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Sunday, February 28, 2010

The Feasts of the Lord: An Introduction (Leviticus 23)

(This series of sermons is based on the work of Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal in Feasts of the Lord, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, TN. 1997)

There is not a country, nation, or people that do not celebrate holidays. Of course, the word “holiday” is a conjunction of the words “holy day.” What we often call holidays are not really holy days. Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, etc. are national observances, not holidays. What about Christmas and Easter? Surely these would be holidays. Yes, to the Christian they are important and holy days. But, they are holidays that were established by the church many years after Christ’s birth and resurrection.

There are very few “holy days” established by God in the Bible:

God established the Sabbath (Saturday for the Jews) as a weekly holy day. Leviticus 23:1-3:

1 The Lord spoke again to Moses, saying,
2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:
3 ‘For six days work may be done, but on the seventh day there is a sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation. You shall not do any work; it is a sabbath to the Lord in all your dwellings.

The New Testament church began practicing the Sabbath on Sunday as a memorial to the resurrection of Jesus.

The first day of every month, known as Rosh Hodesh, was a holy day (Numbers 10:10, 28:11-15; Amos 8:5).

There are three other holidays on the Jewish calendar which are not commanded by God in the Scriptures. The Ninth day of the fifth month Av, known as Tisha B’Av, was a day of fasting, mourning, and repentance for the nation.

Two common Hebrew holidays, Hanukkah and Purim, have spiritual significance for Christians, but they are not commanded by God.

We will deal with the Sabbath, Rosh Hodesh, Tisha B’Av, Hanukkah, and Purim after we have spent a few Sundays learning what God has to say to Christians through the major holy days in the Bible.

God only instituted seven holidays. And while it is not inappropriate for men to establish days of special celebration, their significance cannot be compared with the importance of the seven holidays instituted by God. These seven holidays are discussed throughout the Bible, in both the Old and New Testaments. However, only in Leviticus 23 are all seven holidays listed in chronological order.

The Seven Feasts of the Lord listed in Leviticus 23 are:

-Passover (vv. 4-5)

-Unleavened Bread (vv. 6-8)

-First Fruits (vv. 9-14)

-Weeks (Pentecost) (vv. 15-22)

-Trumpets (vv. 23-25)

-The Day of Atonement (vv. 26-32)

-Booths (Tabernacles) (vv. 33-44)

These seven holidays are called “the feasts of the Lord.” That expression indicated that these holidays are God’s holidays—they belong to Him—in contrast to man’s holidays. Only on His terms and at His invitation can men participate in them and enter into their benefits.

The Hebrew word translated “feasts” means "appointed times". The idea is that the sequence and timing of each of these feasts have been carefully orchestrated by God Himself. Each is part of a comprehensive whole. Collectively, they tell a story. These feasts are also called “holy convocations”; that is, they are intended to be the times of meeting between God and man for “holy purposes.” Since these seven feasts of the Lord are “appointed times” for “holy purposes,” they carry with them great sacredness and solemnity.

I wish to make six points regarding these feasts before we look at them individually in the weeks ahead.

1.    These seven feasts of the Lord were given to the Hebrew nation. The Jewish people are God’s covenant people.

2.    These seven feasts relate to Israel’s spring and fall agricultural seasons. When the feasts were instituted, Israel was largely an agricultural nation. That agricultural characteristic of the feasts remains to this day.

3.    The timing of these seven feasts is based on the Jewish lunar (moon) calendar of approximately 354-day years. Periodically (seven times every nineteen years), the modern Jewish calendar literally has a thirteenth month to make up for its shorter year. If such were not the case, it wouldn’t take long for winter to occur in the summer months, fall in the spring months, etc. It is for this reason that these holidays do not fall on the same day on the Gregorian calendar (the calendar most commonly used today) each year. So that’s why Easter (corresponding to Passover) changes each year.

4.    These seven feasts typify the sequence, timing, and significance of major events of the Lord’s redemptive career. They commence at Calvary where Jesus voluntarily gave Himself for the sins of the world (Passover), and climax at the establishment of the messianic Kingdom at the Messiah’s second coming (Tabernacles). No box has to be manufactured, no text twisted, and no truth manipulated to make these appointed feasts conform to specific events in the Messiah’s life.

5.    Because the spiritual realities to which the feasts clearly point are fulfilled in Jesus, the Messiah; all men everywhere have been placed in an opportune position. All of humanity has been extended an invitation to “meet” with God and receive the blessings toward which these seven feasts unerringly point. To turn down this unprecedented and gracious invitation is the height of folly.

6.    The participation of Gentiles in the blessing associated with the feasts of God appointed for Israel should come as no surprise. It is consistent with God’s unconditional covenant to the patriarch Abraham. The central provision of this covenant is found in Genesis 22:18 when God said, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” Jesus taught in John 4:22 that “Salvation is of the Jews.” Israel and the church are distinct entities with distinct promises. However, every blessing and hope we have now and anticipate in the future comes out of the Abrahamic, Davidic and New Covenants God made with Israel.

There is hardly a theme to which we could give our attention that is more important than these seven feasts of the Lord. Why? Because these seven feasts depict the entire redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

“Seven” is the biblical number for completion and perfection. After creating the world, God rested on the seventh day. He did not rest as a consequence of growing tired—omnipotence does not grow tired. Rather, God rested in the sense of completion and satisfaction.

Significant Sevens:
·    On the seventh day of the week, the children of Israel were to observe a Sabbath of rest, patterned after God’s creation rest. They were to rest from all their labors (Ex. 16:23, 30).
·    The seventh month of the Jewish year is especially holy. In that month, all three fall feasts are observed (Lev. 23:24, 27, 34).
·    The nation of Israel was commanded to refrain from farming the land every seventh year—to allow the soil to rest (Lev. 25:4).
·    Seven sevens of years were counted (forty-nine years), and then the next year (the fiftieth) was to be the Jubilee year in which all debts were forgiven and all slaves set free (Lev. 25:8-12).
·    Seventy sevens of years were “determined” upon the Jewish people during which time God would bring to perfection and completion His redemptive purposes (Daniel 9:24-27).
·    The Book of Revelation records the consummation of this age. It uses the number seven more than fifty times. The book revolves around seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls.
·    The seven feasts of the Lord are appointed times that, when completed, will bring this age to a triumphant end and usher in the “golden age” to follow. During that age, every man will sit under his own fig tree (Micah 4:4). That concept is not to suggest boredom or a lack of creativity and activity, but completion and satisfaction.


Four of the seven holidays occur in the spring. The fulfillment of these is a “done deal.” We can look back and examine them and see what Jesus has already done for each of us.

The final three holidays occur in the fall of the year within a brief period in the Hebrew month of Tishri (September/October). As the first four holidays depict events associated with Messiah’s first coming, these final three holidays depict specific events associated with His second coming.

Conclusion
  Many people make the mistake of confusing the keeping of holy days with righteousness before God. Some Jews slip into synagogue for Yom Kippur. Some Gentiles slip into church for Easter and Christmas. They think they are righteous in God’s eyes for doing their religious “duty.”

  God rebuked Israel for keeping the external requirements of the Law while disregarding a heart relationship with Him:

  “The new moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies—I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; They are a trouble to Me, I am weary of bearing them” (Isaiah 1:13-14).

  But why would God hate the feast days when it was He who had instituted them? Obviously, He did not hate the feast days themselves but the hypocritical manner in which they were being kept. The people had misunderstood and distorted God’s Law. They had abandoned a personal relationship with God. Instead, they sought after self-righteousness through keeping the requirements of the Law.

  The outward requirements of the Law were meaningless without an inward relationship with the Living God. It was this reason that God commanded Israel in Deut. 6:4-6,

 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. And these words which I command you today, shall be in your heart.”

  So supreme in importance are these words that they begin the shema, the most holy prayer within Judaism. They are also written on the doorposts of all observant Jews and in the tefillin (Scripture boxes or phylacteries) worn on the forehead and forearm during prayer.

  Jesus repeated this truth in Matthew 22:37-28. First and foremost, God desires a heart relationship.

  Many in Isaiah’s day believed they were righteous before God because they were religious—they followed the mitzvot  (commandments), they prayed, and they kept the holy days. Today, the overwhelming majority of mankind, whether Jewish or Gentile, find themselves in an identical situation. They mistakenly believe that keeping a list of religious rites or holidays will gain them acceptance in God’s sight.

         The Bible likens the feast days to shadows which prophetically point to the person and work of history’s most stellar individual—the Messiah of Israel, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Colossians 2:16-17 says,
“Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.”

          Jesus alone is the source and substance. The holy days are merely a shadow cast by His indelible mark on history.

          This can be illustrated by a husband who returns home after a long trip. His heart may beat faster in anticipation, seeing the outline of his wife’s shadow through the curtained window as she comes to the front door. He does not embrace the shadow. There would be no satisfaction in that. Instead, he steps through the doorway and embraces her in person.

          Jesus proclaimed, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Are you chasing shadows, or have you fully embraced the Messiah? Only He can save.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Listeners and Livers (James 1:22-25)

While a student at Texas A&M University, I had a class with a man who was in his sixties. He wasn’t the professor. He was a student. I thought it was fantastic that this man had decided to earn his degree at the age most are starting to think about retirement. However, as I got to know him, my admiration turned to astonishment. He was not working on his first degree, but his twelfth degree. In fact he possessed many bachelors and masters degrees as well as three doctorate degrees in various fields of academic study.

This man had received a large trust that had set him up financially for the entirety of his adult life. So, instead of putting all his knowledge to practical use, he had spent his entire life doing nothing but learning. While he may have known many useful things, his life had no real purpose. The man spent almost 50 years in college. He acquired multiple degrees, but never put any of them into practice.

Unfortunately, there are far too many people who spend their whole lives listening to the teaching of the Word of God, but spend very little time living it out.

They hear all the “thou shalts,” they just don’t heed them. They can recite the fruits of the Spirit; they just don’t reproduce them in their lives.

In James 1:22-25, the brother of our Lord speaks out against this disconnect between listening and living.

[James 1:22-25]
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

James reminds us in this text of what someone once observed. “Christ’s sheep are marked in the ear and foot. They hear His voice and they follow Him.”

In Luke 6:46, Jesus asked, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” At the heart of being a follower of Christ is not just hearing, but doing what His Word commands.

Look with me at this passage from James 1, and consider some things it teaches us about the necessary connection between listening and living. First of all, notice that James points us to:


1. THE FOOLISH LISTENER
Look at verse 22. James says, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.” Notice the phrase, “delude themselves.”

The word translated “delude” literally means “beside reason.” It describes that which is counter to reason.

In other words, James says that it is irrational to only hear the Word, but not do what it commands. You might say that it is senseless and foolish to only hear the Word, but not heed it.

Look at verse 22 with me, and notice what James says about only hearing the Word. First of all, notice:

A. We are commanded to apply the Word.
James says, “But prove yourselves doers of the word…” James opens this section with a command about how we are to apply the Word of God to our lives.

He says that we are to be “doers.” James chose an interesting word for “doer” when he originally wrote this verse.

The word the Spirit inspired James to use describes more than just following a prescribed course, or adhering to a set of instructions.

The word James used for “doer” describes someone who takes something they are given, and then creatively does something new with it.

The Greek word translated “doer” in verse 22 is ποιητής (poiētēs). This is the word that gives us our English word “poet.” A poet puts words together to create something artistic and beautiful.

Think about that. Like a poet, we are to take the words of God and put them together in our life so as to create something beautiful and unique that will glorify Christ Jesus.

Whenever you hear the Word of God, it is not just information for your head; it is inspiration for your heart! You are to take the Word and apply it creatively to your life.

James follows the positive command of “But prove yourselves doers of the word…,” with a negative one.

B. We are convicted if we audit the Word.
Again, at the close of verse 22, James indicates that it is possible to hear the Word and foolishly “delude” yourself.

This foolish self-deception comes from being “merely hearers.” James says, “But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers…”

Again, James chooses a unique word in this text. Notice that word “hearer.” The word translated “hearer” is the word that is now used to describe those who audit a class in a university.

Those who audit a class will attend all the lectures, and listen to all the material given, but they do not take any of the exams or tests.

Likewise, when the class is over, they get no credit for taking the class. They simply listened, but they did not actually “take” the class.

Unfortunately, this is exactly how many people approach the Word of God. They listen to sermon after sermon, and hear instruction after instruction, but they never put it into practice.

The foolishness of this approach is that you cannot graduate the course of the Christian life by only auditing the teachings of Christ.

Jesus said in John 13:17, “If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.” The blessing of the Christian life is not found in simply knowing what you are to do, but in doing what you know.

In verse 22, James literally says that you are not in your right mind if you only hear the word, and do not do it. There is a foolishness that only hears the Word, but does not obey it.

Notice not only the foolish listener, but notice also further, James points out:

2. THE FORGETFUL LISTENER
Having encouraged us not to be “merely hearers,” in verses 23 and 24, James illustrates what it looks like for a person to listen but not live out what they hear from the Word.

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”

Notice that the man is said to have forgotten what he saw in the glass. In verse 25, James says that the man who does what the Word says is not a “forgetful hearer.”

Obviously James connects the issue of forgetfulness with a failure to do what is commanded in the Scripture.

Let’s look at this illustration James gives us, and see what he teaches us about how forgetfulness will hinder us from carrying out what God has commanded. Notice first of all:

A. Who we find when we look in the Word
In verse 23, James says, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror…”

James says that a man looks into the mirror, and he sees his face. The mirror reveals who he really is.

Is that not what happens when we look into the Word of God? The Bible serves as a mirror to reflect back to us the truth of who we are.

In Romans 7:7, Paul says, “…I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’”

When we look into the Word of God, it tells us who we really are. It tells us we are sinful. It tells us we need a Savior. It tells us that in Christ we are loved, accepted, and forgiven.

The story is told that, years ago, while working on one of his movies, actor Warren Beatty was spending so much time looking at himself that the film’s director had his assistants cover up every mirror on the set.

Someone once said that Beatty was so vain, he was the kind of man who would “end up dying in his own arms.”

Through his illustration, James reminds us that the Word of God is like a mirror, not to feed our vanity, but to build our virtue by pointing us to Jesus.

James not only reminds us in verse 23 of who we find when we look in the Word, but in verse 24, he reminds us of:

B. What we forget when we leave the Word
Look again at James’ illustration. He said a man who only hears the Word, but is not a doer, is like a man who looks at himself in the mirror.

Then he says in verse 24, “…for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.”

The mirror informs the man of who he is, but he walks away and forgets completely what he learned from the mirror.

Is that not how so many of us read the Bible? We take one look at it, and then we are off, never to consider again what God had to say.

There are two reasons I think we forget the Word of God after we have heard it or read it. One, we don’t meditate on it, and two, we don’t memorize it.

Psalm 1:2 says that a blessed man meditates on the Word of God “day and night.” David said in Psalm 119:11, that he “hid” the Word of God in his heart.

When we rush away from the Word, and never meditate on it, or memorize it, we are bound to become the kind of person who is only a hearer, but not a doer of the Word.

James has shown us the foolish listener and the forgetful listener. Lastly he shows us:

3. THE FAITHFUL LIVER
I know that using the word “liver” to describe the way someone lives is not grammatically correct, but it does capture the idea that living life is an action instead of a state of just being.

Look at how James presents the opposite of the man who only hears the Word. He says in verse 25, “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

That phrase “the perfect law, the law of liberty” is another way of speaking of the teachings of Jesus. James is referring to the Word of Christ.

James says that in order to connect our listening to our living, there is a way in which we must handle the Word of God.

Notice a couple of truths James gives us to help us practice what we are taught in the Word of God. First of all, we find here:

A. How we should read through the Bible
Look carefully at verse 25. James talks about a person who “…looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty...”

Note that phrase “looks intently at.” It is translated from a word that literally means to turn your head sideways in order to look into something.

It is a picture of someone stooping down to look carefully at something. It is the same word that is used in John 20:5, where it describes what John did when he came to the empty tomb.

It says, “and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there…”
Imagine John squinting and leaning into that dark tomb, trying to make out what was inside.

That is the same effort and strain that James says a doer of the Word uses when he “looks intently at” the Scriptures.

James is teaching us that a quick skim over a Bible chapter is not sufficient to translate listening into living.

If we want the Word to become a part of our actions, we must look deeply into the Scriptures, and as James says in verse 25, we must “abide by it.”

I read about two rival Scottish writers who met on the streets of Edinburgh one day. One of them asked the other, “Have you read my latest book?” The other answered, “I have not…You write a great deal faster than I am able to read.”

Be sure; God is not so much worried with quickness of your reading, as He is with the quality of it. We must read the Word carefully; looking deeply into what God has to say.

The faithfulness that obediently handles the Word of God not only has to do with how we read through the Bible, but also further:

B. How we should respond to the Bible
Look again at verse 25. James says, “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer…”

Here is the original point where James began in verse 22, being not just a hearer of the Word, but an “effectual doer.”

You may fill your head with Bible principles until you sound like a certified theologian. However, if none of those principles become practice in your life, they are useless.

If Biblical information never becomes personal motivation, then you have mishandled the Word of God.

For instance, if you read that you are to love your neighbor as yourself, but you are so busy with yourself that you never get to know your neighbor or tell them about Jesus, then you have not truly responded to the Word.

If you read that those who have been forgiven are supposed to in turn forgive, and yet you carry around some dusty grudge against someone, then you have not faithfully and obediently responded to the Word of God!

One of my favorite stories is about a man who once bragged to Mark Twain that he was planning on visiting the Holy Land, climbing Mount Sinai, and shouting out the Ten Commandments at the top of his voice.

Twain told the man that it would be better if he just stayed at home and lived them.

It is not enough to simply hear and know what the Bible says. James reminds us that a faithful handling of the Word of God involves hearing and obeying what God has said.

James concludes verse 25 with a beatitude. He says that if a man carefully studies the Word, and then puts into practice what he has learned, “…this man will be blessed in what he does.”

There is a blessing – a happiness – in life that can only come from obeying the Word of God.

Hearing the Word of God is important, but hearing alone is not what God intends for us to do with His Word.

According to James, you are only fooling yourself if you fail to connect your listening to your living.

My prayer for each of you is that you will learn to obediently handle the Word of God, and live out what you learn.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Be A Barnabas

“When [Paul] came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus. And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.” Acts 9:26-28 NASB95

One of the great heroes of the Bible is a man who is usually only thought of as an answer to a trivia question. Who was Paul’s partner on the first missionary journey? The answer is Barnabas. In subsequent journeys, Paul’s partner was Silas. So, who was this Barnabas fellow, and what made him one of the greatest men in the Bible?

We are first introduced to Barnabas in Acts 4:36. The church had many members who had lost all their worldly possessions because of their faith in Christ. Barnabas was moved by the Spirit to sell a piece of property and give the proceeds to the impoverished brethren. We are also told in that verse that the name Barnabas means “son of encouragement.” Barnabas is also sometimes called “the good hearted” by students of the Scriptures.

What made Barnabas such a great man of faith? Barnabas did not see people for who they were—he saw people for who they could become in Christ. He didn’t see “poor people”; he saw brothers who were co-laborers in Christ. He didn’t see the great persecutor of the church when he saw Paul; Barnabas saw a new believer with unlimited potential because of his unique background as a leader of Israel. When other Christians, even the apostles, were afraid of Paul; it was Barnabas who befriended Paul and helped the near-sighted believers in Jerusalem look beyond their immediate worries about the genuineness of Paul’s conversion.

To sum it all up in the simplest way: you can’t have a Paul without a Barnabas. For every great leader in the faith, there are countless “Barnabases” behind the scenes serving as people of encouragement.

Part of encouragement is having the backbone to always stand for what is right. Later, Barnabas would do the same for young John Mark. On the first mission trip, Mark got home-sick and quit when the road had a few potholes. Mark had shown genuine repentance by volunteering to go again on the next mission trip. Paul didn’t want to give the boy a second chance. Barnabas, always the son of encouragement, knew Paul was wrong. When Paul wouldn’t recognize the potential in giving Mark a second chance, Barnabas was true to his name. Always the Son of Encouragement, he took John Mark and went on his own journey. Years later, from a Roman prison, Paul would write for Timothy to bring Mark to minister to the Christians in Rome and help Paul during his time behind bars. I guess you could say this as well: you can’t have a Mark without a Barnabas.

At the time, Barnabas probably didn’t think he was a vital part of the writing of more than half of the New Testament. But he was. Where would we be without Paul’s epistles and Mark’s Gospel?

Don’t overlook the importance of encouraging one another as we serve the Lord! Be a Barnabas!             

Love,
Pastor Larry

Sunday, February 14, 2010

What Love Is All About (1 John 2:7-11)

Today is Valentine’s Day—a day in which most of us make sure that we tell those special people in our lives of our love for them. The Apostle John began his ministry being called a “Son of Thunder” because of his hotheadedness. At the end of his ministry, Christ had so transformed him that John was known as the “Apostle of Love.”

After John’s years of exile on the Island of Patmos, he returned to Ephesus. Unlike the other disciples, John lived to be an old man and died a natural death. It is said that the old apostle insisted on being with his congregation in Ephesus for every meeting.

Jerome the historian tells us that when he was too old to walk, and too weak to preach in the pulpit, the people would carry him to the services. Unable to preach he had to content himself with but a sermon in a sentence. That one-sentence message that he constantly and continually shared with the Christians at Ephesus was: “Little children, love one another.”

It is said that on one occasion someone asked him, “But Master, why do you always say the same thing?” His reply: “Because it is the Lord’s command that we love one another."

 In our text we find John talking about this command—the Lord’s command that we love one another.   When you study the history of the early Church you find that love for one another and for others was an identifying mark of the Christians.

Centuries ago, Moravian missionaries went to Greenland to reach the isolated fishing and herding villages located there. The Moravians were unable during the first year to make any impression whatsoever. The second year was visited by an awful epidemic of smallpox in which multitudes were struck down, and the missionaries went about among them ministering to their bodies and souls in the Master’s name. After that, the way was clear. The people said, “You have nursed us in our sickness. You have cared for us in distress. You have buried our dead. Now tell us of your religion.” In much the same way, it was the love that the early Christians showed to one another and the lost that gave power to their witness and message.

As we look at 1 John 2:7-11, we see that love for one another and others is a distinguishing mark of those who are Christians.

[1 John 2:7-11]

7 Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.
8 On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.
9 The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.
10 The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.
11 But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

As we consider with me these verses, notice three things:


1. TRUE LOVE HAS A LAW.
Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard. On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you… (vv. 7-8a)

In those words, 4 times John speaks of love as a “commandment.” He is speaking of the law of love, a law that is to be obeyed and a law that is to govern our lives as Christians. In verses 3-4, he spoke of the “commandments” (plural), referring to the commands or laws of God in general. Now he speaks to us about one of those commandments—the commandment or law of love.

Notice that he describes this commandment as a law:


A) Established In the Old Testament
In verse 7, he says, “Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you.” He further describes this commandment as an “old commandment” and one they had received and heard from “the beginning.” Loving one another is a command that has existed from the beginning. One has only to go to the pages of the Old Testament to see that God commands that we love one another. The fact is, from the beginning we see that we are to demonstrate a love that is both vertical and horizontal.



Vertically speaking, we are to love God. We read in Deuteronomy 6:4-5, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”


Horizontally speaking, we are to love one another. An example is found in Leviticus 19:18 , “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord.”

When it comes to loving one another and loving others, you could say this command or law had been on the books from the beginning. It was a law established in the past. As John said in verse 7, “Beloved, I am not writing a new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word which you have heard.”

But, we also see how John describes this law as being:


B) Exemplified In the New Testament
John says in verse 7, “I am not writing a new commandment to you,” but then turns around and says in verse 8, “I am writing a new commandment to you.” Someone might say that in his old age, his mind was slipping a bit. Yet, there is no contradiction in what he says.

The word “new” that John uses does not speak of that which is new in origin or existence. It is a word that speaks of that which is fresh in respect to age. John is talking about an old commandment, but giving us a fresh perspective on how we look at it and what it should mean to us as Christians.

Notice verse 8 in its entirety: “On the other hand, I am writing a new commandment to you, which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true Light is already shining.” This fresh perspective on this commandment is seen in the person of the Lord Jesus (“true in Him”) and our relationship to Christ (“in you”).

Loving one another is not new, but the Lord Jesus brought the matter of loving one another to a higher level, and that level of loving is to be demonstrated in how we love one another and others. Notice with me John 13:34: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

If you notice, Jesus calls the matter of loving one another a new commandment. As we have already seen, the command to love one another is not new, but old. It is new in that it is now being considered in a fresh way. What is that fresh or new way?

Notice the latter part of John 13:34. How did Jesus tell us that we were to love one another: “even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” We are to love others the way Jesus loved others. How does Jesus love others? How does He love each of us? Jesus loves us with a love that is without limits. John 15:13 says, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” Jesus loves us so much that He was willing to die for us.

Jesus loved us sacrificially. He possesses a love for us to the extent that no sacrifice was too great. There were no limits to where He would go and what He would do for us.

Jesus loves us with a love that is without conditions. The Bible says in Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He loved us when were sinners. He loved us even when we did not love Him. He loved us, not because we loved Him, but simply because He loved us. We did nothing to earn or merit His love, yet He loved us. He loved us unconditionally.

The love that Christ showed is an unprecedented love. It is a love without equal or measure. In Christ, loving others was elevated to a level that had never been known.

It is this kind of love that both Jesus and John are speaking about--a love that is to be practiced and promoted among Christians.


2. TRUE LOVE HAS A LESSON.
Since loving one another and others is a law, this makes loving one another and others a priority in your life. As a new commandment--a commandment elevated to a greater and higher degree in your life as a Christian--loving one another and others teaches you great things in your life as a Christian. First, notice with me:


A) True Love Requires Much from You.
This old and new commandment requires that we love one another and others as Jesus loved people. I read a story that demonstrates this kind of love put into practice.

During the days of the Revolutionary War, there was a Baptist Pastor in Ephrata, Pennsylvania by the name of Peter Miller. He was a close friend of Gen. George Washington. In the town where Miller pastored, there was a man named Michael Wittman who did everything in his power to abuse and oppose Pastor Miller. There came a day when Wittman was arrested for treason and sentenced to death. When Miller heard about it, he started out on foot and walked 70 miles to Philadelphia to plead for the man’s life.

He was admitted into Gen. Washington’s presence and began to beg for the man’s life. Washington said to him, “Peter, I cannot grant you the life of your friend.” Pastor Miller replied, “My friend, he is the bitterest enemy I have.” Washington, taken back said, “What? You’ve walked 70 miles to save the life of an enemy? That puts the matter in a different light. I will grant the pardon.” Because of the man he had mistreated and had done everything in his power to hurt, his life was spared. They both walked back home together -- not as enemies, but as friends.

When Jesus told us to love one another and others as He loved, He was telling us that we are to love people sacrificially and even unconditionally. We are to reach out to others in love even when they do not deserve our love. It is easy for us to love someone who loves us. But this new commandment to love means that we will love people even if they do not love us.  We are to show love even if we are not shown love. We are to love others no matter what they do or don’t do.

If someone hurts us, we love anyway. If someone mistreats us, we love anyway. If someone loves us back, fine. But if not, we love anyway. You see this love that Jesus and John talked about was more than a feeling. It was a choice. It is the kind of love that is an act of the will. We choose to love people. We choose to show them love. It is the kind of love that reaches out to others. It is the kind of love that takes the initiative. It is the kind of love that performs. It is the kind of love that acts. 

Is that not the kind of love Jesus has shown to each of us? Sure it is. That is the kind of love we are to show to one another and others. Furthermore, we see:


B) True Love Reveals Much about You.
This kind of love is not only required of us as Christians, but it also proves whether or not we are Christians. Notice verse 9: “The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now.”

We know that keeping the commandments of God is a test to whether or not we have been saved. Now John tells us that loving one another is also a test as to whether or not we have been saved.

He tells us in verse 10, “The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him.” In short, John says, “If I love my brother, it reveals that I have been saved. But if not, it reveals I am not saved.”

Notice verse 11, “But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” A lost person is in darkness, therefore he walks in darkness. He is spiritually blind. He does not live as a Christian because he is not a Christian. He does not behave as a Christian because he is not a Christian. On the other hand, verse 8 tells us that for a Christian, the darkness is past and the true light shines in their life. Therefore in verse 9, the Christian is in the light.

What we are and who we are is manifested in how we live. One that has been saved sees things differently. They act and behave differently because Christ lives in them. He changes how they think and live, even in the matter of how they love one another.

But a lost person, they love when it is conducive for them to love. They love if they are loved. They will not love someone who has done them wrong. Instead, they will hate and seek to get even. But with a Christian, they will be different.

If you find yourself full of hate for someone or others, you ought to examine your heart as to whether or not you are saved. John shoots straight and tells us that it is a test to whether or not we are saved.

Finally, notice with me:


3. TRUE LOVE HAS A LORD.
This kind of love is made real by the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one that took the old commandment and made it new. For one thing we see:


A) Jesus is the Picture of True Love
If you want to see real love, look at Jesus. He is the greatest demonstration of love. As I have already stated, His love was without limits and without conditions. Jesus showed the world what real love is all about. He is the great example of love.

Furthermore:


B) Jesus is the Power of True Love
The kind of love that this new commandment demands is not natural for us. It is the kind of love that goes against our nature. Yet, that is the point John makes. Our nature has been changed. As verse 8 states, what was true about the Lord Jesus is now true in us. Something has happened to us. We are no longer in darkness. We are in the light.  What has happened to us is what enables us or empowers us to love as this new commandment demands.



I once had a lady in a church in Texas who told me that she hated another person and had done so for years. She told me of what had happened and the truth is she had been treated unjustly. Yet, what had happened had eaten in her heart like a cancer and left her angry and bitter. I said to the woman, “You must forgive this person.” She looked at me and said, “I can’t forgive her, I’ll never forgive her.” I said, “But God says you can.” She said, “But I can’t.”  I read to her 1 John 2:9. I looked her straight in the eyes and said, “If you can’t, then you need to face the fact that you are not a Christian; because if you can’t forgive, then you’ve never been born again.” She looked at me like she was going to kill me, then the light turned on. She said, “I guess you are right. I know I am a Christian, and I see that I have just been deceiving myself. I need to forgive.” And she did.

The story reminds me of what John has said that our love for one another proves whether or not we are saved. But it also reminds me that if we have been saved, we can forgive and love others.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Unite Your Heart in God's Truth

“Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; Unite my heart to fear Your name.” Psalm 86:11   NASB95

Have you ever had a conflicted heart? Sure, we all have been there at one time or another. A recent case in point is found in the 2010 NFL playoffs. (Being a foreigner in a strange land, I can sense your uneasiness as I broach this delicate subject.) Is it worse to lose a football game in a sudden, unexpected, and shocking way; like the Packers recently did? Or, is it worse to lose a game in which your favorite team was never in the game to begin with, like what recently happened with the Cowboys? Green Bay fans can talk about all the “should-have-been’s” and “what if’s.” Dallas fans are simply left with, “There’s always next season.” So, which is worse? There isn’t a right or wrong answer -- just conflicting opinions, based on the emotions of the moment.

Life is filled with those times when our hearts are conflicted. We imagine how life would be different if we had made different decisions. What if circumstances had been different? What if I had chosen a different path?

IF? When followed by a question mark, that two letter word is the biggest, deepest, and most thought- provoking word in the English language. It is a pointless and futile exercise to try to play the “what if?” game.

The writer of Psalm 86 was conflicted in his heart, too. Did you notice what he prayed in the eleventh verse? “Unite my heart to fear Your name.”  He needed his divided heart to be united in a “reverence” (“fear”) of the Lord’s name. When you recognize the preeminent place God should have in your priorities, your heart will not be conflicted. When Christ rules from the throne of your heart, you will listen to what God wishes to teach you. You will walk in the way of His truth.

It is assuring to know that you are walking on the right path. Proverbs 1:7 teaches, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.” Walking in God’s knowledge -- God’s truth -- is the same as having a united, conflict-free heart. This doesn’t mean that you will never have difficulties or tough decisions to make. It means that when you make those tough decisions while following the precepts of God, you will not have a divided heart. You can rest confidently, knowing that you are on the right trail in the midst of the thickest forest.

My former associate pastor back in Texas, Eric Garcia, had a saying for those “what if?” times. He would simply say, “It is what it is.” I loved it when he’d say that. It was a gentle reminder that God has brought about the circumstances -- to just trust Him as you go through it, rather than wishing it were something different.             

Love,
Pastor Larry