Transcript for Message 7: The Pursuit Of Charity (Selected Passages) by Merlin
By God's grace, we are now on the last and final message. I thank God for sustaining each one of us in this series of studies and meditation of God's word, even in the time of our discussion, in time in fellowship, one with another, and in a time that we hear from God's word and have been instructed, if not corrected, on how we have been conducting ourselves in our everyday walk, in our everyday service unto the Lord. Coming down to this last and final message, with the title, The Pursuit of Charity, I'd like us to consider the words of our Lord Jesus, recorded in the Gospel of John, the Gospel of John chapter 13, Gospel of John chapter 13, looking at verse 34 and 35. But I invite you to read together with me, beginning in verse 33. Although our focus would mainly be on verse 34 and 35, to better understand context. Let's read beginning in verse 33, and let's read these three verses together. Are we ready? Verse 33. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me. And as I said unto the Jews, whither I go, ye cannot come. So now I say to you, a new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if you love one to another. Lord, as we come to this last and final message in this camp, we are thankful for your sustaining grace upon everyone. We are thankful for how the Holy Spirit has guided us and led us through, allowing us to see for ourselves precious truth, lessons that you have allowed us to consider and ponder upon. For our edification, that we all be convinced, even be convicted in our hearts, coming to realizing the more excellent way, which is charity, that which we all need to cultivate in our lives. If we are to walk pleasing unto thee and edifying to one another and be a blessing to the world around us. As we come to this last and final message, we once again ask for your blessing. Bless us with knowledge and wisdom and understanding. Bless us with a humble and teachable spirit. Bless us with that desire to bring along with us the truth that we are about to receive from you and have it established and settled in our hearts, rooted therein. And in due time, that it grow and bear much fruit. O Lord, have mercy. Hear our prayers. For we pray all this in Jesus' name. Amen. Praise and glory be unto God for bringing us to our last and final message in this series on, but the greatest of these is charity. Going through the preeminence, the practice and permanence of charity, looking mainly and permanence of charity, looking mainly at 1 Corinthians 13. In this last and final message, we shall consider the subject of the pursuit of charity by considering the very words of the Lord Jesus in our text. Like I've always said, we have been too familiar with the subject, but somehow we miss out on its significance and importance. As I often would challenge our brethren in the Philippines, that we have been so familiar with all the principles in God's precepts, yet it seems like we struggle in practice. We are familiar in principle, in precepts, yet we continue to struggle in our practice. Whereas, back in the day, it's more of ignorance of the truth. That is the main problem of Christianity. We think of today's Christianity, it's no longer the ignorance of the truth, it is more of ignoring the truth. We are not lucky in receiving instruction, we are not lucky in hearing counsel, we are not lucky in all this. With all the avenues, with all the technology, whereby we can have the convenience, the opportunity, even the privilege to engage ourselves on spiritual matters for the perfecting of our faith, the sad reality is this. We may have given our time to hearing and learning, engaging ourselves in all these spiritual exercises, opportunities for us to hear and learn from God's Word. But the challenge will always be on the practical side of it. To learn is one thing, to live according to what we learn is another story. And so, having have gone through the preeminence, having have gone through the practice, and even considering the permanence of charity, I want to end this series of study on charity by looking at the pursuit. How are we to pursue charity? The words of the Lord here was given unto His disciples at the particular point where He knows of His imminent death at the cross, of His imminent arrest, sensing that the day and the time is near, that the disciples would abandon Him, that Judas would betray Him, and Peter would deny Him. He gave them these so-called parting words. As you can see, we've read in verse 33, little children, yet a little while I am with you, ye shall seek me. And as I said unto the Jews, whither I go ye cannot come. So now I say to you. So it appears that verse 34 and 35 is a kind of a parting words that the Lord gave to His disciples. And every time we think of parting words, they always hold that heavy burden, if not significance, particularly to those whom it was given. And it is just interesting to note that of all the things that the Lord can say or speak to His disciples in His final moments with them, the Lord thought about giving them the commandment that they love one another. That they love one another. one another. That they love one another. If you are a family man, you would know of the joy, the delight, when there's abundance of love within and among the family members. Where there is care and concern for one another. Where there is peace, harmony, and unity in the family and in the home. How much more if we see the same in the church? As the Psalmist would say in Psalm 133 and verse 1, Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. Realize then how God is pleased and delighted when his children have love for one another and serve together in unity and in love. Looking and considering this message titled The Pursuit of Charity, I want us to look closely at the words of the Lord in these two verses and consider how, firstly, the Lord commanded us to love. How the Lord commanded us to love. Look again at verse 34, A new commandment I give unto you. So it is very clear. It was given as a command. And what is the command all about? That ye love one another. Realize that to love one another is our sacred duty. We are duty bound to love one another. At times we can have our own preferences. At times we are more inclined, tend to show charity and express charity, if not brotherly love to those whom we identify as somewhat a clique in which we can identify, in which we can be comfortably fellowship and bond. While on the other hand, we seem to have that reservation in relation to others in the church whom we may seldom speak or talk about or talk to, whom we seldom fellowship with, even when we may see them and see each other regularly without fail in all the church gatherings and meetings. Realize that this command is given and commanded that we are to love one another. We are to love one another. In chapter 15, turn with me for a while to chapter 15. And look with me at verse 12. Notice here how the Lord gave the commandment again in these words in verse 12, chapter 15. This is my commandment that ye love one another as I have loved you. Greater love had no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends. If you do whatsoever, I commanded you. And just as we are commanded to love one another, obviously we are expected to obey. After all, we know very well how Jesus said, if ye love me, keep my commandments. If ye love me, keep my commandments. And we know also what it is that is the greatest commandment of all. Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy strength, with all thy mind, and love thy neighbor as thyself. God's people are to live continually by this principle. We who are of the household of faith are to be characterized by charity, by love for one another. It should be the natural outflow of our Christian life and should be normal for us to experience. normal for us to express and display just as we are commanded. And the fact that we are commanded, we are expected to comply. We are expected to comply. In addition to all this verses that we may find in the Gospels coming from the words of the Lord itself or himself, consider how the Apostles also and other New Testament writers would exhort the church, even us today, in this commandment of the Lord to love one another. Turn with me for a while to 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 9. 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 and verse 9. Look at what Paul here said. But as touching brotherly love, ye need not that I write unto you. For ye yourselves are what? Taught of God to love one another. Obviously Paul, by the inspiration of the scripture, know very well. Though we know also very well that Paul was never a part of the original twelve, whereby the Lord spoke the words that ye love one another. That by the inspiration of, by the inspiration of scripture, he indeed wrote saying, ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another. While he may not be around when those words were spoken by the Lord to the original twelve that ye love one another. But obviously by the inspiration of this Holy Spirit writing to the Thessalonians, he know very well the way he wrote. I need not say more unto you on this subject, on this matter. For ye yourselves know, for ye yourselves are taught of God to what? To love one another. It is but a reiteration of what the Lord already had given his disciples and even the apostles back then. From the pen of Paul, we move on to consider the writings of Peter. 1st Peter chapter 3. 1st Peter chapter 3. And look with me at verse 8 and 9. 1st Peter chapter 3 verse 8 and 9. It says here, finally be all of one mind, having compassion one of another. And look at this, love us brethren, be pitiful, be courteous, not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrary wise blessing, knowing that ye are there unto cold, that ye should inherit a blessing. Notice there again how Peter exhorts the believers to have that love for one another. From Paul to Peter, we move on to John. 1st John. 1st John chapter 4. And look with me at verse 7 to 11. I'm sure you are familiar with 1st John and there are just too many passages and verses therein that speaks about love. But again, to save time, let's look at this particular passage. Chapter 4, beginning verse 7 up until verse 11. It says here, Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God. And everyone that loveth is born of God. I knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God. For God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we love God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. We cannot undermine nor underestimate that love in which we are commanded. It is our solemn duty. It is our sacred duty to one another. For after all, we are commanded by the Lord Himself to love one another. And so it has to be our daily pursuit. Not on some occasions, not on few occasions, not on many occasions, but it has to be our consistent, constant pursuit. For after all, we are commanded to love one another. Going back now to our text, after looking at the commandment in which we are told to love one another, we move on to consider the conformity of that love, the standard in which we are to pursue love, the manner in which we are to love. So from the commandment of love, we move on to consider the conformity of that love. Look with me again in verse 34, A new commandment I gave unto you, here is the conformity, the standard, the manner in which we are to love, that ye love one another as I have loved you. Oh, the greatest and the ultimate standard and example of agape love. That's the very standard. That's the kind of love in which we are to love one another. And a while ago, we've read from 1 John 4, verse 7 to 11. We look at how John describes the love of God towards us, selfless, sacrificial, salvific, the propitiation of our sins. It is indeed a high and tall order in which we are commanded to conform, in which we are commanded to love one another, selfless, sacrificial. As I have loved you, you are to love one another. Notice carefully the manner of love by which we are indeed to love one another. You may want to highlight or underline that in your Bibles, as I have loved you. Yes, we know very well and we can so easily quote verses from the Scripture, but God commanded his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. In John 3, 16, For God so loved the world. But you know what? The more you reflect upon these verses, the more you'll be humbled to realize not only of your being undeserving of that love, but most of all of that unfathomable love in which God loved us. Yes, we again tend to measure, oh, he died for our sins. That's it. But think again. Undeserving? Yes, but look at it on that angle of that unfathomable love in which God loved us. Again, we can't help it, but we are so familiar with what? Amazing love, how can it be that how my God should die for me? We love to sing and sometimes we sing with emotion even. But go deeper into it. Pause upon. Yes. How much God so loved us. We have offended him. All have sinned and have come short of the glory of God. And long after we have been saved by grace through faith in Christ, we continue to offend him and yet he remains to be. and we continue to offend him and yet he remains to be loving. Love is patient. Love is kind. Loving, forgiving, tender and kind. Reflect upon those words for it is in those words that we are able to see the love of God towards us is in the same words in which we are to conform our pursuit of loving one another. Yes, we have gone through 1 Corinthians 13 by God's grace and there we have learned the characteristics of agape love, the very description of God's love towards us. Now we are called upon to comply with that command that we are to love one another in the same manner that God so loved us. In complying with that command, we are conformed into that kind of love in which we are loved by God. Think about it. Loving one another is an outflowing of our relationship with God. Realize how John wrote, we love him because he first loved us. That as we reflect upon how the Lord and the manner that the Lord so loved us. Realize also that the manner in which we are to love one another must be that kind that is active, not passive. Some may prefer to use the term proactive. Proactive means you take the first step. You initiate the move in order for others to learn to love you. Just as what John said, we love him because he first loved us. That is the kind of love in which we are to be conformed of. At this point, I want us to consider one particular aspect about this love in which we are commanded to love one another is that it is not much on mere feelings and emotion. None of the New Testament writers, especially those that we have quoted, Paul, Peter, and John, none of them wrote and exhorted us on love based on our emotion, based on our superficial sentimental affection. It is always based on truth, on facts. In fact, based upon the character of God, the nature, the attribute of God. God is love. And that is why the Lord Jesus also here commanded us that we are to love one another and that we are to be conformed into that level, into that magnanimity, into that ultimate standard of love, none other than his love towards us. It's more of action. It must be expressed by demonstration, not just by expression, mere words, but in action. Notice that in all the occurrences in the New Testament in regards to pursuing love, Notice that in all the occurrences in the New Testament in regards to pursuing love and practicing love, it always comes in a command form. It's never optional. We are commanded, remember the words of the Lord here, a new commandment I give unto you. It always comes in that way in which it will be invoked by way of exhortation as Paul would write in his epistles, as Peter would write in his epistles, as John also would write, but you cannot miss the fact that it was given to us as a commandment and so therefore we are to comply and in complying we shall be conformed to become more and more like Christ and being conformed to become more and more like Christ. Look with me now at verse 35 and notice how our obedience to the command, our compliance to the command would bring us to the confirming or the confirmation and what is the confirmation here? The confirmation that we are indeed God's people. Look at verse 35 now. By this, obviously the this there, the by this there refers to what? Our obedience to the command that was given unto us to love one another. By this, by keeping, by obeying my command, by this it shall be confirmed unto the men and people of the world. By this shall all men know that what? That ye are my disciples. Your love for one another is the most decisive evidence, a clear confirmation that you belong to Christ. It's not just because, yeah, clear evidence that you are a Christian, but you belong to Christ. In today's morning devotion we are drawn to that part of that message that there are similarities and there are differences and this is where we see that difference between the wise and the foolish or perhaps the true and genuine follower of the Lord compared to the false followers or false professors of faith or mere professors of faith. And what is it that would confirm? Your love for one another. That is that one thing that would confirm. As Jesus said in verse 35, by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples. A clear confirmation that you belong to Christ. By the practice and pursuit of agape love of charity, all men would see and know that you are indeed a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. Followers of the way, followers of the one true and living God. It is that one distinguishing mark by which the followers of Christ shall be known among all men. Interestingly, some religion and some denomination for that matter have become known by their peculiar practices, rituals and ceremonies. Others perhaps they become known by the design and the structures of their church buildings. In Philippines there are certain denominations that they have a template of all their church buildings that whenever you get to see such a design you would know that this church belongs to this particular group because they have a specific design. Very much like maybe, yes, you're familiar you may have some Roman Catholic Church here in Very much like maybe, yes, you're familiar, you may have some Roman Catholic Church here in Australia. Obviously, you'll be able to distinguish that it is a Roman Catholic Church. Or perhaps some may sometimes be confused, because I know for a fact that here Anglicans also are quite a lot, quite a number. And they seem to be similar in the structures and all. But in Philippines, with all those old, old Catholic churches, you would know, even from a distance, oh, that is a Catholic Church. Oh, that is a Catholic Church. But other than the Catholic Church, there are other denominations, if I may say, Coptic group that are also well known because of the design and structure. That when people get to see such a design of a church, they know, oh, they belong to that group. Then others also are known by the manner of their dressing. There's another group in the Philippines that all the worshippers and members, every time they attend church meetings, they have to wear white gown. So every time they go to church, some riding a public transportation, people would know that this belonged to that particular group. But what about the true followers of the one true and living God? Take it from the word of the Lord himself. It is only by charity, by your love for one another, that the world may know that we are his disciples. True Bible-believing Christians are known and will be known that they are followers of Christ. Not because in their manner of dressing, not because of the structures of their building, not because of their strange, peculiar practices, but because of their abundant display, not just of any kind of love, but agape love. It is well known in the history of the church, in the early days of the church, how pagans and heathen around would observe the early Christians and the early believers of how they would conduct themselves in relation to one another. And oftentimes you would read it in history books, in church history books, how pagans and heathens would comment on the early believers of how they have loved one for another and of how they care for one another and how they share what they have with one another. And all these things are but what? The practical display of what charity is like. Even in the face of persecution. But then again, let's go back, not just in church history, but even in the New Testament. Turn with me to the book of Acts and let's see for ourselves the abundant display of charity. Acts chapter 2, and we look at, to save time, beginning in verse 42. We know very well what transpired in chapter 2 at the Pentecost, the preaching, the speaking of tongues of the apostles and how many were convicted in their hearts. Men and brethren, what shall we do? To which they say, repent and be baptized and believe in the Lord. But to save time, we look at verse 42. What transpired after all those that come to believe in the Lord and has been received into the membership of the church, what happens to them? What have they been engaged in? Now look carefully at verse 32. And they continued steadfastly in apostles doctrine and fellowship and in breaking of bread and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.