1 Corinthians 13:5 - Records of Wrongs
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Introduction
Good morning Bent Tree Church, I am Pastor Mike Walter the Campus Pastor at Bent Tree Church On Campus in Greeley, and I am thankful for the opportunity to bring the message this morning at both pf our Bent Tree locations.
For those of you that are giving above and beyond your tithe to Push Against the Gate I want to personally thank you for the opportunity to do ministry in Greeley. We have had a great summer of adventure camps and meeting new families. We will have our first baptisms soon and we are looking forward to celebrating these new believers soon.
We are going to continue our study on - today we will look at part of verse 5.
“Love does not keep a record of wrongs. (CSB)”
1 Corinthians 13:4-5
is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs.
Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs.
For the past few weeks, Pastor Paul has talked about what love is and is not -Love is patient, Love is kind, BUT Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs.
For the past few weeks, Pastor Paul has talked about what love is and is not -Love is patient, Love is kind, BUT Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs.
Today we are going to look at keeping a record of wrongs.
Let’s Pray
Big Question #1
Have you felt like you have been wronged because of the success or position of another person?
Turn in your Bibles to
We are going to look at
Sometimes we will keep a record of wrongs and it’s like a score card - all the things someone has done to hurt or harm us, maybe even make us mad.
Look at Joseph’s brothers -
Joseph was loved and favored by his father - so his brothers hated him.
Joseph had a dream and shares it with his brothers - they don’t like the meaning of the dream so they hated him.
Joseph had a second dream and shares it with his brothers and his father. This time they are jealous of Joseph because of the dream.
When we keep a record of wrongs our anger and frustration can boil over.
Think about this - Joseph had no control about him being the favored son. Joseph had no control over having dreams. And yet, with each thing Joseph’s brothers got madder and madder to the point that they conspired to kill him or sell him into slavery. This is the danger when we keep score of other people’s wrong doings, especially if they are out of their control.
1 John 3:15
Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
This is the danger when we keep score of other people’s wrong doings, especially if they are out of their control.
When a boss shows favoritism to a co-worker -
When a parent shows favoritism towards a sibling -
Jealousy
Keeping a record of wrongs can lead to jealousy.
The danger is we can become jealous, we can become angry, some things are out of our control but how we respond is what is important.
Do we respond out of love, or do we keep a record of how we are angry at someone else.
Check out what Proverbs has to say about Jealousy.
Proverbs 14:30
Proverbs
A tranquil heart is life to the body,
but jealousy is rottenness to the bones.
Hate
When it comes to jealousy - each of us need to check out hearts. famously says this:
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns.
See if there is any offensive way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way.
Searching my heart for jealousy God revealed to me jealousy in my own heart.
My brother-in-law is very successful.
He serves in the United States Air Force and flies F-16’s.
He has a beautiful home in Las Vegas where he is stationed.
He has a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.
And until recently, he had a beautiful Jeep Wrangler - lifted, big tires, lockers, lights, everything that you would want on a beautiful trail crawler.
And now jealousy creeps in my heart.
I also have given my life to service, not military service, but service to the Lord.
I too have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree.
I too have a beautiful home.
I also have a Jeep Wrangler.
But in my heart, I don’t see my home as beautiful as his.
I don’t see my Jeep as desirable as his.
Jealousy creeps in. We have similar lives, similar things but rather than being happy for my brother-in-law, I am jealous of things he has acquired.
Rather than being happy for my brother-in-law, I am jealous of things he has acquired.
Search your hearts this week - see if there is any jealousy in your heart.
Joseph’s brother’s allowed jealousy to turn to hate.
Hate
Keeping a record of wrongs can lead to hate.
Keeping a record of wrongs can lead to hate.
Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.
Big Question #1
Have you felt like you have been wronged because of the success or position of another person?
Big Question #2
Have you ever experienced a wrong done to you or a family member?
For help with this questions we are going to look at a parable that Jesus told the disciples.
:
Luke 15:11-32
He also said: “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” ’ So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.
“Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant. ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
“Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’
“ ‘Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ”
The older brother felt wronged. Wronged that his father killed the fatten calf for his brother who wasted away his father’s wealth.
The older brother may have even felt that his brother had wronged his father by wishing him dead, and taking his inheritance early and wasting away the wealth.
The older brother had kept a record of the wrongs of his brother.
Luke 15:28
“Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.
Keeping a record of wrong leads to anger.
Let’s look at what Proverbs has to say about anger.
Proverbs 14:16
A wise person is cautious and turns from evil,
but a fool is easily angered and is careless.
Proverbs
Luke 15:29
Luke 15:29
Don’t be a fool - don’t allow yourself to be easily angered.
When we feel wronged - it’s easy to be angry.
Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my concerns.
See if there is any offensive way in me;
lead me in the everlasting way.
As I search my heart for anger - I realized that I was still angry from being wronged in 2007 - over 10 years ago!
I was working for an internet company and part of my job included running background checks on potential clients. Because we were sending contractors into people’s homes we needed to make sure that we were sending in good people. Contractors without criminal backgrounds.
One of my co-workers - was featured in the news. My co-worker was buying drugs and his drug dealer was giving drugs to his own children. So my co-worker turned him into the police. Now here is where it gets bizarre. The news article confirmed that my co-worker was buying drugs. So when I shared the article with our human resource department, what was said to our vice president was not that I showed them the news article, but that I was wrongfully running background checks on our own employees. Which was an absolute false accusation.
Thankfully, my Vice President said, “Mike, I am going to give you one opportunity to tell me the truth, were you running background checks on our employees like Human Resources has accused you of.”
I responded, “Absolutely not, I have the news article that I took to the HR Department.”
So our HR lady blatantly lied about me. I’ll tell you, being wronged, I am still angry. Even talking about this I can feel my blood pressure rise, I can feel my anger reaching a boiling point. I would even go so far as to say that I have hatred in my heart for this HR Lady.
And now I feel convicted - convicted because, what if that HR lady is a fellow Christian?
For nearly a decade I have honestly felt hatred towards this woman.
Like me, do have you been wronged, do you feel any anger or jealousy towards someone?
Luke 15:29
But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends.
Keeping a record of wrong leads to jealousy.
Keeping a record of wrong is like keeping a score sheet - we see this in pre-marital counseling and marriage counseling.
What are those things that your spouse or children do that drive you crazy? Are you keeping a list?
What about all those times that clothes ended up on the floor and not in the hamper.
What about all those times that dishes were put in the sink and not in the dishwasher.
What about all those times that unkind words were used.
What about all those times that you said you would be home on time, but were actually late.
Here’s my fear in my own marriage. When Angelica and I got married we didn’t know that I would love to hunt big game, or as some of you know, I am not actually a good hunter, I just go on nature hikes with a gun.
We celebrate our marriage on October 15th, which also happens to be opening week of Elk hunting in Colorado.
Now my wife is amazing, and every year since I started hunting Elk she has said, “Go ahead and go hunting, we can celebrate our anniversary when you get back.”
Here is my fear, one day she might not be happy with me and will say, “Do you remember when you went hunting with your friends rather than celebrating our anniversary.”
My fear is that Angelica will keep a record of my wrongs -
All those times my clothes were on the floor instead of the hamper.
All those times I put dishes in the sink and not in the dishwasher.
All those times that I said an unkind word.
All those times that I said I would be home at a certain time, but was actually running late.
I do not want to throw in skipping our wedding anniversary for good measure.
See my fear is that my wife will keep a record of my wrongs - it’s my fear.
Thankfully my wife is not like that because she loves me.
And love does not keep a record of wrongs.
That doesn’t give me the freedom to skip anniversary’s to go hunting or be a jerk - Love does not keep a score sheet of things we do well and things we don’t.
It doesn’t keep a record of wrong.
Big Question #3
Are you thankful that God does not keep a record of our wrongs?
- says that God is love.
- says that love does not keep a record of wrongs.
If God is love, and love does not keep a record of wrongs then God does not keep a record of wrongs.
Psalm 130:3-4
A song of ascents.
Out of the depths I call to you, Lord!
Lord, listen to my voice;
let your ears be attentive
to my cry for help.
Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be revered.
I wait for the Lord; I wait
and put my hope in his word.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning—
more than watchmen for the morning.
Israel, put your hope in the Lord.
For there is faithful love with the Lord,
and with him is redemption in abundance.
And he will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.
Lord, if you kept an account of iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that you may be revered.
Pslam 130:3-4
For those of us that love Jesus the Bible goes even furthers.
Romans 8:1
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,
Conclusion
If we are not condemned because of Jesus and the Lord does not keep an account of our wrongs, why do we keep a record of wrongs?
If we love our friends and our families, why do we keep a record of wrongs?
That’s not love.
Love does not keep a record of wrongs.
Who do you need to forgive this week?
What do you need to forgive them of?
love does not keep a record of wrongs.
I see this a lot in marriage counseling.
One of the first things I ask couples is, “does your husband put the clothes in the hamper or on the floor?”
You would be surprised at how many of us guys put our clothes on the floor.
“What about putting dirty dishes in the sink or leaving them on a table?”
Or forgetting to take out the trash, or unload the dishwasher, or any other number of things we forget to do.
Any of these things on their own is not a big deal, but you add them all up and pretty soon there is complete blow up. Keep the record of wrongs is like a volcanon