What's Love got to do with it?
Conflicted • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Communion:
Two things we don’t discuss: never discuss religion or politics" is an old social adage meant to avoid controversial topics in polite conversation. The exact origin is unclear, but it has been attributed to various sources over time. It likely stems from 19th-century etiquette guidelines that advised people to avoid potentially divisive subjects.
One of the earliest references to this sentiment appears in a letter written by British statesman Sidney Smith in 1843, where he mentioned that discussing religion and politics often leads to quarrels.
The idea behind it is that both religion and politics are deeply personal topics that can evoke strong emotions, leading to disagreements and tension in social settings.
Speaking about politics in church. Do we ignore it or explore it?
Speak to the tension. Pastors are taking one of three views.
1. Ignore it and wait for it to pass. - Pastors feel no matter what they say they will offend someone
2. Speak to it
3. They have a flat out political rally for one political side. - Picking sides sidelines the church.
We are 30 days away from election day and I am chosen to Speak to it. We titled this series “Conflicted”
The word “conflicted” means feeling uncertain or having mixed emotions about something. It often describes a situation where a person is torn between two or more opposing feelings or decisions.
Picture of oil and water: https://i0.wp.com/chubaoyolu.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/istock-494471168.jpg?resize=700%2C1050&ssl=1
Basket of eggs: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQmgO7ZLy73SkOJo-lAy4Yaidk4MwnaLuEgzA&s
An egg is a emulsifier: It has the power to bring the oil and the water together.
I am celebrating the power of an egg the Apostle Paul is celebrating the Power of Love he says that the love of God is an emulsifier that brings parties that normally wouldn't come together together.
God has called us to love even if we don’t agree with the other side.
(Bulletin Only)
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 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 do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
What ever love is, I have wasted a lot of time so what does love got to do with it?
1 If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.
The ancient world the most honored skill was oratorical skill they call themselves rhetoricians if you were a speaker you were the celebrity the Tom Cruzes and the Denzel Washingtons of the day if you had oratory you were absolutely rich and famous. Paul saying but if you don't bring love to your eloquence it still amounts to Zero.
2 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 do not have love, I am nothing.
Even if I have the IQ of Elon Musk but do not love, I am nothing
3 If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.
No matter what I do for Jesus I am bankrupt without love.
If we leave love off the table it all amounts to zero. So what does love got to do with it?
What is love?
The word love is mentioned 9 times in this section of scripture. It is the Greek word Agape.
Greek word agape: agape is unconditional love which essentially means: I'm going to love you even if you don't like me, I'm going to love you even if you don't love me back, I'm going to love you even though your political views and chosen candidate don’t line up with my feelings or beliefs.
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4–7 carefully and compare this with the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22–23. You will see that all of the characteristics of love show up in that fruit. This is why love edifies: it releases the power of the Spirit in our lives and churches.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
So it is the power of the Holy Spirit in you that you are to love. How are we to love unloveable people or ppl we disagree with? God Spirit will empower you to love.
Agape love is when I stop relying on my ways and start relying on his ways and I love you when you ain't been loving to me.
Agape love is when me and you ain't getting along okay and if I keep dealing with you the way I want to deal with you, somebody going to die so Holy Spirit give me the power and this God gives us the power to be graceful.
Biblically speaking...
Love is not a feeling,
Love is a choice.
Let that marinite: That's the difference you got to understand that when we talk about biblical love God's not commanding you to feel something, God is commanding you to do something.
What is the greatest commandment?
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
Did you notice it did not say this is the greatest feeling?
Commandments then are not feelings I feel, they are decisions I make. That I'm going to trust God's way of doing things as opposed to my own way of doing things.
List out things I love: Popeye’s chicken, Chick-fil-a, Black tie chesse cake from Olive Garden. What I am reallly saying I like these things a lot.
When I have popeye’s I feel good that that's what we're saying and so that's why we get confused when God says love people you don't like because we cons misconstrue it to say that God is saying go and like your enemy but what he's saying is go in love your enemy God.
What is not love?
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.
So in this “Conflicted 2024” we are commanded to love. Now reread 1 cor 13:4-8 and think of the political candidate you don’t like and the people that are for them. How are to love them?
Don't try to twist God's words as he calls you to love people you don't like, obey the word of the Lord.
People that have differing political views than you don’t need you to fix or educate them as much as they need you to love them.
