Today on the verdict with Pastor John Monroe. Jesus said, By this, people will know that you are my disciples. If you have love, one For another. That is, followers of Jesus Christ are to be known for their love. for one another.
So this is our theme, not just for today, but throughout the year. Love one another. Welcome to the verdict, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor John Monroe. Previously, we began exploring Peter's command to love one another with sincerity and depth. Today, John challenges us to put this authentic love into practice by reaching beyond our comfort zone.
The body of Christ is wonderfully diverse, spanning ages, backgrounds, and cultures.
Now, here's Pastor Jean Monroe with the second part of his message: Love one another. Writing 2,000 years ago to Christians who had to leave their home because of the hostility against them, Peter is encouraging them to love one another earnestly from a pure heart. He writes of a sincere, brotherly love. All of us need to be reminded of loving one another. as often we act selfishly and in a totally self-centered way.
But followers of Christ are to be known for their love for one another. This deep love flows from receiving the love of God. and from a pure heart. It's an unselfish love, a love which builds up. A love which demonstrates the love of Christ to others.
Peter now continues to tell us why we are to love one another.
So let's learn about the characteristic of love within the family of God. First Peter chapter 1 Verses 22 through 25. Peter writes. Having purified Your souls. By your obedience to the truth, for a sincere brotherly love Love one another earnestly.
From a pure heart. Since you've been born again. Not of perishable seed, but of imperishable Through the living. and abiding word of God. For all flesh is like grass.
And all his glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers. And the flower falls. But the word of the Lord Remains forever. And this word.
is the good news that was preached to you. How brilliant. What's Peter saying? And verse 22, love one another. Deeply.
The command, and it is a command, is to love. He says, verse 22, love one another. Another.
Now you say, what does this love look like? What are the characteristics of this love? Peter helps us. He says, first of all, for a sincere, brotherly love. Your love.
is to be sincere. This word in Greek is the word hypocrite with alpha in front of it, which means When you laugh, don't be a hypocrite. The word hypocrite was originally used of a person who put on a mask. to play the role in a drama. was play acting.
It was a facade. Isaiah is Peter. Your love. is to be void of hypocrisy. It's not to be a facade, it's not to be phony.
Your love is to be genuine. In the Christian community, I want your love. to be sincere. I want it to be authentic. Secondly, he says Love one another earnestly.
Some translations say vervently or deep. This word. It comes from a word which means to stretch out. Chapter 4, verse 8, Peter says, Above all, keep loving one another earnestly. The same words.
You are to love earnestly. Sincere. But this is a love. which stretches out. It extends itself.
Do you ever extend yourself to someone? Not shallow, not superficial. No, there's an intensity here. to help a person in need. That is earnest love.
When you love someone, you give of yourself. It's not a matter of just helping him a little bit and getting away as quickly as possible and taking off a box. Oh, I did such and such. No, we extend ourselves. sincere, earnest, and then he says Love one another earnestly from a pure heart.
I like that. The love of Jesus is pure, isn't it? It says in John 13: having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. The love of a pure Heart. A purity of love, isn't that a beautiful thing?
The pure love of a mother for her child. The pure love of a bride for her groom. But this is to be evidenced in the family of God. Not a love which is just cultural, not just a natural friendliness that you find among unbelievers, but from a pure redeemed heart. It is a love.
with no hidden agenda. See sometimes the Christian community. We get friendly with people, we do things, but we have an agenda. There's sometimes a little bit of manipulation. No, our love is to be from a pure heart.
I remember when Good and I first arrived in this wonderful country in the United States, and I went to buy a car. In our lives, buying a car in the United States is very different from buying a car in Scotland. And the salesman comes. We were going to where it was a Ford dealership. We ended up buying a little escort, which we had for 11 years.
And the salesman, he shown me the car. And I found he's got his arm round my shoulder. I'm just O Scott, I've just met this man. And he's trying to be my best friend. calling me buddy or something.
I'm not your buddy. Um I had the poor man sweating by the time we did the deal. He kept running back and forward to his sales manager, and I said, I speak to the man. Wouldn't be much quicker if we do a deal. Uh He was being friendly.
Outwardly, he seemed loving, no, his agenda. I'm gonna develop this awkward skills in my car. It was not love from a pure heart. That's not the way we love each other, is it? It's to be sincere.
is to be earnest. It's to be from a pure heart. Extending ourselves. Amy Kermichael says. If monotony tires me, And I cannot stand drudgery.
If stupid people threaten me, And little ruffles set me on edge. If I make much of the trifles of life, then I know nothing of Calgary love. Very convicting, isn't it, from Amy Kermichael. In the Christian community, yes, sometimes as we serve the Lord, There's a sense of drudgery.
Sometimes difficult people fret us. I would make a big fuss about minor things, but Amy Carmichael is rightly reminding us of the centrality of love. It comes from the cross. And the closer I am to the cross, the closer I am to Christ. the more I'm going to love love one another deeply.
Now Peter gives us a reason for this. We're to love one another deeply because we're members of the same family. We saw a month ago that God is our Father. Verse 17. He says, you call on him, God, as Father.
He is our father. I have the same father as you, Ha have? part of the same family. You're my brother. You're my sister.
And this family relationship then has this brotherly love, verse 22. Who's part of this family? Oh, it's a spiritual family. It's composed, Peter is telling us, of those who have been born again. Perhaps you're saying, how do I get into this family?
Where I'm going to be loved, begins at the cross. It's a spiritual Matter. As you receive Christ as your Savior, who died for your sins and buried and rose again, as you receive Him as your Savior. Christ is your Savior, He's your Lord, and God is our Father. And now I find I'm part of this wonderful community.
called the church. Where people love me deeply. where people extend their love to me. where people care for me. And I trust I care for them.
that we are brothers and sisters in Christ. Members of the same family. We've got all kinds of groups. We've got ministries for children, for students. For singles, for married.
For married without children, for married with children. We've got Bible studies for man, Bible studies for women. We've got all kinds of things going on. and live groups and electives and all of these things. And all of that is wonderful in a sense.
And it's very important, and I applaud it. But I want you to think of this. Your identity is not primarily in your little group. Your little Bible study. Your life group, when you get together with your little group of friends, that is not primarily your identity.
At the worst, These groups can lead to competition. Elitism Clicks. Where one Things were better than the other. Oh, my life group is better than yours. We've got a bigger one.
My teacher is better than yours. We think members of the church at Corinth. I have Paul. I have Cephas. Ivor Paulus.
No. This book, The Scriptures. The vast majority is written to all of us. There are some passages written to children. There are some passages written to men.
There are some passages written to women. Matt. The vast amount of scriptures written to all of us. My identity is I am a member Part of the community of the local church. We're all in the same family.
The family of God. Irrespective of her age. Irrespective of our ethnicity. irrespective of her marital status, or our language or our colour. Member of the church in Galatia.
There were people who thought they were better. than others. Paul writes, Galatians Galatians three twenty eight But the church is neither Jew nor Greek. There's neither slave nor free. This is radical, isn't it?
First century church. There is no male and female for you're all One in Christ. Christ. Jesus. And then again.
In Colossians. Here by the church. There is not Greek. And you? Were there Greeks and Jews in the church at Colosse?
Of course there were. Circumcised and uncircumcised. Barbarian? People who are regarded as uneducated. Scythian, slaves, free, yes, they were all there.
One says, Fall. Christ is all. And in all, that Christ is supreme, and the same Christ who's in you is the same Christ who's in me. And the God who is your father is the same God who is my father. And the precious blood that purified your soul is the same precious blood that purified my soul.
That is We're part of the same family. Yes, there are vast differences in this congregation and church. We recognize that. That's a wonderful thing, a beautiful thing. But my identity It's not that I'm Scottish.
My identity isn't that I go to a particular Bible study. My identity is that I'm a follower of Christ and I'm part of the local church. What does that mean? Students You're to love singers. You say love one another.
Well, you have your group. of students Similar interests? You relate to them, it's wonderful. Please continue that. Ah, but you're to do something else.
You're to love. Seniors. Here are middle-aged, married people, they're happily married, they've got children. We get together, that's wonderful. But don't forget.
that you're to love. That single person. Don't just focus on your own little group.
Southerners You gotta love now their nurse. I've heard it all. I'm from the far north and my wife is even further north.
So we want you to love us. Europeans We're to love Asians. Chinese You gotta love Hispanics. I think it's beautiful at church. to see so many families.
So many nationalities worshiping together. Isn't that a beautiful thing? To see a family, a physical family, worshiping God together. But also even more beautiful to see brothers and sisters Who have very little in common naturally, but have everything now in common because we're part of the same family, and I am commanded to love you, and you're commanded to love me. That is in the church.
There are to be no barriers. Christ, Ephesians 2, abolished all of them. No Greeks. No Jews, you're all one in Christ. All the different nationalities Paul mentions in Colossians 3, no.
Now you're in Christ. And Christ is in you. This is not a denial of our heritage. Of course not. Just not saying we shouldn't get together with people who have common interests, not at all, but it is saying something greater.
Something which just means we have to extend ourselves. In the church there are to be no little clicks. No generation gaps, no prejudices, no discrimination, certainly no racism in the Church of Jesus Christ. We are to love all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Isn't that clear?
The question is, why have we not done it? And why are we not doing it? that we are to reach out in love. Here's a challenge for you. Easier said than done.
I want you.
Next few days. to reach out in love. beyond your small group. Beyond the group of friends that you have here. Beyond people that you normally relate to.
I want you to reach out, maybe, someone of a different nationality, someone who's different from you. Yes, some of the northerners do speak loudly, but some of the southerners can be whines as well.
So, I mean, we're all good at failures, haven't we? And we're commanded to love. one another. Our love for one another, Peter is now going to see, is to be constant and enduring as the living word of God. The means by which we are regenerated is the word of God, verse 23.
Since you have been born again, notice his argument. This is why we're to love one another since you've been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living and Abiding word of God. Faith comes by hearing and hearing through the Word of Christ. God's Word is living. It's eternal, it's transforming.
Everything else withers and dies. It gives the illustration of flowers, beautiful flowers. Last a week or so. Then the petals begin to fall off. They wither.
And die. But The word of the Lord, verse 25. remains forever. The promises of God to his people endure forever. We are born again then, not by our own efforts.
But through the imperishable, the incorruptible word of God. Paul has used that word imperishable to refer to our inheritance, to refer to the precious blood of Christ, and now he refers it to the word of God. Supernatural life Through the supernatural word of God. Since I've been born again.
Now I love My brothers. and sisters The new birth results in new activity. He says here, all flesh is like grass. And all is glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.
Think of glory, they were living under the Roman Empire. Think of the glory, the magnificent glory of the Roman Empire. An empire that lasted for hundreds of years.
Now is gone. Absolutely gone, all of its glory. Gone. But The word of God, the imperishable seed, which which produces eternal life and love. continues.
Apart from that, there is no hope. Our spiritual relationships, then, in the family of God. Are as eternal as in God's Word. Do you know that we're going to be together for all of eternity? A brother or sister that you find a little irritating.
You're gonna be walking with him or her. And this on the streets of gold. We're together. This magnificent Family. of God.
And to continue this deep, vervant love There has to be a continuing emphasis on the Word of God. Without the preaching of God's Word, Our love will become shallow. It will become sentimental, it will become superficial, and it will be short-lived. My calling in life is to glorify God through the exposition of His Word. This is the most important thing I do.
I do many things as your pastor. This is the most important thing. To stand and open this book and to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. My experiences. My experiences, my thoughts, my opinions.
I think they're great, but they are not infallible. They wither and die. My own thoughts, my own opinions on the subject don't really matter. What does matter and must matter is the imperishable word of God. You know, the seed that is sown.
Sometimes they immediately Thanks. root and blossoms. Other times, it can take years. Paul says, Peter, this word is the good news that was preached to you. This is good news.
This is the gospel. And we who follow Jesus Christ have been supernaturally regenerated and cleansed. We seek to live a supernaturally transformed lives, and one of the main ways we do this. One of the main ways we demonstrate that we're followers of Christ. It's what?
Loving. one another. I ask, as your pastor, collectively, are we doing that? I'd ask you individually. Are you doing that?
Your love's sincere. To extend your love. Into situations which may be a bit uncomfortable, may be a bit awkward. What about your own home? Man, I have to ask you, are you loving your wife?
Isn't it tragic that in so many of our homes There's brokenness. And there's war and there's arguments. And there's disharmony. Man You're commanded, commanded to love your wife as Christ loved the church. What you doing there?
Don't tell me the problems. of your wife. All of our wives. Have problems. All of the husbands have problems, we know that.
But here is the command to love your wife. Just think of a home. There is no Perfect home, we know that. But they give a home. Transformed with the gospel.
A home of love. A home of kindness, a home of patience. A home where we are loving one another. That has to be. Your goal and mine.
Love. One another. This is the verdict with Pastor John Monroe and the end of a message titled: Love One Another. Stay with us because John will be right back with his closing remarks. John's challenging message reminds us that the church is meant to be a place where distinctions of age and background fade in the light of our shared identity in Christ.
This unity, amid diversity, reflects God's eternal purposes, which culminate in Christ's return. To deepen your understanding of how our present-day relationships connect to God's future plans. We invite you to request John's booklet for the time is near: Lessons from Revelation. This booklet helps you read this important but sometimes confusing book of the Bible. and understand the eternal future for God's people from every nation, tribe, and tongue.
So request your free copy of For the Time is Near by mail or download it today when you visit our website. Bringing biblical truth to listeners worldwide. requires the faithful support of friends like you. Every contribution, regardless of size, helps extend the reach of these messages to those seeking guidance and hope through God's Word. To participate in this outreach ministry, consider sending a gift through our secure website at theverdict.org.
We also encourage you to explore the Verdict podcast, which includes these daily teachings plus John's weekly Avizandam segment, where he addresses current issues from a biblical perspective. Find us on your favorite podcast platform today by searching for The Verdict with Pastor John Monroe.
Now, here's Pastor John Monroe to close today's program.
Well, what's your verdict? If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, are you loving those within your church community? Is your love sincere? Is it from your heart or are you just going through the motions? What keeps us on track?
Loving God and receiving His love. Being in the Word of God and learning from Christ will result in our love growing.
So are you spending time in the word? Are you growing in your love for God and for others? This is our subject next time when Peter writes of longing for the pure spiritual milk. Thanks for joining us today on The Verdict. I'm Michelle Davies.
Today's program with Pastor John Monroe was produced and sponsored by Calvary Church in Charlotte, North Carolina.
