Open—Josh Stewart
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Please turn to a verse in First Corinthians.
One Corinthians, chapter 12.
And verse 12.
What I'd like to speak on for just a few minutes is how love can overcome problems.
In the body of Christ, we've had a little bit of God's love for us, but I'd like to speak a little bit.
About our love.
1St Corinthians 12 and verse 12.
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ.
Well this verse says I'm sure everyone here knows is comparing the human body to the church. For as the body, the human body is one and has many members, arms and legs and fingers and toes.
And all the members of that one human body, being many, are one human body. So also is the Christ.
The Church is compared to a human body, and in many ways it functions.
Much like a human body in the apostle Paul goes on in the rest of this chapter and he takes up that figure of a body and he gives us many wonderful exhortations that we've probably enjoyed concerning service, the function of gift, and very helpful principles. But you know, I was thinking and I thought many times.
That, you know, with our human bodies, things don't always function smoothly.
There are problems that come into our bodies. We get sick. I think everyone in this room has gotten sick, maybe a few exceptions, those who have excellent health, but we all get sick. We have problems. And I was thinking about the body of Christ and how problems have come in to the body of Christ.
And now I know that I'm sure someone will correct me the body.
In an absolute sense, as one, it says here there is one body and I believe in God's viewpoint there are no imperfections.
Everyone in the body is there according to His will He's placed. Every member in the body is at least him. But I was thinking about how difficulties come into the body of Christ.
And love is so key in overcoming those difficulties. I thought of of a few things.
The number one killer of Americans.
I don't know if this is true in Europe aside from car accidents and stuff like that. Is heart disease heart disease in the body of Christ?
I think that, and I'm making an application here, you're not going to find these in Scripture. So if you can cut me a little bit of a little bit of slack here, I'm just making an application. A lack of love, a lack of love in the body of Christ is the number one hindrance to the functioning of the body of Christ. Heart disease. How does heart disease happen? Does it happen overnight?
Do you instantly have a heart problem? No. We know those blockages begin and they're slow.
And layer after layer builds up and our arteries get constricted more and more until finally, bang, we have a big problem.
But it's a lack of love.
Another issue? Cancer.
I think that might, to me at least.
Have the thought of wrong principles, wrong doctrines that come in we find in Second Timothy?
That something came in.
Second Timothy 2.
Verse 16 But shun profane and vain babblings, for they will increase unto more ungodliness, and their word will eat, as doth a canker or a gangrene, of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus, who concerning the truth of aired, saying that the resurrection is passed already, and overthrow the faith of some. Here was something that came in wrong teaching, and it started to spread. Paul says their word will spread.
And it will gradually overtake the body.
And those things have to be dealt with, and we have clear exhortations in Scripture how to deal with this.
We need to deal with wrong doctrine and we need to have our minds subject to the Word of God. That's the answer.
00:05:02
What else? Infection, I think in First Corinthians 5, how that speaks of sin and defilement that can come in moral defilement that can come into the church, and how that needs to be dealt with.
We are warned. Verse six, Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole one? If an infection comes into our body again, there are doctors here. I'm not a doctor, but I I've been told that the infection will spread if the body does not put it down. So when a healthy body, the immune system jumps into action, sends all the white blood cells to the source of the infection, and the bacteria is destroyed and the infection's gone.
And sin and defilement, when it comes in, needs to be dealt with. If it doesn't, it will spread just like infection. Amputation is something that's never a first option, but it's necessary if the infection is not contained. And so there's all these difficulties that can come in just quickly. A few more paralysis. Our brother spoke on the leading of the Spirit of God to me, paralysis.
You know, it's when the signals from your head that go down to your body.
That tell your body what to do are not being obeyed. Your brain says get up and walk and your body just refuses to obey.
And how many of us are like members in the body of Christ that are paralyzed or have been at times or at times experienced this where we're just simply not listening to what the Spirit of God is telling us? It's like paralysis in the body. And the word of God speaks about quenching the Spirit and says quench and not the spirit. So if we have received something from the Lord, were to do it.
The opposite of that.
I guess the technical word for it is dyskinesia. I learned that because my wife's grandfather had Parkinson's.
And a combination of that, I believe in the medication he was on, he would go into these modes where he would just shake and his arms would flail around. And it was a, it was really a terrible thing to watch. His mind was saying sit still, but his arms and legs were just moving without control. That's the opposite. And I believe, you know, the word of God also says grieve not the Holy Spirit of God again.
To act without direction from the Lord, without direction from the Spirit of God.
It's a terrible thing. It's a it's a disorder that comes in.
Autoimmune disorders. Autoimmune. That's a terrible thing, I believe, and again, I'm not a doctor, but that's when the body begins to attack itself, the the body's immune system begins to attack the body.
I think of passages like we have in Galatians 5.
Where it speaks about those who are biting and devouring one another.
But if he bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. The body can actually attack itself. And we know that there are infighting and divisions among believers. Brethren, we're all one body. It is completely out of character for the body of Christ for us as believers to be fighting among ourselves.
Devouring ourselves. It's a it's a terrible disorder. What's the answer?
Walk in the spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. One more and we could go on, but I wanted to speak on the first one. But one more atrophy. What is atrophy? It's when you lay in bed for so long that your muscles just shrink until they're almost gone and they're still there, but they're chronically weak through lack of exercise.
How many of us times in our lives have been so weak?
Because we haven't exercised, and I'm not just talking in a physical sense, I mean we haven't been, we haven't been doing what the Lord has given us to do to the point where we hardly even know what He has for us to do.
And I believe there are everyone of us in this room has a gift. Each one of us has a gift. And it is God's desire that we use that gift. But if we don't, we will grow weak in that. And there's a need for us to to grow in that. And so Paul tells Timothy to stir up the gift that is in you. So we need to stir that up. Get off the couch, you know, so to speak. Get off the bed and start moving about and doing what the Lord has.
Us to do and neglect, not the gift that is in me.
And so we need to.
Be exercised about these things because there are difficulties that come into into the church, into the assembly.
00:10:05
But what I wanted to speak on just for we only have a few minutes left and.
What was that first one? Heart disease? The lack of love among us?
I wanted to speak about how love can overcome difficulties.
What's where in Galatians 5? Let's just jump up a verse or two.
Looking for the place where it says faith works.
By Love.
Verse six. For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avail of anything, nor uncircumcision, but faith, which worketh by love. This is how faith works, it's by love.
And as we read through the Word of God, we will find that every.
Service for the Lord Every activity that has the approval of God.
Is motivated by love.
And we find that what the Lord Jesus did at the cross of Calvary, we had that before us this morning, was motivated by love. He went to the cross. Why? Because love to his Father and love to us. He went to the cross because of love. And the same is true for everything that we do. Love is to be the motive we find.
In First Corinthians back in chapter 13.
That wonderful chapter that comes in between the gifts, the members of the body of Christ and their exercise. In chapter 14 we find that love is presented in chapter 14. Love is to be the motive for the exercise of gift.
And so love can overcome things that can't be overcome any other way.
I think about divisions that are festering. I think about.
These situations that arise in assemblies where there's two sides, what is this in the body of Christ where there's this side and that side? It is not to be, but love can overcome that. Love can say, you know what?
Naturally, I don't like you.
You don't like me, but you know what? I'm going to go across the room to you and I'm going to sit down with you and I'm going to mend that broken relationship. It's not easy to do, but excuse me, Love says. I'm going to put my own comfort aside.
I'm gonna put my own natural preferences aside and I'm gonna go, and I'm gonna do it because it's what God wants me to do, he said. Well, I don't have the personality for that.
I'm sorry, that's not good enough.
It's not good enough.
It's inconvenient for me. I don't have time. I'm sorry. That's not good enough. Was it convenient for the Lord Jesus to go to the cross? No, it wasn't.
It can overcome lack of gift in the assembly. Just look at the last verse of chapter 12.
The last verse of chapter 12.
But covet earnestly the best gifts, and yet show I unto you a more excellent way. Brethren, I'm not putting down gift. It's wonderful, and we should covet it. But there's a more excellent way. If there isn't gift. Love can make up for the lack of gift.
You know, brethren, we're living in in a day of great weakness and there's not as much gift as perhaps there once was, especially considering the days of the apostles. But rather than this is where love comes in.
If we're in a local assembly and there's an opportunity to have the word of God open, love should govern what we take up. You know, is it just what I've been enjoying? Is that what I should be ministering in the assembly?
I believe we should minister what we've been enjoying and we shouldn't speak beyond our own experience and beyond what the Lord has given us and what we've enjoyed in our souls. But I believe that we need to be.
Concerned about what is profitable, what is beneficial, what is edifying.
For the assembly.
Not all things are edifying for the assembly and we need to be in tune with where the where the flock is. Is this really what's going to be helpful? Is this really what's going to be beneficial or is this just something that is has been a nice encouragement to me? I'm not speaking critical of anyone here. I've really enjoyed these meetings and it has absolutely nothing to do with that. I really just, I think about that to to take the time to know where our brethren are at to take time to know.
00:15:06
Our brethren are at and to be before the Lord about what will feed their souls and what will be a benefit to them.
Love is the motive in serving the Lord, for the love of Christ constraineth us.
And then one more area I wanted to take up was love can overcome social awkwardness.
This might seem a little bit of a strange thing to take up, but I believe it's something that we all deal with, some more than others. There are some who feel very little social awkwardness and they can just go right up to anyone and have a conversation.
But not all of us are that way, and a lot of us have a hard time.
Introducing ourselves to someone new. Have a hard time having a heart to heart conversation with someone.
Have time getting close to our brethren. It's difficult to do. We know how it is when.
There's perhaps someone of a different culture, a different background, maybe someone who's on the other side of the division in your local assembly. How awkward it can be to have those conversations.
But love overcomes that. Love says, You know what? I didn't grow up the same way as you did.
Or I know our parents don't see things the same way. Or whatever it might be. Maybe you're from a different you have a different first language. Whatever it might be, love can overcome that.
So that those relationships can be restored.
What about in giving the gospel?
We feel the awkwardness, the shame that's associated with the cross.
But love says, you know what, that person is going to hell.
And I want to see them in heaven.
Love can overcome.
That generation gap that there may be between those who are older and those who are younger.
I know our time is almost gone. I'm sorry, but this is something that's been on my heart a little bit. If you could just turn over with me to the Book of Titus.
Titus, chapter 2.
And verse one. But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.
That the aged men be sober, brave, temperate, sound in the faith and charity and patience. The aged women likewise that they be in behavior, has become of holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things. That they may teach the younger women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste keepers at home.
Good, obedient to their own husbands, but the word of God.
Be not blasphemed.
This is something I feel like.
That is being done in some places, but generally it's something that we've failed in the aged women teaching the younger women.
It's so important, you know, I think it's probably the most difficult thing.
To be a young wife and maybe a young wife and mother to.
Go on faithfully day after day and you know, I go to work and I work on a project and we have deadlines and we have accomplishments and someone comes along, Pats me on the back and says good job. But you know what for? For a stay at home mom, it's one load of laundry after another, one diaper to change after another, and it just goes on and on and on and there's no end insight. There's no project finish state. There's no.
Awards that are given out in maybe in this life and it's very difficult. There's no adult human interaction. It's just it's very, very difficult to go on.
But God has provided a resource. There are these older women who have gone through the path that have the experience in these practical things that can come alongside and they can teach them.
And there needs to be a relationship first before the teaching happens. You know, you know how much it would mean to to draw alongside a younger sister and just say, I want to pray with you. Just hold your hand and pray with them. It would mean so much.
And then there would be that relationship so that the teaching could go on.
Love overcomes that awkwardness that we feel that's keeping us back from doing it. Love says, you know what? It's not my personality, but Oh well, I love them. I want to see them grow, so I'm going to do it anyways.
00:20:05
What about the men?
Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded and all things showing thyself a pattern of good works in doctrine, showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech and so on. I don't have time.
To set a good pattern for those who are younger.
But you know, it's wonderful for those who are older to bring those who are younger into their circle of friendship so that they can see this example, so that they can see it lived out in your life.
What an encouragement that can be to one who's younger. One more verse regarding the young men. I know, I know, I'm over.
First, Second Timothy 2 verse one Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
It's a very important thing for those who are older and those who have applied themselves and they know the truth of God to commit what they have learned.
To those who are faithful, who are coming on behind them, it's very important that that take place.
If that handing off the baton, you might think of a relay race. If that doesn't take place, there's a we're not doing the next generation a good favor if that if that handoff doesn't take place.
And some feel that this is fulfilled in the assembly reading meeting. And I believe that is partly true. And young people go to the assembly reading meetings because there you will find those who have known the word of God and watching it for many years, passing it along. But it may require more than this. It may be more than just the assembly readings.
An older brethren, you know how encouraging it is when you take time to speak to someone who's younger, who's coming along, who's showing an interest.
Faithful and responsible in the things of God when you take the time to speak to them.
Maybe have them into your home if they could just see the the love that you have, the scriptures, it's going to do more for them.
Than 100 reading meetings. If they can just glimpse what the the truth of God has done in their life, it's going to do more for them than 1000 lectures, it really will.
These are things that are difficult to do if we just stay in our comfort zone and we all have a comfort zone, but love will push us out of that into service for Him. Is it worth it? Is it worth it to allow love to drive us out of our comfort zone, to allow love to overcome these difficulties? I believe it is. I just want to close with one verse, Song of Solomon.
Chapter 8.
Verse six sent me as a seal upon thine heart, and as a seal upon thine arm. For love is strong as death, jealousy as cruel as the grave. The coals of the coals thereof are coals of fire, which have the most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it. Here it is if a man would give all the substance of his house for love.
It would utterly be content. I believe that last phrase phrases go something like this.
It would be worth it all. I think of all the love that God has poured out upon us, the love that he has invested in.
To him, it's worth it.
It's worth it and I believe the love that we show as members of the body of Christ for one another.
We may not realize it now, but it will be worth it.