August 20, 2015

"Love never fails" I Corinthians 13:8

What would you do if you knew you couldn't fail?

Perhaps you have failed to think like that so that question hits you cold.

Think about it!

In this concluding verse of our Summer Bible Study the Apostle Paul is saying, "Love works every time it is tried!"

Doesn't that sound good?

But you may be thinking, "Brad, I have done loving things and they failed to get the results I expected."

Haven't we all done that? We reached out with a loving deed or gesture and received a rebuke or a rejection or perhaps were ignored. Love rebuffed is very hurtful.

So, how can it be true that love never fails?

For Pete's sake, God did the most loving thing ever when He sent His only Son into the world and His Son was murdered viciously on a cross.    

How can we reconcile that with the Scriptural claim that love never fails?    

The word used for "fails" in the original language was a word used in the theater and referred to a performance that did not get booed off the stage. Apparently in the ancient Greek plays you were a success if your acting didn't get boos from the audience. If you drew boos with your acting then you were judged a failure.

Talk about tough crowds!

If a professional actor gives the best performance he is capable of giving but someone didn't like it, does that mean he has failed?

How many times have you read the critical reviews of a movie or a play and found that several critics rate the performance highly while others didn't like it?

Remember, Paul is writing here to describe God's perfect "agape" (supernatural) love. How many times has His perfect love been rejected or rebuffed?

When God's love gets rejected does that make Him a failure? Does it mean His love has failed?

Hardly!

So, in the context of this Scripture it says this, "Love never gets booed off the stage". 

God is the final critic! He knows when your expression of love is sincere even if others do not.

For example, when you choose patience and kindness over envy, boastfulness or arrogance you have not failed to choose righteousness! Your love has not failed regardless of how it is received.

Loving is about righteousness not about results. 

Therefore, "Love never fails!"

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

August 19, 2015

"It (love) always perseveres......"

You are the product of your decisions, as am I.

Lifetime consequences are usually the result of momentary decisions.

I can think of a few. I'm sure you can as well.

That's good to remember when you consider this characteristic of Godly love. Enduring love depends on daily decisions made in real time often on the spur of the moment. So, that being true, thoughtless or emotion driven decisions will not serve you well.

How then do you make decisions that will cause love to endure in your life? What is a practice that will produce a love that perseveres?

Great question!

It addresses the very reason Paul penned this epistle to the Corinthians!

Love that perseveres decides to be patient and kind in those pressure packed moments of daily life. It decides to take the grief and give grace rather and being envious, boastful, or arrogant. It is a momentary decision but it has enduring consequences!

Love that perseveres chooses to seek God's will and resists the urge to dishonor others, be self-centered, lose your temper or be vindictive. It is an instantaneous decision that requires devotion rather than emotion. Again, a momentary decision with monumental impact.

Love that perseveres resists the evil nature and clings to God's truth. While this requires counter-intuitive thinking and spiritual discipline that only the Holy Spirit can provide, it is possible even in the moment of temptation. Private choices get exposed in public ways.

Love that perseveres intentionally chooses to protect others rather than be defensive, chooses to give others the benefit of the doubt rather than be suspicious, and chooses to be optimistic rather than pessimistic toward others. Those decisions are made numerous times during the pressures of daily living but have profound effects on who you become.

One of the many ironies of Christian growth is lasting eternal consequences result from instantaneous and momentary choices. That's quite sobering isn't it?

How can you do this without a heart and mind completely transformed by the power of His love through the Holy Spirit?

Perhaps that needs to be your next decision?

August 18, 2015

"It (love) always perseveres....." I Corinthians 13:7

Love has a tender side but it also has a tough side.

As a parent, you have a tender love for your child(ren) but occasionally they will place themselves on the tough side of your love and face your discipline.

Part of the reason that is true is found in this characteristic of love. The word picture painted by the original language is a military term that signifies a soldier "holding his ground" under attack from the enemy.

So, the idea expressed in "love always perseveres" is that love stakes out a position and holds that ground. When it comes to faith and following Christ stake yourself to the position of His righteousness. Everyone who shares that position will find love tender but those who oppose the position will find love tough and unyielding.

God enjoyed many tender moments with Adam and Eve as they walked together in the Paradise call Eden. We can only try to imagine how amazing that must have been to walk and talk with God.

But when Adam and Eve rebelled against God they put themselves on the tough side of God's love. His holiness and righteousness "held its ground" while they moved to unrighteousness and sin.

The amazing thing about God is even when He showed Adam and Eve His tough love by removing them from the Garden, He did it as an act of mercy to protect them from access to the Tree of Life.

Because of the First Adam's sin, mankind was moved away from the tender side of God's love to the tough side of His love. 

So, because of God's tender love for you and for me He chose to send His Son to be the Second Adam. Born of a virgin and conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus, the sinless Son of God put Himself on the tough side of God's love when He took your sins and my sins upon Himself on the cross. He bore the wrath of a Holy God so you and I can once again experience the tender side of God's love.

God is calling you to His tender love. He wants you to know the joy of being on the tender side of His love and enduring there.

Love has a tender love and a tough side.

Have you chosen sides?

August 17, 2015

I don't know about you, but I don't always take disappointment well. When you have dreamed of something and strategized and sacrificed to make it happen - but God says, "No!", that's not easy!"

With that in mind I was impressed and inspired by King David when Nathan the Prophet told him that he would not get to build the Lord's Temple. David had hoped that his legacy would be building the Temple during his reign.

So how did he respond to this distressing news? Here's your answer:

"Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? And as if this were not enough in your sight, O God, you have spoken about the future of the house of your servant. You have looked on me as though I were the most exalted of men, O LORD God. "What more can David say to you for honoring your servant? For you know your servant, O LORD. For the sake of your servant and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made known all these great promises. "There is no one like you, O LORD, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears. And who is like your people Israel—the one nation on earth whose God went out to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for yourself, and to perform great and awesome wonders by driving out nations from before your people, whom you redeemed from Egypt? You made your people Israel your very own forever, and you, O LORD, have become their God. "And now, LORD, let the promise you have made concerning your servant and his house be established forever. Do as you promised, so that it will be established and that your name will be great forever. Then men will say, 'The LORD Almighty, the God over Israel, is Israel's God!' And the house of your servant David will be established before you. "You, my God, have revealed to your servant that you will build a house for him. So your servant has found courage to pray to you. O LORD, you are God! You have promised these good things to your servant. Now you have been pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O LORD, have blessed it, and it will be blessed forever."

I Chronicles 17:16-27

Wow! That is character! That is commitment to the will of God!

How does your character measure against that of King David? 

How did you respond the last time things didn't go your way? 

What will you do next time?

August 16, 2015

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith was not made out of what was visible." Hebrews 11:1-3

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6

"It (love) always trusts......" I Corinthians 13:7

Three ways we can know God loves us are the same three ways we can know if we love Him.

If you fully trust that God is your Creator and are willing to submit to His authority that is evidence you love God.

That's what the "ancients" were commended for, they never doubted God was their Creator and the Creator of every living thing. So, when He called them to do very difficult like offer a son as a sacrifice or build an ark they were willing to trust God! If they had doubts they gave Him the benefit of their doubts.

How do you know Abraham, Noah, Moses or David loved God? Because they honored Him as Creator and built their faith on that fact.

Do you?

Secondly, if you trust fully in His character it is evidence you love God.

Abraham, Noah, Moses, David and all the other heroes believed God was Who He says He is and that if they obeyed Him He would reward their faith. They did and He did and Hebrews 11 records it!

Sometimes their trust in His character was all their had to go on. So, when they had doubts they gave Him the benefit of the doubt based on His character.

Perhaps the best expression of this truth comes from the great 19th Century preacher, Charles Spurgeon. He preached to thousands every week and yet struggled with frequent bouts of deep depression. No, doubt he must have struggled with faith in those dark times. But we know he loved God by his strong declaration of faith, "When I cannot see God's hand I can trust His heart."

Do you?

Third, if you trust in His Christ for the salvation of your soul, you love God and God's love will flood your soul.

It's the goal of God's love!

It's what Abraham, Noah, Moses, David and all the faith heroes could only long for. 

You can love God because He first loved you and sent His Son to demonstrate His love. God's love gave you the benefit of the doubt so you can have the chance to trust in Jesus.

Do you?

August 15, 2015

What a Savior we have!

In John Chapter 6 we see Him as the Bread of Life! He bids us to feed on Him.

In John 8 He identifies Himself as great than Abraham.

In Chapter 9 he presents Himself as the Light of the World and illustrates it by healing a blind man!

Wow! What a Savior!

Moving on to Chapter 10 he refers to Himself as the Good Shepherd. His description sounds a lot like Psalm 23!

As a pastor friend of mine once declared, "When the Lord is your Shepherd - the future is your friend!" Here's why:

He Leads Us!

A hireling or a sheep rustler drives the sheep, but the Good Shepherd leads us. He leads us into the safety of His presence! He leads us into the security of His pasture! He leads us into the abundance of His truth. He speaks gently to us and calls us by name as He leads us. Think of that, the Good Shepherd knows your name!

He Loves Us!

A hireling or a rustler has no regard for the sheep. They mean nothing to them. To them the sheep are a necessary inconvenience. They lead the flock only for their own personal benefit. So when the sheep are threatened, they will flee to protect themselves. But the Good Shepherd loves His sheep. He provides for them. He protects them. He prays for them. He will give His life to save them. Think about that! You are loved by the Good Shepherd!

He leads us. He loves us. And:

He Laid Down His Life for Us.

Verse 10 sums up the desire of the Good Shepherd and the destiny of His sheep:

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they might have life, and have it to the full!"

To quote my friend - "When the Lord is your Shepherd, the future is your friend!"

August 14, 2015

“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.” Hebrews 11:1-3

^“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

“It (love) always trusts…..” I Corinthians 13:7

The eleventh chapter of Hebrews is filled with heroes of the faith who gave God the benefit of the doubt in some very challenging circumstances.

Abraham kept on believing for his promised son.

Noah had never experienced rain or built a boat but he believed God to save his family.

Moses faced the Pharaoh and the Red Sea.

David fearlessly faced Goliath and knocked him dead.

Hebrews 11:1-3 & 6 give three reasons why God deserves the benefit of the doubt.

If you can believe God spoke the universe into existence then you should be able to give Him the benefit of the doubt. If He has the power to that you should be able to trust Him to do what He says. The godly heroes mentioned prominently in Hebrews 11 believed God was the Creator so it was easy to trust Him for other things.

God deserves the benefit of the doubt from you because of His greatness and power revealed in His creation.

Because of God’s Character – “anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him”

You can tell a lot about a person by the work he does and what he produces. When you look at the beauty and majesty of His creation you know God is worthy of your trust!

Also, you can judge a person’s character by how he keeps his promises. The Bible records that everything God promised to Abraham, Noah, Moses, and David He delivered! And then some!

God deserves the benefit of the doubt from you because of His character.

Because of His Christ

The best reason for trusting God is because He gave His only Son to die on the cross for our sins. Who else would do that for you?

For centuries the prophets foretold the coming of the Messiah, God’s Son.

It did happen the way God said it would, through His prophets. Jesus was what the prophets foretold and more!

God is worthy of your trust!’

Because of His great love God provided a way that you can be saved and become a new creation!