Putting Others First Series

[PLAY VIDEO “LOVE IS EPISODE 2]

-it’s almost as good as Dr. Phil, isn’t it? It’s almost as long between commercials…

-for those of you who were not with us last week, we are taking the month of June to go through the Love Chapter. I Corinthians 13. The part of the Bible that people only read at weddings.

-but this chapter was not designed for weddings. It was not meant to be so specific as to apply to only people who are in love with each other. It is meant for all people to treat each other this way.

-last week we started with the first few verses and how they show how love is the language of God. That God is more concerned with your attitude when treating people than what you are actually doing. You can help someone and show absolutely no love, then it’s worthless. Or you can help someone with love and they’ll remember your love long after how you actually helped them.

-this week we continue looking at how this chapter tells us to love everyone.

**I Cor. 13:4-7 -> 4Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, 5never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. 6It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. 7If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him. (LB)

-to be honest, I really, really like it when I know there are people who will be loyal to me no matter what, that will always believe in me, expect the best of me, always defend me. It’s a great section.

-but what does it mean. I know there’s something that just jumps off the page to me that for some reason was not explained to me growing up.

1. LOVE IS AN ACTION

-don’t go calling my parents saying they should have taught me better. Not their fault on this one.

-but think about it. A majority of these words here are taught to us as feelings. I feel patient, or I don’t feel very patient right now. I feel jealous. I feel irritable.

-but in our context as people trying to show God’s love to others, do we feel patient, or do we act patiently? Even when we don’t feel like it?! Do we act kind? Aren’t these really actions that we choose to do?

-see, love isn’t just a feeling. I am in love so I feel in love. I choose to love someone, I choose to act in a way that is loving.

-and it’s not always an easy choice to make, but it’s still a choice.

-there’s an old story about Francis of Assisi. Apparently he was terrified of leprosy, to which I don’t blame him, I kind of agree. But he tells the story of one day he was traveling and on the path ahead of him was a leper. He says his first reaction was to run away, but instead he felt ashamed of himself, ran up to him, gave him a hug on the neck and kiss on the cheek and walked on. When he turned back a moment later, the leper was gone and as he tells the story he see it as a test of God, he believed that Christ was the leper testing his capability to love when he didn’t feel like it.

-sometimes we have to do that, love when we don’t feel like it, because love is an action, not a feeling. It is a choice we make.

**I Pe. 4:8 -> 8Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. (NLT)

-continue to show love, continue to do loving acts, to live out love. And in that, sins are covered over. Because:

2. ACTIONS CHANGE ATTITUDES

-if you want how you feel about someone to change, change how you treat them.

-seeking counsel from psychologist Dr. George W. Crain, a woman confided that she hated her husband and intended to divorce him. "I want to hurt him all I can," she said. "In that case," said the doctor, "I advise you to start showering him with all the compliments you can. Then, when you have become indispensable to him - just when he thinks you love him devotedly - then start the divorce action. That’s the way to hurt him." Some months later the wife returned to report that she had followed the suggested course. "Good," said the doctor, "Now’s the time to file for divorce." "Divorce!" exclaimed the woman indignantly. "Never! I’ve fallen in love with him."