The Power of Brotherly Love
INTRODUCTION.
A. The topic of today’s lesson is the Power of Brotherly Love.
B. As a Christian, you cannot live your life without brotherly love. The Bible contains clear instructions regarding the possessing of brotherly love.
1. John 13:34-35 - “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” (NKJV)
2. Hebrews 13:1 - “Let brotherly love continue.” (NKJV)
3. I Peter 2:17 - “Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.” (NKJV)
4. I Thessalonians 4:9-10 - “But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more;” (NKJV)
C. We must remember as we precede with this lesson that saying you possess brotherly love and showing the brotherly are two different things. The apostle John wrote, “My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.” (NKJV)
D. Let us consider the power and the indispensable nature of brotherly love.
E. Let us begin by showing love as defined by God.
I. LOVE DEFINED BY GOD.
A. Jesus Christ set the standard for love.
1. We are to love each other as Christ loved us. (John 13:34)
2. Christ loved us enough to lay down His life for us. (I John 3:16-17; Philippians 2:1-5ff)
B. The heavenly Father, because of His love for us, sent His only begotten Son into the world. (I John 4:7-11)
C. God set a high standard of love for us to achieve. It is His expectation that we possess love for each other. John wrote, “Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” (I John 4:11, NKJV)
II. BENEFITS OF BROTHERLY LOVE.
A. Love is a sign of true discipleship. (John 13:35)
B. Love puts you in fellowship with God. (I John 4:12-16)
C. Love gives you boldness in the day of judgment. (I John 4:17-21; 3:19-20)
D. Love leads you to eternal life. (I John 3:13-15; II Peter 1:5-11)
E. Love works in conjunction with compassion, tenderheartedness, etc. (I Peter 3:8-9)
III. BROTHERLY LOVE IN APPLICATION.
A. Application from I John 3:18.
1. Our love is not to be a spoken love.
2. Our love is to be a shown and known love.
3. Our love is to be a love in practice.
B. Application from Philippians 2:1-4.
1. First:
a. If we possess any consolation (comfort, solace) in Christ,
b. If we possess any comfort of love,
c. If we possess any fellowship of the Spirit,
d. If we possess any affection and mercy,
2. Then:
a. We are to be like-minded. (vs 2)
b. We are to have the same love. (vs 2)
c. We are to be of one accord. (vs 2)
d. We are to be of one mind. (vs 2)
e. We are to do nothing through selfish ambition or conceit. (vs 3)
f. We are to humbly esteem others better than ourselves. (vs 3)
g. We are to look out for the interest of our fellow Christians. (vs 4)
C. Application from Romans 13:10.
1. Love does no harm. (Cf. I John 3:10-12)
2. Consider a few examples.
a. Do not exercise your liberty knowing a brother may be caused to stumble. (Romans 14:15)
b. From Galatians 5:19-21 . . .
(1) Do not hate your brother.
(2) Do not be jealous of you brother or his possessions.
(3) Do not exercise wrath towards your brother.
(4) Do not be selfish.
(5) Do not cause dissensions.
c. From Colossians 3:5-11 . . .
(1) Do not covet your brother’s possessions.
(2) Do not possess uncontrolled anger towards your brother.
(3) Do not have malice towards your brother.
(4) Do not lie about your brother.
d. From Romans 1:24-43 . . .
(1) Do not whisper or backbite against your brother.
(2) Do not be violent towards your brother.
(3) Do not be unloving towards your brother.
(4) Do not be unforgiving towards your brother.
(5) Do not be unmerciful towards your brother.
D. Applications from Romans 12:9-21.
1. Your love is to be without hypocrisy. (vs 9)
2. You are to possess loving affection towards your brother. (vs 10)
3. You are to put your brother before yourself. (vs 10)
4. You are to bless those who persecute (harass, trouble, molest) you. (vs 14)
E. Applications from I Corinthians 13:4-8a.
1. Love suffers long and is kind. (vs 4)
2. Love does not envy. (vs 4)
3. Love does not parade itself, is not puffed up. (vs 4)
4. Love does not behave rudely. (vs 5)
5. Love does not seek its own. (vs 5)
6. Love is not provoked, thinks no evil. (vs 5)
7. Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth. (vs 6)
8. Love bears all things. (vs 7)
9. Love believes all things. (vs 7)
10. Love hopes all things. (vs 7)
11. Love endures all things. (vs 7)
12. Love never fails. (vs 8a)
CONCLUSION.
A. As a Christian, you cannot live your life without brotherly love. If your brotherly love is not performing as described in the aforementioned applications, then you are guilty of sin.
B. Look at your brother in Christ. It does not matter who the person may be. You are to still love them with brotherly love.
1. Your father or your mother.
2. Your brother or your sister.
3. Your husband or your wife.
4. Your ex-husband or your ex-wife.
5. Your neighbor or your co-worker.
6. No matter who the person may be, if he is a child of God, then you are to love him with brotherly love, showing him or her that love in action.
C. Just as any other sin will keep you out of fellowship with God, so too will the sin of not showing brotherly love towards your brother or sister in Christ. Repent and re-establish brotherly love for your brother in Christ.
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The Power of Brotherly Love -- April 14, 2002 -- File # 196
by John M. Duvall -- Lawton ,OK