Q&A Truth and Love - Pastor Patrick and Stan

You know, Pastor P, that's what I call Pastor Patrick, Pastor P. He was my youth pastor as well. And I was just sitting there reflecting on this series and tonight's teaching in particular and just kind of had this personal reflection, you know, this world, you know, it's a tough world that we live in, but there's just so much comfort, so much content that's trying to just put us into this mindset. If you've ever been to a water park, there's a lazy river that goes around. It just, the world puts us in this position. We're just kind of want to relax and be comforted all the time. And but the scripture reminds us that we're going to give an account. We're going to stand before the Lord that we should live every day in such a way and knowing that we will give an account. So I'm so grateful for the series, for tonight, for the teachings. We will give an account and how we live, how we witness. So thank God, thank God for what he is doing. So I'm going to go into some questions that were sent in and that we prepared for tonight. And here's the first one. I think this is going to be a really special one for us. What did David Wilkerson teach you about truth and love? Well, I think from his example, his life, the life he lived, the way he lived, you know, when it comes to truth, you know, one of the definitions we talked about tonight is "faithfulness." And so through his life and legacy, I learned what it means to be faithful day in and day out, despite the afflictions, despite the so many cancer operations in his family and him, he had issues with his bowels, with his stomach, digestive stuff. But despite it all, and of course the attacks of the enemy, the mind battles, the struggles of ministry, the burdens, he was faithful. And so through that, he also taught me that God is faithful, you know, that God is because God was faithful to him. And so seeing his battles, his struggles and everything he went through, it kind of helped

me to recognize, well, if God is faithful to him and he's real and he's got real battles and struggles, then God will be faithful to me. And by the grace of God, I can be faithful because the faithful God is upholding me. Amen? Does that make sense? There is a devotional by David Wilkerson. Actually, it's a book, it's a compilation of his devotions called "God is Faithful." And I have that in digital form on my iPad and I love reading it every day and I always get a nugget out of it every day and so it's such a blessing to me. So I learned about faithfulness, God's faithfulness through him because of everything he went through personally, but I also learned about the love of God. And the one thing that stands out to me the most that I think I learned from him was that nothing, nothing, nothing can separate me from the love of God. Through the teaching of the new covenant, I learned that, you know, the Old Testament said, "If you do this, you will be blessed." The new covenant, the New Testament, the new arrangement, the new agreement says, "If you believe, you will be blessed." And I learned that it's all of Jesus and none of me, it's all him. From beginning to end, he is the author, the finisher, hallelujah of my faith. He is the God of my salvation, he's the one that holds me, and his love is unconditional. It's not something I earn, it's not based on my works of performance even as a Christian. He has chosen to love me and you. We are the object, as we talked about earlier, of his affection, but it's of his own free will. Nobody is twisting God's arm to love you and me with all our mess and drama and its shoes. Amen? But that's what agape is. - Amen, that's so good, Pastor Patrick, thank you. - Thank God. - Okay, we have a really good one here.

This individual said, "Please elaborate on the term equally yoked." This person says, "I have had experiences romantically loving people who are believers, but who do not possess the same level of spiritual fervor, and it goes poorly. Yet the church doesn't frequently discuss what equally yoked means, other than avoiding partnering with an unbeliever." What does that mean in a context of deeper than simply partnering with someone who is also a believer? - Okay, let's look at the context of the scripture. The context of the scripture, it says, "Unequally yoked." And so the context is in the, is sanctification. Being set apart to God, right? And so when you look at, when you study that, the idea what scholars say is, Paul was probably referring to Deuteronomy chapter 12, the Old Testament law that talked about mixture. Mixture in what way? Well, you weren't supposed to have two animals that were of different species yoked together under an ox, carrying a weight. So you couldn't have a stronger animal like an ox and a weaker animal like a donkey under the same yoke, towing the same line, okay? Towing the same weight, okay? So the idea with that picture in mind, the idea was that you need to have two people,

two of a kind together, okay? So now the same thing goes with even Christians. Listen carefully. Not everybody who says, "Lord, Lord, hello." Not everyone who puts on that dating site. I am, I love Jesus actually really loves Jesus. Amen? God said, "If you love me, you will what? "Oh, they, me, hmm, okay." Bible also says you'll know a tree by its root. So now, that question is actually answered. It answers its own question. The idea is even spiritually, it's okay to have relationships and friendships and to be connected with the body and with other believers, brothers and sisters of light precious faith. Because we're here to sharpen each other, amen? So I don't want to look at somebody who's not as spiritual as me and think less of them and not want to give them the time of day. That's not God's heart, okay? That's pride. That's pride. And that's not love, right? First Corinthians 13, where he doesn't read it. Or boastful. So, but deep connections, deep personal relationships, it's important that in those contexts or relationships, friendships, the deep ones are gonna be with people

who are on the same spiritual level with you, right? The deeper ones. Like, listen, I don't mind hanging with everybody, but I also want to be around people that are gonna challenge me, that are gonna provoke me, that are gonna stir me. I want to be around people that are deeper than me. My wife, she challenges me. And I'm the pastor. I got to tell you a quick story. Y'all want to hear a quick story? You might've heard me tell, somebody might've heard me tell this story one time before. We were supposed to go on vacation. And my wife is usually the one who will do the research and then she'll come to me and present it and we'll talk about it and process a couple of different things and then we'll come to a decision. Well, she was dragging her feet on this particular occasion. And I'm like, honey, our vacation time is coming. We got to book flights, we got to go away and she was just dragging her feet. Unbeknownst to me, she's being led by the Lord. And of course, I'm all focused on myself 'cause I'm just tired. I'm tired and I want to get away, I'm tired. I think it was Hurricane Katrina that happened. And suddenly she books a trip to Louisiana. And I'm like, what about me? (audience laughing)

What about our vacation? My focus was on myself. And her focus was on helping others. So next thing, she's on a flight, on a plane, going to Louisiana, she's helping people clean out the salvaging stuff from their home. And I'm here like moaning and groaning, a feeling like, whoa, it's me. (laughing) And so, she is such a giver and a servant that she challenges me to the core. Amen. (audience applauding) Amazing. Awesome. - Thank you, Pastor. - That was extra. - Extra. (audience laughing) We'll have people line up here to get prayed for later, I guess. All right, here's another good question here. If God's truth can be so easily manipulated by man, how can one learn real truth in an unbiased way, not just from expectations and cultural interpretations, but from what God really meant in his word? We touched on that a little bit today, right? The spirit of truth, the Holy Spirit. If you want truth, God's spirit will lead you into all truth, right?

He's the author and finish of our faith. He's the one that holds us and steadies us. He is our keeper. Psalm 121, the Lord is my keeper. The Lord is my shade upon my right hand. What does that mean? The right hand speaks of strength, right? Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. It speaks of strength. So he is the one that covers me, my shade. He covers me in the day of battle. He covers me and protects me and keeps me from all harm. And so he is the one that I put my trust in. I lift my eyes to the hills, does my help come from there? No, my help comes from the Lord, who made the heavens and the earth. He that keepeth thee shall neither slumber nor sleep. So if my eyes are on the Lord, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, then I've got a trust that he's gonna keep me from falling and to present me faultless. But there has to be in me a love for the truth. And I have to continually allow the Holy Spirit to fill me with that love for truth. Amen? That's my prayer. My prayer constantly is God, give me a hunger for your word and a thirst for your presence. A hunger for your word and a thirst for your presence.

Folks, it's not enough to just be reading the word of God. No, I need the Holy Spirit to open this book to me. And to commune with me and to walk with me. Just like Abraham's servant who went and found Rebecca for Isaac, Abraham again, we said it earlier, being a type of the father, Isaac being a type of the son, Jesus, Rebecca being a type of the church, the bride and the servant being a type of the Holy Spirit who went and got this bride, took her from her own domain and paradigm and world. What if she doesn't wanna leave that world then she's not from my son, right? Those were his instructions that he received. But what did he do? She was willing to go, he got her and got her safely to Isaac. And guess what? The Holy Spirit will get you and I safely, hallelujah to the marriage supper of the lamb and deliver us, faultless, faultless, faultless before his throne, for he is my righteousness, he is my holiness, he is my keeper, the Lord is your keeper. Amen. Amen, amen, praise God. Okay, here's another question here. - This is fun, I like doing this. (congregation laughs) - How can you love those who became your enemy, those who pretend to be your... were the words of Jesus love your enemies so it pray for those who what

despite fully use you guess what that's a trap God knew what he was doing what do I mean by that when you and I pray we're connecting with God and he's connecting with us right we're staying connected to the vine if we abide in him and he abides in us guess what life flows from the vine life giving sap flows from the vine into the branches causing them to bear fruit so when you and I pray for those people suddenly our perspective can begin to change God can begin to open our eyes to cause us to see them through his eyes from a heavenly perspective are you with me tonight then now of course by the grace of God with the help of the Holy Spirit he can now change our hearts and help us to do what we can't do in our own strength to go where we can't go to heap coals if you will right killing them with kindness and letting the Holy Ghost deal with them letting God deal with them but of course we're to be wise as serpents and gentle as does amen and if you lack wisdom God will give you generously liberally and how to handle those situations amen does that make sense amen that's very good thank you pastor Patrick okay here's a good one how do you set healthy boundaries with those whom you love hmm well let me first off start out by saying there's an incredible book called boundaries it's a New York time bestseller written by Henry Cloud who is a Christian powerful powerful book as a matter of fact years ago on a on a Friday night when we used to have Friday night Bible school we did we did a class and connect group centered around that book it's a book that I have all my counselors read so I want to encourage you to get that book read that book okay it kind of shows you practical steps now first of all you've got to of course assess the situation right why is there a need for boundaries is there a need for boundaries why is there a need for boundaries what lines are being crossed and what kind of boundaries need to be put in place so that those lines aren't crossed you need again the wisdom of God James book of James right so you ask God and he will give you the grace in the wisdom to do that and then you've got to put boundaries in place you've got to put you've got listen God is a God of boundaries we talked about that earlier right we started in Genesis where he

said he separated the light from the darkness he hung the stars in the heavens he put them each in their course he said to the sea come this far and no further he separated the light the land from the sea okay so the same God is able to help you and I said healthy boundaries in our lives so we need his help but he will help us but you've got to stick to your guns when boundaries are put in place people will try to cross those boundaries but you have to stand your ground because if you're wishy washy double-minded it's not going to work you'll be unstable and they'll keep doing what they do we can have it in your life amen you still love them and you can still put boundaries but guess what those boundaries are not just for you healthy for you it's actually healthy for them to help them learn how to relate in a way that is not toxic that is not selfish that is not hurtful or whatever the situation might be amen Yeah, let's give an applause to Pastor Patrick, but that was awesome. Okay, next question. What does the love of God look like in my life? - Well, we touched on this again, which is fine with me. No greater love than this, that a man should lay down his life for his friends. We read, this is real love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent his son to die for us. So number one, the greatest expression of God's love is the cross of Jesus Christ. Amen, the fact that he loved me and died for me, it chose to sacrifice his son for me. So if you ever doubt God's love, look to the cross. Ask him for a deeper revelation. This was a scripture I had in my notes, but I didn't read it today, I actually took it out,

but it's a scripture that talks about you and I becoming stronger by going deeper, allowing our roots to go deeper into God's love. It'll cause us to be stronger, but it's God who does that, it's God who illuminates, who quickens, who gives us a revelation of his love, and he allows us to see his love manifested in our lives in different ways. Like we read in 1 Corinthians 13 with his patience with me, his kindness towards me. The fact that he doesn't put a finger in my face and accuse me to a point of discouraging me, or turning me away, but instead he wooves me and draws me to himself to correct me, to change me, to help me, to break free from patterns in my life that are hurting me. The fact that he protects me every day and watches over me, that he provides for me, that he gives me strength, that I woke up this morning, that he started me on my way, that I had enough strength to be here this evening. His presence in my life, you know, when I first got saved, one of the ways God showed me his love for me was in the most oddest times or places. I could be eating cereal, I was in college when I got saved. I could be eating cereal before I went to school or work, and suddenly at the table, now I was the first one saved in my house, and I'm the baby in the house.

I'm eating cereal and suddenly I would feel his presence while I was eating cereal, and I wasn't doing anything. I was just eating cereal, and I would feel his presence, and just the fact that he manifested his presence, I'd be on the subway, and I would feel his presence, and it was the Lord reminding me, I'm not just with you in church, I like hanging with you. I don't just love you, I actually like you, son. Those are ways that I know God has shown proven to me, continually reminds me of his love, which is all scriptural, right? It's all there in the Word. Amen. Praise God. - So powerful. Amen, amen, amen. Are there moments when the truth should be kept silent? For example, if I catch a friend's husband or wife cheating, should I tell them? - What do you all think? Who says we should tell? Who says we should tell? Who says we should not tell? Who's just not here? Who's not with me, right? All right. If you ask me what I would do, what we tell people to do, this is what I do. I don't just do things, I pray. Number one.

So I pray, right? And I'll ask God for his mind in direction, okay? And I will pray. I don't do anything without asking God for help in his mind. Pray about everything. Amen. If you know what to do, pray. Wilkerson, our founding pastor, again, was that God always makes a way for praying man or woman. Amen? So pray about everything. So I will pray, but then I'll give that person an ultimatum. I'll say either you tell them or I tell them. I'm giving you a week. Yep. That's how it goes down. Yep. Well, all right. That's good to know. Okay, here we go. Don't be coming and confide me your your dirt. No, no, no. No, as a counselor, of course, you know, I don't I won't I won't talk about you, I promise. But if it's healthy, I mean, for example, if if if a child comes and you know, they're minor, right, and they're dealing with something like suicidal ideations. I can't just stay quiet. Right. If I've got to say something. Amen. Amen. Amen. Here's another question. It's very similar. So maybe we might have covered it already. But how do you know the true meaning of love? By going to God's word. Yeah. Going God's word. Again, first Corinthians 13 verse four through seven. Just reading it, meditating on it. I think God to quicken it, reveal it to you. And not just so it's up here. So but it becomes a part of the fabric of your being, your relationships, how you treat people. Yeah. But by going to the Word of God. Amen. Okay, here we go. Another one. Can love exist within a relationship without truth? No. Okay. Love cannot exist within a

relationship without truth. No. Not true love. Amen. Remember, first Corinthians 13 verse six says love rejoices does not rejoice in injustice or in wrong, but in the truth. Amen. Yeah. Okay. That was an easy one. All right. Here we go. This, this is the last one. When faced with life or death, do we choose life or give up our lives for faith? One more time. When faced with life or death, do we choose life or give up our lives for our faith? What do y'all think? What's that? Die for faith? Who says die for faith? Who says live? Who's not with me? All right. Well, if you choose to save your life, but if you what, if you give up your life for his sake, you will. Right? Amen. So now in the context of obviously, if persecution or being on your deathbed and having to choose, God will give God gives grace. I mean, he just read Hebrews chapter 11. God gave grace. And he's the same God yesterday, today, and forever. From ever lasting to ever lasting, as we read earlier, he is God. I am the Lord and I change not. He will give you the grace you need. But it's listen, I is better. If you deny me before men, I will deny you before my father. Right? I don't want to deny Jesus. Listen, like the Apostle Paul said, to die is gain. I'm just going to go home and be with Jesus. And so will you if you've trusted in him, you're his, he's yours, and he's got you. And God will give grace. God gives grace. Amen. Amen. Times Richard, are you grateful for leaders that are godly that pray, that are able to teach us the words of the Lord like this? I'm very grateful. So thank God. Well, we're so grateful Let me, yeah, I'm going to pray. Let's stand together. Thank you for being here tonight. Thank you for allowing the Lord to work in you. Folks, what a privilege for me as a pastor to be on this journey together with

you, brothers and sisters of light precious faith that want God. You could be anywhere tonight, but you chose to be here. Amen. And it's moments like these where you take that God will speak to you, that God will call you, that he will do something in your life that will keep you. Just remember, the Bible says, when the Lord saw that Moses turned aside, he began to speak to him. When he saw the burning bush, Moses saw the bread, but he didn't just stare at it. He turned aside. God began to speak to him. Amen. And God has been speaking to you throughout this night by his spirit. There are some things that you heard, but there are some things that God speaks. And he sows a seed in you that's for a future crop. Because his word doesn't come back void. Amen. Would you lift your hands to him as a sign to surrender along with me tonight? Because I'm lifting my hands to God almighty. Father, I thank you tonight for being here among us. Thank you for loving us, God tonight so much that you would give your life because you couldn't stand the thought of us being overwhelmed, ruined, corrupted by our sins and separated from you for eternity. So you came to redeem us. You came to love us. God, you came to rescue us. You came to deliver us. You came to anoint us to use us. God, you delighted us. Thank you, Lord. Thank you for loving us first. We love you tonight. God, we love you. Tell him you love him tonight. God, we love you tonight. We pour out our love before you. We pour out our love before you, Jesus. Lord, like that alabaster box, we pour out our love before you. Lord, give us a deeper revelation of your love and a love for your truth. We thank you for it. We believe you for it. And Lord, we're going to continue to ask you for it in Jesus name. And all God's people said, Amen, let's give them praise tonight. God bless you. We love you.

(applause)