Timothy J. Clarke - The Walk of The Believer: A Walk of Love

I started last week with a message entitled «The Walk of the Believer.» Let the whole church say, «The Walk of the Believer.» This morning, brothers and sisters, deacons, we come to consider the walk that you and I are called to, the walk that you and I are engaged in, the walk, Vanessa, that you and I are involved in. With more specificity, I want to look today at this component, this «macquinta» of the walk that Paul calls us to. We realize and recognize today that Paul emphasizes the fact that the walk you and I have been called to is a walk of love. If you and I stop to think about it, that is a natural starting point. Last week, I talked about introducing Jimmy Pop James; I introduced this series by looking at the most famous walker in the world, a man by the name of Enoch. The Bible says—y’all forgot that quickly—but the Bible says that Enoch walked with God, and when it was time for him to make his transition, he was not, for God took him. I argued last week that you and I may not do any great thing, but the greatest thing we can do is walk with God. Okay, I’m going to try that one more time. You and I may not do any great thing. We may not make a great mark in the world; we may not be known for some great event, occurrence, or accomplishment. Our names may never be recorded in the annals of history, but hey, y’all, if it can be said of you that you walked with God, that’s worth living your life for!

And Enoch—I don’t know how else to say it, Angie—Enoch walked with God, and when it was time for him to be transitioned, he was not, for God took him. So, last week, I introduced this series with a general overall introduction using Enoch as our example for the Walk of the Believer. Now today, I started rolling it out, looking every week at another aspect, another element, another component, as it were, of the nature of our walk, and today we start with the fact that ours is a walk of love. Let me say it one more time, in case you didn’t get it: that is a natural place for us to stop, and here’s why: because God is love, beloved. In fact, I would argue, suggest, and surmise that if you were to ask almost anyone—whether they are a believer or not, whether they are a Christian or not, whether they are a follower of Christ or not—if you were to ask almost anybody, «What is God like? What is the nature of God?» I think most everyone would answer, «God is love.» The reason I say that is not based on empirical evidence, but I do have anecdotal evidence for that. Uncle George, here’s why: because the most famous verse in the Bible is John 3:16. I mean, your cousin Clem—I hope you don’t have a cousin Cliff, because I ain’t talking about him—your cousin Clem, on his drunkest day, come on y’all, will know he’d be bobbing and weaving, and he could quote John 3:16: «For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.» For God so loved the world! It doesn’t matter whether they say it or not; if you were to ask them what God is like, most of them, the majority, the overwhelming majority, would answer, «God is love.»

Now, let me stop right there, Deacon DD. I am aware, because I know y’all are sitting there saying, «Now, he’s awfully excited about that, but I don’t agree with it.» So let me help you. I am aware there are those who see God as this mean, vindictive, almost «girl-like» divinity. I realize that. I know there are some folks who think nothing good about God. I’m not saying folk like that don’t exist; I am saying the overwhelming majority of people have a positive view of God. When asked what God is like, based on their knowledge of John 3:16, most would answer, «God is love.»

Now, beloved, that reality ought to help us, ought to make us glad, because it means our job is a little bit easier when it comes to witnessing to unbelievers about God. If people are kindly predisposed toward God, if people have a positive view of God, then when we start, Daryl, talking to them about God, we don’t have to work as hard, because they already have a good view of God. Now that’s the positive side. Can I tell you the negative side of that? If folk believe God is love and they know John 3:16, and they can quote it even when they are high—come on, don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about—because in my age, you know, you have a daddy, maybe, or an uncle who wasn’t saved. They go out partying on Saturday night, and they come back in on Sunday morning, drunk as they could be, three, five, seven shades in the wind. Then they turn on the record player—see, that shows you you gotta be old—they turn on the record player, 33 and a half, black wax with a handle and a needle and a nickel on the needle so it wouldn’t skip. Where’s my help?