Balance: Love and truth

Speaker: Colin Boyd

Notes

Introduction: Love and truth are not opposites, but are an essential part of a balance. Thrust of sermon is in dealing with disagreement within a church. Demonstration of disagreement with Ruth Goater. (Thank you very much Ruth.) Warning that truth can be rejected if wrapped up in an unloving approach.

Approaches of Paul and John: Ephesians 4:15-16 and 1 John 4:7-11. Both saw how much easier it was for people to accept truth when it comes with a loving context.

Start of the Church at Pentecost. Emphasis that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Truth, John 14:16-17, John 15:26, John 16:13. The first fruit of the Spirit is Love.

Why did Paul bother with some of the early churches when they got themselves into so many tangles? 2 Corinthians 5:14.

Warning from 'roller-coaster' of the Ephesian church:

• Acts 19, the church is founded with emphasis on full Truth

• 1 Tim 1:3-5 Timothy is told to sort out a problem of truth being compromised, and Paul warns him to do so with love.

• Revelation 2:1-4 A generation later church appears to have lost the balance of love.

Final comment: Mark 14 shows how truthful accusation was levelled at the woman with expensive perfume, but how Jesus showed that it could be seen in an entirely loving context which the (accurate) accusers seem to have missed.

Borrowed quotes to be remembered: "You're never persuasive when you're abrasive" and "If you must disagree, don't be disagreeable."

Application

Revelation 2:12-17 What might have been getting out of balance at Pergamum?

How do you decide when/if a disagreement is important enough to bring to a brother/sister? How do you bring it?

How far can we use a pattern as presented in Matthew 18:15-17 for the restoration of fellowship?

Posted: 9 May 2010