June 12, 2015

"Love is patient. Love is kind." I Corinthians 13:4

Two of the best Biblical descriptions of God consist of a total of five words!

They are, "God is love" and the description God gave Himself, "I Am".

I Corinthians 13 gives the detailed description of "God is love." Where ever it says "love" in this chapter you could substitute "God" and it will still work well!

For example, our verse today - "God is patient. God is kind."

And, indeed, God IS patient toward me and kind to me!

His patience is an aspect of His nature and an expression of His grace.

I don't deserve His patience but He extends it to me. That is why it is grace!

Nor do I deserve His kindness but He has extended it to me! That is why it is grace!

Again, you could paraphrase the verse - "Grace is patient. Grace is kind" and it still works!

Likewise, you can take God's self-described moniker and use it here - "I Am Patient" or "I Am Kind". Yes He is!

It becomes even more meaningful when understand the word used for "patience" in thes Testament's writing. The word is "makrothumia" and it literally means "a long wrath". 

You have probably heard of the expression, "he has a short fuse". You know that means a person is quick-tempered. Well, this word literally means "long-fused". 

Another commentator offered the concept of a "high boiling temperature".

There are several Greek words used for patience or perseverance but this one, "makrothumia" refers to patience toward suffering inflicted by a person rather than a circumstance. It means someone who takes the cruelty or pain inflicted by another person and does not retaliate toward that person.

When you couple "patience" with "kindness" it becomes even more gracious! It conveys the idea of someone who absorbs the cruelty and responds with goodness, kindness, helpfulness or compassion.

That sure sounds like grace to me! That is precisely what God did for me!

God, in Christ, absorbed my sin, my evil, my rebellion, and responded with forgiveness and mercy! He was kind to me when I was not deserving of kindness!
"Love (Grace) (God) is patient. Love (Grace) (God) is kind."

Wow! That is the supernatural, unconditional, eternal, "agape" love that God had for me from the very core of His Being! It is Who He is!

God wants me to receive this love. He wants me to live in it and enjoy it. He want to shed it abroad in my heart so others will be drawn to it through me!

He wants to literally "love me to life" so He can love others to life through me!

This is "the more excellent way" Paul refers to in his letter to the Corinthians.

Who wouldn't want to live in love like that?

If it were available and offered freely to you why would you not take it?

June 11, 2015

"Love is patient." I Corinthians 13:4

During my senior year at Indiana Wesleyan University, several of my teammates on the IWU baseball team heard the Kansas City Royals were hosting a tryout in a nearby town.

Each of these guys was good enough to entertain a realistic dream of playing professional ball. Each guy could hit for average, could hit for power, could hit with men on base, and could play his position. So, when they headed for the tryout they went with high hopes!

I was anxious to hear how each of them would fare! 

Later, I found their big league dreams had come a to sudden, rude and unexpected end.

Here's what happened. The scouts lined up the prospects and timed them in the 40 yard dash. If they didn't run the 40 yards under a certain time they were immediately dismissed from the tryout.

They thought they had what it took to play pro baseball. So did I. But despite all their skills, they lacked the required speed. No speed, no chance.

Likewise, in the realm of faith, love is the cut line for believers. If you have love you have a chance but no love, no chance.

With that in mind the question becomes, "What is love?" or,  "How do I know if I have love?"

Paul, writing to the Christians at Corinth clearing lays out the qualities that give evidence of love. The first quality of godly love is patience.

If you have patience, you have godly love. If you don't, you don't.

Like my baseball buddies who thought they had what it took to make it to the next level, Paul candidly writes: "If I speak in the tongues of mean or of angels, but do no have love (patience), I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but I do not have love (patience), I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love (patience), I gain nothing."

Today is a tryout. Your patience will be tested at some point today. How you handle it will reveal whether you have patience or not. 

It you do, you make the cut line for the evidence of God's love. If you don't, you won't.

June 10, 2015

"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 records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails." I Corinthians 13:4-8

This verse is read at many weddings, even at weddings of nominally religious couples, because it is so beautiful and majestic!

If any couple could live up to the standards of this lofty list of loving virtues they would certainly have an amazing marriage!

For that couple to attain this idealistic standard it would require them to NEVER fail to love each other! To never fail in their love for their partner would require them to ALWAYS be patient, ALWAYS be kind, ALWAYS protect, ALWAYS trust, ALWAYS hope, ALWAYS preserve and NEVER be envious, NEVER boast, NEVER be proud, NEVER dishonor, NEVER be self-seeking, NEVER be easily angered, NEVER hold a grudge and NEVER rejoice in evil!

Who DOES love that way!

God does - ALWAYS!

He loves YOU that much!

He wants you to receive that love so you can benefit from a love that never fails!

And He wants you to allow Him love others like that - THROUGH YOU!

Isn't that GREAT news!

Is that how you love?

June 9, 2015

There are many ideas of what love is and what it should be. A group of professional people posed the question “what is love?” to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds. Below are some of their responses:

                                                                                                                       

"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." - Karl - age 5 

"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs." - Chrissy - age 6 

"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired."- Terri - age 4 

"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." - Danny - age 7 

"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" - Emily - age 8 

"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." - Noelle - age 7 

"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." - Clare - age 6 

"Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." - Mary Ann - age 4 

"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." - Lauren - age 4 

"I let my big sister pick on me because my Mom says she only picks on me because she loves me. So I pick on my baby sister because I love her." - Bethany - age 4 

"Love is when mommy sees daddy on the toilet and she doesn't think it's gross."  - Mark - age 6 

"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget,"- Jessica - age 8 

"There are two kinds of love. Our love. God's love. But God makes both kinds of them." - Jenny - age 8 

God's idea of love is the one that counts the most and His idea is the ideal!

"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." I Corinthians 13:4-8

This is the perfect love God has toward you!

This is the perfect love God wants you to receive!

This is the love God requires you to have for others!

And it begins with patience!

June 8, 2015

For as long as you can remember you have sung "Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so".

But what does that love look like?

What should you expect from it?

Those questions will be answered by our Summer Sermon Series entitled "Summer Love". This series is a study of the I Corinthians 13:4-8.

"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 not record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Loves never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will ceases; where there are tongues, they will be stilled, where there is knowledge, it will pass away." I Corinthians 13:4-8

Paul, in writing to the Church in Corinth, offers a detailed description of God's divine love. The Greek work used to describe this is "agape" love. Unlike the English language which has just one primary word for love and context and sentence construction define its interpretation, the Greeks had  a specific word for romantic love and one for friendship love. "Agape" love is the love that originates in the nature of God and expresses His character. This supernatural love can only be given by God because only He possesses it completely. When John wrote that "God is love" this is what he meant!

So, when you study these four rich verses you not only gain understanding of His love but you get a glimpse of His character! in other words, there is no difference in Who God is and how God loves! When you say "God is love" you are also saying "this is how God loves".

I invite you to meditate on this portion of Scripture! Ask the Spirit to help you look deeply into the heart of God and learn how He loves. Let His love capture you and His nature thrill you.

And, I urge you to be as honest and objective as you can measuring how you love compared to how He loves.

June 7, 2015

"Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”  Luke 19:1-10

Jesus came to seek and to save those who are spiritually lost.

What did you come to do?

If you are a Christian, a follower of Christ, you are commanded to do as He did - look for lost people to win.

So, what should you look for when identifying someone you could reach?

John Maxwell gives this helpful insight into understanding change:

People change when they …

Hurt enough they have to,

Learn enough they want to, and

Receive enough that they are able to.

In other words, Maxwell is saying that there are three main change points in a person's life.

A person who is effective in reaching lost people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, knows how to recognize someone who is at a change point in his life.

Zacchaeus is a good example of one who was at a change point and Jesus recognized it and stepped into his life.

Zacchaeus was hurting because, as a tax-collector, he was despised and had no friends. He was a Jew collecting taxes from other Jews for the hated Romans. That was not a way to make friends or influence people.

So, he hurted enough to want to change. He knew what he was doing wasn't working and he was looking for something that would. When he heard about Jesus coming to his village he knew that he had to meet this amazing Teacher.

Jesus, quickly recognized Zacchaeus was at some change points and took advantage of this vulnerable time to give Zach what he needed in order to experience a fundamental change in his life.

This is a great lesson for those of us who are called and commissioned to "seek and save" lost people.

Who do you know who is at a change point in his life?

Do you know some one who is hurting?

Do you know some one who is just begin a healing process and is looking for a better way to live?

Do you have some one in your life who is highly motivated toward self-improvement but misguided in that search?

Spiritual transformation happens at change points!

June 6, 2015

"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain."  Philippians 1:21-22

The barnyard animals loved their farmer. He had taken good care of them for many years and made their lives very pleasant. He loved them and in their animal way, they loved him.

One day they were discussing how blessed they were to be owned by such a kind and generous man. It was decided they would honor him to show their appreciation. They all readily agreed and began to brainstorm on the best way to communicate their appreciation for him.

Finally they came upon an idea that pleased them all. Since the farmer arose early every morning to do his chores they knew that he loved eating a good hearty breakfast. So, to thank him they thought they would prepare a breakfast in his honor.

"How shall we do it?" one of them asked.

"Well," said the hen, "I will gladly contribute a half dozen of my delicious eggs!"

"Great idea!" said the cow, "I will give milk for him to drink and cream for Him to make butter for his biscuits."

The hog was strangely silent. The hen and the cow looked at him indignantly and the hen challenged, "Hey, hog! I am giving eggs for our farmer's breakfast and the cow is gladly contributing her milk. How about if you donate some ham and bacon!"

This simple silly story about the barnyard animals illustrates the difference between involvement and commitment. The hen and the cow were willing to be involved but the hog would be committed. They would be giving from themselves but he would be giving himself. That is a big difference! That is commitment! Involvement costs you something - but commitment costs you everything!"

Paul in saying, "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" is saying, "I am committed not just involved!"

How do we know that he is committed? We know because he is willing to die. He was willing to pay the cost. Paul loved God more than He loved life itself.

What about you?

Are you involved or are you committed?

How do you know? How would others know? How would God know? What price are you willing to pay?

Do you love God more than you love your own life?