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  DIVIDING BROTHERS HINDERS PERSONAL REVIVAL
  by Alan Martin
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Summary: This sermon emphasizes the importance of love and unity among
believers, focusing on the power of God's love to transform hearts and
relationships. It highlights the need to prioritize love over legalism,
to pursue unity and forgiveness, and to walk in the simplicity of
devotion to Christ. The key message is to be rooted and established in
love, allowing the love of God to guide actions and interactions with
others, leading to a revival fueled by the transformative power of love.

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon emphasizes the importance of love and unity among believers,
focusing on the power of God's love to transform hearts and
relationships. It highlights the need to prioritize love over legalism,
to pursue unity and forgiveness, and to walk in the simplicity of
devotion to Christ. The key message is to be rooted and established in
love, allowing the love of God to guide actions and interactions with
others, leading to a revival fueled by the transformative power of love.

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CONTENT
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I want to just share with you from the scriptures how I believe the Lord
Jesus opened to me the scriptures because God will not hear us if we
come in with unclean hands and impure hearts. They're smarter in the
medical field. They do not rush in in a panic.

When it's serious, they make sure every germ in the room is gone. They
make every effort. God didn't even send Isaiah out.

He didn't even ask who will go until he had touched Isaiah's lips with
the coal on the altar. Then he asked. I'm sure Isaiah would have
volunteered before that.

But when God sent the Savior to the world, he sent a man without sin who
knew no sin. And the reason he was able to do that is he never sinned.
He was pure and completely broken and submitted.

And there is an area where I saw in my life, and I see it in the lives
of very serious brothers like you and I, that are much of our seeking
and crying out these judgments and fights. So by the Lord's grace, I
just want to take you through what I believe how he opened up the
scriptures to me, granting me repentance from this. Turn with me to
Romans chapter 14.

Just going to take us through it just like he did with me. Romans
chapter 14, verse one. The one being weak in faith received, but not
unto doubtful disputations.

This word, this disputation, what it means is to separate thoroughly.
You know, when you make an incision, you're cutting something open. When
you make a decision inside, you're still cutting two things and putting
apart.

And this same word, diacrino, is found in Acts chapter 15. If you want
to go there, Acts chapter 15, verse nine, where Peter is relating about
when the Gentiles received the Holy Spirit. And he said, God, who knows
hearts, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit in the very
same way he gave to us, but he put no difference between us and them.

That's the same word. These doubtful disputations happen when we put a
difference between a devout brother and God is putting no difference
there. We create a situation.

And what it leads to is it goes on to say there in Romans, you know, one
eats, one does not eat. Well, the one eating is in danger of despising.
All it really means is make light of, make light of the one who doesn't
eat.

And the one who doesn't eat, he's in danger of judging, making a
separation, making a difference between the one that does, that is
eating these things. And it says, but I want to read the verse, the one
eating, the one not eating, let not despise. And the one not eating, the
one eating, let him not judge for God has already received them.

You know, when I saw the Lord showed me, Lord immediately took me to the
parable of the prodigal son, but it's not about the prodigal son. The
parable was supposed to be about the elder brother after the father was
already hugging and kissing the son. The older brother is outside asking
questions.

He's still got questions about who this person is. What did he do to
your name? What has he been doing to your kingdom? Who was he with? How
can you be in there celebrating? And it's the imperfect tense in the
Greek. He's continually outside asking questions when the father has
already.

And if we have that kind of attitude in our heart, we can cry out from
now to forever and we will not be hurt. None of us in verse seven of
this chapter, it says, none of us lives to himself alone. None of us
dies to himself alone.

Whether we live, we live with the Lord. Whether we die, we die to the
Lord. So whether we live or die, we are the Lord.

For this reason, Christ died. It was made Lord of both the dead and the
living. So then you, why do you discriminate between your brother? Why
do you put a difference between you and your brother? Or why do you, why
do you make light of your brother? For we shall all stand before the
judgment seat of Christ.

It's written, as I live, says the Lord, to me, every knee shall bow and
every tongue shall confess to God. So then each of us, we will give an
account of ourselves to God. Okay, stop.

Therefore, no longer, never again put a difference between you and your
brother. There is a difference between our brothers and the world. We
know that we have passed from death to life because we love the
brothers, but in the family and among the brothers, we should not be
putting a difference where God, our Father, has not.

And it says, therefore, no longer, never again. He that has suffered in
his flesh has ceased from sin, and it's time we arm ourselves with this
attitude. I will not put a difference between my brother whom my Lord
has received.

Because what that does is that puts a stumbling block in front of them.
It's just what that does. You know what this looks like? What does this
look like? How do you recognize whether this is happening? Turn with me
to third John.

This is where the Lord took me next. I want to say where I believe the
Lord took me next. That word is so thrown around nowadays.

Third John. Remember him? There's a name in first John. He's famous for
all the wrong reasons.

His name is Diotrephes. Verse nine. I wrote to the church, but the one
loving the preeminence, Diotrephes.

How do you know he's loving preeminence? Because John says he does not
receive us, and he doesn't receive the brothers. And those who, those in
the church who want to receive the brothers, he hinders them. Now,
what's he doing to hinder these brothers? Well, the key is in receives.

Receives here is the Greek word epidekamai. It means he's not fully
welcoming. And the key is epi.

Are we that way? He's a sweet brother, but yeah, they've got a neat
church over there. But oh yeah, he's a believer, sincere. But so it
says, John says, verse 10.

So on account of this, if I come, I will call to mind the works which he
does. Now, what are the works which he does? Do you see it there? What
works does he do? He's slandering us with evil words. The word here for
evil, poneros.

It's a word that talks about the effect. The effect of his words have an
evil effect. You know what evil words really are? They're any words that
are unwholesome.

Brothers and sisters, let no unwholesome talk proceed forward out of
your mouth, but only what is good for the edification of the hearer and
ministers grace. I'm not really interested in the detail of the word. I
want to know in effect, what effect is the word having on the hearer?
And you know what the word is used for slandering? It's the Greek word,
flouro.

And it means to bubble up or to boil over. And let me show you a place
where it's used in the New Testament. Turn to first Timothy chapter
five.

First Timothy chapter five. This is used of women, young widows
actually. First Timothy chapter five, verse 13.

But hold on ladies, you're going to get you some big relief here. This
idea that gossip has to do with women is about to be shot down. Here it
says that these young widows, he refused to put them on the list there
in verse 11.

He says, because you know, when they grow wanted against Christ, they
desire to marry and they incurred judgment because they broke in their
first pledge. And then he says, verse 13, and besides, they learned to
be idle, wondering about from house to house, and not only idle, but
also gossips. That's the word here.

Gossips, busybody saying things they ought not. Now, what do you think a
young widow who's going from this house to this house, to this house,
and this house and bubbling over with information is saying that she
ought not. How about just comparing this house to this house? Well, they
do it this way.

Well, they do it this way. Well, they do it this way. Those who compare
themselves among themselves are not.

And this is what Deuteronomy is doing. He's just not fully receiving the
brothers. But, and here's this, there's something a little bit more
about evil speaking than just content.

It's not just the details of what a person is saying. It's the direction
they're speaking from. Look with me in James chapter four.

This is something that I wish I would have had a godly brother come
alongside and slap me upside the head and show me this, but let a
righteous man smite me. You know, there's a, there's a speaking that
says a piercing of a sword, isn't there? And I, it's going to take the
rest of my life for the reputation of my repentance to outpace the
damage my own tongue has done. I'm being honest here.

Here in James chapter four, you see it, verse 11. What, what's the
direction that is wrong regardless of the, of the factual accuracy of
the detail? What direction is it? It's against. Do not speak against.

You know, the same word kata, the light thing, it means kata, the let go
to speak against. In first Peter chapter two, it's called evil speaking.
That's how it's translated.

And it says, put away all evil speaking and malice and slander and envy
and clamor of every kind. And then crave the pure spiritual milk of the
word because you mix the pure spiritual milk of the word with this kind
of evil speaking against another. And here, here's, here's the thing too
about this word, another brother, there's two words for other in the
Greek.

There's a loss, another of the same kind and Etteros, another of a
different kind here. It's another brother. What kind do you think it is?
What word do you think is all loss or Etteros here? What do you think?
It's all do not speak against another brother of the same kind.

Cause he said, if you speak against your brother, you were speaking
against the law and judging the law. And if you judge the law, you're
not a doer of a law. You are a critic.

Hey, that's the idea. You're a critic of the law. You're a judge of the
law.

And there's only one law giver who is able both to save and destroy, but
who, who are you to criticize or judge or evaluate or discriminate
against your brother? Who are you? What would cause a person to be able
to think he has the ability to do this, to put a difference where God
places no difference? What would cause, what would cause a person to be
able to think to do this? Wouldn't it be that he thought he had the
ability to do so? Where does that come from? Look with me in first
Corinthians chapter eight and see Paul warned this. Where does this come
from? This tendency that we fall too easily in first Corinthians chapter
eight. Now Paul says, now concerning things offered idols, we, we know
that we all have knowledge, but what does knowledge do y'all? It puffs
up, but love edifies.

And if anyone thinks he sees his idol to perceive, he does not get
agnostic. He does not. He does not know by experience.

If anyone thinks I can see clearly, he does not yet experience. We know
as he ought, you know, both of these words, I know and know, or in first
Corinthians 13, verse two, if I have the gift of prophecy and I can
perceive, I know all mysteries and I have all knowledge, but I have not
love. I am nothing.

You want an example of someone who has, who could perceive all mysteries
and have all knowledge, but did not have love. His name was Solomon.
The, the, the perception and the knowledge he had really came into great
use when he built temples to Molech and Chemosh and Ashtoreth without
love.

Because his, his, his wives turned his heart away from the Lord and his
heart was not fully devoted under God as it was before, but he still had
his perception and his knowledge well intact. It's not surprising.
Didn't Jesus say, well, before I go there, but it says, knowledge puffs
up, love edifies.

It's, it's, if you think you see, and you think, you know, you do not
know as you ought, but it says, but if anyone loves God, this one has
been known of him. So what does it take to be known of God, to be
loving? Now think about this. If you don't have love, but you have
ability, perception and knowledge, you can build big churches.

What do you think these guys are building them with? They know how it
works. They've got perception and that the human personality, they've
got knowledge of what people want. You know what they're missing? Love.

And that's why the Lord can say, I didn't know. It's easy to talk about
them. Let's talk about it.

The church of Ephesus. You know, you can test false apostles. You're
enduring hardship for my name.

You're doing more now than you were at first. But I have this against
you. You had left.

It's not lost. You had left your first love and knowledge without love
is dangerous. You can know about revival, but if you're praying outside
of the baptism of the love of Christ, watch out what you might be able
to do with that in a group of people.

It's a dangerous thing. Look in Colossians. You know, where does it,
Colossians chapter two, you're turning there.

Knowledge puffs up. What part of us does knowledge puff up? Where does
it puff up? We need to understand this. Colossians chapter two.

Colossians chapter two, verse 16. Now let's look at verse 18. Let no one
rule against you desiring to do so in false humility in the worship of
angels.

Intruding into things, which what? Isn't that interesting? What's the
intruding into things he has not seen? Vainly being puffed up. Where?
Where is he puffed up? In his carnal mind. What do you think the carnal
mind is puffed up with? Knowledge.

It's interesting. It's knowledge that he has not seen. How can that be?
How can you, how can you have knowledge that you have not seen? Here's a
way.

Jesus says the son does nothing but what he sees the father. If you're
only doing what your carnal insight has given you the ability to see
without the spirit of God, it will puff you up. And what it leads to is
that what it warns about in verse 18, let no one rule against you.

You know what the word is umpire and referee. You know what umpires and
referees are? They are the guys who are rule experts. They can't even
play the game themselves sometimes.

The guys on the field are professionals, but they're experts in the
rule. And what it says here is let none of these people who were puffed
up in their carnal mind making differences between people rule against
you, disqualifying you for the pride. There is one rule among brothers
of the same kind.

And Paul in this very same book said, because you know an umpire,
there's one rule that must rule because an umpire and a referee really
comes in handy when two people see something from a different
perspective. The umpire has to make the decision. You know what the
umpire is supposed to be for brothers of the same kind, the body of
Christ.

Let the peace of Christ rule. As members of one body, we were called to
peace. And if that's not what's making the ruling, watch out to see if
it's not some zealous, carnal, puffed up man who's lost connection from
the head.

Because you know how the head, you know how someone's connected from the
head? The whole body is joined together, not separated into different
parts. That's how you can tell. And you're going to see this another
picture of this carnal mind at work turn with me to first Corinthians.

Paul mentions this in first Corinthians chapter four. This was the
problem in the Corinthian church. First Corinthians chapter four.

Let's just take verse six and seven. Now these things brothers I've
transformed myself and Apollos because of you in order that you may
learn in us not to think beyond what is written. Puffed up in behalf of
one, against the other.

And here, guess what other is? Because see, when you are against
someone, you have to make them the other of a different kind. Then you
can be against them because you are doing the work of God. And here, you
have Apollos and Paul.

We are warned and there's a grave warning for us here. And I want, it's
here in the verse, if you could see it in the original language, it's
beautiful. Not to think beyond what is written.

Actually in the original, it's not beyond what is written to think. Who
pair what is written to think. Normally when who pair and to think is
put together, who pair think to think above, it's translated pride.

The only thing separating it here is the word it is written. Everywhere
else in the New Testament, when you begin to think above what God
thinks, he calls it pride. And when you, when you place a difference
where God has placed no difference, you are puffed up in your carnal
mind and you are proud.

And you're not operating in the spirit. That's why verse said, verse
seven says, for who makes you to put a difference? See, if you,
Diacrino, the same word in Acts 15, nine, right here, who makes you to
put it? If God has not put a difference between brothers of the same
kind, he has not given you the assignment either. I know, ask me how I
know.

Ask me how many times I've repented of that. Lord, is that somewhere
ashes becoming beauty? And I hope so. Back up with me also in first
Corinthians three, this, he puts it this way in first Corinthians
chapter three, brothers, first one, I, I was not able to, to speak to
you as to a spiritual people, but to a carnal as to babes in Christ.

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food, because you are not able
indeed. You're still not able because you are carnal. You know what, you
know how you know you're carnal as a church, that there is divisions
among you.

Sides, sides, you can't have sides unless someone has been putting a
difference between people of the same kind. That's how you make sides.
For where there are in the end, see strife, the reason I'm calling it
strife because I understand the Greek word, it just means sides.

You see down in, I'll point that out in a minute, but it's clear
division is you stand apart. You know, that's literally what the word
means. If there are sides that are standing apart, you are carnal.

You see, that's the difference between a holy man of God and a Pharisee.
I know I was a Pharisee. I can say like Paul, I tasted the Pharisee.

I walked as a Pharisee. I was a Pharisee, a Pharisee. Here's the
difference between a man holy, he is set apart unto God, and a Pharisee
is a separated one from men.

I spent enough time separating myself from men because I placed a
difference where God had placed on God. It was not holiness unto the
Lord. It was my own carnal mind puffed up creating divisions.

And the spirit of God was not with me, and he was not hearing me. And
here, all they said, here's what they, I am of someone other than
Christ. And here, they only had one person between them and Christ.

Think about that. He called it carnal, just saying, I am of, think about
what you hear now. How long is the spiritual pedigree we give now? Well,
you know, I came from, and from, and he came from, and he was a disciple
of, and it's carnal just to have any one man.

You think Jesus said for no reason, call no man father. Isn't that what
it means to be of someone? We're not to do that. I told you that the
word strife, it means sides.

Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. I'm sorry. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 10.

Excuse me. 1 Corinthians 1 verse 10. When we're putting differentiations
between brothers, we're creating sides.

I appeal to you brothers in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to think
what, or to speak what? The same. You see it? The same. To speak the
same, all speak the same.

That there be no divisions, but that you be completely restored in the
same mind and the same purpose. You can't have the same mind, the same
purpose, and think the same when you are putting differentiations where
God has placed none. And it says that there be no divisions.

Here is the word schism. You know where schisms begin. They begin with
isms.

And I just recommend it for the body of Christ, just from a brother to
please forsake all isms. Forsake them. Why describe yourself with an ism
of any kind? It's only going to produce a schism.

That's all it's going to produce. And it goes on down to say in verse
12. Now I say this, that each one of you says I'm a Paul, and I'm a
Paulos, or I'm a Cephas, and I'm a Christ.

He asked in verse 13, has Christ been divided? The word for fights is
erudites. The word for divided is meridates. The only difference is one
letter, M. M is in the division.

The meridian, you've heard of them? The prime meridian comes from this
Greek word, meridites. Erudites is just, erudites is like a contest. You
know it takes, two can't walk together except they be agreed.

We already know that, but they're also, two can't fight together except
they be disagreed. It takes two to quarrel. And you must have a division
if you're going to have a contest.

And a contest, they contest thus. And you contesting against each other.
But Christ has not been divided.

This word for meridian was used in the Septuagint over and over and over
again is what they did with the spoils after they won a battle. You want
to see that in the New Testament? Turn to Colossians chapter two real
quick. Colossians chapter two.

Colossians chapter two. Paul's trying to spare them. It's already going
on in the church.

And he says, be, well let's read verse six. As therefore you see Christ
Jesus is the Lord, so walk ye in him. Not an ism.

Having been rooted and being built up in him, being established in the
faith just as you were taught and abounding in it with thanksgiving. And
be where less anyone will be capturing you. Capturing you literally
means from the Greek word to carry you off as a prize after battle.

That's the result of schisms in the church. People wanting to boast in
their fleshly mind that you agree with them. And it's a carnal work.

It is not a work of the Spirit. I want you to notice something. There's
going to be a key here that Paul begins to try to make clear to those
he's writing.

Paul was such a man of God. He had such wisdom. I just want to
understand what he's trying to warn us about.

In verse eight, beware lest anyone will be capturing you through this
love of wisdom and this empty deceit. You know what empty, another word
for empty deceit is? Path of knowledge. Vain.

Worthless. But what is it according? What is this love of philosophy and
this empty deceit according to? It's according to the tradition of men.
It's always going to come from men and Paul is going to begin to do
something.

And I'm going to ask you to turn to Titus and you're going to see what
this traditions of men begin to look like. And he's going to begin to
make a contrast. You know, that's how we know things.

We know things by comparing them. Hot only has meaning because you
understand what cold is. Rest only has meaning because you understand
what it means to be worn out.

Good only has meaning because you are contrasting it and comparing it to
evil. So the work of man producing these differences and divisions and
schisms, putting differences where God has not put them is set in
contrast to the work of the spirit. Watch that and see.

Look in Titus chapter three. Titus chapter three. Verse eight.

We'll start there. Faithful is the word in concerning these things. I
want you to strongly affirm so that you may take thought unto good works
to maintain good works for those having believed in God.

These things are good and profitable to men, but foolish speculations or
disputes and genealogies and strifes and legal quarrels avoid. They are
unprofitable and useless. So you see something he just said were good
and profitable to all these things that come from men, these foolish
speculations, these genealogies, these strides and these legal battles.

They are what men are doing. They're not good and profitable. They're
unprofitable and useless.

I want you to strongly affirm the things that are good and profitable to
all. What were those? They're back at the birth of the chapter. Chapter
three, verse one, remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities,
to be obedient to every ready unto every good work, and to do what? To
blaspheme no man.

You ever seen that before? We know a lot about blaspheming the Holy
Spirit. We're not supposed to do that. The scripture said we're not
supposed to blaspheme another man.

That just means injure with your speech is what that means. You're not
to blaspheme and you are to be uncontentious. No brawler, I believe it
says in the kingdom.

You are to be gentle. This word gentle is intensive. It has the the
Greek intensifier epi in front of it and eikes.

Epi eikes. Eiko means to yield. It means think.

It means pliable. So to be fully pliable. This is what Paul uses in in
Philippians chapter four, and let your forbearing spirit be made known
to.

And here it's let let you fully forbearing spirit be made known to all
men. It's also used in the passage wisdom from above is first of all
pure, then peaceable, and then this word yielded, fully yielded. It's
going to take the rest of my life for my zealous carnal pharisaism and
those that knew me.

It's going to take the rest of my life for my walk of repentance, for my
forbearing spirit to become known. There's skeptics out there. Some of
them may be watching me right now on on streaming that knew me and do
not want anything to cry with to do with Christ because of me.

Blasting no one. Be completely uncontentious. To be fully gentle.

Demonstrating all meekness to all men. Where do you get these qualities
from? Only the Holy Spirit. You'll never get these from traditions of
men.

This is no working according to men. Look at just just real quick, a
quick purveillance please of the these back in third chapter verse nine.
These things that come from men.

I do not want to spend too much time with them, but I do want to just
touch upon them. The Holy Spirit forbade me to go into details on these.
I felt a check to do that, but I wanted you to understand how to
recognize them.

The first in verse nine we are that are that are completely unprofitable
and futile are foolish disputes. The greek word for foolish is moros and
the greek word for dispute is a thesis. It really means seekings in its
most literal translation and what it I search for what's the best
english word for this that I came up with at least it works for me it's
fixation.

These these morose fixations and what a fixation is something that a
person becomes so focused about and so consumed about and so thinking
about that it becomes his issue because it's always what is issuing out
of him upon others and you know it's a fixation because he's going
around trying to fix others with his issue and it what it produces is a
morose dispute morose is the is the same greek word where it says if the
salt has become morose if it's lost its savor it one of the better ways
to translate it in english is insipid it's dull it's without life it's
without vitality it's meaningless it's powerless it doesn't attract
anyone's attention it it doesn't make anyone thirsty and the other place
it's used in a very dangerous way is that there were ten virgins five
were morose and five were wise but they were virgins waiting for the
lord expecting him to come and can you see five virgins without the holy
spirit and full of the doctrines of men waiting for christ they don't
discover it to the hour when they need light so what do they do when
they need light and they have no oil they do what where they got all the
rest of their information from they turn to men and ask it from them and
they at this time they say no go get it on your own serious serious
thing beware of men fixated on issues that only cause to put differences
between brothers of the same kind and the other thing is genealogy as we
touched upon that you know what a genealogy is it's a study of origins i
thought that's simple i am of christ i was born from above god is my
father christ is my brother where's my pedigree that's it i've got a lot
of brothers and sisters it's a large family that's the only thing i'm
concerned about us when it's a brother of the same kind be careful we've
talked about strife strife or to have strife you must have a contest to
have contest you must have contestants to have contestants you must have
two sides against each other from men it's not a work of the spirit you
know how all the work of the spirit is in accordance with the will of
god and it was his will to bring all things unto one he destroyed the
barrier the dividing wall of hostility because his purpose was to make
in himself one new man out of the two thus making peace and sides don't
make peace men putting differences where they have not placed by god
make sites and it's an unprofitable and useless procedure and the holy
spirit is not in it regardless of the amount of zeal and passion you
might be witnessing in the person speaking there and the last thing is
i'll touch upon a little more it's legal fights i want to say that for a
moment i'm going to talk more about what that is in a minute but i want
you to notice in verse 10 who who is it that we are to reject verse 10
but a heretic reject after the first and second admonition knowing that
he's such a person has been perverted sinning they are self-condemned do
you know what a heretic means do you want to explain what a heretic is
the word heretic comes from the greek word heretical to choose here's
what here's what a heretic is he's a person asking you to choose side
and god has not and what does it say to do to him after the first or
second admonition you try to admonish him then it says reject you know
what you know what reject means all it means is please excuse yourself
that's all it means same word when they used when uh the king sent out
his servants to go invite people for the banquet they said may i please
be excused when i find a person that's trying to make christian brothers
choose a side i just excuse myself that's the second time i'm not the
quote look what says it uh second timothy see this this same stuff is in
second timothy look real quick second timothy chapter two same same
thing the same comparison and contrast are right here in second timothy
chapter two um first 22 but youthful lust flee and pursue righteousness
faith love and peace with the ones calling on the lord out of a pure
heart but foolish and unlearned disputes the same word these foolish and
unlearned fixations excuse yourself timothy knowing here's what they
bring forth fights not only are they completely unprofitable and they're
useless they bring forth fights and a bond servant of the lord must not
he must be kind to all skillful at teaching and he must forbear evil
that's really what the word is he must be able to bear with evil a bond
servant of the lord needs to learn how to do this in meekness
instructing the ones that oppose themselves if perhaps that god may
grant them repentance and lead them unto a full knowledge of the truth
that they may regain their senses and escape out of the snare of the
devil having been taken captive to do the will of that one and you know
what the will of that one is and why it's so important that a bond
servant of the lord not must not strive he must not fight he must he
must in meekness instruct those because the the work of the evil one is
the accusation of the brethren and a bond servant of the lord must learn
how when when someone has been taken captive and he's coming against one
of the lord's brothers he must deal with it skillfully and not fight
when it's another brother of the same kind now i mentioned that these
legal battles i didn't cover that but i want to cover it now in first
timothy chapter one in first timothy chapter one legal battles are
particularly difficult to deal with and i believe by the grace of god
you're going to see what i was shown by our lord in first timothy
chapter one let's start with verse three just as i urged you to remain
in ephesus traveling into macedonia that you should command certain ones
not to teach differently eteros but our teaching should not lead to
making differences nor to pay attention to myths genius and you know
myths are they're sayings you know what a saying is you know what a myth
is a myth is something made up in the mind of man that didn't come from
the holy spirit that's all it is and it can have the lord told me all
over it jesus told me jesus showed me the carnal mind is puffed up with
all kind of things it hasn't seen it's a myth if it's not the work of
the spirit to bring men unto christ beware nor to pay attention to myths
or endless genealogies what do they cause disputes these same fixations
rather than the edification of god the one by faith now follow here in
verse five what is the end of the commandment what's the goal of the
commandment love out of a pure heart and a good conscience and a faith
without hypocrisy or a sincere faith but some certain ones having
strayed from this have turned aside under meaningless talk and look what
they're wanting to be teachers of law they want to be teachers of the
law not understanding neither the things they say nor what things they
confidently affirm here's the difficulty when you get into someone that
is wants to be a teacher of the law but he is not full of the holy
spirit turn with me in second corinthians chapter 11 to see this you
know before you go to second corinthians chapter 11 let's go to romans
let's do this i think it'd be better in this order romans chapter 10
romans chapter 10 verse 1 brother the good pleasure of my heart and the
sup my supplication with god on behalf of israel is for is unto their
salvation for i bear them witness that they have a zeal for god but it's
not according to full knowledge epigenosco it's not complete it's for
not fully knowing god or no i should say for not knowing the
righteousness of god what did they seek to establish y'all righteousness
their own righteousness but what was their righteousness based on the
man who does these things shall live by them that is a dangerous person
with a zeal for god but not according to a complete knowledge seeking to
establish righteousness that's a dangerous person you know why it is the
perfect instrument for satan to keep a person from seeing the glory of
god in the face of jesus christ you can see that now turn to second
corinthians and you'll see this second corinthians second corinthians
chapter 11 verse 12 what i'm doing i'm going to continue to do that i
may cut off the opportunity of those who are desiring to boast that they
may be found just as we are for such ones are false apostles deceitful
workers transforming themselves unto apostles of christ and no wonder
for satan himself transforms into an angel of light is it no great thing
then if his ministers transform themselves as to ministers of what is it
y'all that remains over the heart to this day when the law is read a
veil what what does the veil represent the veil represents anything that
keeps a man from seeing the glory of god in the face of jesus christ and
the most effective person to do this is a someone puffed up in their
carnal mind seeking to establish righteousness because they don't fully
know the righteousness i was one of these and i was shown mercy just
like the apostle paul because i acted in ignorance and unbelief i was
like the galatian after having begun in the spirit i sought to be made
perfect in the flesh i fell from a great height christ jesus literally
became to me of none effect i don't know what your theology is all i
know is my wife knew christ jesus was none effect to me my children knew
christ jesus was none effect to me those i work with knew christ jesus
was none effect to me the only person who didn't know christ jesus had
become none effect to me was me but by the mercy of god when i had
finished nearly burning every bridge in my zeal and you know you know
that there's uh there's something behind contention when the bible says
contention cometh but by what pride when when my pride had finished
running no overcoming most of my opponents because you know after all i
was this i was an expert at making a difference between other christians
and but they eventually uh they eventually got tired of persecuting me
for how i figured they couldn't handle the truth and they i eventually
wore them out and i found myself quite alone then i realized i had
problems still and it wasn't them and all my knowledge began to work at
something i mean i was a devout student of the word but i found myself
in the place where paul was how is it that i keep doing what i hate to
do if i do what i don't want to do oh wretched man that i am and and
it's when i came to that place i saw a revelation who shall deliver me
from this body of death and i was restored to jesus christ again and
then this wonderful repentance i think a far greater salvation than my
first one i i'm not trying to be well i just that's why i see it i'm
being saved i am i still want to be saved he came to save me from sin if
there's a single sin in my life i want to be saved i just want to be
saved to the uttermost he's able to save to the uttermost and it's i
don't think he's finished with me yet now the lawyers are always the
ones that have a difficult time with that now if you're still in second
corinthians chapter 11 turn back to the first part of the chapter and
and and may the grace of our lord expose at this or the last bit of our
time here together may he expose one of the the most pervasive and
effective strategies that satan has ever come up with second corinthians
chapter 11 oh that you would bear with me a little in the foolishness my
foolishness and indeed you bear with me where i'm zealous of you with a
godly zeal because i betroth you unto one husband as a pure virgin to
present you to christ but i'm afraid lest perhaps as the serpent
deceived eve by his craftiness so your minds may be corrupted away from
the simplicity that is in christ satan is crafty he's this word crafty
means all working he's able to work it all out he's able to make it seem
so right but if you were going to corrupt because corrupt means to ruin
or spoil and the word simplicity actually comes from the latin simplex
means to be without a fold complex means to be with a fold this is the
same word for if your eye be single a plus in the greek if your eye be
single what is it your whole body is full of light but if the light
within you is darkness how great is that darkness but here here it's
supposed to be single simple simple the simplicity of christ so if you
wanted to ruin and spoil simplicity how would you do it complicate it
just complicate the simplicity of devotion to christ the lawyers when
you think of complicating matters lawyer that's their specialty lawyers
are experts at complicating things of course it's necessary it's always
necessary to do what's right and you can put a lot of passion and zeal
behind the effort according to man his ways are not our ways his
thoughts are not our thoughts you want to see why the lawyers had a
particular problem with this turn with me to luke chapter 11 the setting
of this verse uh the latter part of luke chapter 11 find verse 52 with
me but the setting of this is jesus is reclining at dinner i wish we
could just do it he's just he's reclining he's been invited to dinner at
a pharisee's house and he's leaning he's leaning his arms on the table
and he's in a discussion and the discussion kind of goes awry because
they they comment they notice he starts eating without he's done
something wrong see they're noticing these differences it's not is it is
it important to his heavenly father no but to the lawyer it's real
important you know i could i could go into all kind of questions i get
asked you know about when i visit a church you know one i'm hardly ever
asked do they love each other that's what brother zach said the same
thing that's where i first heard that from but here they notice he
doesn't wash his hands so he gets into discussion and it begins to be
difficult a little bit and so we come to this part in in in chapter 11
verse 52 and he says woe to you lawyers because you have taken away the
key to knowledge you didn't enter and the ones in trying to enter you
hindered and it's interesting they could not handle this it says and
after saying this the scribes and the pharisees began to be dreadfully
hostile towards him and i know if you know if you look in chapter 11 he
says some very very difficult things and but i do want to point out
something about our lord jesus that i'd like you to notice if luke the
writer interviewing a person said and then the pharisees who heard this
the lawyers who heard this if they began to vehemently assail him at
that point don't you think that the same writer could have made the
observation if that's how jesus had been speaking to them what if he was
just saying woe to you does he have to be yelling you have to see jesus
do you see jesus standing and pointing his finger and railing on people
i know he cleansed the temple from the time he was 12 at the time he was
30 he'd been there three times a year every every devout man in israel
according to law had to be there three times a year for three feasts 18
years times three that's 54 think of all the times he could have been
there how many times he cleansed the temple once or twice at the most we
have recorded think of all the times he was there i'm going to make that
your ministry i'd much rather hear about the healing of people at the he
taught the people in the temple but it does justify a lot of carnal zeal
i sure used it to justify a lot of my own carnal zeal but the sobering
thought i had to ask the lord this one took me a while the key to
knowledge he took away the key they've taken away the key to knowledge
what did they take away i got to thinking we read it we read it we read
it in first timothy they they missed the very end of the law what's the
end of the law love they missed the very thing that enables the law of
god to be fulfilled love and you know how he demonstrated this our lord
jesus he was at another table one time this time he was reclining with
his disciples leaning against the table and he knew that his hour had
come that he was about to leave the world and return to the father and
having loved his own it says he loved them to the goal and what did he
do he got up from the table and he took his clothes off and he girded
himself with the towel and judas was right there with the other eleven
and he began to wash his disciples feet finished peter didn't understand
what was going on he had to say to them you don't understand now but you
will one day you call me master and lord for this i am and if i your
master and your lord has washed your feet so you do under one another
one another of the same kind this is what you do because in the first
when the first covenant god gave through moses the law righteousness
there was the man who does these things shall live by them but jesus
says now he's bringing about to institute a new covenant and he says now
that you know these things blessed are ye if you do them a new
commandment i give unto you love one another as i have loved you and
paul saw it brothers you've been called to liberty only use not your
liberty as an occasion to the flesh but in love serve one another
because the person who loves his neighbor does him no wrong when jesus
was asked what the greatest commandment was remember by a lawyer tested
him with a question he said the first and greatest commandment is thou
shall love the lord thy god with all thy heart all thy soul all they
might and all thy strength and the second is like into it thou shall
love thy neighbor as thyself and then he says on these hang all the law
and the prophet it's not the it's not a commandment in the law love is
what the law hangs on it's the one thing israel never and our lord gives
us a living demonstration of what love is because regardless of what any
commandment there ever was they are all fulfilled in this one word you
shall love your neighbor as yourself love doth no harm do his neighbor
therefore love is the fulfillment of the law can you see now why paul
said for this reason i kneel before the father from whom all heaven and
earth derives its name the family on heaven and earth drives its name
and this i pray that ye be strengthened with power through his spirit in
the inner man so that christ may dwell in your hearts through faith and
ye being rooted and established where in love rooted and established in
love may have power together with all the saints to grasp what is the
height and breadth and length and depth of the love of god and to know
this love which we already know from paul surpasses knowledge that you
might be filled to the measure of all the fullness of god the key to
being filled with to the measure of all the fullness of god is simply
this the love of god shed abroad in our hearts by the holy see it's what
the law could not do weak as it was to the flesh god did by sending his
own son in the likeness of and he condemned sin in the flesh and he
became he was a propitiation for sin he condemned sin in the flesh in
order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in
us who do what who do not walk according to the flesh in that carnal
puffed up mind trying to establish the righteousness by knowledge it's
an incomplete knowledge of god rather we walk by the spirit empowered
being the very love of god the very life of god if a commandment had
been given that could impart life righteousness would have been by the
law but it takes the life of god to produce righteousness and the and
jesus christ is the life of god and the love of god and when christ is
reigning in the heart god who is love is abiding in a believer and he
ceases to do wrong to his neighbor when the love of christ constrains he
who abides in love abides in god and god in him by this is love made
perfect this is how we have confidence in the day of judgment you know
what gives us confidence in the day of judgment that being made perfect
in love we are as he is in this world we do no harm to our brother or
our neighbor by god at work in us to will and to do of his good pleasure
what the law could not do the very love of god being shed abroad in our
hearts by the holy spirit can do and will do we just simply need to
reach we help people find the simplicity of devotion to christ it's not
so bright peter saw it seeing you have purified your souls by obeying
the truth that's really important isn't it seeing that you have purified
your souls by obeying the truth that's important you realize it says
unto that's just that's just to get you started unto the unthinged love
of the brother look at first peter four first peter four i i wouldn't
have can't quote them all i wish i could we're trying jose first peter
chapter four verse seven but the end of all things is at hand guys we're
in the last days you know what the most important thing about the last
days is lawlessness is going to increase and you know what it's going to
cause it's going to it's going to strike at the heart of the most vital
thing god has ever placed in the love because the love of the many is
going to begin to wax cold and if if love is the fulfillment of the law
how then can the righteousness of god ever be established if love is
waxing cold here he says the end of all things is drawn near be of sound
mind be so self-controlled under prayers and above all things above all
things have fervent love why what will love do what will love do it will
cover a multitude of sins but you know what this took me back to brother
al it took me back to a time when there were three brothers and one
father who had made a pretty serious error and had too much to drink got
hot took his clothes off and laid down for a nap and the youngest
brother named ham came in and he saw his father's nakedness and you know
what he went out and all he did is he went out and he gave a factual
report of what he saw to his brothers you can make more of it if you
want to all that's all the scripture tells us that he went out and he
told his brothers and it's not what they said doesn't say they said a
word to him it says they lifted up a cover between the two of them and
they backed in and preserved the honor of their father i am driven to
know the love of god christ jesus because i am tired of dishonoring my
father by actions that blaspheme the name of jesus christ and the gospel
of jesus christ i believe it's possible in this life to be so full of
the holy spirit that you don't let any more unwholesome talk come out of
your mouth but only what is good for building others up according to the
need and the minister's grace that they hear i i know no man can tame
the tongue i'm not just a man the holy spirit of god jesus christ dwells
in me and if you if a man cannot even keep a tight rein on his tongue
his religion is what does the bible say worthless and you should throw
it away you know if you would love life and see good days what are we
told to do put away perversity from your mouth keep corrupt talk far
from your lips turn from evil and do good seek peace and per how do you
do that you pursue the very love of god only the love of god makes this
possible you see love is not puffed up you can't puff love up love is
kind it vaunted not itself it is not rude it seeks not its own it always
it bears all things it believes all things it hopes all things it
endures all things love never fails other things will pass away prophecy
will pass away tongues will pass away knowledge even knowledge will pass
away but these three things don't faith hope and love but the greatest
of these is love what's the very next verse so don't quote it you know
why we don't quote it very often because the chapter changes sometimes
what they do not very much of help to us you know what the next verse i
used to think the next verse said in chapter 14 eagerly desire spiritual
gifts you know that's not what it says at all right in front of that
paul wasn't finished yet these three remain faith hope and love but the
greatest these things is love then he says pursue love man i just wish
you know it said we should walk worthy of the calling we've received in
all lowliness meekness long suffering forbearance forgiving one another
gracing one another endeavoring to preserve what the unity of the spirit
in the bond of peace you see everything god is wanting to do is to make
us isn't this what jesus prayed father look with me john chapter 17
let's just see it together john chapter 17 verse 20 i do not pray for
these alone but for those who will believe in me through their word that
they all may be one father as you are in me and i in you that they may
also be one in us in order that the world may believe you sent me do we
want the people out there that we talk about so vehemently or the
churches out there that we talk about so vehemently to see god with us
to believe that we were sent of god what's going to make them believe we
were sent of god they see the incredible miracle of a diverse people
being made what is the bond of perfection only thing able to make it as
as the elect of god holy and beloved put on bowels of compassion
kindness meekness long suffering forbearing all these things if you have
any complaint against one another forgive as god in christ forgave you
and above all these things put on love which is the bond of perfection
because it is so rare it is so rare to see a group of diverse people
actually become one that even in the old testament it says behold you
better want you better see it because it's so rare behold behold how
good and blessed it is when brothers dwell together in unity you think
it's you think it's a great work of god for you to walk in righteousness
by yourself when the scripture says none of us lives to himself alone
none of us dies to himself alone what really is a dynamic work of god is
when two are made one god has glorified that and it see when brothers
dwell together in unity it's like precious oil poured on the air and
head running down on the beard running down on the collar of his robes
is it the dew of herman we're falling on mount zion because they're in
the brothers dwelling together for there the lord commands a blessing
even life how does this relate to revival confidence back to this place
you want to see the church cleaned up you want to see your own family
cleaned up you want to see your own children converted you need the
power of god god's not pouring god's not pouring his holy spirit in a
dirty vessel if a man cleanses himself from the ladder he should be a
vessel of honor sanctified ready for use because he's not going in
taking the contamination from his carnal mind he's he's made up his mind
not to murmur or complain against the brother that for the glory and
honor of christ he would rather be wronged and to place a difference
where god is trying to make a oneness i'm not talking about allowance to
sin because the audience i'm speaking to is concerned about doing
righteousness god knows our heart so it began in my home not another
unkind word to my wife god won't let me be tempted by what i'm able to
bear i just take the way of his game and even in this earth and vessel
it's going to become clear that the excellency of the power is the love
of christ constraining me controlling my tongue renewing my mind and
it's going to produce good fruit and men are going to see good fruit and
through that fruit they're going to taste the kindness of the lord and
be led to repentance i've already seen it restore my family i'm
beginning to see it restore the families in the fellowship husbands and
wives experiencing the the very promises of god that my people shall
live in peaceful dwelling places and undisturbed places of rest for no
matter how many promises god has made in christ they are yay and christ
is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask our thing and it's
so incredibly simple as contrasted with the people quoted all the time
the either the 10 commandments or the or the 630 36 something like that
commandments of the of the old testament i think what the glory of the
new is so much greater that that what came with glory has no glory now
in comparison because all it took for jesus christ to fulfill his entire
covenant is one commandment one and all of our efforts should be towards
being made perfect in the one commandment and that will constrain us to
pray as our brother calls us to pray you know what drove him really to
pray for his son love simple you know what's burdening on his heart
calling him to pray for the church love you know why you know why people
out there or any of us it's simple why do we love the world or the
things of the world it's just an evidence that the love of the father's
not in us how do you get the love of the father in people you know what
are you going to do put a bit and bridle on them make them come i paul
had a way of doing it he preached the unsearchable riches of christ and
he made much of his ministry and hope to stir other people up to envy
and when you when you've caught a vision of the glory of god in the face
of christ when you have been forgiven much what do you do you love much
and then this loving much once once once your love for christ and gets
where it needs to be your love for your brother you can't wait to tell
others about him and then suddenly the things that you once thought gain
become lost you don't stand at the commode and wonder maybe i should
recycle this maybe it has something of other use it's all right i'll
give it up you just haven't seen the glory of christ just haven't seen
you see satan's strategy has not changed it's very simple the god of
this age has blinded the mind of the unbeliever so that they cannot see
the light of the glory of the goodness of god in the face of christ and
you know who's supposed to be the light of the glory of god now how are
they going to know what love looks like all men will know that a
disciple has become like his master when you love one another like the
master loves the disciple that's how all men will know we're a disciple
that's what i was missing in my life and that's what i believe if we're
not careful that we'll seek a revival by means of the law and not by
means of the love of god

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/40DqoP6T5i4.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/alan-martin/dividing-brothers-hinders-personal-revival/
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