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.”
Agape is efficient. It does not wear itself out trying to do everything but prayerfully looks for those areas of service where the most good can be done. More than one pastor has left the ministry, suffering from burnout, trying to do more than is humanly possible. In my younger days, I worked excessively. More often than not, I wasn’t really seeking to please God, but to please the congregation.
One of the things we need in our church is an organist. Suppose I decided that as pastor I needed to do everything, including playing the organ. You would soon tire of hearing me play “Swans on the Lake” from the Thompson First Grade Piano Book. That is the only song I can play. I dropped out of piano lessons early. It would not be a good use of my time to volunteer to play the organ!
While I am by no means an Apostle, I understand my main duty is to preach and teach the Word of God. If I allow other duties (all of which may be good and necessary activities) to distract me from my main goal I am a failure as a pastor
Suppose a quarterback on a football team loved to kick extra points. The team had a regular kicker who was far better at the task, but the quarterback spent all his practice time kicking. He spent no time working on his passing skills. He would not be a very good quarterback and would severely hurt the team. Once you understand what God has called you to do you must not allow anything to usurp your time. Love is efficient.
We must identify how God wants to use us, and then pour our best efforts into that task, not allowing other “good” things to hinder us from doing the best thing.
Jesus was once asked to resolve an inheritance issue (Luke 12:13,14). He refused to allow this matter to sidetrack Him. His goal was to seek and save the lost, and if He allowed Himself to become a financial advisor, He would have neither time nor energy for His main mission. He refused to be a judge and settle a dispute between two greedy brothers.
When I say that love is efficient I mean it not only chooses the correct goal but also chooses the means that will lead to that goal. Our basic goal as Christians is to manifest divine love to God and to others. Forgive me for again using my calling as an example. One way a pastor shows his love for God and the congregation is in his faithful preaching and teaching. What are some of the means that will lead to that end? Certainly, those who preach and teach the Word must spend much time in the study of the Scriptures. There are other factors involved, but the study of Scripture is central. It is the key means to the chosen end, the faithful proclamation of divine truth. A pastor who preaches without spending time in biblical studies is not showing love to the congregation. Bible study is a means to an end.
I recall a pastor in Illinois who would come to church Sunday morning one hour early and jot down 3 or 4 points on a piece of paper, and that constituted his sermon preparation time. If I were so busy with other things that I used this method of sermon preparation, I would be disloyal both to the congregation and to God.
What would you think of a mother who said, “I love my children,” but then neglected the means that contribute to the child’s well-being? What if she prepared unhealthy meals, or left her children alone for hours so she could be with her friends? What if she would not seek proper medical care for her children? What if she took no interest in their education? She might say, “I love my children,” but the truth is she loves herself more. Mothers and fathers who love their children choose the means that will lead to the well-being of the child.
What is the highest expression of Christian love? Is it not the sharing of the Gospel, that those who are in spiritual darkness might move into the light of God’s forgiving love? This is our primary goal as a church. We do many things as a congregation, but if we neglect the main thing, we are not much of a church. What are the means we must choose to achieve this desired end? If we truly have agape love for the lost will we not pray for their souls? Will we not give to foreign missionaries that the Gospel may spread to other lands? Will we not want to support our local church, a place where we can invite those who know not the Savior to come?
What impression do we make on the unredeemed who may come into our church to visit, only to see a half-full sanctuary? They might conclude, “I don’t know what this church is about, but it can’t be very important to the membership.” If you truly have the love of God in your heart you will choose those means which are designed to promote the eternal well-being of others. If we are careless about the means, we cannot be very serious about the end.
Does the love of God dwell in you? I have tried to point out that Christian love is efficient in three ways. First, in finding that special way in which God can use you, and then second, choosing the means that will lead to that end. And third, I have also suggested that Christian love will focus intensely on the lost, doing what we can to draw others into the Kingdom.
Eliza Doolittle in “My Fair Lady” had it right. She was not terribly impressed with Freddy’s verbal expressions of love. “Show me” she demanded. I believe God says the same thing to us. Don’t just tell me you love me, and that you love your neighbor as yourself. Show me.
Our expanding definition of Christian love now takes this form: Christian love is the voluntary expression of goodwill towards others, friend and foe alike, motivated by our love for Christ and acting in harmony with His commandments. It is goodwill that refuses to compromise with sin or evil in any form. It seeks to work in the most efficient manner possible. The love of a single Christian cannot solve all the world’s problems, but it can do something, and it will. May this love abound in our church.
