Rev. David Holwick ZF Romans series #16
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
October 16, 2005
Romans 12:9-16
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SERMON COMMENT: This sermon on Christian love got rave reviews from my
congregation. I didn't feel it was particularly good but I could
understand the reaction when one member told me, "As you preached I
looked at the people in my church, and I saw so many who have loved me
when I really needed it."
I. How to Hug.
Ray Stedman, a great preacher from California, once told a story
of a man who was walking by a used bookstore.
This man noticed in the window a book called, "How To Hug."
He was intrigued by the title and, being of a romantic nature,
went in to buy the book.
To his disappointment, he discovered that it was a volume of an
encyclopedia that covered the subjects "How" to "Hug."
I think that is what happens in church at times.
Everyone knows that love ought to be evident in church, and many
come to church hoping to find a demonstration of love, only to
be confronted with an encyclopedia on theology.
But our love should not be like that.
The love that we have for each other ought to be genuine.
#30134
A. Theme or collection?
1) Most likely these verses are loosely tied together.
2) It is interesting that Paul follows a similar scheme in
1 Corinthians:
a) First a section on spiritual gifts.
b) Followed by a section on Christian love.
B. An exploration of love.
1) I am going to explore this passage as a statement of a
broad theme.
2) It is a theme that is the epitome of Christian behavior,
and the highest description of God - the theme of "love."
3) There are four categories.
II. Love is pure. 12:9
A. Love must be sincere; literally, it must be "unhypocritical."
1) Nothing is worse than fake love.
As a member of the Marine Corps, Capt. David Rilling was once
required to attend a parade in Washington, D.C.
It was being held at the Marine Barracks.
Rilling became hopelessly lost while driving through the city
and spotted an Army installation.
He pulled in to ask the sentry directions.
The soldier seemed friendly and gave him precise instructions.
Rilling was impressed with the soldier's helpfulness toward a
member of another armed service -
- until the directions brought him to the National Zoo.
#63
2) We can love people we don't like, but be honest.
a) Passing big houses in Randolph last night - Josiah
remarks, "They are posers."
b) Superficial posing in love impresses no one.
B. Love must be moral.
1) It must hate evil.
a) World is wishy-washy: Just love everybody.
b) Bible: Love people, but hate sin.
1> True love hates.
2> Not just consequences of sin, but sin itself.
2) It must cling to what is good.
a) Affirm what is decent and honorable in people.
III. Love is preferential. 12:10
A. Choose to love people.
1) Here Paul brings together two words that were used to
describe family relationships.
The word "devoted" translates an adjective that describes
our natural affection for relatives.
Typically, it is the love of a parent for a child.
2) The word translated "brotherly love" is the word
philadelphia, the love between brothers and sisters.
Paul takes these two words which were originally applied to
blood relatives in the human family and reapplies them
to Christians.
The kind of warmth, affection and tenderness in our families
should characterize our relationships in the church.
Genuine love is warm.
It is not cold, aloof, distant and austere.
3) Blood is thick, but water can be thicker.
a) It is natural to love our families.
b) Christians can love people we are not related to,
except in the faith.
c) And we can go beyond this by even loving our enemies.
1> (sermon in two weeks)
B. Put others first.
1) Honor one another above yourselves.
In a Peanuts comic strip, Lucy is scolding Charlie Brown.
First frame she says, "I have just examined my character
and I find it to be without flaw."
Next frame: "What I am going to do is hold a ceremony and
give myself a medal."
Next frame: "and then I'm going to give a wonderful speech."
Next frame: "I am going to receive myself and congratulate
myself in the receiving line."
In the last frame she says, "You know, when you're a saint
you have to do everything for yourself."
#6232
2) Like Lucy, most of us have no difficulty in honoring
ourselves.
a) Spend some effort honoring others.
IV. Love is positive. 12:11
A. It is founded on a dynamic love for God.
Our relationship with God is the only thing that makes it
possible for us to even come close to expressing true love.
Such love is unnatural for us.
We are naturally selfish.
Only the Spirit of God living in us can empower us to love
without hypocrisy and without expectation.
Eugene Peterson's translation says "Don't burn out; keep
yourselves fueled and aflame."
The Spirit of God as the fuel that sustains our love.
A radio preacher once said people don't burn out because they
have too much work -
They burn out because they lack sufficient fuel.
Neglecting our relationship with God cuts us off from our
fuel supply.
But keeping our zeal for the Lord keeps us plugged in so
we'll have the strength to put others first. [1]
B. Joyful love for people. 12:12
1) A joyous attitude, with hope that the future is better.
2) We have joy, but we also face reality.
a) Afflictions are real.
b) God is more real, so we must depend upon him in prayer.
V. Love is practical. 12:13
A. Meeting needs of hurting people.
1) Share with them.
The Wycliffe Bible Translators newsletter once told the
story of Sadie Sieker.
Sadie served for many years as a houseparent for
missionaries' children in the Philippines.
Sadie loved books.
Although she gladly loaned out some of them, others she
treasured in a footlocker under her bed.
Once, in the quiet of the night, Sadie heard a faint
gnawing sound.
After searching all around her room, she discovered that
the noise was coming from her footlocker.
When she opened it, she found nothing but an enormous pile
of dust.
All the books she had kept to herself had been lost to
termites.
What we give away, we keep.
What we hoard, we lose.
#2082
B. Practice hospitality.
1) Is your home open to other people?
2) Sometimes it turns out it is really angels you have
entertained.
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
Main points in the outline (and the title) were borrowed from Rev. Jack
Peters' sermon "Love Is", Kerux sermon #15742.
[1] Adapted from sermon "Others First" by Rev. Bob DeGray of Trinity
Evangelical Free Church in Houston, Texas; Kerux sermon #21676.
# 63 "Where Marines Belong," Capt. David Rilling, Reader's Digest,
December 1987, page 185.
# 2082 "What We Hoard, We Lose," Larry Pennings of Winthrop, Minnesota,
Leadership magazine "To Illustrate...", Fall 1983.
# 6232 "Saints Have It Tough," Charles Schulz, Peanuts cartoon, quoted
by Rev. Eric S. Ritz, Dynamic Preaching email newsletter,
www.sermons.com, October 21, 2002.
#30134 "How To Hug," from sermon "What Love Looks Like" by Rev. Gary
Vanderet of Peninsula Bible Church; Cupertino, California;
Kerux sermon #21434.
These and 25,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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