LAST SUNDAY WE DISCUSSED THE GREAT GAP THAT PRESENTLY

THOUGHT AND CHRISTIAN LIVING, AND THE NECESSITY OF CLOSING

——_——

PRESENT, HOPEFULLY YOU CAN RECALL THAT WH APPROACHED THIS F

LETTER TO THE ROMANS, BEGINNING WITH HIS ADVISE TO PRESENT

FICE UNCONFORMED TO TH WORLD. THIS WEEK I WANT TO DISCUSS

EXISTS BETWEEN CHRISTIAN
THIS GAP. IF YOU WERE
ROBLEM THROUGH ST. PAUL'S

YOURSELVES AS A LIVING SACHL*

FURTHER PAUL'S THOUGHTS

ON A CHRISTIAN LIF& AND AGAIN I WILL TURN TO THE 12th CHAPUER OF HIS LETTER TO THE

ROMANS. YOU WILL RECALL, THIS IS THE PINT AT WHICH PAUL_QHANGES HIS DISCOURSE FROM

THRORY TO _P CE. ALL THAT COMES BEFORS THE 1?th CHAPTHi

But
IS LOFTY THD LOGY/AT THE

12th CHAPTER PAUL SAYS, SINCE ALL THESE THINGS ARE TURE THAT I HAVE JUST SALD ABOUT GOD

AND JESUS CHRIST, SIN AND THE LAW,/SINCE THESE ARE TRUE WE

—=—

ALSO LST US AGAIN RECALL THAT IT IS IN THE LETTER TO T

Jae CERTAIN OB LLbAT Ory
UST DO SO AND 50.

HE ROMANS THAT PAUL IS

ADDRESSING A GROUP OF MEN HE DOESN'T KNOW. BECAUSE HE HAS WEVER BEEN TO ROME HIS

ADVISE IS GEVERAL AS FAR AS CONCRETE SITUATIONS GO, BUT VER

_———.__ —

THE GROUNDWORK OF A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST. THAT IS WiY THE L&

Y SPECIFIC AS HE DISCRISES

TTEATO THE ROMANS IS PARTI-

CULARLY APPLICABLE TO US T@AY. PAUL HAD NO CONCEPTION WHATEVER OF THE DAY TO VAY

PROBLEMS CHRISTIANS WOULD HAVE T FACE 2,000 YEARS AFTER HE

WROTE HIS LETTER. AS A

MATTER OF FACT HE FIRMLY PELIEVED THAT THE END OF THE AGE WAS CLOSE AT HAND.

——

BUT HIS ADVICE ON WHERLTO BSGIN WHEN TRYING TD LIVE Ag

—$—<————

A CHRISTIAN, THE PREREQUISITES,

ee

THE ASSUMPTIONS WE MUSTMAKE ARE JUST AS TIRE TAY AS THEY WERE THEN AND WILL BE FOREVER.

amma 3

NOW LET US TURN TO THE CENTRAL THOU HT OF PAUL'S, THE
U\DERGIRD ANY CHRISTIAN LIFE, THAT OF LOVE.

LOVE IS A THOUGHT THAT OCCURS AGAIN AND AGAIN THROUGH

CHARACTERISTIC THAT MUST
re

UT ALL OF PAUL'S LETTERS.

LOVE is central for him, it is the CORNERS STONE OF HIS CMRISTIAITY AND CMISTIAN

ETHICS. HIS THOUGHTS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF LOVE REACH THEI)

———

| HX&K HELGHTH IN THE WELL

KNOWN 13th CHAPTER OF lst cata WHICH I WILL RETWRN LATER. FOR PAUL THE

BEHIND CREATGON AND THE

VERY REASON FOR LIFE ilove LOVE WAS THE MOTIVATING FORCE

POWER THAT RESULTED IN TH ULTIMATE APPEARANCE OF JESUS CHEIST. LOVE IS THE POWER THAT
—— cena;

WILL HOLD THE CHURCH TOGETHE:, IT IS THE M(RAL FIBER THAT LOWS UNDERN

THROUGH THE COMMUNITY OF CHRISTIANS.

———
é

WITH LOVE, AS IS THE CASE $0 MANY TIMES, WE CANNOT FU]

ATH AND

WY JNDERSTANDWPHAT THE WORD

MEANT 2,000 YEARS AGO.

SIMPLY DGESN'T SEEM TO FILL THS HILL, IT IS PREITY MUCH OF

THE FOUR LETTER WORD LOVE HAS BEEN REDUCED IN MEANING

GREATEST OF WHICH IS THE MASS MEDIA. HOLLYWOOD HAS DRAGGEI

MUD AND SLUSH, THROUGI SLOPPY SENTIMENY AND TELEVISION HAS

LINES.

—$————

TODAY IF ONE WANTS TO EXPRESS HIS DEEPEST FEELINGS LOVE

A USELESS TERM.
BY A NUMBER O? FACTORS, THE

) THE WORD LOVE THROUGH

FOLLOWED ALONG THE SAME
cERI ATA

THE HARM DONE BY THESE TWO MEDIA, HOWEVER, HAS BEEN FAR SUPERSEDED BY MAGAZINES

AND 25¢ novels. In these later two forms the ward love hag lost completely ANY VESTIGES

OF BEAUTY AND SINCERSTY AND HAS BEOOME THE PASS WORD FOR PROMLSCUITY AND FILTH. Ge
—— aie 4 —

“le + cael

TIURESERNT THE CHARMING YOUNG LADY ON THE FRONT OF MY TRU CONFESSIONS, WHOSE ARTICLE

ENTITLED ("ID DIDN'T KNOW WHAT LOVS WAS UNTIL I MANRIED MY &

th HUSBAND" | APPEARS TN EVERY

SUCH MAGAZINES, IS TALKING AHOUr THE SAME THING AS PAUL.

MINDS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IT COULD EASILY BE SO.

&
on >
BECAUSE OF THIS MA{S DEGRADING OF THE WORD LOVE, A B

COURTS HAVE OVER STUFFED DOCKETS.

OUR POPUIAR SONGS REFLECT THE AMERICAN IDEA OF

—_———

LOVE.

IN REALITY NO / BUT IN THE

¥—-PRODUCT OF IT, OUR DIVORCE

LOVE IS THE EMOTION TRXXRESGMEMRY

THAT DESCENDS LIKE A LIGHTENING BOLT, THAT MAKES BELLS RING, AND CAUSES ONE TO FEEL

DIZZY. IT MAKES THE LIGHTS GO DOWN Lowp AND MAKES MUSIC RING IN OUR EARS. LOVE IS THE

WORD WE USE FOR SWEET STICKY AFFECTION, WE LOVE OUR DOGS,

CHILDREN, OUR TOWN AND OUR COUNTY.
—- ss

a

TALS COLOR AND THAT DRESS, THIS ACTOR AND IHAT PIECE OF MUSIC

——

—_

AMERICAN ria, (1 iva) 1S SEMPLY AND UPTERLY MEANINGLESS!

WE LOVE OUR CARS, OUR

WE LOVE EACH OTH&R AND CERTAIN BOOKS, WE LOVE

, WE LOVE GOD AND THE

=

IN A WAY THIS IS NOT ENTIAGLY OUR FAULT. LOVE IN ITSELF I5 A VERY DIFFICULT WORD

TO DEFINE. WHEN ONE ATTEMPTS TO COME UP WITH WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE PHRVOMENON OF

LOVE He FINDS THAT THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE HAS A SHORTAGE OF
RTAGE

SYNONYMS ON THIS AREA,

PHILOSOF HERS FROM THE PRESENT BACK TO THE TIME OF PLATO, THE FATHER OF PHILOSOPHY,

HAVE TRIED TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE OF LOVE, THEY MVE DEWDTED DIFF

OF LOVE, DI SFERENT NAMES FOR UL BYERENT FEELINGS THAT SEEM
PHILOSU°HERS ANDTHINKERS THROUGHOUT HISTORY HAVE RECg

CALL LOVE IS THE STRONG SST OF THE HUMAN EMOTIMS. LOVE CA

ERENT Ox THO HL ES

LIKE LOVE.

GNIZED THAT THE HMOFION WE

|} PROMPT A MAN TO LAY DOWN

—___

HIS LIS FOR ANOTHER, LOVE CAN ELND A GROUP TOGETHER UBES

AGENT OF HEAVEYLY HAPPINESS AND ALSO THE DEPIHS OF DESPA]

T0_COPE WITH THE MANY SIDED, NATRUE OF LOVE THE ANC]

EPARABLY, LOVE CAN BE THE
R.

ENTS CAME UP WITH A FEW

DI *FERENT WORDS. THEY SAW THAT TO LUMP EVERYTHING INTO ONE WORD WOULD BE CONFUSING.

——————

THEY USED THE WORDL FILIA TO DESIGNATE PARENTAL LOV

AND CHILD. AMNOTHER THING ALTOGZTHER WAS THE FEELING ONE

» THE FEELING BETWEEN A MOTHER

HAS FOR HIs MATE OR A MEMBOR

OF THE OPPOSITE SEX, THIS THEY CALLED EROS OR ROMANTIC LE. AND THEN THEY ALL KNEW

THAT STL LL ANOPHER IMPORTANT TYME OF THIS FEELING EXISTE

Love BETWEEN
or MIAN + ACAW
THIS, IN SSENCE, IS DIVINE LOV E,| SELF SACRIFICEING DEEP
’ ee a 4

THESE THREE WORDS ARE USED IN THE N.T. GREEK AND 1Aq
a —_—

OWN SEPARATE AND INDIVIDUAL MEANING. OUR PROBLEM, IN TA]

THE FACT THAT ALL OF THESE WORDS AND THELR MEANINGS ARE |
———

WHICH THEY CALLED AGAPE.
4a ¢ &VAWN
te ho x 3

AND BEAUTIFUL.

L

IN TEXTS AND BACH HAS ITS

KING ABOUT LOVE, ARISES FROM

JUMPS) INTO ONE WORD.

nr

JUST AS A SIDE NOTE, ‘HIS I5 ONE OF THE GREATEST FRQELEMS ECNOUNTERED IN TRANSLATING
_ ai —————E

ANOHER LANGUAGE INTO ENGLISH. FOR OUR WRD XMOUEWEX BLUE

BACH MEANING A SEPARATE AND DIFFERENT THING.

[THERE ARE 17 GERMAN EQUIVALENTS

AND AS WE BAVE SEEN, FOR OUR WORD LOVE

THEKE ARE AT LEAST THREES GRSEX WORDS THAT MEAN THREE SEPARATE THINGS.

IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, THE WORD AGAPE IS THE ONE MOS}
pep sett = Sa

ARE CONCERNED WITH TODAY.

WAL
A CHRISTIAN LIYE, HOWEVER, LET US LOOK AT Th: =m I

BEFORE WE TRY TO DERINE IT AND D
al —

r WIDELY USED, AND THE ONE WE

ISCOVER ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR

= Peale
OUR TEXT FOR THIS MORNING. ]

secud Wal\¥ oe Port's

PAUL TELLS THE ROMANS TO LET LOVE B® GENUINE AND IN THE SAME BREATH TO HATE WHAT IS

EVIL.

THE TWO GO TOGETHER ‘gs LOVE IS TRUE, IF LOVE IS ACTUS

LLY GENUINE THENE WE MUST

—_—

HATE WHAT IS EVIL. THE SEQOND PART OF THE STATEMENT IS Ng

LESS IMPORTANT THAN THE

FIRST. IF WE FOLLOW PAUL'S ADVICE AND TRULY ATTEMPT TO

AUTOMATICALLY OBLIG ATED TO HATS THAT WHICH IS NO T DESHRV]
i —_—_—_—_

ADVICE Ok SWEET SOUNDING ENQ@IRAGHINVT, IT IS A CHALLANGE,

RESPONSIBILITIES WE HAVE AS GHRISTLANS.
ee astedeentan

THAT TH EXE IS EVIL IN THE WORLD IS NOT A QUESTION FO}

Vi GENUINELY WE ARS
ING OF OUR LOVE. THIS IS NOT

AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE

PAUL/ IT IS THERE/ AND IT IS

THE NEVER ENDING JOB OF THE CONSCIENTOUS CHRISTIAN TO PIGkT IT AND STAMP IT OUT. TO

—_——_

FIGHT, TO BATTLE, AND TO WIN, SSEM LIKE CONTRADICTORY SrA’

MENTS TO--LET LOVE BE

Hew Cun gre do TF aud \louwe

canurn aur HEY ARE NOI. THEY ARE AN IMPORTANT PARTOF Ty
Rok Gareu © Acclem ia

BE Gmina] uNLEss /TP IS RILED BY EVIL. — LOVE, BECS
—_—_—_— —

NATURE HATES EVIL. |

AT STATIMENT. LOVE CANNOT

USE If IS GHNUINE, BY ITS

THIS QUESTION OPENS THE DOOR TO ISSUES TIAT HAVE BEE} VOICED AND ARGUED FOR

CENTURIES,( "HOW CAN I LOVE AND FIGHT FOR MY coach i CAN I LOVE GENUINELY AND

—_—

DEFEND MYSELF?"/ IT IS A VALID QUESTLON ONE THT WILL CON]

TO COME, THE ISSUE WAS RALSED, VERY LHGITIMATSLY, IN OUR

TINUE T BE ARGUED FOR CENTURIES

CONGRSG TIONAL MEETING ON

THURSDAY EVENING BY A FEW OF OUR MEMBERS AND BY A NUMBER] OF OTHERS WHO HAVE VOICED

——— ———h

THEIR QUESTIONS SINCE THAT TIME, OUR CHURCH WAS CONSIDERING JOINING THE LAKE COUNTY

COUNCIL OF CHURCHES, NEWLY FORMED ONGANIZATLON THAT INCLIDES THE VAST MAJORITY OF

PROTES'ANT CHURCHES IN LAKE COUNTY,
PO WeROS?

AMONG MANY OTHER THINGSIT DG&S, THE COUNCIL HA S TAKEN A FIRM STAND ON HARROW SOCIAL
—_—oae{w—— ay

AND POLITICAL ISSUES. THE ONE IN WESTON DeSSeReESH CONCERNED A BIT OF FRAUD AND

iene

THEFT ON A HIGH POLITICAL LEVEL THAT WAS UNCOVERED BY A SENATE INVESTAGATING COMMITTEE.

———"

DUE TO THE TOTAL CORRUPTION OF THE POLITICAL MAGHINE IN QUESTION THE MEN WHO WE

—

DISCOVERED WITH THEIR HANDS IN THE.PUBLIC TILL WERE NEVER PROSECUTED. ‘THE LAKE COUNTY

wer in
ae + is, Seah
COUNCIL OF CHURCHES DECIDED TO DO SOMTHING AHOUT AND AT| PRESENT 1S SUPPORTING A LAW XRG

CORRECT
SULIT TD eS SESSHT «THIS SITUATION,

THE QUESTION AROSE AS TO WHETHER THIS IS THS APPROPHIATE WAY FOR THE CHURCH OF

JESUS CHRIST TO ACT, SHOULD THE CHURCH PUSH THEIR STAND |ORLIS MES TO THE POINT

OF GOING TO CORT. THIS OF COIRSE INVOLVES A MULTITUDE QF OTHER ISSUES, SUCH AS THE

—

—_—

—

NATURE OF THE enna, / Sa n| WHAT IS JUSTICH AND SO GN. THESE QUESTIONS CANNOT BE

FA SSED on, (ou TIME DOES NOT FERMIT ME GOING INTO reat)
: ha, ! PA

. ¥ il /
HUMAN JUSTL CE IS AN ABITRARY THING, /OUR CODE OF LAw,} OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM ITSELF IS

a *

QUEST ONAHLE FOR A NEMBER OF REASONS. HOWEVER, IN THE COURTS WE ARE PROVIDED A WAY OF

FIGHTING AND XXXX ELIMINATING EVIL. If IS A MEANS THAT IJS DIGNIFT ED AND WHICH AS

NEARLY AS POSSL BLE TAKES INTO ACCOUNT REASON AND LOGIC. [fT IS A SYSTEM DEVOTH) To

——

MAKING THE DECISION AS TO WHAT IS RIGHT AND WHAT IS WRONG.
DECIDE WHICH PATH TO Follow

ST. PAUL GIVES US THE ANSWER AS TD GR RESP STEP LITHes

IN TRYING TO
P
THES AND HOW WE SHOULD ACT

—

——$—<$_$_$_—_

IN THE FACE OF EVIL.
ae aE

THE LAKE COUNTY 00 UNCLL OF CHURCHES HAS DOME JUST 4

LET LOVE BE GENUINE, HATE WHAT IS EVIL.

rab)
Renews
T, HA ING @83N AN UNABASHED

ACT OF EVIL, THEY HAVE HATED/AND TAKEN STEPS TO FLGH AND AELIMINATE be sh

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF CHHLSTIAN LOVE, AN OBLIG
) I AM DEEPLY PROUD THAT OUR CHURCH HAS VO

iio

BERN saa, [x

THIS STRUGGLE AGAINST

he)

EVI

ATLON THAT FOR ONCE HAS NOT

TED TO BECOME A PART OF

AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE LOVE APPEARS THME AND TIM® AGAIN IN PAUL'S LSTTERS: AND IN

MOST CASES IT 15 THE wory/ Acar THAT HE HAS USED. YOU wii
aaa

_—

AGAPE AS DIVINE OR SELF-SACRI FICING LOVE. THIS IS THE A EY

LOVE IS THE KEY TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF GOdg

FOR EMKEX PAUL, |

DIvFERENT MEN HAVE
reteionn ss.

HAD DIF

JISTICE, MERCY, OMNIPOTINCE,
Sn nat

——

fe PAUL THESE AND MUCH MORE Al

AGAPE OR LOVE.

—$—$—$—_$_—_$—<—

L RACAL I BRIEFLY DEFINED

| TO LIVING A CGHALSTIAN LIFE

FERENT WORDS OD DESCRIBE GQ), SOME HAVE BEEN POWER,

RE BOUND UP IN THE ONE WORD

GOD CREATED THE EARTH AND ALL OF NATURES NOT TO SATIS.

Th bef EE
HIMSELF TO THE PHOPLE OF ISRAEL BECAUGE

LOVED, GOD REVEALED

SELF IN JESUS CHET ST NOT TO SHOW MEN HOW SINFUL THEY WH

WEY FREAK # i, THE TREES, RIVERS 3, HOUSES, STREETS, FRIENDS,

= . f
BECAUSE GOD LOVES,/THEY ARE GIFTS OF LOVE.

—___.

HIMSELF, BUT BECAUSE HE

Tzme AGAL/Y
HE LOVED, GOD REVEALED HIM-=

ni]
LOVED.

Re BUT BECAUSE HE LOVED. THE AIR

WIVES, FAM. sae, OURS

LOVE IS THE OMNIPOTANET POWER BEHIND THE

UNIVERSE, LOVE IS ONLY CONCERNED WITH OTHERS, St#-OBdE-C35-0F-40

“I+ fs

plus brad ri (ou

IT IS THIS SYSTEM OF THOUGHT THAT GIVES DEFINITLON JO THE WORD AGAPE.

GOD HA= SO LOVED US/THE BEST WE CAN DO

TO EACH OTHER.

oR

mB ]

JESUS CHRIST DIED ON A CROSS,/NOT TO

on

MANKIND 1S THE OBJECT OF A DEEP AND INFINITE LOVE.

IN OUR RELATIONS WITH EACH OTHER WE MUST DISPLAY AS

AGAPE. IT MEANS UNSELFISHNESS, IT MEANS CONCERN FOR THE

Ld

THE ONLY THING wi

A DISPLAY OF DIVINE rouse

WE Ld

v Prt,

(bof Pol eneags ples

BECAUSE

CAN nf 33 SHOW THE SAME FEELING

BUT BECAUSE

—_ —.

VE BECAUSE HE FIRST LOVED US.
BEST WE CAN THIS SAME LOVE OR
OTHER PERSON, IT MEANS

AL JESIRSS ASIDE AND BEING

SHARING ANOTHERS GRIEFS AND J esi MEANS PUTTING PiR SO!
a ;
Py. if MeL

IN TERAS TED Quy IN THE PROBLEMS OF ANOTHNGA THIS IS CHR]

QR Wwe asc ses sous! Axe Gur
CHRIS TIAN LIFE. wae work As pafuwi<e

I HAVE FOUND THE WORD LOVS MORE MEANINGFUL WHEN I fy

co

iru steucl aganst bagel

STIAN LOVE. THIS IS

atecck to be Chinhan
5 on doy be est \ucss

THE 13th CHAP. OF lpst

x \5 veel
nh geek oul

Corinthians LEARVI

- it serue® ee pee Cxeel

tt Ss patient and kind; X is not jealous or bogastfu]

THIS:
orth

proud. X does not insist on Wes own way? iis not irrit

subs

eo"

NG OU? THE WORD?LOVE OR CHARITY,/A SEC
ck

eee a waar ae \ on
— e2y7>

ON OF IT wOULD SOUND LIKE es
of epers bo
—

Ju iF

e #€ is no arrogant or

able or resentful; LE aces

not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. HE hearg all things, believes all

things, endures all things....."
These works ceserve Yor ovore.e bom st ic

ak ke A = wa Tom A
’

IN STRIVING TO LIVE LIKE A CHRISTIAN LET US MAKE TH]

-—_

OF varan| a ALWAYS REMEMBERING THAT THIS LOVE HATES #

——_—_—_—_—

B ot Crsishkian Love

™

iS LOVE A Pa_T OF OUR DALLY MeBE

VIL|, IT 15 NOT A BLIND LOVE,

BUT ONE THAT IS DISCERNING.
—_—-

to A

IN OUR SUDY OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE WE NOW ADD--PRESE

NT YOURSELVES AS A SACRIFICE,

tf IS &VIL.

UNCONFORMED TO THE WORLD

fs: LOVE PE GENUINE, HATING WHA
a.

“Ys 5 13. Our eak\, let VS Wo

iL be oem: oad aq acest eu. |

Mowe oF Grier ene err
tae. i
pes fare shace a
Yh Peg prem ¢ ge fe oT Quotlea~ -
firgeF Yat = Oe the op pec
Arig Shar arc detcaag reader CQu
aunt leek blause of Fluxes bea me:

Om be

WA CLL GOuc

fs

‘qyore _e Oke FO
a- =u ay
vee eres Hirer

rm @

Les CV

ee Wor ee wore

lee Jor aud Ser 7 Pe SG

Ma, ure Vitier
of @ fue
t Sangre beceef ~
ry /ove panes