Our lesson is simply entitled love.
In fact, we're going to be focusing on First Corinthians,
the 13th chapter and we're going to read just a few verses.
What I'd like to do is I'd like to break down Verses 4 through
8. We often read the chapter of
love as it is called and as we read this and we talked about
it, we typically talk about the context.
We talk about the end of the chapter.
By love, will never cease. We talked about various things,
but what I want to do this morning, Because I want to focus
of how these definitions. The attributes of Love, apply to
you. And me, I think that's really
important. How do they act out in our lives
today? Not just how it applied to them,
but how does it apply to us? This moment and as a way of
introduction like to read from Hebrews the sixth chapter and
verses 1, the Bible says therefore leaving the discussion
of the elementary principles of Christ.
Let us go to on to Perfection not laying again, the foundation
of repentance. It's from dead works of Faith
towards God and I hope by the end of this lesson.
This verse will make sense to you.
What it means is that we're not going to talk about the very
basics of Christianity, but we're going to go on to
Perfection when it go on to completion and I think loves one
of those ways that we do that. If you would turn your Bibles
over to 1st Corinthians, the 13th chapter and verses for like
to read these verses as a way of kind of focusing.
What we're about to do. First Corinthians 13, starting
in verse 4. Love suffers long and is kind
love does not envy. Love does not parade itself, is
not puffed up. Does not behave itself.
Does not behave rudely, does not seek its own is not provoked,
thinketh no evil does not rejoice in iniquity, but
rejoices in the truth Bears, all things believes all things,
hopes all these endures, all things love Never fails.
And so these are the attributes. I'd like to break down to be
completely honest with you. I don't think I'm going to get
through them all. It's a lot of information here
to be talked about but I I want everyone to know at the end of
this I want to give a little test to us.
It's a love test. Now don't be alarmed.
I'm not gonna hand out papers. I'm not going to answer you, ask
you to give me answers, but I am going to give you a test and I
want you to answer it within yourself.
Do you? Show love as a Christian and so
the first characteristic of love says that love suffers long.
Well, the tells us a great wealth of information.
First of all, it tells us that love is patient.
The patient's is a very difficult thing to have
sometimes especially when you're going through hard times, but it
also has a deeper meaning, it means to be long tempered that's
a word. We don't really use an English
being long temper. What does that mean?
Mean, well, it's the opposite of what it means to be
short-tempered, we know what it is to have that person in our
life that short-tempered right. You don't want to go ask him a
question. You don't want to go around him
because well, he's short-tempered, he's gonna get
mad, you know. Have you ever seen somebody like
that? That really short-tempered.
They tried to show you something.
I know a number of people at work like this, they show you
something that just expect you to remember the 30 steps and he
just showed you and when you ask them a question to get all
irritated at you, The first characteristic of love says that
it is long tempered. It's the opposite of this.
It is patient with people. Remember that verse in Matthew
18? 22 it says how often should we
forgive our brother? Remember that verse that little
Parable? Jesus gives Peter said well I
have four shot, forgive my brother seven times.
Jesus said no, Seventy Times Seven, he goes on and gives a
parable. They simply means that we had to
forgive people numbers of times and limited amount just like
Christ forgives us, our God, forgives us and say how hard it
is when somebody does something ill against us to forgive them.
It's hard, isn't it? I don't know about you but when
somebody does something that I feel that is unjust and and it
hurts my feelings, it is hard to be long tempered.
But the Bible says that Christians are long tempered we
consider, we weigh the facts. We endure, no matter what is
going on or surrounding us. We are patient.
James says, like this and I love James, James is such a practical
letter. I love how direct and blunt
James writing is James Wanted for says, but let patience have
her perfect work that ye may be perfect, and complete lacking
nothing. See love is absolute patience.
And so with that comes kindness and all the other attributes
we're about to talk about. So the very first attribute of
love is kind of an encompassing idea of everything else that's
about to follow. So the question is are we
patient? When we're in a situation that
is beyond our control, you know, I was trying to think of a real
good example of this. Think of a concentration camps
during World War 2. You can kiss, all you could say
well those people had long-suffering.
Well yes that's true. That was very difficult for
those people to go through that. but what this is talking about
is, when you're in that situation, you choose To be
long-suffering you choose how you behave.
You don't get mad or frustrated, No Matter What man does to you,
no matter how they treat you. This is the characteristic of
love and I think out of all the ones that we're going to speak
about this is probably one of the most difficult ones who
achieve because it requires a great deal of self-control.
These verses go on and it says that love is kind.
Now I've heard this idea that Christians had to be kind and I
to be honest with you, I started trying to think of examples and
I started looking up definitions and I was like, well what does
it really mean to be kind, does it mean trying to please other
people? Is that what kindness is?
Well, no. Does it mean that we need to
give gifts or to do good things to people, expecting something
in return? Is that what kindness is?
I don't think so. So what does it mean to be kind?
What does it mean to have the characteristics of love of
kindness? Well, it means to be mellowed.
Hints love is not sharp tongue. Love is soft-spoken and it is
considerate of people. Now I want to Define what I mean
by this, because I really struggled with this, with myself
of trying to find what it really means to be kind.
And I think a lot of times we mix kindness up with being the
nice guy, and let me explain this being the nice guy.
That's the person that really does.
Nice things for selfish reasons. He's the person that won't tell
you when you're doing something wrong because he would be afraid
to hurt your feelings. The relationship.
He's the person that maybe we'll give a gift expecting something
in return. He's the person at work.
That always is Buddy buddies with everybody but you can tell
he's in sincere. In other words it comes from a
selfish act. That is not what Paul is
speaking about here. What are you speaking about?
Is the opposite Kindness is something we do because we
choose to do it. It is not done because it
benefits Us in some way we do it because it's the right thing to
do. So what does that mean?
What means that when we pay somebody a compliment we mean it
when we go and help somebody move or help somebody do this or
that, whatever it maybe we don't do it expecting something in
return. That's kindness.
Now that's a hard thing to do because it requires being
patient. Doesn't not the greatest example
of this is the Good Samaritan. Even call that parable of Jesus
giving about the Good Samaritan. Now there's a whole wealth of
information is lessons on lessons.
You can talk about here, but there was three men who walked
by this man, that was suffering. The first one, paid no attention
to him. The second said that he examined
it enough to kind of know what was going on and chose not to
help and he went on, but what the third guy do?
Well, you helped him. He picked him up.
He took him to an end. He gave money, he said, take
care of this, man. Here's a lump sum of money.
If it requires more money, when I get back, it doesn't matter.
Do what you can to help this, man.
Now, that's real kindness. He had preparation.
He was ready to do, right by God.
And he expected nothing in return.
Matthew 7 verses 12, he says therefore whatever you want man
to do to. You do also to them for, this is
the law in the prophet. That's the golden rule of
Christianity, treat other people as you want to be treated treat
people with kindness because that's the attribute of love.
He goes on and I think out of all the lists that he gives
here, this is probably the worst one and he says love does.
Not envy. Now, if you're sitting here
today, you think you can be a little envious of somebody just
a little bit and still be a Christian.
I have another thing coming for you What does it mean to Envy is
jealousy, bitterness. Its hatred of prosperity of
other people. That's literally what means to
be envious. Now doesn't sound like those are
things that a Christian should be is, does it not it's the
opposite of contentment? People who feel this way, we'll
never find happiness. I can promise you that there was
much psychology around this idea and they will never be content
and that's the idea of being a Christian is being content.
Whether we're poor or Rich, no matter what I want in life is
where to be content and so we as Christians are not envious.
See the problem with being Envy it's we start looking externally
as set of internally and when we start looking at other people,
we start evaluating what their prosperity and things like this.
There's a problem there's a fundamental problem with this.
We're not comparing Apples to Apples.
I'm not you, you're not me. We're not the same people we
did. We weren't raised the same.
We don't come from the same background.
We don't have the same network. We're different.
And when we start looking to other people to solve our
problems that we'll only if I had this only, if this happened
we run into a real problem because that's kind of the root
of where jealousy comes from. James says it like this Jamie
says and 3 verse 16 says, for envy and self-seeking exist,
confusion and every evil things are there and how true of a
story that is Romans 1 and 29. Listen to this, I love this
because this is what God thinks about being Envy.
The envious Romans 129 says being filled with all
unrighteousness. He's listening off of a list of
sins here. All unrighteousness sexual
immorality wickedness covetousness, maliciousness full
of envy Do you know what the next word is murder?
The very next word is murder. God sees no different from us.
Being full of envy and murdering someone.
There is no difference in God's sight.
Well, let's give it an example of this, and then we'll move on.
We all remember that story back in the Old Testament of Cain and
Abel, right? Cain became jealous of his
brother and it welled up in him. He was looking externally trying
to figure out. Well, why am I not Prosper?
Prospering like my brother is why don't I have those things?
Why don't I have favored in God's sight, he knew what he
should be doing when you read and you kind of study that help
came knew what he should be doing.
He fact he had a conversation with God and he wasn't satisfied
with what God had to tell him. God.
Basically, you know, you look within stop looking without the
Bible says that his countenance fell, he became long face, he
became sad And boiled up a bitterness jealousy, and came to
a point that he murdered his brother.
There's pause and think about that for just a moment.
I'm close with my family, I don't know about you, but I'm
close with my brothers. I could never imagine being so
jealous of somebody else's Prosperity that I would murder
them, especially my brother He goes on and he says, love does
not parade itself. That is that love does not
boast. Love does not boast or brag
about itself really. This is the outward appearance
of the next point which is the idea of Pride.
So this is pride boiled up to the point that you think other
people should hear what you have to say and see your
accomplishment. That's what it means to be
boasting or to be bragging. It is the opposite of humility.
It's the complete opposite. Humility means to understand
your shortcomings and to overcome your pride.
I don't know if you've ever done that before, sit down, and
really evaluated yourself, and said, Where's my shortcomings?
Where's my problems? You know, it's really easy to
point a finger at somebody like this is it.
Well, you got this problem. You've got that for all.
I see that but I tell you it is much more difficult to point
your finger up yourself and see your own faults.
Because you have to admit, you are wrong, and that's a hard
thing for us to do. And so Paul says that love is
not boastful, does not brag it evaluates itself and it realizes
his shortcomings. And when you do that, let me
tell you, it's nearly impossible to brag.
Humility means to be powerful, but in control, I pause and
think about this Christians and all of their being bring their
mind, the body, their actions, everything about us.
We bring in subjection. Not only to ourselves but to
God's word. If you think that's an easy
thing to do, you got another thing coming, it's hard to
change your mindset, it's hard to change your language.
It's hard to change your behavior, it's not easy.
Christians are really some powerful people.
If you look at it that way, Jesus being the most powerful
person to ever exist yet, he was the humblest person, harmonious
human being that will ever be Humility.
Is control over what you have and realizing your shortcomings.
Proverbs 16:18, says Pride goes before the destruction, a
haughty spirit before the fall and true.
That is James. Once again, one of my favorite
letters. James 4:16.
Says but now, your boast, your boast, in your arrogance, all
such boasting is evil. Boasting is an evil thing and it
is not what God wants for you. And I It's when our pride builds
up and it explodes in an outward appearance.
And you know, these people every time you talk to him, they'll
tell you about their prosperity, you have met those people.
No matter what's going on, they'll find a way to fit in
hola. I landed this till, oh, I did
this. So I got in with this person ol,
I sold this famous person shook their hand.
They'll do something to tell you about the great works.
Because they think they're so important.
The Bible says love does not parade itself.
That is that love does not brag the root of this is the next
point that Paul makes it says love is not puffed up, that
means literally to blow oneself up.
It is pride at its root. The word refers to in an
inflated concept of One's Own importance.
That's really what it is. You think yourself more
important than what you are. That's Pride.
That's what it means to be. Puffed up.
Hey, so the Bible says here, that love does not do that.
That is not our characteristic. So not only does the Bible can
dim the outward appearance of boasting or Pride but it also
condemns the inward feeling of pride.
Listen to what Romans 12 and 3 says in the middle there, he
says, not to think of yourself more highly than you want to,
and that's true. We need to take a hard look at
ourselves. When we start thinking, we're
special, or we start thinking, we got everything figured out or
that we start thinking that, you know.
Look at me. We have another thing coming.
Like I said, this is the source of where bragging comes from.
Think about it from this perspective. these people had
spiritual gifts because Paul is talking to a congregation and
these people had, you know, the power of tongues the power of
knowledge, the power of healing, all these spiritual gifts, And
some did it? And Paul is telling them look,
especially Geo to those who have spiritual gifts.
Don't be proud of it. Don't think of yourself more
highly than you ought to. I'll bring that in today just
because we're educated just because we're no more of the
Bible are just because we know more of life does not mean that
we should think of ourselves higher than we ought to we're
all the same in God's sight. An example of this, in the
somebody I work with some time ago, I'll never forget this guy.
It was a co-worker once he'd walk around with his chest.
Puffed out his shoulders back, his nose slightly in the air and
every time he spoke to you he just spoke down to you.
If you have met somebody like that, just nothing.
Everything that comes out of their mouth.
No matter how innocent it makes sound was always talking down to
you as he was better. And it was no small thing in the
office. Everybody knew this guy.
In fact, he himself joked about him being prideful if you don't
know me, I'm a very curious person.
I like to ask questions and so I must have added up one time and
I decided I was going to go ask him why he was like this and so
I got them alone. I said, why do you why are you
so prideful? Why are you like this?
What's the point? I'll never forget this response.
He said, I act this way because I deserve respect and that's
what he thought of himself. I deserve respect.
Here's the fact. The man was not respectable,
that's why no one showed him respect.
And if you're walking around with pride in your life, let me
tell you. People can see it and they
understand it. And you will not be respected in
Man's eyes or in God's eyes, but we walk around with pride.
The Bible goes on here and it says does not behave itself,
Ruth, Lee. This is a big one because I've
ran into this. I'll tell you I came from the
world 15 years ago and I've had some mean, things done to me
before I became a Christian, but the most hurtful things that
have ever happened to me came from my fellow Christians.
Being rude. What does it mean to be rude to
be rude? Love does not conduct yourself
in a way that is contrary to. What is acceptable?
So, it's a little bit more than just plain being rude.
It really means not to do something that is to the
contrary to what is acceptable by most people.
Now that plays out in various of ways in our life, it simply
means to be unseemly. It is disgraceful.
Dishonorable disrespectful. It is somebody who doesn't care?
What? Others think?
I remember a story that a preacher told me one time and I
hope this is not a I really do. I don't think so if anybody in
here but I hope it's not us. I'm not going to give names, I
don't want anybody to know what I'm talking about, but this
preacher was holding a gospel meeting.
And a bunch of the Brethren decided Saturday morning, they
were going to get together and go to the Cracker Barrel.
They were all going to have coffee together and they would
just going to have a good time. So the big old long table of all
these men got together and they all have coffee.
Now, this place was absolutely packed.
Evidently there were a number of people who decided not to show
up to work that happens from time to time.
And so these young lady was the only one of the only server
there and she was running around with her head cut off like a
chicken. She was trying to get plates
out. She was trying to fill coffee.
Now, here's the sad part of the story, and Elder of this
congregation was sitting at this table.
And he didn't think his coffee was getting filled fast enough
and he called this young lady over and he, let her know what
he thought about his coffee, not being filled.
She went away crying and left. Whatever he said hurt her so
much as she broke down in tears and left.
Listen, Matthew 5:14 says, you are the light of the world.
A city that is set on a hill. Cannot be hid. you know, the sad
part of that story is That man ruined his opportunity to save
that soul. Because he was rude.
And how sad it with us when we are rude.
And when we behave in an unacceptable manner, Because we
think more highly. Or whatever.
The reason. How sad that is when we hide our
light, we hide our faith. And there is no way that young
lady thought he was a Christian because he was rude.
I'll move on here and it says in these verses says does not seek
its own that, is that love is not selfish.
Selfish person is not conduct. A seven person is only concerned
about his own pleasures and his own desires and its own
gratification. He doesn't care about other
people. He doesn't look to other people
love on the other hand, considers the wants and needs of
others. That's do, we consider the wants
and needs of the people around us.
Do we put other people first before ourselves?
Are we that type of person that doesn't really care what people
think? I've heard many people, I'll be
honest with you, I used to be that way.
I don't really care what people think, we should care what
people think we shared should care how people perceive us.
We should care about us being selfish or not selfish.
This generation that you and I lived on live in is the me
generation. Everything about the generation
that we live in right now. Everything on TV all the
advertisements, all the philosophies is all about me.
That's the world we live in. We're taught this from a little
kid. What do we tell our children?
Go get the best job. Go get the best education.
Go get the best car. The best house, the best things.
Me, me me you're receiving so bad that the bank's advertise
credit cards for vacations. Think about that going into debt
to go on a vacation. That's a me generation and it's
a sad thing that happens to people.
You never happened a little early on in this letter here and
Corinthians the 6th chapter. We would call just a little
while before this the Brethren were suing one another and it
got so bad that they were going into the community and a
community recognize that these brother were having all kinds of
conflict. And what did Paul tell them?
And some he said stop being selfish.
Maybe take the wrong maybe as they say knuckle under who cares
and move on. The world sees what you're
doing. Sees that you're being selfish.
And that's not right. That's not considerate, and
that's not okay. Love, considers the actions.
And the of light that love considers, the actions of itself
in light of what the world thinks about it.
Love does not seek its own next lie.
I'm going to speed this along here nextly.
The Bible says that love is not provoked.
That is that love does not get angry easily.
Now, here's another hard thing because I know a lot of people
get angry very easily. Have you ever seen someone that
is mad all the time? They just walk around angry
frustrated, something with the enema, just irritating.
It seems like they have a chip on their shoulder, doesn't it?
I think there's something special.
They are bitter. And no matter how small of
wrongdoing that is done. They are frustrated by it.
And see the Bible says that we are.
Not like that. When wrongdoing happens to us,
we don't become bitter over it. We don't become angry and
frustrated over it. We have a different attitude, we
have a different demeanor. Have you ever seen a 60 year old
man? This is the story that reminds
me of this in line at a, I don't know.
Walmart or something like that. Well, I seen at one time this
man at Walmart, I think he was 60 65 years old.
I don't know exactly how old he is.
But he was standing in line. He was yelling at this person
behind the cash register because he thought they should be able
to change the price of something as if they had that power.
Now, here's a man that supposed to be tempered aged supposed to
be mature. Have all those things that when
company age, right? But he demonstrated.
None of them, man. He was mad as Nels at this
person. He was going off.
Let me tell you something about anger.
Anger is not something you inherit as my cat has 23 toes.
No, no. Love is something you learn.
And just as fast as you learn to be angry and learn to get
frustrated, you need to unlearn it.
And that is hard to do and it is not easy.
But the Bible says that love is not easily provoked.
I want to make one point on this, and the reason why I think
it's so dangerous for us to get frustrated, be better, and to
get angry at things. What is the most powerful weapon
in the world? Think about it for a moment.
Did you say the nuclear bomb? That's what I said.
Let me tell you there's a weapon more powerful than nuclear bomb.
And that's our tongue. It's the most dangerous thing.
That man, man has It has moved and reshaped this world multiple
times. It has killed more people than
anything else and it is more dangerous than anything you
could ever imagine. And when you get angry and when
you're bitter, when you walk around for chip on your
shoulder, guess what? You're going to build that
weapon wrong and you're gonna hurt somebody in ways that you
don't want to hurt someone, we need to be mindful the way that
we talk the way that we act, because it has impact on this
world and on one another We thank you for listening to our
podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans.
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