Searching the Motives of Our Heart

Lord Jesus, grateful for today that we can be together in the midst of all the stuff going on in the world. Lord, we want to tune that out and we want to remember that you are the reason why we live and move and have our being. That our love for you would grow so our love for one another could increase as well.

In Jesus' name, amen. You know, recently I hit a sweet spot with my grandchildren. And Audrey had bought these little candies and, you know, I've tried to get them to come and warm up to me a little bit, but they've been slow to warm up to me.

But now that I have these candies, everything is starting to change. They know my name. They know who I am.

And they come and say, hey, Bumpy says, do you have any sweets? So I get them a few sweets. And, you know, there's a lot of love that starts to develop there. And you know, a lot of times what we find is that we have love based on what someone can do for me.

If someone has a job opportunity for me, oh, we love that person. Or if someone gives me something, we have more love for that person. But it doesn't necessarily mean that the person giving that thing has a good heart in it.

Maybe that person has motives. Maybe they're looking for something out of it. And so this is where we need discernment.

We need discernment to know what is love and what does it look like. Dan touched on it already. That was really good.

You know, if I can give all my goods to the poor or I can do good things to a lot of people, you know, I can get people to like me. And pretty soon I can build something based on, you know, what they call in Haiti a rice gospel. So if you go and hand out rice, you'll have lots of people come to the church and it'll appear as though there's a revival breaking out.

But they're coming because they don't have anything to eat. And even though it's good that, you know, we shouldn't just preach the gospel, we should also help the poor. But if the motive is to build something, to make a name for ourselves, then we can hand out rice and do all these things.

We brought big duffel bags of clothes. We can give these things to the poor and we can build a big thing going on and people think a revival is breaking out. Well, the Holy Spirit may never be there.

And so we need to have discernment. You know, we're not supposed to specifically search the motives of people, even though sometimes those motives may manifest. But it's good to look at our own hearts.

As David said, search me and try me and see if there be any unclean way in me. You know, why did I say that certain thing? Why did I give those candies to those grandchildren? Why wouldn't I do it before? You know, what am I trying to get out of it? You know, is my heart pure? Are my hands clean? And so it's good to search the motives and intents of our heart. You know, and so sometimes we will man-police people because we're looking to gain an advantage in some way or in some area where with other people we would never man-police them.

But because maybe that person can do something for me or can be a stepping stone for my ministry or some other thing. And so, you know, in the right circle, if I can just have an in, whether it be in business or in ministry or in school or in some other thing. Brother, this is not the way of the cross.

This is not the way of Jesus Christ. You know, I want to share something from 1st John chapter 3 and verse 1. It says, Behold, what manner of love the Father has lavished on us. That we should be called the children of God.

It has not yet been manifested or revealed what we should be. But it says this, that the world does not know us because it did not know Him. It says, When Christ is revealed, we shall see Him as He is.

It's important for us to get an understanding of Christ and His ways. When you get a revelation of Jesus, you are seeing Him as He is. Sometimes we think, oh, you know, I see a picture.

If we could only have a picture of Him and put Him on the wall. That's why it says we're not to make an image of Christ. He is the exact image of the invisible God.

We read about Him from scriptures and we see His image. We see His character. And in seeing His character and when Christ is revealed in us.

And we repent of envy and we start to be thankful and happy for others who are doing well. When we repent of bitterness and we start to have genuine love for people who have done us wrong. Now we're starting to see Him as He is.

It says, Everyone who has this hope in Christ purifies himself just as Jesus is pure. We want to have clean hands and a pure heart before the Lord. You know, I think of the prodigal son and I think of the elder brother.

They're both brothers, right? They were dwelling in the same house. They had the good father. And one day the younger brother, younger son, he had a bright idea that he was done serving.

You know what? I'm just done serving. You know, what am I getting out of it? And he became impatient and became unthankful. You know, he didn't want to be there anymore.

And so after all of his serving and all of his doing, he said, you know what? You should just give me my inheritance now. I don't even know if at that point he had it in his mind that he was going to take off. But once he had what he had coming in his hands, then the lust started to take over.

And he decided, you know what? I can do this thing on my own. I don't need these people. I got nothing more coming.

What's the point of sticking around here and serving here? I got everything that I got coming to me, my inheritance. I'm out of here, man. And he took off and he went and he wasted everything.

It took him a while, but he went and he squandered all of the blessings and the promises of God and the inheritance and all the riches that are in Christ. He wasted them all on worldly living. And then he came to a place where he had nothing.

He had spent everything and he had nothing. And everybody who was then all of a sudden his friend, all the people who loved him, no longer loved him, no longer had need of him. And this is the danger of thinking that you have close friends, you have buddies, you have these blood brothers, whatever it is.

These guys, when you can't do nothing for them anymore, they're gone. But not Christ. He's a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

So when you have no one and you have nothing, the Lord is still with you. Even if your father and mother forsake you from Psalm 27, the Lord is still with you. You know what? We have to come to a place where we forsake father, mother, brother, sister, even our own life also and follow Christ for ourselves.

Your salvation depends on it. When I say forsake, I mean not disrespect, but to the point where you have to say, you know what? I have to have my own faith in Christ. I can't be hanging on to mom and dad's coattails anymore.

It's time for me to get on a solid foundation for myself. This prodigal son came to the end of himself. He felt ashamed.

You know, he decided what he was going to do was he had to humble himself. I'm going to tell you, if you want to become like the prodigal, you need a revelation that you need to humble yourself. You need to get light on yourself.

Maybe you've wasted your hours in just seeking to be a righteous person and you found yourself that there's uncleanness there. And the good you want to do and the evil that you hate, you just practice. And the fruit of it is that you lack love for the brothers.

That's the only fruit of it. You just don't have any love for people. Oh, you have love for people who give you candies.

You have love for old friends. You have love for this. You have love for that.

But the people of God, the children of God, you have no use for them. You don't connect with them. You don't have things in common with them.

Brother, sister, it doesn't matter whether you play sports or whether you have business together. You can communicate on that level. That's got nothing to do with the family of God.

Our fellowship is in the Son. Our fellowship is in Christ. And if we're in Christ, I can meet somebody who doesn't even speak English and find fellowship within a minute.

It's happened to me. I've met a person. They come in and all of a sudden they look me in the eye, I look them in the eye, and something from my innermost being wells up and we begin to cry, look at each other and embrace.

More than the brothers that I've fellowshiped with for years. Now does that mean that we shouldn't have that as brothers who fellowship? You know what happens? Brother Dan shared it. Well, brother so-and-so said this smart comment to me.

You know what? I'm going to keep him at arm's length. Sister so-and-so, I know she was gossiping about me. You know what? I just don't have any use for her anymore.

You know what? This is not the way it should be. In a family, you have people saying stuff all the time. We have to learn to forgive and love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and in sincere faith.

Because God commands it. And even if your natural brother is your enemy, Christ commands us to love our enemies. Do good to those who hate you and spitefully use you.

Yet, when the man decided to humble himself, he said, I know this. And this is a revelation that we all have to have. You know what? Even the servants in my dad's house have bred enough.

I'm going to humble myself and I'll say, I'm not worthy to be a son. Make me like one of your servants. When you have that heart attitude, God can work with you.

God will embrace you. You're going to go way further with the Lord if you have a servant's heart than a king's heart, than a king's son's heart. And then he decided he would go.

He put action to his thoughts and his convictions. And he took some steps to humble himself. You know what? God is opposed to people who don't humble themselves.

You know, some people, they have lots of knowledge and wisdom. Even you can have pastors whose heads are packed full of wisdom and knowledge. Yet, they've never humbled themselves.

God is opposed to the proud, but he gives grace to the humble. If we humble ourselves, that's where the Holy Spirit flows, my friend. When we go and make restitution, that's where the Holy Spirit flows.

When we go and make amends where we've done wrongs. It's happened to me. I remember a time in my life when stuff was happening with Ken Dunn Quinton.

And I was like bitter at Quinton about some things. And the Holy Spirit spoke to me. And he said, you know what? You did the exact same thing with Audrey, your wife.

Except you did it in the dark. And I just got light on myself. I was preaching already for 20 years.

And I said, Lord, I am so sorry. I've been so blind. You know what I'm going to do? I called up my father-in-law.

I said, father-in-law, can I meet with you? And I went to him and I was crying. And I said, you know what? I've just got light on myself. That I hid this thing from you and I did this thing in the dark.

I don't think he wanted to hear it. But I humbled myself. And I said, I'm ashamed for what I did.

And I want to ask your forgiveness. That I didn't treat your daughter with the love and respect that she deserved. And I manipulated her.

And you know what? That's how God works through our lifetime. Giving us light on ourselves. So that the river can flow.

You know, God takes us through things. He allows us to go through things. To show us things about ourselves.

So that we can become clean and pure. And without spot and without blemish. And to humble ourselves and make our amends.

The prodigal son said, I'm going to humble myself. He didn't look to get reinstated or reestablished. But a lot of times we read our Bible.

And we read and we get a lot of knowledge. But we're not teachable. We're unteachable.

It says in Psalm 27, teach me your ways, O Lord. There's another place in Psalm, I think 34. Show me your paths.

It says that in Psalm 27 also. Lead me in a straight place. In a smooth path.

If you want your ways in your life to go smooth with the Lord. I'm not saying without storm. But there's a highway of holiness.

The narrow path. Smooth with the Lord. He makes straight paths for our feet.

He doesn't want us to stumble. And if we'll humble ourselves. And pray and seek his face.

Then we're going to get light on ourselves. When we turn from our wicked ways. And we start to make the restitution.

So that we don't keep blocking the blessing of God in our life. I'm not talking about financial blessing. Abraham said, how you bless me, seeing I have no son.

You know, God wants to bless us with an inheritance. That goes to a thousand generations. And it says in Hebrews 11 that Abraham.

Even though his body was as good as dead. What happened? He had received descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky. If you can count them.

And as the sand of the seashore. If you go to the beach. And you just start going from sea to shining sea.

And count them. He said, so shall your descendants be. This was a man of faith.

You know, he humbled himself. And he became obedient to what God called him to. Even to offer his one and only son Isaac.

Well you say, well what does that mean? He had two sons. Abraham had two sons. No he did not.

Not before God. He had one and only son Isaac. Read it in Hebrews chapter 11.

Offer your one and only son Isaac. Because the other son was a slave. He wasn't a true son.

It says a slave will not abide in the house forever. But a son. And he said, in Isaac your seed shall be blessed.

Brother, sister, let's become children of faith. Your natural brothers and sisters are not your children. They're not your family.

We're to love them. We're to, you know, share Christ with them. We're to pray for them.

But you can't connect on a natural level. We need to connect in the spirit. That's where the life is.

That's where the Lord is. It's important for us to learn his ways. I want to read this verse here in 1st John chapter 3 in verse 10.

I think we need light on this. It says, in this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifested. Now let's put them into, what the Bible says, two camps.

So you can have the best Pharisees in the world who do all the right things. But they're not born again. What camp do they go into? Do they go into children of God? Or do they go into the camp of children of the devil? The best Pharisees.

Like Nicodemus who even came to Jesus by night. Which camp was he in at that point? Was he in the camp of children of God? Or was he in the camp of children of the devil? Even though he was a teacher of the law. He was in the camp of the children of the devil.

And so the natural children who pertain from Romans chapter 9. The promises, the election, the purpose and call of God. All the blessings and all those things. They are not counted as the seed.

They are counted as enemies of Christ. Even though to them pertain the promises and the election. According to the blessing of Abraham.

But what do we see here? We see that we can be part of the children of God. What is the difference between the children of the devil and the children of God? It's manifested. We need discernment to be able to see it here.

Are you teachable that you can grasp this? And begin to see your natural family, your natural children. Your natural parents, your natural relatives. Those who are not regenerate as being not your spiritual family.

But rather those who are born again are part of the spiritual family of God. That's where we find our fellowship. And that's where we have this kindred love.

Which comes from God. Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God. Well in that one right there.

We would say Pharisees qualify. Because Paul said according to the law he was blameless. Yet he was then called Saul of Tarsus.

So practicing righteousness. Oh they are a good person. They are generous.

They give their goods to feed the poor. They prophesy. They do all these things.

They give their body to be burned. They are very generous people. Very good people.

Very moral people. They are very scrupulous about keeping the rules. So righteousness is one of the two elements that is necessary.

To discern who is a child of God or who is a child of the devil. But it's like a train. It cannot travel on one track.

It needs two tracks to travel. True worship is in the spirit and in the truth. And the children of God are manifested by the fruit of righteousness and love.

And so we need this sermon to understand what is love. As brother Dan shared from 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient and kind.

Does not envy. Does not boast. Is not proud.

And we go from there. So he says this. He says and he who does not love his brother.

So if you are born again. And you don't love your brother whom you have seen. Then you are deceiving yourself that you love God.

Whom you have not seen. It's impossible. Because love is of God and everyone who loves.

Is born of God and knows God. But he who does not love. Does not know God.

And so if you meet a brother. At a place. And just because you don't fellowship at the same building together.

And there isn't love. The devil has won a tremendous victory. And then either two things have happened.

Either we need to repent and be reconciled. Because this is God's will for us. Or one is a child of God and one is a child of the devil.

Having become a Pharisee. This is a very dangerous thing. Because it goes to all 1 John about love.

If we love the world. The love of the father is not in us. If we don't love our brother.

Even though we practice righteousness. But we don't love our brother. The train is derailed my friend.

You are not in the gospel. You are not in Christ. You are doing the enemy's work.

You know where the Lord commands a blessing. There is only one place the Lord commands a blessing. When genuine brothers who are born again of the same spirit.

Dwell in unity. There the anointing flows. Anything other than that.

Is a hindering of the work of the Holy Spirit. It's a hindering of the work of God. All we are doing is doing religious work.

But until we get reconciled. That's where the anointing flows. It flows on Aaron's top of his head.

To his beard. To his cloak. And to the ground.

The anointing does not come in. Brother so and so did against me. Do you know that I am waiting for him to repent.

For such and such a deed. You know who was like that. The elder brother.

The elder brother to the prodigal. The father went to him and said. Listen your brother has come home.

Yeah but you know what he all did. And he is just playing you. Because he wants to come back.

He has wasted everything now. And he has been off doing his own thing. And I have been here doing everything that you said.

Every jot and tittle. Every single day. And he said.

But you have never killed no calf for me. And now buddy comes back here. And you are going to give him a fat and calf and a party.

I am not going in to celebrate. What does it show about the elder brother. Who did all the right things.

And dotted every I and crossed every T. He had no love for his brother. Zero love. What did that prove? That he was in the devil's camp.

All that he did to be recognized. He was in the devil's camp. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest.

We need discernment to know what repentance looks like. Oh some man said repentance is this. Check all the boxes.

Brother, sister you don't know the heart of God. You have missed God. The Lord says that he is merciful and compassionate.

Slow to anger and rich in love. And he does good to all. And he has compassion on all that he has made.

Even Nineveh. Jonah was angry because they didn't get the judgment he thought they deserved. And when God relented and he didn't pass judgment on that generation.

Oh Jonah was so angry he could die. He missed God. What is wrong with that preacher? No heart for the people.

We have to be careful that we don't end up having a heart like that. We can miss Christ. And not walking in love.

You know what the purpose of the band is? The purpose of exercising church discipline. Is that that person would come to brokenness. So that we could love on them again.

What is the fruit of that? What does it look like? If you know God and you have the spirit of God. Then your heart is always looking for the prodigal to return. Your heart is always ready.

Waiting to see if there is any softness. Any willingness to meet. Any willingness to gather together.

To make some amends. Brother, sister. If your heart is not open to reconcile.

You have missed Christ. You are in the devil's camp. God is not with that.

I understand there has to be division. That those who approve might be recognized. But we can come into this kind of thinking.

This self-righteous kind of thinking. Thinking ourselves to be something when we are nothing. God is always giving us light on ourselves.

In his light we see light. Let's look at Psalm 27. Psalms chapter 27.

Verse 1. You know one thing I really appreciate about the word of God. We are to hunger and thirst for righteousness. In these scriptures we see Jesus.

We need to have a hunger for the word. If you don't have a hunger for the word. It's because the TV is going 24-7.

Last night we had a gathering. The TV was going and it was loud. I was like we should just shut this thing off now.

The family is over. The sports and highlights and this and that. It's just going non-stop.

No wonder there is no hunger for God. There is a hunger for everything else. When those children of Israel got in the wilderness.

They were hungry. They were crying out for water. They were crying out for bread to eat.

The Lord brought them bread fresh every morning. They were just looking forward to getting out there. Gathering it fresh.

Nothing else to look forward to. Except for the cloud to move. To a promised land that they had not seen.

But they had heard about. Then they get up in the morning. Man, fresh man on the ground.

Let's get out there guys. But then there were people who were just like. Same man every day.

There's got to be something out there. Something better. Some whale or something.

Brother, don't despise spending time with the Lord. Feasting at his table. He brought me to his banqueting table.

And his banner over me is love. Have you just got in alone with the Lord. And just allowed him to speak to you.

And feed you spiritually. And just encourage you. And strengthen you.

You know. The children of Israel. With Jonathan and Saul.

He sent them out to battle. They had been fighting all day. Against the enemies.

We got a lot of enemies out there. And then they realize. They are just all famished.

And here Jonathan runs into this beehive. And he dips his stick into this honeycomb. And he tastes some of this honey.

And his eyes just brighten up. Like wow. So taste and see that the Lord is good.

You know after you have been fighting all day against the devil. You get times of refreshing. You know what that Saul does.

He is like. What is going on here. He finds out that someone had eaten something.

And he made some kind of an oath over the people. He put them in a yoke on them. That they were not supposed to eat all day or whatever.

And here his own son had found some honey. Well you know what. Saul suffered the consequences of that.

Made these oaths and all that. We don't want to just have these doctrines in men. And just putting all these things on people.

You know. If the Lord provides us with some sweetness from the honeycomb. Sweeter also than the honey in the honeycomb.

Then dip your staff in there and enjoy it. While it is to be found. You know.

Because the battle is long and the battle is fierce. We need some encouragement along the way. Psalm 27 verse 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation.

Whom shall I fear. The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid.

In his light we see light brothers. You know you want to get to see Jesus. You don't need to hang a picture on the wall.

Start walking in the light that you have. You're going to walk in salvation. Start walking in the strength of his word.

And you're going to find that you'll make straight paths for your feet. You won't have lame legs and arms that are hanging down. The Lord is the light of my salvation.

And if you fear the Lord. You don't have to fear no one else. When you read the word and you say.

Man the Lord is speaking to me. Be obedient to the convictions. In his light we get light.

And when we get light on ourselves. Then all our grudges and everything towards other people. God wants to deal with all that.

And it takes time. But we have to overcome. Because we are part of the overcoming people of God.

You want to be part of the promises. You want to enjoy the promises. Then be an overcomer.

Because the promises are to the overcomers. Not to the disobedient. If you'll keep my word.

Then you'll be my disciples indeed. What's the other thing he says. If you remove the precious from the vial.

Then you'll be my mouthpiece. You say well I have a prophetic gift. Yeah okay.

If you remove the precious from the vial. If you come out from among it and be separate. Then you'll be my mouthpiece.

We want to be used of God. But we have to walk in the conditions he set forth for us. That's the word of God.

Then we're going to walk in the blessing of God. A lot of people quoting promises. But they're not interested in obedience.

You can't separate the two. How can you separate the two? If I have a son that is rebellious. He never cleans his room.

He's always grumbling and complaining. How can I bless him? He needs to be humbled. He needs discipline.

So that I can bless him. So he can humble himself. Then I can bless him.

Like the prodigal. He needs to humble himself. Then the father went and ran to meet him.

We have to always be ready to see people. To lift them up. To help them on the journey.

To see them fulfill the purpose and call of God for their life. That takes faith my friend. You need faith for that.

I want to read another verse from Psalm 27. Some people are just unteachable. Don't be like the mule.

And like the horse. That needs a bit and bridle. To go where God tells you.

Like Jonah. He needed a bit and a bridle. To go where God told him.

You can't fight God. Just because you might be smarter. Or know more than lots of people.

You've not arrived. Because Jesus knows way more than you do. We have to learn from one another.

Even if a small child comes and says Bumpies, you know what? And God can speak through little children. To be humble enough to say that was from the Lord. To listen and be able to pick it out.

And say okay that was from the Lord. I'm going to submit myself to that word. We have to be able to be teachable.

It doesn't matter who it's coming from. If the Lord speaks through them. He says in verse 11.

Teach me your way O Lord. And lead me. We talked about already in a smooth path.

Because of my enemies. We want to be teachable. Ask yourself.

Look in the mirror when you get alone. Say Lord show me am I teachable. Or am I just proud.

Or have it all figured out. If you're not teachable. You're done growing spiritually.

Good luck. That's all you're going to have is luck. But if you're humble.

Then he can conform you into the image of his son. And you become a part of the bride. Without spot and without wrinkle.

What does he say from here. Deliver me from the will of my adversaries. You know what.

We have some natural adversaries. Some people at work. Sometimes our family members.

People at home. Our neighbors maybe. But you know what.

The devil is our adversary. He's working through these people. We don't wrestle flesh and blood.

Deliver me from my adversaries. You want to know what's an adversary. The works of the flesh that are warring in your members.

Right. The desire for more money. The desire to be recognized.

The desire to be like the Joneses. While you're serving Christ. The desire for fame.

The desire to make a name for yourself. The desire to be seen as the prophet of God. The desire to be the best preacher.

In all of Canada. These things are enemies. Of being a servant.

Just content to be a son. With no ambition to succeed. Does that mean that we don't continue to take ground.

No. But it means just to be thankful. Just to be in the house.

Like the prodigal said. You know I just want to be a servant. You know just have that hard attitude.

Just keep that hard attitude. You know what. I just want to be a servant.

You know what. Lord just make me like one of your servants. I just want to be thankful.

I don't want to be grumbling. What about my brother. Why is my brother this and that.

Forget about your brother. Follow Christ. We get so caught up on what everybody else is doing.

We measure ourselves among ourselves. Compared to other people. We're doing it better.

Therefore we must be pleasing to God. That's not how it works. Follow the Lord.

Fix your eyes on Jesus. Walk with him. Stay in tune with the spirit.

Ask for the Holy Spirit to fill you continually. Lord fill me with your spirit. Lord I need the life.

Lord take me. Help me to get through these hard things I'm going through. He says false witnesses in verse 12.

Have risen up against me. And such as breathe out violence. If you're on the journey.

You're going to have people accuse you of things. You're going to lose some. Some favor with some important people.

Maybe you'll lose a job. Because someone threw you under the bus. But the Lord allows these things.

So that our dependence would be on him. Not on flesh or strength. Or avenging ourselves.

Verse 13 is what I want to key on here. I would have lost heart. I would have lost heart.

Unless I had believed. There you see genuine. Saving faith.

I would have lost heart. Unless I had believed. That I would see.

The goodness. Of the Lord. In the land of the living.

You want to know what verse goes with that? Oh taste and see. That the Lord is good. You have to go and meet with him.

In order to taste. Dip your staff in some honey. And taste the sweetness in the midst of the battle.

And see that the Lord is working. All things. Together for.

Who's good? You're good. Why? Because you love God. And you're called.

According to his purpose. Let the Lord. Take us through things.

And that's why he says. That we can count. All things joy.

From James 1. When we go in through various trials and tests. Knowing that the testing of our faith. Is going to produce what? Patience.

What is the number one attribute? When it says love. From 1 Corinthians 13. Love is patient.

And kind. So we're going through things. People are saying stuff.

We don't know what's going on. God is working our character. That we would become loving.

So when you have people stab you in the back. And they just. You're just laboring with them.

You're not seeing the fruit of it. You say Lord what's going on? And then the Lord says. Are you willing to forgive them again? Just like your son.

He disobeyed you again. He talked back to you again. Everything in me sometimes wants to say.

Just pack your suitcase. You're 14. You want to talk like that to your dad? Figure it out.

And come back when you're ready to be respectful. But I did that before. That's not love.

Love is patient. There's a time for everything. I'm not saying there isn't time for church discipline.

But love is patient. And if the guy says. Sorry dad.

But then he talks back again the next day. Sorry dad. How many times should we forgive him? And give him a chance to get it right.

So that he doesn't destroy his life. With drugs and alcohol. How many times? 7 times 77? Maybe.

We need to have patience with people. We need to be loving towards them. I'm not talking compromising convictions.

And saying this and that. As the Holy Spirit leads. But we need to learn of Him.

You know. All these people that were. Pretty much needing miracles.

In the Old Testament. Except for the blind man who was born. Not because he sinned or his parents.

Almost all of them was because of sin. And a smart guy would say. You know what? Until you learn your lesson.

I'm not going to pray for you until the Lord tells me to pray for you. Come on guys. How many of us.

Have been not sinning? You know. We've categorized sin. This sin is a worse sin.

This sin is not so bad. But you know what? Sin is sin. All unrighteousness is sin.

You know what? And if I look down the barrel of my nose in pride. Toward a brother. Who I think is not as far down the road.

What are you going to be doing soon? Licking the pavement and doing worse. God doesn't humble the humble. He humbles the proud.

But somehow. My sin is like a little speck. And that brother's sin is like a beam.

We've got the parable wrong. We have to see our sin. Because we're supposed to be spiritually mature by now.

Our sin is like a beam. And his sin is like a speck. Does it mean we're not going to help our brother with a speck? No.

But first. We're going to look into the perfect law of liberty. And deal with our beams.

Say Lord. I don't want to be proud in this exhortation. I don't want to do this in a wrong way.

Out of anger or bitterness. I want to do it the way you want me to do it. Help me Lord.

And give me the authority. So that you back me up. So I'm not just doing it from pride.

Amen. I didn't get to the message I wanted to share today. I wanted to share something from Hebrews.

In chapter 11. I'll share a tiny bit about it. And just leave you some things to think about.

It's about faith. Without faith. Who's going to please God? No one's going to please God without faith.

It's impossible to please Him. When you start to read the testimony of the brothers. By faith.

Enoch was taken. Because he had a testimony. That he pleased God.

He pleased God. It doesn't say he didn't smoke. He didn't talk about any of that.

He walked with God. He loved God. And God took him.

He was not. Because he pleased God. He was a man of faith.

By faith Noah built a boat. And what did he believe? He believed the report that God was going to flood the world. It had never been seen.

No one had ever seen the world flooded. It had never even rained at that point. So he believes the report that God tells him.

And he's moved with some godly fear. Like he put. He put the.

His best foot forward. And he started getting to work. And he got his sons working.

They're building this boat. And by faith he condemned the world. But what did he do? Because God had a purpose and a plan.

That the wicked would be removed. So the righteous could shine forth as the sun. May the Lord give you understanding in that.

Verse 6. We want to become spiritually mature. We want to become elders in the faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God.

For he who comes to God must believe that he is. And he is a rewarder. Of those who diligently seek him.

There's a promise. He's going to reward us. If what? We diligently seek him.

That means we have to set ourselves apart. Remove the precious from the vile. Then he's going to reward us.

And we'll fulfill the purpose and call of God in our life. By it. It says the elders obtain a good testimony.

Verse 2. By faith the elders obtain a good testimony. Why is that? Because they've been seasoned. They've gone past faith.

And they've come into hope. Faith is translated into hope. Which is an anchor.

It says the anchor holds behind the veil. Well not for us it's not behind the veil. We all with unveiled face beholding in a mirror.

We can see past the veil. We know the anchor holds because we know Jesus is in control. We've come to know our God.

We've come to test the anchor. We've come to test the rope. The chain.

And we know that the word of God cannot lie. Even Abraham when he offered his only son Isaac. On the altar.

Not Ishmael. Ishmael was not his son. Not to God.

It says Abraham had two sons. One born from the bond woman. One from the free.

But to God he said I want you to offer your one and only son. Your only begotten. Look at it in every single version.

It's your only son. One son. What about the other one? No inheritance in the kingdom of God.

He's not a son. He goes into the devil's camp. In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest.

Ishmael is in the devil's camp. Isaac by faith is in the godly camp. The children of God camp.

We can miss that. We don't want to miss that. I want to read verse 10.

And then I'll end here. For Abraham waited for the city. Which has foundations.

Whose builder and maker is God. That city didn't have one foundation. My friend.

That foundation which is Christ. It had foundations. In fact.

When you read in Revelation 22. It had 12 foundations. On the foundation of the apostles.

And the prophets. It says in another place. 12 foundations.

On which the house stands. Will we become part. Of bearing the load.

As a believer. In lifting up. The brothers.

In prayer. In interceding for them. With the power of the Holy Spirit.

To fulfill the purpose and call of God. Not to be seen by men. But to be part of the foundation.

It says in Ephesians 2. Christ the cornerstone. This holy temple in the Lord. Is being built on the foundation.

Of the apostles and the prophets. We are being knitted together. This is where the love comes in.

In a place like this. In a place where other brothers. In other places.

We need to be knit together. In love. That's the glue that holds the body together.

Being built up a spiritual house. In the Lord. Through love.

Loving one another. Keeping no record of wrongs. Thinking the best.

Laying our lives down for our brothers. You know. Someone said Lord when were you sick? When were you thirsty? When were you hungry? What you did to the least of these my brothers you did for me.

We don't check up on our brothers. We banish them. To some far country.

And we never check up on them. Why? We're not looking for reconciliation. Because reconciliation.

Looks like ABCD. This is a deception from the devil himself. If you have banished a brother.

Or a sister. Look for them. God is always looking for a prodigal.

To see if he'll humble himself. No no no. You're not ready yet.

You're not ready for your healing. No no. Lay on that mat another few years.

Maybe you'll be good and ready then. This is not the heart of God. We've missed Christ.

Until we're willing to humble ourselves. And look in the mirror. And see how many ways we fall short.

If God judges us the way that we judge our brothers. Brothers, sisters. We're in danger of hell fire.

We might think that we're going to come. And there'll be a grand entrance for us. He'll say no no you goat.

Get over here. You know I was sick and I was in prison. And I was this and I was that.

And you never visited me. When Lord were you? What you didn't do for the least of the brothers. You never did it for me.

If we don't start to love one another. According to the godly terms. We're going to miss heaven.

We're going to miss Christ. May the Lord give us light on ourselves. And ask the Lord.

Search me and try me. See if there be any unclean way. Unloving way in me.

So that we would become one who loves righteousness. And one who loves our brother. In Jesus name.

Amen.