Below are notes to a sermon preached Sunday evening, June 15, 2003, at Gospel Light Baptist Church, Albany, Georgia.
THE DISTINCTION OF CHRISTIANS:
THE ELEVENTH COMMANDMENT
By Michael D. O’Neal Pastor, Gospel Light Baptist Church Albany, Georgia
Scripture Reading: John 13:31-35
Text: John 13:34
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
Introduction: Whereas the fourth commandment was about sabbath, the distinction of Israel, the eleventh commandment, called “a new commandment by Jesus,” is about brotherly love. This is a distinction of Christians, for in the next verse Jesus said:
John 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
This brotherly love is called charity in the Bible. When we think of charity, we think of giving to organizations designed to help people. The Bible word means much more than that. As a matter of fact it is possible to give away everything you own and not have Christian charity, for the scripture says:
1 Corinthians 13:3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
It is true, however, that love gives.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Therefore, we conclude from scripture that it is possible to give without loving, but it is not possible to love without giving. A man who sings, “O, How I Love Jesus” in the beginning of a service and refuses to give his tithes and offerings later in the service is a liar.
What is brotherly love?
The 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians is centered around charity, and most of our thoughts tonight will come from that chapter. The description of Christian brotherly love in that passage will help us to see what should mark the people of God today and distinguish us, even as circumcision and the sabbaths were peculiar to Israel.
Our brief discussion tonight won’t cover all of the aspects of Christian love, but it should touch upon enough spots for each of us to see our own sins and shortcomings and confess before God that we have broken the “new commandment.”
I. BROTHERLY LOVE CONTROLS ITS THIRSTS
1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
A. For possessions – “envieth not”
B. For prominence – “vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up”
II. BROTHERLY LOVE CONTRIBUTES ITS TREASURE
1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
“seeketh not her own”
A. For the ministry of the local church
B. For missions outreach
C. For members in need
III. BROTHERLY LOVE CALMS THE TEMPER
1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
“is not easily provoked”
A. It is slow to anger
B. It is swift to forgive
IV. BROTHERLY LOVE CLEANSES ITS THINKING
1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
“thinketh no evil” also:
1 Corinthians 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
“believeth all things, hopeth all things”
Brotherly love
A. Reserves judgment on a bad report
B. Is ready to receive a good report
V. BROTHERLY LOVE CHERISHES TRUTH
1 Corinthians 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
A. Love preaches truth to the brother
B. Love practices truth toward the brother
C. Love promotes truth in the brother
VI. BROTHERLY LOVE COVERS TRANSGRESSIONS
1 Corinthians 13:7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Proverbs 10:12 Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
Proverbs 17:9 He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
A. It forgets the transgression
B. It frees from repayment
VII. BROTHERLY LOVE CONTINUES THROUGH TIME
1 Corinthians 13:8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
Through “thick and thin”