 JULY
2000 - PASTOR JIM WEST
Greetings in the Name of Jesus!
This months Cyber-Church sermon is by Pastor Jim West. Pastor
Jim was the founder of Cyber-Church.com and while it has been over six months since his
homegoing, we have recently found a number of messages that he had waiting for
publication. Pastor Jim's messages are for the most part in outline form. We will
post them as he left them and trust the Holy Spirit to fill in any gaps. We pray you too
will be blessed by the teachings of this Godly Saint that is now with the Lord. God
bless you and yours
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Fervent in Spirit
Let's look at some words in the bible and find just exactly what the writer (The Holy
Spirit) was trying to say....
Ro 12:9-11 [Let] love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which
is good. [Be] kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring
one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
You might think that there can't be too much in this verse that isn't apparent: That a
casual reading would reveal EVERYTHING about it we need to know. WRONG!!
What I want to do is assimilate, or ingest, some of the more illusive renderings of just a
few of the words used here in the King James bible. Some of these are: LOVE -
DISSIMULATION - ABHOR - EVIL - CLEAVE - GOOD - KINDLY - AFFECTIONED - BROTHERLY LOVE -
PREFERRING - SLOTHFUL BUSINESS (as used here.) - FERVENT - SPIRIT - SERVING - LORD
(Yes, I know that's just about every word in there!)
Even if we didn't go any deeper than the very surface of this scripture we can already see
that Paul is giving the Saints at Rome the very best instruction they could ever receive.
There is ab solutely MUCH to be gained even in a cursory reading. HOW MUCH MORE THEN can
we get if we actually dare to say, "God, give me all you have to give. Teach me
EVERYTHING there is to learn here. I want to KNOW, LORD!" "I want to know IT
ALL, LORD!"
agape {ag-ah'-pay} love, charity, dear
"(Let) love be without hypocrisy."
Translated as "love" or "charity", agape is the unconditional love
such that a man has for his children or his brother. It does not depend on character or
loveliness of the recipient but is truly unconditional. God has this love for us and we
will be recognized as Christ's people when we have it toward our brothers.
anupokritos {an-oo-pok'-ree-tos} AV - unfeigned, without dissimulation, without hypocrisy,
undisguised, sincere
"(Let) love be without hypocrisy."
Greek actors were called "hypocrites" from a derivative of this word. The love
we have must be absolutely true, sincere love. There must be no pretense or reservations
to it. AND it must be free and unconditional!
apostugeo {ap-os-toog-eh'-o} dislike, abhor, have a horror of "Abhor that
which is evil;" This word is as much beyond ordinary hate as "agape" is
above ordinary love. The object of this "abhor" is the extreme opposite of that
to which we extend our love. Indeed, it is that very "agape" love that defines
the depth of our hatred to that evil one and those evil things described by the word
"poneros" below. The greater and deeper our Godly love, the more intense our
"horror of" the evil of this world and the more anxious we are to get away from
it!
poneros {pon-ay-ros'} evil, wicked, wicked one, evil things bringing toils, annoyances,
perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and
trouble 2a) in a physical sense: diseased or blind 2b) in an ethical sense: evil wicked,
bad
The word is used in the nominative case here and in Mt. 6:13. This denotes a title (or
name) in the Greek. Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
EVIL: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Therefore
Christ is saying, deliver us from "The Evil", and is probably referring to
Satan. "The evil one"
kollao {kol-lah'-o} (glue) AV - join (one's) self, cleave, be joined, keep company 1,
reach 1) to glue, to glue together, cement, fasten together "cleave to that which is
good." Paul is saying to find some good, upright, excellent thing and attach yourself
to it and cling to it like glue! Be inseparable from the "good" crowd. Glue
yourself to thoughts that feed your soul the GOOD things of God! "Agathos" is an
active living word that benefits us in every pleasant, honorable way! What JOY to be
tightly glued to "agathos" which seems to come from the Greek words
"Agape" which we studied above and from "Theos" which means God. A fit
companion for a Child of The King!
agathos {ag-ath-os'} good, good thing, that which is good, honorable upright, excellent,
pleasant, joyful, happy, agreeable
philostorgos {fil-os'-tor-gos}kindly affectioned, reciprocal tenderness of close kin. 1)
the mutual love of parents and children and wives and husbands "(Be) kindly
affectioned one to another with brotherly love;" philadelphia {fil-ad-el-fee'-ah}
brotherly love and kindness. in the NT the love which Christians cherish for each other as
brethren
There are three Greek words meaning love: agape, eros and phileo. This phrase uses
derivatives of the the latter both for "kindly affectioned" and "brotherly
love". You may recognize "Philadelphia" as the City of Brotherly love. This
is the love of humanity for humanity. Christians love each other as
"super-humans", one to another. The family of God must predominate over the
natural, earthly family. To the "forsaking ALL" for the love toward Christ.
(Remember, that's who your brother truly IS!) time {tee-may'} honor, price, sum,
precious the price paid or received for a person or thing bought or sold
"in honor preferring one another;" Willing to pay any price and to go to any
lengths to go before my brother to show him the way. The "easier" way. As his
helper, his advanced guard. And it is my great HONOR to do this for it will free him to
greater service to Christ.
proegeomai {pro-ay-geh'-om-ahee} prefer, to go before and show the way, to go before and
lead, as a leader
me {may} not, no, that not, God forbid, lest, neither, no man, but, none
"Not slothful in business;" WATCH THE PROGRESSION - - - - "God forbid"
you should be slothful in business;
okneros {ok-nay-ros'} sluggish, slothful, backward
"God forbid that you should be sluggish or backward in business;"
spoude {spoo-day'} diligence, earnest care, carefulness earnestness in accomplishing,
promoting, or striving after anything
"God forbid that you should be sluggish or backward in your striving: in your
diligence: in your dedication to getting the job done;"
zeo {dzeh'-o} be fervent, fervent, boil with heat, be hot used of boiling anger, love,
zeal, for what is good or bad.
"fervent in Spirit;" Be so possessed by the Holy Ghost that your love of the
good and your hatred of the evil one is at it's boiling point and cannot be controlled.
pneuma {pnyoo'-mah} Spirit, Holy Ghost, Spirit of God.
douleuo {dool-yoo'-o} 1) to be a slave, serve, do service - to yield obedience.
"serving the Lord." kurios {koo'-ree-os} Lord, master, Sir this title is given
to: God, the Messiah
Yielding your obedience as a willing bond slave to do any service desired by the One
Supreme Being you have decided to make your Lord and Master.
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