Ken Styles - Class 4: The Power of Godly Love

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:00

   This is the North Balfour Christadelphian Study Weekend, November 13th and 14th, 2010. The overall theme is Godly Love. Our speaker is Brother Ken Stiles, and today is Class 4, and the subtitle is The Power of Godly Love. Our reading was 1 Samuel 25. Brother Ken. Thank you, Brother Tim, and good morning, everyone.

2. 0:32

   Just wanted to begin with one point of clarification from yesterday. When we were quoting from John 3, 16 and 17, which spoke of the fact how God sent Christ into the world to save the world, we weren't by any way inferring that the world there is understood as the evangelicals understand the world, that Christ came to save the entire world, and he died for all, and all now have life.

3. 0:58

   If we continue on in John 3, you see that Christ then goes on to differentiate between those who are children of the light and those who are children of darkness, much like the Apostle John does in 1 John 3. And it's those children of the light, those who are attracted to the light.

4. 1:14

   And verses 19 to 21 of John 3. It is that qualified portion of the world, so to speak, that Jesus came to... God sent Jesus into the world to save. Because today is a... this first class is a Sunday school session, it's going to be fairly interactive. So we're going to help you wake up if you haven't had your cup of coffee yet this morning.

5. 1:39

   If you have, that will put you in even better shape. So we will begin by my just briefly reviewing some of the key points we covered in our three classes, and then we'll basically turn the class over to you to let you develop the remaining portion. And in just a minute you'll see how that works.

6. 1:59

   But just some of the key points by way of refresher, by way of reminder from yesterday, we saw that God defines love, godly love, as a laying down your life for others' love. It involves a death that occurs, it's done willingly, so that others benefit. And this wasn't just a love that God was looking to develop in His Son.

7. 2:20

   It was a love that God expects all of His children to develop in their life. John states that God's children ought to be able to say, He who has seen my love has seen the Father's love. So that when others see our love, what they are really seeing is God's love. And as we saw yesterday, you probably didn't hear much that was new.

8. 2:46

   Godly love is not a complicated subject. It is all-encompassing. I dare say we probably didn't read or mention any verse yesterday that none of us are not already familiar with. But hopefully we can begin to see the subject as it is presented in Scripture, so that even at an early age, and we saw how Ruth yesterday as a young Moabitess was able to understand this concept and put it in practice in a way that had meaningful help to her mother-in-law.

9. 3:14

   We also saw the need to avoid confusing godly love with human love. And the most striking difference between the two is that godly love will always lead a person to righteousness. Godly love has a preeminent position in Scripture. We said yesterday it's described as being the pinnacle of our development, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

10. 3:40

    It's what all the law and the prophets were intended to bring a person to. We are not born with godly love. Godly love must be developed in our hearts and minds as we learn to love as the Lord Jesus Christ reflected the love of His Father. We saw that godly love springs from faith.

11. 4:00

    And if what we're showing and thinking we're showing love to others is not arising by faith, and it is not arising from us first having had to put to death our own natural desires and taken our interests and made them of secondary importance in the situation, then that is not godly love. It is likely human love.

12. 4:23

    We saw, too, that the cross was achieved not by anger but by love and the victory on the cross that was achieved, love of the Father and love of the Son. And it's not surprising that because the churches fail to understand the truth concerning Jesus' victory on the cross, they fail to understand what godly love really is.

13. 4:48

    The wisdom of godly love will transform our character. It will allow us to pass from death to life during our probation. It will make us into new people if we are willing to embrace it and its principles. We saw that the power of godly love is greater than the power of sin. And Jesus proclaimed this to the world when He declared that sin, the prince of this world, cometh, but it has no power over me because of my love for my Father.

14. 5:24

    We also saw that the love of the Son, the greater love, hath no man than this, that a man laid down his life for his friends, is Christ's expectation that we will develop that same love in our life. And that is the key to us being Jesus' friends. When we are baptized, we become Christ's brethren.

15. 5:50

    When we learn to love like Jesus loved, we become His friend. Godly love unites two key principles of discipleship, crucifying the flesh on the one hand and serving others on the other. The cross is what needs to be done to the flesh, and godly love is how it's achieved. It's how we live the cross.

16. 6:15

    We saw as well that when godly love is missing from a relationship, then sin is the only victor. And reconciliation will not be possible until godly love is reinserted back into the relationship. And lastly, we saw that the love of the Father and the love of the Son, when our love is added to that, puts us in a situation that Paul says we've become more than conquerors, super conquerors, because of the power for good that is developed in that situation.

17. 6:53

    So in summary, godly love is a fairly broad and encompassing subject. And it involves all aspects. There's not one single component that we want to emphasize over the other. And the reason it's so large and comprehensive is because godly love reflects the character of the God we worship. And we've only looked at a piece of that in our classes this weekend.

18. 7:19

    But because love is such an all-encompassing subject as it's presented in Scripture, the truth of why it is is because it's a reflection of the character of the God we worship.

19. 7:36

    As we grow in our understanding and appreciation of godly love, hopefully we will grow in our understanding and appreciation of who God is and how He lives. So that now that we know what godly love is, how God defines it, the next step is to learn how to recognize it when we see it in Scripture.

20. 7:54

    Most of the time, the vast number of instances, I guess you could say, when godly love appears in Scripture, you don't see the word love connected with it. And I think that's why, oftentimes, it can be a misunderstood subject. People see just the references that have, just the verses that have the word love in, and they fail to see these other aspects of the subject.

21. 8:24

    And therefore, when it exists in the lives of faithful men and women in the Old Testament, it's not necessarily recognized for what it is. So we're going to use the remainder of this class now to give us some practice to examine how the power of godly love was at work in the lives of faithful men and women.

22. 8:43

    So we'll do this by, if you would take your handout out from yesterday, hopefully you brought it with you, and turn to the very last page.

23. 8:56

    Now, we have listed 22 characteristics of godly love on the final page. You can treat this as a worksheet if you like. The beauty of godly love is you don't have to practice all 22 before you're practicing godly love. Really, when we begin to reflect any of the 22 listed on the handout and any of the others contained in Scripture, we are beginning to show godly love in our life.

24. 9:37

    Now, no fair using the rest of the notes to go through this exercise we're going to go through today. I could have and maybe should have left my comments about Abigail's love out of the notes. But we've included them, we've buried them in there somewhere, but you are confined for this morning's class at least to just this page of the notes if you don't mind.

25. 10:07

    We know the setting of this situation in 1 Samuel 25. There was Nabal, his name means fool, he was very rich, but he was also churlish. He was severe, and it says in verses 2 and 3 that he was also evil. And there is Abigail, a young woman who's described as being beautiful and of good understanding.

26. 10:29

    And there is David, a fugitive from Saul. His men, it says, had been a wall of protection to Nabal's shepherds day and night, verse 16 says. And we come to a good day as it is in the authorized version. It's a time of feast. And David sends his men to Nabal who have gathered to shear the sheep.

27. 10:50

    So no doubt there would have been a lot of food prepared for this undertaking. And David is asking Nabal for provisions to help celebrate this feast in verse 8. Nabal spurns David's request for help, and he spurns David regardless of the fact that David's men had been so helpful to Nabal's shepherds. And how does David respond?

28. 11:15

    He responds the same way most men respond. When they have an expectation up here, and they ask for a favor, and someone responds to that favor by saying, not on your life would I help you, David explodes. And all of the good that his men had been providing for Nabal's shepherds and being a wall of protection for them day and night, it is all going to be destroyed because David is a brother enraged.

29. 11:59

    And that's what happens when sin overcomes our mind. All of the good that we may have been devoting ourselves to can all be wiped out because of the enormity of the ungodly and wrong actions that can take hold over us. So he is ready to unleash a barrage of sin out of anger and pride and arrogance and vengefulness.

30. 12:26

    verse 13, he gives the command, every man gird on his sword, we are going to settle this matter on the battlefield. Surely in vain, he complains. In verse 21, have I guarded this man's possessions? Nothing was missed. He has returned evil for good. God, do so to David and more also, if by morning I leave as many as one male alive.

31. 12:55

    Such was his declaration to his men. Armed they become and off they go. This is a brother who is now overcome by sin. He is enraged. He is on the wrong side of righteousness. And along comes Abigail. And what does she do? She brings godly love into this situation. So your assignment is now to identify which of those 22 characteristics listed on the back page that we see manifested in the actions of Abigail in the account in 1 Samuel 25.

32. 13:48

    So the floor is now open for your comments. Number seven. She gives to the need whatever it might be. And how would someone explain that? How in this case did she give to the need whatever it might be? I think you're absolutely correct. but verse 18. Go ahead. So she listens to what David had been asking for and denied.

33. 14:43

    And she says the first thing we have to do is get that ready. is that all she gives? Yes. Yes. Yes. Mm-hmm. Very good. So I think number seven definitely qualifies as being an aspect of godly love manifested by Abigail. There's at least 18 more. So where are the next ones? Yes, in the back, and then we'll come up here, in the far back.

34. 15:49

    So she comes, fell at his feet. Is she prepared to lay down her life? In this case, absolutely. We said yesterday, most of us will never be put in a situation where we literally are asked to lay down our life for someone else. Spiritually, we're asked to do it on a weekly basis for one another.

35. 16:11

    But this, in order to illustrate or demonstrate vividly the principle of godly love, she actually lays down her life. If anyone in Nabal's house is to die, she will be the first. So we have number one added to the list. And of course, she does it willingly so that who will benefit? Who benefits by Abigail's actions in this chapter?

36. 16:43

    Sorry? Nabal? Of a secondary importance. David. Does she have anything to gain when she comes to her enraged brother who is ready to kill the whole household and falls at his feet? Does she personally have anything to gain? Does she have everything to lose? See, that's what godly love does. It puts everything on the line for the sake of benefiting someone else.

37. 17:18

    It's the love of the good shepherd. Up here and then over here. I remember to turn about the person who is in the way of righteousness or the good church and the good church. Now therefore, my Lord, as God already did, and as I told of us, He and God have the holy indeed from the good blood, and have the blessing of myself with my own hands, and know that by his enemies, I will be the people, and my Lord, be as able to bless.

38. 17:51

    All right. So do you see how David's on the wrong side of righteousness? Abigail brings her love into the situation. With the hope that she can return him back to righteousness. And she does. Because of David's response. Okay, so we have one. We have two. We have seven. What's next? Did I miss one yet or no?

39. 18:21

    Yes. And then we'll come back here. Sorry. viele viele viele viele viele viele viele viele viele viele viele ! viele viele viele viele !

40. 18:53

    or waiting for us. That's right. She doesn't come and say, David, you're a fool. You're about to give up all that God is working for in your life. And you keep this up and we'll probably have to get rid of you. Rethink what you're doing, David, because you're on the wrong track. And you better listen to me because I've got God on my side.

41. 19:13

    And your actions are just pitiful. What kind of example are you setting for the rest of us? That's not her approach at all. She doesn't come as the master. She comes as a servant. And I think her words are genuine. When she says, let this iniquity be upon me. If I had known you were asking for the food and the provisions, I would have made it available to you.

42. 19:33

    So I don't think she is disingenuous when she says, look, I have contributed to your rage. Let the iniquity that has caused your rage be on me.

43. 19:46

    Yes, Brother Nick, I think, and then in the back. And what number would that connect with? Yeah, she connects what good God will do eternally out of the house of David and says, you've got to think, David, where your hope is, what your future reward is. So I think on that basis, that is correct for number five.

44. 20:26

    Another one. Yes? Number 15, the whole chapter. Now, how is the whole chapter? That's very encouraging, but we need a little more specificity because there may be one or two of us sitting here saying, I don't see it. So... So... Right?

45. 20:49

    Yeah, she's not coming to look for a husband. She's coming to save somebody's life and it isn't hers. What would human love look like in this situation?

46. 21:01

    Remember... Sorry? Right. Right. Remember, human love has a reciprocating expectation. You do for me, I'll do for you. Like, can we make a deal here? Look, I know you're upset, but can we make a deal? You know, can you reconsider and I'll try to up the ante and we can work this out.

47. 21:21

    Yeah, we'll barter our way through this. That is not how godly love functions. Godly love lays down your life to save someone who is about to lose theirs spiritually. So, I think you're absolutely correct. You see lots of examples in the chapter of this being a case of godly love and not human love.

48. 21:44

    Okay, in the far back. So we have 15 added to our list. Number 11. Because godly love, remember from Galatians 5, will restrain wrong conduct. And then the verse in 2 Corinthians 5 at verse 14, it will compel right conduct. So it both stops the wrong conduct and encourages the right conduct. So that was number 11.

49. 22:18

    What's next? Yes. Yes. Number 16. The power of godly love is greater than the power of sin. And perhaps verse 34 would summarize that that's a very mean and yelling on the child in this which has to cut me back and hurting things of the people in the back and the people in the house.

50. 22:37

    Amen. That's correct. So her love had helped rescue David from the evil that, I'm sorry, that was number 16. It had helped rescue David from the evil that he was about to embark upon and the evil that the house of David was now going to have become burdened with. He hasn't yet taken the throne and this clearly a black mark so to speak spiritually on his past and on his character will be a very difficult situation to a burden that will be added.

51. 23:16

    And the evil associated with his house over this situation is now removed. So, yes, I would second the suggestion that the power of her godly love in this situation ends up being power of a greater power than the power of sin. Number 17.

52. 23:51

    The one had godly love, the other had no concept of what godly love actually was. And because of her good understanding, she had come to recognize what the right behavior in this kind of situation is called for. Thank you for that. So we add number 17 to the list. What's next? Yes? Yes.

53. 24:19

    Well, it's 21. It must be done in deed and in truth. We're in tongues or really we're full actions but you think that's verse 18. As soon as you hear about it, Abigail made hate and took.

54. 24:36

    And she doesn't give David a lecture about godly love. Because godly love is not something you can talk about. You can this weekend but that's when the talking needs to end and the loving needs to begin. So, absolutely. she was not loving in word in deed and in truth. She was loving in deed and truth and not in word and tongue.

55. 25:01

    Thank you for that. The next one. Yes? Yes? Number six. Verse 21 shows that David's attitude at this time wasn't really deserving of love until he gave it. Mm-hmm. Yeah, if anyone doesn't deserve love in this situation, it is a man armed with 400 soldiers behind him who are coming to slay you all.

56. 25:32

    so in no way had he earned or deserved the love that she infuses into the events of that day. But he most desperately needed it. Thank you for that. Yeah, next one, Brother Nick. Thank you for that.

57. 26:02

    Interesting outcome of her godly love to Nabal is the cost of his life. But I think you're right in terms of the godly love being reinserted back into the relationship between David and Nabal. Was it missing when David arms his men and he goes off to war? Would you say David and Nabal at that point have a broken relationship?

58. 26:34

    They're past the point where they can talk about these things now. We're going to settle these things not with our fists. We're going to settle these things with our sword. And Abigail inserts godly love into that broken relationship and David responds. The record doesn't seem to indicate Nabal does. As Brother Nick points out, when he hears of these matters it leads to his death.

59. 27:00

    But at least David, when godly love is reinserted into his broken relationship he responds. And sometimes when there is a broken relationship between two people and godly love is reinserted you can't guarantee both people or both parties will embrace it. All you can do is embrace it yourself. And you do it by faith.

60. 27:23

    Certainly Abigail did and she had no control over what was going to happen at the end of the chapter. Anybody think that when she went out that day she had thought to her in her mind okay I'm going to go to David I'm going to resolve this I'm going to go home Nabal's going to die and I'm going to become the future wife of David.

61. 27:39

    No. She didn't know that. And we don't know that with a godly love. All we know is this is what the situation is and this is what I need to do. And I will do it by faith. So I kind of scratched in number four as well. Trusting that God will bless my efforts in however he sees in his wisdom that it is right to bless them.

62. 28:04

    And I will leave the matter with him but I will do what I can in this broken relationship to help restore it. So we gave you one by mistake. Thanks for that last one. Next one. Number six is that Abigail loved for David as men. Her actions was to protect them as well.

63. 28:26

    That's why you're struggling to get all to the story. So really you have an aspect where it is a certain thing that is a love.

64. 28:38

    That's what I love about talking about these things. You see insights that you've never seen before. But I think you're absolutely correct. Her godly love that day is saving all kinds of lives. She's saving David's life spiritually and she's saving the household of Nabal !

65. 28:54

    That's right. change. Yeah. And that's probably why we need to know up front that he's a churlish man. Now imagine having Abigail as your wife, brethren. she's a remarkable woman. I mean her ability to perceive a situation and realize when you yourself have acted altogether ungodly and created a crisis by your ungodly actions.

66. 29:37

    She doesn't give Nabal a lecture. She goes out and demonstrates this is what should happen in the gospel. This is what should happen according to the law and the love of God. And do you see why God values the quiet spirit of a faithful woman living in our home with us as our spouse?

67. 30:04

    She can provide great power for good for us. How many of us have come through the door at night or after an arranging meeting? or after a difficult time and we come through the door much like David enraged ready to explode. Somebody has mistreated me and boy it's time for revenge. And instead of finding a Jezebel when we find an Abigail that's precious.

68. 30:40

    That is precious. God can turn us around on a dime if our hearts are willing. And that is a spiritual resource in our home that we want to do all we can to protect and to nourish and to cherish. Because we need that kind of spirit in our home and in our life when we are given to the kind of explosion that we see happening in David's life in this situation.

69. 31:07

    So thanks for that. What's next? Yes. And then back over. I'm sorry. Over here and then we'll go that way. Brother Joy? I went to what you know that it wasn't that she was too naive to know that love is not done because the person is merciful but because they need it. It wasn't that Abigail was naive and too able to make her.

70. 31:36

    She knew how naive he was. She said in verse 25 let not my Lord I pray you regard this man with the law of the name for his name is his name so he is his name and all he is with him so it wasn't something that she didn't love Nabel out of ignorance she knew that he didn't !

71. 32:02

    But that wasn't the basis of her ! love for him that's right why would she live with Nabel? Godly love she doesn't know if he will turn around and not turn around she doesn't blame him here he goes again she knows what he's like make no make no mistake of that but you don't abandon people when you show godly love to them now they may abandon you and you have no choice over that thanks that's a thanks for that insight I think we had one here and then one there

72. 33:07

    my lord have a thank you I can do my lord and remember my time everybody see that because I think it's quite good verse 31 is David in his conduct violating the principles of god yes and who points it out to him abigail as brother skip has just read you are taking vengeance into your own hand brother and you ought not to be doing that you're about to shed blood causeless you have no right to slay Nabal and all his household over this matter where in the law of Moses does it say you ask someone for a favor and they say no so you say okay I'll just kill you all so she doesn't

73. 34:07

    to sin it holds an erring brother or sister accountable for their sin because if we don't and we just let that sin continue how are they ever going to reach the point of salvation how is that bringing or returning a person to righteousness if we see the sin in their life and we just say well somebody else will deal with it I just don't think I will deal with that

74. 34:37

    it is a very good one it is subtle from the standpoint that it doesn't say at the beginning of verse 31 here comes the wrong doctrine and the wrong conduct of David can you see it but there is Abigail holding him accountable this was not a matter of conscience when you slay someone with no divine authority behind you that is not a matter of conscience !

75. 35:07

    Do you have another one? David has his daughter. That's correct. That was number 14. Thank you. Could a person have loved David with more love than Abigail loved David that day?

76. 35:57

    Now once you lay down your life for someone who's on a rampage and you are willing to lay down your life for them, that is the greater love hath no man or woman than this, than a woman lay down her life for her friend.

77. 36:16

    A couple more. Yes, Brother Joe. 19, here's the verses 32 and 33. David said to Abigail, but the Lord still on the ground was sent to Eve to Eve to Eve to Eve. And that's true. Mm-hmm. So Abigail is helping David add his love to the situation so that the sin that was about to overtake him was not able to.

78. 36:55

    And in Abigail's case, she is adding her love to the love of the Father, the love of the Son, which was yet to be manifest, but which was coming. And the power in her life that day proved to be an unconquerable power. There was nothing that was going to keep her from the love of God.

79. 37:18

    And because David embraces that love that she now encourages him to undertake, it becomes a power in his life as well. Any more? Yes. Yes.

80. 37:53

    Yeah. verse 21 and 22 and again uses a lot of pie and meat so all that flesh when Abigail comes in verse 26 her response is now therefore my Lord as Yahweh and so forth she brings Yahweh into the picture and so the principle being that we need to get rid of behind these attitudes and replace it with Yahweh stuff that right yep that's excellent thank you very much yes okay any more would anyone doubt that Abigail that day was reflecting the love of God were people in fact who witnessed that event who can now read of it many years later would we all agree that if you had seen Abigail's love you had seen the love of the Lord Jesus Christ which is the love of the Father so again it's God God manifestation is an expectation that the Father and the Son have of us yes yes What do you think?

81. 40:01

    We have one hand in the back, one hand up to the front. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. Yes, Corey?

82. 42:43

    Yes, Corey. If you try to become this exclusive club and make the line, I think we're going to end up coming to a point where we judge somebody unworthy. If you give them the love and then they don't respond to it, well, that's their choice. But it's not our job to make the line and say somebody is unworthy.

83. 43:32

    Okay, we'll take two more comments on this. Sorry, three. Fourth, if you get your hand up real quick. We ended a quarter or two, correct? All right, actually, you have the gavel, brother. The ecclesial gavel. So you can stop me whenever, three minutes. Okay, three comments if it's a minute apiece, brethren. Yes, I think the next one was here, and then you'll have to help me with the other two.

84. 43:54

    We know for a fact there are some Jews and Gentiles here because it says that Nabal is of the house of Caleb. We know that David is the house of Judah. We don't know Abigail's background, but we do know that David's men are mostly all Gentiles following around the Euro. So Abigail is extending her love to both David, who is of the seed of Judah, and also to all the men that are with and followers that have now been led astray by what would seem to be their faithful recording brother, who is of the way to the Gentiles, who is taking them down the path of race, and they, in fact, have been the beneficiaries of the wise woman in the ecclesial device and kindness.

85. 44:41

    But before, they split the ball with their leaders. So in the first case, she has an unknowingly, perhaps, even extended her love to Gentiles that weren't a day.

86. 44:53

    And the far back Phil, is it? So what's the thing about what's being said about New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for New England's feelings for and was there one time for one last one

87. 45:55

    the only thing you can have is the evil so you can just go from that that's all that's going to happen if you love the world so godly love when he says and I sense we've gotten into a subject that will take more time to discuss and you'll have to carry this on to an ecclesial meeting at some point, a bible class or whatever but in my mind when Jesus says to love your enemies love your enemies with godly love I think sometimes we can have enemies within the ecclesia hopefully not too many but certainly we can have enemies without the ecclesia and I have not come across in the subject yet where we are encouraged to differentiate in how we show our godly love because on the way home today, if we see a car in the ditch what are we going to do and I think that's what godly love compels us to do, we don't first find out who it is and then decide if we're going to help the individual it is helpful it's done to encourage that person hopefully if it is a gentile so to speak we can share with them what we've been doing and why we do it and all of that and open the door to them but I don't think we want to drive past them because of who they are or who they're not but I sense that one we'll need a little more discussion it's beyond our time thanks very much for your comments and for your contributions and thanks for your patience brother Tim thank you's viele thank you's viele thank you's

88. 47:27

    thank you's thank you's thank you's thank you's thank you's thank you's thank you's