In this episode of Victorious Faith, Cherri Campbell continues her profound exploration of the concept of love as described in the Bible. This session, part eight of the series ‘What Love Does,’ delves deep into the workings of perfect love, which casts out fear, and explores how selflessness is rooted in faith. With reference to Scripture, Cherri passionately explains how perfect love enables us to overcome selfishness and jealousy — emotions often driven by fear — through a strong belief in God’s provision.
Good morning. Welcome to Victorious Faith. I’m Cherri Campbell. This morning I’m going to continue sharing with you the messages that I’ve been sharing with you for the last several broadcasts that I preached in two of our Victorious Faith services called What Love Does. So join me now in our live service for part eight of this two message series called What Love Does. First John 4, verse 18, love is unselfish. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear because fear has to do with punishment or torment. And the one who fears is not made perfect in love and fear and selfishness go together. Selfishness and fear go together because selfishness is also I need, I want, and what if I don’t have it? I need to get it for myself. And so it’s a fear based. It takes faith to be unselfish. And we’re going to get to that. But God will take care of us. It takes faith to be unselfish that what you need will come from God. What you want will come from God. And so you can be unselfish because God will take care of you. God will watch out for you and you don’t have to watch out for self. So love, we’re going to get to it. But love is by faith because it takes faith to be unselfish. Faith is the opposite of fear. Love is unselfish because it trusts God. It’s based in faith. So number 10, then let’s go on. Love is not jealous, jealous. And these really go together. Selfishness and jealousy. They’re also both based in fear. They’re fear based. Jealousy is fear based because why would you be jealous of somebody if you already have what they have? You wouldn’t be jealous of them. They got a brand new red Corvette and you’ve got a brand new red Corvette. Now, are you jealous of them because of their Corvette? No, you’ve got one. Or if you knew yours was coming and you knew it, it’s on the line. It’s on its way. Are you going to be jealous of them? No. Good job. Pat them on the back. Why? Because you know yours is coming. So there is no jealousy when you either already got it or you have faith that you’ve got it. So you’re jealous when your faith is wavering. Jealousy is when your faith wavers and well, what if I don’t get it? I want that one. They’ve got it and I don’t have it. And so the Lord has taken me through the process of jealousy. Why is a person jealous? When are they jealous? Well, if I’ve already got it, I’m not jealous. And if I knew I was going to get it next week or next month and it’s on the way and it’s paid for, then I’m not going to be jealous. But I’m only jealous if I don’t have it and I don’t know when it’s coming and I’m hoping it comes, but I don’t know for sure. And so my faith is wavering. Well, that’s when jealousy comes. And so we see that jealousy is also fear based. What we see, it’s fear based, not faith based. Love is faith based. Love is happy for other people’s successes, promotion, prosperity, blessings, etc. You cannot love your brother and be jealous of him. If you love him, you will always be happy for his blessings and successes. Love rejoices with the truth. First Corinthians 13, six rejoice with those who rejoice Romans 12, 15. So love rejoices with others. And we’re going to get to it. And I’m just including it all the way in. This is faith based. Love is faith based. You have faith that God meets your needs. God takes care of you. God’s blessing you. God’s bringing your dreams to pass. So you’re happy for other people who get what they are wanting. and what makes them happy. Fear is the root of jealousy because it is afraid that what that person has, I will never get, or even worse, if he gets it, it will keep me from getting it. He’ll get mine. This is again, when we need to know and rely on and believe the love God has for us. God loves me. God’s going to take care of me. God will give to me. God will bless me. God will give me the car that I desire, whatever it is. We have faith and believe God loves me. So I’m not jealous of anybody else. I’m not selfish, etc. Perfect, mature, developed love drives out fear. 1 John 4, 18. So only when we are free from fear can we fully love our brothers and be happy for our brothers. The opposite of fear is faith. When we are in faith, we can love our brothers. So love works by faith. Number 11, love is not easily angered. Love is not easily angered. And that’s 1 Corinthians 13, 5. It is not easily angered. Psalm 86, 15, but you, O Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness. So love is slow to anger. God is gracious and compassionate and slow to anger. Everybody say slow to anger. All right. And we know James 119 says the same. My dear brothers, take note of this. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. Right. That is really self-explanatory. I guess I don’t really need to go any farther. These are points for you. I’m just trying to go through a list that helps us identify love because we’ve heard as long as we’ve been in the church that we are supposed to love, right? And so this is kind of a practical how to do it lesson. This is how you do it. And so you can take these and study them more. All right. Number 12, love does not quarrel. Proverbs 13, 10, pride only breeds quarrels. Proverbs 23, the fool is quick to quarrel. Don’t be a fool. Turn to your neighbor and say, don’t be a fool. 2 Timothy 2, 23 and 24 don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments because you know they only produce quarrels and the Lord’s servant must not quarrel. Instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach and not resentful. Hallelujah. So love does not quarrel. Number 13, love is respectful. Love is respectful. 1 Peter 2.17, show proper respect to everyone. Love the brotherhood of believers. Fear God. Honor the king. So show proper respect to who? Say it again. Say it again. Everyone should be respected. Everyone should be respected. And Romans 12, 10, be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another. And honor goes hand in hand with respect. Honor one another or respect one another above yourselves. Hallelujah. So love is respectful. Number 14, love serves, love serves. Matthew 23, 11, the greatest among you will be your servant, will be your servant. Mark 9, 35, sitting down, Jesus called the 12 and said, if anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last and the servant of all. And Galatians 5, 13, serve one another in love. And number 15, love listens to others. You know, people who, we talked about this in the lesson on pride. Pride likes to do all the talking. Pride talks a lot and is not a listener because they like to hear themselves talk. Well, love listens and humility listens. So love listens. Be a good listener. Confess it. Say, I am a good listener. Say it again. I’m a good listener. Yeah, we need to practice the art of listening. James 1.19 again. My dear brothers, take note of this. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. Pride and selfishness like to do all the talking. All right. Number 16, love cares. Just like listening. Listening is caring. So love cares about what others care about. Love cares about what others care about. Galatians 6, 2, bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ. So bearing one another’s burdens, when you know a person has a burden of care, it’s not that you’re supposed to carry an anxious care. That’s not what it means. But use your faith in agreement with them to believe for their breakthrough, their victory, their answer. You’re not supposed to be. Nobody’s supposed to be burdened with worry. Nobody. Nobody. Nobody. But if there’s a problem, if there’s a situation that needs handling resolution, then believe God say, I’ll believe God with you. I mean, be quick to, and I don’t mean to be quick and hasty. To believe for things that aren’t right. You know, use wisdom. But when a person needs a resolution in a problem, be there for them to grab their hands. I believe God with you for this breakthrough. Be one that people can. No, you’ll stand with them in faith. And it’s not that you’ve got to carry a 24 hour prayer assignment for them, but you just release your faith and say, in the name of Jesus, I agree with you. And I believe God with you for this. And I’m not coming out of agreement. And we call this done. We call this resolved in Jesus name and it’s done. Amen. And then you both stand in faith at that point. Don’t worry. That’s not faith. You stand in faith and you call it done. Believe God, but you, everybody needs to have somebody that can come into agreement with them. And so you be that person that is there to stand with people and encourage them. I mean, you have a coworker at work and they might be able to even be, they might not even be a Christian, but you know, this is a great time to witness. If they’re telling you about a problem, man, this is a great time. They tell you they have a problem with their children say, well, let me pray with you on this. Father God, we ask right now for this lady’s children, their son to come back to you to come off of drugs or whatever. We ask you for this in Jesus name. Amen. And they’ll just go like this and say, what did you just do? But you know, that can be a witness to them. And then they can see that if they need help, they know somebody who can pray. They found somebody who can pray and help them. And so be a person that can stand with other people. And like I said, you don’t take a burden like a care. You just cast it on the Lord, but you take a stand of faith is what it is, releasing your faith. Love is the new command. John 13, 34 and 35. A new command I give you. Love one another as I have loved you. So you must love one another. By this, all men will know that you are my disciples because you wear a name badge. Because you say I’m a Christian. Right? No. No. Because you love one another. All men will know you are my disciples because you love one another. Not because you carry a Bible under your arm, but you act rude. Not because you always talk about Jesus and yet you go gossip and slander. No, because you love and then you will be set apart from the rest because love really is different than the world. right? Love is what sets us apart from the rest. And the sad thing is that so many Christians are not developed in this, that there’s so much of the criticism, slander, gossip, and not standing with one another that we don’t look any different. But if we really would just show love and it’s like, that would so stand out from the world where there is no love, that would really be a difference and we would be set apart. What you just heard was part eight of a two message series that I preached in two of our victorious faith services called What Love Does. We will continue this message again tomorrow. So join me again tomorrow. And remember, God loves you. You’re blessed and highly favored by the Lord.
