Christ's Love in Us - John 15:12-17

1:12I told my wife this morning this may be the most important sermon I've ever preached. It's not because there is more important truths in the scriptures, but this is a section of scripture that brings so much of the teaching. Of Scripture together in one little place, one little place. Its truth content impacts everything that the Scripture has been talking about from Genesis and will continue to talk about all the way to Revelation. It is the practical function of what a believer is to do, what he is to be. All the strains of theology really come through and radiate out from this passage.

2:06And so, in many ways, this is one of the most important sermons I will preach. Because you see, life is about learning how to love the way Jesus loved. This passage tells the story about a king, a magnificent king. And it also tells the story of a magnificent people that he raised from the dead. I want to talk to you about those people. You see, life is a journey into love. That's what it's about. It's about growing in our capacity to love each other. And when you love each other right, all of the biblical Truth comes together.

3:07When you learn to love the way Jesus loved, everything that God is intending to accomplish in humanity happens. What trajectory are you on? You see, life is a journey into love, not just for us as individuals, but for the world. This existence is about learning how to love like Christ loved. What trajectory are you on? Let me read to you some horrifying words in Genesis 6, chapter 5. I mean, Genesis 6, verse 5. Let me just read these words. Many of you are familiar with these words. They're some of the most painful words you read in Scripture. God uttered them in Genesis 6 just before the flood, but this is what he said. He looked down, and the Lord said, saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. The Lord was sorry that he had made man on earth, and he was grieved in his heart. So the Lord said, I will blot man out whom I have created. From the face of the land, for I am sorry that I have made them.

4:39You see, there's a trajectory that fallen man took where the guiding principle was his own desire, the competing desires of fallen humanity, all competing for supremacy. And this is where it took it. Every intent of his thoughts, of his heart, were only evil continually. This is where natural man goes. And so he brings a flood, he wipes them off, but there is hope because there's an individual and his family that were spared because they found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

5:22Well, we're going to come back to that in a moment. Genesis 6:5 gives us a picture of a world shaped by man's darkness. But the good news is that God, God's light shone in the darkness. And his name is Jesus. He taught us. He showed us. The way to love. He showed us what humanity is really about as his father desired. And this will be the outcome. You're on a trajectory of loving the way Jesus loved, or you are on a trajectory of continuing to love the way fallen man loves.

6:27And so this morning, I want to talk, I want to spend our time talking about how do we love the way Jesus loved? Because this is where all the theology comes together. And look at, just to give you a sense of where we are, we're in the upper room. Remember, look back at verse 11, the last thing that Jesus said: these things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. You see, true joy is participating in what God is doing. That's what true joy is. It's participating not in where our own sinful inclinations take us, it's participating in where God is going and what God is doing. That is where true joy is found.

7:16And the Father's joy was the basis for Jesus' joy, which is also the basis of our joy. You see, we participate in what God is doing by obeying his commandments. Look back at verse 11. Verse 9, just as the Father has loved me, I have loved you. It's fixed, it's there, it's settled, it's upon you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in His love. So we abide in what God is doing by obeying His commandments. It's the same standard that Jesus had. He would abide in God's, in His Father's favor and in His Father's love by obeying Him. And so it's the same for us.

8:04As we obey Jesus' commands, we remain in His love and participate in what He is doing. And this is His joy, doing the Father's will. And likewise, those who follow Him will find their joy in doing His will. Shared obedience, shared joy. It's a packaged deal. Joy and obedience are a packaged deal. He shares His joy with us as we share in His obedience. And it is just looking at this passage, He's talked about His love, He's talked about His peace, He's talked about His obedience, He's talked about His joy. It's important to understand at the outset that the love, the obedience, His joy in obedience, led Him to embrace death to self-interest.

9:00When you boil it down to who Christ is, he finds his joy in dying to himself for the benefit of the others, for the glory of his father. He loves his father and his glory. And he finds great joy in carrying out what his father does. And that's who we're following, is it not? Or are you? Do you know him? Life is about learning how to love. And the one who misses this misses it all. The one who learns to love like this is the one in whom eternity just unfolds and spreads out unending.

9:59And the one who misses it is destroyed with the rest of humanity, who does not want to love like this, but wants to pursue their own self-interest. So then, very practical question. How? How can I love like Jesus loved? And that's what he's instructing his disciples here. How can we love like Jesus? Jesus loved. Well, I believe there's four steps we can take that come out of this passage that Jesus is giving to his disciples here. Let's just jump right in. He's about to leave. Tremendous pressure, building. They're going to be scattered. They're going to be hit. And so he is there in the upper room, just hours before the crucifixion, concerned about the well-being of his disciples, concerned about the community that he is leaving behind, the community of these disciples. And here is his exhortation. He wants them to love each other the way he loved them. So let's just walk through this.

11:14First step into loving the way Jesus loved is you need to understand the way he loved. You need to understand how he loved. Look at verse 12. There's the command. This is my commandment that you love one another just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, then one lay down his life for his friends. So here's the specific command. Remember, he's just been talking about: if you abide in my commandment, if you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. And then here he is, this is my commandment. Let me just boil this down and bring it to you. In verse 12, this is my commandment. I want you to get this. And here it is. I want you to love one another.

12:01I want you to love one another. It's interesting that all of his commands and even the whole law is summed up really in two commands: love God, right? And love your neighbor as yourself, right? And so here he is. Here he is, summing up the whole purpose of the law. I want you to love one another as I have loved you. And this is it. Love one another. And it's important that we understand the scope of this command. Look at who you're supposed to love. This is my commandment that you love one another. He's talking about the fellowship of disciples there. He's not talking about the world here. The context here is about the community of believers. Yes, the disciples are to love the world in the sense that they are to be benevolent as God is benevolent. They are to be concerned, go to the world. But there is a specific love among believers that he is specifically talking about here. This is applicable to the body of believers.

13:08And it's plain language. And it's right here for us. Really appreciate the Sunday school class that we're looking at, just the evidence in creation and just how God has made his glory just so plain and how people can close their eyes to such plain revealed truth. Invite you to Sunday school. It's a great time. But I want to make sure that we are not, that we don't miss the plain truth as well, right? Of course, we know God.

13:44We know the God of the Bible is true. We're believers. We're believing in him. But I don't want you to miss this clear command right here. It is as plain language as it gets. This is my commandment: that you love one another. The degree of your love for Christ is seen in the way you love your fellow church members, even the least endearing among us. How do you love one another? This is why church membership is important.

14:23How do I know who this command specifically applies to? I know for sure this applies to those in this body who are members of this church or are on a trajectory to membership in this church. Why is that? Well, you have to know who you are. If you're going to carry this out, you have to know who you are. And the reason for church membership is to be able to understand who is in the faith, who is not. That is why there are elders who look at every membership application who take Test and make sure that this is consistent with the faith. There's a certain time that goes by.

15:05This command is for the body of believers, and so you must know who you are. That's who we want you to love. He wants us to go to the world, carry his light. But the moment a person becomes a believer, your love for that person is to intensify. You haven't done your job just because somebody has come to Christ. Your love is really at that point to take on a whole nother level. Sometimes we get to the point of evangelism and we lead a person to Christ, and somehow we get unattacked. Oh, we've done our job. No, your love just should have gone up a whole nother order of magnitude.

15:58But look at the degree he wants us to love one another, just as I have loved you. I've been studying that throughout the upper room, but when you boil it all down, it is sacrificial love. Just as I loved you. That's what love really is. It involves laying down a person's life for the benefit of somebody else. That is what love is about. Sad thing is, many of us really don't know how to love. Because we're so infatuated with ourself and our self-desires that we can't put ourselves aside because we love ourselves too much.

16:42You don't know Christ if that's you. He will lead you in a way of putting yourself down as you look at him and you understand what he has done for you. And you can't help but begin to show evidences of love for others. So, what is laying down one's life look like for the benefit of somebody else? Well, keep in mind, it's an ongoing day-to-day activity. Jesus's death on the cross is just the ultimate expression of it.

17:32We are in this community, we are to be growing in our laying down our lives bit by bit for the well-being and benefit of others in Christ. That's what he envisions for his community of followers. Those who say they follow him are to exhibit this kind of characteristic. Now, look at those. Look back, and I want you to understand the reason for this command. Why does he want us to love like this? Verse 13: Greater love has no one than this, than one lay down his life for his friends.

18:15Literally, no one, the idea is to place, he places others ahead of him, and he lays down his life on behalf of or for the sake of his friends. There is no greater expression of love than this. In other words, there is no metric higher than this. This is God's expression, and that's what he does. He does everything perfectly, he does everything well, he does everything beautifully, completely. And this is the expression of love. There is no greater expression, and because God is God, and because Jesus is God in the flesh, we can expect that his standard for love is going to be the highest expression there can be made. And so he lays down his life for his friends.

19:07And those who follow him will start learning how to love each other. There's no metric higher than this. It's interesting. I don't want to spend too much time here, but I'll take you to John 3:16. You don't have to turn there, but I just want you to jot this down. Remember, we heard John 3:16, for God. God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life or eternal life. So there you see the motivation of God's love for us. Fallen world, he gives his life. And then 1 John 3.16, so you can remember the 316s, you can see how John later in life gets it. And he says, listen, 1 John 3, 16, right?

20:00We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Just happens that both 316s kind of counterparts, right there. John says, I get it now. I get it. He loved us. His motivation was love for us. He gave himself up for us. And because of that, brethren, we ought to lay down our lives. Ah, that's what it's about. Second, you need to see yourself as his friend. Four steps to loving the way Jesus loved. First, you need to understand the way he loved.

20:43Second, you need to understand, or you need to see yourself as his friend. Look at verse 14. You are my friends if you do what I command. You are my friends if you do what I command you. It's interesting, the construction. It's not. If you do what I command you, then you will become my friends. It's not what he's saying here. He's saying, if you are my friends, you will do what I command. Do you see the difference?

21:17His friends are the ones who do what he commands. Are you his friend? What is the guiding principle? Jesus is speaking of the command, obviously, that he has just given them at the moment. This is it: be loving one another. So you need to see yourself as a friend. You need to be his friend. Friendship involves desiring what your friend desires, right? If you oppose a person's wishes and contradict them at every juncture, and you can hardly think of yourself as their friend, right?

22:03Let me put this in Aggie terms. Okay, we got a game coming up against LSU soon, right? Yeah, I don't know who our arch rival is in the SEC. You know, we used to have the longhorns, but as a clear arch-rival, but now who is our arch-rival? And there's a lot of different opinions about it, but I think LSU may be up there in one of that category. Category. But suppose you went to the LSU game and you wore LSU colors and you celebrated every time LSU scored.

22:45Could you really call yourself an Aggie fan? But you are not what you think you are if you do not do what Christ commands. If you are Christ's friend, you will love one another and want to grow more in loving one another. This is fundamental humanity 101. This is what he's doing. And if you're a follower of him, you will want to love one another. You will be showing signs of loving one another. And if it's not there, if you are overcome by your own interest, your own inclination, your own addictions, your own preferences, you are not what you think you are.

23:38I want you to see the distinction and privilege of being a friend. Look at verse 15. No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from my father, I have made known to you. You see, the bottom or the distinction or the privilege of being a friend is that a friend is privileged to certain levels of confidence. A slave just does what he's told to do, doesn't really know what the master. I just, I've just got to do it. I don't know how this fits in the whole picture, but this is what I'm doing. But a friend has the confidence, has confidence, and has a privilege. And so the disciples had the privilege of understanding what was going on in Jesus' heart and what he was doing.

24:36Those outside, they just saw this guy, couldn't understand, couldn't get their minds around who Christ was. Certainly, the religious leaders who opposed him, they couldn't understand. But look, what is he doing? What is he doing? Let me just take you through just the last few chapters. Look at chapter, just you can just write these down. Chapter 12, verse 20. Now there were some Greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast. And then all of a sudden, what does Jesus say?

25:10The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Huh? Verse 27: Now my soul has been troubled. Why is it troubled? Verse 31: Now judgment is upon the world. Now the ruler of this world will be cast out. So here comes the ruler, he is coming. And he is going to be cast out. Listen to 13, verse 31. Therefore, when he had gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. So, what he says in 14:26, but the helper whom the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send, will bring all this to remembrance.

25:55And then he says in verse 29, Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. I'm telling you, I'm telling you. And then he says in verse 30, I have the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in me. So now here comes the ruler of the world. And so, as these religious leaders are gathering, as Judas has gone, there is mustering an army of opposition led by the ruler of this world, that individual, that evil spirit that set man on the trajectory of serving self. Go after yourself.

26:44That spirit, that ruler of the world that has brought the whole world under darkness, we saw in Genesis 6:5. That one is coming. So, what's happening in the he is coming. He is using the religious leader. He's using the Roman authorities. He is, as that is coming, he is coming. And Jesus is saying, Yeah, I'm telling you, he's coming, and he has nothing in me. Now he is going to be thrown out. Now he is going to be broken. Now a new humanity is going to merge out of this earth.

27:22The world didn't see that. The disciples were privileged. We are privileged. Friendship involves confidence and sharing. You know, Jesus didn't show himself to the multitude after the resurrection. Isn't that interesting? Sure would have been easy. Jesus, why don't you start praying? No, he didn't. He showed himself to his people. And they went and proclaimed. We do know what God is doing. We do know Christ is resurrected. We do know he is at the right hand of the Father. We do know that he is calling out a people for himself who love the way he loved. That's what he's doing.

28:09What trajectory are you on? Look carefully at your heart. The measure of your love for Christ is seen in the way you love your brothers and sisters in this room. The four steps to love the way Jesus loved. First, understand the way he loved. Second, see yourself as his friend. Third, embrace your calling in life. Embrace your calling in life. Verse 16. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you, that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. Verse 16 informs us that you have been chosen to love if you were in him. You have been appointed to love, and you have been equipped to love. Therefore, embrace your calling. That's why you're called, pointed, and equipped. Notice that you have been chosen to love. You did not choose me, but I chose you. Jesus made it clear that his disciples did not first choose him. The special revelation that they have received as friends, they have enjoyed not because they were swell guys or woke up one morning and said, Man, I'm going to go find the best rabbi. There he is right there. I picked him out. You see that?

29:42I need the best guru. There he is. I'm getting him. No, that's not Jesus chose them. And he had a reason for choosing them. You see, the initiative is always with Jesus. The fruit-bearing enterprise in your life. Life begins with Jesus, and you need to understand that this is his doing. He started it, and he has an objective in mind, and that is that you will learn to love like he loved. So, you've been chosen to love, but also notice you have been appointed to love. What he says in verse 16: you didn't choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain. It's an interesting word. He said, No, no, it's the same word as in verse 13, that to the greatest expression of love is to place your life or to lay your life down before the other. And so, here it's the same word. He says, I have placed you so that you should be going, so that fruit you should be bearing, and that your fruit shall be remaining. I have set you up for this purpose, so that you will be going, so that you will be believing, and so that you will be. I mean, so that you'll be going, that you'll be producing fruit, bearing fruit, and that your fruit will be remaining. So, you have been equipped to love. You have been chosen, appointed, and equipped to love. Look back at verse 16.

31:23That your fruit would remain, so that. Look at the end. So that whatever you ask of the Father in my name, He may give it to you. You have been chosen. You have been appointed. You have been equipped to love. You know, one of the main goals of raising children is to set them up for life, isn't it? Parents, you know exactly what I'm talking about. And listen, even I love the baby boom we're having around here, but even when the baby is still in utero, the parents know what this baby's needs are going to be and wants to set them up for life.

32:12And so, as parents, we understand that we want to set up our children for life. We do that by providing for them, by training, by educating, by equipping them. We want to set them up so they will have a good, productive, meaningful, and enjoyable life. That's what parents do. It's exactly what Christ has done with his followers. You have been equipped by Christ's death. You know, in the context, he's already said he's given up his life. He's set that life before you, set his life before.

32:49He placed his life. I'm sorry, he placed your needs. Let me start that open. I'm sorry. Jesus gave his life to set you up for fruit-bearing capacity. That's what he laid his life down for on the cross to cleanse you from your stench before your heavenly Father to make you clean, presentable to him. You've also been equipped to love by his promised support. Again, look at this promise in verse 16. He brings up the subject of prayer. Listen, he's brought it up several times, and I'd love to take you back through each one. But when you bring up a matter one time, that's important, right? The Bible brings something up, brings it up a couple times, it's really emphasizing something. When it brings up a third time, it's critical. You better get this, right?

34:01Take my kids. If we're going on a trip out of the country, you know, it's like, do you have your passport? Oh, yeah, bring everything. Make sure your passport's in there. Oh, yeah, let's go make sure you have your toothpaste. Make sure your passport's in there, you know. And you start bringing it back. Because if you can't, if you don't get that, you don't go anywhere, right? Well, the same is true here. Jesus is like, make sure you get this. Whatever you ask, prayer is an important manifestation. Of his love. And prayer is an important manifestation of our love.

34:40One of the very first prayers that we should have is, Lord, help me love like you loved. And second, we need to recognize we cannot love. We cannot meet the true needs of people. Only God can. So that is why a manifestation of love is praying for, right? That's why we pray for one another. And He's like, I'm there. I have equipped you. You may not be able to heal like Jesus healed, but do you take time to petition the one who can heal? That can be just as much of an expression of love.

35:22You cannot change a hard heart, but do you pray for the one who can? It's as much of an expression of love. We should love one another so much that when another is hurting, we cannot rest until we have brought their need before the Father. Likewise, when someone is celebrating a victory, our delight should be equal in measure, right? We should be happy for them, give thanks to God for the goodness He showed to someone else. You know, oftentimes we get the other way around. God, you showed them such goodness.

35:56I love Texas. I used to see these bumper sticks. Victors, my kid is an honor student at such and such school. Have you ever seen those? My kid is an honor student at such and such school. Then I see this old pickup driving down the road, and I see this: my kid beat up your honor student. You ever seen that one? Well, look, I've seen it. But that's kind of the attitude, right? Okay, I don't like your honor student. My kid beat up your honor student. Well, that can be us sometimes, right? When somebody is celebrating a victory, we can start, oh, but this is your calling in life to love one another. This is your profession. This is your occupation. This is your practice. And whatever else God calls you to do, this is it.

36:53You have been called. You have been chosen. You have been appointed. You have been equipped. Therefore, embrace your calling. Practice love. Do you want to embrace your humanity or do you want it to perish with those who will not? That's it. To embrace your humanity as God designs it or perish with those who will not. Fourth step to loving the way. Jesus loved is to practice love. This is like a famous shoe company once said, you just do it. Look at verse 17. This I command you, that you love one another. And there again, he brings this up three times again. Verse 13, 34, verse 15, 12, verse 15, 17. He's stressing something here. As I leave, I want you to get this. You've got all the prayer support you need. I'm here. I'm with you. Father's with you. Love one another. Did I tell you? Love one another. Did I get this point across to you? Love one another. Because what was the context there? The disciples had been talking about who's the greatest. You see, they were posturing themselves and wanting to set themselves up as some sort of competitors for podiums, right? They're thinking, who gets the greatest spot? Who gets first? Who gets second? Who gets third? Who's going to be up there?

38:34And he's like, look, I want you to be practitioners of self-sacrifice, not competitors for self-glory. And so he says, love. You see, they were more interested in advancing themselves than laying down their lives to help others advance. Not much has changed. Because if you have an honest heart, you'll see yourself there too, won't you? You see, we are to be people who seek to advance other people in the kingdom of God. We are to give ourselves, our strengths, and our best efforts to promoting others in the kingdom rather than ourselves. And isn't that wonderful that that's the way Jesus loves us?

39:22So, what does practicing love look like? What are some practical ways? Well, I look forward to our men's time this coming Wednesday night because this is specifically one element that we're going to go a little deeper in. But just right now, if we do a quick survey of Jesus' life, what are some things that we can see in his life that were expressions of love? Well, he celebrated with people's joys, didn't he? One of the first places we see him is at a wedding, celebrating with others at their big moments. That's an expression of love. He also mourned in their griefs and comforted them in their sorrows. Listen, take time to celebrate with people when they're celebrating. Take time to enjoy, hear, listen. Also, take time to be there in their time of sorrow and griefs.

40:20It's an expression of love. He met practical needs. We can meet practical needs. And you might say, well, Jesus could do some things that. I cannot do. Well, that's true. You may not be able to turn water into wine, but you may be able to pick up a couple of liters of Dr. Pepper if the need arises. You see, it's not the capacity of what you can do, but the motive behind it, right? It's not about the level of our capacity. It's not about the level of your ability. It's about the sincerity of your love and however that expresses it. That's what he's after.

41:04You are to love at your capacity. That's loving like Christ loved. And listen, let me tell you what one of the rewards of heaven is. It's a greater capacity to love. If you don't like dying to yourself right now for others' benefit, you're not going to like heaven. Because you know what your reward in heaven is? A greater capacity to give, a greater capacity to sacrifice. There's certainly as you grow in Christ's likeness, the reward is a greater capacity to love, more to lay down.

41:46You may say, well, Jesus had a much greater capacity to love than I do. True, and thankfully. But his love manifested itself in the same way as ours. He sought, and we To seek the well-being of others. That's where we're heading. That's where humanity is heading. This is where this king is taking us. And imagine a world for just a second where seven billion people, if we use today's numbers or thereabouts, are looking out for your best interest and are willing to make whatever sacrifice they need to make to advance it. Do you think you will have any need to look out for your own? No.

42:40That's a glimpse of heaven. And that's Christ's vision for his church. That we would start looking a little bit like heaven right now in the community of believers. And friends, this starts at home. Husbands, love your wife. Husbands, love your children. He puts it all right there. Sacrifice for them. That's the idea. But it's not just for husbands, it's for everyone. We may not be able to meet the special needs that Jesus did, but he did meet special needs. He healed them. You may say, well, I don't have the ability to heal the same way he did.

43:30No, but you do have the answer. You do have the promise of answered prayer, right? So you can pray to the one who can heal and who knows how to give good gifts and who knows how to give exactly what's right just at the right time. And do you pray for people? See, praying for people is a far greater expression for love than you may realize. That's why we need to be growing and praying for one another. Well, there's so many things we could go. He took time with people, he listened to people, he took time to instruct people, he counseled people, he met with people, he helped people process life and understand God. He kindly, repeatedly, he reminded people of truths they already know, knew.

44:21These are just all demonstrations of love. He showed mercy to people. He showed mercy to his own number. He showed mercy to sinners. All these are expressions of his love, and he wants that to be characteristic of his church. Well, how can I love the way Jesus loved? Well, first, I need to understand the way he loves. Second, I need to see myself as his friend. Third, I need to embrace my calling in life. And fourth, I need to just practice love, grow in the practice, grow as a practitioner of love, whatever else you're occupying. Maybe this is it.

45:03And keep in mind the context, what's going on here. They're about to be decimated, and Jesus wants them to take care of one another. Cain asked the Lord, Am I my brother's keeper? And the answer, as Scripture unfolds, yes. Be mindful of your brother and sister's situation and give yourself to their benefit. Come back to those horrible words of Genesis 6:5. And let me tell you about the glorious King, this magnificent king that has come. And let me tell you about the magnificent people that He is raising from the dead to be his own. And let me tell you how I think one day the eternal record will read. If you'll allow me, just hear me on this.

46:03I think one day the eternal record will say something like this. And I'm playing on the words of Genesis 6:5. Then, speaking after the gospel ministry has run its course, then the Lord saw that the righteousness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only suppressed. Good continually. The Lord was pleased that he had made man on the earth and rejoiced in his heart. And the Lord said, I will delightfully dwell with man whom I created from the face of the earth, for I am happy that I made them.

46:49You see, Jesus came not to simply change your destiny, he came to change you and therefore change your destiny. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, as we look to you, I think there are many in this room or some, it just may be that they're not truly Christians. They are not who they think they are. And Father, I pray that you would, by your Spirit, expose the hypocrisy of their heart, that they would see deeply who you are and be sobered up into the reality of what it means to follow you.

47:49Father, and I pray for everyone in this room that we would come to know you, come to love like you loved. Father, we know that there is a great future for Earth, and it's not in the paradigm or pattern of fallen man. We see the wars, we read the headlines, we see the horror, that man's selfish ambition, what his anger does, what he can destroy with his, and what he can hurt and harm. Father, we see all that, and we know that there is another paradigm for humanity, the humanity of your... great king, the one that you have installed, and we thank you that you have installed him, and that no matter what happens on planet earth, the raging of the kings that take their stand against him, that his truth prevails, his way will prevail, and that all of us will be transformed into his image. Father, we look forward to that day, and help us now as we wait to be a faithful bride, waiting for your return. Father, growing in your likeness and growing in our sacrificial love towards one another, we know that that pleases you. Grant it, we ask in Jesus' name. Why don't you continue to pray for just a moment?