Restoration 2018:  Our Picture of God

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Restoration Ministry

Dee Casper

Believe All Things

Father in heaven, thank you for the privilege of prayer.

Thank you for bringing people here on a day when they could be doing many other things.

And I just pray that you would bless us with this time that we have today, that you'd remind us of your belief in us and your call for us to believe in those around us.

And so just bless us with your presence and show us your glory now I pray, in Jesus' name.

So in 1 Corinthians chapter 13, there is a definition given to us.

Does anybody know what 1 Corinthians 13 is referred to as?

1 Corinthians 13, the phrase believe all things comes from this verse.

1 Corinthians chapter 13 and I'm going to begin in verse, we'll say 1, why not?

1 Corinthians chapter 13 verse 1, Though I speak with the tongue of men and angels, but have not love, I become sounding brass or a clanging 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 can even remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing." Those are pretty awesome things, by the way.

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, is that a good thing?

Though I give my body to be burnt, but have not love, it profits me how much?

By the way, a great exercise of humility is to put your name in the place of the word love and read the next 4 verses.

Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, love does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity but rejoices in the truth, and then here's the point where I want to go today, it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Now I have the Andrews Study Bible here, just a Bible with some study notes in it.

To love means to see past the present failings of a person to what he or she shall be as God's new creation.

Now, if we've just heard a definition of what love is, this is very helpful for us when we look at 1 John chapter 4 and verse 8.

1 John 4 verse 8 says this, He who does not love does not know God.

Notice the text does not say that God is loving.

It says that God himself is love He's the source of love.

Love is not possible if God is not in the mix Now we just found out that love believes all things hopes all things endures all things and bears all things which tells me that that means that God believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things with you.

God actually believes the very best things about you and is hoping that you will believe the things about you that he believes.

And he's treating you as if that was actually true to waken within you a desire to be what he sees that you can be.

God treats you as what you could be, hoping that that will make you want to be that very thing.

He believes things about you that most of us don't believe about ourselves.

Now here's a great example of how God can use you and I to live out the faith of Jesus.

What I just defined is actually the faith of Jesus.

And we'll actually go more into that tomorrow morning.

This is just kind of a small snapshot and a practical application, but the real faith of Jesus is going to be tomorrow morning.

So to find this example, turn with me to the book of Barnabas.

And if someone goes out there and says there is a book of Barnabas and start Quoting apocryphal books and stuff.

Please don't stone me for heresy I have 3 more messages I need to share with you All right, so Barnabas has an amazing life story, but first of all, how many sermons do we hear preached about Barnabas?

Now, the multitude of those who believed were of 1 heart and 1 soul, neither did anyone say that any of the things that he possessed was his own, Because love seeks not its own, right?

But they had all things in common and with great power the Apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all.

Nor was there anyone among them who lacked.

For all who are possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold and they laid them at The Apostles feet and they distributed to each as anyone had need notice.

They weren't just taking and keeping they received to give By the way, that's what Christianity is supposed to look like.

And Joseph, who is also named Barnabas by the Apostles, which is translated what?

Son of encouragement or son of consolation, maybe if you had the King James.

A Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land sold it and brought the money and laid it at the Apostles feet.

For some reason they want to give him a nickname and his nickname is going to be son of encouragement.

We'll find out why now in Acts chapter 9.

Now something monumental happens in Acts chapter 9, like literally cause the world to be turned upside down for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

So Saul is converted and he becomes Paul, right?

But in Acts chapter 9, 26 to 31, we're going to read what this verse says.

Now, Saul is on his way to Damascus to arrest people who are believing in Jesus and are following Jesus.

And then, on his way to find those folk, he has a face-to-face encounter with Jesus Christ himself, and he says, Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?

Did he have a warrant for the arrest of Jesus?

He had a warrant for the rest of the people who were following Jesus But Jesus identified with people who were suffering in his name at the hands of bad religion Which implies that he has nothing to do with bad religion, which is good for us Now in Acts chapter 9 this happens.

They try to kill him He gets out of the city and his immediate burden is to go to Jerusalem.

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Believe All Things

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