The Church in Action. Lesson 7 Lesson Text—John 15:9-12 John 15:9-12 9 As the Father hath loved...

The Church in Action

Lesson 7

Lesson Text—John 15:9-12

John 15:9-12 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.


11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.


John 15:13-15 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.


15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.


John 15:16-17 16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Lesson Text—James 2:8

James 2:8If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well.

Focus Verse—Galatians 6:2

Galatians 6:2

Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

Focus Thought

The church should be a passionate

and compassionate people.

I. A Passionate PeopleIntroduction The heartbeat of the church is love. In this lesson we will study how love is to be active in the individual lives of believers. The Scriptures command us to love God more than anything else, to love others, and to love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39). With this kind of love it will be natural for us to obey the command to bear one another’s burdens.

I. A Passionate People We also will study how we are to be a compassionate people. Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines compassion as “sympathetic consciousness of others’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.” It is impossible to be like the Lord Jesus Christ and please Him without having love and compassion for others. In this lesson we will see how God desires a passionate and compassionate church.

A. Passion in Worship—Vertical Relationship A Passionate People

Since God is love and we are His children, it follows that we have the ability and natural tendency to love. A command to love should be no more than a reminder to do what we are spiritually designed to do. The first dimension of the nine-fold fruit of the Spirit is love. The Holy Spirit in our lives will precipitate the passion that we should have for God and for people.

A. Passion in Worship—Vertical Relationship


The vestibule of the sanctuary of worship should be prayer. In other words, we enter into worship through the entryway of prayer. Jesus commanded His disciples to pray. Further, one of the most common commands in the New Testament concerning prayer is to “Pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17).


However, it should not be necessary to command Christians to pray since prayer is conversation with God. If we have the passion we are supposed to have, we will have intense desire and enthusiasm for prayer. The more we love someone, the more we want to be with and talk with that person. Our love for God should create the same response toward Him. Prayer is communication with God whom we love and worship.


When we have a passion for something, intense desire and enthusiasm put words in our minds and mouths. A mother standing outside a burning house in which her child is trapped has no problem articulating her desperation. Likewise, passion in prayer produces words to express our deep feelings and emotions. When we have passion for Jesus Christ, we will have a passion for prayer—divine communion with Him.


When we pray, we talk to God as we would talk with a friend, for He is our greatest friend. We do not have to use stuffy pronouns such as “Thee” or “Thou.” God wants us to express our needs in our everyday vernacular. He wants to hear us talk to Him from our heart. We should allow our feelings to express themselves.

James 5:17-18 “Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it

might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space

of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and

the earth brought forth her fruit”

(James 5:17-18).

James 5:17-18 Elijah prayed that the rain would cease, and there was no rain on the earth for three and one-half years. He prayed again and the rain returned. His prayer was effective! “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). It is interesting that James referred to Elijah’s prayer as “fervent.” Fervency is the passion that we are to have for prayer and in prayer.

James 5:17-18 People who are passionate for prayer should have the same passion for the Word of the Lord. If we really love God, we will love His Word. God’s Word is life (John 6:63), and He is life (John 14:6). To have a passion for Him is to have a passion for His Word, and to have a passion for His Word is to have a passion for life.

James 5:17-18 Jesus stated, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). He emphatically revealed that real life—not just physical life—requires more than bread or natural food. To enjoy the life that is higher and greater than physical life, we must have a passion for God’s Word.

James 5:17-18 Anyone with a passion for God, prayer, and His Word will also have a passion for worship. It is possible for some individuals to become spiritually unbalanced so that they love to pray but do not love to read God’s Word, but such a condition is not normal. If we really love the Lord, we will desire to worship Him.

James 5:17-18 Public worship is more than being present in the sanctuary of a church on Sunday morning. Some people seem to feel that they are worshiping just by attending church. Worship is translated from a Greek word that means “to kiss” (Strong’s Concordance). Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines the verb worship as “to honor or reverence as a divine being or supernatural power; to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.”

James 5:17-18 Worship is a spiritual expression; however, it requires physical demonstration. Love for a mate that is never expressed or demonstrated is not genuine love, and a person must demonstrate his love for God. It is one thing to be a worshiper, and it is another thing to be a passionate worshiper. To worship only enough to be called a worshiper is to offer the least to the Lord instead of our best.

Malachi 1:8“And if ye offer the blind for

sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not

evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 1:8).

Malachi 1:13-14 “Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have

snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the

sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD. But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the LORD a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful

among the heathen” (Malachi 1:13-14).

Malachi 1:13-14 To worship the Lord halfheartedly is similar to offering Him blind, sick, and lame sacrifices when we have perfect sacrifices available to offer, but we withhold them.

B. Passion in Community—Horizontal Relationship


Our relationship with God is a vertical relationship, but our relationship with others is horizontal. It is noteworthy that we are not members of a commune but of a community. We are not a cloistered order that seeks to shut out of our lives everyone except those with whom we agree. God never intended for His people to isolate themselves from the rest of the world.


We are to be like the good Samaritan who passed by, saw the one in need, and responded appropriately. The believer who enjoys a vertical relationship with God but avoids developing a horizontal relationship with others is a shallow believer. Jesus said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,” but He did not stop there. He added, “Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39).

B. Passion in Community—Horizontal Relationship It is not possible for a person to

love God with all his heart and not love others. Loving others involves having passion for the community. When God so loved the world that He died for all mankind, He presented a pattern of response that we should emulate. If we really love God, we will reach out to others.


Many believe that the early church in Jerusalem had a membership numbered in the thousands. Jesus had told them, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). It is interesting to observe what happened in Acts 8:1 when the early believers failed to fully obey Acts 1:8:


“And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.” When we do not obey God’s command to witness and evangelize, He has a way of sending us to the regions and individuals beyond our usual circle of friends and acquaintances!


Jesus’ statement that “ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” illustrated the ever-advancing ring of responsibility for evangelism. We are to witness to those closest to us, continually advancing toward evangelizing those who are farthest away.


When Jesus rose up before daylight and went to a solitary place to pray, Simon and the other disciples found Him and said, “All men seek for thee.” Jesus replied, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth” (Mark 1:37-38).


Many people get a burden to share the gospel with people across the sea when they fail to witness to their neighbors across the street. A passion for souls will cause us to have a burden both for foreigners and also for friends and neighbors. Passion knows no boundaries.


The Bible is clear about our responsibility both to those without and those within the church. God’s love will not allow us to isolate ourselves from our brothers and sisters in the Lord or from the lost around the globe. It will create a passion in us that will compel us to build relationships and evangelize. In his book That You Bear Much F.R.U.I.T., Daniel Butler identifies ten “One-Another Commandments”:


1. Love One Another (John 15:12).

2. Serve One Another (Galatians 5:13).

3. Prefer One Another (Romans 12:10).

4. Accept One Another (Romans 15:7).

5. Edify One Another (I Thessalonians 5:11).


6. Encourage One Another (Hebrews 3:13).

7. Admonish One Another (Colossians 3:16).

8. Greet One Another (II Corinthians 13:12).

9. Forgive One Another (Ephesians 4:32).

10. Consider One Another (Hebrews 10:24).

C. Passion in PriorityC. Passion in Priority

The etymology of the word priority has to do with “first.” A priority is something that is considered more important than anything else in the list; therefore it is first. Clearly, God is to be first in our lives; He is our chief priority.

Matthew 6:33

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added

unto you” (Matthew 6:33).

Matthew 6:33 Whether or not we use the term prioritization, every day we prioritize. In other words, we decide what we consider to be most important for that day. We devote our time and energy to those things. Perhaps no one would like to be accused of putting God last or way down the list of priorities, but by our own choices we decide His place in our lives.

II Corinthians 4:18

“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (II Corinthians 4:18).

II Corinthians 4:18 No person in his right mind would choose temporal or temporary things over eternal things as being most important; however, many people elevate things of the world over things of the church. This inversion of the proper order reveals carnality that lacks passion for the things of God.

II Corinthians 4:18 If putting “first things first” is a

good motto in dealing with natural things, how much more is it good in dealing with spiritual things. It seems an oversimplification to say we should put first things first. If we are conscious of the numerical order of things, we know that the number one item is first. However, in our rush we sometimes allow things of lesser importance to crowd out the most important things.

II Corinthians 4:18 Things that are way down the list of

our priorities have a way of getting shoved to the top of the list, for they are usually things that are easier to get done. Because the first thing we should do is frequently more difficult to complete, we have a tendency to shove it down the list and opt for the easier things. But passion demands that we put first things first.

II Corinthians 4:18

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus gave us the proper order of things. We are to seek Him and His kingdom first, and everything else we need will find its way into our lives. Putting God first is the beginning of proper prioritization.

II. A Compassionate PeopleA Compassionate People

Not only are we to be a passionate people, but we are to be a compassionate people, demonstrating feeling or showing sympathy and concern for others. Unfortunately, many people have strong feelings about a lot of things but lack concern for others.

II. A Compassionate People

Being a Christian involves removing the focus from ourselves and putting it on others. The selfishness of sin, because its base is pride, causes a person to be interested only in himself. But the love of Jesus Christ in a believer’s heart establishes love for others. As a result of receiving the Holy Ghost, we enjoy the same love that motivated God to give Himself for the salvation of mankind. (See John 3:16.)

A. Sensitive to Needs A. Sensitive to Needs

The words compassionate and insensitive are practically antonyms, for it is impossible to have feeling and unfeeling at the same time. A person who has compassion for someone is sensitive to his needs.

A. Sensitive to Needs The good Samaritan had compassion on the man who had been assaulted, robbed, and left half dead. “When he saw him, he had compassion on him” (Luke 10:33). But his compassion was not just a feeling. He “went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him” (Luke 10:34). The good Samaritan invested in him and left him better off.

A. Sensitive to Needs

How much better our world would be if everyone would exercise care and compassion for others! Too often we are victims of emotional stripping and wounding similar to what the man in the parable suffered physically. In such moments, we desperately need the support and assistance of our fellow man.

A. Sensitive to Needs The nature of compassion is such that it thinks more of others than it thinks of itself. This is a mirror of love’s response. As charity “seeketh not her own” (I Corinthians 13:5), so compassion gives of itself unselfishly. Many people are oblivious to the needs of those around them. They see people, but their needs do not seem to register. Their blindness to the needs of others apparently is due to their lack of sensitivity.

A. Sensitive to Needs Other people see the needs of others around them, but they choose to ignore them. Like the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan, they see but they choose to look away and pass by without helping. It is not human nature to be selfless. There is a big difference between selflessness and selfishness, and the difference is love.

I John 3:17-18 “But whoso hath this world’s

good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels

of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth” (I John 3:17-

18).

B. Willing to Serve B. Willing to Serve

Sometimes the only motivation a believer needs to serve others is to see the need, especially if he has a compassionate heart. It is difficult to have compassion without responding to that feeling. If the compassion is strong enough, it compels the believer to serve those in need.

B. Willing to Serve The willingness to serve is not so much a desire to sacrifice, but a desire to respond in love to the needs around us. A fireman who enters a burning building to rescue those who are trapped is not eager to expose himself to danger. His response, which is a result of his sense of duty, eclipses his fear of danger. From this emerges the renewing of his willingness to serve.

C. Reaching and Touching Lives C. Reaching and

Touching Lives

A church with compassion is a body with arms. Its love for souls and the needs of others causes it to reach across the street and across the sea. This compassion reaches across social and economic barriers. Moreover, there is no barrier that love will not attempt to bridge.

C. Reaching and Touching Lives

Although Jesus was reluctant to minister to the needs of the Syrophenician woman in Matthew 15 (also Mark 7) because of timing, His love coupled with her faith caused Him to reach out to help a Gentile. Thank God for His love that reaches and touches the lives of needy people regardless of their position, standing, or location!

D. Nurturing and Ministering D. Nurturing and Ministering

It is one thing to reach and touch someone in need, but it is a deeper expression of love to nurture and minister to that person. The word nurture means “to supply with food, nourishment, and protection . . . to further the development of: promote the growth of” (Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary).

D. Nurturing and Ministering Some people do just enough for needy individuals to qualify themselves as having reached out to them and touched them, but hurting people need more than that.

D. Nurturing and Ministering The good Samaritan did more than only reach out to the wounded man in Luke 10. He dressed his wounds and bound them up; he took him to an inn and cared for him; he offered further financial support to provide for his ongoing care. Taking care of the man represented a deeper expression of his compassion that demonstrated true nurturing.

III. Churches in RevelationChurches in Revelation Exiled on a lonely island in the Aegean Sea, John received a treasure trove of information concerning Jesus Christ, His church, and future events. In the early part of this amazing revelation, God showed him a kaleidoscope of seven churches in Asia Minor, which many believe also represented a prophetic panorama of seven church ages.

III. Churches in RevelationIn this part of the lesson we will discuss Christ’s messages to three of these churches.

A. Ephesus Lost Its Passion and Compassion

A. Ephesus Lost Its Passion and Compassion

“I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst

not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast

found them liars. . . . Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because

thou hast left thy first love” (Revelation 2:2-4).

Revelation 2:2-4 What an indictment! “Thou hast left thy first love.” This statement introduced the idea of different levels or dimensions of love. Although the Bible does not specifically mention any other levels of love, the term “first love” implies that a person’s love can be categorized numerically. Ephesus had left its “first love.”

Revelation 2:2-4 One of the greatest hazards a

Christian faces is the cooling-off period following the fervency of conversion. Although we may lose some of the initial enthusiasm of a new convert, there is never an excuse for leaving our first love. We must do everything we can to preserve our first-love relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.

B. Laodicea Lost Its Passion and Compassion

B. Laodicea Lost Its Passion and Compassion

“I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because

thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:15-

16).

Revelation 3:15-16 In this passage we see the indication of at least three levels of responses relative to Christian love and service: cold, lukewarm, and hot. Laodicea had lost its passion and compassion and had cooled to a level that Jesus labeled as “lukewarm.” Reading of Ephesus and Laodicea losing the fervency of the hot first love of conversion should act as a warning to every believer. No one is immune from losing his Christian fervency.

Revelation 3:15-16 There is always the possibility of becoming less passionate and compassionate, against which we all must guard carefully. When one places a frog in a pan of cold or lukewarm water and gradually increases the heat, the frog will not jump out because the temperature increases incrementally. If one tries to put a frog in a pan of boiling water, however, he will jump immediately, recognizing the danger.

Revelation 3:15-16 Like the frog in the pan that does not respond, if we are not careful we can fail to react to diminishing dimensions of love in our heart. Because the decrease is gradual, we may fail to recognize the danger. We must take action to maintain the same fervency of love, passion, and compassion as when we first believed.

C. Philadelphia Maintained Passion and Compassion

C. Philadelphia Maintained Passion and Compassion

“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a

little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my

name” (Revelation 3:8).

Revelation 3:8 These words concerning Philadelphia’s faithfulness indicate that it maintained its godly passion and compassion. Obviously, it did not leave its first love, and it was not lukewarm or cold. This should challenge every believer to maintain his passion and compassion for the Lord Jesus Christ and His church. God wants a passionate church!

Revelation 3:8 Conclusion In this lesson we have studied the importance of passion and compassion to spiritual life in Christ Jesus, and we have considered the importance of prayer, Bible study, and public worship. We examined the vital place a vertical relationship to the Lord has in our Christian lives, for without it everything else becomes distorted. Our relationship with God determines our whole relationship with others.

Revelation 3:8

Our horizontal relationship with others requires us to have fellowship with the believers within and to evangelize those who are without. The latter will be natural and right if the former is right. Everything we do for others is the result of what we do for the Lord. This means we must put first things first. We have examined the proper prioritization of things. If we put Jesus and His righteousness first, everything else will fall into its proper place.

Revelation 3:8

Compassionate people invest in others because compassion unselfishly gives of itself. We are to be sensitive to needs, willing to serve, and ready to nurture and minister to others, which expresses our love through reaching out and touching others.

Revelation 3:8

Ephesus and Laodicea lost their passion and compassion. They were indicted for leaving their first love and being lukewarm. We must carefully choose not to lose our first love, passion, or compassion, looking to the positive example of the church in Philadelphia.

The Church in Action. Lesson 7 Lesson Text—John 15:9-12 John 15:9-12 9 As the Father hath loved...

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