Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
September 3, 1989
COMMUNION SUNDAY
Matthew 5:43-48
LOVE WITHOUT LIMITS
I. Importance of love.
A. We all want to be accepted, cared for.
B. Are we as willing to accept, and to care for others?
II. Old Testament background.
A. Love neighbor. Leviticus 19:18
1) Inference - hate enemies. (not in OT)
B. Limit who neighbor is.
1) Can we love everyone?
III. Loving our own.
A. Bad people love their own.
1) Tax collectors. 5:46
B. Christian love different?
1) Chinese church helps starving brothers.
Back in the 1960's and 1970's many Westerners assumed the
church in China was destroyed.
Instead, there was great spiritual strength and courage.
In the southern provinces one Christian group alone had
400 house churches.
One of these house churches was led by Rev. Yeong.
In 1963 their province had a severe famine.
News came to their group that 20 house churches in the next
commune were so short of food that starvation was likely.
Rev. Yeong told the church and they began scraping together
what they could spare.
Finally they got together some eleven bags of dry food, each
weighing about 70 pounds.
The neighboring churches came to get the food, and before
they left, everyone held hands and sang praises to God.
Rev. Yeong told them this was New Testament Christianity and
everyone was inspired.
When they gathered at their next worship service, communist
officials were waiting for them.
They accused the Christians of food stealing and sabotaging
the system of distributing food.
The communists told them that they had shown more concern for
the Christians in the neighboring commune than for fellow
villagers in the same commune.
As one of those who was punished in the incident later wrote,
"It has taught us a deep lesson - that Christians must
learn to be open to people.
"We must learn to love as Jesus loved."
#975
C. How we measure up.
1) Most of us follow the world's standard: We love our own.
a) Good, but minimal.
b) Does your love ever go beyond that?
2) Levels: (John Stott)
a) Evil for good - belong to Devil.
b) Good for good - merely human.
c) Good for evil - belong to God.
IV. Christian love.
A. No limits.
1) Love even enemies. 5:44
B. Old Testament parallels.
1) Enemy's animal - be good to it. Exodus 23:4-5
2) Don't gloat when enemy falls. Proverbs 24:17
3) Feed enemy. Proverbs 25:21
V. Actions and feelings.
A. Hypocritical to love enemies?
1) How can you "love" someone you don't "like"?
B. Jesus focuses on actions.
1) Love, (bless, do good,) pray for. 5:44
a) [Missing in early mss., but included in Luke]
2) You can show love to people you don't like.
C. But feelings are important.
1) 1 Cor 13. Actions alone are not enough.
a) Martyrdom and charity can be done without love.
2) Phil 1:8, 1 Thess 2:8. Paul longs for his people.
(bowels)
3) Lack of feelings is a sign of the end.
a) Matt 24:12, Rom 1:31.
D. Impractical?
1) Do what is right, and trust God for the feelings.
a) It may take time.
b) It may take spiritual maturity.
2) We are called to be faithful, not successful.
a) But Christian love often bears fruit.
Lincoln was asked why he was pardoning Southerners at the end
of the Civil War:
"Mr. President, don't you want to destroy your enemies?"
Lincoln: "Is that not what I do when I make them my friends?"
#698
VI. Love as our most powerful testimony.
In 1971 Mel Goebel was convicted of burglary and sentenced to
five years of hard labor at the Nebraska State Penitentiary.
He was bitter and cynical and turned to drugs to pass the time.
Another inmate witnessed to him and he eventually accepted Christ.
Being a Christian made him a different person.
He learned to be content, formed close friendships and practiced
his faith.
About a year later an 18 year old inmate named Rocky came to Mel's
cell.
He had heard about Mel's conversion.
With tears in his eyes, the boy explained his story:
When he had first come to prison he had accepted a carton of
marijuana and cigarettes from a gang of older inmates.
Now they wanted him to provide them with "favors."
Mel and some other Christians bought a carton of cigarettes at the
commissary.
Then Mel walked alone to the gym to give them to the men, who used
to be his gang.
"Here's the carton Rocky owes you. And you still owe me two cartons
of pot that I never collected, so Rocky's debt is cancelled."
The leader, named Eric, stepped forward.
"Who do you think you are, telling us what to do?"
Mel's heart beat quickly, but he stood his ground.
"Because of Christ, Rocky is my brother. I have to help him."
Mel walked away.
Later that day the gang approached him and two of his Christian
friends in the yard.
They decided not to resist and prepared to be beaten up, just as
their Lord Jesus had been.
Eric was face to face with Mel, and growled,
"I don't like what you did in there."
Mel took a deep breath and looked his old leader in the eyes.
"Eric, if you were being threatened I would do the same
thing for you."
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VII. God's love.
A. We are called to be like God himself. 5:45,48
1) He loves us whether we love him or not. 5:45
2) God loves us in his heart.
B. Greatest example is Cross of Jesus.
1) Love is most often tied with cross. (Boice)
a) 1 John 4:10.
b) Romans 5:8.
