Loving as He
The sermon emphasizes the importance of loving others as God loves them, recognizing God's responsibility for others, and trusting in His love and provision.
Rees Howells shares a powerful testimony of how the Holy Spirit challenged him to love and care for every tramp on the road, mirroring the father's love for the prodigal son in the parable. Through divine prompting, Rees and his friend extended help, lodging, and work to sixteen tramps, including a family of four, even welcoming them into their home. Despite facing opposition and concerns from family members, Rees stood firm in his conviction to show Christ-like love, leading to a transformation in the tramps' behavior and ultimately highlighting the difference between natural and spiritual love.
Text
When the Holy Spirit asked me to love every tramp on the road it was not I who really became responsible for them but God. He said, "You do to them what the father did to his prodigal son in the parable." I knew well what that father did; I had preached on it many times! The Lord said, "I died for each one of these, and when you love as I love, you will be willing even to die for them." Only the Holy Spirit could do that. Certainly I could give money to them but he wanted to make intercessions for them.
The night after he spoke to me about them, there was a tramp in the meeting in the mission for the first time. Not one had come before this, but now they came, one after another, until at one time there were sixteen, including a family of four. My friend and I helped them, found lodgings and work for them, but then they started coming to my home and the Lord told me I was not to take a place at home that my family would not give them. I realised then that the position was going to be tested.
It came when my brothers complained that the tramps showed no respect and usually seated themselves in his chair. They also feared that some harm might come to my mother through them. My father knew that if he turned the tramps out, I would walk out that instant and he stood on my side. He said, "You all bring your friends to the house and if Rees has sunk so low that he only has tramps for his friends, they must be free to come too." The test had lasted for months but after this not one tramp came to my home. The test was not between the tramps and my parents but between natural love and spiritual love.
Sermon Outline
- The Call to Love
- The Test of Love
- The Victory of Spiritual Love
- The tramps' absence after the test
- The true nature of the test
- The father's decision
Key Quotes
“The Lord said, 'I died for each one of these, and when you love as I love, you will be willing even to die for them.'” — Rees Howells
“Only the Holy Spirit could do that.” — Rees Howells
“The test had lasted for months but after this not one tramp came to my home.” — Rees Howells
Application Points
- Recognize God's responsibility for others and seek to love them as He loves them.
- Trust in God's love and provision, and seek His guidance and wisdom in loving others.
- Overcome your natural fears and concerns by seeking to love others as God loves them.