970720AM

Title: Love the first Characteristic of the Spirits Fruit

Text: 1 Cor 13:4-7

Date: 9-17-06.am

INTRODUCTION:

This morning I want to talk about the first attribute or characteristic of the Fruit of the Spirit love. Obviously in a 30 min sermon we won’t be able to discuss every aspect of love. Listen to these statements made by kids about love. These statements come from the kid’s book “Love is Like a Crayon”. You may have read them in an email. The first statement is from Camille, she was 9 years old. “How do you get someone to fall in love with you?” She said, “Shake your hips and hope for the best.” Nine (9) year old Bob was asked if he knew any original love songs? “Yes I do, and here it is – ‘I’m in love with you most of the time but don’t bother me when I’m with my friends.’”

My favorite saying about love, you’ve heard a number of times before, love isn’t a hole you fall into, or a tree you fall out of. We have developed some misconceptions about love:

1. Love is only a FEELING/EMOTION. A lot of people think that love is a feeling that you have.

As a result, people are searching for that certain feeling where the heart beats faster and we get all giddy inside. That’s why we talk about ‘falling into love’ and ‘falling out of love’. Basically what we are saying is, we either are feeling love or it does not exist.

That’s not to discount our emotions or to say emotions aren’t involved in love. We are emotional people but love must be the controlling factor not feelings.

2. Love is UNCONTROLLABLE. This is an epidemic of modern culture, it’s the confusion between love and lust or love and sexual desire. This misconception is the underlying basis for premarital and extramarital relationships . It gives us and excuse for our sin: “I couldn’t help myself . . . I just fell in love.” It also provides the foundation for people who are married to say: “I can’t help it, I just don’t love him/her anymore.”

Here is what love really is:

Consider these Scriptures:

Matt 5:44 . . .love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you

Luke 6:27 . . . love your enemies, do good to those who hate you

Matt 22:36-40 The greatest commandments .. love God – love neighbor as self

Eph 4: 2 . . .showing forbearance to one another in Love

The word translated love in each of these verses is a form of the word Agape. The Greek verb denotes the highest, most perfect kind of love implying a clear determination of will and judgment. It’s often called godly love or selfless love. Whether used of God or man, agape love is an earnest and anxious desire for and an active and beneficent interest in the well-being of the one loved.

From that understand we gain two fundamental or foundational concepts of love.

1. Love is a matter of CHOICE .

Love is not something we are a victim of, it is something that we choose.

And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.- Col 3:14

Paul would never have instructed us to put on love if we had no control over it. Love is a choice. We willfully choose to obey or disobey the commands of Christ. God doesn’t command us to do something we have no control over. God chose to love us, the bible says even when we weren’t lovable and He commands us to do the same.

2. Love is a matter of CONDUCT .

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

-1 John 3:18

There are different degrees and manifestations of this kind of love recognized in the Scriptures. They vary according to the circumstances and relations of life, e.g. the expression of love between husband and wife, parent and child, natural brothers and sisters spiritual brothers and sisters, between friend and enemy, and, between God and man. However, that the fundamental idea of love as expressed in the definition of agape is never absent in any one of these relations of life, even though the manifestation may differ according to the circumstances. (from International Standard Bible Encylopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright (C) 1996 by Biblesoft)

Basically that means we are to back up our words of love with our actions. It’s extremely important to say we love some one and say it often, but we must also demonstrate that love.

So, if love is about choice and conduct and we need to. . .

II. ACT Like Love Acts:

In 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, the Bible tells us how to love acts.”

1. Love is PATIENT ,

Patience isn’t easy. But it must be applied to all of our relationships

2. Love CARES -1 Corinthians 13.4

Kindness is demonstrated in the day-in, day-out grind of life.

3. Love is SECURE It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

-1 Corinthians 13.4

Envy, boasting, pride are all results of insecurity. Security truly is the key to a good relationship.

When we truly love we are secure in all our relationships and it allows us the freedom to not be envious of someone else - what they have, what they look like what they have achieved.

I believe this is true in any relationship. Where there is security, the each person in a relationship is allowed to reach their potential. It allows us to stretch ourselves and give ourselves in relationship.

4. Love is GIVING Love is…not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. -1 Corinthians 13:5

God models the giving relationship in that he gave first 1 Jn 4:10. So many times we settle for something less, like negotiating, exchanging, keeping score.

5. Love is not self-centered It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. -1 Corinthians 13.7

I usually make a form of this next paragraph a part of every wedding I do. After reading 1 Cor 13:4-7, I read this to the couple. It’s a little different when I use it in a wedding but it’s a good application of to all relationships.

May you always treat one another with respect. May you genuinely listen to each other. May you be tolerant of each other always ready to forgive never holding a grudge. May you experience happiness because of each others triumphs and successes. May you seek to understand each others’ differences. May you always expect the best in every relationship. May you never give up your relationships, always striving to enhance them, and may you know the love of God in your life and relationships that never ends and never fails.

Jesus said: A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another (John 13.34). If we love one another as Christ has loved us, then we’ll need to be willing to go to the cross for others. This means we are to love people even when they are unloving…even when they don’t deserve it. This means, no matter how they treat us, our response will always be love. That really does take a miracle of the Lord’s working in our lives.

Conclusion

1. Love is ACTIVE .

If you love somebody, tell them today and show them today. While Edie Amin was head of the revolution in Uganda the lives of Christians were greatly endangered. The Bishop of Uganda, in one of his church services, knowing that his death was imminent, instructed his people that if they have somebody that they love . . . tell them quickly.

Love like that will leave you vulnerable to embarrassment and rejection and even hurt but . . .

2. Love is VULNERABLE.

You can either “stiff-arm” people to keep them on the outside, or you can open up your arms and let them in. Opening up will invite pain… but it is better than the alternative…

Love anyone or anything and you will be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to be sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness, but in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken, but it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. The only place outside of heaven where you can be safe from all the dangers of love is hell. -C.S. Lewis (The Four Loves)

3. Love is POWERFUL.

The law may tell you what to do, but love gives the power to do it.

Christ’s love compels us…We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors,

as though God were making his appeal through us.

-2 Corinthians 5:14

Christ’s love within us empowers the Spiritual makeover. As you love somebody today you have no idea what God will be able to do through that love. Love is powerful . . .and . . .

4. Love is UNCONDITIONAL.

It is redundant to talk about “unconditional” love. By it’s very definition of the word love has to be unconditional. I have discovered people need to be loved the most when they deserve it the least.

It is the presence of love that makes any interaction special, remembered, and significant.

You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in a spirit of love. -Henry Drummond

5. Love is SUPERNATURAL

John 13:34-35

34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 "By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (NAS)

Luke 6:27-28

27 "But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. (NAS)

Eph 5:1-2 1Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. (NAS)

That kind of love that must exemplify our lives as followers of Christ, that kind of love must govern every relationship we are involved in. And that kind of love isn’t the product of human achievement. It is a choice it is controllable, but it can’t be manufactured. It can only be produced by the presence of the Spirit of God in our lives, and by our complete total surrender to His presence.

Are you willing to surrender all to Him today?