SCRIPTURE
SUBJECT/TITLE: LOVE
PURPOSE: We are to love even the seemingly unlovable for the salvation of their souls.
"PERFECT LOVE IN IMPERFECT TIMES: I CAN'T EVEN WALK"
- As shared by Rev. Don Schink, Pastor-Evangelist, (C) 2003
INTRODUCTION
ILLUS: I remember hearing a friend say, "If it wasn’t for people, my job would be just fine." I thought about it and couldn’t help but think that if it wasn’t for people, he wouldn’t have a job! J
ILLUS: There are lots of people everywhere we go. They are short. They are tall. They have good points. They have bad points, as well. Some treat us kindly. Others only know how to yell. Such ones can cause more problems than a pack of hungry dogs turned loose in a meat market. In fact, there are some folks who have more "hang-ups" than there are pictures on the walls of an art gallery.
Actually, are people really any worse than people in Jesus’ day? There are lots of discussions on that. But, sin is sin, yesterday or today. Times had grown worse and worse up to the day that Jesus came the first time and they have been doing do in our day, as well.
There are just more of us, today
. ILLUS: Sometimes a large person will smile and say, "There’s just more of me to love." J It isn’t that such a one has better characteristics. They’re simply bigger. People of the world tend to be equally selfish or equally loving, of course, whether they are large or small. Sinners still live in sin. They still need Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord!This Scripture passage is a climax as to what has been previously covered in the Sermon On The Mount. Jesus had discussed ways of living involving practical issues, as murder, adultery, divorce, and oaths, comparing the difference between the Law and the deeper issues of the heart!
Love is now shown as the supreme example of how, in the love of the Lord, Christians can be victorious. Christians can be victorious in today’s world as we interact with even the seemingly worst types of people. For our first point, let’s consider:
It was natural for the Jews of Jesus’ day to love his/her friends and hate his/her enemies. In fact, if a Jew chose to leave the Jewish faith, fellow-Jews felt that it was their duty to kill such a one! He was considered to have turned from a friend to an enemy. They also considered a Gentile as their enemy. For example: Jewish law read: "A Jew sees a Gentile fall into the sea, let him by no means lift him out; for it is written, ‘Thou shalt not rise up against the blood of thy neighbor:’ but this is not thy neighbor."
Only those of the same blood type and the same religion were to be considered as their neighbors. All others were enemies. Their reasoning for this was to insure the unity of the nation and to prevent greater exposure of evils to the people, both moral and religious.
For the most part, the people would have had very little trouble loving their friends and neighbors, - that is, as long as things went reasonably well around the neighborhood. If it didn’t, then they simply could avoid them. People do this in our day as well. It’s really not at all hard to love your friends. We don’t have too much trouble with this and neither did the people of Jesus’ day.
Suddenly Jesus speaks out to say that the whole affair goes much deeper than this. It’s time to put things in their proper perspective.
Suddenly,
Jesus says, "Love your enemies!" The real test isn’t whether we can love those who can love us in return. The real test comes in relation as to how we must be able to love those who are at odds with us and us with them. This is where we "separate the men from the boys," so to speak.ILLUS
: While I was attending Nazarene Bible College, a fellow-student showed a real dislike toward me. I had no idea why. We hadn’t had any conflict, but he clearly had developed a negative attitude toward me. My first reaction was simply to ignore him. But I knew that this would not be what the Lord wanted me to do. So, I began to concentrate on noticing his good points. When the opportunity arose, I expressed a sincere compliment. I expressed my appreciation toward some things that I had observed. My contacts with him after that were fine. A potential enemy turned and became a friend."Love your enemies,"
Jesus says. Why? Simple, true and sincere love can melt the coldest heart. Those who are lost to the ugly world of sin can be redeemed. Many who are living for the Lord, today, would still be lost if concerned Christians had failed to show sincere love and appreciation toward them. Secondly:Our heavenly Father chooses to disregard the insults of man. No matter how they act against Him, He pours His sunlight and showers upon them. Everyone benefits. He has set us a loving example. We are to act in the likeness and image of God our Father. We are not man’s judges.
We are to love with a love such as comes to the born-again believer, as a child of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit within us. The privilege of sonship to our heavenly Father can be obtained as our behavior follows His example. As we are kind to those who mistreat us, we are acting in the same manner as He does!
To love only those who love us is selfish. It is not genuine love for character. It is love for benefit. No special reward should be expected.
ILLUS: Even the tax collectors did that much. Fellow-Jews considered their tax men to have about as much character as thieves and adulterers. Jesus says that even these types of men would love their benefactors.
In returning love only to those who love us, we do absolutely no more than the average sinner. No power of the gospel is manifested. Christian are to excel! Christians should clearly show a different spirit.
We are to treat our enemies as well as wicked men treat their friends. You and I must be willing to live in this manner if we are to live as Jesus wants us to do! Thirdly:But, if God says it, you and I can believe it! He simply would never tell us to do something that we simple could not do!
In telling us, "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect," Jesus is not setting up an unattainable standard. He is saying that our perfection on the human sphere is as God is perfect in the divine sphere. This is the aim and goal of the Christian life. In this context, perfect is to be interpreted as perfection in love, which is to be experienced in this life, here, and now (1 John 2:5,6 - "But if anyone obeys His Word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: (6) Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." (NIV)).
We are to live above the standards of such people as the publicans. God is our example. He is our model.
Being perfect is to have a heart purified from hate and filled with love through the power of the Holy Spirit of God.When the human vessel is filled with love, God can be no more than full. He is the perfect finite. We are the perfect infinite. If we live above the low average of customary morality around us, and if we fully obey the law of love and enjoy the power of love in our hearts, we shall be perfect, even as our heavenly Father is perfect.
Jesus has clearly shown us that
Christian perfection depends on the indwelling reign of love in our hearts. As we yield to the fullness of His Spirit, He will show us the meaning of perfect love in our everyday Christian experience.CONCLUSION
:You and I
may be the only example of Christian love that our neighbor or co-worker ever sees. They will watch you and me and how we respond to everyday interactions with one another. They’ll test us to see if we’re really for real. In fact, there are times when they’ll be just terrible. Even in the worst of times, you and I must love them anyway. You and I will not always love what they do. But we must love them for the sake of their salvation. You don’t love the sin. But you do love the sinner, as an individual who needs to be saved.Jesus, Himself, has already set us the supreme example of this. It takes a lot of love for one person to lay down his life for another. Jesus, Himself, did just that for you and me. He left the splendor of heaven. He came to this earth and was tested and tried in every area possible, remaining pure and sinless. He was cursed at, spit at, and mistreated beyond measure. Finally, beaten, wearing a crown of thorns which had been jammed down upon His head, He was led to a hill called Golgotha where He was crucified without mercy. As life drained from His tortured, pain-ridden body, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." You see, His was a willing sacrifice.
He took the burdens of yours and my sins and nailed them to the Cross! He did it fo0r you. He did it for me. He did it for the very worst of our enemies. He loves us that much!
In John 3:16, the Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." For God loved the world that He gave His very best. Then His very best gave His very best.
So, how is it with your soul, today? Are you filled with the Savior’s love? If not, you can be…today. Are you willing to live wholly and completely for Jesus, leading others to Him, regardless of personal cost? Whatever price we are asked to pay is so small in comparison to the one He has already paid!
(STAND - PRAY - SING "AMAZING GRACE" - INVITATION - PRAYER OF COMMITMENT AND DISMISSAL)
Please note that you are welcome to share this sermon in your local churches, but I suggest that you personalize it. Also, please give credit where credit is due. You do not have permission to publicize it or to make money from it in any form. May God richly bless you as you minister for Him with rich spiritual rewards of seeing many souls saved and sanctified for all eternity! Please let me know whatever helpful results that you may get from this!
With Warm Sincerity In Jesus’ Love,
Rev. Don Schink, Pastor-Evangelist
Sonlight Ministries
Tijeras, NM
Pastor Don's Home Page
Scripture quoted is from the: New International Version (NIV)
Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
