WHAT’S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT!
Matthew 5:43-6:4
S: Love one another
Th: Seeing the Unseen Christ: How His Presence Transforms Life
Pr: WE ARE TO LAVISH HIS LOVE ON OTHERS.
?: How? How do we do that?
KW: Challenges
TS: We will find in our study of Matthew two challenges on how to lavish Jesus’ love on others.
The _____ challenge on how to lavish Jesus’ love on others is to…
I. LIVE THE TOUGH WAY TO LIVE (43-48)
II. GIVE THE TOUGH WAY TO GIVE (1-4)
RMBC 3/04/01 AM
INTRODUCTION:
DRAMA
Aren’t you glad that at least I am a little better than that guy?
Don’t you think I am better?
Please?
Do you think we would be better as a “Zero Tolerance Church”?
Neither do I…
It is amazing…the church can be so concerned about being right that it fails to be right.
You see, the only law that really counts is the law of love.
TRANSITION:
But I have come to a conclusion…
1. People do a lot of talking about love, but they do little about it.
ILL Lawton Brooks
In one of the Foxfire books that were popular 20 years ago, there is a monologue from an old North Carolina mountain man named Lawton Brooks. Here is what he says:
I’ve seen lots of changes in my life. I’uz just wonderin’ if I could live as long again as I have, what kind of a world we’d be in. But I just know the world is different from what it used t’be. Back then, when people had more time, they thought lots more of each other than they do now. Yeah, they did, they thought more of people than they do now. They’s lots more people than they used to be. Now that’s got lots to do with it... They goin’ s’fast, that they ain’t got time to take up with you. They ain’t got time to take up with me. They goin’ so fast. An’ that’s what makes th’difference. Used to be all ever’body had was time. They had plenty of time....
Back then, they wasn’t no such thing as a car—you couldn’t hurry... Seems like now if you can’t go t’Atlanta an’ back in th’same day…you way behind. You ain’t got time t’fool with it. People livin’ s’fast you got t’keep up with it in order t’stay up with things... You can’t slow down like we used t’do. I can’t either.
I’ll tell y’what—people enjoyed life better then than they do now. Because ever’body thought s’much more of each other... If you got down sick, people’d come askin’ about your eating supply. If you didn’t have it, here’d come somebody with a shoulder of meat... somebody with a ham—throw it right down there on your table. See that you had somethin’ to eat on. An’ then expect no money for it. Now tell me now who’s gonna come...when you’re down an’ throw you a good country ham down on your table—without any money. Now you show me one. Not never expectin’ t’get a dime out of it... We done it because we loved th’people, an’ the people loved us. That was just a habit that we had.
They’s a lot of changes. They’s as much difference in people now as they is in day an’ night. People don’t care for people no more like they used to. Use t’be if anybody got sick in th’community, why people’d go see about em, not just pass’em by. If you lived in our community, even if you was seven or eight mile away, when we hear you’uz sick, we’d go see about you... Nowadays you can get sick an’ people ain’t gonna go see about you t’ask how y’are, let alone do anything for you. You’d freeze t’death ’cause they ain’t gonna get you no wood.
People loved people better in them days. I know so. People cared for each other more. Nowadays they’re livin’ too fast. They ain’t got time t’take time with you. That’s true. That’s as true as it can be... Believe me, we was happier then than we are now.
This monologue has spurred some thinking in my own mind.
I think…
2. We possess a superficial view of love that does not reveal its true depth.
What gets defined as love today ends up having more to do with “What can I get out of it?” and “What will you give me?”
When people enter into relationships, there is a self-centeredness that pervades.
Lawton Brooks gets at our real problem when he says that we have loss the ability to look out for others.
You know…Jesus is here.
We often forget that.
Every Sunday, He is our Unseen Guest.
And I believe, He is insisting that we love one another.
There is only one law that really matters.
It is the law of love.
This means that…
3. WE ARE TO LAVISH HIS LOVE ON OTHERS (I Corinthians 13:1-8a).
Do you show the kind of love that Paul describes in I Corinthians?
(1) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. (2) If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (3) If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. (4) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. (5) It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. (6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. (7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (8) Love never fails…
This is a description of a powerful love that is so unlike what we experience and practice.
But did you notice that last statement?
Love never fails.
Love never fails…that’s a promise!
When we love as God does, it won’t fail.
This is why we are to lavishly love others.
We are to love extravagantly.
But how do we do that?
Well…
4. We will find in our study of Matthew two challenges on how to lavish Jesus’ love on others.
OUR STUDY:
I. The first challenge on how to lavish Jesus’ love on others is to LIVE THE TOUGH WAY TO LIVE (43-48).
Jesus says in this text…
(43) “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ (44) But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (45) that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (46) If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? (47) And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? (48) Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
It has been widely understood during Old Testament times that one’s neighbor was anyone in need whom you might come across in your daily living.
But, in time, that came to be distorted.
It was not hard, because…
1. We are easily persuaded to practice conditional love.
Rabbinical tradition added to the command of “love your neighbor.”
They added, “hate your enemy.”
Their teaching narrowed the meaning of “love your neighbor” to people that were preferred.
As a result, tax collectors, criminals and prostitutes were to be hated.
The Gentiles were not considered “neighbors” as well, so they were also to receive the same harsh treatment.
This practice caused the Romans to charge the Jews with hatred of the human race.
That was not a tremendous testimony of God’s love, was it?
But Jesus does have a different plan for us…
2. Instead, we are instructed to live a radical love.
We are to do the impossible.
We are to love our enemies.
On the surface, this impossible command may appear to be naïve and foolish, but remember the promise—love never fails.
Perhaps there is someone in your life today that is more than a thorn in your side or a back-stabber.
They are assaulting you in every conceivable way and making your life miserable.
Listen to Jesus’ solution.
It is…love your enemy.
Jesus goes on to tell us to pray for those that persecute us.
When we pray for someone, it is a great act of love.
When we bring them before the throne, we pray because of who they are—sinners fallen from the image of God and in need of God’s forgiveness and grace, just like us.
But because we have received God’s forgiveness and grace…
3. We are to be markedly different in how we relate to each other.
Jesus is critical of the religious leaders of the day.
It was His conclusion that the religious acted no different, though they thought they were far better.
Jesus accused them, “You love those that love you.”
Big fat deal!
If you are a believer, it is your behavior toward the unloving that sets you apart.
For…
4. We are commanded to work toward wholeness.
Jesus has a set of higher expectations on those of us who are His followers.
We are told to be perfect, in the sense of being mature and complete.
It is the sense of wholeness—we are to be all that God has called us to be.
This may be the tough way to live, but it is the way to lavish Jesus’ love on others.
II. The second challenge on how to lavish Jesus’ love on others is to GIVE THE TOUGH WAY TO GIVE (1-4).
(1) “Be careful not to do your ‘acts of righteousness’ before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. (2) So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. (3) But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, (4) so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”
ILL MacArthur, p. 352 (ascetic man)
The story is told of an eastern ascetic holy man who covered himself with ashes as a sign of humility and regularly sat on a prominent street corner of his city. When tourists asked permission to take his picture, the mystic would rearrange his ashes to give the best image of destitution and humility.
Well, I guess it doesn’t matter who you are…
1. We tend to focus on present praise.
We are audience-oriented.
We need to recognize that, as a result, our audience dictates our behavior.
When we do this, we become what Jesus described as hypocrites.
We are actors who wear masks, who put on a theatrical righteousness.
And this is a great peril for us, for this is one of Satan’s most common and effective ways of undermining the power of the church.
Instead of worrying about present praise, we are to focus on the need alone.
2. When we give, we do it because it needs to be done, not for what we can get out of it.
The point of the passage is simple.
Our giving, whether of money, food, or clothing, should be just a plain normal habit that we do.
ILL Notebook: Giving (Spurgeon)
Charles Spurgeon and his wife would sell, but refused to give away, the eggs their chickens laid. Even close relatives were told, "You may have them if you pay for them." As a result some people labeled the Spurgeons greedy and grasping. They accepted the criticism without defending themselves, and only after Mrs. Spurgeon died was the full story revealed: All the profits from the sale of eggs went to support two elderly widows. Because the Spurgeons where unwilling to let their left hand know what the right hand was doing, they endured the attacks in silence.
We are to give because we love others, and we are not concerned about who else knows.
We just do it.
ILL Notebook: Reward (3 hims)
One Sunday a pastor told his congregation that the church needed some extra money and asked the people to prayerfully consider giving a little extra in the offering plate. He said that whoever gave the most would be able to pick out three hymns. After the offering plates were passed, the pastor glanced down and noticed that someone had placed a $1,000 bill in offering. He was so excited that he immediately shared his joy with his congregation and said he’d like to personally thank the person who placed the money in the plate. A very quiet, elderly, saintly lady all the way in the back shyly raised her hand. The pastor asked her to come to the front. Slowly she made her way to the pastor. He told her how wonderful it was that she gave so much and in thanksgiving asked her to pick out three hymns. Her eyes brightened as she looked over the congregation, pointed to the three handsomest men in the building and said, "I’ll take him, and him, and him."
Well, perhaps that wasn’t the reward the pastor meant after all.
Nevertheless…
3. We are to be content with God’s reward alone.
If we are looking to receive the reward here, then empty accolades will be all the reward we will get.
Instead, we are to leave the bookkeeping to God and trust Him.
God knows our heart, attitude and motivation and He will give what is due us in His time.
This may be the tough way to give, but when we do it, Jesus’ love will be lavishly given—and it will make a spiritual difference—because love never fails!
APPLICATION:
This is the truth we must grasp…
1. When we lavish love on others, spiritual significant events happen.
I don’t think any of us ever fully understand the scope of our influence.
But do know this…when specific personal needs are met in unpredictable ways, these events are always spiritually significant…not only for the recipient, but for the benefactor as well.
There is a personal and godly pleasure in meeting a legitimate need.
There is true joy.
Even more, when you do it secretly, it is an act of selflessness because you are not acting so that the other person will reciprocate.
And here is an even more interesting result…
2. Giving secretly means God gets the credit.
When we give secretly, the recipient has no way to respond except to give credit to God.
Isn’t that wonderful?
We become God’s instrument and the glory goes where it belongs—that’s great!
So take the opportunity during our adventure to deliberately meet a need—demonstrate God’s love by…
…writing a letter of encouragement
…sending flowers
…cooking your culinary specialty
…running errands
…supplying groceries
…giving clothing
…providing unexpected money
Take time to pray that the Lord will make you sensitive to people who need special encouragement.
Then, as the Lord reveals those people…give.
Give so God will receive the credit.
Unfortunately, the typical church is not known for encouragement.
3. Do you think we could ever be a church that was known by its love (John 13:34-35; Acts 4:32)?
What if we placed a moratorium on sins such as gossip and carrying grudges, the closing of hearts to others’ needs, the forming of exclusive little cliques and snooty superiority feelings.
Now, I am not saying that we are characterized by this list.
On the other hand, I am sure that we have had struggles with those things in our history.
Jesus said…
(34) “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. (35) By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Luke, writes in Acts about how love was acted out in the early church…
(32) All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had.
It is my hope and dream that we will continually be known as a church that loves…no matter how hard it is.
We can be that way, but it starts with you, not with the person next to you or across from you or the one that is sitting on the other side of the room.
It will happen when you make the first move, not as you wait on the other person.
And when we do this, the unseen Christ will be seen…
4. The unseen Christ will be seen when we love.
BENEDICTION: [Counselors are ]
Live the tough way to live…don’t just love the people that are easy to love, but love the hard ones just as Jesus loves them, and lavish His love on them.
Give the tough way to give…don’t give so people will see you give; give so God gets the credit and they see Jesus’ love extravagantly demonstrated to them.
Let’s be the church God has called us to be—characterized by this simple, but powerful command—love one another—and watch the change, for love never fails.
Now…May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
