LOVING AND CARING FOR EACH OTHER | sermonsfortheworld.com

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On this day, 9 years ago, I was an angry sinner in rebellion against God, the church, and the pastor. Most churches would not have considered me a candidate for conversion. Amidst my hatred, people cared for my soul. Mr. Matsusaka and Aaron Yancy went outside of the normal program of the church, and cared for me. I disputed every truth of the Bible, but there was one thing that I could not argue with: Aaron Yancy and David Matsusaka loved me. In the weeks prior to my conversion, as I wrestled with God, this was God’s strongest argument.

My father made a strong impression upon my life. He endured many painful losses so that he could gain Christ. He sacrificed, and worked, and prayed as much as he possibly could. My father did all of this because he wanted there to be a Christ-centered church here in Los Angeles for his children. My father loves and cared for us so much that he would be willing to sacrifice his own life for you, and this was haunting to me.

I went to school in the home of our pastor, Dr. Hymers. His wife, Mrs. Hymers, was my teacher. I saw firsthand the love Dr. Hymers has for all of the people. I would hear him praying in between moments of work and sermon preparation for the church. I knew Dr. Hymers loved me. Furthermore, I felt the investment of love and care that Mrs. Hymers placed into my life. I felt the love that people like Dr. Hymers and Mrs. Hymers had for each other, and for me, and this love – won my soul.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).

In the world around us, we see people using each other. They get in relationships for their own interests, they employ others to make money for themselves, and people even start families – for themselves! It is rare for people to do anything for someone else, without having a hidden motive or agenda for that action. Young people today are becoming increasingly conscious or subconsciously aware of this. They are defensive and understand that “nobody is going to look out for them.” The Bible describes how they must feel,

The Golden Rule has vanished from modern society. It has been replaced with a mask of kindness to disguise the disgust and selfishness that has become characteristic of the last days. In times like these, the opportunity and responsibility to love and care for each other has never been greater! Christians must love each other!

What is caring for someone’s soul? The Bible likens the church to the bride of Christ. That’s another way of saying that we are Christ’s beloved! We should strive to be like Christ in everything we do. If Jesus loved us, as His bride, then we should also love each other as Jesus loves us.

“This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

When a man loves a woman, he thinks about her all the time. He thinks about how to make her happy. He would never do as little as possible for her. He would always do as much as possible for her. A boy that truly loves a girl does more than just act polite and sweet towards her. A boy that loves a girl is constantly invested and concerned about her! You must also have that same interest and concern for each other! Love is more than a feeling. Love continues even in the most difficult of circumstances. The Bible says,

“[Love] beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. [Love] never faileth” (I Corinthians 13:7-8).

Someone may say, “But that makes love sound hard and difficult.” I would agree. Sometimes loving someone and caring for them is hard and difficult. For instance, when a couple has a baby, the child requires a great deal of attention and time. The child may keep the couple up long into the night and add a great deal of difficulty to the couple’s life. However, this does not lessen or diminish the couple’s love for their child. On the contrary, it likely increases it! When someone invests themselves, gives of themselves into another person, it is difficult, tiring, time consuming, and even risky, but that is what love is. Love risks itself for the other. Jesus said,

“This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13).

Notice how Jesus first commands us to love one another, as He loved us. Then He goes on to say that if you love someone, you are also willing to lay down your life for them. Jesus provides to us the example, the perfect example, on how to love souls! Christ himself in His omniscience was willing to be betrayed by Judas, but this did not stop Him from loving Judas. Though we are unworthy of each other’s love and concern and may very well not appreciate it; this should not stop us from loving each other anyway! That is what Jesus did. Love each other for the sake of Jesus and His new commandment. Jesus said,

Consider your own conversion. Recall those moments in which you felt so lost and so without hope – dying a moment at a time…and yet, Jesus rescued you, the most unworthy and vile sinner there ever was; Jesus loved you. Now then, as you remember how Jesus saved you, does anything seem too hard or difficult for Jesus?

“This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

What if you care for each other, and you genuinely love them, but someone hurts you and breaks your heart? You have not failed. That person will go his own way, but forever have the witness and testimony that someone actually loved and cared for him. He will remember that it was not just anyone caring for him, but that a Christian cared for him. Furthermore, love that is inconsistent is not love at all but is some passing feeling of excitement that soon fades away. Many times someone can feel energized or motivated to do a particular task, but then later on, it seems impossible and unattainable and they give up. Yet, if you love each other despite the cost to yourself, not only are you obeying Christ’s commandment, you are also distinguishing your Christianity. People that come into our church are not used to seeing people love and care for each other. Your love for each other identifies you as a disciple of Jesus and separates you from every other religion and modern brand of Christianity that people who come into our church will ever experience. Your love for each other is a witness to people. While other churches wanted their money, they will remember that at this church they saw Christian love. That would glorify Christ! That is reward enough.

What do you consider soul winning to be? Is it going out on Sunday afternoon to get a name on evangelism? Or perhaps is it smiling and having a pleasant conversation with those who visit our church on Sunday morning or evening? These are good things to practice, to be sure, but they require little thought and even less personal investment; therefore it is not winning any souls. Most people understand that someone is being nice to them because they are being polite, but politeness is not so out of the ordinary that it is exclusive to Christians. Being nice or being polite to each other is not enough to attract someone back to church. What actually makes a difference in someone’s life, what actually attracts someone to come to church, is not the program of the church or politeness; it is the care and love Christians have for each other.

There is no formula or method for caring. There are people in this church that have been here all their lives, just as I had been, but have not been won to Christ. Will they see you loving your brothers and sisters in Christ and know that your testimony and your Christianity is real? It is easy to simply assume that people are already “in” the church, but are they really? I certainly was not. I needed someone to love me and to win me to Christ. Jesus himself used methods that were considered to be unorthodox. He healed on the Sabbath and ate with publicans and sinners. What I am saying is that a program does not actually win people to Christ. But Christian love does win people to Christ. Christ-like love for each other is by definition out of the ordinary. Notice how ordinary people react to suffering, and how someone with the love of Christ reacts. Jesus said,

“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And 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. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee” (Luke 10:30-35).

Notice that the priest and the Levite were both too busy on their way with the normal habits of their day that they could not be bothered to stop and take care of a total stranger. But the Samaritan had compassion. That compassion was out of the ordinary. That compassion was alien to the world. That compassion could only come from Jesus. The Samaritan went out of his way and took care of him. He attended to the man’s wounds, gave him his own beast, and spent his own money to lodge him in an inn. The priest and the Levite surely took care of the poor and the needy, but only when it was a part of their normal duties. That requires no love: only habit. Look now for the application in Luke 10:36:

“Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto them that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise” (Luke 10:36-37).

Jesus tells us to go and do what the Samaritan did for the wounded man on the road. But the Samaritan would have done nothing unless, first of all, he had compassion on that man! Christians must care for each other. That is what will separate our church, our people, our Christianity, from anything else any person has ever experienced: a personal compassionate investment of love. Jesus said,

“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:34-35).

This is how we can make a difference. If we want God to build our church, we must have love for each other. We must care for each other as if they were a broken man or women lying on the road. The world and the Devil leave us broken. We come out of the world for the shelter of the church and the love of Christ. When we meet each other, on our path, we must have compassion and love for each other. We must care for each other. We must do for each other what Jesus did for us.

So now someone thinks to himself, “But I am shy, I am quiet, I am introverted, I could not really express or show love for another person.” That does not seem like something Jesus would say. Does being shy, quiet, and introverted really prevent you from loving and caring for someone? Even if you feel as if you cannot contribute or help anyone, you still must give and put yourself into other people. Remember the widow’s mite? She may not have had a lot to offer, but she still gave all that she had. That is what God wants, and that is what actually counts. If you feel uncomfortable or frustrated, remember that love is patient, love is kind, and love seeketh not its own. The message that crosses all language barriers is a true love and care for the other person.

Perhaps someone is getting older and they feel like they have less and less in common with young people and can no longer be a blessing to them. This is absolutely not true. In fact, you may be more of a blessing to a young person than any of the other young people can. I have worked closely with Dr. Hymers for years. He is a blessing to me by being like a grandfather to me. Mrs. Hymers loves others regardless of an age difference. They never count themselves out of the fight. They are always engaged, concerned, and focused on loving others. An age difference is not a disqualification, but an opportunity. It is an opportunity to be a blessing to them like an experienced and loving member of God’s family.

This is how Christianity exploded in the Roman world. People of that time prioritized themselves, just like the people of our time do. People of that time were suspicious of others, just like in the world today. People then used others for gain and pleasure and did not really care for anyone, just like it is today. But then, the people of the Roman world saw the followers of Christ. They saw people who loved and cared for each other. They saw people who loved to be with each other. This love was out of the ordinary. This love was different. This love was special. And Christianity exploded over the Roman world, and the Roman world is just like our world today. Love and care for each other, as Jesus loved and cared for you. Love and care for each other, and see what God can do in our church.

“Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto them that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise” (Luke 10:36-37).

May God give us the grace and the power to love and care for each other as Jesus loved and cared for us. Dr. Cagan, please come and close this service.

WHEN YOU WRITE TO DR. HYMERS YOU MUST TELL HIM WHAT COUNTRY YOU ARE WRITING FROM OR HE CANNOT ANSWER YOUR E-MAIL. If these sermons bless you send an e-mail to Dr. Hymers and tell him, but always include what country you are writing from. Dr. Hymers’ e-mail is at rlhymersjr@sbcglobal.net (click here). You can write to Dr. Hymers in any language, but write in English if you can. If you want to write to Dr. Hymers by postal mail, his address is P.O. Box 15308, Los Angeles, CA 90015. You may telephone him at (818)352-0452.

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Scripture Read Before the Sermon by Dr. Kreighton L. Chan : I Corinthians 13:1-3.
Solo Sung Before the Sermon by Mr. Benjamin Kincaid Griffith:
“Blest Be the Tie” (by John Fawcett, 1740-1817).