Daily Archives: February 11, 2010

Ten Ways to Recognize True Love

Sunday Morning Sermons

I Corinthians 13:4-7

Preached Sunday Morning, February 14, 2010

 

Introduction:

 

          This morning we were reminded of the fact that love is needed in all of our Christian activities.  We saw that a soul winner without love is just noisy.  We saw that even if a person proclaims God’s revelation by unveiling mysteries, expounding knowledge and demonstrating faith; without love he is nothing.  We saw that sacrifice must be accompanied by true agape love, or there will be no reward.

 

          With all of this in mind, it is imperative that we learn how to recognize true love.  This kind of agape love is not an emotion.  It is characterized by a series of choices made.  Ask God to examine your heart and expose your true motives as we study ten ways to recognize true agape love.

 

I.                   Agape love is long suffering

 

1 Corinthians 13:4 – Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

A.     It puts up with slights and neglects

 

2 Timothy 2:25-26 – 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.  

B.     Will not get easily offended

Psalm 119:165 – Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. 

II.                Agape love is kind – searches for opportunities to do good to the object of love

Luke 6:34-36 – 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. 35 But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. 36 Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

III.             Agape love envies not

A.     Envy is an indicator of the presence of evil

James 3:14-16 – 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.  16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

1 Peter 2:1 – Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

B.     Is others focused

Philippians 2:3 – Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

IV.              Agape love subdues pride and vainglory

A.     Does not brag

B.     Is not proud

Proverbs 13:10 – Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.

V.                 Agape love does not misbehave

1 Corinthians 13:5 – Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

A.     Is courteous

1 Peter 3:8 – Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous:

B.     Will never tempt to sin with the phrase: “If you love me…”

VI.              Agape love does not seek her own – is others-centered

1 Corinthians 12:25 – That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

Philippians 2:4 – Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

VII.           Agape love is not easily provoked, or hot-tempered

Proverbs 14:17 – He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly: and a man of wicked devices is hated.

James 1:19-20 – 19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

VIII.        Agape love thinks no evil

A.     Is not suspicious or mistrusting in nature

Genesis 31:32 – With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern thou what is thine with me, and take it to thee. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

B.     Often suspicion betrays the one of whom people should be suspicious!

2 Samuel 10:1-5 – And it came to pass after this, that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead. 2 Then said David, I will shew kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father shewed kindness unto me. And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David’s servants came into the land of the children of Ammon. 3 And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?  4 Wherefore Hanun took David’s servants, and shaved off the one half of their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away. 5 When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed: and the king said, Tarry at Jericho until your beards be grown, and then return.

IX.              Agape love has pleasure…

1 Corinthians 13:6 – Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

A.     Not in evil things

Romans 1:32 – Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them. 

B.     Only in truth

3 John 4 – I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

X.                 Agape love will last

1 Corinthians 13:7 – Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

A.     Bears all things – putting a veil over sin

Proverbs 10:12 – Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.

1 Peter 4:8 – And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.

B.     Believes all things – believing good about the object of love

Philippians 1:6 – Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 

C.     Never gives up hope for repentance and reform

2 Timothy 2:25-26 – 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.  

D.    Weathers all storms

Genesis 29:20 – And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

Without Love

Sunday Evening Sermons

I Corinthians 13:1-3

Preached Sunday Evening February 14, 2010

 

Introduction:

 

          True agape love cannot be manufactured.  It is the outward evidence of inward surrender to the convicting and leading of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.  All too often we try to evaluate our spiritual walk in non-spiritual terms.  Rather than searching our hearts as to the quality of our love toward God and toward others, we value the quantity of something we produce – whether it is professions of faith, time spent in service, or money sacrificed.  Today we will see that the significance of these actions fade away if they are done without love.

 

I.                   It is possible to be a witnessing Christian, yet lack love

 

1 Corinthians 13:1 – Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

A.     Purpose of tongues

 

1.     Reach the lost in their own language

 

Acts 2:5-11 – 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.  7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, 10  Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome,  Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.

2.     Tongues are a sign to unbelievers

1 Corinthians 14:22 – Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

3.     These special sign gifts passed away when Scriptures were completed

1 Corinthians 13:8-10 – 8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.  9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Revelation 22:18-19 – 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 

4.     Tongues, then, were simply the God-given ability to cross barriers and give people the good news of the Gospel of Christ

B.     It is possible to preach the Gospel without love

Philippians 1:15-16 – 15 Some indeed preach Christ even of envy and strife; and some also of good will: 16 The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds:

1.     Some preach out of envy

2.     Some preach out of strife

C.     We should preach the Gospel in love

1.     By looking with compassion upon the harvest field

Matthew 9:36-38 – 36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.  37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few; 38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

2.     Without love, your Gospel message is just loud and annoying noise!

II.                It is possible to be a “deep” Christian, yet lack love

1 Corinthians 13:2 – And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

A.     You could understand mysteries, but lack love

1.     Mystery = “that which, being outside the range of unassisted natural apprehension, can only be known by divine revelation”

2.     These mysteries are revealed to believers by the indwelling Holy Spirit

Matthew 13:11 – He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

1 Corinthians 2:14 – But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

1 Timothy 3:16 – And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

B.     You can gain knowledge, but lack love

1.     Knowledge = seeking to know through inquiry and investigation

2.     This kind of knowledge can fan the flames of pride, if there is no love present

1 Corinthians 8:1 – Now as touching things offered unto idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.

C.     You can have all kinds of faith, but lack love

1.     Faith can move mountains without love

Matthew 17:20 – And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Matthew 21:21 – Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

2.     One could do great works without love

Matthew 7:22-23 – 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

D.    The person possessing these “deep” qualities, let lacking love is viewed by God as nothing

1 John 4:8,20-21 – 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 20 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? 21 And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

III.             It is possible to be a sacrificial Christian and yet love

1 Corinthians 13:3 – And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

A.     You could sacrifice your possessions and yet lack love

1.     For the praise of men

John 12:43 – For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

2.     For political gain

B.     You could sacrifice your body, yet lack love

1.     Out of obligation

2.     Because of reputation

C.     Sacrifice without love will not produce any results

Matthew 6:1-4 – Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.  2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

1 Corinthians 3:12-15 – 12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; 13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.  14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. 15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

Conclusion:

          How is your love life?  Are you a soul winner?  Great!  Do you preach the Gospel out of your love for Christ and for the lost, or merely out of a sense of duty or political savvy?  How is your love life?  Are you a “deep” Christian?  Do you understand deep spiritual mysteries?  Do you possess great biblical knowledge?  Do you exhibit great faith?  Amen!  But if you have those “deep” qualities without a love for Christ, the lost, and the brethren, you are nothing.  How is your love life?  Are you a sacrificial Christian?  Have you given your money and even your physical strength for the cause of Christ?  Amen!  But if you did so for any other motivation than love, you will not earn the reward.  God help us to live our lives dedicated to loving Christ, His sheep, and the lost.