Love Keeps No Record Of Wrongs Series

Love Keeps No Record

Of Wrongs

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, 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 have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, 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. – 1 Corinthians 13:1-8

Prayer

OKAY MGCC – welcome to week 9 of our series Love Is!

Only one week left… Next week…

Love – does, does not, always, never, is not

UNDERSTAND B/S – since October 13th God’s Word has not only shown us what love is…

BUT IT – has shown that love does.

YOU SEE – it is not enough for you, for me, for us to know what love is… WE MUST ALSO – live out what love does.

BECAUSE LOVE – is a verb.

THAT IS WHY - each week we have laid out very practical and tangible things that we can do to actually live out His kind of love.

A LOVE – that has the power to change us, our marriages, our homes, our relationships, this church and our community… showing the world that we really are His disciples and thereby bringing more and more people to a saved relationship with Christ.

(BTW – have you been doing your 31 day challenge?)

OKAY – raise your hand if you want your life to count.

AWESOME – me too…

THEN – we better let these words breathed by God and penned by Paul sink deep within our inner being…

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. – Galatians 5:6

NOW THIS MORNING - as we continue looking at this incredible portrait of love that Paul painted onto the canvas of 1 Corinthians 13…

WE ARE - going to look at what I think are the 6 most difficult words to live out in this entire portrait of God’s kind of love… “Love keeps no record of wrongs…” - 1 Cor 13:5

Love keeps no record of wrongs - Love forgives

Love is full of and a consistent dispenser of… of grace.

UNDERSTAND – I think… no, let me rephrase that…

Without a doubt the most difficult challenge that you will ever face as you strive to live out God’s kind of love…

IS WHEN - somebody hurts you, when they do you wrong, when evil is done to you or to those we love.

(btw – the word translated as ‘wrong’ is actually the Greek word kakos = whose primary meaning is evil).

OKAY MGCC – here’s the deal… forgiveness is not just some sidebar or footnote of Christianity. It’s not just one app in the app store.

Or a pretty cool topic that we should get around to whenever we have the time. NO – forgiveness and the dispensing of grace is the operating system for Christianity.

LIKE – it’s the basis for the whole deal that you and I are a part of. FORGIVENESS - is what makes the rest of it run.

AND YEAH – I get it, I know that forgiveness…

• opposes the way our world operates,

• kicks against our natural instincts, and

• so very uncomfortable to look at closely…

YET - it’s still something we have to deal with…

BUT – at the same time it’s hard to deal with…

BECAUSE – there is real hurt/pain/wrong/and evil - out there…

On Wednesday I posted the following on my facebook wall…

SERMON HELP…

WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT FORGIVENESS ISSUE

YOU HAVE EVER HAD TO DEAL WITH?

(email, private message me, comment)

WHAT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT FORGIVENESS ISSUE

YOU HAVE EVER HAD TO DEAL WITH?

• My mom suddenly leaving my dad, brother and me without any explanation as to why.

• My spouse committing adultery and destroying our home

• My dad leaving our family suddenly

• The lies and influence of others that have prevented me from having a relationship with my children

• Betrayal and the ongoing, never-even-for-one-moment repentant hearts of those who destroyed our child’s marriage.

• The physical and emotional abuse my brothers and I endured from our parents when growing up

• Betrayal and hatred from someone who was once my best friend