GIFT-OLOGY: EXPERIENCING THE MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

GIFT-OLOGY: EXPERIENCING THE MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

THE PROFILE OF GOSPEL LOVE

INTRODUCTION

LOVE; INBREAKING OF HS IN TIME AND ETERNITY

INBREAKING IN THE SOUL BRINGING SALVATION;

COMMAND TO LOVE

CAPACITY TO LOVE

1 Timothy 1:13–14 ESV

though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

THE MOVE OF THE SPIRIT OPPOSES the KINGDOM SATAN

SATAN OPPOSES LOVE

FROM THE TEXT:

YOU CAN SPEAK IN TONGUES

YOU CAN HAVE WORDS OF PROPHECY

YOU CAN HAVE ALL KNOWLEDGE

YOU CAN GIVE UP YOUR LIFE

HE SAYS: IF I SPEAK, ETC…AND HAVE NOT LOVE...

1 Corinthians 13:1 (ESV)

I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

1 Corinthians 13:2 (ESV)

I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:3 (ESV)

I gain nothing.

WHAT PAUL LAYS OUT BEFORE US IN THE FIRST THREE VERSES ABOUT THE PRIORITY OF LOVE IS ASTOUNDING:

IT IS POSSIBLE TO HAVE THE LOOK OF SALVATION AND BE LOST AT THE SAME TIME

IT IS POSSIBLE TO APPEAR SPIRITUALLY FULL BUT ACTUALLY BE SPIRITUALLY EMPTY

IT IS POSSIBLE TO WORK FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND BE OUTSIDE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD

HOW TRAGIC IS THAT?

TO SPEND YOUR DAYS ACTING CHRISTIAN BUT NOT BEING CHRISTIAN

TO BE CELEBRATED IN CHURCH FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS AND GIFTS AND YET NOT BE A CHRISTIAN

FOR PAUL HERE IS THE QUESTION OF ETERNITY:

Are You Doing What You Are Doing And Wanting The Gifts That You Are Wanting For The Love Of God And Others?

1 John 4:7–8 ESV

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.

DO NOT HEAR ME SAYING THIS:

THAT YOU HAVE TO LOVE TO GO TO HEAVEN: THAT WOULD MAKE LOVING OTHERS A REQUIREMENT FOR SALVATION.

INSTEAD HERE ME SAYING THIS:

YOU ARE NOT A BELIEVER IF YOU DO NOT LOVE SINCE BELIEVERS LOVE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN LOVED

1 John 4:19 ESV

We love because he first loved us.

REPEAT SERMON TITLE

THE PROFILE OF GOSPEL LOVE

I. THE PERSUASIONS OF GOSPEL LOVE

PERSUADING: THERE IS A LOGIC TO GOSPEL LOVE THAT TRANSCENDS HUMAN UNDERSTANDING AND AFFECTION

GOSPEL LOVE PERSUASION #1: I MUST BE FORGIVING TOWARDS ALL WHO OFFEND ME

A. THEIR HEARTS ARE SATURATED WITH FORGIVENESS (V4A)

Briefly define both words and show why forgiveness is the right word

Patience: is not responding to offences as they humanly deserve

Kind: is being sympathetic towards those who offend

BOTH WORDS, TOGETHER, REPRESENT THE ESSENCE OF GOSPEL FORGIVENESS

Love sees the offense as real but chooses an altogether different response

Proverbs 10:12 ESV

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

Hatred is a natural response but love covers…

· Speaks to the reality of what could be a battle to hate or to love

THIS IS REAL.... OFFENSES HURT; THEY WOUND AND, WITHIN THE CHURCH OR FROM ANOTHER BELIEVER OFFENSES CAN SHOCK - BECAUSE IT IS NOT WHERE YOU WOULD EXPECT TO BE WOUNDED OR HURT

IN THESE TIMES AND IN THESE VERY DIFFICULT MOMENTS, LOVE WILL NOT NECESSARILY BE YOUR FIRST THOUGHT, FEELING OR PROMPTING

IN THESE MOMENTS LOVE MUST BE SUMMOND

This is why we are told to “Put on” patience and kindness

Do not let the fact that love is difficult at this time to make you think that somehow it is not in you:

IT MUST BE PUT ON

Colossians 3:12 ESV

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,

NOTE SEVERAL REALITIES PAUL LAYS OUT ABOUT THIS:

1. You are God’s chosen one’s

YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, KNOW THAT THE LOVE GIVEN TO YOU, HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU AND WAS GIVEN TO YOU WHILE YOU WERE IN SIN

2. You are holy and beloved

FORGIVENESS IS THE FRUIT OF BEING HOLY (SEPARATED FOR AND TO GOD)

WE PUT IT ON IN ACTS AND RESPONSES OF FORGIVENESS:

1 Peter 4:8 ESV

Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

o See the priority OF LOVE: PETER SAYS “ABOVE ALL”

o See intensity of the battleTO LOVE: keep loving one another earnestly

NOTE THIS KEY FACT ABOUT FORGIVENESS:

FORGIVENESS is not indifference (acting as if it did not happen, matter or hurt)

FORGIVENESS - AS THE FRUIT OF LOVE: sees and feel it all and yet chooses a higher more heavenly response of dealing with people not according to their sin

NOT BECAUSE THIS IS MERELY RIGHT BUT BECAUSE IT MODELS THE ACTIVITY OF TRINITY

1. THE FORGIVING LOVE IN GOD

Nehemiah 9:17 ESV

They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt. But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them.

NEHEMIAH TEACHES US THAT KINDNESS IS SEEN AND IS ON DISPLAY WHEN PEOPLE REACT, ACT OR TREAT YOU WITH ANY LEVEL OF CONTEMPT IN THE FACE OF YOUR DISPLAYS OF AND ACTS OF KINDNESS

KINDNESS IS A RESPONSE TO ACTIONS THAT ARE UNKIND, INTENTIONALLY AND DEFIANTLY – HENCE

LUKE

Luke 6:35–36 ESV

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

PETER

2 Peter 3:9 ESV

The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

2. THE FORGIVING LOVE IN CHRIST

Ephesians 4:32 ESV

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

3. THE FORGIVING LOVE THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT

Romans 5:5 ESV

and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

IF GOD WAS AND HAS BEEN PATIENT WITH US IT IS NOT TO BE THOUGHT THAT WE COULD BE OTHERWISE AND STILL REFLECT HIM IN OUR LIVES

DISSECTING WHY PEOPLE STRUGGLE TO FORGIVE:

1. You are living in sin and, therefore, grieving the grace of forgiveness

PERHAPS

a. Perhaps You are living in falsehood - living a lie

b. Perhaps you are living in anger

c. Perhaps you are living in slander

d. Perhaps you are living in sensuality

ALL OF THESE AND MUCH MORE WILL, ACCORDING TO THE APOSTLE PAUL, QUENCH THE HOLY SPIRIT AND DRENCH THE FLAME OF FORGIVENESS

ANOTHER REASON YOU MAY BE STRUGGLING TO FORGIVE IS THIS:

2. You will not let go of your past guilt that Christ has forgiven

3. You have never have trusted Christ as your Savior

TO EVERY REASON ABOVE WE HAVE ONLY THE GOSPEL:

TO THE SAINT STRUGGLING WITH THE ACT OF SIN AND SIN OF DOUBT

TO THE SINNER WHO IS STANDING OPPOSED TO AND OUTSIDE OF THE GATE OF GRACE:

YOU CANNOT FORGIVE BECAUSE YOU CANNOT SUMMON THAT WHICH YOU DO NOT POSSESS

TODAY, YOU NEED TO REPENT OF YOUR SIN - WHICH IS REBELLION AGAINST GOD- AND FLEE TO THE LOVE OF CHRIST WHICH IS YOUR ONLY SAFETY FROM THE JUSTIFIABLE WRATH OF GOD. THIS WRATH IS AIMED PERFECTLY AT YOU RIGHT NOW: AND GOD WILL NOT MISS

GOSPEL LOVE PERSUASION #2: TRUE JOY IS ROOTED IN MY WANTING THE GOOD OF THOSE WHO OFFEND ME

II. THEIR JOY IS ONLY HIGHLIGHTING THE GOOD IN OTHERS

1 Corinthians 13:6 ESV

it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

There is, perhaps, no test of character more decisive than this: in what is the chief pleasure of life placed? Where is satisfaction of the soul? Whence does joy proceed?[1]

“rejoicing at the evil” (whether sin or misfortune) of others

Proverbs 24:17 ESV

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and let not your heart be glad when he stumbles,

GOSPEL LOVE DOES NOT REJOICE IN WRONGDOING BECAUSE IT FEELS WHAT THE LORD FEELS ABOUT WRONG DOING

SOME REJOICE IN WRONG DOING AS A JUSTIFICATION FOR THEIR OWN

BUT NOT THOSE WHOSE LIVES ARE CONTUNUALLY CHARACTERIZED BY LOVE

THE LORD REJOICES IN THE GOOD

WHEN ONSE SINNER COMES TO REPENTANCE

I BELIEVE PAUL COVERS WITH LOVE IS NOT WITH WHAT LOVE IS TO SHOW THAT WHEN WE ARE DRIVEN BY FORGIVENESS AND SEEKING THE GOOD WE WILL QUICKLY NOTICE AND FEEL THOSE DESIRES THAT RUN COUNTER TO IT.

ONE CANNOT KNOW THAT THEY ARE WRONG, OR OFF ETC UNTIL AND UNLESS THAT KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, LOOKS LIKE AND FEELS LIKE TO BE ON.

LOVE IS THE MARK OF THE IN-BREAKING OF LIFE OF GOD INTO TIME AND SPACE

o CHRIST– LIFE, DEATHJ RESURRECTION

o CHRIST’S INCARNATION COMING PROVES GOD’S LOVE FOR HUMANITY

o CHRIST’S HUMILIATION OBEDIENCE AND DEATH PROVES CHRIST’S LOVE FOR THE ELECT

o CHRIST’S EXALTATION RESURRECTION PROVES THAT GOD ACCEPTED THIS LOVE SACRIFICE FOR OUR SIN

- LOVE IS THE MARK OF THE IN-BREAKING OF THE HEART OF GOD INTO THE HEART OF MAN

o CHRIST’S INCARNATION IS THE PATTERN OF OUR LIFE TOWARDS OTHERS

o CHRIST’S HUMILIATION IS THE PATTERN OF HOW WE MODEL

o CHRIST’S EXALTATION SPEAKS TO THE AIM OF OUR LOVE

§ EXALT CHRIST IN OUR OBEDIENCE

§ EXALT OTHERS IN THEIR NEEDS

LOVE IS THE OPPOSITE OF SELF INTEREST

THAT IS WHAT PAUL IS SAYING, CHIEFLY, IN THE FIRST FEW VERSES

YOU CAN ONLY GET SELF OUT OF THE WAY WHEN CHRIST IS YOUR WAY AND THE CHRIST WAY IS THE WAY OF SELF DENIAL; SELF ABASEMENT; SELF-BEING SECOND.

THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE BASE LEVEL OF HUMANITY IS TO BE SEEN AS SOMETHING WE ARE NOT BECAUSE THIS CELEBRATION BECOMES THE END AND THE GOAL OF OUR PURPOSE AND EXISTENCE: