LOVING AND SERVING GOD
PART 4
MATTHEW 22:36-40
Introduction:
How strong is our love for the Lord? I believe that we pay a lot of lip service to God in this area of loving Him. The Scriptures give us a clear picture of what love is by the pen of the Apostle Paul.
If we are to serve God correctly we must understand the nature of the love that moved our Lord to do what He did for us on Calvary and to follow those say precepts that He sat down for us.
I. THE BIBLE DESCRIPTION OF WHAT LOVE REALLY IS.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7, “Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.”
A. Love is longsuffering (long and patient enduring of injuries, insults, trouble, etc.), v. 4, Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.”
B. Love is kind, v. 4, Proverbs 31:20, 26, “She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. 26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.”
C. Love does not envy, v. 4, Romans 1:29, “Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,”
D. Love does not boast (vaunteth) of oneself, v. 4, 1 Kings 20:10-11, “And Benhadad sent unto him, and said, The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people that follow me. 11 And the king of Israel answered and said, Tell him, Let not him that girdeth on his harness boast himself as he that putteth it off.”
E. Love is not put oneself above another (puffed up), v. 4, Philippians 2:1-5, “If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, 2 Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. 5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”
F. Love does not act unbecomingly, v. 5, 2 Thessalonians 3:7, “For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;”
G. Does not seek his own benefit, v. 5, Romans 15:1-2, “We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.”
H. Love is not easily provoked, v. 5, Proverbs 14:17a, “He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly:”
1. The example of Moses at the outset of Israel’s journey, Numbers 12:3, “(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.)”
2. His example after many years of dealing with a rebellious people, Numbers 20:10-12, “And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice: and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also. 12 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye believed me not, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them.”
I. Love does not think evil things about others, v. 5; Jeremiah 18:18-20, “Then said they, Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words. 19 Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me. 20 Shall evil be recompensed for good? for they have digged a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them, and to turn away thy wrath from them.”
J. Love does not rejoice in iniquity, v. 6; Philippians 3:18, “(For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ:”
K. Love rejoices in the truth, v. 6; Psalm 98:2-3, “The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. 3 He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”
L. Love conceals (beareth) the faults of other, v. 7; Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.”
M. Love believes everything you say, v. 7; Psalm 119:66, “Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments.”
N. Love hopefully trust all things, v. 7; Romans 8:24, “For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?”
O. Love endures all things, v. 7; 1 Corinthians 9:18-22, “What is my reward then? Verily that, when I preach the gospel, I may make the gospel of Christ without charge, that I abuse not my power in the gospel. 19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more. 20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law; 21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law. 22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.”
P. Love never fails, that is, it will never end, v. 8, 13, “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
“It is a permanent and perpetual grace, lasting as eternity; whereas the extraordinary gifts on which the Corinthians valued themselves were of short continuance.” —Mathew Henry