We will be reading the first 11 verses of 1 Peter chapter 4 and our text will be verses 8 and 9. 1 Peter chapter 4 beginning at verse 1 through verse 11. Hear now the word of our God. Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. They will give an account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. But the end of all things is at hand. Therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Thus far the reading of God's holy word. You may be seated. What is the quintessential way that we express our love for one another in our society? Did you say with a card? If you did, then you are correct. If you go to any of the supermarkets, you'll find just rows and rows of cards, many of them not even worth looking at, but rows and rows of cards meant to give expression of our care and our concern and our love for others. In fact, I don't know if there are any here in Oklahoma, but I know in Canada there are stores. They're called Hallmark stores. Entire store is dedicated to giving of cards, whether that be birthday cards, wedding cards, Valentine cards, you know, so many. And having said Valentine, what is the quintessential day for expressing love to one another? If you said February 14th, Valentine's Day, you'd be correct. I don't remember the story exactly of how that came about and I guess that's not really important. But, you know, perhaps you remember when you were a child and grade one and grade two, I remember coming home with a whole stack of Valentine's cards. Be my Valentine that everybody gave to everybody else in the class and going to school with these Valentine cards. We like to express our love to one another. And we do that by giving cards. But what are some other ways that we express our love to one another? It's done also with gifts, isn't it? And what parents do for their children and what children do for their parents. We know of a certain couple who had, I believe it was a birthday or anniversary, and their children all got together and gave them a puppy. as a gift. That was an expression of love for their parents. And parents do so many things for their children. They express their love. Yes, even in the midst of discipline, parents ought to be expressing their love for their children. I was reading that in Hebrews this morning that for what child is not disciplined by their earthly father? And he does it for a time as He knows and thinks best, but our Heavenly Father disciplines us and chastens us because He loves us, because He wants us to grow to be more like Him. And so love is an important expression. It's something that we do for others. How does the world express love? you just need to turn on the radio to some of the popular music stations. Now, maybe you haven't done so, but if you have or if you have in the past done so, every song almost seems to sing about love, requited love, you know, heart pining after another. And love is just something that permeates our society. And in fact, as I think about it, It's something that we hear in our society even in the middle of these issues. When we hear of shootings, mass shootings of people, what is the slogan and the phrase that is used? Love will overcome. When marriage, well, when unions between same-sex couples were given the green light, what was the slogan? Love overcomes. Love seems to be the answer for all of the world's problems. All we need to do is love one another. In fact, those terrorists that are out to get us, we just need to show them a little bit more love, and they're not gonna do what they are planning on doing. It's because we haven't loved them, and so somehow it's our fault because of the fact that we have not expressed love. You get the point, right? Love is so important, and love is now being used as an excuse for sin. We need to be very careful of that. How far out of your way would you go to show love for others? How far out of the way ought you to go to show love to others? And how do you show love to one another within the church? See the Apostle Peter is instructing believers that they are to go out of their way to show love for one another. The Apostle is writing to believers who are scattered, who are not loved, who are hated, mocked, We read in the text that the Gentiles think it's strange that they do not run in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. Elsewhere, he speaks about having a good conscience, that when they defame you as evildoers, those who revile you, you're good conduct. So they're being defamed. They're being mocked. They're finding it's very hard to love and to be loved. and they are scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. They're not a close-knit group, as it were. They are spread throughout, and they're struggling. How do we face suffering? How do we face persecution? How do we suffer as a Christian, and how ought we to respond to suffering? Last week, you saw that believers, knowing the end is near, pray. And this week, by God's grace, you'll see that Christians demonstrate their love for one another by overlooking faults and practicing hospitality. Christians demonstrate their love for one another by overlooking faults and practicing hospitality. First, you'll see loving one another, and second, hosting one another. Notice our text begins, and above all things, have fervent love for one another. Notice the Apostle says, have fervent love for one another. Well, what does it mean to, what does fervent mean? Fervent means having or showing great emotion or zeal, being intensely passionate. You know how excited certain people get when certain events are about to take place or when a certain person is going to come in? Perhaps you might have that when when someone of great importance comes in. Let's say the president is coming to town. How many would want to see and to shake the hands of the president? We're not talking about, we're talking about the office now, please. Understand this. When I was in, when I was teaching and I led our grade 10 Ottawa trip, we would go to the parliament buildings in Canada And I remember one time that we had opportunity to actually meet the Prime Minister of Canada, and I actually got to shake his hand. Now, I wasn't a supporter of him, but he was still my Prime Minister. And it was exciting, because we were told, he's going to be coming, and he's going to be coming by, and we all got excited. Okay, maybe politics is not the thing to be using as an illustration right now. But think of something else that you can find that would excite you. Perhaps somebody, a singer is going to come that you really, really like and you get very excited about it. And you're intensely passionate about it. Or perhaps there's a topic, there's an issue that you know that if somebody is talking to you, they know that if they just say that one word, they've got you. you are going to get so passionate about it. This week I had to go get a new battery in the van. And just as I pulled up to the garage to get that battery replaced, I heard two men speaking on the radio. And the one man said something that I had been thinking about and speaking about with others from time to time. And when I went in, to the garage there, I said to the mechanic, I said, I can't believe I just heard it. And I got so excited about what this man had just said. It was just, you know, you could feel that intensity. That's the idea of what fervent is, being intensely passionate. But notice what he says is that you are to be intensely passionate, to have fervent love for one another. But what is love? We could define love, I guess, in this way as an intense, sometimes, care, concern, devotion for others and their well-being. Love is an intense, sometimes, care, concern, devotion for others and for their well-being. Love is often accompanied with these feelings of affection that we have for each other. Love seeks the good of others. Love is not self-serving. That's why we read 1 Corinthians this morning, 1 Corinthians 13, that great chapter on love. It's not self-seeking, it's not self-serving. But love is not what our society says it is. Our society says that love is sexual satisfaction. No, it's not. There have been many people that have engaged themselves in this idea of sexual satisfaction who are completely unsatisfied, who are completely unhappy, and they are living with the consequences of their sin. Love is not sexual attraction to someone of the same sex. That's not what love is. Love is not intense enjoyment. You know, I'm struggling to find a good illustration for this, but you know, when you tell somebody, I've been reading these books, and the person goes, I love those books! Those are great books, I just love them! No, no, that's not what love is. Love is an intense care and concern and devotion for others and for their well-being. You see, believers, we can love unbelievers. That is, we can have an intense care and concern and devotion for their well-being. without condoning their sin. You see this phrase, love overcomes, completely ignores what the scripture says about sin and what God requires of us. You see, love seeks the good of others. But love is also not a feeling. There's this Christian contemporary musician that I like, and he's got a song and it's called, Love is Not a Feeling. And I think it is so correct. Love is not a feeling. So many people say, I'm in love. I feel like I'm in love that she looks at me just so, and she's gorgeous. I'm just falling in love with her. I feel so good whenever I'm around her. And oh honey, when you're not there, oh, my heart is just aches because I don't feel your nearness to me. Brothers and sisters, love is not a feeling. Love is a decision. Love is a decision that each and every one of us makes. Husbands and wives know this all too well, don't we? We're not always the prettiest things to look at in the morning. We're not always the nicest in the way that we treat one another, are we? We see our husband and our wife and we choose to love them. It is a decision that we have made. And there are times when we fail in that, when we fall so far short of that, when we are snippy, when we say unkind words and unkind things. Is there a couple here that has not experienced that this week? You see, so often when we're young and we're dating, our eyes are just ablaze, glittering, thinking of this woman or this man that we hope to meet and to marry. And we forget that we're sinful and we struggle with sin and that we're not perfect and that we must decide to love each other. You see, love is an intense care and concern and devotion for others and for their well-being. We love others because we decide that we're going to love others. We don't base our relationship on feelings. So many people have. You know what I'm saying, right? So many people have. And what has happened to their relationships? I was I guess it was on the news this week, there was a little blurb about who might be the vice president for one of the presidential candidates, nominated candidates. And it said that if this presidential candidate picks this vice presidential nomination. Between the two of them, they'll have six marriages. That was a graphic that was flashed right on there. They have six marriages between the two of them. Is that love? Is that what it's all about? And they're not the only ones. And we know that there are those, even within our own circles, that have struggled and whose marriages have fallen apart. And the Lord knows what has gone on, and the Lord knows the heart, and the Lord knows all of that. Please, don't misunderstand me. Let's not make the mistake that the world makes, that love is simply a feeling. Yes, feelings are involved, but it's not simply a feeling. Love is a decision. Love is not sexual satisfaction. Love is not same-sex attraction. Love is not intense enjoyment. Love is care and concern and devotion for others and their well-being. But more importantly, This love is demonstrated by God Himself. It is a love for God who sent His Son to die upon the cross to pay the penalty for sin. You see, love is demonstrated by God in this, that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. And this is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us. You see, God doesn't base his love for you and for me upon what I have done, what you have done. God doesn't base his love for you and me based upon how he feels about you and me. No, God sets his love upon you and upon me because he has decided to set his love upon you and upon me. Not because we were such a great nation, The Lord did not set, Deuteronomy 7, the Lord did not set His love on you, nor choose you, because you are more in number than any other people. For you are the least of all peoples, but because the Lord loves you. Now, speaking to the nation of Israel, but the nation of Israel were God's people. God's people are comprised of individuals such as you and me. And God set his love upon you, not because you were great, not because you're such a person who has loved so perfectly, but because he has chosen to love you. Beloved, above all things have fervent love for one another. And this love should not be just ho-hum, it should be passionate. We should go all in for those whom we love. Do we fail? Yes, we do. I'm reminded of that each and every day and each and every week. He says, have fervent love for one another. Who is to be the recipient of our love? He says, for one another. Notice that the Apostle is writing to believers. He's writing to Christians who are struggling and facing persecution. And he says that you are to have fervent love for one another. Look around you. Look at the people in this room. You are the one another that the Apostle Peter is talking about. It always amazes me. I'm not sure where I heard it first, but once I heard it, it seems so true. The church is an amazing thing. We are such a disparate group of people. We have different backgrounds, different talents, different struggles, different needs, different hopes, different concerns. We have different temperaments. We have different ideas and yet we come together as a body of believers, as a family of God. And we love each other. Yes, even those whom we find it hard to love, we love. I have not seen any other institution in the world which will take in and accept and love those who are different. Does that make sense? You go to a school playground. If one of the children is a little bit different, all of the children let him know or her know that they are different. Perhaps you have been involved in something like that when you were younger. But God has taken each one of us out of the world and he has set us together in this place to be a one another to each other. And the apostle says we are to have fervent love for one another. How passionately do you love one another? How deeply are you concerned and express that care and concern and devotion to the others? Would you stand up and defend one another? Just as a brother would stand up and defend his sister, I would hope, when they are facing trials and persecutions. How fervently do you love each other? And I'm not saying this because I see or think that there's something wrong with everybody here. No, I don't see that at all. I am so thankful for the love that I have seen in this particular congregation. Yet in the Lord's Providence, we are here at this passage. And we are here, you are here to be reminded that you are to love each other fervently. that you are to express your concern one for another, that you are to look out for their wellbeing. And not only do you express this concern and show this love for one another, for each other, but how about those who join us? How about those who come and visit with us? Will they know, will they see that we love one another and that we love them? And notice what the apostle says. and above all things." It's not as if this is a minor matter. It's not as if we can say, well, you know what, I really don't care for most of the people in the congregation, but I think I need to go to church, so I'm just gonna go to church, I'm gonna put in my time, and then as soon as possible I'm gonna leave. It's not a matter of saying, well, I go to church once, and I've done my duty, and I don't have to deal with any of these folks anymore, as if it's not really that important. I've done what I've been called to do. I've come, and I've worshipped God. Hey, I'm fine. Notice what he says, and above all things. What that means is that there is nothing more important It is one of the most important things that you can do as brothers and sisters is to show this love, fervent love, passionate love, one for another. It's not enough to come to worship as a duty and be gone, but it is to become involved in the life of the church. Brothers and sisters, that's what's going to grow this congregation, is our love for one another and our love for those who are outside of the church. Make no mistake, They shall know that we are Christians by our love. And notice the result of loving one another. The apostle says, for love will cover a multitude of sins. We don't always get along, do we? There are certain decisions that will be made that we may think, that's just wrong. I should not, why did they make that? Why did the elders make that decision? Why do they do these sorts of things? I'm just so sick of the church. Why is it that they can't just get it right for once? Notice what he says. He says, love covers a multitude of sins. We are a disparate group of people whom God has brought together in the Lord Jesus Christ as a body of believers. We will have disagreements. We will see things differently. How are you going to deal with those differences? We may even have vehement differences. You know, should we paint the walls of the church pink? I know there's one vote against it. You know, we often make battles in places that ought not to be made. And we often refuse to cover faults. Do you hold a grudge against anyone within the congregation? Do you hold a grudge against anyone within the church? Then perhaps you need to ask yourself if you are putting into practice what the Apostle Peter is commanding you. Above all things, love one another, for love covers a multitude of sins. And if you are holding a grudge, then you need to do what Jesus commands in Matthew 18, and to go to that brother and seek forgiveness. And if you know that anyone has fault against you, you are to go to them and deal with them in love as brothers and sisters. Love covers a multitude of sins. The Apostle doesn't say it covers one or two sins, he says it covers a multitude, it covers many sins. But I want you to know this too, love is not an excuse to sin. Remember what I said earlier, love will overcome. Love is being used as the great reason for existence, the great reason that we can justify homosexual relationships and these transgender laws and so on. And we're saying that love will overcome, therefore you can go ahead and do it. Brothers and sisters, this ought not to be. Because remember, God is holy and God is just. God hates sin and no excuse, no amount of love will cover, will forgive us, will give us an excuse for our sin. Love does not permit sin to permeate the church. Remember the Apostle Paul speaks to the Corinthian church and he says, I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet I did not mean sexually immoral people of this world or with the covetous or extortioners or adulterers since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother who is sexually immoral or covetous or an idolater or a reviler or a drunkard or an extortioner, not even to eat with such a person. For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside with those who are outside God judges? Therefore, put away from yourselves the evil person." This idea that love covers a multitude of sins does not mean that love is an excuse for a multitude of sins. And it says here, well, I guess in another translation it would say it overlooks faults. Every one of us has faults. There's not one of us that is perfect. Love covers a multitude of sins. It overlooks those little things. Yes, we are to express what we think ought to be done, but if it doesn't go our way, are we gonna cry like a little baby and run from the room? Or are we gonna cover these things? If someone says something to us in a way that we just don't like, are we going to avoid them like a little child? Or are we going to cover that over with love? See, love covers a multitude of sins. And above all things, you are to have fervent love for one another. You see, Christians are to be loving one another. Christians demonstrate their love for one another by overlooking faults and practicing hospitality. And what's one practical way that we can express our love for one another? Well, the Apostle Peter points us to hosting one another. One very practical way of expressing this love for one another is in practicing hospitality. And what is hospitality? Hospitality is the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers. The friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers. It's exercise when you open your door to one another, when you provide for the needs of one another, for fellowship. Brothers and sisters, hospitality is an excellent way to get to know one another. You get to know their faults, their weaknesses, and their strengths. I don't know what it's like in this congregation, I haven't been around long enough, but I want to ask you this question. How often are you in the homes of brothers and sisters of the congregation? How often do you invite one another to your place? And engaging in hospitality goes a long way in love covering a multitude of sins. How can you be angry with someone you know? How can you know someone unless you spend time with them? Does that make sense? Often we get angry about something within the church or within an organization. And what is our response? I want nothing to do with you. I don't want to talk with you. I don't want you at home. But you have them in your home and you even begin to find out, hey, they're just like me. They have their own faults and their own struggles and their own weaknesses as well. How do you practice hospitality? Be hospitable to one another without grumbling, the apostle says. How often do you invite one another in? How many of you are prepared if a visitor were to come today to invite them to your home after church? Oh, but perhaps you would say, Oh, hospitality? I can't do that. The house is a mess. I don't have all the silverware on the table. I don't know what I'm going to serve. How can I invite anybody over? Brothers and sisters, don't worry about it. That's not what hospitality is. Hospitality is a friendly reception and treatment of others. It's inviting them into your home even if it's not perfect. You don't have to go overboard. I heard this somewhere that, I guess that when we moved to South Carolina, it was said to us, it was commented to us about the culture that that Southerners don't often invite people over. And when they do, it's a five-course meal with all the silverware, the gold and the silver and the plates and the crystal all sitting there. And unless we're gonna have this, then we can't have anybody over. Brothers and sisters, it's okay to have paper plates and plastic utensils and to eat off of them. Because what you eat off of is not as important as the time of fellowship that you have one with another. Getting to know them, getting to love them. And the apostle says, be hospitable. It's a command. Again, it's not an option. It's not something that you can do if you think that you want to do it. But also, be willing and ready to accept an invitation to come to somebody's place even if it wasn't what you were planning. By exercising hospitality, we demonstrate love for one another. And don't make hospitality more difficult than what it is because it's not difficult. It can be quite enjoyable. And the more you do it, the more you'll enjoy it. The more you do it, the more you'll get to know your brothers and sisters. You get to know what makes them tick and how you can help and serve them, how you can better love them. Notice the apostle says that you are to exercise hospitality without grumbling. What does it mean to grumble? It means to mutter discontentedly, you know, mutter under your breath. Those people, I can't believe they're doing that again. Oh man, they picked the wrong fork. You know, boy, look at how much milk that person is taking. We're not gonna have any left for tomorrow. I can't believe we invited these people. You know what I mean by grumbling? Do so without grumbling. Do so joyfully. I read this week somewhere that visitors are like fish. Both begin to stink after three days. We have to be very careful that as guests we don't overstay our welcome, that we go out of our way to be worthy guests, I suppose you could say worthy guests, enjoyable guests for our hosts as they have gone out of our way. One of the things that I struggled with in this week and I was thinking about this week is, you know, I don't want to be proclaiming sort of an agenda and being perceived as having an agenda. That's what I feel like I'm doing at the moment. Brothers and sisters, I'm not. I want to encourage you to have one another over, to get to know each other on a regular basis. We have found as a family that when we have begun to do so, we have so much more enjoyed our time with brothers and sisters in church as well as outside of church. Our heart has grown bigger because of the time that we have been able to spend with you. That's what I want for you as well. I want you to grow to love each other. Oh, I know. Many of you have been living here for years. Many of you know each other for years and you don't need to go out to one another. Really? Is Sunday just enough to see each other for a couple of hours? And I love the fellowship meals that we have here each and every other Lord's Day as well. They're a great time. But don't underestimate inviting and having others into your home as well. Make that your goal. For in so doing, you will show love for one another, a fervent love for one another. Oh, I know, exercising hospitality is not always easy. I know there are cultural differences as well. The tendency may be for some, when you go to their place, and this is a fear that some may have, well, I don't wanna invite anybody over, because I don't want them to see what I live in. It doesn't matter. God has given you a place to live. Share it. And if you go to somebody's place, and you think that that might be a fear, enjoy it. Be thankful for it. On the other hand, Do not envy what God has given to others. There may be somebody that has a way nicer house than you have. Maybe an in-ground pool or something like that with a huge billiards room and a pool room and so on. And you think, man, I wish I had something like this. That's not what hospitality is about. Hospitality is about sharing what God has given to you. How will you show love for one another? You see, Christ has already shown love. And you know what? Christ has gone to his father to prepare a place for you in his mansion, that you might have fellowship with him, not just for a time, but for all eternity. He is preparing a wedding feast for his bride, the church, to come and enjoy a meal together. Why can't we enjoy a meal together as brothers and sisters in the Lord? Why can't this be a picture of that wedding feast that is yet to come that we get to look forward to? Whether that be a steak or macaroni and cheese, whatever. Whether it's something you really like or something you don't care for. This is what the Lord has given to us. Let us share with one another. Let us exercise this love for each other. And let us love each other fervently with a fervent love. Oh, I've probably forgotten something. I probably haven't said something well, or maybe I've said something too many times. But how are you going to exercise love for one another this week? this month. How will you exercise this fervent love for one another? How will you show it? How will you demonstrate it? How far out of your way will you go to show your love for others? How far out of your way ought you to go to show your love for others? Are your Valentine cards enough? There's nothing wrong with them, but are they enough? We show our love for one another in exercising our hospitality But the end of all things is at hand, therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. And above all things, more important than anything else, above all things, have fervent love for one another, for love casts out a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. How will you do that?