LOVE IS KIND
1 CORINTHIANS 13:4
TITUS 3: 4-7
1 CORINTHIANS 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
TITUS 3:4-7
3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, 2 to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men. 3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
EPH. 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Message Truth: Relationships flourish when we learn to express kindness. Kindness is demonstrated through our actions towards others prompted by our own experience of God’s redemptive love.
LET ME ASK YOU A QUESTION. HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN LESSONS TO LEARN HOW TO DO SOMETHING OR IMPROVE AT SOMETHING YOU ALREADY KNEW? MOST OF US HERE HAVE TAKEN LESSONS OF SOME KIND TO IMPROVE OUR LIVES. HOW MANY OF US HAVE HAD LESSONS ON HOW TO BUILT BETTER RELATIONSHIPS? THAT’S WHAT THESE MESSAGE ARE ALL ABOUT. THROUGH THESE MESSAGES WE WILL LEARN TO IMPROVE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND THEN IMPROVE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH EACH OTHER.
THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU AND I HAVE IS OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD THROUGH FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. IF YOU HAVE NOT MADE JESUS THE LORD OF YOUR LIFE THEN YOU ARE STILL LOST AND IN YOUR SIN. A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BEGINS WHEN YOU RECOGNIZE AND ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR NEED FOR HIM. WITHOUT THIS RELATIONSHIP YOU WILL NOT MAKE HEAVEN YOUR HOME. YOU WILL LEAVE THIS WORLD WHEN YOU DIE AND GO OUT INTO AN ETERNITY OF HELL WITHOUT CHRIST. IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY. YOU CAN BE SAVED AND FORGIVEN OF YOUR SINS RIGHT NOW. GOD DESIRES TO HAVE A PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU.
THEN YOU NEED TO LEARN TO BUILD YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS. YOU NEED TO BUILD YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE WITHIN YOUR FAMILY, IN THE CHURCH AND ON THE JOB.
THE WAY YOU DO THIS IS BY LOVING PEOPLE THE WAY THAT GOD LOVES PEOPLE. GOD’S LOVE IS ACTIVE. THE LORD JESUS TALKED A LOT ABOUT LOVE, BUT HE DID MORE THAN TALK ABOUT IT HE LIVED IT.
I WANT YOU TO LISTEN TO THESE WORDS AGAIN THAT PAUL WROTE TO TITUS. TITUS 3:4-7 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
PAUL SAY’S THAT GOD SHOWED US KINDNESS AND LOVE. HE DID THIS BE WHEN WE DIDN’T DESERVE IT. THEN IN EPH. 4:32 PAUL TELL’S US THAT WE ARE TO BE KIND, COMPASSIONATE AND FORGIVING TOWARD EACH OTHER. THEN IN 1 CORITHIANS 13:4 HE SAY’S LOVE IS KIND.
LOVE TALKED ABOUT IS EASILY IGNORED, BUT LOVE DEMONSTRATED IS IRRESISTIBLE.
BEFORE YOU AND I CAN DEMONSTRATE KINDNESS WE MUST KNOW WHAT KINDNESS IS.
PHILLIPS TRANSLATION OF 1 CORINTHIANS 13:4 SAY’S "LOVE LOOKS FOR A WAY TO BE CONSTRUCTIVE."
LOVE LOOKS FOR A WAY TO IMPROVE ANOTHER PERSON’S LIFE, IT LOOKS FOR AWAY TO BUILD UP RATHER THAN TEAR DOWN.
ROMANS 15:2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
ONE WRITER SAID THERE ARE 2 WORDS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT USED FOR KINDNESS.
1. ONE MEANS GOOD TOIL
2. THE OTHER MEANS TO FURNISH WHAT IS NEEDED.
TO GO A LITTLE DEEPER IT IS TO LOOK PASSED THE FAULTS AND FAILURES OF OTHERS TO SEE THEIR NEED AND WORK AT GIVING THEM WHAT THEY NEED.
THIS IS WHAT GOD DID FOR US HE LOOKED PAST OUR FAULTS, OUR FAILURES, OUR SHORT COMINGS AND OUR SIN AND SAW OUR NEED. THEN HE PROVIDED US WITH WHAT WE NEEDED.
THERE ARE 3 ELEMENTS THAT EACH OF US NEED TO GIVE IN ORDER TO SHOW KINDNESS TO OTHERS AND BUILD STRONGER AND BETTER RELATIONSHIPS. GOD GAVE EACH OF US THE SAME ELEMENTS. THEY ARE:
1. ATTENTION
2. ACCEPTANCE
3. ASSURANCE
I. GOD GAVE US HIS ATTENTION
TITUS 3:4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared,
GOD CAN NOT SHOW YOU KINDNESS AND LOVE WITHOUT GIVING YOU HIS ATTENTION.
EXODUS 3:7-8 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; 8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
THERE AR 5 WAYS THAT GOD GIVES US HIS ATTENTION.
1. HE LOOKED UPON THEIR AFFLICTION.
HE LOOKS AT US THIS LET US KNOW THAT WE HAVE HIS ATTENTION.
2. HE LISTENED TO THEIR CRIES.
THEY HAD GOD’S EARS. HE TOOK TIME TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY.
3. HE KNEW THEIR SORROWS.
GOD HAS A KNOWLEDGE OF OUR PAIN, HEARTACHE, SORROW AND AFFLICTION THAT WE ARE EXPERIENCE AND GOING THOUGH.
4. HE CAME TO RESCUE US.
HE CAME DOWN PERSONALLY. HE DIDN’T SEND SOMEONE ELSE. HE CAME HIMSELF.
5. HE DID SOMETHING ABOUT THEIR SITUATION.
GOD SAID I HAVE COME TO DELIVER YOU OUT OF THE MESS YOU ARE IN.
IF WE ARE GOING TO SHOW KINDNESS TO EACH OTHER THEN WE MUST TAKE TIME TO:
LOOK AT EACH OTHER NEEDS AND LISTEN TO WHAT IS BEING SAID, SO THAT WE CAN GAIN A KNOWLEDGE OF EACH OTHERS PAIN AND SORROW AND DO SOMETHING TO HELP. GET PERSONALLY INVOLVED IN MINISTERING TO EACH OTHERS NEEDS.
II. GOD GAVE US HIS ACCEPTANCE
TITUS 3:5-6 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
EXODUS 3:7 And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
GOD TOLD MOSES, THESE ARE MY PEOPLE THAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. THERE ARE 3 IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO GET HERE:
1. WHO YOU ARE.
2. WHOSE YOU ARE.
3. YOUR WORTH ( YOUR VALUE )
1. WHO ARE YOU AND WHOSE YOU ARE?
1 PETER 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
2. YOUR WORTH OR VALUE.
NO VERSES IN THE BIBLE SPEAKS SO MUCH OF THE LOVE OF GOD AND YOUR WORTH TO HIM THAN JOHN 3:16-17
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
JESUS IS SAYING I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BECAUSE YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME. I CAME TO SAVE YOU AND NOT TO CONDEMN OR CRITICIZE YOU.
WHEN YOU GIVE PEOPLE YOUR ACCEPTANCE, YOU ARE TELLING THEM WHO THEY ARE, WHOSE THEY ARE AND HOW MUCH YOU VALUE THE RELATIONSHIP THAT YOU HAVE WITH THEM.
YOU ARE MY BROTHER, MY SISTER AND YOU BELONG TO MY FAMILY. GOD IS OUR FATHER AND JESUS IS OUR KINSMAN REDEEMER.
BECAUSE YOU GIVE PEOPLE YOUR ATTENTION AND YOUR ACCEPTANCE:
III. GOD GIVE US ASSURANCE
TITUS 3:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
EXODUS 3:8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
1. GOD RELEASED US FROM OUR PAST.
2. GOD REASSURED THEM OF THEIR PRESENT.
3. GOD REAFFIRMED THEIR FUTURE.
CONCLUSION: HOW CAN I HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP GOD? RECOGNIZE THAT GOD HAS GIVEN YOU HIS ATTENTION, HIS ACCEPTANCE AND HIS ASSURANCE. HOW CAN I HAVE A BETTER RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHERS? BY GIVING THEM ATTENTION, ACCEPTANCE AND ASSURANCE.
