Jesus is our Counselor

Elder Mike Levenhagen
Dec. 10, 2023

Father, we thank you for your sacrificial love, how you came down humbly, as we celebrate the season of remembering your birth and Lord help us to just focus on who you are and your gift and help us be good ambassadors. And as we open your word to see.  Your name as counselor, help us to be motivated to be used by you. Thank you in Jesus name. 

All right. Well, a man fell into a pit one day and couldn't get himself out.  A Christian scientist came along and told him, You only think you're in a pit.  A Pharisee said, Bad people fall in a pit.  A charismatic says, Just confess you're not in the pit.  A social gospel pastor came and said, we brought you some food and clothing while you are in the pit.  A Calvinist said, you know, this isn't an accident. And a Methodist told the man, hey, we're going to have a meeting and we'll get back to you on how we're going to get you out.  An optimist said, things will get better.  A pessimist said, things will get worse.  Then Jesus came along, grabbed him by the hand, and got him out of the pit.  But it's all of us.  Throughout our Christian walk, fall into pits.  And we have everything, we live in a fallen world. We live with fallen image bearers. Even the most mature Christian person has feet of clay.  And so, we deal with, we deal with problems. We deal with ongoing, ongoing physical problems, ongoing relational problems. Even dealing with besetting sin, even if we're victorious, sometimes the battle can grow weary.  And sometimes we need somebody to take and grab us by the hand and get us out of that pit.  Today we're going to look at how Jesus is our counselor.  And,  it's interesting when you look at Isaiah, chapter 9, verse 6, where this series is based on. And, as Mike pointed out last week, a lot of  Translations in this verse  take the comma out of Wonderful Counselor and make it Wonderful Counselor and not Wonderful and Counselor.  So depending on what translation you have, you might see that it's the, it actually, but we're not. There actually, the Hebrew really indicates there is a comma and his name is Wonderful and his name is Counselor. 

Now, in the Old Testament,  The counselor was a word that pictured a king giving counsel to his people.  And if you turn to Micah chapter 4 verse 9, you can see this real clear.  Micah  chapter 4  verse 9. And it says,  Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in your midst? Has your counselor perished? For pains have seized you like a woman in labor. Now that word,  your counselor, is referring to the king.  The king was seen as a person who gave advice and, and throughout,  throughout the Old Testament, there were counselors to the king.

And so that word counselor in the Old Testament had the implication of a king. And, and so when we look at Isaiah,  When he's having this prophecy that onto us, the child will be born, his name will be called counselor. In this case, what we're looking at, it's a twofold prophecy.  The first in the prophetic program was prophesying Jesus's birth, his nativity, his earthly ministry. And it's also prophesying how he will be the perfect counselor, the perfect king. At the end of Revelation, when he comes back and establishes his kingdom and rules as king.  So that's a two, that's the first part, but the second part is what we have sandwiched in between the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and his second coming, which is this current dispensation. So, our counselor not only gives us wisdom to deal with our problems, and leads us to a place of security, and satisfaction, and enjoyment,  he also does this with assurance that because of who he is, he can help us in ways that we are far beyond our abilities to understand. Psalm 32:7 and 8. Psalm 32,  verses 7 and 8.  We hear, You are my hiding place. You shall preserve me from trouble. You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with my eye. So, he guides us and gives us directions beyond our limitations.  And, so many of our problems,  Whether it's relational issues, family issues, besetting sins, physical problems, whatever they are, are based,  a lot of the time, is based on our commitment to satisfy our God given desires  without dependence on God. 

So, Jesus comes along and he satisfies and gives us counsel to point, that points back to him, to allow him to satisfy those desires.  Love is one of them, unconditional love,  to be loved by a love that we've never earned.  That's just intrinsically a love for us and that security that because we've never done anything to earn it. We don't ever have to do anything. We can never do anything to lose it, because it's not based on what we've done.  And, so, in Jesus, our needs, our, our desire for love  can meet up with the one whose love knows no limits.  It's boundless, and it's unconditional.  It is a love that will never hurt us.  It's a love that'll never use us.

Galatians 2:20.  Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 speaks of  Jesus's  unfailing love. Galatians 2:20 says, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life I, which I live not in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  He demonstrated his love on the cross,  and it's unconditional,  but Jesus also offers affirmation. Many times,  whether we know it or not, we're seeking the affirmation of others, or seeking affirmation of the world state by the world standards.  But the Bible says that we were created through Jesus Christ, so he has the absolute authority to declare who we are.  Who are we to argue with him? 

We have a friend that we, just an amazing guy and God delivered him from the control of same sex attractions. He got married, has nine children.  And,  one of the things that their rule in the house is you don't get to say anything about yourself that you can't, that you can't back up. Chapter and verse,  you know, I'm stupid. Give me a chapter and verse that says that. I can't believe it. Give me a chapter and verse that says that.  What a rule. Because Jesus is the one who affirms us, right? And how does he do that? Through his word.  Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10. I think we're all familiar with that one. It says, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, unto good works which God hath ordained, that we should walk in them. When we get caught up and we allow this world standards or others and look for that affirmation, we're not able to really fulfill that calling on our lives.  And then we also have to look at Christ's faithfulness. His faithfulness.  He's the one who will be at our side and be our comforter, always.  We place our loneliness,  Our, our desire for love, our desire for affirmation and others often.

And eventually what happens? They let us down  and we get disappointed.  And then that disappointment,  because we've been looking to that, um, we wind up looking to others because, or to other things or to, and you know, it's like, it just becomes a sidetrack from our focus on the Lord.  Jesus is totally faithful to us. He always will walk down the life, the road of life with us. Never despairing, never giving up on us  and always with the inexhaustible supply of his unconditional love.  Romans 8:38, 9:38 and 39 Romans chapter eight, verses 38 and 39. Again, I'm sure it's a verse, some verses we're all familiar with.  Says, for I am persuaded  that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor the height, nor depth, nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God,  which is Christ Jesus our Lord. He is faithful. And we can depend on that.  So,  Jesus came. He was born and he had an earthly ministry. And we can see what kind of counselor Jesus was as we look at his earthly ministry in Luke chapter two,  Luke chapter two, verse 40, it says,  and the child grew and became strong in the spirit filled with wisdom  and the grace of God was upon him,  Jesus grew in wisdom, and That wisdom that gives us counsel and direction in our lives.  Even as a child of 12, Jesus astounded the Jewish rabbis with his wisdom. In Luke chapter 2, verses 46 and 47,  goes on to say, Now, so it was after these three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. So already at the age of 12, he had grown in wisdom and he was able to just able to encourage and expound on God's word. Look at what happened in John chapter 4, and his interaction with the woman at the well. 

John chapter 4 verse 28, 29 and 30. 

So here he was, he met the woman.  And, what happened after his interaction with her?  The woman then left her water pot, went away into the city and said to the man, Come, see a man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?  Then they all went out to the city and came to him. Alright, so,  Jesus, in his interaction with the woman at the well, he spoke to her, he saw her loneliness,  he exposed her shame,  and then he offered her the gift of life.  Jesus does understand  our human condition. He does understand the things we're dealing with. He knew the woman at the well. He knew what she was dealing with. And yes, she was in sin, but he offered her freedom from the shame, isolation, and loneliness.  Wonderful thing about Jesus,  he knows everything about everything.  Right?  A mom was cleaning out the attic.  She was an empty nester. Daughter had left home. And while she was sorting through all the treasured stuff her daughter had accumulated over the years and put it up in the attic, the mother came across the form her daughter had filled out in school. 

In response to the question, What is the most important counsel you ever received from your mother?  She had written,  She told me always to rely on my good judgment.  And the following question was, What was the most important counsel you ever received from your father? She answered, Go ask your mother, but  no one here on all the earth has all the answers, right? But Jesus does.  Jesus is a counselor who knows, has all wisdom. Romans 11, 13 talks about Romans 11 chapter. I mean Romans chapter 11, verse 33, Romans 11, 33. He talks about, Oh, the depth of the riches, both of wisdom and knowledge of God,  how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. Colossians chapter two, verse three  goes on to say, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  Colossians chapter two, verse three. And,  and so Jesus.  As Creator God, as the one who knows us,  knows everything about everything. He is the one that has the wisdom, the knowledge, and the heart, and the loving care to guide us and lead us.  Another great thing about Jesus is Jesus is always at hand.  To give us direction.  He's always there.  I like Psalm 139.

Psalm 139 verses 12 and 13.  Again, it's probably a verse a lot of us know it's, uh, Psalm 13. Even the darkness is not dark to you. And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to you. You formed me in my inward parts. You wove me in my mother's womb.  He's there. He knows.  He sees. And he cares.

And even though he knows that things are happening, and he knows that we're affected by living in a sinful world, we're relating to sinful people, his heart is, Daddy sees, Daddy cares, Daddy knows.  And he wants to help us.  He doesn't, just like a father whose child comes with a boo boo, and just wants the magic kiss, put the band aid on, the child will go out and play.

Right? That's, that boo boo still hurts after that happens, but the child can go out and live life because they know they have the security that daddy loves,  daddy cares, and daddy loves. Right?  And that's the same way it is with us.  We are living in a fallen world, but God wants to let us know he's there, he cares, and he's always here. 

A little girl learned that  Jesus watches over her and sees everything.  She does.  Sort of the truth compared to the world. Santa sees what you do, right? But  her mother asked her, Doesn't it bother you that he sees everything you do?  And her response was, Oh no, he loves me so much, he can't keep his eyes off of me. 

And isn't that God's heart for us?  And then the other thing is, I remember back several years ago when I was playing tennis, there was a book that came out and it was called The Inner Game of Tennis.  And this Inner Game of Tennis book really was a cool book that could help you improve your tennis game.

The author combined this zen and psychiatry  to get you into the inner game so your skills would improve.  And it did work. But the problem with that book was, it never told me if I should even be playing tennis,  right? God, on the other hand, not only tells us how, but he tells us the direction we should be going as well. 

Jesus gives us what we need, when we need it.  Let's look at an example of that in his earthly ministries. John, chapter 11.  John, chapter 11. 

Starting out in verse 20. 

This is the death of Lazarus.  Okay?  Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him. But Mary was sitting in the house.  Now Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you'd been here my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. 

Martha said to him, I know that. He'll rise again in the resurrection of the last day. And Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection  and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?  She said to him, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who came into the world. 

And when she had said these things, she went her way.  And secretly called Mary, her sister, saying, The teacher has come and is calling for you. As soon as she heard that, she rose quickly and came to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met him. Then the Jews were with her in the house and comforting her when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her saying, she's going to the tomb to weep there.

Then Mary came where Jesus was and saw him. She fell down on his feet saying to him, Lord, if you had been there, my brother would not have died.  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, he groaned in spirit and was troubled.  And he said, where have you laid them? And they said, Lord, come and see. 

And Jesus wept.  Do you notice two sisters, the exact same question, two responses.  Jesus didn't tell Mary, I am the resurrection. He's going to be resurrected.  He comforted her, he entered her pain and wept with her. Martha, on the other hand, he shared because he knew what their needs were. Martha needed that assurance that he is the rest, who he was and the offer.

Mary, on the other hand,  he comforted, he cried with her and entered in.  Did you ever think that sometimes  people don't need advice? As much as they need somebody to come alongside them  and just understand their hurt, understand their confusion.  It's like especially adults don't need, necessarily need advice. 

So Jesus knows what we need.  Jesus knows all the time and he gives us what we need when we need it. 

So how does Jesus provide wisdom and counsel now that he's  ascended into heaven?  How does he do that?  Well, he provides us a three legged stool.  He gives us his word,  his spirit, and his body.  All three.  The Word of God.  We all know it. Hebrews  chapter 4 verse 12.  Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12  tells us that the word it's of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.

Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and the joints of the marrow  and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Now it's interesting that word  sharper than a two edged sword.  I think  as Christians we need to be careful because sometimes we use God's Word as a sword to hack people apart. 

Rather than a skilled surgeon gently separating the bone from the marrow. Second Timothy chapter three, verses 16 and 17. Again, I'm sure these are verses we're all familiar with, right? Second Timothy chapter three, verses 16 and 17 says, all scripture is given by the inspiration of God.

And what is its purpose?  It is profitable for doctrine,  reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  And so God's word is his  wisdom, his knowledge, and useful for, for us to grow and conform to his image, right? And to comfort us as well. 

What about his Holy Spirit? Amen. Amen.  The Holy Spirit guides us by leading us to the truth of God's word  and by recalling scripture to our minds at opportune times.  By using our regular times of Bible reading to speak to us in relevant ways just at the right time.  John 14 verses 16 and 17  starts the, you know, Is when Jesus starts introducing the concept of the Holy Spirit. 

John chapter 14 verses 16 and 17.  And he talks about how I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide forever.  The spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him for he dwells with you and will be with you. 

And again, in John chapter 16 verses 7, 13 and 15, John chapter 16 verses 13 and 15, we, he, he goes on and talks to his disciples and saying, however, when he, the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you unto all truth, for he will speak not on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will tell you the things to come. 

He will glorify me and he'll take of what is mine and declare it to you. All things that the father has are mine. Therefore, I said that he will take a mind and declare it to you.  So that's what the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is the only one who can change hearts.  The Holy Spirit brings about  regeneration as well, and it comes in the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the spirit. 

Galatians chapter three verses one and three. 

Okay. Oh foolish Galatians who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before the eyes of Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified. This only I want to learn from you. Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, you are now being made perfect by the flesh. 

And, of course, in 23, as we abide in the spirit, as we allow the spirit to move in our lives and change our hearts,  we hear  in Galatians 5, 22 and 20, 22 and 23,  but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gentleness, self control, against such there is no law. 

And those who are in Christ,  and those who are Christ, have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. So there's a couple of things here to pick up. First of all, the Spirit brings those and will allow us to do that if we walk in the Spirit.

In other words, there's an element on our part that we need to not only hear and get encouraged, but we need to obey.  We need to listen to what we heard. You know, it's like a parent that says, now, listen to me. The child's obviously heard what you said, but that's not what you're saying. Right. Listen to me means  pay attention and do it right. 

How many times as Christians are we like that child  that just obeys, but inside our hearts are never changed. You know, it's like the child that's saying. I might be sitting on the outside, but I'm standing on the inside.  So, the next part of, that I'd like to talk about is,  you know, the spirit brings conviction, and the conviction of the spirit can sting, but ultimately, it's sweet to the soul. 

He does, he The challenge is, have we ever relegated the Holy Spirit to some sort of  bellboy?  Only calling on him when we need something. We're the tools of the Holy Spirit, not vice versa.  He wants to use us, not us just to use him.  Consider the doctrine of mankind, and then consider the doctrine of God. 

An elevated view of man, by default, leads to a lower view of God.  In the same way with the Holy Spirit.  If we elevate man and our understanding and all of that, and we're going to do things versus  elevating the Holy Spirit's role in our life to empower us, to convict us and to abide in him, to walk in him. It's really, we  need to have a good biblical view of the Holy Spirit and his role in our lives.  And finally, his body.  Christ has chosen to use his body  As a vessel for encouragement and comfort.  Second Corinthians  chapter one  verses three and four.  Second Corinthians chapter one verses three and four. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in trouble with the comfort with we ourselves are comforted with.  Now, it's very interesting when, in, in John, when, when Jesus introduces the word, the Holy Spirit and calls, he will provide a comforter.

That word is paraclete.  But, there's a root word that, that is throughout, I mean, John is the only one who uses the actual Greek word paraclete. But throughout, Paul uses the Greek word paracleto, paracleto. Which is the same root word, and that's that word parato is comfort  and it, but it's used in a way.

It's like when you know somebody's hurting  and you come alongside them, whereas endured a loss  and you reach out to them with a, a card, a email, a visit, a call.  instead of awkwardly avoiding them. You know what you're doing. You're para toying them, you're para pleading them.  You paraclete somebody when you show them tough love  to someone who has been making foolish choices.

You choose to confront them. You in love  to help them get back on track.  How about para pleading someone to when you forgive them of wrongdoings?  Or when you encourage them when they're down, you're encouraging them, you're, you're, you're paracleting.  Finally, you can paraclete somebody when you share with them the difference your faith has made in your own life. 

One of the roles of the Holy Spirit in comforting and encouraging is pointing  us to Jesus in salvation.  And we can do the same for others.  When we can help them understand and know the gospel of grace.  I'd  like to close out looking at Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29.  Now this is again a continuation of what Paul was talking about, putting off the old and putting on the new. 

And he always has  Don't do this, do this, and here's why.  And Ephesians 4. 29 says, Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that may impart grace  to the hearers. 

Corrupt literally means something rotten or crumbling, a crumbling stone.  It came to be used as something depraved or foul or impure, but the idea is something that is just crumbling and has no, no substance.  In context it refers to teachers or lifestyles of, of false believers and it doesn't refer to coarse jesting or jokes.

There's other, there's other verses we can use for that. But that isn't what this verse is, uh, is talking about. And in,  and that phrase, good for the necessary for edification.  Believers, as believers, we have to live, give, and minister for the good of the body.  That's what I need, we need to build up the body and it should be for the good of the body. And in the context here, grace,  that word grace,  isn't grace like salvation?  But the goodness or favor to other believers to build them up, especially those who are tempted and tested by the pull of one's previous life or dealing badly in life situations that you know, painful situations.  So in this verse, Paul introduces  us to a solution for our problems that is so radical.

We stumble over its simplicity.  Nothing less of us is required than that every word that comes out of our mouth in relationships and with other people  be consistent with the purpose of building up our listeners.  When we interact with people, are we doing that to build them up?  We're permitted to utter nothing that compromises or interferes with that single comprehensive objective of ministering grace to those who hear.  Paul instructs us to understand  these defenses and these fears and, and the shame that so many of us walk in.  And the purpose that we engage with others  isn't to get them to talk and understand and accept us. Because we have that in Christ, right? 

But to share the Lord by ministering to those needs of the other person.  It's consistent with Paul's admonition  elsewhere as far as regards others, can regard others as more important than ourselves. For instance, Philippians chapter 2, verses 3 and 4. Philippians chapter 2, verses 3 and 4. Let nothing,  Philippians chapter two verses three and four says, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look not look out, not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  We're to be encouragers  and ambassadors for Christ. And if we're going to do that, we need to be less concerned with what we say and have things scripted out than we are  to why we're saying that. What is our real purpose? Is our heart ministry or is our heart to  protect ourselves, make ourselves look good to, to come and be the, the rescuer.  People don't need a rescuer.

They already have Jesus.  What they need is somebody to come alongside. It's like somebody's  in a river and they fell out of their canoe and they're, they grasped onto a log that just is going downstream and being carried towards the falls. And people on the, on the shoreline are saying, we're praying for you. 

They need somebody to actually throw and pull them to the shoreline.  Okay. Opportunities will go unnoticed  unless we consciously chose the goal of ministry when we talk to other people.  People are more concerned with how much you care than the advice and wisdom you want to share.  Right?  And sometimes people are hurting, people are feeling lonely.

You just need to know.  That you're there and care enough to hear what's going on. But how often do we, people everywhere, the natural tendency is to hide that loneliness, to hide the shame, to hide the struggles. The Christian four letter word that a lot of people use is fine.  Right? How you doing? Fine.  Or, okay. You know, and it's like, but what's the truth? You know, I'm bleeding inside. I'm hemorrhaging.  Do people, as Christians, do we look for opportunities, little wedges, little cracks that,  you know, can speak to their, to their lives?  And again,  the more precise the understanding of the person  and, and the brother or sister in the Lord, or even the non Christians, so we can get to share the gospel is understanding  where they're at and what they're dealing with.  Now here's some helpful principles.  First of all, Proverbs 12:18. All these are going to come from Proverbs. Again, God's wisdom is laid out throughout scripture, right? 

Proverbs 12:18 says, There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.  And 13:3, He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.  We need to be slow to speak.  We need to seek to understand and listen before we start speaking. 

Be gentle with your speech.  Proverbs chapter 15, verse one. 

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  What about verse four? A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,  but perverseness in it speaks the, uh, breaks the spirit.  And finally, Be gentle in your speech, Proverbs 26:21. 

As snow in the summer and rain in the harvest,  so honor is not fitting for a fool.  We need to be gentle.  We, you know, it's like, I love these word contrasts.  Snow in the summer, or rain when you're harvesting.  When we're foolish, when we speak  Out of wrath when we don't, when we just speak surface things,  one of the things that Christians can do sometimes is,  Oh, this is what God showed me in the scripture. Did he show you that? Yes. But is that building up the, is that building up the person that you're speaking to? Are you speaking it for words of encouragement? Are you speaking to say, look what God is doing in my life and look at how I, you know, the things I'm learning.  And let me be clear here. God's truth is never trite. God's truth is always God's truth, and it's the power of life. It's the power to change lives.  But, sometimes, it's like, if I ask how to get to New York,  and you tell me go east,  It's accurate, but it doesn't help me get there because, oh, by the way, you need to take Highway 150. Oh, and there's a detour over here.

Let's, let's go together so we can get there. So God's word is the ultimate goal, but sometimes we need to come alongside and help people get there. And the Holy Spirit and God wants to use each one of us in everyone's life as he crosses over and, and creates those relationships.  Another thing, if somebody approaches us with something, we need to avoid quick apologies or excuses. I'm sorry, or I didn't mean that. It's like,  those are, those foolish words. They don't breathe life, they're not edifying, they're not building up. Compare to, tell me a little bit more of what your, what your experience. I want to know how, what I did affected you.  And then, got to work in.  And another thing that we need to be careful of is of correcting someone's feelings. By that I mean, oh, you shouldn't feel that way.  Have you ever heard anybody say, tell that to you? It's like, what do you mean I shouldn't? That's how I feel, right? It doesn't change. It doesn't encourage. It doesn't, right? The thing to remember is we're not fully formed. We're not fully conformed to the image of Christ. 

But we can't wait for perfection to open our eyes and respond to the needs around us.  People are hurting. Fear is lodged deep in places that, that sometimes people aren't even aware of.  We all pretend, we all hide sometimes, we wear some masks, we arrange different layers snugly around us to keep us from being exposed and vulnerable to more hurt, to more rejection, to more, you know, to that shame of, you know, And what happens though is when we do that, we sacrifice the vitality of fellowship. Our distance from each other protects us from hurt, but it also blocks out encouragement.  Love that alone can thoroughly calm our fears and soothe our hurts is the perfect love of God.  When love penetrates our layers, we realize the thrilling reality of unconditional acceptance of Jesus Christ's blood. Our relational pains, our draw to sinful behaviors changes to a draw to follow and grow in the Lord. 

So, I'd like to just close in one final verse.  And that's in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 24 and 25.  Hebrews chapter 10,  verses 24 and 25. This is our challenge. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assemblies of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another. And so much. More as you see the day approaching. So that's my challenge for us today.  And Jesus is our counselor  and he's coming back and he's calling us home.  And then we'll see him face to face, and we'll be perfect.

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