Category: Love
Subject: Love
Sermon: Looking at Parallels
The Holy Spirit uses comparisons, like comparing the lifetime committment of marriage to the Jews relationship with the law (Romans 7), and Jesus relationhip to the church to establish truths in the husband/wife relationship. The Hebrew writer does the same in Hebrews 9, teaching an important lesson about Christ’s sacrifice.
Sermon: The Desires of Disciples
An examination of the proper desires of God’s people. For example to be lovers of God rather than the world, and to Honor and Obey Him, no matter the sacrifices that must be made.
Covid-19 (31) – How Do People View You?
I have an interesting question to ask you. How do people view you? And, is it important to know that? Ultimately, does it matter? There actually is a Bible answer to the second question, which we will discuss. You will have to answer the first by examining yourself, and trying to look at your words and actions as others do.
First, does it matter? Well, in one way yes, and another way no. Consider Paul’s words, “But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by a human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I know of nothing against myself, yet I am not justified by this; but He who judges me is the Lord” (1 Corinthiansa 4:3-4). God will judge us. Because of this, we must ultimately please Him alone. If we are pleasing Him, then it doesn’t matter if others condemn us. All that matters is God is pleased.
However, that doesn’t give us carte blanche to go around acting obnoxiously, with no concern what others might think. Consider that God requires us to concern ourselves with how others might view us. In other words, to please God we need to please men, within certain parameters.
COVID-19 (27) How to Know God
There are a couple of interesting verses in 1 John 4 that are worth talking about. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.” (7-8).
John’s claim is fairly radical. It is a way of defining what love truly is. Understand that most everyone thinks they know what love is. Because they hold their own definitions, and their definitions conflict with that of God’s, they will go so far as to call Christians unloving, when they are exhibiting true love!
COVID-19 (20) From the Son of Thunder to the Apostle of Love
The apostle John, one of the sons of thunder (Mark 3:17), once reacted strongly to a Samaritan village that rejected Jesus. He along with his brother asked, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” (Luke 9:54). It was obvious that he was a man of great passion and conviction, and one who allowed his anger and passion to lead him to drastic action. On this occasion, Jesus admonished him and James, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of. For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them” (9:55-56).
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Open Your Hearts to Us
We live in cynical times. The dishonesty and fickleness of the world makes it difficult for us to trust our fellow man. We see everywhere politicians breaking campaign promises, marital infidelities and corrupt businesses acting in unethical ways. Each of us from time to time may have experienced betrayal even from family and friends. Perhaps we even have been guilty of failing others in this regard.
However, there are many faithful Christians that we can trust. They love God, and love us, and we can be confident that they are always looking out for what is best for us. It is a wonderful thing to find a faithful brother or sister, especially if we take advantage of their goodness by letting ourselves trust them.
Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “Open your hearts to us. We have wronged no one, we have cheated no one. I do not say this to condemn; for I have said before that you are in our hearts, to died together and to live together” (2 Corinthians 7:2-3).
There is no doubt that Paul was true to his word. He was a wonderful man, who even while admonishing the Corinthian Christians, only wanted what was best for them. If they opened their hearts to Paul, they could be sure he would do anything to help them, even to die for them.
You know Christians like that! Open your hearts to them! And look at your own heart, are you such a person?
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The Patternists: Why Will God Condemn Men to Hell?
Time and again we hear objections raised to the concept of hell, based on God’s supposed love for man. “If God loves man so much”, some say, “there is no way He would ever send them to eternal torment!” In this, they misunderstand God’s motivation and capabilities.
First, God does love men, and desires everyone to be saved. God desires every single person (who has ever lived, is living now, and ever will live), to go live with Him in heaven for eternity. This truth is evident in scripture. For example, Paul exhorts Timothy to pray for conditions to allow men to live “quiet and peaceable” lives in “all godliness and reverence.” This exhortation is explained, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).
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Sermon: Faith, Love, Hope
The text of 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 talks about the work of faith, labor of love and patience of hope that defines the Christian experience. The subject was a favorite one of the great Apostle.
God’s Imperative
“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have 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 could remove mountains, but have not love, 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” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).
Paul speaks of many wonderful and important things in the first three verses of this wonderful chapter. He refers to the important sign of tongue speaking. He writes of inspired prophecy. He mentions faith and generous acts of benevolence. He refers even to martyrdom, the supreme sacrifice of life for God. Then he says that without love, none of these things have value.
Be The Exception
A friend recently lent me a book to read. There is much good material in it. In one chapter, the basic premise is the need to recognize that the world is broken.
It is not something that should shock us. Rather than get surprised and offended when we see evil, we should instead note its commonality, and give thanks to God for His intervention and ultimate cure for sin. Following is a quote from the book:
War is not exceptional; peace is. Worry is not exceptional; trust is. Decay is not exceptional; restoration is. Anger is not exceptional; gratitude is. Selfishness is not exceptional; sacrifice is. Defensiveness is not exceptional; love is. And judgmentalism is not exceptional… But grace is.
(Brant Hansen, Unoffendable, page 40)
It is in this way that Christians are able to be an influence for good in our world (cf. Matthew 5:13-14). In the midst of a broken world, we are to be peacemakers, to trust in God, to edify, to give thanks, to give, to love, and to forgive.
We are to be as God is, who has extended His grace to all mankind. It is easy to “walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk” (cf. Ephesians 4:17). Instead, “put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness” (Ephesians 4:22-24).
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Loving in Deed
It is not surprising that the apostle John is known and the apostle of love. He frequently talked about love. In his epistles, he especially exhorted Christians to show love for one another.
One such example of these exhortations is found in 1 John 3. In verse 16 he reveals the quality of that love, “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.” I imagine that on our best day, we all can imagine ourselves to show such nobility, standing in the breech and laying down our lives in the ultimate loving sacrifice.
In the next breath, though, John continues, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?” (vs. 17).
Perhaps we flatter ourselves in thinking we are capable of the grandest of sacrifices, when we find ourselves put out by the smallest of needs. The next time a brother or sister expresses a need — a ride to the doctor, a meal, a ear to listen, a comforting hug — don’t let any perceived inconvenience on your part keep you from showing your true love for them.
“My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth” (vs. 18)!
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We MUST Love Our Brethren
“If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (1 John 4:20-21).
John’s words ring so true. Men have been “made in the similitude of God” (James 3:9). Thayer defines the word “similitude”, 1) a making like; 2) likeness. When we combine the facts that men are made like God, and our Christian brethren have the motivations, principles and character that He personifies, it is simply not possible to have love for Him and animus for them.
Further, we profess a love for God when we know Him only by Faith. We have not seen Him. We know of His character and person only as they are revealed in His word, His creation, and His providential care for us. That doesn’t mean our profession of love is not true. But, our brethren we know experientially. We see them, converse with them, live with them, worship with them, work with them. If we hate them, our profession of love for the God they emulate is demonstrably hollow.
If we truly love God, we will keep His commandments (cf. John 14:15). “And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.”
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Sermon: For Conscience’ Sake
Paul expresses the type of attitude we should have toward Jews, Gentiles and God’s people, always expressing and showing concern for how our actions may impact our reputation, and the spiritual welfare of others.
Sermon: Love One Another
Romans 13:8-ff is used to discuss our obligations to love one another.
Sermon: “Therefore let us”
Paul’s language in Philippians 3 describes a wonderful relationship between believers, as we together seek to gain the resurrection, and an eternal reward in heaven.
