Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Love, 02/07/16

SERMON 1 COR 13 LOVE

13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecyand can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror;then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Not in a series, I can talk about whatever I want to talk about. 

1 cor is not really 1 corinthians………..
1 cor 5:9  I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—

Three pictures of this passage
1.      As seen by those who love

2.     As directed vs the spiritually arrogant
Stuck in the gifts- arrogant christianity
And now in response to sensational Christianity, Paul says,
And now I will show you the most excellent way.
Gifts and spirituality in the light of love
The things that you all think are religious and spiritual are not.
Do you want to know about spirituality…………..here is the most excellent way

If you have it all but have not love………steve jobs and his daughter
And his employees

3.     As seen by those who are broken and beset by life
  
 WHAT IS LOVE?  So what do we know about love?

1Love is not attraction
I think you are beautiful
You send me into orbit
What happens when you lose your beauty?
We all know beautiful people who are not beautiful inside
What happens when I really learn about the nature of love?

2Love is not dependence
Two dominoes leaning on each other
I can’t live without you
A story- What does your fiancée see in you?  She thinks I am handsome, bright, and a good dancer.  And what do you see in her?  She thinks I am handsome, bright, and a good dancer.
The scripture says - Love is not self seeking

3Love is not desire
There needs to be some - desire in a relationship
It cannot predominately
          focus on what I get from you- size of the dowry

so if that is what love is not, here are some handles on love

1Love is indiscriminate
The shade of a tree
The fragrance of the rose
The light of a lamp
Love has no particular object.  It just is.
If we only love those who love us, what is that?

 Mt 543"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[h] and hate your enemy.' 44But I tell you: Love your enemies[i] and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

The rain falls on the just and the unjust
There are no good and bad people
God so loved the world that he gave…………

2Love is truly generous
Not coercive, manipulative or controlling
Gives expecting nothing in return
How can we learn this?
Expose your false love, your selfishness
Look what shows up in its place
Love is not self seeking

3Love is unselfconscious
It is blissfully unaware of itself
It becomes a natural part of who we are
Imbedded into our dna – our true north
We don’t even know that it is happening
The left hand does not know……
When were you hungry and we fed you? Mt. 25

4To love someone is to forgive
To not be bound by unpleasant circumstances
Father forgive them…

And so, love exists outside of, in spite of, circumstances.

5.Love keeps no record of wrongs
Challenges me to the core
Love keeps no record of wrongs. Towards yourself, toward others

The story of the bishop and the woman who talked to god
The problem is not that the bishop sinned
The problem is that the bishop could not forgive himself

Has someone wronged you
If you asked for forgiveness, and offered it –
What is the result?  We don’t always know for them
But we  know in our hearts we are clean.

Keep no record of wrongs.  Not forgive, but don’t even start the list

5LOVE EXPRESSES ITSELF IN ACTS OF KINDNESS
Loving thoughts and feelings are fine and valuable
But the highest form of love is love that is acted upon
Something must be said or done

“A bell's not a bell 'til you ring it A song's not a song 'til you sing it Love in your heart wasn't put there to stay Love isn't love 'til you give it away!”
Oscar Hammerstein

And so the bible is filled with not just thoughts but action
We like to think of faith as private.
I believe in jesus.  That’s enough
But over and over again we are pointed to act

The scripture asks us - - Not just think nice thoughts about your enemy
Love your enemy
Be devoted to one another
Honor one another
Live in harmony
All actions

6.So love is a decision to care.  To invest.
Some years ago, Brian Swanson gave me a book – love does.  Bob Goff.
Love just does
I am here for you.
It sometimes includes feelings and sometimes it does not
Common misnomer that love is a feeling…… it is so much more

7.Love is Your ministry for Christ
When we love, its not about us
Those who love play the role of the servant
Love is to give, not to take

  I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN GROW IN LOVE
Love is something that we can learn about
No excuses
         I was raised in a dysfunctional home
         I was poor
         I was…..whatever
You can choose to change.
I have witnessed big strong men decide to become people of love
The wives are ecstatic
The husbands are pretty happy inside about it too
  
Truly loving people try to improve
 Love is like a drug.  When you get the knack of it, you want to do it more and better
Loving people actively work on themselves
I love you, but I am a finished product.  I am what I am
Does that sound like love??

Love is a journey toward healthy living
Richard Rohr – every decision in life is either based in fear or love
Dysfunction, selfishness, anger, spiteful words = fear based
Caring, forgiving, embracing, seeing the good - Are love based

Love is the mark of the Christian.  The sign
It trumps doctrine, though healthy teaching is good. Love trumps it.
Love is the core of the best of it
Financial gifts not given in love have a completely different ring to them
Missions work without love are simply good works
Love is the mark of the Christian

CONCLUSION--Love never fails
All of the things that humans think will come to an end
We see thru a glass dimly- darkly
·        I have lived a self centered life many times.
·        I have sought as a Christian to live a life of love
·        To the extent that I am selfish, I find pain.
·        To the extent that I am able to love, I find peace.

Hyperspirituality is challenged by paul.  Prophecies shall cease.  Tongues shall cease.
There is something though that will not end, that goes on forever
we are left w faith, hope and love.


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