How Good and How Pleasant to Dwell Together in Unity

Very beautiful. A lot of sparkle in that performance, right? You guys had a lot of energy there. You know, we have so many blessings in this country, don't we? We just don't realize how much God has given us here. That sometimes we just take for granted all the conveniences and everything that we have in this country. It's just amazing. When I was out in Mapocco, I thought about running down to the locals 7-11 and getting something. And I had to think, oh wait, that's about 200 miles away.

There's nothing at all. No conveniences like that that are around the way we take it for granted in this country. Even when it went up to Osaka, by the way, Mr. Nkoma had to buy a drum because he wasn't sure he could get diesel up in Osaka. So he didn't want to be stranded up there. So we just have things so convenient in the United States just around every corner there are these conveniences. One thing which impresses me each time I go to Zambia is God's people there. They are a peace-loving people. Just a peace-loving people who are not prone to confrontation.

Of course, Americans have the reputation of being the ugly Americans because we can confront, we can be very aggressive. But unfortunately, this good quality in them allows those few who are aggressive, there are aggressive Zambians, to take advantage of them. This is one of the reasons why others, by the way, have taken both their land that they had over there with the United Church of God and the cattle that they have as well. You know, if the same thing happened in the United States that happened in Zambia, Americans just simply would not put up with it. But in the case of our members, people were able to come over and take their cattle from them. Again, Americans would not allow that to occur or that to happen.

Nevertheless, brethren, I hope they never lose the quality of being peaceable. I really hope they never lose that quality of being a peace-loving type people. You know, God has called His people to be a very special kind of people. And as time goes by, this crooked world will become more and more evident who God's people are. I think we're going to see that more and more as time goes on. And I believe we're already seeing it in the Church, how different God's people are. God's people stand out in this world as God replicates His character within us. You know, we have that character that really sparkles and does stand out in this world.

Let's go this over in Titus 2. Titus 2. I just want to give some things related to this, brethren, that I thought about as being important for us to think about at this time. But in Titus 2 and verse 11 here, you know, notice what Paul told Titus. He said, for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. So God has begun to present to us His way of life, you know, His way of thinking. And we do have to try to excel at it. We do have to, you know, master God's way of life in this God-forsaken world that we live in and stand out different than other men.

And it says, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in the present age. Even though we're living in this world out here that sometimes can be so corrupted. Again, I know it's not true of every single person in the world. But, you know, it surely wonders me if we're not getting to the point where over 50% of the people are unrighteous. You know, maybe there was a time when it wasn't that way, that it was below that, that those were unrighteous.

But it seems like to me it's getting well past the 50% mark. And maybe then God is going to begin to make certain judgments about bringing those things that are prophesied upon the world. But notice it says that we have to deny ungodliness and the worldly lust. And it says, looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us. That He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people. And so Jesus Christ is purifying for Himself His own special people that God is beginning to work with.

He wants us, brethren, to be different than this world. And, you know, if we remain the salt of the earth, we're only going to be able to retain that, you know, way of life if we are special. You know, we're only going to be that example that Jesus Christ said we should be if we are special. And those special qualities should be obvious even to those who are not in the church. Like I said, Americans tend to be more aggressive in our nature. We have basically an attitude of, don't tread on me.

Isn't that the way we tend to think? We have that mentality. And like all qualities, there's good and bad about that. You know, somebody can walk all over if you have an attitude of maybe a little bit more aggressiveness. But the bad is it isn't always Christian to be aggressive. It's not always Christian to do that, to live that way. And so we must refrain from certain things that we maybe our nature, the nature of Americans and the way that we tend to be, you know, we may have to refrain from those things to be Christian, to remain Christian.

You know, Ecclesiastes tells us, to everything there's a season. Yes, there is a time to be more aggressive, but there's always, again, the time to be peaceable with all men. Let's go to Matthew 5. Matthew 5 over here. In Matthew 5, notice what Jesus Himself says over here in Matthew 5 down in verse 13. It says, you are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its flavor, and that can happen, how shall it be seasoned?

You know, if you put this bland salt on food, the food is bland, isn't it? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. So we can nullify, brethren, the effects of what God intends on us if we are not that salt. And you are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill, cannot be hidden. Nor that they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

And He said, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. You know, people should be looking at us and what we're doing. And Hisaka, by the way, it was rather interesting to me that they don't have windows in their building. And they have basically these clapboard-type shutters, and they just open them up to get air in the building. And I noticed in looking out, outside the window, that a lot of the neighborhood kids were gathered at the window watching what was going on in the building.

You know, the special music and all those things. And I thought, you know, that's the way it should be. The world ought to be looking at what we're doing, what we're trying to accomplish. And Jesus said we must be the light to people in this world, and we can't be just like everybody else. We must be different for God to regard us as His sons and daughters, and as the brothers and sisters as Jesus Christ. Our conduct must be distinct from that of what the world is around us. Let's go over in 2 Corinthians 6, 2 Corinthians 6, over here, in verse 14.

Here He says, So if we are different, brethren, that God is going to consider His sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters as Jesus Christ as that. And one thing the United Church of God has been committed to from the very beginning is preparing a people. You know, that is what the services are about. That's what Bible studies are about. That's what all the activities are about that we do within the church. We're preparing a people for the return of Jesus Christ.

And this particular mission of the church stems from Christ's command to make disciples of all nations, and to feed the flock of Jesus Christ. Remember what Christ said to Peter, feed my sheep, feed my flock.

That we realize we have that responsibility. And when we are taught, brethren, we become different from this world if we put into practice those things that we're learning. And brethren, in order for us to carry out that mission of preparing a people, it's important for us to learn to work together in unity.

It's important for us to work together in unity and to truly be the United Church of God. That we would be united. You know, in one of the Psalms of David, David focuses on this, and this was one of Mr. Armstrong's favorite scriptures, as any of you may remember. But in Psalm 133, verses 1 through 3, I'm not going to turn there, but I will read it to you.

It says, Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It's just a good thing. It's a pleasant thing. You know, when you see God's people together, and they're talking with each other, and they're hugging each other, you know, it's interesting that when I saw Alfred and knew who he was, you know, I hugged him. Never met him before in my whole life. You know, usually you hug people you know. But I knew he was a part of God's Church.

And I hugged him when I saw him, and I hugged him when I left. You know, and said goodbye, hoping to see him again. But it says how good and how pleasant it is to see that. When people can work together and be together. You know, who among us should be estranged, you know, from the Church? We should all be with God's Church now, at this critical time in the history of the world. David goes on to say, it's like the precious oil upon the head running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. You know, what they did when they poured oil on the head of Aaron to consecrate him to the office of the high priest, that oil was poured on his head.

And it dripped down, you know, from his head to his garments to every part of his body. And it covered him completely. You know, is there an analogy here that David is trying to draw with how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity? That what that does is it impacts your entire being, like the oil that covers the garment of Aaron, the high priest.

Or he says it is like the dew of Herman. Descending upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing life forevermore. It's like dew, if you've ever gone camping in the morning when you wake up. Dew is everywhere, isn't it? But the impact, again, of brethren dwelling together in unity has a complete impact upon us. It completes us, actually. It helps us to realize the goals of becoming what a Christian is, to be Christ-like. That we need, again, that unity. And so, King David makes these analogies here, and I think it's very fitting that being in unity with one another, brethren, helps us to grow, to realize the potential that God intends us to be.

When people are bickering and fighting with one another, that can't be realized. It can't be accomplished. You know, brethren, getting along can have an impact on each of us when we dwell together in unity. And it completely sets us apart from this world, which is torn apart by strife and clamor and disagreement. You know, we look at the world all around us, don't we, in nations against nations, the way it is? We see what, again, is happening, and we're right here on the doorstep, maybe, of World War III, if things begin to really...

This turns into a shooting war with Iran. Now, this could be like a train out of control that the world could not handle. Because Iran may make some choices that will affect and impact Israel. And this will draw the entire world into that conflict. It could be, again, the very beginning of World War III. So watch what's going on over there. Watch what's going on, brethren. But it's this strife, this incessant strife that is in the world, brethren, that, of course, came as a result of Satan's rebellion, that God hates. He hates the way the world is, the society is. You know, like with Lot, he so was vexed by seeing what he saw in the society of his time.

And, brethren, God is looking to make sure that we have that same feeling about the world that is out there. You know, that this world needs to come to an end so a new one can begin. Where there's going to be a world of peace and unity, people working together. You know, one of the things that Satan strives to do, brethren, is divide us. And recently, he's once again played that card.

He played that card, and unfortunately some fell sway to his poise. Now, when are we ever going to learn this valuable lesson of not letting Satan get advantage? But he got an advantage of us, brethren.

I know that when it began to happen, it was like a train wreck. That you couldn't stop. There's nothing that could be done about it, and so it happened. But as a result of it, people were separated. And now people are polarized. And we don't know when, in fact, these things are going to be rectified for the future. But in the world, there is no unity because of the dynamics that are involved. To have unity. Even among God's people, harmony, oneness of mind seems almost impossible to achieve. Why is that? Why is it that harmony is elusive to us? You know, from time to time, we have problems that come up, and that this harmony separates people.

Why is it that it's elusive to us, brethren? Well, you know, the past hurts are often used to justify critical statements that people make. You know, excessively critical statements, and sometimes the attitudes that people have. Some are quick to voice these critical attitudes to friends. Some have even broadcasted them publicly. And so, you know, when things are done publicly, then the chances of reconciliation, you know, become slim and numb when that happens.

You know, it's like, I'm sure, if a problem was between two people, they could sit down and they could work it out. But when someone goes around and tells everybody about it and publicizes it, you can see the reality that resolving that difference is going to be very hard and very, very difficult. You know, also, brethren, this has been a part of the problems we've had recently, by the way, and people have become polarized and separated. But also, sometimes, expectations of members very greatly. Some are unrealistic.

Now, how about you, brethren? Are you realistic about your relationship with your brother? Or do you expect him to agree with every last thing you say, and every last thing that you might believe or think? You know, sometimes we can be unrealistic. And sometimes, that being unrealistic, brethren, is downright un-biblical. Not even the way a Christian ought to be. You know, the Bible says a lot about it, and we'll cover a little bit about that. But above all else, there seems to be little grasp of the principles that govern unity and the spirit in which all this could be accomplished.

Some people lack, again, that understanding of how you have unity with other people. You ever notice, brethren, that some people can get along with anybody? And some people can't get along with anybody. That happens. I've seen that happen over the years. You know, you can have a perfectly unified group, and then you can bring in somebody that has a problem getting along with anybody.

And pretty soon, you've got the whole group is upset, and there's this unity that is there. Well, brethren, we ought to be the kind of people that can get along with anybody, with anyone. You know, I hope that you're that way.

And I think most of God's people are that way. I really do. I think most of God's people are that way. We would call them easygoing people. You know, they are not judgmental of other people. They're easygoing. And they are not. Their expectations are not unrealistic of other people. They have a live-and-let-live attitude toward others within the church. You know, work out your own salvation. I'll work out my salvation. A kind of an attitude.

Well, let's see, brethren, if we can clear away any fog that we might have about how to have unity and get a clear picture of what God expects of each one of us. What does he expect of each one of us? Let's go to Romans 12. Romans 12 over here. Romans 12 and verse 16. Romans 12 and verse 16.

Here, the apostle Paul says in verse 16, Be of the same mind toward one another, and do not set your mind on high things, but associate with a humble. And do not be wise in your own opinion. Your own opinion. You know, the key here that Paul is talking about in verse 16 here to working together is to not be in love with your own opinions.

In other words, you don't like my opinions, it's my way or the highway. This is the way it's got to be. You know, it's the way it has to be. Well, brethren, we as God's people should not be in love with our opinions.

You know, there are certain things that I know. I know we should be keeping the Sabbath. I know we should be keeping the Holy Days. I know that I should eat the right kind of foods. You know, some of these things are in black and white, are they, in the Bible. But you know, there are many areas in the Bible that are gray areas. And I may have an opinion about it, but that's only what it is. An opinion. And don't stake your eternal life on my opinion, whatever it might be. You know, and I hope that you would not stake your own eternal life on your own opinion, whatever it would be. In other words, you have to be open to the fact that, look, this is a gray area. And maybe the answer is that nobody knows the answer to this question. And we're going to have to ask Jesus Christ when he returns. But you know, brethren, it's impossible for anyone, if he or she is perfect, to avoid offending someone who is wise in their own opinions. Now think about that. It's impossible that you're not going to offend them, because you will. You're going to step on their toes. You know, Jesus Christ Himself was perfect. We know He never made a mistake in His entire life, but let's look at what happened to Him. Let's go to Matthew 13, and notice what happened to Jesus Christ. So Jesus Christ, again, was absolutely perfect. He never sinned in all of His life. He always stated the truth. He showed love and compassion. All those superlative qualities, brethren, that you and I strive for every day, and try to have in our own personal lives. But let's notice here in Matthew 13, and down in verse 53, it says, It came to pass where Jesus had finished these parables.

It says that He departed from there, and when He had come to His own country, so He came up to the area where He had been brought up, and He taught them in their synagogues so that they were astonished. And they said, Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Apparently, he had not sat at the feet of Gamaliel and others who were very wise and astute in his day. But where did he get this wisdom that he has?

Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary and his brothers James and Joseph, Simon and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us? Where, then, did this man get all these things? Where did this come from? And so they were offended at him. They were offended at him. But Jesus said, A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, in his own house.

Now he did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Think about this, brethren. Even Jesus Christ, who was absolutely perfect, could not do the work there in his own community where he had grown up. Because they were offended at him. And because of their stubborn opinions about him, they didn't believe that this man could have this knowledge and that he could do these miracles.

They didn't believe that. And so they had no faith, they had no belief. And so they were in love with their opinions about Jesus Christ. He couldn't do anything there. You know, you've been around people that are that way. Maybe others you've been around that they don't...somebody doesn't have an opinion about you that is negative. And you just get along real well with them. And you work well with them. You're able to accomplish things together with them. But then there are people that are highly judgmental.

And you just simply are not able to do whatever it is that you intend to do with them. Maybe part of it was just to simply get along and be friends with them. And sometimes you can't even do that. And so here Jesus was perfect and he couldn't deal with their stubborn attitudes and their opinions. Now how do humans react when they're offended? How do humans react? How do you react when you're offended?

What's a natural thing that we do? You know, the Bible itself shows that when people are offended they become excessively defensive. They put up a defense mechanism. Whatever it is that they throw up. And I think this is part of what happened in our problems recently. You know, where there's been a separation, people became overly defensive about things. And pretty soon you couldn't talk to them. There was no way of reconciliation because you couldn't communicate.

But in Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 19, Proverbs 18 and verse 19, notice here in verse 19, the Proverbs, Solomon, in his wisdom says, A brother offended is harder to win than a strong city. You offend a brother. He's hard to win as a strong city. And contentions are like the bars of a castle.

Now the antithesis of this, the opposite of this, brethren, is true also. Unity among brethren makes them invincible. You know, if we can work together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish, that we cannot do. And small things can grow great when there's unity and concord among people. And that's what we need to strive for is God's people, brethren. We are less now, but we can accomplish more if we earn unity and harmony with one another because the sky is the limit.

The sky is the limit. You know, don't despise small beginnings, the Bible tells us. And when we work in unison, great things can be accomplished. You know, we can go to the world, we can preach the gospel, we can accomplish that responsibility. And the fact is that God wants us to do it. One of the signs of the end of the age is this gospel is going to be preached to all nations. And then the end is going to come. So you couldn't be assured it's not going to end until that job is done and that job is accomplished.

However, there's a grave reality of our time now where brothers and sisters have been separated from one another because they became excessively defensive. And when this defensiveness is accompanied with a critical spirit, notice what the Bible says happens to the human mind. Let's go over to 1 Corinthians 3 and notice what the Bible says happens to our mind when we become overly excessively defensive. And we feel like somebody said something that is a cut, that is a put-down. 1 Corinthians 3 verse 1, here Paul writes to the Corinthians and he said, I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people. And when you throw off that defense mechanism, you can no longer speak in spiritual terms, but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.

You see, what happens when we become overly defensive, we revert into this carnality, almost like we're babes in Christ. You've got to start all over. That's what Paul had to do with the Corinthians.

I fed you with milk and not with solid food, for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you were not able, he says. Because they got offended at Paul. He couldn't reach them.

And it says, for you are still carnal for where there are envy and strife and divisions among you. Are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? In other words, void of the Holy Spirit. For when one says, I am appalled, and the other, I am a Paulist, are you not carnal? That's what carnal people do. They, you know, two sides against one other. Who then is Paul, and who is a Paulist? But ministers through whom you believe, as the Lord gave to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. And it says, so then neither he who plasts is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. God is what really counts. And now he who plants and he waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are all God's fellow workers. You are God's field. You are God's building. And so we are God's fellow workers of this project here, and we are nothing. And yet the Corinthians fell into attitudes that were hostile to Paul, and he couldn't reach him anymore. He had to talk to them like he was talking to a carnal-minded person. You start from scratch. And their thinking was reverted to that carnal, natural, unbridled human feelings and emotions. Where carnality is, people just let their emotions fly. Feel what you feel. Don't be afraid. It was like I remember years and years ago, Ronald Dart, back in the early 70s, came back from one of the areas where we had problems back in those days. And he said one of the members came up and shoot him out up one side and down the other. And then after the member had done it, they said, you know, I have never done that to a minister.

You know, and I talked to myself at the time, this is the carnality Paul was talking about. This is what Paul's talking about. People do things they wouldn't do ordinarily. They throw up their defenses and then they let it fly. They let the emotions fly and let the chips fall where they may. And so Paul warns us not to give in to that approach, not to be that way. You know, this is why, brethren, I have to admire our brethren in Mumbwa and Mapoco. They had cattle taken from them and they did not fight those who took them, even though it involved their livelihood and it was in jeopardy. I've been over there. I've seen their families, by the way. They live in mud huts with grass, you know, roofs that they've constructed over them. They've got big families. And without the oxen, they can't plant all the ground. They can't do the planting and so forth that they need to do.

But, you know, they didn't still fight in that case. Now, maybe they should have. I don't know. I really don't know. But I really have to say I still admire the fact that they were so peace-loving. It reminds me of what Jesus says, if anyone sues you to take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. In other words, they had that mentality. Someone slaps you on one cheek, you turn the other one. Let them slap the other one, too. Let's go to Galatians 5, Galatians 5. They are special people in so many ways. We have a lot to learn from our brethren over in Africa. And I'm sure that Zambia is not the only place where we see this kind of mentality. In Galatians 5, verse 13, Here he says, Our responsibility is to love our neighbor. And it says, You be consumed by one another.

So we can't ride the fence between carnality or walking in the flesh and spiritualizing. True spirituality. You have to make a decision of which side of the equation you're going to be on.

I always like to envision that fence between the two as a picket fence. It's hard to sit on, isn't it? You've got to get off the fence. And you've got to get on the one side, and that is the spiritual side. That's what God wants us to do. You know, how should we respond to one another rather than becoming defensive? How should we respond? Well, I'm not going to go through this, but you might want to write it down. It's James 1, in verses 19 through 20.

It says, You need to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath, or slow to anger. For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

By the way, I interviewed three people with regard to the cattle situation, and I simply did not sense in any way, shape, or form any kind of anger that was there. They had a right to be angry. They got these fields that are not going to be able to be done and accomplished. You know, by that I don't mean that they didn't say anything at all, because they did say something to the people, but again, they're very peace-loving people, and allowed it to happen. But the Bible says here that we need to be, again, slow to wrath. For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God. I know we sometimes think it does, though.

We think it does, but it doesn't. So, typical carnal responses, brethren, do not make a Christian. That's not what makes a Christian. We need to restrain ourselves in what we would normally say, in cases, and revert back to the carnality that we at one time had. I've seen it happen with people, by the way, brethren. People that are, like in the past, have been hell's angels that have come into the church, and they become peace-loving people. And they restrain themselves. You know, they're rednecks. I mean, tough guys. And they restrain themselves and become gentle as lambs. That's the way it should be. That's really the way all of us should be. In Romans 12, Romans 12, the only time, by the way, that we might be otherwise, if God tells us to go to war, that's a different story. You know, when we go to war, we go to win. As God intended Israel to do that from time to time. And they fought, you know, as God instructed them to do it. But as a rule, brethren, you know, we should, as Christians, live and be peaceable people, gentle people. You know, Romans 12, notice what Paul adds here in verse 12, chapter 12 and verse 18. It says, if it is possible, as much as depends on you. Sometimes, of course, it doesn't just depend upon us. Live peaceably with all men. And it says, Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath. For it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay. You know, stand back and let God take care of fighting your battles for you. And so he says, therefore, if your enemy is hungry, punch him in the notes. No. Feed him. Give him something to eat. If he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heat coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. It's interesting, by the way, when we were leaving, I think it was the Mumbai area, driving along the road, a man was riding the bike, you know, on the road, and lo and behold, it was the very man who had taken the cattle.

And, you know, one of the gentlemen was sitting in the back seat, Armstrong. You know, he was just as friendly as he could be with this man.

And just incredible. No attitude, problems about it. Obviously, he'd rather have his ox back, but I mean, he didn't demonstrate that kind of hostility you might expect from some people. Just wasn't that way. We all said hi to the person, by the way. Quite frankly, I don't think he would have done it of him by himself, but he was told to do it, this man who took these cattle. And, you know, that's an unfortunate thing with it. Unfortunately, too, I think probably it was done just because our members stayed in the United, because it didn't happen to other people that had departed from the Church. It only happened to members of the Church. And it was sort of a punitive action on the part of someone to remove their oxen like that. And so, again, our approach, though, should be to give to our enemy. You know, if somebody is an enemy, and I'm not saying by that that this person is an enemy, but we are to overcome evil with good by doing good as God's people. And our job as Christians is to demonstrate love regardless of what may have been done to us. And sometimes I know it's hard to do that. But the brethren there in Zambia have suffered a great deal of loss, and yet they're peaceable. We can be that way, brethren. You know, I saw again with my own eyes how they showed love to those who took their cattle. I saw it. I was looking for it, by the way. I actually was looking for it. It's going to see. I wonder how Armstrong's going to feel about this. This man's got his oxen at his house. He's got four oxen at his house. And he can't pile his fields, but he didn't have an attitude. He did not have an attitude. And they didn't treat them as enemies. You know, Jesus Christ said that we, brethren, should learn again to treat our enemies in a loving way, no matter what they do to us. Let's go to Matthew 5. Matthew 5. Matthew 5, down here. Matthew 5 and verse 43.

It says, It was said, Now, this is what Christianity is about, right here. What Jesus Christ is saying. This is what's going to bring about peace in the world, in the world tomorrow. You know, God's going to tell the Arabs, you know, you love your enemies. He's going to tell the Israelis, you love your enemies. He's going to tell everybody in the world that. And it says, For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do that. And if you greet your brethren only, you know, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do that as well? And by the way, tax collectors were considered to be the worst people in society of Jesus' day. He says, And so, Only those that do that. Only those that do that are the brethren, the brothers and the sisters of Jesus Christ. And so, Christians must resist the carnal human nature, and we have to have God's nature. And that has to be replicated in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. I'm thankful God doesn't have our nature. Because I'm sure He would have blotted the world out a long time ago. And guess what? You and me, too. God wouldn't say, well, I'm going to save you, because we've irritated Him quite a bit as well, don't you think we have? We've irritated God a great deal. Satan would like to convince us that this is not true. He'd like to convince us that we don't have to do what we're talking about here. He wants us to justify the carnality. And He wants us to justify the carnal human hostile behavior. So our attitudes will cut us off from God. He wants us to be cut off from God. So He will work in us instead of God. And God wants us to work together without being judgmental and critical of each other. Because this is, again, the way to complete us, to help this process of replicating God's character and us to be complete. You know, Jesus said, don't judge, you know, lest you be judge. You know, if we judge and we condemn other people, then God's going to judge us by the same measuring stick, as the Bible says.

You know, I realize sometimes people have lashed out at us and they claim outlandish things against the church. You know, saying that we change doctrine, when nothing can be further from the truth. Some have said we're going to do away with the Sabbath, even. How ridiculous that is. You know, they must not have a lot of confidence in the ministers who have remained faithful to the Sabbath after 1995. And remain faithful to the Holy Days and all the other things that are taught within the United Church of God. But it's not our job, brethren, to judge people who do this, because it's God's prerogative. Let God judge. Let's leave it alone. Let's move on. Let's go forward as God's people. Let's go to James chapter 3. James chapter 3. In James chapter 3 and verses 13 through 18, again, it says, Who is wise and understand among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in meekness and wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and seeking, self-seeking, then your hearts do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then it's peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. So this is the wisdom we need to strive for, brethren, as God's people. We are a peace-loving, should be a peace-loving people. Let's make sure that we follow this admonition within the Bible. Let's conclude by noticing how important love is in respect to how we treat other people. Let's go to 1 Corinthians 13. 1 Corinthians 13.

Notice once again what Paul says over here. We can't ever trivialize what Paul is saying over here because it is absolutely true. 1 Corinthians 13 verse 1, he says, He said, Though I speak with the tongues of men or of angels, you can be absolutely brilliant. Some people, of course, think that God Himself speaks to them. But he says, But have not love I have become a sounding brass or a claying cymbal. 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, but have not love, I am nothing. I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love it profits me nothing. And so here Paul tells us, Without love there is no value. Without it. God's very character, brethren, has the foundation of love, and if He's replicating His character in us, that must be our foundation. To always be showing love, not just to show it, brethren, but to have it inside of us. That we feel God's love from within, and it comes out from us in the form of the works, the good works of showing that love.

You know, brethren, let's allow God's Spirit to lead us to heed all these scriptures that we've read today. You know, these positive admonitions that we've gotten from the Bible. What the Bible says. Not what human beings say, brethren, but what the Bible says. You know, Satan would like nothing better than to divide us and destroy our effectiveness by exploiting our hurts and insecurities. He wants us to bite. He wants us to devour one another. God wants us, though, to love and honor and respect one another. I believe that, by and large, the Oakland Church is that kind of a church where there is love among the brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ, who are co-workers with Christ in the work of God here. Brethren, let's demonstrate that God's Spirit is really in us. Let's demonstrate that. That we can work together in cooperation with respect to collaboration. It's a wonderful, good, and pleasant thing, as David said, to dwell together with one another in unity. You know, God is pleased with that. So let us strive to satisfy our Father in Heaven with a oneness and unity among ourselves, brethren. And let us go forward with doing the work of God together.