LOVE AND THE LAST DAYS
MATT 24:11-12
Sunam 4/7/02
And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Intro: Certainly the things taking place in Israel are a clearer indication that the Lord’s return is going to happen soon! Yet another clear indication of the Lord’s return is simply – as the scripture said – “The love of many will become cold because the days of iniquity are building up.
Why are the days of evil building up? It is because the Devil knows his time is short and He is doing everything in his power (though limited) to cause God’s people to become unfeeling to the point where they begin only to think of themselves!
Look with me at another verse of Scripture –
Luke 6:17-38 - He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coast of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by evil spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all. 20 Looking at his disciples, he said: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. 22 Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. 24 "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. 25 Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets. 27 "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you. 32 "If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners’ do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even ’sinners’ lend to ’sinners,’ expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
Theme: Clearly, Jesus is teaching on the attitude of God’s people (particularly His own disciples) toward those who have need of a clear expression of His love extended.
I. SERMON ON THE MOUNT –
A. Came as a reaction to the Pharisaical fury and anger over healing a man with Palsy on the Sabbath day!
1. The sermon on the mount is a reaction to the jealousy, the combativeness and the bitterness of the Jewish rulers of the day who loved to be rich, make a show of their religious popularity in the marketplaces and to content in knowing that their history could save them.
a. Jesus responds by teaching the beatitudes which are the exact opposite of what the disciples had seen all their lives among the Jewish leaders of their day.
b. It cannot be overstated how much Jesus disliked such bigotry, pride and arrogance!
c. So much so that He issued “woes” in line with His own disagreement with what the Temple had become.
B. Let’s take the woes and the beatitudes and juxtapose them to see just how Jesus felt about how His temple and His people were being treated:
Lk 6:20 - Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. > Lk 6:24 - "But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort.
Lk 6:21 - Blessed are you who hunger now, for you will be satisfied. > Lk 6:25 - Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry.
Lk 6:21 - Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. > Lk 6:25 - Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.
Lk 6:22-23 - Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man. 23 "Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets. > Lk 6:26 - Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.
Summary: So Jesus turns the tables on the high minded and mocking Jewish rulers. And He does so on purpose – to teach the disciples this was never to be the way for His true followers!
What is the way of His true followers?
II. THE WAY OF LOVE:
A. There is a wonderful freedom that he life of love gives a follower of Jesus Christ.
1. The way of love allows us to never be debtors to any man – and allows us total freedom from whatever binds the culture, the society and even some Christian systems would influence us to become bound with.
2. When we operate in love – nothing is personally attached to us – We are to be REACTIVE IN LOVE!
Verse 27 - "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
a. Jesus – again – is combating the selfishness, mingled with religious pride that was so abundant in His day!
b. He was teaching that there has nothing been given to us that wasn’t ours to begin with – That “all good things have come down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variableness nor shadow of turning!”
c. He was reinforcing Job’s heart – “The Lord gives and the Lord takes away – blessed be the name of the Lord!”
d. He was teaching that the possession is not worth getting into an argument over!
Summary – You cannot selfishly hold on to something that is only your to be a faithful steward over anyway! Everything we have is given to us “on loan” from God!
But Jesus doesn’t stop with living at this level of love – which is a much higher level of love than most Christians live at anyway!
B. Jesus says that we are live on the basis of love!
1. Listen to His words on how we are to be PROACTIVE IN LOVE!
Verse 36 - Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. 37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
1. Three principles are taught here: 1) God is our source! 2) God keeps the books! 3) God will respond to generosity!
a. If God is our source – than we are free to give of mercy! If God is our source – than we are able to look upon those who persecute us and not judge them or condemn them! If God is our source – than we will be able to forgive those who have wronged us!
b. If God is keeping the books – than He knows how much “Seed” He has provided us! If God is keeping the books – than He knows how much of His seed we have planted! If God is keeping the books – than He know WHY we have or have not been planting His seed!
c. If God will respond - to those who plant seed as HE has provided – than what do we have to worry about?!
Summary: “With what measure you measure out – you will receive a corresponding measure!
Let’s return to the introduction – “The love of many will wax cold”!
III. WE ARE LIVING IN THE LAST DAYS!
A. We have seen the events outside the church taking place and have been encouraged in our hearts to know Jesus is coming soon –
1. But I am looking at the church world – I see a lack of generosity, and a lack of love in the known needs of our missionaries, our brother in ministry and generally our brothers and sisters in the kingdom!
a. The result is a much more measured response to those in need – There are now criteria for generosity in the church – Job security – Economic stability – Good feelings about those whom we feel led to share with – Personal likes and dislikes about such things as style, persona, and what has been called “good sense”.
Summary – None if these criteria are in the outline Jesus laid out for us – He simply said – Love is the prime motivator in the process of planting the seed God has so generously provided for us! There is as a result of this overflowing love – a sense of abandonment, mingled with obedience that recognizes that God is our SOURCE, that God keeps the BOOKS, and that God rewards those who replant His seed into the lives of others - whether it is in mercy, forgiveness, a non-judgment / non-condemning attitude, or responding to a need a brother missionary or a brother in the body who has a need.
CONCLUSION:
The only thing that keeps selfish and pride filled Phariseeism out of our hearts is moving into a totally loving PROACTIVE mode of behavior.
This prevents us from being keepers of the aquarium –
and calls us to be fisher of men!
