Nothing but Love

big band-aid on the side of my face here and uh some of you asked what it's all about and other ones they just give me one of those. They keep looking at it. Uh I did have some cancer removed. Now there's two kinds of cancers. There's melanoma which is going to kill you and then there is basil cancer which is like rust. So basically I am rusting out. And uh so they took out the the rust and they're going to put some Bondo in there next week and I'll be fine. So, uh, don't worry about that. But appreciate the concern many of you expressed towards that. 1 Corinthians chapter 13:es 1-3. Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity, I'm become as sounding brass and as tinkling symbol.

And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains and have not charity, I'm nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity or love, it it profitth me nothing. We began a series last week and a series on on uh love, the symphony of love. We'll talk more about that next week. But my message today is simply about one thing, and that's nothing. Nothing. We're going to talk a lot about nothing today because that's what the Bible talks about.

It talks about nothing. In verse number one of 1 Corinthians chapter 13, it says, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charing brass or as tinkling symbol." You know, sometimes the problem is we just have nothing to say. We have nothing to say that's of value. Uh you ever heard the statement if you have nothing good to say then is then don't say anything. And and I think there's a lot of truth. If you hold a marker in 1 Corinthians 13, we're going to come back there, but go over to Ephesians chapter 4. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 29. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse number 29.

The Bible says in Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers." You know, love learns to say the right thing. Because if you have nothing good to say out of love, just don't say it. Uh there but we do need to learn to speak the truth in love. In Ephesians chapter 4 and verse number 15, it says, "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up unto him in all things which is the head, even Christ." Verse number 25, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another."

You see, we need to learn to speak the truth, but to speak it in love. So often what we say, it hurts. And it's not out of love. And if you got nothing good to say, it's better not to say it. But sometimes we need to say what needs to be said, but we need to do it in love. Now, I want you to hold your place in Ephesians. We're going to come right back there, and I want you to turn over uh to the book of Job. We're going to go there in just a moment. You ever heard somebody say something like this? This is going to hurt me more than it's going to hurt you. That's usually what a mom or dad says right before they spank their child.

That's usually what the doctor says right before he stuck sticks a needle into you. Uh, this is going to hurt me more. It's going to hurt you. In Proverbs chapter 27 and verse number six, the Bible says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful." See, there there is a lot that love says and there's a lot that love does not say. And and sometimes out of love, we need to speak the truth. We need to tell somebody something that is going to hurt. The doctor puts the needle in me because he's helping me to be better even though it's going to hurt. My mom and dad spanked me when I was little because they wanted me to be a better person.

And sometimes the love does hurt, but we need to make sure that that what we say we say it in love, not to hurt the other person specifically. Look at the book of Job chapter 6. Job chapter 6 and look at verses 24- 26. Job chapter 6. Job had a bunch of friends that were there to counsel him and tell him everything he was doing wrong. In Job 6 24 it says, "Teach me and I will hold my tongue and cause me to understand wherein I have ired. How forcible are right words, but what doth your argument reprove? Do you imagine to reprove words and the the speeches of one that is desperate, which is the wind?

He said, "Listen, I I want you to tell me what I need to hear. I want you to speak the truth to me, but the problem is you're not doing it in a way that shows love." And and what good is the truth without love? What good is the truth without love? And and so if we've got nothing good to say, sometimes it's better not to say it. But if there's something that we need to say, we need to make sure we're doing it out of love for that other person as well. Not in bitterness and anger. And this is where I want you to go back to Ephesians again. Ephesians chapter 4. And I I pulled my finger out so I hope you didn't.

But Ephesians chapter 4, and I want you to look at verses 30 through32. Ephesians chapter 4 and beginning with verse 30. And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed with the day unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice. Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake had forgiven you. You see, what happens so often is when we hold something in it, we we end up becoming bitter and anger and and the whole list just gets worse and worse and worse and and that's not what God wants.

He wants us to to to face the issues. He wants us to deal with the problems. He wants us to to talk to one another. When you don't talk to somebody when there's a problem and talk to them out of love, then it develops into bitterness and anger and hurt. Now, when you speak to somebody, you need to choose your words wisely. Go over to the book of Proverbs, chapter 25. I'm going to make you work a little bit today. All right. Proverbs chapter 25 and look at verses 11 through13. Proverbs chapter 25 and beginning with verse number 11 says, "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold and pictures of silver.

As an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reproveron an obedient ear. As the cold of snow is in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him, for he refreshes the souls of his masters. Apples of gold and pictures of silver." And and this is not describing just a beautiful carving, but apples were very rare. And of course, we can get apples any time now because of shipping and all the rest of it, but they were only available in season. They were really a rich man's food. And they were often served on silver platters as well. And and and so for you to be offered an apple of gold on a silver platter was was truly a blessing.

Uh look at Proverbs chapter 15. Proverbs chapter 15 and look at verse number 32. Proverbs 23. Proverbs 15 verse number 23. A man had joy by the answer of his mouth and a word spoken in due season. How good it is. Now see, you got to remember again, you and I, we can get any fruit in any time of the year because we're not stuck to the seasons where we live. It can be shipped in from somewhere around the world where it is in season. But back in that day, you could only get fruit in season. It had to be actually growing at the time right there where you were at. And and you know, you and I, we need to realize that that when that is spoken right, when we speak to somebody in season at the right time, in the right way, with the right heart, it's like apples of gold on pictures of silver.

It's it's it's such a blessing because you get it right. And that's hard to do, isn't it? you you got a problem with somebody, you got you got something you're upset about, you know, when it comes out, it just comes out the wrong way, doesn't it? And and and and we just want to work hard on on on not letting the bitterness and anger build up because the longer you don't talk about it, the more you become bitter and angry and then when it comes out, it's like rotten fruit. But instead to to speak the truth in love to to deal with those issues. Uh what we need to do is we need to ask God for a golden tongue, a golden tongue.

In Isaiah 50 and verse number four, it says, "The Lord hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary. He wakenth morning by morning. He wakenth my ear to hear as the learned." You see, you need to ask God, "God, I've got something I need to talk to my spouse about. I got something to talk to my coworker or my boss at work or or I need to talk to my my friend about this problem." And and and and you need to ask God, "God, give me the wisdom. Give me the words to say, help me to say it in love, not in anger. Help me to say it out of desire to to to to heal and not to hurt."

You know what's worse to finding a worm in an apple? Finding half a worm in an apple right after you bit into it. Uh, that's worse. In Hebrews chapter 12 and verse number 15, if you'll turn over there. Hebrews chapter 12 and verse number 15. Hebrews 12:15. The Bible says, "Looking diligently, lest any man fall fail of the grace of God. Lest any any root of bitterness spring up trouble you and everybody may be defiled. See again what happens is we allow that hurt and we allow that anger we allow that problem to build up inside of us like a worm growing inside of us and it just become we become more and more bitter and angry and like we read in Ephesians chapter 4 bitterness leads to anger and anger to clamor it just gets worse and worse and worse.

In Mark 7:es 21-23 he says and that which cometh out of the man that defileth a man for from within out of the heart of man proceedth evil thoughts adulteries fornication murders thefts covetous wickedness deceit lasciviousness an evil eye blasphemy pride foolishness all these evil things come from within to defile man. And what defiles our relationships is when we allow these things to build up inside of us and and we don't talk about it. we don't resolve it and we don't speak the truth in love and instead we we use hurtful words and and and and we strike out at the other person or or we don't talk about it all.

We just let it build up inside of us and it becomes bitterness. Back in 1 Corinthians, it talked about how that it's uh an uncertain sound. Look at 1 Corinthians chapter 14. Look at verses 7- 11. and even things without life, giving sound, whether pipe or harp, except they give a distinction in the sounds, how shall be known what is piped or harped? For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle? So likewise ye except you utter with by the tongue words easy be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? For you shall speak into the air. You see, we need to learn to speak words that can be understood, not uncertain sounds.

You know, when I think of that word, that phrase on certain downs, the Bible talks about a trumpet. You know, you can't know it's time to go into battle unless you hear the trumpet clearly. But, uh, you know, when I think about it, you know what I think about? Charlie Brown. You remember Charlie Brown? They're going to put a little sample here on the screen if they can. Put that on again, guys. Remember in Charlie Brown? Can you hear it? I don't know if they can hear the sound. I don't know if they got through there. Remember in Charlie Brown how all the adults were? Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah.

That's how they talk. remember that you can understand what they're saying. You know, I I think that's so often what happens. You know, we we're talking to our kids and they're sitting there looking at us with those wide eyes like, "I'm not hearing a thing you're saying." Why? Because we're yelling at them and we're angry with them instead of really speaking to them. We do that with our spouse. We do that with other people. It's just blah blah blah blah blah because we're upset and we're angry and we're not speaking out of love and we're not trying to be understood and trying to to make sure that they they can see what the problem is.

And going back to 1 Corinthians 13, it says, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels and have not charity or become a sounding brass or tinkling symbol, it's like it says in the next two verses, I'm nothing." See, you can you can say all the right words, but if you don't speak them out of love, you're nothing. But then look at verse number two. And though I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so I could remove mountains and have not charity or love, I am nothing. You know, sometimes the problem is we know nothing. We know nothing.

Now, we should know it all. The Bible says in Proverbs 1:es 2-7, but let me read you verse 7. It says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom instruction." And folks, we need to have knowledge. We need to seek knowledge. Some of you have been here when I preached on the pyramid of learning. There's four different levels to learning. And the base level is knowledge. Knowledge is information and facts. And then the next level is wisdom. And wisdom is a skill to use the knowledge I have. You can know something but not know how to do it because wisdom comes from practice.

Wisdom comes from experience. And and then you have the wisdom. The next level is called in Bible's called instruction. And instruction is the discipline to use the knowledge that I have. The illustration I used is is I can know that my oil in my car needs to be changed every 3 to 5,000 miles. And I can know how to change the oil. That knowledge is knowing it needs to be changed. Wisdom is knowing how to change the oil, but instruction is actually getting around to doing it. There's a lot of you in here, your odometer is at about 10,000 miles and you still haven't had the oil change because you're you're procrastinators like I am.

And then the highest level is the level of understanding. And the level understanding is when you get to that level where you can take what you learned in one area and you can apply it to something totally different. If you know how to change the oil in your car, you probably can figure out how to change the transmission. fluid in your car as well. You can probably learn how to change the radiator fluid in your car because you've learned one thing, you can learn something else also. But the base of that is knowledge. And remember your in in math in school how that the the pyramid the broader the base, the higher it would go.

The more narrow the base, the less high it would go. And and and so knowledge is the base of your pyramid. The more I learn, the greater I can go in in learning. But then I have to learn how to use that knowledge and I have to have the discipline to actually do what I know. And a lot of you, you know all about love, but you don't practice it. And the only way you're going to get better at loving others is by practicing it. And so we need to learn that that we should know all things. We should learn as much as we can and seek knowledge. and go to the book of Ecclesiastes, right after Proverbs, Psalms, Proverbs, and then Ecclesiastes chapter 12.

The very last chap chapter of that book. Ecclesiastes chapter 12. You know, I I think it's good to read books. If you're married, you ought to be reading books about marriage. My wife and I are reading a book together this year. And or you ought to read books if you're a parent about raising your children, reading books about how to love other people. Some great books that can really help you with these things. And it's a good thing to do. And but in Ecclesiastes 12 and:es 9 through13, it says, "Moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge. Yet he gave good heed and sought out and and set many proverbs in order many proverbs.

The preacher sought to find out acceptable words, and that which was written was upright, even words of truth. The the words of the wise are his goes and his nails fastened by master's assemblies, which are given from one shepherd. My job is to try to preach to you in a way that you can understand what I'm saying. But then it goes on in verse number 12. It says and further by these may my son be admonished of making many books there is no end and much study is the weariness of the flesh. Let's hear the conclusion the whole matter. Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man.

For God shall bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or whether it be evil. Listen folks, you can read every book on marriage. You can read every book on friendship. You can come and listen to every sermon that I'm going to preach in this series and nothing changes because you're not putting it to practice in your life. And so knowledge alone is good and you want to gain as much knowledge as you can but you also understand that you have to go beyond knowledge in that pyramid of learning and you have to get wisdom as a skill by practicing that knowledge and the discipline to do those things as well.

You know, one of the biggest problems in relationships is this is one or the other or the both of us are big know-it-alls. In your relationships, don't be a know-it-all. Go to 1 Corinthians chapter 8. 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and look at verses 1 through3. 1 Corinthians chapter 8 and verses 1-3. Now, as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffth up, but charity edifyth. And if any man think that he knoweth anything, he knoweth not, yet is as he ought to know. But if any man love God, the same is known of him. You see, knowledge puffs up. I know better than you.

That's what causes a lot of our conflicts is that whole attitude of of I know more than you. You know, I I remember one of the things that frustrated most of my kids, especially when they're teenagers, is this phrase. When I would tell them something would say, I know. I know. Well, that's where the problem is. You may know it, but you're not doing it. And but at the same time, I also realized that one of my problems with my teenagers is I was constantly going to them and tell them I know better than you instead of listening and and trying to understand them. So often I was just being a know-it-all towards them as well.

And so often our relationships, what's creates the problem is this I know better than you attitude. and and and that can go both ways in that relationship. I know with my wife and I, that's one of the areas that we have constantly we'll have strife is because she'll say something and she'll come across me like she knows better than me or I'll do something and she acts like, "Well, how come you didn't know that?" And that and that causes strife because it coming across as a know-it-all. And even if you know better, it doesn't mean you need to add have that attitude over the other person. You know in 1 Corinthians 13 there verse two at the end of that verse it says so that you could remove mountains and have not charity on nothing.

You see in love you got to learn how to move mountains. Go to Matthew chapter 17. Matthew chapter 17. You remember how Christ talked about this in Matthew chapter 17 and:es 19- 21. Matthew chapter 17 and beginning with verse number 19. Then came the disciples to Jesus apart and said, "Why could we not cast him out?" And Jesus said unto them, "Because of your unbelief? For verily I say unto you, if you have faith as a grain of a mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove, and nothing shall be impossible unto you." How be it this kind cometh not out but by prayer and fasting.

Sometimes our relationships he's like that nothing's going to fix this relationship. Nothing can change this relationship. But God says you need to move mountains. Now in 1 Corinthians chapter 13:2 when it says remove a mountain, the idea of the phrase there is to pick it up and move it. Okay, that's in 1 Corinthians 13:2. Now here in Matthew chapter 17 the word remove it carries more the idea of to move your feet to move your feet. See there's nothing wrong with asking God to remove a problem. You remember how Paul said I he was had some health issues and he prayed three times for God's healing.

He said God take away this health problem and God said no and he didn't take it away. it wasn't removed from him. And and there's but but there's nothing wrong with asking God to remove a problem. And if you got a problem with somebody, there's nothing wrong with praying about Lord, I got this problem with this person and I need you to take care of it. And there's nothing wrong with that. But sometimes God says, listen, instead of removing your problem, I want to move you. I want you to get moving. See, sometimes we want God to remove the mountain of that problem. And God says, "No, I want to move you."

You see, we need to get over the mountains in our relationship. In Joshua 14:12, it says, "Now therefore, give me this mountain. Wherefore the Lord spake in that day, if so be the Lord will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out as the Lord said." Joshua said, "I want that mountain." And some of you in your relationships, you got to look at it and say, "You know what, Lord? I want that mountain. I want you to remove this mountain. I want to conquer that mountain. I want you to help me to get over that mountain. And sometimes you need to conquer the mountain. And you know the best way to get over a mountain?

Switchbacks. Sometimes you just can't go straight over the mountain. That's too hard. And you've all been on the roads and the mountains, maybe the Alps or Sierra Neadas or or uh other mountains around the world, and how do they get over that mountain? Because they go they go a little bit this way, a little bit that way, a little bit this way, a little bit that way. And it's all those switchbacks. And sometimes in relationship, you can't just conquer it in one shot. You've got to do a little bit, and then a little bit more, and a little bit, and a little bit more. And it's just all those little bits that add up to remove that mountain.

And what you're looking for is you're looking for this whole big mountain to all of a sudden disappear. And God says, "You know what? You need to start moving a little bit of time and get over that mountain. Sometimes it takes a lot of forward movement to make a little upward progress. And sometimes you even have to go down in order to go up. You ever been on a mountain where you were actually going down to go up? And sometimes it takes going down a little bit backwards in the relationship to move forward in the relationship. So sometimes we just got to get over the mountain and then other times you need to go around it.

In Isaiah chapter 40 and verse number four it says, "Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill shall be made low and the crooked crooked shall be made straight and the rough places plain." I've been a lot of places they said, you know what, that mountain's too high. Let's just go around it. And sometimes in in life, you've got to learn to to go around. You don't have to climb it just because it's there. You don't have to to try to conquer the mountain. And sometimes we just got to learn to go around that problem. Say, you know what? This is just something we don't need to conquer.

We don't need to to to to face this and deal with it. We can just go around this and keep on with our relationship. You know what happens in relationships so often? We make mountains out of mole hills and we make mole hills out of mountains. and we're trying to conquer this mountain which is no which isn't the biggest problem. Instead, if we just go this way, we could deal with what's real issue over here. And sometimes you got to go around the mountain and sometimes you got to go through it. That's what they did here in Hawaii. H3 Lake Poly Highway. They said, "Let's not try to go over the whole mountain.

Let's go through the mountain. You know, sometimes you just got to look for the light at the end of the tunnel in your relationship. But unfortunately, sometimes the light at the end of that tunnel, it's a train coming right at you. But sometimes we just got to say, "Lord, help me to get through this problem. Give me the light I need to get through this tunnel." When you go into those tunnels, when those lights aren't on, it's dark. In Psalms 119 verse 105, it says, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." And sometimes what we need to do is say, "God, this problem I have with this person.

I I need your help to get through it and take me to your word. Give me Bible verses. Give me scripture. Give me a light onto my feet. Light and a lamp under my feet. Help me to get through this problem. Light this up so I can see what the issues are, what I need to do. God says, "Listen, love can remove mountains, but sometimes you don't need to remove the mountain. You just need to get over it." And you know, sometimes you just need to see, I just need to get over this problem and just realize I'm we're not going to solve it overnight. And it's going to be a little bit progress here and a little progress there until we resolve the issues.

Sometimes we just need to go around this problem. We don't have to fight this battle. We don't have to conquer this mountain. We can go around it and and get to where we need to be. And sometimes we need to go through it and say, "God, give me the light to get through this problem." See, sometimes in love relationships, we got nothing to say and we need to learn to say the right thing. And sometimes in relationships, we got nothing to know because we think we know it all already. I know they're wrong and I'm right. and we don't try to work through those issues. Then sometimes we got nothing to give.

Look at verse number three. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and though I give my body be burned and have not charity or love, it profits me nothing. We got nothing to give. Remember the illustration I used last week? I had the bowl of water over here with the sponge and you squeeze the sponge as hard as you want. Nothing's going to come out of it until you put it in the water and saturate it. And then you squeeze it and just fl water water flows out. And when the water stops flowing, go back and put it in the water again. When you find you have nothing to give, you have to go back to the source, the giver.

And some of us have nothing to give because we have not received. In Matthew 7:es 21- 23, it says, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter in the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven. Many will say to me that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied thy name? And thy name have cast out devils, and thy name done many wonderful works. And then will I profess un I never knew you. Depart from me, you work iniquity. See, here are people that had nothing to give because they didn't have Jesus Christ. It's not your religion. It's not your rituals like baptism or church membership or catechism.

It's not your own righteousness, but it's a relationship. In Ephesians 2:8:9, for by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works, let's say, a man should boast. In Titus chapter 3 and verse 5, it says, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us by the washing and regeneration of the Holy Ghost. And listen, some of you are struggling in your relationships with others because you have do not have the love of God in you. You do not have the Holy Spirit. You do not have Jesus Christ your savior. The Bible says in 1 John 5 12 and 13, "He that hath the Son hath life.

He that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the son of God that you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe on the name of the son of God. You see, you've got to have the the life. You've got to have Jesus Christ. It's not something you can do with your silver and gold. 1 Peter 1:18 and 19. For as much as you know that you are not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish, without spot.

You know, you get to heaven, you could go offer God every last piece of gold you have and he'd say, "Good, put it down in the streets because that's what we paved the streets with." See folks, our religion, our rituals, our righteousness, all that we have to offer, they're nothing to God. He doesn't need them. You need him. You need the giver in order to learn how to give. In John 3:16, for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. In Romans 5'8, but God commendeth his love towards us while yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Well, pastor, I can't love that person. Well, God didn't have to love me. But because he's the giver of all, he loved me while I was a sinner. And when I have his love in me, then I have more than enough love to give to others as well. But when I don't have his love, I have nothing to give. You're like a sponge with no water. No matter how hard you squeeze it, no m I'm trying to love that person. I'm trying really hard. Nothing's going to come out without the giver. You got to have Christ. And you got to be saturated in his love. You see folks, nothing is something only when it is in the right place.

Let me say it again. Nothing is something only when it is in the right place. In John 15:4 and 5, the Bible says, "Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can you except you abide in me. I am the vine, you the branches. He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. Now listen. For without me, you can do nothing. You and I, we are nothing. We're just a bunch of zeros. In Psalms 144:es 3 and 4, it says, "Lord, what is man that thou takest knowledge of him?

Or the son of man that thou makest account of him?" Man is like to vanity, like a bubble that bursts. His days are as a shadow that passes away. You and I are a great big zero with the ought rubbed out. We're nothing. Now, we like to think we're something. In Galatians 6:3, it says, "For a man think himself to be something when he's nothing, he deceives himself." I like to think that's what caused a lot of problems. I'm something and you can't treat me that way. That's what caused a lot of relationship problems, is it not? We think we're something and God says, "No, you're nothing. You're just a zero."

It's only God who makes us something. In Romans 12:3, "For I say through the grace given unto me to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than you ought to think, but think soberly, according as God had dealt to every man the measure of faith." You and I are just a bunch of zeros. Now, let me ask you a question. What's a zero worth? Nothing, right? is worth nothing. If I said, "I'm going to take out my wallet and I'm going to give you zero." Would you be happy about that? No. Because it's nothing. So, does a zero have value? Yes. If you put a one in front of a zero, does that make it worth something?

Oh, yeah. It it gives it value. It's the one that gives the zero value. And it's the one who gives us value. In ourselves, we have no value. But when you put God first in our life, then you have value. Now if you put a one after a zero, does it have value? No. A zero in front of a one is a still zero. It has no value. It's only when you put the one first that the zero has value. 01 is a penny. But one is a dime. It's what gives it value. You can take the O away from the one, it's still a one. And so you and I are the ones that that are zeros. It's only God that brings us value. So we like to think we're something, but only God makes us something.

So it's where you place your life that determines if it counts for anything. Matthew 6:33, "Seek you first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." If I put God first, then all of a sudden I'm no longer just a zero. I'm now got value. I'm a 10. Mark 12:es 29 and 30. And Jesus answered, "The first of all commandments is here, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, with all thy mind, with all thy strength." This is the first commandment. You see, it's loving God. God first gives me value.

God last doesn't I have no extra value. I'm still a zero. Now, if I were to write you a check right now and I would write it with a one and a zero behind it, that'd be worth more than just the one, right? You know, the zero increases the value of that one. Now, what if I put two zeros behind it? What does that do? You're getting a bigger smile on your face. You're saying, "Okay, now that's talking real money." $100. You know what? If I put two two zeros, three zeros behind it, $1,000. In Mark 12:31, it says, "And the second is like, namely this, how so love thy neighbor as thyself. There's none other commandment greater than these."

Our greatest value comes by putting God first, others second, and myself last. When I put myself first, I'm only in the 10 spot. When I put somebody in front of me, then I'm in the hundred spot. I put another person in front of me, I'm in the thousand spot. So, but I got to put God first because otherwise we're all we're all just a bunch of zeros without the one. He's the one that brings us value. Look at Luke chapter 22. Just a few more verses. We're going to close. So, stick with me. Luke chap 22 and look at verses 24- 26. Luke chapter 22 beginning with verse number 24 down through verse number 26.

And there was also a strife among them which of them would be accounted the greatest. He said unto them, the king of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they exercise authority upon them and are called benefactors. But you shall not be so. But he that is greatest among you, let him be as younger, and he that is chief as he that does serve. You know, the first shall be last, and the last shall be first. When I put myself first, I lose my value. I lose my value because God's no longer giving me value. And when I put myself in front of others in my relationship instead of putting them in front of me, I lose more value.

It's only by putting God first and others second, myself last, that's what brings the value in that relationship. But all the glory belongs to the one. If I were to pull out a checkbook right now, and I don't have one because my wife won't let me have one. But if I were to pull out a checkbook right now and write 10 zeros on there, would you be really excited about that? Put 10 zeros in the pay to place. I wouldn't. Because 10 zeros is the same value as one zero. Nothing. But if I put those 10 zeros and then put a one in front of it, would that get you excited? Yeah. You'd think I was the government, you know, and uh giving you all that money.

It's the one that gives the value and the glory belongs to the one. The glory belongs to God. In Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ with strength to me. By myself, I'm nothing but Christ. He makes me of value. And when I put him first, then I have greater value. So, how do you increase nothing? What's zero plus zero? Say it out loud. What's 0 plus 0? Okay, everybody got that? Except the marines. Good. And uh what's one plus 0? It's still one. The zero doesn't change it. So adding a zero does not change the equation. What about subtraction? 1 minus 0 is still one. So I don't add anything to God and I don't take anything away from God because he's the one that gives me value.

I lose the value. What about multiplying 1 times 0? That doesn't work, does it? What about dividing? 1 divided by 0. See, all these things don't work. But here's what does work. John 3:30, he must increase and I must decrease. The more I realize that my greatest value comes in my relationship with God, boy, that changes me. It doesn't change God, but it changes me. And my value also increases in my relationship with others when I put them first. See, so often what causes our problems, she can't treat me like that. I have more value than that. And I understand what people say when they say that and people do have value.

I'm not trying to say wrong that. But our value, God says, "You're so valuable. I sent my son to die for you." Boy, that's a lot of value. But not because I deserved it. I was a sinner. I was nothing. But he said, "I can make you something." So he starts out chapter 13 saying, "Listen, you can say all the right things. You can know all the right things. You can do all the right things and still be a zero." Because love is not just about knowing and saying and doing the right things. It's about actually doing them. Putting God first, others second, and yourself last. Let's bow in prayer. Every head bowed, every eye closed, no one looking around.

I have you bow your heads and close your eyes. I do not want to perish. I'm not going to call out your name, nothing like that. But I wonder how many here would say, "Pastor, I know that my life has value because of what Jesus did for me. And I know I'm going to heaven not because of what I done, but because of what he did for me. And I know that if I died today, I'd go to heaven because my sins are forgiven and I have Jesus Christ as my savior. If you know that for sure without a doubt in your heart, your mind, raise your hand right now. Hold for just a moment. I know that for sure. All right.

Thank you. Put your hands down. If you're not sure, the Bible says, and I read it earlier, 1 John 5, that you could know that you have eternal life, not because of what you've done, but because of what he's done for you. And I wonder if somebody here would say, "Pastor, I don't know for sure. I I think so. I hope so. I want to. But the honest truth is I don't know if I died the day I go to heaven. I don't know if I have my sins are forgiven or I have peace with God, but I want it." Would you pray for me? Heads are bowed, eyes are closed, no one's looking. Would you say, "Pastor, pray for me because I'm not sure if I die the day I go to heaven, but I want to be."

Raise your hand right now for just a moment like that. Pray for me. I'm not sure, but I want to be. I want to ask some Christians. How many of you would say, "Pastor, the message has challenged me today that if I want my life to have value, I've got to put God first." And I've not always been doing that. And I want you to pray for me that I would put God first in my life, seeking first the kingdom of God so that I can have the value and the love of God fill my life. Pastor, would you pray for me? God's really challenged me with that as a Christian. Raise your hand right now over this moment. It's where God's spoken to me.

All right. Thank you. No wonder how many would say, "Pastor, where God's challenged me is that putting others second ahead of myself." And I realize in some of my relationships, I have not been doing that. I've been putting me first. I've been acting like a know-it-all. I I I I I I've thought that I I could do all these things and whatever I want to do and I've realized that I need to put others ahead of myself and that gives me greater value. Pastor, would you pray for me? Raise your hand. Hold it just a moment. Pray for me. All right. Thank you. Then one last question. How many would say, "Pastor, I want you to pray for me because I got a mountain.

There's a relationship I have. Maybe it's a spouse, family, friends, [snorts] co-workers, whatever. But I've got a relationship. There's a great big mountain there in front of me. And I need you to pray for me that I would understand what God wants me to do. Does he want me to get over it? Does he want me to get around it? Does he want me to get through it? But I want God to help me to get the victory over this mountain in this relationship. Would you pray for me? Raise your hand right now. Pray for me. All right. Thank you, Father. We pray for each one that's here today. Lord, if any do not know Christ as your savior, I pray that you understand that you cannot love without knowing love.

You cannot give without the giver. That we're nothing without Christ. And only through him can we have salvation and help put their faith and trust in you. Then, Father, for Christians, I pray today that you'd help Christians in this room that raised their hand that said, "I I want to put God first." And that's the only thing that gives us value. We put ourselves first, we're just nothing. And Lord, for others, second, that's hard because I I want to be in second place. I want to be right there. But I get more value when I put others ahead of myself. And Lord, I pray for some people here that are facing mountains in their relationship.

And boy, it seems like, how am I ever going to get over this? How can I get through this? How can I get around this? And it just seems insurmountable. But love never fails. Help us remember that. For in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Let's stand together with heads bowed and eyes closed. No one look around. Noel's going to sing this song, an invitation song. It's an opportunity for you to get right with the Lord. If you're not saved, you're not sure, go to heaven, go back to the back of the auditorium. Someone will meet you. Take a Bible, open that Bible, and show you how you can know you're going to heaven.

But if you're a Christian, would you bow right there where you're at? Just bow down to your seat and say, "Lord, I want to put you first. Lord, I I want to put my wife, my husband, my children, my friend, or whatever. I want to put them ahead of myself. Lord, I want you to show me how I can conquer this mountain because God promises that in Zechariah, you can conquer the mountain. Would you bow right where you're at? As Noel sings, softly and tenderly Jesus is calling, calling for you and for me. See on the portals he's waiting and watching. Watching for you and for me. Sing that next part together.

Come home. Come home. Ye, Lord, are we come home. Earnestly, tenderly. Jesus is calling. calling. Oh sinner, come home. Thank you. May be seated. I hope this message challenged you as much as it did me as I was preparing it. I challenge you this. Get yourself some of those little cards that kids used when they were learning their numbers. Get a one and some zeros and put them up somewhere and remind yourself, I got to keep God in first place. I got to keep others ahead of me and put myself last. There's some practical application of that in your life. And if you're dealing with a problem with someone in a relationship on your way out, there's a handout I have in the welcome center desk there.

It's called how to reconcile with your brother or sister in Christ. And it just gives you the scriptures and the steps to take when you have a problem with somebody, the steps to follow. And this is, I think, can be helpful to you in any relationship. And so you might want to pick up a copy as you go out today and get that. And then over the next few weeks, we'll be looking at what does it mean love sufferth long? You might be saying, "Well, yeah, I've been suffering with this person forever." But that's not what it means. So we're going to look at each individual characteristic of love. And I want to encourage you during this time to memorize 1 Corinthians 13, at least verses 1-8.

And that way you'll get that much more out of the message as we go through the message. And I'd like to encourage you, I'll be reading from the King James and teaching from that. It'd be just be easier for you to follow along if you memorize there. But wherever you memorize, just memorize it and make it personal for yourself as well in doing that. So, those are things I think would be helpful to you and a blessing to you. And I hope that you'll stick with the message. Now, if you weren't here last week, go on to uh online either our Facebook page or our YouTube page and download and watch that because it really foundational to what we're saying today and the weeks to come as well and try to keep up with it every week online where we've had some difficulties online, but it'll always be there later until we get that problem solved.

And so, uh get online and take a look at that. And folks, I'll tell you what, this is a great message to share with people you know that are struggling in these areas. And so you can share it on Facebook and social media or you can share it through the YouTube page. I hope you'll do that. Thank you for your patience. I went a little bit longer with the message, but let me make just a few announcements here. Uh I don't know if we have the video announcements or not. I'll see if they're going to play those or there. There we go. Okay. We're excited to kick off missions week beginning Sunday, January 18th.

This will be a special week as we hear from our missionary to Brazil, Charles Nichols, and focus on what God is doing around the world. It all starts Sunday, January 18th, with every service centered on missions. Then on Wednesday, January 21st, instead of our regular Bible studies, we'll gather together for a special night of missions focused teaching. And I really want to highlight Friday night, January 23rd. This isn't a normal church night for most people, but we're making it something special. We'll be serving Brazilian coffee along with a special hot drink inspired by Brazil for those who don't like coffee and enjoying a relaxed time of fellowship followed by an encouraging missions message.

Missionary Charles will be preaching in all of these services. So come ready to be challenged, encouraged, and reminded of God's heart for the nations. You can find a full schedule at ohana.urch for its last events. We hope to see you there. Calling all married couples. Make plans for Friday, February 7th. We're hosting a special night focused on building a better marriage. It's going to be a meaningful event with a romantic dinner, laughter, and practical encouragement to strengthen your relationship. To get all the details and to register, just go toana.urch/events where you can register and take advantage of the early discount.

Thanks for joining us today. We hope you can come back out tonight for our evening service as we continue our study in second Timothy. Okay. For building a better marriage, if you're willing to help men, some of you men with the decoration, we're going to do the decoration this year. You can see brother Seabird raise your hand and offer your help to him. And uh for for uh you singles and young adult, young teenagers and all, if if you can uh help out that night, we will hire you for double the military overtime pay. Okay? And uh but this is also a chance for you kind of give back to those who have helped feed you for different meals and stuff.

So if you can let my wife know that you're available to help out in serving or other things that would be appreciated as well. Uh we do have by the way a meal today right after this service downstairs. Our auditorium Sunday class has provided the meal and especially if you're a guest here today you are invited to join them. And uh some of you singles are welcome to come on down and get a good home-cooked meal. And others you'll have to talk to John Brandt if you want to stick around, but I'm sure he'd be glad to have you. And so you can check that'll be right below us here in the teen room. And then um also I'm looking for volunteers to help out with social media.

Uh there's a number of social media groups like uh Hickham or Scoffield or certain areas or whatever or homeschool moms. And we'd like to get some of our folks, especially our ladies, but even the men can do this if there's a group for them where they would just join those groups. And a lot of time I've seen on there sometimes people will specifically ask, "Where's a church I can go to?" And so be available to answer that question and and share with them what you think is a great church. I hope. And then also sometimes people just saying, you know, I'm lonely and and and a great place to find friends is church.

And so if you'd like to be a part of that ministry, talk to Stacy Plesley Pleski or let me know. And we'd like to get about f four or five or six people that get on there and just be be involved in reaching out to our community in a different way. If you were out in the park and somebody said, "I'm looking for church." What would your answer be? You'd tell them about your church. Right? If you were out in the park and somebody says, "I'm lonely. I'm looking for friends." You'd say, "Hey, I know where you can find a lot of friends." Just doing it through social media. And so, if you'd like to do that, and then also out in the welcome center, we have uh the t-shirts.

And if you'd like to purchase one of the church t-shirts, uh this is one of them here. They wanted somebody really good-looking to model it. So, I'm going to go ahead and put it on and that'll take care of that and show you that, but you're welcome to pick up a t-shirt out there. And uh there uh I the price is out there. I I don't remember the price right now, but you can get a discount if you buy more than one. So, I know that helps the families with a little less cost. And um if you didn't get the ornament for Christmas, I keep saying it's last Sunday, but this will be the last Sunday. and uh and doing that and I forgot to use one of my illustrations and that is the little train that could

you know remember the little train that could I think I can I think I can I I hope I can I hope I can I know I can you know what through God's power you can get over that mountain you can get through that situation but you need the power of God to do that so let let be like that little train that could uh pray for Edna Melson family that's one of our Filipino ladies she passed away and pray for her husband and and two daughters as well uh in in uh this time now. I know they'd appreciate that. And then Josephine Rivera is asking prayer for her grandson had a seizure and was taken to the hospital tripler and MRI showed no brain damage, but an EEG diagnosed him with um juvenile myolonic epilepsy.

So his name is Jeremy. He's 14 years old. So we'll be praying for this need and somebody specifically taking the card raise your hand and Ricky will bring that to you uh to be praying for that. All right, that's all the announcements that takes care of that. Uh as you leave today, take time to greet one another and build some new relationships as well. And again, if you want to join for the meal downstairs and otherwise I'll be outside the double doors. And as we leave, I I would thank you if you're new to come by and let me just personally thank you for coming and I appreciate that. Let's go ahead and stand for dismissing word of prayer.

And I'm ask Tupu to come and dismiss us in prayer at this time. Pray. Gracious heavenly father, we to thank you for your love. Your love that overcomes any disastrous and any struggle, any high mountain that we go through in our lives. Lord, we're so thankful that we have a great God, a loving God, a mighty God. Lord, as we uh receive your word today, the message you've given pastor, Lord, help us to walk out of here and apply it in our walk with you this week. All these things that we heard from your word, from the mouth of your servant that we can use it daily throughout our lives. We thank you Lord for your word. We thank you for who you are. We ask that you bless us as we and and uh bring us back this evening Lord Father in Jesus name. Amen.