Let's Talk About Love, # 4

LET’S TALK ABOUT LOVE, PART 4

Warsaw Christian Church, Richard M. Bowman, Pastor

Text: Acts 6:1-4; James 2:14-18

We continue our examination of that key Christian word, “love.” I have two texts for your consideration this morning. The James text tells us that love acts. The text in Acts tells us that love is efficient. Let’s examine these two thoughts more closely.

First, we learn from James that love (which is closely related to faith) takes action when confronted with a need. Love does more than talk. Love does not respond to a need by simply saying, “God bless you. I hope everything works out for you. I shall pray for you.” All of that is well and good, but sometimes people need more than words. If you know that someone is desperately in need of food or clothing, and you have the means to help, mere words sound hollow.

We usually think of our jobs as something we do to meet the needs of our own families. Paul says this about work. He explains that we must not be thieves or idle, “but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need” (Eph. 4:28). Do you ever think that the income you have is given to you so you may have something to share with those in need? Yes, of course, we provide for the needs of our family, but most of us have discretionary money, not so we can accumulate more and more luxuries, but so we can help others.

This congregation has certainly reached out to others in need, and I commend you for it. Our mission support, Christmas for kids, meals on wheels, and help with other local needs is a vital part of our ministry. I speak not to the entire church, but to you as an individual. Does the love of Christ in your heart move you to share what you have to help others, or are you more interested in adorning your own lifestyle? Each of us must decide. James simply reminds us that agape love is sensitive to the needs of others and is willing to reach out with a helping hand. Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:14 that the love of Christ compels us. When Christ’s love is truly in our hearts we feel this strong, compelling desire to help those in need.

Even the secular world understands this principle. In the play and film “My Fair Lady,” Eliza says this to her would be lover: Words! Words! I'm so sick of words! I get words all day through; First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do? Don't talk of stars Burning above; If you're in love, Show me! There are times when we find Christian principles expressed in secular modalities. Eliza is correct. We are called to do more than speak of our love for those in need. We are to show our love by our deeds. Show me!

We read in Jeremiah 17:9 a sober truth about ourselves. "The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” It is so easy to convince ourselves that we are acting from love when in fact we are deceiving ourselves. It is so easy to convince ourselves that we are sharing generously, that we are giving to others as much as we possibly can. Again, we must evaluate our own hearts and decide if we are deceiving ourselves, or if we are truly being moved by the love of Christ in reaching out to others.

I want to turn now to our text in Acts. The Apostles of Jesus were certainly men motivated and compelled by the love of Christ. They were confronted with a problem. Certain widows were being neglected. It was a real problem that had to be addressed. Perhaps they should see to it themselves. However, they recognize a simple truth. They cannot do everything, and their priorities are to proclaim the Word of God and to focus on prayer. Therefore, they call upon the church to select others to handle this needed task.

There is an important principle here. Love is efficient. The needs just in this church and community are overwhelming, let alone the needs around the world. The Apostles in most respects were no different from us. They lived with limitations of time, talent, and financial resources. In the situation in our text, if they had taken on this task of distribution, it would have taken time away from their highest priority. Their preaching and prayer ministries would have suffered. Therefore, the help of others in the church was enlisted.

None of us can do all the good that needs to be done. We are incapable of feeding every hungry person or sharing Christ with every unbeliever. The unbeliever may say, “The world’s problems are overwhelming. I will just take care of myself.” Christian love says, “I cannot solve all the problems of the world, but I can do something, and I will.”