The Character of Mercy James Shepherd

I'm sure you've heard the phrase,

you talk the talk, but do you walk the walk?

We use this phrase with people when we think they're making a very bold claim

about something they actually can't back up.

So if I said to you, I could do 500 push-ups without breaking, without a sweat,

would you believe me or would you think that I was all talk?

Now, I know I have the appearance that I could, the physique,

but let me tell you, it's all appearance.

It's not a true reflection.

If you told me to get down and do 500 push-ups, I would fail,

and you'd find out really, really quickly that I was just simply all talk.

We consider those who are all talk and no action

as people who don't have much integrity.

They don't have the words to back up.

We see this quite commonly in the way we say to each other,

we say to those people, we come in contact with our friends

that we see from time to time, we should catch up for a coffee soon.

You ever say to someone, I've said this to plenty of people.

We say to them, we should catch up for a coffee soon,

but it never seems to happen.

We never seem to make the effort of actually organizing the time

to catch up and have coffee with these people.

And we've come to the point now where the words leave our mouth,

and we know, we know we're not going to hang out with these people.

We know we're not going to actually catch up with them.

But we just say it just because it feels rude not to say it.

We say it because we think it's a nice thing to do.

We talk the talk, but do we walk the walk?

That is the question on John's mind here in this letter as he writes

to his brothers and sisters.

His question is whether or not we Christians are living out our lives,

our calling to love each other.

And perhaps he makes the accusation that while we might be good

at talking the talk, while we might be good at talking about love,

we're not really good at actually loving.

We're not really good in walking in the way of love.

As Christians, we love to talk about love.

We'll always talk about how much God loves you, how much God loves us.

We talk about it on Facebook, sharing the Bible verses of that.

Talk about God's love.

From the platform, you might always hear people saying

that God just loves you, he wants to wrap you up in his love,

he wants to make you warm and dizzy in his love.

He wants the best for you.

He loves you so much.

Christians are good at talking about love.

But do we walk in the way of love?

We're constantly saying that we are going to be Jesus' hands and feet,

that we want to do things and to show our love practically.

But how much does that actually eventuate?

John's fear is that although we might retain the word love,

we've forgotten altogether what is at the core of our faith,

to love practically.

Verse 11,

For this is the message you have heard from the beginning,

we should love one another.

His fear is that they have forgotten that the heart of the Christian life

is love, and love not simply done in speech,

but action, modelled by Christ,

which we see in verse 18.

I'm sorry, verse 15.

16 even.

Jesus Christ laid down his life for us,

that we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

And so he concludes next section,

verse 18.

Dear children,

let us not love with words or speech,

but with action,

and in truth.

I wonder if John would fear the same for us today,

if you looked at our church.

Would he see us as a church who talks to talk and walks the walk,

or just as a church that just talks about love,

and doesn't walk in the way of love?

Have we forgotten in the midst of all our Christian talk,

to actually walk in the way of love?

We're in a series called Love Thy Neighbor,

in which we want to spend time reflecting on our cause of church

to love each other,

and to love those in the world around us,

in real, practical ways.

Meeting the felt needs of people,

those around us.

The poor, the hungry, the marginalized,

the sick, the needy, the vulnerable.

Showing them the powerful and wonderful,

restorative power of the gospel.

How the kingdom of God has come in,

ushered in through Jesus,

and how through him,

we can enjoy healing and new life now in this life.

We saw last week,

we are called to the task of practical love,

in meeting the needs of those who are vulnerable.

This week, we're going to explore

the fundamental characteristic of our calling,

that enables us,

and fuels us,

for this task.

Love.

Using this passage here,

in John's letter to these brothers and sisters,

we're going to unpack the character of Christian love,

by looking at what the experience,

and the existence of Christian love reveals,

and what the essence of Christian love is.

So I'm going to be asking those two questions,

about Christian love this morning.

And perhaps we ought to reflect,

if John's fear,

ought to be our fear as well.

Whether we are walking in the way of love,

or just simply talking about it.

So firstly,

the existence,

and experience of Christian love,

reveals new life,

and is itself,

driven towards life.

John begins by stating the message,

you heard from the beginning,

to love one another.

And then he straight away contrasted,

the call to love each other,

with the example of Cain,

who murdered his brother,

back in Genesis.

Safe to say,

he didn't love his brother,

but hated him.

If you remember the story,

back in Genesis,

the two brothers brought gifts to God,

Abel's gift was accepted,

but Cain's gift was rejected by God.

And the cause of Cain's murder,

the reason why he murdered his brother Abel,

wasn't because Abel had outdone him,

in a sense,

it was because Cain was jealous,

of Abel,

and resented him.

His feelings and actions towards Abel,

were evil.

Jealousy,

resentment,

and bitterness,

all brewed into hatred,

and eventually led,

to him killing his brother,

in an act of revenge,

and hatred.

Now,

why the reminder of such a story as this?

Pretty brutal and awful story.

Verse 13,

Don't be surprised,

my brothers and sisters,

if the world hates you.

John is making a point

that the world is not a place

where love is found naturally.

We don't need to venture very far

to know this is all too true.

Since almost the beginning of time,

as John points out,

hatred has been the dominating characteristic

of our world.

And hate has an inclination,

or propensity,

towards death.

As we see in the story of Cain,

the story of Cain has been played out again,

and again,

and again in our world.

Jealousy,

and bitterness,

leads to hate,

and hate leads to murder.

Death.

And although it doesn't always end in murder,

we see deaths of different kinds in our world.

Deaths of relationship,

deaths of friendships,

marriages,

and family breakdowns.

All result from this pattern of life

we see exemplifying Cain,

of jealousy,

bitterness,

and hatred.

And so the result being

a total disregard for life,

life for each other,

and life in general.

Where we can end up saying

to different people in our life,

you are dead to me.

But,

verse 14,

we know

that we have passed from death to life

because we love each other.

The difference for the Christian

is that he no longer lives

according to the pattern

of Cain,

which is to be under the influence

of sin and death.

Instead,

Christians,

by the power of the gospel,

have been made alive again.

They have passed from death

to life.

And the foundational evidence

of this new life is what?

Love.

Love.

The profound difference

between the world

and the Christian

is one

that has an inclination

towards hate

and therefore death,

whilst the other

has an inclination

towards love

and therefore life.

Christian love

reveals

and is evidence

of

new life

given to us

by Christ.

Because love

is driven

as a propensity

for life.

To explain

what I mean,

think about those people

in your life,

your friends

or family,

co-workers,

who contribute

to your life

in such ways

that gives you joy

because of their love

for you.

They're the kinds

of people

who are always there

for you

when things aren't good

because they love you.

When you say

let's catch up

for coffee,

they will organise it

because they want

to be with you.

When we're down

an ounce,

miserable,

depressed and hurt,

it can be the words

of a friend

that revitalise

our soul.

When we are sick

and unwell,

it can be the service

of a friend

making us meals,

doing the dishes,

doing the groceries

that can make us

or make our bodies

feel strong again,

make our hearts glad.

It can be the phone call,

the visit,

the offer to help,

the active encouragement

in walking alongside us

in grief

that can regenerate us

and give us life

once more.

This is what I mean

when I say love

has a propensity

towards life.

Love allows

for the enabling,

the flourishing,

sustaining of life

in relationship

that human beings

so desperately want.

Indeed,

that's its purpose,

to give

and to allow

for life

to happen.

Hate,

as characterised

by Cain,

does the opposite

and has propensity

and an inclination

towards death.

Whether it's murder

or toxic relationships

where love

is talked about

but never acted upon,

the hatred we see

in our world

reveals that it's

under the influence

on reign

of sin

and death,

one which is

unescapable.

but the great hope

for our world

is that life

has broken in

and it overpowered

the reign

of death

that has been

since Cain.

And since,

as Christians,

we love each other,

we're able to love

those in our world

who need it.

For Cain's hatred

of Abel

led him

to take life

and that has been

the pattern

of the world

since.

God,

who is rich in love,

sent his one

and only Son

into the world

of death

that whoever

may believe in him

may not perish,

may not face death,

but what?

Have eternal life.

There is more

at stake here

than just simply

talking to talk

and walking the walk,

isn't there?

The existence

and experience

of Christian love

isn't simply

a matter of

Christian integrity.

It's a matter

of life

and death.

Verse 14 again,

we know that we

have passed

from death

to life

because we

love each other.

Anyone who

does not love

remains in death.

Anyone who hates

a brother or sister

is a murderer

and you know

that no murderer

has eternal life

residing in him.

Christian love

proves you have

been made alive again,

that you have

crossed over

from death

to life.

It's the result

and overflowing

of faith

in Christ.

Hate isn't.

Hate is a

dangerous emotion

for a Christian

to have,

especially

for his own

brother or sister.

It's contradictory

to the gospel,

to the work of God

that has happened

in us.

It belongs

in the realm

of sin and death

in the world

as exemplified

by Cain himself.

If you have hate

in your heart,

you may need

to reflect

upon whether

you are following

in the pattern

of Cain

or even in the

pattern of Christ.

perhaps you need

to reflect

and pray

and discuss

with the person

who is the object

of your hate

or your resentment

and seek

reconciliation

and forgiveness.

It's not something

we should be afraid

of doing though.

For the ministry

of reconciliation

is one that's

fueled by love

and ushering

in life.

Indeed,

reconciliation

of relationships

is where we begin

to see the impact

of the gospel

in our life,

where we see life

beginning to come in

and bring us

back together.

For hate

leads to death,

but love

showing in reconciliation

and forgiveness

leads to life.

The existence

of love

and experience

is the evidence

of new life

in Christ

because love

in its foundational

working

has a propensity

and inclination

towards life.

Love is all

about ushering

in,

sustaining

and allowing

life to flourish,

whereas hate

leads towards

taking life away.

And this leads

to my second point.

Seeing that existence

and experience

of love

is new life.

The essence

of love

is seen

in sacrificial

life-giving

actions

that transcend

worldly comprehension.

That should be

on the screen.

It's a big,

big sentence.

Just to recap,

the basic point

I wanted to make

was love

is for life.

Just as a hat

is for the head,

a chair

is for sitting,

Jimmy

is for Katie

and McDonald's,

love

is for life.

Love's proper

goal

and purpose

is to enable

and usher in

life.

Now I want

to articulate

the essence

of this love

that is to show

what it looks like

in the real world.

And as I've said,

I think its essence

is sacrificial

life-giving action

which ultimately

transcends

worldly comprehension.

Verse 16,

this is how we know

what love is.

Jesus Christ

laid down

his life for us

and we ought to

lay down our lives

for our brothers

and sisters.

John 7 verse 11,

John 7:11

what is fundamental

to the gospel,

namely love.

And here in verse 16

he now says

how we know

what love is.

Jesus Christ

laid down

his life

for us.

Just take that in.

That is love.

The example

set before us

is Jesus Christ

himself

who loved us

by giving up

his own life.

Jesus' sacrifice

ushered in

new life for us.

He was driven

by love

and he gave up

his own life

that we might

pass from death

to life ourselves

and enjoy

eternal life

with him.

His sacrifice

was a life-giving

action.

This is what life is.

And according to John,

this is love,

the love that we

ourselves should walk

in and we ought

to lay down

our lives

for our brothers

and sisters.

Have a look

at each other

in this room.

Would you be willing

to die

for the person

sitting next to you

or behind you?

And some of you

might be thinking,

define

what it is

to lay down

your life.

Tell me

what it is.

Sounds familiar,

doesn't it?

That question.

Such a call,

such a question

makes us

want to ask

that question

like the expert

in the law

in Luke 10

who asked Jesus,

who is my neighbour?

But let us not

cheapen love.

Let us not

lower the bar.

Sacrificial,

life-giving action

is the bar

that Christian love

sets.

It's the pattern

we are to follow in.

This

gives

or ought to

give more weight

to our words

when we say

I love you.

When we say

I love you,

what we're saying

is I am willing

to sacrifice

my life for you

that you might

have life

to give up

the most precious

possession

that we have,

life,

so that others

might keep it

and enjoy it

and flourish in it.

It implies

so much more

than just simple

talk from the

front here in church

that we might

often hear

how much we

just love you

and we want

to be part

of everything

and God

loves you so much

once you feel

so warm and

dizzy.

No,

it's so much

more than that.

It's a love

that's willing

to get down

the dirt

sacrificially

to the point

of which you're

willing to give

up your own

life.

We are so

transformed

by the gospel

that it gives

us new life

that we love

in such a way

that we're

willing to

give it up

again

for the sake

of preserving

another's life

in order that

they might

experience the

kingdom of God

which is life

that is invaded

into our present

age through

Jesus Christ.

it shows

our world

who cannot

comprehend

such love

that we are

under the

reign and

the rule

of someone

far greater

than the world

for whilst

they might

fear death

existing in

the world

that has

propensity

towards it

we are those

who do not

fear death

willing to

embrace it

because we

belong to

the kingdom

of heaven

which is

eternal life

and we're

willing to

lay down

our lives

that others

might see

that and

know that

that we've

come under

the lordship

of Jesus

who is

eternal

life

we lay

it down

knowing

full well

that we'll

be brought

back up

again

when God's

kingdom

of eternal

life is

established

in its

fullness

forever

that's the

call

it's a

big call

that's the

love we

should have

for each

other

and whilst

not all

of us

here will

have the

opportunity

to give

up our

life for

each other

we're

nonetheless

called to

love with

such an

attitude

to love

wanting to

love in a

way that's

sacrificially

giving

but also

gives life

as well

verse 17

if anyone

has material

possessions

and sees a

brother or

sister in

need but

has no

pity on

them how

can the

love of

God be

in that

person

the

willingness

to lay

down one's

life is

the bar

that Christian

love sets

but it's

also the

attitude

and the

character

of Christian

love in

general

when one

begins to

follow in the

pattern of

Christ a

transformation

takes place

they see

life and

love differently

instead of

seeing our

possessions as

ours to

indulge in

or our

times ours to

use to see

fit or our

money as ours to

spend on whatever

we want the

love of God in

Christ Jesus

changes that for

us it changed

the disposition

in us to

see life as

all about

sacrificial

life giving

material possessions

that aren't as

something for us

to indulge in

but something for

us to give up

that others might

have and enjoy

life

and so when

John says

if anyone has

material possessions

and says a

brother or sister

are in need

but has no

pity on them

he's saying that

that's a

contradiction

that exists

between what you

confess and

how you act

you talk the

talk but do

you walk the

walk

you do as the

priest and the

Levite do in

Luke 10

and walk on

by

those two

people who

exemplify what

it is to know

God apparently

who are supposed

to look after

God's people

who are supposed

to show compassion

and mercy

these people who

we expected to

help they walk

on by

is that us

he concludes

about such

people how

can the love

of God be

in them

when we don't

have pity

on those who

are in need

around us

we show a

complete

disregard

for life

and instead

we serve them

up death

by our

ignorance

by ignoring

them

this is no

doubt

challenging

I feel

the weight

of what I'm

saying right

now

and it's

not easy

to do

this

there are

many

difficulties

today

when it

comes to

helping the

poor and

the sick

the vulnerable

the need

the homeless

it's not

black and

white

but where we

have the means

to help

we must

because as

Christians

we have been

given new

life

and the

pattern of

love to

follow in

which means

we have

such a

great

privilege

to love

people

through

sacrificial

life giving

actions

and by giving

life and

healing to

those under

the reign of

death

we bring

them into

the experience

of God's

kingdom

which is

eternal life

don't we

want this

for those

who don't

know Jesus

don't we

want to

bring them

out of

the kingdom

of darkness

or the

kingdom

of death

so that

they can

enjoy

knowing God

and being

in relationship

with him

and also

enjoy the

benefits

of being

in his

kingdom

where his

people love

in a

sacrificial

way

when they're

hungry

his people

feed them

when they're

naked

his people

clothe them

when they're

in financial

trouble

God's

people get

money together

and support

them

all these

things are

experiences of

new life

kingdom life

which God

has ushered

in beginning

with Jesus

and we see

the awful

effect of sin

and death on

people around

us in our

world

are we not

moved

like the

Samaritan who

saw the man

lying half

dead and

robbed

do we not

take pity

throughout all

of Jesus'

ministry

in his life

he brought

life

to those

he encountered

we see that

Jesus healed

the sick

he made

the blind

see

he rose

the literal

dead from

the grave

the lame

walk

his love

in action

brought life

showing that

his kingdom

was coming

in and

breaking into

the world

of sin

and death

which is

being pushed

out by the

kingdom of

God

which is

eternal life

Jesus

ultimately

loved us

sacrificially

by giving up

his own

life

that we

might be

able to

partake in

this kingdom

kingdom of

life

and invite

others

to do so

and to

experience the

same thing

as we

encounter the

poor and

help them

as we

feed those

who are

hungry

as we

take in

those who

are outcasted

and marginalised

we give them

an experience

of the kingdom

of God

it's not

going to be

perfect of

course

we're still

looking forward

to that

perfect day

when things

will be

made right

and new

but as we

take these

people in

as we

show the

love of

God to

them

by feeding

them

not just

by talking

to them

by giving

them clothes

and money

by helping

them

restoring

their life

we give

them a

glimpse

a shadow

of what

is to

come for

them

in Jesus

when he

returns

as we

encounter

these

people

we have

a

wonderful

privilege

to give

them life

as we

love them

by meeting

their needs

as we

take pity

and use

what God

has given

us

to help

meet their

needs

but it

starts

with our

attitude

of love

our desire

to love

sacrificially

performing

life

giving

actions

to a

world

who

needs

it

so

will we

walk

in the

way of

love

not

just

talk

about

it

let me

leave you

with John's

words

in verse

18

dear

children

let us

not love

with words

or speech

but with

actions

and truth

and truth

men

as