Why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?
Why do we call something transported by car a shipment , and something transported by ship, cargo?
Why are Guinea pigs called that? They are neither from Guinea nor pigs!
Why do you recite at a play and play a recital?
Why do we have NOSES that RUN and FEET that SMELL?
Did you ever think about how your house can burn up as it burns down?
Why do we fill in a form by filling it out?
How can your alarm clock go off by going on?
Why are boxing rings square?
Where are the eggs in eggplants? The ham in hamburger? The pine or the apple in pineapple?
Don't you find it interesting that English muffins were not created in England or that French fries did not originate from France?
Why is it that winding up my watch starts it when winding up my message means that I am ending it?
PSD #7 Personal Love Toward God.
This love is important because of passages like MAT 22:36-40.
”Which is the great commandment in the Law?”
The second mandate or command says 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
‘These two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.’
GAL 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
JAM 2:8 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law, according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well.
You cannot love others unless you first love God.
You cannot love others unless you first love yourself.
Let’s take a stroll in the epistle and the Gospel of 1JO which are both written by the same man who was also known as “The disciple whom Jesus loved.
I don’t know how many of you realize that four of the last five books in the Bible were written by the same man, the apostle John.
He wrote 1JO, 2JO, 3JO, and the book of Revelation.
We love God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as well as love for ourselves and then love for our neighbors.
Personal Love Toward God is the believer's capacity to love God and to respond to God's love based on Bible doctrine in his soul.
Personal Love Toward God is maximum when the believer reaches maturity or occupation with Christ.
This means that apart from the daily function of perception, metabolization and application of Bible doctrine, it is impossible to love God.
They can serve but without a consistent intake of doctrine, it is totally useless.
This time we go to the Gospel of John which was written by the same man who wrote 1JO.
- 1. If you do not have "His Word abiding in you” then you do not have the “love toward God "in" yourselves; JOH 5:38-42.
In verse 38 you do not have "His Word " abiding in you.
In verse 42, therefore, you do not have the love Toward God "in" yourselves.
- 2. If a believer really loves God, it will be manifested by his desire to hear God's doctrines, JOH 8:47.
"hears" is the pres-act-ind of akouo which means to hear in an audience, to listen, to concentrate, to understand, to learn, to give a hearing.
The present tense means that if believers truly love God, they will make habitual decisions to hear God’s word in an audience, to listen, to concentrate, to understand, to learn, to give a hearing.
The active voice, the believer who truly loves God will produce the action of the verb to hear in an audience, to listen, to concentrate, to understand, to learn, to give a hearing.
The indicative mood says that the believer who loves God will hear in an audience, listen, concentrate, understand, and give what they hear a hearing.
- 3. Not only will you hear doctrine but "if you love the Lord you will keep His doctrines, Joh 14:15.
"keep" is the aor-act-imp of tereo which means to guard something that belongs to you and to watch over carefully, to keep, to hold, to preserve and to pay attention to, therefore to protect.
This is a constantive aorist tense which means that the believer constantly has points of time set aside to guard or keep His Word by making constant decisions to hear doctrine and not to quit.
The active voice, the believer produces the action of the verb which is to keep or guard God’s command of tereo.
"If you love Me, you will keep or guard God’s commands."
The imperative mood says that this is a command to all believers.
- 4. It is doctrine abiding in Christians, not works, that reveals to the Father how much we love Him; JOH 14:21-23.
- 5. If you guard or keep God's Word in you, God's love will be in you, Joh 15:10.
- 6. Having God's mind or Bible doctrine is that which produces God's love in the local assembly, PHI 2:1-5.
- 7. Keeping doctrine is the only way to love with God's love, 1JO 2:5.
1JO 2:5 "But whoever keeps His Word in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him"
When it says that ‘whoever keeps His Word in him the love of God has truly been perfected and John is saying that this is how one glorifies the Lord.
Perfected is the perf-pass-indicative of teleo which means to complete or to reach spiritual maturity or to come to the place where our love for God’s word is kept or guarded, therefore protected.
The perfect tense means that the believer recognizes the verb “teleo” and has kept or guarded the doctrine that our Lord gave in the past with the result that it goes on forever.
The passive voice says that believers receive the action of the verb and do nothing to earn or deserve the action of the verb, it is all done for them by our God.
The indicative mood says that keeping and guarding the word of God is a reality in the life of the believer who has PVTD and protects the Word of God.
Complete or reach spiritual maturity by coming to the place where our love for God’s word is kept or guarded to its ultimate goal which is the glorification of God.
The Greek word tereo also means to complete or to reach spiritual maturity by coming to a place where our love for God’s word is kept or guarded.
- 8. Loving God is revealed with impersonal love toward one another, 1JO 4:7.
1JO 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
"knows God" is the pres-act-imp of ginosko and the present tense means the more we love reveals the more we are progressively getting to know Him.
- 9. Loving God and His people can only come through knowledge of doctrine; GAL 5:13-14.
GAL 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
GAL 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."
- 10. That is the divine standard, but it is only possible through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit and the intake of Bible doctrine.
Since God is invisible and the object of category one love, we must see and love Him through doctrine in the soul.
1PE 1:8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.
The reversionist doesn't love God because he is under Satan's policy of evil.
The immature believer doesn't love God because he too lacks Bible doctrine in the soul.
You cannot love God unless you know God, and you cannot know God unless you have metabolized enough pertinent doctrine, 1PE 1:8; EPH 3:18‑19, HEB 6:10, 2Ti 1:13‑14, Col 3:1‑2.
Personal Love Toward God is the most difficult love of all, because it takes consistency in the inhale and exhale of doctrine.
EPH 3:18 that you may be able to comprehend [here is the secret of loving TLJC] in the presence of all the saints [audience physical or spiritual] what is the breadth and length and height and depth,
EPH 3:19 and to come to know the surpassing knowledge love of Christ, in order that you may be filled with all the fulness from God [doctrine filling the soul].
This is why the pastor-teacher has to love TLJC so much and be occupied with Him in order to do his job under this principle; HEB 6:9-19.
HEB 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work or occupation [P.T.] and the love which you have shown toward His name, [PSD#7] in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.
If your pastor keeps on studying, it is inevitable that he will have Personal Love Toward God which is love for TLJC who becomes his motivator.
It also becomes the principle whereby he keeps studying and teaching, studying and teaching, studying and teaching; 1TI 4:10 and 1TI 5:17.
1TI 4:10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers.
1TI 5:17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.
Regardless of the fact that people who are members of the congregation often act what they are......human.
No pastor can ever get his eyes on people, he just has to keep plugging and keep plugging which means study and pray, study and pray, study and teach.
The pastor-teacher has Personal Love Toward God with emphasis toward TLJC as our prototype.
A prototype is the original model or example of something that is patterned as an example of something new that is about to come.
How do you know if your pastor has category one love?
Do you love me more than these is a reference to the 10 others that were there.
Our Lord used the pres-act-ind of the verb agapao which is a reference to impersonal unconditional virtuous love.
The present tense says that you love the Lord habitually because of your personal love for God consistently.
The active voice says that the believer produces the action of the verb of loving God from his motivation from Personal Love for God which God produces in the life of believers
The indicative mood says that this love is a reality and a dogmatic statement of fact that the believer who has PVTD loves the Lord more than other disciples.
If he had that type of love, that impersonal unconditional virtuous love, which emphasizes the virtue of the subject who is our Lord and not from the virtue of impersonal love.
The Lord was saying…….
You cannot serve Me without this virtue or this impersonal unconditional virtuous "agape love" which is developed from personal love toward God.
When virtue love is directed toward God, another word is better to use which is phileo.
Phileo is used for personal love for God because of who God is and not from impersonal love for all mankind.
The Lord said "do you agape-love Me more than these"?
To say we just have impersonal unconditional virtuous love for the Lord is blasphemous.
We do not love the Lord because of who and what we are but who and what He is!
Personal love for God must come before impersonal unconditional agape love for all mankind.
JOH 21:15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, {son} of John, do you love [agape] Me more than these?" He [Peter] said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love [phileo] You."
The Lord said, "do you agape me"?
Peter said, "You know I phileo you"!
Peter used the pres-act-ind of phileo which means I keep on loving you personally because of Who and what You are.
Our Lord said do you have impersonal unconditional love for Me, and Peter said,
"Yes, Lord; You know that I love [phileo] You."
He doesn't even say that he loves the Lord more than the disciples, instead he is focusing in on agape verses phileo love.
He is saying, "Lord I agape the disciples but I phileo you."
JOH 21:15.....He [the Lord] said to him, "Tend My lambs."
"lambs" is the noun arnion which refers to baby sheep, lambs and therefore, analogous to the new believers.
The Lord is saying to Peter, "if you really love me personally you're qualified to feed new believers."
Arnion refers to the freshmen or the immature believers in the Christian life.
- 1. New Converts
Ignorant Believers
3. Carnal believers or cosmic believers who have repented!
No man can function as a pastor-teacher with his eyes on people.
Secondly, the motivational virtue for the gift of pastor-teacher must come from personal love for TLJC.
JOH 12:43 for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
JOH 21:16 He said to him again a second time, "Simon, {son} of John, do you love [pres-act-ind of agape] Me?" He said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love [phileo] You." He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."
JOH 21:16 And Peter said to Him, "Yes, Lord; You know that I love [phileo] You."
You have two entirely different words in the verse and yet the English translates both words exactly the same.
- 1. Isagogics is the historical setting of the passage.
- 2. Categories is the systematic theology developed from combining Scripture with Scripture.
- 3. Exegesis is the grammatical and syntactical analysis of the passage from the original languages.
Prin: If God the Holy Spirit intended for the words to be the same, He would have used the same words.
JOH 21:16 "Jesus repeated the question: "Simon, son of John, do you really love me?" "Yes, Lord," Peter said, "you know I am your friend."
He said to him, "Shepherd My sheep."
This time our Lord used the word "shepherd" which is the pres-act-imp of poimaino which means to rule or clobber which is how the pastor-shepherd must function with some.
This time he used the accusative plural of probaton which is translated sheep and it refers to the sophomores in the Christian life.
They are the ones that have a little knowledge of doctrine and think that they have a lot.
With arrogance, a little knowledge is assumed to be omniscience or all knowledge.
When there is this high opinion of self-knowledge there is the rejection of the authority of the pastor-teacher.
More people fall back into apostasy and the cosmic system in the sophomore stage.
JOH 21:17 He said to him the third time, "Simon, {son} of John, do you love [phileo] Me?"
The pastor must possess "personal love for TLJC" to be effective in the teaching of Bible doctrine.
And secondly, the pastor who truly loves the Lord will feed doctrine to the Lord's people!
This means that the pastor must have phileo or personal love for the Lord and must have agape or impersonal unconditional love for all.
The word for "tend" is the pres-act-imp of bosko which is the command to moderately and prudently feed my humble sheep which is a reference to the seniors or the mature believers.
Poimaino means you have to kick or use that stick a shepherd carries!
The shepherd has to whack the sheep at times to keep them from running off the cliffs
Once a person becomes a senior, he has developed enough humility to be teachable.
There are only two categories of teachable believers basically; freshmen and seniors.
Prin-To live and die for TLJC is when we allow ourselves to be taken anywhere that the Lord desires us to go.
Prin: A pastor's love for TLJC is manifested by how often he feeds the Lord's sheep.
How much he feeds the Lord's sheep.
JER 3:15 "I will give you pastors after My own heart, who will feed you on knowledge and understanding.
JER 23:4 "I shall also raise up pastors over them and they will feed them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing," declares the Lord.
Personal Love Toward God also sets up the standard for grace; PSA119:132 Turn to me and be gracious to me, After Thy manner with those who love Thy name.
Personal Love Toward God is also the basis for supergrace blessing, 1CO 2:9, PSA 37:4‑5.
1CO 2:9 but just as it is written, "Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him."
PSA 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
Personal Love Toward God is the basis for personal and national blessing, DEU 30:15‑20.
Personal Love Toward God also motivates combat courage and military victory, JOS 23:10‑11.
JOS 23:10 "One of your men puts to flight a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, just as He promised you.
JOS 23:11 "So take diligent heed to yourselves to love the Lord your God.
Personal Love Toward God provides strength for adversity and pressure, HEB 11:27.
HEB 11:27 By means of doctrine resident in the soul, Moses left Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is unseen.
This is why there is a special curse on believers who fail to have Personal Love Toward God in 1CO 16:22, they are said to be "cursed until the Lord comes."
Even witnessing must be motivated by category one love, 2CO 5:14 "The love of Christ motivates us."
The first sign of momentum and progress in your spiritual life is Personal Love Toward God manifested by occupation with the Lord Jesus Christ.
ROM 8:28 "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love Him,
"Those who love God" are those who study God's Word seriously.
There is no love Toward God until there is an X amount of metabolized doctrine.
There is no real divine love toward people until there is first, Personal Love Toward God.
Next we have EPH 3:18‑19.
HEB 6:9 But, beloved, we are convinced of better things concerning you, and things that accompany salvation, though we are speaking in this way.
HEB 6:10 For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.
HEB 6:11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
HEB 6:12 that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
HEB 6:13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
HEB 6:14 saying, "I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply you."
HEB 6:15 And thus, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.
HEB 6:16 For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.
HEB 6:17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath,
HEB 6:18 in order that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we may have strong encouragement, we who have fled for refuge in laying hold of the hope set before us.
HEB 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil,
The main verse is found in HEB 6:10.
To minister the Word, you have to know the Word.
To know the Word, you have to study the Word.
Regardless of the very disappointed attitudes that exists with regard to the Word of God.
Regardless of the criticism.
Regardless of the indifference.
Regardless of the instability.
As a result of that…..
The inevitable occurs,……
And although you may be sick of hearing it, you need to be reminded of it once again!
Let’s look at a passage that demands the exegesis to understand.
The pastor must recognize something very important that is found in Joh 21.
JOH 21:15 So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, {son} of John, do you love [agape] Me more than these?"
And when he said "do you love me more than these"…….
So, the Lord was asking Peter…….
And Peter knew and understood what the Lord was saying!
However,……
And this is one of the reasons why Peter became upset when the Lord kept asking this question.
So in verse 15, the Lord used agapao, He didn't use phileo.
So, Peter considers this to be an insult.
In fact,…..
Let me show you the translation our Lord used.
Peter is a little angry and disturbed.
Peter is saying I love you personally!
Now, I want you to notice that as a result of his answer Peter receives a command!
And this is a command for all pastors to produce the action of the verb which is to feed new believers.
And there are three categories of freshmen in the Christian life.
So, Peter is commanded to feed the Lord's lambs if he really loves the Lord.
And when the Lord asked Peter if he loved Him more than these, there is a very important principle here!
If people are more important than the Lord the pastor becomes a people pleaser and therefore a loser-pastor.
Or he's so controlled by people that he ends up in some form of depression and quits the ministry.
So in verse 16, another command is given.
Note this time that our Lord dropped the phrase "more than these."
He just simply said "do you love me?"
You see, you don't see all of this in the English, do you?
Of course you don't!
And that is sad because under the principle of ICE Bible doctrine must be taught based on three principles.
And the third one applies to our subject.
In fact, at least the Living Bible made an effort to distinguish between the two.
In John 21:16 the Living Bible says……
So….. in verse 16, the Lord gives him a second command,
Now, this time he didn't use the word arnion for sheep as in verse 15.
And……
Always remember,……
And…..
And therefore, the authority of the pastor now becomes a major issue in the believer's life!
And so "probation" are the sophomores.
And the sophomore stage is the most dangerous stage of the Christian life.
So in verse 17, we have a final question and command!
And this time our Lord switched from agape to phileo.
JOH 21:17b Peter was grieved [distressed] because He said to him the third time, "Do you love Me?" And he said to Him, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love [phileo] You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep”
This is the type of love that is expected from a believer who has proper momentum in the spiritual life.
Now, the Lord was making a point not only for Peter but for the benefit of all future pastors in the Church-age.
This is what made Paul so great!
No pastor can survive in the ministry apart from occupation with the person of Jesus Christ.
When pastors get their eyes on people they lose out.
They become discouraged, distracted, despondent, filled with self-pity, etc.
Now, Peter said to the Lord, "Lord, You know all things; You know that I love [phileo] You." Jesus said to him, "Tend My sheep.
All you have to do for mature believers is teach them doctrine!
You cannot do that in the sophomore stage as in verse 16, you have to poimaino them.
.
And the pastor doesn't do that literally, he does that with his communication of doctrine.
The pastor must use his authority in a very strict way with sophomores.
You can't horse around with sophomores!
However,……
So, this is a passage that definitely brings out the function and the role of the communicators of doctrine.
And then finally, in Joh 21:18, we have the same principle said to Peter that Paul practiced in Phi 1.
Joh 21:18 "Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself, and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to {go."}
Not if he counsels the Lord's sheep!
Or visit's the Lord's sheep!
Or loves the Lord's sheep!
But,…..
You have to have capacity to be grace oriented.
Look at PRO 3:1 concerning super grace blessings.
PRO 3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments;
PRO 3:2 For length of days and years of life, And peace they will add to you.
PRO 3:3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart.
PRO 3:4 So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.
PRO 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding.
PRO 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
PRO 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
PRO 3:8 It will be healing to your body, And refreshment to your bones.
PRO 3:9 Honor the Lord from your wealth, And from the first of all your produce;
PRO 3:10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.
PRO 3:11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord, Or loathe His reproof,
PRO 3:12 For whom the Lord loves He reproves, Even as a father, the son in whom he delights.
DEU 30:15 "See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;
DEU 30:16 in that I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in His ways and to keep His commands and His statutes and His judgments, that you may live and multiply, and that the Lord your God may bless you in the land where you are entering to possess it.
DEU 30:17 "But if your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them,
DEU 30:18 I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You shall not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it.
DEU 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants,
DEU 30:20 by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."
Speaking of the military and universal military training we read in……
So, how important is your love toward God?
The answer is given in….
ROM 8:28 is only true for those who love God!
God does not "work all things together for good" until there is love Toward God.
And that can only come when you accept God's priorities over your personal priorities.
Love toward God then becomes a major issue!
Not love TOWARD for people but as we will see, love Toward God.
In fact,…….