Summary of Love 3

Title: LOVE IS… The Summary of Love Pt 3- Competitive

Text:

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

Intro: 1. One of the most famous passages in the Bible

2. Follows chapter 12 which is all about Spiritual gifts/manifestations

3. Love is the greatest gift of them all

4. First week we talked about the Superiority of Love

a. Spirituality without love is annoying

b. Knowledge without love is arrogant

c. Giving without love is manipulation

5. We have no capacity to generate (agape love) on our own

a. It comes from God

b. the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us

6. Summary of love

a. Love is submissive- patient and kind, submissive to God and others

b. Love is not possessive

c. Love is not competitive

III. LOVE IS NOT COMPETITIVE

A. Doesn’t brag

1. To exhibit self-display, Is not arrogant, makes no parade

a. To pile praise on yourself

1) Jim Traber- gotta give it up to myself

b. Status-seeking

c. It’s one-upping another person

2. Bragging is the other side of jealousy

a. Jealousy is wanting what someone else has but bragging is trying to make others jealous of what we have

3. Love doesn’t brag

a. Love doesn’t try to prove itself and say, “Watch how loving I can be” but instead works behind the scenes.

b. Love does not parade its accomplishments

c. Bragging is trying to draw attention to yourself. Love doesn’t do that

d. Love tries to make other people feel important, to give them attention

1) When you talk to others who does most of the talking?

2) How many questions do you ask?

3) What did you learn about them?

e. Love believes if I make other people important, God will make me important

* love doesn’t brag

B. It keeps no record of wrongs

1. This is an accounting term that would be better translated to count or to reckon

a. It literally meant to credit to someone’s account.

2. The image of a bookkeeper who meticulously keeps accurate financial records

a. In this case, it’s a detailed records of every wrong that was ever done to him

1) I’ve written them off

b. This person painstakingly stores in his memory all the mistakes, faults, grievances, disappointments, failures, or perceived wrongdoings that someone has made against him

c. Baker Mayfield-

d. Family member that owes you a favor

1) When your spouse gets mad they get historical

e. Spouses that play by a points system

Simple duties:

You make the bed- +1

Make the bed but forget the decorative pillow- 0

You leave the toilet seat up: -5

Social engagements:

You stay by her side the entire party 0

You stay for a while then go chat with a buddy: -2

Named Tiffany -5

Thoughtfulness:

You take her out to dinner on her birthday 0

It's all-you-can-eat buffet -3

A night out:

You go out with a buddy -5

He is happily married -3

He is single -7

He drives a Mustang -10

Communication:

She asks, "Does this make me look fat?" -5 (sensitive questions always start with a deficit)

You hesitate in responding -10

You reply "Where?" -35

She wants to talk and you listen, displaying a look of concern 0

You listen for over 30 minutes +5

You listen without looking at the TV +10

She realizes it's because you have fallen asleep -20

3. Love doesn’t keep records

a. Look at how God acts toward us

1) God was in Christ reconciling (to exchange) the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them

2) He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God

b. God could drag up our past but instead He chose to forgive us

1) As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us

2) You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea

c. How should we act toward others

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

4. Love let’s it go

a. Let them go

1) You’re holding them hostage in your mind

2) Nothing will ever be good enough for you if the blood of Jesus isn’t good enough

3) Reconciliation takes two people, forgiveness only takes one

· Forgiveness is vertical not horizontal. It’s between you and God

b. Let yourself go

1) You’re not giving to that person the same mercy God has given to you

2) You can’t be forgiven

3) Un-forgiveness hurts you

a) Un-forgiveness binds you to the pain inflicted on you

· You suffer while they go free

b) The first to apologize is the bravest, the first to forgive is the strongest, and the first to forget is the happiest

c) Forgiveness is not forgetting but remembering the right way- John Johnson

c. Love can forgive others because we know God will set the record straight

* love doesn’t keep records

C. Does not rejoice in unrighteousness but rejoices with the truth

1. Either doing wrong or being them victim of a wrong

2. Word means joyful, being glad about something

3. Does not rejoice in others doing wrong

a. decline

1) Don’t honor God as God v21

2) Think they know more than God v22

3) Serve the creature rather than the creator v25

4) God gives them over to lies and a depraved mind

5) They are fully aware of God’s death penalty for those who do these things, yet they go right ahead and do them anyway. And, worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too v32

b. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil

c. During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act- George Orwell

d. How can a heart that loves God be happy when it sees someone in sin?

e. As we develop the heart of God we should be broken over sinners

4. Does not rejoice in others being the victim of a wrong

a. Love does not feel overjoyed when it sees an injustice done to someone else

1) Deep inside our dirty little secret is we’re happy at certain individual’s hardships

a) Being glad when they reap what they’ve sown

b) Being glad when another athlete gets hurt to give your kid a chance

c) Being glad when their perfect marriage falls apart

b. This is completely contrary to the love and nature of God

1) The right response is to pray for their comfort and restoration

2) To actually help them through their suffering

c. Real love simply doesn’t rejoice at someone else’s misfortunes

5. Love rejoices when the truth comes out and wins out

a. Same word as above- rejoices

b. What makes me happy, joyful?

1) Truth should

a) In every situation we should pray that truth wins out

b) Even if we don’t like what ends up being true

c) The best player should play

d) The right punishment should be given

2) We all have bias and must acknowledge that

a) We can be victims to our version of the truth and not the real truth

c. Love isn’t threatened by another person’s success

d. Love can rejoice with others blessings, because we trust God to take care of us

* love doesn’t rejoice at injustice, but rejoices in the truth

Cncl: 1. A lady walked into Dr. Cranes office full of hatred toward her husband. "I do not only want to get rid

of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me." Dr. Crane suggested an ingenious plan "Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Appreciate him. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Make him believe you love him. After you've convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that you want a divorce. That will really hurt him." With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, "Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!" And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting "as if." For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing, appreciating. When she didn't return, Crane called. "Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?" "Divorce?" she exclaimed. "Never! I discovered I really do love him." Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion.

2. We brag because we want others attention, but love gives others attention

3. We keep records because we are afraid we won’t get our due, but love forgives and let’s God take care of it

4. We struggle with the success of others, but love rejoices because even though life isn’t fair, God will take care of us

Altr: 1. Salvation

2. Pray for a nemesis

3. Pray for the unbiased truth to win out