SERMON FOR SUNDAY DECEMBER 28, 2003
New Year’s Resolution to Love as Jesus Loves by Paul Fritz
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
A New Year’s Resolution to Love as Jesus Loves
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Illustration: A father wanted to read the paper, but was being bothered by his
little
daughter, Vanessa. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his magazine, on
which was printed the map of the world. Tearing it into small pieces, he
gave it to Vanessa, and said, "Go into the other room and see if you can
put this together."
After a few minutes, Vanessa returned and handed him the map correctly
fitted together. The father was surprised and asked how she had
finished so quickly.
"Oh," she said, "on the other side of the paper was a picture of
Jesus.
When I got Jesus in His place, then the world came out all right."
Illustration: One evening while appearing on CNN’s Larry King Live, Jack Kemp,
the honorable congressman from New York, made an insightful comment about the
religious right when he said, “People don’t care how much you know until
they know how much you care!” A book about how to overcome fears of and anger
for the reactionary religious right, would be incomplete without a description
of Paul’s teachings on love in I Corinthians 13.
Illustration:
When I first used WordStar, I did a spell-check. It rejected ’Jesus’ as
unrecognizable. I commanded it to accept ’Jesus’, which it did. Since
accepting ’Jesus’, I haven’t had any trouble with the word processor. -
Pastor Norman Bromley
Illustration: Perfect love is able to cast away fear, anger or anything
hindering communications. One day when the author was waiting in a hospital, the
Lord taught me to overcome misunderstandings of His will through a little
Nigerian boy named Nuhu. Having served as a missionary in Nigeria the Lord
taught my many visits to the hospital in a variety of ways.
As I sat waiting for a blood test in a hospital in Nigeria, I noticed a small
little boy sitting next to me. I asked him “What is your name?” He said in a
muffled tone, “Nuhu.” I could see that the little fellow was very afraid of
having his blood taken for the first time. When the nurse appeared in her white
uniform, something strange happened to Nuhu. He turned and look at me with
trembling lips shook his head and said, “Waiyo” – which in the Hausa
language means ‘I am a goner! There is no hope for me. I will probably end up
dead in a few short minutes. Even God cannot save me now!’
As I sat there watching little Nuhu walk into the lab with the nurse holding his
hand I thought, that is the way most people view their relationship with God.
When the Lord calls them through adversity, sickness or some set-back, they
immediately think, “Oh No! What have I done to deserve this? God is really
going to punish me now.”
Many people seem to fear God in an unhealthy way. Perhaps, they really do not
know that God allows things to come into our lives for their best interests.
When people really know the Lord, they understand that He allows hardships for
their good so that He can give the treatment we need. He wants us to become more
like Jesus. His ways are higher than our ways and His thought are higher than
our thoughts. He works in ways we cannot see. Jeremiah 29:11 says,
“I know the plans that I have for you. Plans for welfare and not for calamity
to give you a great future and hope!” God does not delight when we are
trembling in our boots at the thought of having to approach Him. Instead, He
wants us to reverently respect Him, love Him and follow Him as our caring
Shepherd. He knows how to lead us through any wilderness experience. Only love
helps us overcome the enemy within our own sinful nature.
From the following list, try to note the comparisons and contrasts of love that
apply to your relationships
WHAT LOVE IS versus WHAT LOVE IS NOT
1. Love is Long Suffering – Love is an uncommon force that copes with
suffering. By enduring the pain, sorrow and anger we are exhibiting God’s
unconditional love. People who are mature in love endure the pain of selfish,
critical and immature scoffers.
1. Love is not in a Hurry - Love’s long suffering or patience does not accept
evil or adopt an attitude of resignation that becomes fatalistic. Love is not
blind to abuse, sin, or ignorance, but knows how to speak the truth with a love
that accomplishes God’s purposes. Love does not naively accept suffering
without finding out the lessons that God wants us to learn through our
adversity. Love is not judgmental in rushing to criticize someone based upon
your own set of assumptions and expectations.
2. Love is Kind – Love is considerate, benevolent, and gentle to people. Love
is kind even to the unkind. Kindness freely accepts another and seeks their good
regardless of what one can get in return. Kindness even dares to be weak by
identifying with people in their pain, problems and weaknesses. Kindness looks
for a way to enhance, heal, and help people regardless of who they are.
Kindness is not gushy, but is intelligent and tough when necessary. Kindness
works with wisdom in a structure of justice and fairness according to the given
realities. Kindness encourages the faint hearted, helps the weak, and is patient
with everyone. Kindness looks for a way of being constructive in every
situation. Kindness is gentle even to those who are harsh and unsympathetic.
Kindness knows how to speak in healing voice tones.
2. Love is not Mean or Apathetic - Love’s kindness is not weakness in the face
of overwhelming difficulties. It does not give in when pressured. This kindness
is not naïve or gullible accepting whatever anyone says. Kindness does not take
the attitude that one must be kind just to maintain relationships. Love’s
kindness does not sacrifice essential ethical principles. Kindness is not
sentimentality that only with one’s emotions.
Kindness is not ashamed to weep with those who weep or rejoice with those who
rejoice. Kindness is not content with those who say, “Let’s avoid any kind
of controversy and go along for the sake of harmony. Kindness is not selfish
with a motive that expects favors in return. Kindness is not unwilling to dish
out tough discipline if it is the best way to bring about healing and maturity.
Kindness does condemn others because of one’s own moral code.
3. Love is a Commitment to God and His People – An unconditional love pledges
its loyalty, devotion and allegiance to be faithful and true. Love does not vary
with the wind of circumstances, moods, or difficulties. Love is faithfully
serves in good times and bad times. Love restricts its own actions to not hinder
the fulfilling of one’s stated commitments. Love’s commitment seeks to
involve people according to their level of maturity and desire. Commitment
overcomes feelings of irritation because of a deeper sense of loyalty to a
person and their shared goals.
3. Love is not Jealous – Jealousy is a fear of losing someone or something.
You know someone is jealous when they are afraid of losing their “rights”. A
jealous person is suspicious of others for fear they may take away something
important. Jealous people are intolerant of anyone who seems to be disloyal to
one’s supposed allegiances. A jealous person is watchful for anyone or
anything that might be a rival.
4. Love is Poised – Love is balanced. Love is not proud. Love is not shy. Love
gives a person a healthy self-esteem. Love has the ability to keep things in
perspective. Love does not let the microscopic or the macroscopic issues
overshadow one another. Love knows when to stand firm and when to be flexible.
Love is balanced. Love is able to say “No” because a request does not fit
into one’s God given purpose. Love has discernment in understanding the cause
and effect of each difficulty. Love is humble enough to seek godly counsel on
important decisions. Love knows how to relate its strengths to others in ways
that brings blessings to all.
4. Love is Not Boastful or Arrogant – Love does not demand its own way, its
own rights or its own cultural expectations. Love is not overbearing and proud.
Love recognizes that freely we have received from God, therefore, freely we
should give. Love does not look for ways to grab power, control and authority.
Love is not eager to advance one’s position. Love does not lord one’s power
over people for the sake of demonstrating authority. Love is not obsessed with
control. Love does not try to look good to try to impress others. Love is not
rude. Love does not put people in order to look good. Love is not so proud as to
admit one’s shortcomings, deficiencies or sins.
5. Love is Unselfish – Love seeks God’s plans in order to accomplish all
aspects of God’s will. Love is willing to sacrifice one’s right, desires and
human expectations for the sake of His Kingdom and His righteousness. Love is an
unselfish concern that freely seeks others’ good. Love is the power that moves
us to serve others regardless of whether they can reciprocate. Love resists the
human tendency to seek everything that would be pleasing to one’s individual
desires. Love recognizes the emptiness of self-love without the love of Christ.
Love goes beyond a self-centered perspective to appreciate the concerns of
others and empathize with their pain. Love is willing to deny one’s selfish
interests in carrying our cross. Love follows the footprints of Jesus.
5. Love Does not Seek Its Own Rights – Love waits for God to gracious give
each person what they need according to His plans, processes and powers. Love
prompts us to forgo one’s claim to human rights. Love is willing to pass up
one’s chances for success for God’s greater will. Love knows the best ways
and occasions to seek justice for the greater good of God’s people and
purposes. Love knows the best ways to see God’s will done with the gifts,
abilities and resources He has entrusted to our care. Love knows the best way to
teach truth in a way that others will understand. Love does not try to force
other people to surrender their rights, but leaves that job to the convicting of
the Holy Spirit.
Love does not sacrifice human rights for the sake of maintaining one’s
standing or position. Love knows the best way, time and method to surrender
one’s rights. Love knows the best ways to exercise God’s self-denying love
that will work in harmony with justice, truth and grace.
6. Love is Self-Sacrificing – Love is willing to take up one’s own cross
daily and follow Christ in all aspects of life. Love is the power that moves us
to seek others and their best interests. Love for oneself is not masochistic,
but seeks to develop Christ in our thinking, attitudes, and actions. Love for
one’s self seeks to develop all of God’s given potentials within the
parameters of His will. The goal of love is to work toward the complete
transformation of our mind, will and emotions into the image of Christ. In
essence, love says, “Father in heaven. Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom
come in qualitative and quantitative ways. Your will be done on earth as it is
in heaven.”
6. Love Does Not Seek Its Own Self- Love is not interested in building one’s
own kingdom and standards for righteousness. Love does not put selfish ambitions
above the love toward God and one’s neighbors. Love does not set up
self-development as an idol. Love does not idolize success. Love does not try to
take away individual freedom. Love does not expend its energies for one’s own
self-aggrandizement. Love does not denigrate one’s abilities, physical
characteristics or weaknesses. Love does not give into depression when others
encourage self-pity or feelings of victimization.
Love does not try to accomplish God’s will through human rules, regulations
and processes. Love is not so critical that a person despairs of trying to
progress toward maturity. Love is not condemning of others efforts to improve
themselves in a way that the Holy Spirit leads.
7. Love is Calm – One who loves is able to rest in the love of God knowing
that all is well. Love enables one to be tranquil, peaceful, and serene in the
knowledge that God is in the heavens and He will do whatever He pleases. Love
does not get agitated when it is provoked. Love follows the proverb, “A harsh
word stirs up anger, but a soft answer turns away wrath.” (Proverbs 15:1) Love
helps a person remain confident in the face of overwhelming odds. Love rests
assured in the power of God’s love to overcome any difficulty. .
Love overlooks another’s fault. Love meets our deepest needs so we do not give
into the temptations. Love allows us to speak in a calm tone of voice that
communicates power under control. Love reduces frustration because the one who
loves has the serenity to accept the things he cannot change, the courage to
change the things he can and the wisdom to know the difference. Love increases
our gratitude to God for everything we have. Love appreciates the terrible
problems we have escaped through His grace. Love overlooks a fault and does not
hold grudges. Love turns feelings of hurt, anger and fear over to the Lord.
7. Love is Not Irritable – Love is not easily annoyed. Love is not overly
sensitive. Love does not quickly take offense. Love does not return evil for
evil. Love does not look at interruptions as a nuisance as much as an
opportunity to serve. Love does not let little things irritate one emotionally
to a point of losing one’s balanced perspective. Love does not let anger cloud
one’s sense of judgment.
Love does not let anger control their reactions when they are tired, discouraged
or pressured. Love does not give in to feelings of fear, threats or
intimidation. Love is not upset when a personal right seems to be taken away.
Love does not act out of hostility or angry aggression. . Love does not try to
justify oneself in the eyes of others. Love does not let one’s frustrations
result in efforts to vindicate ourselves. Love does not try to disguise its
irritability with silence and pouting. Love is not resentful about something
that could have worked out but didn’t. Love does not let grumblers,
complainers or cynics turn one into a sullen person. Love is not incessantly
pessimistic. Love does not let anger cloud the lens of our perspectives.
8. Love hates Evil – Love hates sin while continuing to love the sinner. Love
dislikes anything that happens to hurt people needlessly. Love equally abhors
moral, social, physical, emotional, economic and spiritual evil. Love recognizes
that evil is caused by the sin in the world, human sinful natures and the devil.
Love recognizes that a strong love for God is the best remedy for loving the
world. Love recognizes that worshipping anything less than God is idolatry. Love
recognizes that rejoicing in other peoples’ sin is a subtle expression of
self-righteousness. Love only rejoices when evil is destroyed. Love has eyes to
apply the healing of God’s care. Love demonstrates a confident security in
difficulties because one’s life is focused on the eternal and that which
cannot be taken away. Love put God’s kingdom and purposes as the priority.
8. Love does not take delight in sordid sin – Love does not relish in other
people’s downfalls, sexual indiscretions or human failings. Love may regret
evil but it does not rejoice in what trouble evil has caused around the world.
Love does not become happy when an opponent suffers the consequences of sin.
Love does not philosophically accept that evil is necessary in order for people
to appreciate God’s goodness. Love does not have to understand all of the
aspects of evil before resisting it. Love is not content with worshipping
anything less the Holy Father, Holy Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. Love does
not delight when one’s enemies fall. Love does not try to mask its delight in
evil by pretending to be disgusted, nauseated, or indignant at evil. Love does
not delight when disaster befalls a competitor or a neighbor that seemed
unfriendly.
Illustration:
Upon leaving church one morning, our Pastor asked our 4 year old son "if
the Devil ever tells him to do bad things"? He replied, "Yes, but
Jesus tells him to shut up!"
9. Love Rejoices with the Truth – Love rejoices when truth is taught and
expressed in a way that reflects the person of Jesus Christ. Love gives joy when
truth is the determiner of people’s decisions. Love celebrates whenever truth
wins out over distortions of truth. Love recognizes truth as its favorite
companion otherwise it would merely become a warm fuzzy affection. Love rejoices
with truth because love widens the scope of truth’s’ lens to include the
whole person. Love favors truth because it keeps one honest and complete.
Love rejoices in truth because it gives one a balanced look. Love values truth
because it supercedes all philosophies with the truth of God’s word. Love
values truth because it recognizes that in Christ’s love dwells the secrets of
all wisdom and knowledge. Love rejoices in truth because it can reflect more of
the whole attributes of the God, the Father of law, the Son of love and the Holy
Spirit of liberty. Love opens our minds to God’s truth.
9. Love Does not Rejoice in Success That is not Based in Truth – Love does not
rejoice in affections not based on truth. Love does not embrace values that are
rooted in traditions, human standards, or “spiritual” experiences. Love does
not become gushy and enamored with someone unless they know that their
relationship is rooted in truth. Love does not ignore truth regardless of how
strong one’s feelings are toward a person, a project or an ideal. Love does
not let other priorities push truth to the background. Love does not ignore
truth because it helps keep everything in proper perspective.
Love is not based on favoritism of a tribe, a country, or a certain personality
type. Love’s truth sees the bigger picture of the whole of humanity. Love does
not look down on people who do not appreciate the fact that all truth is God’s
truth. Love is satisfied with the truth found in Jesus Christ and the word of
God.
10. Love Bears All Things – Love knows no limit to its endurance. It
perseveres under the most difficult of physical, emotional and mental suffering.
Love is willing to be strong under pressures to give in to worldly standards or
urgings from colleagues. Love carries the weight of peoples’ burdens without
feeling used. Love carries personal burdens without murmuring or complaining.
Love is willing to help bear the pain of another.
10. Love Does Not Complain About Everything - Love is not a squeaky wheel always
trying to nag people into getting what they want. Love does not pester people
into giving them what they want. Love is not overly sensitive to off handed
remarks. Love is not quick to take offense by others’ actions, gestures, or
words. Love is not quick to find fault in something or someone because things
are not perfect.
11. Love Covers For Another – Love is willing to overlook a fault for the sake
of a relationship. Love covers a multitude of sins. Love is willing to be quiet
about others shortcomings for the sake of helping to save another’s dignity
and reputation. Love hates scandal as it knows that no one really wins in the
end. Love hates everything that hurts people needlessly. A loving person is
actually turned off by gossip. Love is actually hurt by public disclosure of
rampant sin. Love covers up for other’s weaknesses for the sake of healing.
Love knows the right limits to covering for another when a person needs to
accept the consequences of their problems. Love is willing to take some of the
sting of a conflict without wanting to seek vengeance.
11. Love Does Not Excuse People for Habitual Sin - Love does not excuse people
for sins that they are obviously not willing to deal with. Love is not so
tolerant as to compromise Biblical values. Love is not so humanistic that it
puts a person’s friendship before their Spirit lead conscience. Love does not
encourage whimpering about a problem. Love does not accept silly evasions of
serious problems. Love is wise enough to know when to present someone with the
truth. Love knows that truth ultimately sets people free from the burdens of
their sins. Love has a way of not being self-righteous in the speaking of truth.
Love does not look down at someone for a shortcoming.
12. Love Directs Others Toward Good Things – Love takes people to a higher
level of maturity. Love is able to gently turn people in the direction where
they will receive the most good. Love is able to keep a society living according
to a righteous standard rather than allow it to sink to the lowest common moral
denominator. Love keeps groups from coming apart due to conflicts or differences
of opinions. Love is able to help people collectively reach for the greater good
of us all.
12. Love Does Not Let Individualism Forget Our Responsibility to Society –
Love does not let each individual’s desires to splinter the society into tiny
islands disconnected from one another. Love does not focus on individual
responsibilities as our only concern. Love does not neglect the needy, the
hurting and those who cannot help themselves. Love is not cold and uncaring to
see justice done for those less fortunate.
13. Love Uses Power for the Good – Love uses whatever power it has to benefit
others. Love sees power as a gift from God to be used for His purposes. Love
respects power only as it is understood to be on loan from God. Love uses
challenges as opportunities to demonstrate one’s reliance and submission to
God’s authority. Love is able to use one’s God given power to faithfully
exercise one’s responsibilities. Love has the power to endure criticism
because God’s power is greater than any human attack. Love rests in the fact
that God’s is the ultimate power, authority, and controller of all things.
13. Love Does not Use Power for Selfish Ends – Love does not insist that the
ends justifies the means. Love does not grab for power without thought for the
consequences. Love does not seek power for its own sake. Love does not let
jealousy dominate one’s feelings. Love does not get bent out of shape when it
sees power being abused because it knows that God is still reigning over all.
Love is not dismayed when people corruptly use their power. Love does not give
into acts of deceit, malice or intrigue because it recognizes God’s power to
make all things right.
14. Love Believes All Things – This is not to say that one who loves is
gullible. Instead, love is willing to give anyone the benefit of the doubt. Love
knows no limit to what it believes God can do. Love has an unshakable confidence
in what the Lord can do in bringing about change in people, situations, or
nations. Love is almost generous to a fault in helping others. Love is so
willing to trust the Lord that unless the Lord acts, one is in trouble. Love has
such great faith in God and His word that no adversity shakes one’s sense of
security. Love is the deepest reason to believe God. Love is the power to
believe in more than what is provided in human evidence.
14. Love Is Not Gullible – Love is not naïve. It does not believe whatever
anybody suggests. Love is not cynical, suspecting everyone of being
untrustworthy. Love is not too cautious as to fail to take advantage of God sent
opportunities. Love does not worry so much about being cheated because it
recognizes God’s sovereign power to make things right in the end. Love does
not zero in on a person’s weakness, but tries to look at the part of the glass
that is full of good things rather than the part that is empty. Love does not
believe in every like gossip, story, or spin. Love is not ready to believe in
the things that are not Biblically based. Love does not turn its head away from
facts.
15. Love Hopes All Things – Love is the power to expect that God will fulfill
the desires of those who fear Him. Love gives us the assurance that no matter
what happens, God still causes all things to work together for good as we love
God and are fitting into His plans. Love saves one from drifting into despair,
dismay or depression. Love is the fulfillment of our deepest desires for what is
best. Love prevails against all odds. Love is unending in its bounteous
optimism.
Love hopes for a better change regardless of the outward circumstances. Love
keeps the flame of hope eternally burning bright in our hearts and minds. Love
is a desire that wills good things into being. Love is certain that God and His
word will never fail. Love sanitizes our expectations to be pleasing to God in
all respects. Love focuses our hope in Christ. Love sees possibilities that
apathy and indifference is blind to. Love constantly looks for new ways to see
Christ and His kingdom enlarged in quantitative and qualitative ways!
15. Love is Not Hopeless – Love knows no limits to its hope. Love does not
fade away with time, but grows stronger and stronger. Love does not give in to
the desires to quit and settle for an easier way. Love resists the temptation to
give in to cynicism, skepticism and despair. Love does not let other things
replace one’s greatest hope found in Christ. Love does not just hope for
survival, but for what God wants accomplished.
Love does not give into to feelings of hopelessness in the news. Love does not
surrender to cynics who would wish company in their misery. Love does not grown
complacent, but always hopes for improvements. Love does not grow sullen through
the disappointments of life. Love does not grow cranky in old age. Love does not
become presumptuous about other’s motives. Love does not assume the worst.
Love does not have any elements of hubris. Love is not patronizing. Love does
not cease growing in Christ-likeness.
16. Love Endures All Things – Love knows no limit to its endurance. Love is
the power to persevere through the most difficult of situations. Love contains
the ingredients of patience, forbearance, and fortitude that allow one to sail
through any circumstance. Love is the ability to see some joy, benefit, and
positive outcome out of the most troubling hardships. Love relies on God and His
word to produce a greater measure of endurance through His enabling grace. Love
is the power to see good in every difficulty.
Love has the capacity to endure persecution, problems, and evil attacks through
the power of Christ. Love has the power to endure separation from loved ones.
Love learns to do without many things. Love is the power to follow in the
footprints of Jesus who endured the cross for sinful human beings. Perfect love
casts out fear. Love covers a multitude of sins Love is the fulfillment of the
law.
16. Love Does Not Give In - Love does not give into evil desires, temptations or
devilish forces. Love does not give in to doubt, despair, or depression when the
going gets tough. Love does not surrender to family pressures to find quick
solutions to difficult problems. Love does not give in to corrupt authorities
when they demand compliance. Love does not act out a stubborn belligerent
attitude. Love does not surrender to achieve peace at any price. Love does not
give in to a maintenance mentality.
Love does not give in to an attitude of just trying to get by with the minimum
effort. Love does not give into conformity to the world and its lax attitudes.
Love does not surrender to feelings of revenge. Love does not give into the
passions of the moment. Love does not just cruise to the end of life with a
resigning attitude of “that’s just the way things are.”
Love does not take one’s focus off of Christ during hard times.
17. Love Never Fails – God’s love in us cannot die because He is eternal.
Love cannot fail because God’s sovereign power, knowledge and grace
super-intends everything for His best interests. Love is self-generating through
the power of the Holy Spirit and the scriptures. Love continues into eternity.
Love never demands proof of our secure future, but is certain of God’s
rewards. All gifts but love are temporary. Every service done without God’s
love working through us is done for mere earthly gain. Love is a gift that God
gives us so that we can continually give to others.
Love is the highest evidence of our maturity in Christ. Love is the most long
lasting element of our existence. Love looks for people that it can give itself
to. When everything of seeming consequence has ended, love will outlast it.
True perfection is found in the one that loved us enough to die on the cross to
pay for the penalty of our sins – Jesus Christ.
17. Love Does not Burn Out – Love does not wax and wane with circumstances
because it is not dependent on human strength. Love does not sputter in the face
of opposition. Love does not grow weary in well doing because it knows that in
due season we will reap if we faint not. Love does not give in to comparisons
with others that are less mature.
Love never grows old and tired. Erotic, family and friendship loves will cease.
God’s agape – unconditional love will never end. Love is not based on human
emotions or perceptions. Love is not culturally conditioned. Love is not a gift
belonging to any one group of people, any selected spiritual gifts, or any race
more effectively than others. Love is not gender related. Whatever service or
obedience we render, if love is withheld, the law is not fulfilled. Love is not
just shown through humanitarian efforts. Love is not limited by our earthly
existence.
C0NCLUSION - Illustration:
The growth chart had slipped from the playroom wall because the tape on its
corners had become dry and brittle. Five-year-old Bobby hung it up again,
meticulously working to get it straight. Then he stood his sister against the
wall to measure her height.
“Mommy! Mommy! Sally is forty inches tall!” the boy shouted as he burst into
the kitchen. “I measured her!”
His mom replied, “That’s impossible, Sweetheart. She’s only three years
old. Let’s go see.” They walked back into the playroom, where the mother’s
suspicions were confirmed. Despite his efforts to hang the chart straight, Bobby
had failed to set it at the proper height. It was several inches low.
We can easily make little Bobby’s mistake in gauging our own spiritual growth
or importance. Compared to a shortened scale, we may appear better than we are.
Only when we stand against the Cross of Jesus Christ, that “great leveler of
all people” as
Quote: A.T. Robertson called it, we cannot think of ourselves as any better or
any worse than others. Christ must be our standard for all things.