Love May Bring Heartache, But It's Worth It

Sermon for 3/1/98

Love May Bring Heartache, but it’s worth it!

Introduction:

"We become vulnerable when we love people and go out of our way to

help them." That’s what the wealthy industrialist Charles Schwab

declared after going to court and winning a nuisance suit at age 70.

Given permission by the judge to speak to the audience, he made the

following statement: "I’d like to say here in a court of law, and

speaking as an old man, that nine-tenths of my troubles are traceable

to my being kind to others. Look, you young people, if you want to

steer away from trouble, be hard-boiled. Be quick with a good loud no

to anyone and everyone. If you follow this rule, you will seldom be

bothered as you tread life’s pathway. Except you’ll have no friends,

you’ll be lonely, and you won’t have any fun!" Schwab had made his

point -- love may bring heartache, but it’s worth it!

WBTU:

A. Last weeks sermon. Love does not rejoice in evil, but rejoices in the truth.

B. Love is costly, but it is worth it. It was worth it for Christ.

Thesis: Paul gives some concluding comments about love in 1 Corinthians 13:7. Today we are going to examine what love always does. This verse has been called love’s roof.

For instances:

I. Love bears all things, it always protects.

A. We can bear things from others and for others. We can always strive to protect others from unpleasant circumstances and situations. We can do this because God always does it for us.

B. Galatians 6:2- Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

C. Psalm 34:19f- Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them is broken. Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

D. The Lord will not put more on us than we can bear.

E. Mother protecting and bearing with children.

F. Shepherd looking after the sheep.

G. A Christian’s love provides shelter for every situation in which it finds others.

H. Love builds a house with a roof over it large enough to take in whole stature of our fellow man.

I. A father who attended church with his little boy found fault with everything in the service. As he walked home, he criticized the minister, the sermon, the choir, and everything in general. The boy, who had noticed what his father put in the offering plate, said, “Well, Dad, what can you expect for a dime?” Sometimes we build very low-roofed dwellings indeed, because we lack sufficient charity to make room for the virtues we might discover in the lives of others.

J. Not suggesting that love is to give shelter to wrongdoer and make excuses for him. Last weeks sermon.

K. Love cannot be crushed beneath the burden.

L. Putting up with annoyances and burdens in silence. Love allows nothing external to have power over it.

M. The best way to put out a fire is to cover it.

N. How can we shelter people?

1. Pray for them.

2. Encourage what is good, strengthen what is weak.

O. We need to try to protect people from themselves. Love may bring heartache, but it’s worth it.

II. Love believes all things, always trusts.

A. Trust is the best way to describe this. We don’t need to be gullible.

B. My experiences with trust. I must trust because I can trust Christ.

C. Jeremiah 17:7-8- Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit.

D. Love believes all things that ought to be believed- all things that are true.

E. A Christian grocer was in financial difficulties because his customers thought they could run up their bills indefinitely. They felt that such a saintly man would never press them for payment or take them to court. Their ready excuse was, “We don’t have money to pay our bills.” “How can I pay my creditors, if the people I have trusted do not pay me?” Puzzled the grocer. What should a Christian do in such a case- believe all things and all men and go bankrupt? A novel idea came to him. He posted the following notice on the bulletin board in front of his store: “On this bulletin board, thirty days from now, will appear the names of all persons who have been indebted to me for one year or more and who, after repeated requests, have refused to pay! Some have told me that they are unable to pay, but they are able to build homes, drive cars, and have other things that I could have if I had the money due me. I hope I don’t have to put any names on the board, but I won’t be put off any longer!” Results followed immediately. Many paid their old accounts, while others promised to do so on the next payday. Love believes all things that further honest and virtue in others.