This Sunday service Pastor (Mrs) Silvia Lia Leigh preached another sermon in the series titled ‘Love is The New Commandment’. Her main scriptures were taken from the books of Romans 14:1-13 and Numbers 27:1-11; 36:1-13.

THE AGAPE LOVE OF GOD

Love is the greatest word in the Bible. In Greek, there are three words for love. Eros refers to sexual love. Philio refers to friendly attachment. Agape means unconditional sacrificial love. In the New Testament, the word Love appears about 200 times, and it is almost always ‘agape’ love. This Love is not just a feeling. It is the highest, most pure form of love, born not out of natural attraction or obligation, but a willful choice and a command to be obeyed.  It is the unselfish, pure, powerful, and sacrificial love that desires the best in another person. This love is best expressed as the Fatherly Love of God for human beings. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16). This is the Gospel: God the Father sent God the Son to become a Man and die on behalf of sinners. The unbelievers may be religious, but they do not know this agape love. It is a gift given only to the children of God, who are saved by grace and thru faith in Christ. Agape love is a sacrificial love that saves, unites, and heals. It is the love of God that we see through the cross of Jesus Christ. This love saves and restores humanity in the face of sin and death. “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13). Because we are born sinners, agape love does not come naturally to us. Agape love requires faithfulness, commitment, courage, strength, wisdom, faith, and sacrifice. The agape love for God and for one another is the magnet God uses to attract the world to Jesus! It was so in the early church, and during all the revivals in the history of the Church! Romance says: ‘I love you because you are beautiful!’ Agape Love says: I love you even with your wrinkles! “Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, LOVE, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2Tim 2:22). Agape Love is not the passing sexual lust. This is the unfailing, eternal Love of God! To know the measure of Love you must know how much Love gives. Just think of this Love: God the Father gave us His only begotten Son, that we might be saved! God the Son gave us His Live, His Blood, to pay for our sins! There is no greater Love than that!!! Hallelujah!  

MATTERS OF LOVING INDIFFERENCE (2) (Romans 14:1-13)

The Book of Romans is a masterpiece. It is considered the best Book in the Bible and the greatest piece of literature in the world. It is written by the great Apostle Paul. Many great men of God became born again by studying this Book. It contains the major doctrines of the Gospel. In the first 11 chapters, the Apostle writes about the doctrines of salvation. From chapter 12 to the end, he writes the application of these doctrines. The first two verses in chapter 12 are the basic scriptures on the application of doctrine. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Rom 12:1,2).  We see that the Christian life is a life of sacrifice for the sake of Christ, to give glory to God! By faith in the Word of God, our minds are renewed and transformed. From starting as ‘babies’ in Christ, we become strong in the faith. Becoming spiritually mature is the aim for every believer. Agape Love is the engine of this transformation. The New Law of Love takes over obedience of the Law as found in the Old Testament. “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Rom 13:10). Amen!

In chapters 14 and 15 we find the practical application of the Gospel especially in the relationships between the Christians. Theologians call these principles ‘matters of indifference’ or ‘grey areas’. These are important teachings, but they are not essential to our salvation. They apply to the type of food Christians eat, the mode of dressing, the type of entertainment, the types of baptism, the type of prophecies, the importance of days and how we celebrate our faith. The major doctrines of the Bible cannot be argued about.  As Christians, we all must agree on the major doctrines in the Bible, but we can lovingly disagree on these matters of indifference. ‘Matters of indifference’ refer to our attitude to things that are not prohibited in the Bible. If something is forbidden, it is sin. There is no need to discuss it. For example, the Bible says that adultery is sin. We cannot debate that. We are here studying things that are not clearly forbidden in God’s Word and our attitude to them. We study these things because over the years they have bought much confusion, pain, and division in the Body. The church is made of many believers; some are spiritually strong, and others are spiritually weak in the faith. The first lesson we must learn is that the Body is One!!! The strong ones are commanded not despise the weak ones. There is a tendency for the strong to gather in groups to gossip, to look down on the weak ones. The weak ones are commanded not to judge the spiritually strong. Any form of division and segregation based on your Bible knowledge is wrong. We study these teachings to know how to behave better, how to love without quarreling and causing division in the Body. Selah!

RECEIVE ONE WHO IS WEAK IN THE FAITH

“Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things…As for the one whose faith is weak, accept him [into your fellowship], but not for [the purpose of] quarreling over his opinions” (Rom 14:1 NKJ; AMP). This is God’s command: you must receive a believer who is weak in the faith! Why? Because he is a true Christian brother. To receive it means to tolerate, accommodate or to welcome. Don’t reject the weak believers who still struggle with applying doctrine to their behavior. We are also commanded ‘not to dispute over doubtful things.’ What does it mean? The weak brother’s faith is not yet established. He still struggles with doubts. He is still emotionally shaken. He listens to different voices and is confused. The strong Christian is to be careful that by his counsel he should not increase the weak believer’s doubts and confusion. The strong one is not to argue too forcefully with the weak one about his fears. He should not raise the issue of doubts any time he meets the weak believer. He should not mock, oppress or bully the weak one. By doing that, the strong one proves that he lacks love. Ignorantly, he hurts the weak believer making him worse, more confused, and more restless. Paul does not say that we should never discuss these issues, but we should try to avoid conflicts. He is concerned about the manner in which we bring them up. “Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies… While knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church” (1 Cor 8:1,b; NKJ, NLT). Love is the greatest way in all relationships!

‘To receive’ it means to accept, to take possessions over something given to you. To welcome it means to gladly open your heart and home to someone. The opposite it means to ignore someone, to reject, or to just tolerate him grudgingly. Love commands that we should positively admit someone into the church fellowship and take the risk to care for him as much as possible. The same word appears in the following verses: “Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him” (Rom14:3).  “Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God” (Rom15:7).

Lesson: we must receive the weak brother in our fellowship for the simple reason that God the Father and God the Son have received him already. We must behave as God, reflecting His attitude in receiving sinners to Christ. Rejecting a weak brother gives the impression that God has rejected him. That causes deep wounds in the weak brother. The religious Pharisees complained that Jesus ‘receives’ sinners. “All the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him. 2 And the Pharisees and scribes complained, saying, “This Man receives sinners and eats with them”. 3 So He spoke this parable to them, saying: 4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” (Lk 15:1-6). They hated Jesus because He welcomed the sinners ‘who drew near to hear Him’. The Pharisees hated these ‘sinners’, who were Jews, but were not very religious, not strict in obeying the laws like them. The Jews called all the Gentiles ‘dogs or sinners.’ The Pharisees also included in this category all Jewish tax collectors and the prostitutes. They were sure that these people can never be saved by God, and they will surely go to hell. But Jesus received these rejected people. He gave them the Gospel. They listened to Him, and many became saved. Jesus gave hope to the most hopeless!!! In fact, Jesus stated His mission on earth as this: “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk 19:10). For receiving sinners Jesus was hated by the religious leaders. Jesus says that the true shepherd leaves the 99 strong ‘sheep’ and goes after the 100^th stranded, lost, weak, and confused ‘sheep’. In the parable of the Prodigal son, we see the same drama. The father receives his younger son who has squandered his inheritance. This is love in action. The older son, who is a type of a Pharisees, rejects his brother and gets angry when the father receives him gladly (Lk15:11-32). Lesson: we must actively and happily try to locate and welcome the weak brethren. For Christ’ sake, and for the glory of God, we must receive the weak in faith. To be like Jesus, there is a price to pay. Like Jesus, we shall be discriminated by the religious leaders, but what matters is that thru this sacrificial love, we give glory to God! Selah!

These are some lessons on how to receive brethren who are weak in the faith:

*This command to receive a weak brother applies only to the church setup. God gives His grace to welcome the weak in the faith only to the Body of the local church. This command does not apply to all other religious organizations, traditional gatherings, or family meetings.

*This command works only when applying the power of agape love. The power of the flesh and human sympathy will fail in this regard.

*The matters of loving indifference apply to both the weak and the strong in the faith. Each one is responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the Body. The strong is not to ‘to despise the weak’ and the weak is not ‘to judge the strong’. Both despising and judging are wrong!

*The fact that we welcome a brother who is weak in the faith does not mean that automatically, the weak one becomes a leader in the church. He is admitted ‘in the hospital’ of the Spirit. He does not join the Olympic team who has been training for long and learn to grow spiritually.

*All of us are sinners saved by grace. The same Blood of Jesus saved us all. Even the ones who are strong in the faith are not yet perfect. We all make mistakes. We all have to stay humble and be quick to repent when we fail the law of Love. Sanctification is a process that lasts until we go to heaven. We all must pay the price to grow in the faith.

THE CHRISTIANS AND SMOKING

For Christians, smoking pipe, cigars (including marihuana), or chewing tabaco, belong to matters of indifference. There is no place in the Bible that forbids smoking. Discussing about smoking is an important topic but are not essential to salvation. Medically it is proven that smoking is bad for health. Smoking is an addiction. Addiction is defined as exhibiting a compulsive, chronic, physiological, or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, or activity. Anything that you love so much that you feel you miss it, is addictive. The Bible calls it an idol. God hates idols. If you desire the pleasure the idol gives to you, you will become distant from God. Even ‘innocent’ idolatry damages your intimacy with God. These are some examples of everyday idols: special food, alcohol, smoking cigars, drugs, vacation, loving people more than loving God, dancing in a night club or to worldly music, playing cards, getting tattoos, watching movies showing violence or sex, or pornography. These activities can be included in ‘matters of indifference’. Question: people who claim to be saved but also drink alcohol or smoke cigars, are they Christians? The answer may be yes, or no. Drinking alcohol or smoking cigars are not the basis by which a man becomes a Christian or the criteria by which you know a believer. We are saved by grace alone, thru faith in Christ alone. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are the only true proof of salvation and Love is the first ‘slice’ (Gal 5:22, 23). Look especially for Love and Self-control in that person! Be wise! Be careful!

Smoking is the world’s leading preventable cause of untimely death. The chemical component in a cigar is called nicotine. It is highly addictive. Nicotine is as difficult to give up as cocaine or heroin. It is found in the leaves of a plant called tabaco which was discovered in 1492 by Christopher Columbus while exploring the Americas. He brought few tobacco leaves and seeds back with him to Europe. Many loved the feeling of smoking. The tabaco industry started to grow. Later, nicotine was produced artificially in the laboratory. Nicotine was discovered to be poison in 1828. The lethal dose of inhaled nicotine is 50 mg/kg in an adult. Children are more in danger than adults. They can eat the cigars and poison themselves. The symptoms or tabaco poisoning are vomiting, headache, dizziness, convulsions, coma, and heart failure. Death can occur in one hour after the exposure. Electronic cigars use heated liquid nicotine. Because of the high concertation of nicotine in its liquid form, these are more dangerous, especially to the children. Most countries (including Nigeria) prohibit the selling of cigars to minors (below 18). Why do people smoke cigars? These are some pleasant effects of nicotine: you feel more alert, more relaxed, and less anxious. But nicotine can disturb your sleep, cause stomach ulcer, dizziness, and cancers. It is proven that 90% of lung cancer cases are related to smoking. Smokers die 10 years earlier than nonsmokers. There are more than 7000 chemicals in the cigarettes and most of them cause cancer of the lungs, kidneys, liver and of the skin. It reduces fertility in both men and women. It reduces the immunity of the body. Wounds heal slower in smokers. The danger extends to the people who live around smokers. Smoking is not just un-healthy. It is deadly. It is the greatest poison of the lungs. Once the smoke enters the lungs, it cannot be ‘washed’ away.

A menthol cigarette is a cigarette infused with menthol which imparts a ‘sweet, minty’ flavor to the smoke. Menthol decreases the irritant sensations of nicotine making smoking feel less harsh compared to regular cigarettes. The smoker feels a cooling sensation in his throat. Menthol cigarettes are easier to learn how to smoke and harder to quit. They are more addictive and just as harmful as regular cigarettes. I read that the tobacco industry in the US targeted the African American people in particular. They advertised the menthol cigars by saying that they are healthier than the regular ones. The menthol cigars industry invested heavily in the Civil rights movements in the 60s. They sponsored events in the black community. They subsidized their products in the black schools, churches, and organizations. This marketing strategy was a great success for them. The rate of smoking of the menthol cigars grew in the black community and went down in the white community. Studies say that 80% of all the African American smokers, consume the menthol cigars. Much of the increase is from young people.

About 1 billion people smoke worldwide. That means 1 out of 8 people smoke cigars. Each year, more than 8 million people die prematurely from tobacco use. Thank God, all over the world, the rate of smoking is going down. Men smoke more than the women. The rate of smoking is higher among the young people, the less educated, the poorer, divorced, widowed, homosexual people, those who have a disability, and those who experience frustration in life and depression. Why it is so hard to stop smoking? Nicotine is the main addictive chemical. During smoking, it goes immediately to the brain and gives a feeling of instant pleasure. Over time, nicotine changes the way the brain works. The brain thinks that without nicotine, you can never be happy. Nicotine helps people to concentrate. If they don’t smoke, they feel that they can’t focus. Trying to stop nicotine intake is hard. These are some signs of withdrawal: you become uncomfortable, angry, and overanxious. You can’t sleep. You start feeling hungrier and put on weight. There are now medications helping smokers to quit. Pray for the grace to stop smoking. Millions of people have done it. After some time of struggle, you will be free from this addiction. You feel much better, healthier, and happier. Do it!    

Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892) one of the greatest preachers in the world was known to smoke cigars. He publicly defended his habit saying it is not a sin. But it is on record that he was often sick and could not preach. He battled depression all his life. Even his wife was chronically sick and most of the time could not come to church. After 24 years of chronic sickness and smoking, he died at the age of 57 with kidney’s failure.

The Bible does not forbit smoking. We shall analyze the habit of smoking thru general Biblical principles:

*We should not be ‘mastered’ by anything, except by God. “Everything is permissible for me, but not all things are beneficial. Everything is permissible for me, but I will not be enslaved by anything [and brought under its power, allowing it to control me]” (1Cor 6:12; AMP). Smoking may not be illegal or sinful, but it’s not beneficial, useful, helpful, or good. It can make me its slave. It will damage my relationship with God.

*We should honor God with our bodies because they belong to Christ. He has paid for them. “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1Cor 6:19, 20). Smoking damages my body which belongs to Jesus and dishonors God.

*We should do everything to the glory of God, as a personal testimony that we worship God. “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1Cor 10:31). Smoking is addictive and cannot bring glory to God!

ZELOPHEHAD’S DAUGHTERS (Nu 27:1-11; 36:1-13).

This is a wonderful story of grace and faith. These five women stand for the weak believers. Moses stands for a strong believer. Moses received these women with faith, and love. This is a great lesson for all of us. These godly women were the daughters of a man called Zelophehad, from the tribe of Manasseh, the son of Jospeh. His name means ‘Dark Shadow’. These were the names of his daughters: Mahlah (Weak), Noah (Peace), Hoglah (Dancing), Milcah (Queen), and Tirzah (Favor). To most Christians, these five women are not known as other women in the Bible. We all have heard or Sarah, Hannah, Deborah, Abigail, Ruth, Queen Esther, and others. But these women are quiet champions of faith. They are mentioned five times in the Old Testament (Num 26, 27, 36; Josh 17, and 1 Chr 7), not just as “the daughters of Zelophehad” but their five names are given. That’s very striking when you consider we don’t the name of Noah’s wife, Lot’s wife, the Canaanite woman (Matt 15), the bleeding woman (Lk 8) or the woman at the well (Jn 4). This story happened as God’s people were getting ready to enter the Promised Land.

Zelophehad came out from Egypt during the Exodus. He died in the wilderness without a son. When his daughters realized that their father’s name would be excluded when the land because there was no male heir, they did an extraordinary thing that had not been heard of before. At that time, only sons could inherit their father’s land. The daughters wanted their family’s name to remain in Israel. They even agreed to the conditions to keep the land and the name. They will marry only men who are in their father’s family, so that they keep the name and the land. God responded that the plea of the daughters was just, and that they should be granted their father’s inheritance. God is just. He sees them as perfectly capable of owning and managing the land. This case establishes two important principles for legal land inheritance in the future. 1. daughters are made legal heirs when there are no sons. 2. in those instances, the daughters must marry within their own tribe. With these two statutes, God’s people will not be dispossessed of the land that was apportioned to their fathers.

With humility and faith, these women approach the holy tabernacle. They are before Moses, who is the chief of the people, Eleazer the priest, and the other leaders, who are at the entrance of the tent of meeting. They are there in the public place. It’s like they came to the Congress or the Supreme Court of the nation. These five remarkable young women are a picture of faith and courage. God approved their request and gave a new law on their favor. Praise the Lord! They came before Moses at a time when he was numbering the people of Israel in order to determine the allotment of land when they came into the promised land. These girls came before him, and they asked an unusual thing. They came reminding Moses that though their father had died in the wilderness, he had not been part of the rebellion of Korah. He was not part of those who forfeited their inheritance, and so they come asking for that inheritance. All of this takes place in the wilderness just before entrance into the land and, therefore, it is all done in faith. Israel does not have an inch of land yet. But by faith upon God’s promise that they would have the land, they are already dividing it up by faith. And these girls come asking for a part of the inheritance. These girls are a demonstration to us of what faith is. The first step in faith is a determination. They were aware that God had given a promise to Israel to inherit the land of Canaan, the land of milk and honey and they desired to have the part in that which belonged to them.

That land is a picture for us of the inheritance which is promised to us. Everyone who has come by faith to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior has available to them an inheritance. This is not just something to come after death. This inheritance is for believers right now in this life. All things are already available to us in Jesus Christ. This is our inheritance. But we take it by faith. In other words, we can have as much as we determine to have. You can have as much possession and victory as you want to have. Not more than that! The Book of Numbers ends with the word Jericho. That is the first city in the Promised Land. Lesson: The Promised Land is closer than you think. Don’t give up now, don’t turn around, don’t murmur, don’t doubt. God can get you in. Jesus has gone ahead. He said that He will go ahead to prepare a place before us, to get it ready. He’s watching, He’s waiting, By faith, Keep going. There is an everlasting inheritance on the other side if you just believe. The five daughters were not married when they made this request to Moses. They only had God! By faith, these wise and humble women got their desire. God rescued them from the ‘Dark Shadow’ of their past, of being slaves to tradition. We are a family. GOD calls men and women to be brothers and sisters, to be His sons and His daughters. He doesn’t exclude because of gender, age, or race!

“You should defend those who cannot help themselves. 9 Yes, speak up for the poor and helpless, and see that they get justice” (PV 31:8,9,TLB).

God cares for all people but especially for the weak, the vulnerable, sick, lonely, strangers, widows, and orphans. God is a God of Justice and mercy. Lesson: we must listen to the voices of the weak, the ignored, the rejected. Receive him (or her) who is weak in the faith!

Our Lord welcomes all children and rebukes His disciples for trying to hinder them. The children are not just natural children but all who are weak in the faith, the needy who seek Him. “Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” 15 And He laid His hands on them and departed from there” (Matt 19:13-15).

Brother Zelophehad’s daughters had clearly been well brought up. Both sons and daughters who are humble and wise make their parents happy. “A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother” (PV 10:1). These women were not loud, bitter, rude, or angry. They did not complain about their position. They had faith in God. They address Moses with respect and wisdom, ready to submit to God’s will. We see that God’s Law can be amended. We should not be legalistic. When there are real issues, we should pray to know God’s will and not assume that we know it all. God retains the right to make exceptions to His Law. These are called miracles. We need to have faith in God and not in men. In Christ, there is no difference between men and women! When Jesus came, He addressed all people, men, and women, with equal love and grace. This was revolutionary at that time. These women’s just request changed the law in Israel. Even today, the Jewish sons and daughters can inherit their father’s property. Like Ruth, Queen Esther, Deborah, we can trust God to change situations and bring justice to the needy. God loves justice! “The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love” (Ps 33:5; NIV). When Mary said Yes to the angel, she showed faith and great courage. She cooperated with the Holy Spirit to bring Jesus into this world, to change man’s story forever! We too, in the unity of the Spirit, with faith and boldness, can come before the throne of mercy and grace and find grace in time of need. We can intercede and speak for the needy to correct injustices in the land. This is reminder that God can use even the despised to do His will in this world. God can use our weaknesses to accomplish great things in this world. Each believer has the power to be an agent of change for better. God listens. God acts. God can change any situation! Worship the Lord!

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8; ESV).