and mastery proper Dominion within self control, proceeding out from within oneself, but not by oneself. So the fruit of the spirit, the fruit of the spirit begins with love. Joy, peace, patience, kindness, temperance, goodness. Uh self control to be able to, you know, the bible says that a person who can control his spirit that is better than one who captures a city and all of it flows out of what love and that’s why it’s so powerful and so important. This whole aspect of love. I’m gonna look at this in the time of preaching. When I open up revelation, chapters 12 and three, So God bless you and we’ll see you then. What a fabulous discussion we had on this incredible subject of a happy love. So important that it identifies it as the root cause of the degeneration of the church is back in the first century. We’re gonna look at that in the Book of Revelation. I’m told that the Book of Revelation was really used more than any other book in the 1st and 2nd century in the churches to preach from, to teach from. And as I look at this book, I see chapter one deals with the past. Chapter two and three deals with the present. Chapter four starts and after these things, we’ll see that in a minute. But I entitled it on fire for God on fire. For God, that means alive and excited and and plugged in and alive, jesus is my first love. That doesn’t mean he was first. That means he’s number one in a list of many things in my life. It’s what he said in Matthew Chapter six verse 33 seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these other things will be added on to you in your in your life. What do you put is the most important thing in your life. That’s what it’s talking about is jesus christ First and more important, the priority, the ultimate in your life. I mean, that’s really what this statement is all about. And you see this in the introduction to jesus, the person of jesus christ in Revelation chapter 12 and three. The plan of jesus christ and also the people of jesus christ. The person of jesus christ. It starts out with I am the first and the last, his eternal al Itty. I am the living one, his deity, I was dead. And behold I am alive, forevermore, his ministry, he came to bleed and die. That was the whole goal of coming into this world. He was buried. He arose from the dead. This is the gospel authority. I have the keys of Death and of Hades, there’s no there’s no other authority more greater and more ultimate than jesus christ. And then you have the plan of jesus. This is found in Revelation 1 19 A. B and C. The past right there for the things which you have seen, the present, the things which are And the future, the things which shall take place after these things. So chapter two and 3 deal with the things that are. And then he says, the people of jesus who are the people of jesus, the seven stars or the angels. Angulo’s a messenger of the seven churches. And then I’m just gonna quote revelation 120 as for the mystery of the seven stars, which you saw in my right hand. And the seven golden lamp stands and he tells us what they are. The seven stars are the angels or the messengers of the seven churches or the pastors. And the seven lamp stands are the seven churches. It’s interesting that he is moving around in these churches, some of them are really not very faithful and preaching the gospel, others are very faithful and you’re gonna see this now. So you have seven golden lamp stands. These are the seven churches, you have emphasis Smyrna per game um to to Sardis philadelphia and they want to see you all found in the Middle East right there where modern day Turkey is. I’ve been to some of these places and these this is what jesus christ says to them because jesus he holds uh it says he walks and he knows he holds that’s his omnipotence, his sovereignty, he walks, that’s his um night presence as a shepherd and he knows that’s his ambitions as the servant leader that he is. And then he, his people, he commends his people, he critiques his people and he commissions his people, just a few things to think about. And now we get into the real uh you know right into the meat of it all and that is the seven churches. There were two churches that had commendations, he spoke good words to them, that was the Church of Smyrna The persecuted church in revelation 2 8 through 13 for their sacrifice. They were faithful. They were persecuted, but they stood strong and they were a fragrance to God. The second one was philadelphia chapter 37 through 13 where he opens doors that no one can shut and shuts doors that no one can open for their service. So first he commends them for their sacrifice and for their service. And then there’s the five churches that he has something to say to them. That’s corrective, he’s gonna correct them in these areas and he starts with the fact that they departed. You know, you once read the bible, but you’ve departed from that or you once saying on fire for God in the Church, you no longer do that or you once went to church, you no longer do that. Once you gave your funds or your service you were willing to witness forgot but you no longer do that. You’ve departed from what it means to be uh on fire for God believer. And today I’m talking about that, what is it that causes us to depart from the very God that created us that saved us that loves us, that continues to support us. There are there’s a movement of five things that we depart from and the first one as we depart from love. The second one is we depart from truth. The third one is that we depart from purity. The fourth one is we depart from authenticity or transparency. And the fifth one is that we depart from ministry or usefulness and God in that state says, you know, I’m gonna spit you out of my mouth. You nauseate me, think about this, that God who we loved so much and and that God was using us in such a powerful way. All of a sudden would say, you know, I can’t I can’t use you, uh you nauseate me, I’m gonna spit you out of my mouth. What happened? What happened? Here’s what happened in Ephesus? They departed from love. He says, I know your deeds, I know your works, I know your commitment, your faith, but I have this against you, that you have left your first love. We’re gonna look at that and then and that’s the most important one, because if you leave that the next thing that happens is you depart from truth. The moment you lose the personal intimacy with jesus christ where you are loving God, because of jesus christ. You’re talking to him, you’re preying on a daily basis. And you’re reading his word, that you will stop reading his word when you stop loving him. When you stop reading his word, guess what’s gonna happen next? The truth is not there and you’re gonna get dirty and you’re gonna start messing around. You’re gonna start loving the world. The love of the father is not gonna be in you, the lust of the flesh. The lust of the eyes. the pride of life is gonna tangle me up. It’s gonna tangle you up and our focus and our love is not gonna be to God, the father son and Holy Spirit. And when that happens, guess what we become, then we become, we pretend we become hypocrites. We sing songs, you know, in church, but we don’t mean them. We put our heads down the we don’t mean it. We we want people to, you know, well, you know, we don’t want people to know what’s going on in us. The authenticity is gone. And finally, that’s where the devil wants to get us the demonic world. We have no more ministry because we feel ashamed. We feel embarrassed. We feel weak. We don’t feel like we have anything to say what’s the point? And that’s when we lose the ministry. And when I look at the Church of Ephesus, how on fire they were and what they did when they first began and then how sad it was. And when you read revelation chapter two and it talks about the Church of Ephesus and the Lord, our Lord says to the angel of the church to the pastor that is of the church uh of Ephesus right? The one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the seven stars in his right hand. The pastor’s the one who walks among the seven golden lamp stands. Those are the churches, he’s the one that still has pastors that are not preaching what they’re supposed to and churches that are not living up to the decree and the creeds and the and the statements the the whether it’s the apostle statement or Tempest evo in greek that what what I believe, what the statements, the the written down commitments that we’ve made and we’ve departed from them. We don’t believe in God the Father. We don’t believe in God the Son. We don’t believe in God, the Holy Spirit. Do you think he leaves? He doesn’t leave. He’s still there. It’s his church. But at the very end in revelation, uh with the Church of Leo Garcia, he’s standing at the door knocking on the door, just so sad. Then he says, I know your deeds and your toil and your perseverance and that you cannot endure evil men. And you put the test. Those who call themselves apostles and they’re not and you found them to be false and you have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake and have not grown weary. Listen to this. But I have this against you that you have left your first love. Remember therefore where you’ve fallen repent and then do the deeds that you did at first or else I will come to you and I will remove your lamp stand out of its place unless you repent. Now, he says this to the five churches that have departed from love, truth, purity, authenticity, and ministry. I love what he says here, remember, can you remember a time when you were more on fire for God. Can you remember a time when you love reading the bible more? Can you remember a time when you were praying more or evangelizing? Can you remember a time when you were just yielding everything in your life to God, your finances? If you can remember that you need to repent, you need to redo the things you once did in the past. I’m gonna close with the last mentioned in the book of leo messi because I love this. What happened to leo Garcia? He says Verse 18, I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire. That’s the value system and white garments that you may clothe yourself and that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed. That’s your virtues. And then he says, you get I solved to anoint your eyes, verse 18 that you may see this is all found in verse 18, Your value system, your virtue, your vision is gone. When you leave loving jesus christ first, then truth leaves your life. You stop reading the bible, then you start dabbling with the world. Then impurity and then you become you become a phony, you become a hypocrite. You put on a facade. And finally, I forget the things that got. There’s no ministry in your life. God is telling you through this whole progression. Yes, they were geographic they were geographic churches of that day. But it’s speaking also to you today concerning these re proofs that jesus christ is giving to individuals and churches today repent. Remember repent and redo what we once did when we were excited for the things of God. Listen, you’re the only one who can allow God to fill your life repent and ask him to forgive you and change the things that are going on in your life. Father. God I pray for my brothers and sisters in the body of christ all over that you would Lord touch us and revive your church again and fill us with your holy spirit and help us to be genuine to have the love for you first and then for your word and then to allow our life to be a shining light to those around us. I pray in jesus name amen. Well God bless you until we see you again. When it’s all greek to me. Tom and Vicky Mahairas.