Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Unfeigned Love

Theme: Practical Application of God’s Love

Series: Essentials for Church Growth

James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

The Holy Spirit moves James to reveal a truth from heaven which enables the spiritual heart to grasp a practical application of God’s love being expressed to others.

“Unfeigned” is not simulated, is not pretense or just having an appearance.

Unfeigned love is genuine or sincere love that is expressed through works.

(New College Edition, The American Heritage Dictionary) James the half brother of Jesus became a prominent leader in the church at Jerusalem.

(Matthew 15:55; Acts 15; Who’s Who In the Bible) He says, “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds?

Can such faith save him?

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.

If one of you says to him, ‘Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do.”

I would propose to you that the man who claims to believe in God and Jesus Christ strives to gain Biblical understanding on how to express true Biblical love to others.

What is mankind to watch out for?

What is true religion?

Who are we ministering too?

Will there be a day of accountability?

Will we be rewarded?

True Christianity is an expression of life lived through the enabling of the Holy Spirit with Jesus being revealed in and through the Body of Christ.

Christians who grasps this truth study the Word of God so they may know how to live a life pleasing to their Maker, so they can imitate Jesus Christ who sacrificially gave His life for them.

Fear of being seen as having only a form of Godliness

The first step to expressing true religion is to have a reverent fear of being seen as having only a form of Godliness.

Jeremiah 10:21 says, “The shepherds are senseless and do not inquire of the Lord.

The Apostle Paul warned Timothy that in the last days there would be those who have “…only a form of godliness…” (2 Timothy 3:5) Paul also wrote to Titus informing him of those who “…Claim to know God, but by their actions they deny Him.

…unfit to do any good.”

(Titus 1:16)

“Shepherds” (ra`ah) here refers to pastors of churches and civil rulers who are given the privilege and responsibility of governing a people.

(A Commentary, Critical, and Explanatory; Commentary on the Old Testament, Delitzch; The New American Commentary) Failure to prayerfully seek the Lord through the counsel of His Word leaves the flock of God and the people of a nation to be governed by the human flesh, a world view and even the lies of the devil.

The second mark of the last days is a powerless religion that is not changing people into the image of Jesus Christ.

Let the Holy Spirit place this truth within your heart, as we approach the return of Christ, there will be religion.

There will be churches, temples and great worship centers which have glorious worship services with intriguing ceremonies full of singing, ear pleasing messages and a false fellowship that satisfies self.

These worship centers will have attendees who have an outward profession, an appearance of godliness.

These church attendees will profess God, Christ and mention the Holy Spirit.

William Barclay in his exposition writes, “The final condemnation of these people is that they retain the outward form of religion, but they deny its power.

That is to say, they recite the orthodox creeds, they go through the movements of a correct and dignified ritual and liturgy and worship; they maintain all the external forms of religion; but they know nothing of true [Christianity] as a dynamic power which changes the lives of men.”

They will be baptized, partake in Communion services, talk about God, show interest in religious ceremonies and rituals, and recite religious sounding slogans.

(The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible) They will gather a great number of teachers to tell them what their itching ears want to hear “…to suit their own desires…” They “…will not put up with sound doctrine…” (2 Timothy 4:3)

One key word from which to grasp truth is “desires,” (epithumía) meaning that which satisfies a carnal appetite.

(The Complete Word Dictionary of the Bible) The Practical Word Studies in the New Testament gives us nine different applications of the use of this word.

One of them is having a dominating desire to get gratification from religion and being seen as righteous.

Another one is seeking gratification through good works and benevolence.

There is a lot of self satisfaction to be had and reparation enjoyed by doing good works in the name of a certain church, organization, or fellowship.

However, Christ can be left out.

Thus, Christians who desire to be involved in religion that is pleasing to God fear the dangers of having success in practical helps ministries, for it can entrap them in a form of godliness which is displeasing to the Lord.

Where does the Holy Spirit find your spiritual heart?

Is there a desire to partner with Christ in a genuine work?

Christians who desire to enjoy pure religion avoid the religious trap that Judas Iscariot fell into.

He was taken captive by the devil thus he betrayed Jesus and he was a hypocrite.

Judas did all the religious things that the other apostles did and he even claimed to be a defender of the money bag for the poor.

We read in John 12 of the time Mary took some “expensive perfume” (John 12:3) and poured it on Jesus’ feet.

The Bible says, “But one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray Him, objected, ‘Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor?

It was worth a year's wages.’

The Bible says, “He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.”

(John 12:4-6) Satan looks for the religious weak links, people who have an appearance of following Christ, with hearts are far from Him.

Christians minister to the Christ who died for them

A reverent fear keeps the spiritual heart from the bondage of false religion and enables Christians to minister to the Christ who died for them.

True Christianity strives to meet the needs of the needy and it is to be done as doing unto Christ.

Jesus taught, “…Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited Me in, I needed clothes and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you came to visit Me.'

Then the righteous will answer Him, `Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?

When did we see You a stranger and invite You in, or needing clothes and clothe You?

When did we see You sick or in prison and go to visit You?'” (Matthew 25:34-40)

The Bible records Jesus saying, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me.” (Matthew 25:41)

This powerful teaching of Jesus Christ refers to the time when He will come at the finial Judgment, when He will be dealing with all of mankind.

(King James Bible; New American Standard Bible; English Standard Bible; The New Bible Commentary) It is not an illustrative story, it is a vision of the future, a time yet to come.

(The New Bible Commentary; The New American Commentary) This is an individual judgment and it is imperative that you understand this is not a teaching of good works to Christ Jesus so you can be saved, is it a reflection of good works produced from those who love Jesus Christ.

Jesus is speaking to individuals who are separated into two eternal destinations.

Matthew 25:31-40, which I have just read, records Jesus’s words toward those producing the fruit of genuine love.

Matthew 25: 41-46 is spoken to those who do know Christ as personal Savior and Lord, “…Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite Me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.'

The Bible says these people will say, “…`Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help You?' Jesus will say to them, “…I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

There are many truths to grasp in this teaching of Jesus Christ, however, what the Holy Spirit wants you to grasp in this portion of the message is a truth spoken to both those who loved the Lord and those who did not love Him.

Matthew 25:40 says, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for Me.”

To those destined to punishment He said, “…I tell you the truth, whatever, you did not do for one of least of these, you did not do for Me.” (Matthew 25:45) Catch the truth, “did or did not do for Me.”

Pastor Ronald Scheimo has always proclaimed “It is what is done for Christ that counts for eternity.”

Jesus taught that showing love toward others is a reflection of our having the love of the Lord within us.

In His teaching on the greatest commandments, our Lord said, “`Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'

This is the first and greatest commandment.

And the second is like it: `Love your neighbor as yourself.'

All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

The beloved John sets before us a truth regarding true knowledge of God.

“Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.

This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us.”

(1 John 4:7-12)

In a letter from Gary Wilkerson dated January 19, 2009 I read, “I have known personally the sheer joy of bringing food to the starving children in Africa.

I have been so blessed to see God provide life saving medicine to the rural mountain villagers in Peru.

…The practical love of Jesus is making things better [for those we reach out to].

Yet as good as these things are, there is something better, far better.”

Pastor Gary Wilkerson goes on in His letter requesting prayer.

His desire is that all that is done to minister to the poor, God would use it to draw people to know Jesus Christ.

People can become bitter toward the work of God when they do not see people respond in an appropriate manner to the acts of charity done through the Body of Christ.

Christians remain steadfast in what God has called them to when they see every stranger as an opportunity to do good in reaching that person for Christ.