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Summary:
In learning to love our neighbor, do we allow a difference to cause us to
then not love our neighbor?
Does that person love the Lord with all that they know how to do?
Let us relate simply with the Love of the Lord for one another.
Show Notes:
• There are “proofs” that the rapture will take place in the
scripture, does it really matter as to when?
• Relationships are more important than doctrines.
• The Centurion knew more principles than many even today.
References:
Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to
everyone, to win as many as possible.
To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the
law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the
law), so as to win those under the law.
To those not having the law I became like one not having the law
(though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to
win those not having the law.
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things
to all people so that by all possible means I might save some.
I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.
The story of the Centurion
One person values one day over another, another values every day the
same. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind.
The one who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and the one
who eats, does so with regard to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and
the one who does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat, and he
gives thanks to God.
For notne ne of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;
for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord;
therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both
of the dead and of the living
But as for you, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or you as well,
why do you regard your brother or sister with contempt? For we will all
appear before the judgment seat of God.
For it is written: “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, TO ME EVERY KNEE
WILL BOW, AND EVERY TONGUE WILL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.”
So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his
physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD
does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but
the LORD looks at the heart.”
Quotes:
• To wrangle about words, is useless
• Arguing doctrine always causes confusion and division
• He was a Centurion by the will of God
• It is the guy that is walking in all the revelation that he has
Take Away:
The second great commandment is to Love your neighbor as yourself, Is
it loving another when we argue and create deeper divisions because
of the differences that we believe from another? Are we able to open
our heart to even listen to their perspective?
Transcript
Ron
We know that to wrangle about words is useless. We also know that if I have a revelation or a witness or I believe a doctrine a certain way, all your talking in the world, you could even have more scriptures than I do. When I walk away from that conversation, is my heart changed? Only God can change my heart. So, the whole point of arguing doctrine always causes division. It always causes confusion and division. As believers, if we can drop that, I’m not saying that you don’t believe things and all that, but don't make it an issue when it comes to a relationship. Relationships are more important than what you believe. Relationships and God's love is more important than your doctrinal beliefs. Let God sort it out. If He showed you, don't you think He’s big enough to show somebody else if He wants to, of course He is.
Your brother is a Catholic. He is a Catholic and you're talking about people that to me, they have stuff that I don't understand at all. The ceremony, the pageantry, the things that they do; I don't get it. Okay, but do they love Christ? Yes, they do. So, is all that going to keep me from relating to them in love? Unless I let it. If I let their doctrines and their beliefs, be a stumbling block to me. it's my fault, not their fault. (Sandy right)
Dale
Christ went to, was called to heal the centurion’s child. I have not found such faith as in this centurion in all of Israel. And that's amazing to me because he was a Roman. He was a centurion. Was he a Christian? I don't know, can you be all of those? I don't know, but here is this guy, why wasn't he an Apostle, why wasn’t he this, why wasn’t he that. He was a centurion by the will of God. My feeling is, it's the guy who's walking in all the revelation that he has and he’s serving the Lord to the uttermost, whether he's working in a soup kitchen for the, for the people who are living on the street, he's cleaning up the church after everybody leaves.
He's looking to the Lord as a shepherd and a leader for something to feed the sheep. The ground is all level at the foot of the cross.
Laurie
What I love about the word, is it teaches us how to think. How should we think? One person values one day over another and another values every day the same. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day observes it for the Lord, and the one who eats does so with regard to the Lord for he gives thanks to God and the one who does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat, and he gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself and not one dies for himself. For if we live, we live for the Lord or if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lords for to this end Christ died and lived again that He might be Lord, both of the dead and of the living.
The point here is this, but it's for you. Why do you judge your brother sister? Or you as well. Why do you regard your brother or sister with contempt? For we will all appear before the Judgment seat of God for it is written. As I live says the Lord to Me, every knee will bow and every tongue give praise to God. So that each one of us will give an account to himself. And I think God is open that whole thing up
to allowing people to have, what is convicted in their heart. How should they walk before the Lord? And it’s through the heart and if that’s what’s real God honors that. I don’t think there is a judgment in all of these, I don’t know what you want to call them, doctrines and beliefs and to me it’s noise and I think it's noise to the Lord.
What a great insight! Yes, Christ’s love was not human love!